Wild Bill Wilder

My challenge stands and so far goes unanswered. As to enthusiasm, its quite evident you've not read the right posts or talked with the right people DB or B&G. Read this for some enthusiasm: http://spwaw.thegamers.net Read the review of what has been done. We'll be posting a new one with new screen shots and more developments in the game any day now. Again, talk to me. Ask me some questions. I'm ready to answer. I'm waiting... Questions, anyone? Here is my E-Mail address if you prefer to do it that way. billw@thegamers.net And we'll talk about it in personal E-Mail, on the Matrix Forum, on the Steel Panthers Forum, or you can call me. I'll send you my number. We won't encumber this site with SP related themes. This is a Combat Mision forum. Unless of course, we can relate the questions to CM. But SP is a different game, with a different approach to simulating war. So its hard to compare the two. But I'm ready, more than ready to talk about the game. Ask away, guys. I'm standing by... ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

Well, why not liven it up a bit, Def Bungis? Drop by, ask a question. I'll answer you. That's a promise. And I am quite sure the B&G is seeing and speaking of things from his point of view. He has that right, and I would be the last to say that he does not. But so do I. So am I wrong because I present another point of view? You seem to indicate that by my responding that I am automatically giving assent to his statements as total fact. What kind of reasoning is that? "Silence is assent," and I will not assent to what I consider an erroneous evaluation of the game or the people involved in its production. Or could it be that you just want to harangue with no interruption? And 60+ posts in no way affirms a fact, especially if the 60+ posts are based on the statement of one person's experience. Why don't you get in the water before you take someone's word that it is cold? Do you accept everything you hear that readily? Or do you search things out for yourself? Take the challenge. If you have a question or a comment about SPWAW or something related to gaming, make it known. Or is this cozy haven too comfortable for you? I don't mean to belittle anyone here. That is not my intent. It is only to clarify some points. How can that be construed as guilt? The only guilt I carry is that of speaking up. Or is that not allowed here, unless you are part of "the group?" ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

Have I ever responded to you in that fashion? If I don't know, I'll say I don't know, B&G. If its classified, I'll say so. Truly I don't think anyone can say that I have never answered a question to the best of my ability. So ask me. Write me. What do you need to know? I am ready to respond to the best of my ability. You've never asked me a question. I'm ready when you are billw@thegamers.net Drop me a line or ask here if you prefer. And thank you for the kind words. That is sincere, not sarcasm. ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

Well, you gentlemen have had a field day smashing, cursing and generally deriding another web site. And its sad, because you have heard only from one person with an evident bone to pick with SPWAW and Matrix Games. I've read over the posts and want to comment. Before I do, I want to say I feel somewhat qualified to speak on the subject. I have been involved in every beta test of every version of Steel Panthers since 1994. I have also been involved with CM since its alpha version. So that should qualify me to say a few things about the matter. Blood and Guts came to the Matrix forum not to talk about the subjects that are there, but to tout and brag about how much better CM is than any SP game. That is okay to a point. I think CM is a marvelous game. I have backed it 1000%. We even have a section on the Raider page supporting CM along with Madmatt's CMHQ page. Few games have two sections of their web site supporting a game that has yet to be published. So we have no problem at Matrix or TGN supporting Combat Mission and Big Time Software. Five of the beta testers are also Raiders in my group. We have worked as hard as anyone to improve and enhance the game with many hours of hard testing and scenario design. Now for us to be accused of being against the Combat Mission or downplaying it is RIDICULOUS! One person does not speak for the entire group. I would think you gentlemen would be adult enough to know that. I could be wrong. Both Steel Panthers and Combat Mission fill a need in gaming. For Blood and Guts to wander into the Matrix Forum on Steel Panthers and put on an ad campaign for Combat Mission while deriding and ridiculing our efforts seems hardly the actions of a mature adult. The newest version, Steel Panthers, World at War is something you might read about and learn about before you body slam it into the ground. Why not do that? http://spwaw.thegamers.net Progress in gaming is inevitable. Combat Mission is a big step forward and I love it. I hope Steve, who monitors this forum, will attest to the fact that I as much as anyone in the beta test group, have given my all to see this come to a succesful completion. The Forum about Steel Panthers is just that at Matrix Games. The forum at Battlefront is for Combat Mission. Lets discuss them both in both places, but lets not go to own to badmouth their product and tout another. I think there is time and opportunity to play both if we wish without being classified as Neanderthal because we like a game that has been around for six years. The fact that it is still being played, revised and enjoyed by thousands speaks for itself. ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

Of course, you noticed that there is a Pershing in front of me. I'm standing in the turret yelling, "Forward Men! Forward!" the ideal position for the commander, "I got your back!" Nice job, Madmatt. I am honored! ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

I gotta know, Cool One. Did you get Sergeant Horvath when he says "We're in business!"? Please say you included that one!...WB

The after action report in itself will not tell you the exploits of each individual unit. There will be a way, however, to access each unit by way of the AAR to get that information. Just another great feature in CM. They just keep comin! ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

What! No Update! You've spoiled us Madmatt! I think we'll live with it and the two updates you'll put up today (G)! ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

If you are speaking of those about Barkmann and Wittmann, those are my work, Hijack. These are resumes of larger articles I have done on both themes. I say this because some have found fault with them and I don't want Matt taking the heat for something I wrote. ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

Thank you Ber, for the update. That is interesting. I sometimes have a problem associating lesser German units with greater one in exact terms. But then in June 1944, I guess they did too (G).

That was not his mistake, it was mine. You are correct. I will make the correction. According to what I read, his unit was attached to the LAH. So don't blame Matt, blame me for this error. I've been up too long, but that is no excuse ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

There was little opportunity to test the Pershings and see how well they performed in World War II. They came too late in the war to see action. There was a confrontation between Pershings and Tigers at Elsdorf Germany on February 27, 1945. There is a scenario in the list that covers that one. Its a tough little tank fight. Ask the testers (G)! In Korea, however, many tankers looked for anyway to get rid of their Pershings for the old venerable M4A3E8, the "Easy Eight." It became the favorite of most tankers throughout the Korean War. One batch of Pershings were actually on display on concrete pedastals at Ft Knox. They were taken down and shipped to Korea. They were called by the tankers there "monument tanks." Blair, "The Forgotten War," page 213. ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

Multiple front penetrations. I've never been able to do that. I guess I'm in the wrong generation...(evil smiley face if I knew how to do one) ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

Rough terrain might do well. I think fields offer a LOS obstacle that would not be realistic. Rough might do that too. Regular terrain is really not that noticeable. Los has experimented with a beach landing and his work came out very nice. As in many games, you can rig and play with the editor to make it do things that are not normally built into the game. Example. I wanted Germans, prisoners and wounded. So I put them far enough behind American troops so they would not get shot at and then put them in an exhausted shaken state. Made the attempted breakthrough and rescue a lot of fun. So, yes, Cap, give it a try. Experiment with the editor when you get it. Do different things, unique things. Don't ever give up without trying. Another scenario designer and I are working with the Wittmann massacre of the Brits at Villers Bocage, each doing his own scenario. Now here is a challenge. How can you make a scenario where a lone Tiger has a chance against a dozen half tracks, a platoon or two of infantry and at least ten enemy tanks? Well, fiddling with the editor, it can be done. But that comes with time and patience. So look forward to not only playing the game, but making your own game. All of you have the potential to do it with this fine editor. And this is why we need a Pacific Module of CM (oh, no!..not again...groan). Then we can make beach assaults. Steve, Charles? Listening? (G) ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

Oh, but they do, MCHoodle (Mark)! Believe me they do. When the Germans leveled that building in Arnhem, I lost two squads completely and the rest ranged from shaken to panic. The results I've seen seem to mirror the disaster of a house falling on you (G)! ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net [This message has been edited by Wild Bill Wilder (edited 01-14-2000).]

Pardon my density, but where to you guys get these smilies? I can't find them...WB ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

So he could not it off the bridge, Compassion! You know how the old Cap is when he playes. He likes to run over soldiers with tanks too (G)... ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

Thanks to you both, Andrew (aka GunnerDream) and Justin. Its nice to see some old timers still around and remembering the good old board days when cats and kids were anathema to any game on the card table. Never could handle a stack of ten counters in one hex. My fingers are too thick. I used to put them on sheet from a note pad with the hex number so I could keep up with everything going on. Its so much neater and easier, isnt't it guys? Great to hear from all of you. And yes, you will be happy with ALL the scenarios in this great game. Most published games throw in scenarios at the last minute, poorly done, poorly tested. BTS has studiously avoided this, giving top priority to this feature. It will pay off in gaming pleasure for all of you. That is a fact! Thank you again for remembering this aging Raider ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

I am picturing those events in my mind, MOS, and cracking up! Just too funny! Another one. The VC AA gunners were trained to shoot down helicopters by adding a model on the end of their gun at an angle. This would account for the time needed between the shot and its arrival at the target. Some VC gunners in attacking landed or hovering helicopters led them using the above lesson, shooting some 50-100 feet in front of the stationary choppers. No doubt this made for some very happy Warrant officers (G)! ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

The interesting thing I have noticed, Fester, is that sometimes the enemy unit does not always "see" the Panzerfaust or bazooka crew. In one battle "Stolberg-Punching a hole" I watched two Panther tanks suddenly charge the advancing Americans. I had no tanks except a Stuart on that side of the battlefield and little except squads and mgs to stop them. One lucky shot by a bazooka team damaged the gun of one Panther. He stopped. The other kept coming. Nothing I could do. The turn was running. When he came abreast of the Stuart (hiding in some scattered woods), the trusty little tank had been tracking him all the way down the long hill, he fired a round into the side of the Panther at nearly point blank range. Bam! He killed that bad boy! The Panther evidently never "saw" the Stuart or he would have creamed him, or at least stopped. So a lot of factors come into play with this seeing and shooting. I can't speak from the techincal side of the game, but I often point out a target to a unit, even when it is out of sight from him. This seems to help somehow. Second solution. Put the game on a laptop and take it with you (LOL)... ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

My own experience in design and testing scenarios is that the buildings do reflect endurance pretty accurately. In the Arnhem scenario, one building near the bridge took an incessant pounding by artillery and Stu42 Assault guns for hours. It was a large stone building and it finally collapsed, but it took a LOT of pounding to do it. Remember, you may not have seen all the building types as yet (G).... ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

I want to add just a little more to this discussion. Front lines in operations will vary between battles, depending on: 1. The type of operation 2. The success of the defender-attacker And they may surprise you. Flanking moves by the AI, that you may not even be aware of, can rob you of terrain in the next battle. So you must be aware of your entire front, not just a part of it. For example, in the Team DeSobry Operation, you are faced with defending not only the town of Noville, but must keep the enemy from flanking the town also. Remember they could go through the woods to get to the road to Bastogne. Another feature I like is that you will not be able to always see the entire map when you begin. Some terrain may be unknown to you or the AI, and if you succeed in advancing, you may find new terrain in front of you. Same if you are pushed back. Which partly gives credence to what Dean Robb mentioned in his post on unknown terrain. So Operations have a lot to offer that you have never seen before in a wargame. At least I haven't. ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net [This message has been edited by Wild Bill Wilder (edited 01-14-2000).]

Hey Moon! When you say he smoked an "alpha" is that stuff legal (BEG)? ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

That is a very neat idea, Dean! It makes very good sense. It adds even more fog to the "fog of war." ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net

Uh oh! We just lost Moon. He must be able to read German. Another scenario designer bites the dust! ------------------ Wild Bill Wild Bill's Raiders Director of Scenario Design, The Gamers Net billw@thegamers.net http://wbr.thegamers.net