Zamo

Hey Mannheim, not to digress but, did you do any time at Ft. Lewis? If so I have a question you may be able to answer. One day, five or six years ago, me and some pals were driving along the Tacoma waterfront and came across a train loaded with M1's, Bradleys, and those funny little engineer vehicles. We spent some time checking them out and eventually found a lone, pristine, OD green M-47 Patton sitting on one of the flatcars. All the other vehicles were all desert camo and I figured they were on their way over to Yakima for some field excercise, but I couldn't figure out for the life of me where this M-47 had come from and why was it in factory showroom condition. I had hoped to see it show up at the Ft. Lewis Military Museum, but nope. I REALLY hope it didn't end up as one of the blackend hunks of slag over in Yakima. Any idea? Anyone? Zamo

Oh, I dunno, Dar, I know my old man will check it out. It took him years to start talking about his combat actions (1st Marine div., Cape Glouster, Peleliu, Okinawa...and Pavuvu!), but now we can't get him to shut up. He goes to all sorts of reunions and can't be torn away from "The History Channel". He described combat as "Like deer hunting...except the deer have machine guns." I'm sure there are alot of vets who don't have problems with their combat experiances. Just as I'm sure there are alot who do. Different people behave differently. As to games in the military, when I was in the Marines we had a game I believe was called "TacWar" which was played on a large table with nifty little foam hills and forests and concealible units and all sorts of other neat little stuff. It wasn't computer based, it was all minitures, with all sorts of tables and such. That was back in the early 80's. We did alot of rehersing that way before mounting the pigs and doing it for real. I personally think CM would be ideal for NCO's on up to company level officers. It really works out problems at that level much clearer than TACWAR ever did...and is much cheaper! Zamo [This message has been edited by Zamo (edited 05-04-2000).]

To those of you who oppose dead bodies on the battlefield, do you also oppose dead vehicles? Especially the brewed up kind? What's the difference? A burning tank is more likely than not filled with bodies. Burning bodies. Does that make you sick? It should. Why not complain about BTS including them? What sort of sanitized war game is it that you want? One without killing? Perhaps I'm missing something. What is it that you object to? The depiction of human beings slaughtering one another in general? Or is it the much more pragmatic desire to not see BTS's wonderful offering degenerate into Doom '44?

I agree Mannheim, Buttoned tanks are buttoned. Perhaps a modifier of about 2% to 5% chance of opening a hatch if the crew was too dumb to button the hatch, or if the TC had been killed by a sniper...There should be a "slim" chance that a hatch isn't secured, but it should be SLIM. Zamo

I just popped over to the CMHQ website for the first time in a few weeks and took a gander at some of the images from the latest builds. It just astounds me how much these stills look, and more importantly "feel" like actual photos of the Second World War. The "Tired Lt." shot looks so much like the real thing it's almost spooky. Burning wreckage, smoke in the distance (THAT seems to be the key ingrediant, almost every photo I've ever seen has smoke in the distance). This is going to be good! I think I'm going to download a shot and change it to black and white to see just how similar it looks then... Man! I just can't wait! Zamo

Thanks for the bodies, and thanks for omiting further gore. Your rational is exactly what was needed. I think Maj. Tom's arguments against are actually the arguments for I would have used. He stated something like how hard it would be to look back after a game at all your fallen men. Whether it's a game simulation or the real thing, I think that is exactly what a commander must do. Whether they're cyber lives or the real thing, they're snuffed out and it's YOUR fault. In reality it is a horror beyond my ability to comment, but in a game, when handled tastefully, it can be a great learning tool to help an armchair commander do better next time, and husband his strength accordingly. Each of those markers is 12 unlived lives and 12 letters home that nobody wants to write and nobody wants to read. I think not having an indicator of losses such as a body might overly glorify the horror of war. Let's remember what we are simulating here. There's no need for arms and guts, but if an entire unit is erradicated it SHOULD be presented somehow. Just as when we were kids you'd simulate casualties by knocking your plastic soldiers over. No gore...but loss. Thanks for adding this feature BTS. Hope I didn't drone on too long. "The only thing worse than loosing a battle, is winning one."

I still enjoy building 1/35th armor. I am currently backlogged by about 20 kits and am working on a Tiger I, an M4A3E8 and a Pzkfw IVD right now. You guys haven't mentioned lighting plastic sprue on fire and letting it Phzzzzzip! down onto helpless ants. That is the next progression after BB guns and firecrackers. And boy! Didn't it hurt when it hit your bare feet? Ahhhh, youth....

As a former M-60 crewman I might have some insite. It is possible to open the loaders hatch on an M-60 if it is locked from inside AND the periscope is not in place. A dextrious individual with a thin arm can reach through the periscope port and unlock the hatch. Naturally, in combat, you'd have the periscope in place, but 99% of the time in peacetime we never had ours in place. We refered to this procedure as "combat locking" the hatch. It is what we did if we left the tank for a while, and didn't have a pad-lock for the hatch. Sgt. Zamo "B" Co. 4th TkBn, 4th MarDiv, FMF, USMCR

Those damned butterflys...They always mess up the time line don't they?

Ooooh Doug! That's a great one...SS_Pastry Eater!!! Man, I sure got a chuckle out of that. Wit is certainly mankinds greatest creation. Zamo

I have always gotten tears in my eyes whenever I hear the Eric Brougal (?) song: "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda". Lest we forget! Let's all pray CM is the closest any of us ever come to war again... Zamo

Finance it???!!! Other than the cost of the game itself I'm afraid I'm too tapped gents...I'm too busy financing my local taverns and micro breweries! Zamo

Great...Just great...Now I not only have to worry about the children today (What the heck is a Booooyaaa???) Now I have to worry about their teachers as well....Oh well, Nothing new there. We get what we pay for, don't we? $24k a year only buys so much, and todays teachers have to cut something out of their lesson plans if they're going to make room for their left wing ideological brainwashing. Go get 'em tiger! I can't wait to hear how she teaches you of our "criminal" use of atomic weapons against the poor Japanese... Again, I rant...Sorry! Zamo

I'd put my money down on this product right now, though it might take five years to create. I think the CM engine would be fantastic for the PTO. Especially the early war years (Manchuria through Guadalcanal). Battlefront has said they have no interest nor desire to do a PTO so I'd love to see somebody do a third party licensing. Perhaps those wonderful fellows over at The Gamers.Net who are doing the Pacific War upgrade? As I said, I'll front my $60 RIGHT NOW! Zamo

Not going to happen Fionn. Having read your reply, I went back and re-read the entire exchange and I still will stand by my comments. Interesting that you then imply that my standing up for free speech makes ME the one likely to have someone shot...Your logic is faulty there. Nice attempt at spin though. I am not trying to anger you or insult you and have no objections to dropping the whole thing, it is pointless and has no valid merit regarding CM, however, over the months I have seen you get very defensive and aggresive when confronted by someone who doesn't think as you. Must be the Irish in your blood Mmm? I am not some Politically correct naybob who runs around spitting forth intestinal bile at the drop of a hat, but I do think that we should each be allowed to speak our minds freely without the threat of thought police clamping down on us. I am not saying I agree with Mantarays statements, but a certain Voltaire quote springs to mind regarding free speech: "I do not agree with not even one word you said, but I am ready to die for your right to say that." Can we get back to CM now? Or shall we continue this inane dance until Charles mercifully extinguishes it? Zamo

OK, I'm not slamming USERNAME, but I find it rather amusing that he lambasted Scott for using the term "Kraut" only to use it himself in the very next post...I HOPE this was an intentional faux pax and that Username didn't really put his foot that far into his own mouth... Zamo

Actually Fionn, I think your reply is the more offensive. Your reply to Manta Rays post seems awfully fascistic. I didn't see any overtly damning verbalization in his "shut your pie hole" statement. I don't condone personal attacks on anyone, but it's not like he called the guy a *@!$%#$^ or something. Who polices the police? Zamo defending the 1st ammendment instead of the 2nd for once.

Do we Washington staters have an accent? I thought we all spoke perfect "Brokaw-ese? I sometimes feel we are all considered a little "out-of-the-mainstream" up here by the rest of the country. I love Canada. At least the west coast. I often wish the Canadian and US West coast states/terratories would break off and form our own country. Except for So. Cal. We could give that back to the Mexicans. They pretty much own it anyhow. I have a lot more in common with the folks from B.C. than I do with people up in the US Northeast. Those folks are weird... My girlfriend is Canadian. They make better hotdogs. I do think that the "wet" coast microbrews are still better beers though, or at least on par. And last I heard, the Cannucks were using the Leopard II, which is a pretty cool tank in it's own right. Looks cooler than the M1 IMHO. I ramble...again...as usual... dammit!

Funny, I live in the Puget Sound myself, and have always rather abstractly wondered what sort of mischif a fellow with a box of morter rounds could cause around here...Must be all the forested hills and urban covered valleys. FOOMP!

My turn to comment on that screen shot. I haven't seen it before. I think it looks grear. I agree with the above post, but rather than zimmeritt (which would take a WHOLE lot of work) I'd just like to see a unit number or balkenkreuz on the side. Despite that, I LOVE the coutryside. It really, actually looks like a small German, or French town. My member engorges in anticipation of this game....Zamo

You fellows need to check out this link on the 1/10th scale aluminum Tiger Ie...I wish I could afford one it is SWEET! http://www.sdkfz-modellbau.com/tiger1.htm also for a little less money: http://www.interdacom.ru/~tanks/ When one of you rich guys buys that Tiger, let me know... Chris

Too bad Cthulhu isn't going to be in the game. I'd love to have an "Easter Egg" where you have to combat some giant, slim drooling, multi tenticled thing from before time with a few tigers and some shermans. HAHAHAHAHAHA! We could all be reduced to gibering madmen! HAHAHAHAHAHA! I mean more-so...

Don't forget Seattle, Why right now is when we have our three days of clear, sunny weather. Remember the song? "The bluest skies you ever seen are in..." Ah, crap...who am I kidding...It's raining as usual. Back under my poncho liner, Zamo

Silly Herbjorn, There were no Tiger tanks in 1776... Zamo

Every once and a while I see re-enactors up here at the Washington Arms Collectors gunshow in Puyallup. I know alot of them come up from Oregon. Any of you guys in that lot? Some of the lads have had tables with all sorts of neat period equipment. Can any of you guys tell me where I can find an MP-40 dummy gun or parts kit? They seem to have all been snatched up in the last few years by renactors... Chris in Tacoma