guachi

I'll whole-heartedly agree that Shermans are great anti-infantry tanks. I've said this before: Massive amounts of HE and MG ammo make for a devastating firing platform. While the Sherman doesn't have the best armor, it does have thick, angled frontal armor. The fast turret traverse of the Sherman means it can react faster to possible threats. Overall, I think a Sherman is clearly superior to a StuG and even a little better than a PzIV. And in CM terms here are the blast FPs of various guns: 50 mm (Puma, from alpha AAR) 15 76mm (Hellcat) 29 75/L48 (StuG) 32 75mm (Sherman) 37 75/L70 (Panther, from alpha AAR) 38 88 mm (Tiger and 88 FlaK) 48 Jason

Ah, but what else floats on water? Jason (kepping fingers crossed that somebody gets my movie reference...)

There is a company, 21st Century toys, that also makes a full line of 12" WWII figures. I own a Panzergrenadier soldier and a Kettenkrad. The panzergrenadier has a helmet, MP44, grenade, trench knife, canteen, bedroll, gas mask canister. I also have the weapon set with an MP44, FG42, MP 40, Gewehr 98, and Luger pistol. In fact, my panzergrenadier soldier is sitting in his Kettenkrad (with working tracks) on top of my bookshelf. Pretty neat, and each was only 30 dollars. Jason

Fionn, Even I know which game you are talking about. It wouldn't happen to be a game about things that float on water, would it? Jason

I like the book because it has a little bit of everything in it and the book gives me good ideas for topics I'd like to know more about. As others have said, it isn't entirely accurate. For those who have the book check out what is written about the MP43 and MP44 (p311). Quote from the Handbook, "This weapon has not proved very succesful because it is impossible to repair in the field and because of its poor firing characteristics" Quote from a book on German WWII Weapons "The value of the increased firepower made possible by automatic rifle fire, in both defence and assault, made a considerable impression on all who underwent or observed the experience." and "This latter point (the weapons good reliability) was greatly assisted by ease of field stripping for cleaning and any necessary repairs." Jason

I don't know anything about Nordwind, but it sure sounds like a great candidate for the metacampaign that Fionn and others are developing. Jason

I think rhere are several reasons that the game hasn't come out yet. When I first started reading the board in August, the relaese of the demo was slated for late summer and the full game in late Fall. Then the game was pushed back slightly for a hopeful release before Christmas. Now, the game will likely miss that deadline by at least a month. But think of all that has improved with the game. There have been numerous additions that have been put in becase of discussion on this board. Fanaticism, new kneeling for soldiers, better running animation, improved artillery, rifle grenades, new elevation characteristics, group move, valid targets, along with the obvious bug fixex and tweaks, and enhancement of the graphics. I'm sure there are a bunch of things I'm forgetting. I, personally, am very happy with the feedback that Steve has been giving. He keeps us up to date on what is going on. Has anyone noticed that since the demo was released Steve doesn't sound like a marketing cheerleader anymore? Before the demo Steve ws constantly writing about how accurate the game was and that it was more realistic than anything out there. And that we all had to unlearn from previous games. Maybe it is because he was right? Anyway, I hope the game is fairly close to completion. The demo, while fun, is almost three months and is getting a little long in the tooth. Jason

Screw you guys, I'm going home! Wait a minute.... I AM home. Jason

As far as I can tell, the game doesn't care how the shell came to hit the building just that it did. So, no there is no difference. Jason

And considering how awful some of the German units are in Chance Encounter, it's a good thing that there are surplus HQs. Another plus to Company or Battalion HQs is keeping units under command in forests or when a platoon is divided up amongst several buildings. The command radius is cut in half when a unit is out of LOS so the extra HQs are very helpful. Plus, as I'm sure many of us have already done, the surplus Platoon HQs are good for keeping things like MGs and mortars under command while the rest of the units are engaged in close range combat or something. Jason

Fionn, That kind of clan would be spelled Klan. I assume that SSPanzerLeader is referring to some kind of wargaming group. Jason

You can target without a co-ax or main gun. But as far as I can tell, it doesn't really do any good. It looks like the AI still targets the bow MG. Jason

I saw them in a book called "German Automatic Weapons" while browsing in Barnes & Noble. I believe that CM does model fire while on the move for all sorts of weapons. For instance, it is much easier to fire an M1 while moving that it is a Kar98K. I think this topic came up many moons ago and the keeper of knowledge, Steve, said that it was modeled. Jason

In a word: Don't. I went over a recently completed PBEM game turn by turn from both sides to figure out who caused what casualties. I noticed about a dozen casualties my units caused to units they weren't even firing at. The most noticeable was an enemy squad and its headquarters that were really close to one another. I had a squad of mine targeting the HQ. It caused four casualties to the squad and none to the HQ. I haven't figured out what a good safe distance is, but maybe 10 meters. Jason

For CM's time frame I don't think MG34s are modelled for anything other than vehicles. I've seen pictures, including some recently taken ones in full color of MG34s fired from all sorts of positions. The most interesting were the pictures of the weapon being fired on the move. One guy holds the weapon and rests it on the shoulder of the man in front of him. The man in front holds ammo and is hunched over. This way they can keep up with their squad mates at a slow jog and still have a semi-stable firing platform if need be. I hope I've described the picture correctly. Basically the guy in front acts as a walking bipod. Jason

Here are a couple on armor/vehicles Russian Military Zone A Russian site about soviet armor. (It's in English) Achtung Panzer A site on German armor TRACK-LINK Reader Model Gallery A site with great pictures of models Jason [This message has been edited by guachi (edited 01-17-2000).]

MAKE IT STOP!! Please, BTS, release the game. Fionn complained a while ago about the board degenerating and now he's part of the madness!! Please, someone get these horrid images out of my head!! {starts sobbing} (looks at picture of Playmate of the Year Heather Kozar) There. That's better. Jason

Highest score is 800. Score ranges, if I remember, from 200 to 800. The SAT is a multiple choice test where wrong answers get minus points and correct answers increase your score. If you answered no questions, you would get a 400. Jason

I just did a search on terrain and here is a post by Charles listing the types of terrain in CM. The post is five months old and at least one terrain type, brush, has been added. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> The terrain types in CM are: Open Foxhole/Crater Scattered Trees Woods Tall Pine Woods Roadblock Barbed Wire Dirt Road Paved Road City Pavement Train Tracks Marsh Grain Rough Rubble Slopes Cliffs Water Ice Bocage Stone Wall Hedge Wood Building (small, 1-level) Wood Building (large, 2-level) Stone Building (small, 1-level) Stone Blockhouse (very large, 2-level) Church (very large, 2-level) Bridges (various types, over water or land) How's that? Charles <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> The link to the subject is http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/forum1/HTML/000463.html Jason

Although the production numbers may be impressive, they are about 1/10th that of regular hand grenades. Jason

32) Increased contact with the outside world, especially females. Jason

I had a German squad in Riesberg surrender with 4 men left to a platoon of my guys. In the same turn it un-surrendered eventhough it was unarmed. It was promptly shot at at close range and it surrendered with one man left. The unit then UN-SURRENDERED again and I wiped it off the map. What did the unarmed German think he was going to harm me with? Harsh language? Jason

Wow. I honestly thought that many of you guys (and there are no women, right?) were younger. I don't know why, I just did. I feel like but a wee laddie at 25 next to you old geezers. What I'm curious about, how old are Steve and Charles?? Jason If I had and web design skills I'd start a web page that would include PICTURES of all of us battlefield commanders. Jason

I've got a picture, unaltered, at realistic scale, of a tracer going right through an infantryman's head. Kind of looks like one of those joke arrow things people put on their heads. And the unit didn't even receive any casualties!! Jason

Oh, well. I guess I don't mind too much that German rifle grenades are not being included. Anything that the rifle grenades were meant to do could easily be done better with a Panzerfaust anyway. Although it's just a guess, it seems logical that rifle grenades, given that they weren't that cost effective, would be faze out with the introduction of the panzerfaust. I guess I've got some reasearch ahead of me on rifle grenades for possible inclusion for other nationalities in CM2. Jason