MajorH TacOps Developer

Before doing anything drastic to your CD, you should try to read it/copy it on other PCs (via friends, school, work, etc). You might find that the CD reader on another PC would be more tolerant of the scratches or that your CD reader has worn slightly out of alignment.

Just surfed across the following URL ... http://www.knox.army.mil/center/dtdd/doctrine/VIGNETTES.htm Has links to 13 contemporary, tactical level, battle "vignettes" with starting situations and solutions. The Marine Corps calls these "TDGs" (Tactical Decision Games).

I will put dust clouds on the wish list but it isn't likely to happen. Variable weather conditions is already on the wish list but has a low priority.

Several long time TacOps players have told me that they like Steel Beasts very much as a change of pace. From all that I have heard it is an OK game and is worth the price of admisssion.

>Where could I fine a good source of information on Tactics? Skim (I do mean skim - do not read everything) the following FMs located in the library folder on your TacOps CDROM. Skim them in the order given - i.e. start at company level and work downwards. Tank And Mechanized Infantry Company Team, Field Manual 71-1, 26 January 1998. This manual describes how the company team fights. It focuses on the principles of company team operations and the tactics, techniques, and procedures the company team uses to exploit its combat power and minimize its limitations and vulnerabilities. Where capabilities of the various company team systems differ significantly, the manual examines alternative considerations and techniques for their employment. This manual is for leaders at all levels of the company team. Mechanized Infantry Platoon and Squad (Bradley), Field Manual 7-7J, 7 May 1993. This manual describes tactics, techniques, and procedures for the mechanized infantry platoon and squad equipped with the M2 Bradley fighting vehicle. The next reference is below the scale of TacOps, but it is useful as a definition of the squad and individual behaviors that TacOps assumes are taking place. Combat Skills Of The Soldier, Field Manual 21-75, 3 August 1984. This is the soldier’s field manual. It tells the soldier how to perform the combat skills needed to survive on the battlefield. This manual describes basic skills that must be learned by soldiers in all military occupational specialties (MOS). Now go back and actually read (vice skiming) these three manuals. If you do the above and and still want more then read the battalion level FMs.

Try deleting the combat mission preferences file. It should be in the folder named "CMBO'. The prefs file is named "Combat Mission Bynd Ovr Prefs".

Weight and bulk matter and they matter all the way from the factory to the rifleman's belt. Less weight and bulk means more ammo for the rifleman. So long as rifle accuracy and stopping power is adequate at 400 to 500 meters then lighter is better. If more range and stopping power is needed then the target should be addressed by machine guns, mortars, arty, etc. I think it was S.L.A. Marshall who said that most firefights at small arms range are lost simply by the side that runs out of ammo first.

Below are links to articles on Canadian Army use of TacOps in training. "TacOps CF" is the title of their licensed version of TacOps. Using TacOps CF For Reserve Training http://www.army.dnd.ca/allc/website/english/products/bulletin/vol7no4eng.pdf Using TacOps CF To Enhance Our Training http://www.army.dnd.ca/allc/website/english/products/dispatch/tacopse.pdf

> Are the off board artillery units batteries or battalion > sized? For tube artillery, it could be anything between a fast firing battery to a slow firing battalion. Technically the off map arty isn't really "units" as much as it is salvos available now from somewhere in the rear. Salvos isn't really a good word to use either as it implys that a salvo animation only represents a single volley vice a more less continuous effect on target. The salvo size for an off map arty or mortar asset is about the same as the salvo size for an on map unit that has 8 or 9 tubes. But, it isn't a one for one deal. There should be fewer off map assets than you would have if you were using on map unit markers because the off map abstraction does not include the down time needed to frequently displace arty units after firing so as to avoid counterbattery fire. A rough rule of thumb for battle against a well equipped enemy would be only one fourth to one third of arty units actually able to fire on targets at any given time. The rest would be displacing. > The range of hellfires well exceed the visual range > (default setting) should this be changed to 8000 or is it > possible for another unit to "paint" the target? If so how > is this done? Hellfires are currently limited to 4000 meters in TacOps and there is currently no functioning laser designators in TacOps. Both items are on the wish list. > I have the downloaded demo is the instruction manual the > same as the full version Yes - for the most part.

> When one of your units spots the enemy, you know instantly. > If anything I think that TacOps gives the player better > situational awarness than they might have in real life. If you want to experience a very different TacOps game, uncheck the box in the preferences labeled "Fring units are always spotted".

> The enemy is engaging us from a position of advantage using > his superior weapons? This sounds like his situational > awareness is a lot better than ours. What were we (not) > doing to allow this to happen? In the 60s and most of the 70s we did not put enough money into the development and fielding of new weapons and equipment for the ground forces to maintain basic parity. For much of that time period, the ground weaponry of our worst adversary was superior to ours. In the areas where we had a technological edge (air, electronics, etc.), the Soviets still greatly outnumbered us in platforms. The balance begain to shift in the late 70s to early 80s with additional funding and a change in development and fielding priorities plus a fundamental change in the training of our ground forces - the flowering of the National Training Center at Fort Irwin. The training at NTC also resulted in a leap in situational awareness for our ground forces. The result by 1990 was a ground force that was an order of magnitude better than our worst adversaries. The point being that improving situational awareness is important but the effort will be largely wasted if the "guns, armor, training" foundation is not there to allow one to exploit any advantage gained. We need to continually make progress in all areas.

Superior situational awareness doesn't help much if the enemy can engage at a greater range than you can with rounds that go through both sides of your vehicle while yours bounce off or disintegrate even at close range .

James Sterrett runs a CPX about once a month. His email address is jscm@voicenet.com. I don't know when the next one will be. He tends to schedule one when several folks clamor for it .

> Whenever I go to save or load a scenario that I've designed, > the graphics of the save & load screens are messed up: > multiple images, if you try to move the window it > replicates instead of moving, etc. Try the following ... Start up Windows. Right click on an empty place on the Windows desktop. When the deskstop menu appears, select the "properties" menu item. A window titled "Display Properties" should appear. Left click on the "Effects" tab. Clear the box labeled "Show window contents while dragging". If this doesn't help then come back to this point and clear every box in the window. Please let me know if this helps or not.