maxm2

Johan's suggestion moved me to come up with some more new variants! 1. Troops must crawl everywhere; armor has to go in reverse at all times. 2. First one to lose all his armor and vehicles, wins. This is the one I would do best at.... 3. (More seriously) One building is designated Maximum Building to be captured; can't be shelled...winner is the last one with a unit in the building...or if more than one sides' unit, the one with the most men. 4. Infantry can only fight if they are riding on armor. 5. All arty and armor must fire smoke at center of the map and then advance in that direction. 6. All armor backs up towards each other until everyone's tail pipes touch. Then you take "ten paces" out, turn, and fire. 7. All units have to expend all their ammo at long distance. Then the ammo-less troops and vehicles close with each other and fight hand to hand. 8. Both sides position all units on the same side of the map. After everyone is in position, they race for the opposite side of the map, but can shoot as they go. First combatant to reach the opposite side gets 100 points, plus ten more points for every additional unit that arrives. 9. You aim at your own units...first side to kill all their own men wins. No, don't thank me. Just stop by when the psych unit has visiting hours.... ------------------ Max Molinaro

OB&G suggested: CM:NASA Goes to War! Funny! I like it! But c'mon, let's be realistic here. No one's going to have fancy ordinance like that given the US & Russian weapons' budgets (not to mention technical know-how...if the DOD can't hit a missle whose track they know perfectly.......) So how about good old rifles as you command three squads sent up to eject the Russians from their unfinished modules which they've been promising to complete for two years and which are as unsightly as MIR. The exciting part is the maneuver, since as soon as someone fires a weapon the bullet probably pierces a wall and everyone is sucking vacuum within seconds.

Given that software packages like Barbie Nail Designer (I kid you not) are hot sellers, how about BTS going for the big bucks and coming out with: BARBIE'S COMBAT MAKEOVER MISSION! You prepare Barbie for a night mission at malls in enemy-held cities, including Iraq, Iran, and Serbia. You choose her camo pattern, weapons, and fake credit cards. Better be careful, since Barbie will be "inserted" near the enemy mall and has to find and buy a complete outfit with matching accessories and make it back to the extraction point without being caught and tortured to death...or, worse, being forced to go without makeup for over 24 hours. Barbie's friends Ken and Skipper, after an intense 20-minute training course, are piloting the Blackhawk which lands at the extraction LZ---so expect a challenging escape. But as Ken says: "Gee Barbie, it isn't that much different to drive than my Porsche! Want to hold the collective?" And as Skipper says: "Sh*t, I think I broke a nail..."

Sleep apnea corrective procedure. If there's a prize, send it to my email address.

CM Fargo: Oh yah you betcha, I like that one. Sure would make a good CM variant, you got that right. Course, it would have to have the little guy in it--the funny-looking one. You know, the one who's just...you know, funny-looking! The uncircumcised one with the unusually poor judgement about partners in crime.

CM2000: 1st person shooter: You are one of the CM faithful who arrives in NYC for the CM Convention (CMCON, of course) which has miraculously been pulled together by incredibly bored gamers mentioned in the previous post. You arrive to find CMCON abuzz with rumors that the finished game will be distributed to all who pre-ordered--at the convention! By questioning dozens of NPC's (non-player characters), you get hints as to which booth the Gold version is being distributed at. To get to the booth, you must: 1. Go through a lengthy, khaki-colored maze with no mapping function available; 2. Solve a puzzle involving unlocking twenty-two different changing multicolor locks in precise sequence (you did ask the NPCs for keys, didn't you? No? Oops, quit and reload!); 3. Going backstage and jumping from one balcony to another (there are only a few of these, but your timing has to be perfect...you notice Lara Croft repeatedly failing most of the jumps as you wait for your turn); 4. Giving the password to the BTS representative at the booth (you did ask the NPCs about the password, didn't you? No? Heh-heh! Reload!) Okay, you're saying, this sounds like a role-playing game, not a first person shooter as previously mentioned. Aha! When you give the password to the BTS rep, he gives you a partially completed map to "find the magic StuG" and a crowbar (oh-oh). You leave the booth, and notice that everyone else has a map and a crowbar, except for a few dozen CMCONers who seem to have found a pistol, and one guy who is setting up what appears to be a chain gun at one end of the hall. All of a sudden the instructions about taking guns and ammo of off dead bodies or finding them in special booths (you did ask the NPCs about "special booths," didn't you?) make sense. You chuckle to yourself as you heft your crowbar and your eyes roll back in your head...finally some relief.......!

Great ideas...especially liked the space one, which may show up in graphic form in my corner at CM HQ (since StuGs have already been to Mars). How about: CM 38: Hogan's Hellcats You can choose to have as many US units and as much armor (Hellcats, if you wish--hence the flimsy rationale for the title) as you like. It really doesn't matter, since you are all prisoners of war. If you kill your incompetent German captors the game ends, so this isn't really a major goal. The excitement comes when you attempt to smuggle hookers into camp (hint: use "sneak" mode); start a US tank factory (hint: use "hide" mode); or fool Kol. Klink into thinking that his superiors are actually German-speaking Allied spies so that he assassinates them all (keeping him out of the concentration camp after this is even more of a challenge). CM42: SIM CM A CM for the micromanagement resource allocation crowd. You have administrative control of three companies, including every piece of typed paperwork, each requiring six carbons to be filed. Separate screens for requisitions, rosters, equipment maintenance, equipment disposition, personnel benefit tracking, medical histories, filing, unit history, and mail tracking, to name only a few. Where's the excitement? Well, apart from the orgasms that the obsessive gamers among us get just tracking all this crap, the big thrill comes when the boys from maintenance want to repair one of your Shermans and you ask them if they have a completed ought-ought six four two slash seventy-two form (Brazil in-joke here). If you do your job right, your unit will never be combat ready, leading to very low casualty count...a good thing, because the casualty forms are 16 pages long. Each.

I am delighted that Steve gave us an update or two, and promises more. I think that keeping people informed does wonders to promote patience and appreciation for the informer. Which brings me to the question of why more software companies don't do this (what I consider) no-brainer of a PR move. It takes so little time to post some tidbit about progress, no matter how vague, to a company website every week or two. Are software companies paranoid about other companies getting the jump on them? Anyone with experience care to comment? ------------------ Max Molinaro

Thanks for all the replies, from the informative to the humorous! And you're welcome, Bullethead...the site really is very well done.

Very funny--and inspiring! CM20:Modern Battle Pack I- You have up to six companies plus armor and air support to attempt to defeat Laura Croft,Duke Nukem, or Gordon Freeman. To ensure play balance, you may only pick one of the three to be your opponent per scenario. Settings include gorgeous 3D graphics of Las Vegas, the Black Mesa Research Facility, or, of course, an Egyptian tomb. CM21: Combat Mission Civics 2000 Add-On- All the usual units...the setting and mission are fresh, however, as your boys try to guide a campaign finance reform bill through Congress; penalties for non-politician casualties. CM22: Mission: Pro Football- Up to three US squads take on any NFL squad. NFL players are allowed to add small arms to their usual 9mm and knife armory, plus they may use their usual drugs to keep from entering "tired" mode...

I was looking at Bullethead's excellent Tank Page site (people.delphi.com/jtweller/tanks/tanks.htm) when I started wondering why some (especially older) tanks had skirts over their tread drive assemblies and most didn't. Was it too hard to get useful armor over them? Added too much weight?

Thanks for the story and the url, Johan. What a cruel ordeal the real thing could be.

I think it would be a lot classier if Steve and Charles had solid silver Shermans made with a baseplate reading: "To Capt. Manieri [or whoever]: We couldn't have completed CM without you. Love, Steve & Charles." It could either be given to the first 5,000 people to order, or maybe you could buy it for a small fee.... Or wait a minute [becoming excited], what if the first five guys to order could actually spend a week with first Steve and then Charles, get to see where they work, meet whatever family is still with them after their years of dedication to programming, take a ride in that strange vehicle, sleep in their bed (assuming that Steve/Charles have a couch or something to sleep on) eat what they eat, watch them watch tv, etc. Wow! Waaaaay cool!

However, speaking to the point about the anti-Semitic nature of the Third Reich, there was nothing inevitable about a government which chose to attempt to exterminate all Jews. Even a dictatorship could have decided to resort to persecution, deportation, etc. without the madness of the Final Solution. However, Hitler made numerous references to exterminating Jews prior to coming to power, although he experimented with a variety of lesser measures, obviously, before embarking on his final path. Speaking to the original topic of this thread, and as a psychologist, the idea that a single, or even multiple failed love affairs or other disappointments would lead someone to attempt to exterminate an entire race or ethnic group does not make sense. When someone resorts to exteme violence due to life's normal disappointments, you can bet that the person was not a "regular guy" to begin with, even if he seemed like a "nice quiet fella.." In Hitler's case, he was apparently set in his pattern of little empathy for others, few and shallow relationships, an unrealistic (to say the least) assessment of his own infallibility and capabilities, and a profound sense of rage which surfaced in a variety of ways. There is evidence that Hitler's father belittled and physically abused both Hitler and his mother, and that Hitler's mother idolized and indulged him (she lost two children just before he was born). This combination of "you can do no wrong" and "you're a worthless nothing" added to the powerlessness of being assaulted and watching your mother being belittled and assaulted is not a good one for turning out a nice guy....not that there is any inevitability about what's going to happen, it just stacks the deck against normal empathy and normal relationships with others. I really recommend Kershaw's excellent recent biography (1st volume) of Hitler on these various topics. ------------------ Max Molinaro

I'm a 45th level troll warrior G.I. with the Sherman of Darkness, Silver Zook, and 50 Cal. of Invicibility, right? NO!! NO!! Oh Sweet Jesus I've lost it ALL!! The Heater Hellcat! The 200 room Castle in Riesberg! Whaaaa! Ricky!!!

Werfer (?) said: "There was a grand old wargame on the old Atari xl series called "eastern front"." Yes! The first major programming effort by Chris Crawford. The AI despite its flaws was better than many much later efforts where figures endlessly walk into walls, etc. It was very hard to beat, and it fit in a 16K cartridge! More nostalgia: anyone remember the SSI game (which I loaded into my Atari from a cassette tape) called something (Company?) "Commander" which was a real time game on a company level. You would get several units (companies?) consisting of mortars, tanks (usually five or so), and three or four platoons. Sound familiar? This is a direct distant ancestor of CM. Now, the graphics were little typewriter-like symbols, but you could see little "explosions" where your ordnance was hitting.

Ah, grasshopper, you still cannot snatch the pebble from my hand... US translation of Shao Lin priest's words: "You'll get this pebble when you pry it out of my cold, dead fingers." (Humor[?] for those familiar with David Carradine and US bumper stickers)

I would also be really interested in how many preorders are in, but would understand if BTS sees that as proprietary info. I'm really wondering if the amount of action and "neat graphics" might appeal to a wider audience...at least the audience of the Close Combat series and maybe more? The game that CM reminds me of most in terms of the tension and involvement in play is X-COM: turn based and planned moves, but with all the tension of watching your moves played out. And, unlike X-COM, you can go and stand next to attacker or attacked, or be overhead, or whatever. When the air sim Battle of Britain (I think that was it) came out years ago, it was a dream come true....a world I could move anywhere in, while the sprites went about their business. CM has that, has lots of neat graphic effects (I've never experienced as effective camera shake with the explosions--has anyone else?), great sound (I still haven't turned off the sound, and I think I've heard "los los los" over 1,000 times now)and I think it is as easy or easier to play than the CC series. I've never read an instruction book on it...the list of keystrokes which I figured out how to get to on screen in about five seconds was enough for me (it's a no-brainer). I could never have played that way in CC, and I've been playing computer wargames since they started coming out. On the other hand, I'm fascinated by war and WWII and my father was in it so I have an emotional tie, etc. and no objectivity. But look at the list: -Excellent 3D world -Emotionally involving "movies" (like XCOM) -Neat vehicles and weapons and weapon's efffects -Easy to learn (beta, anyway) -Easy to play (I have had almost no frustrations, except when the AI does something I don't agree with, but CAN UNDERSTAND (real important) and adjust to -Good sound -Relatively quick (beta) scenarios in solitaire play Why shouldn't CM get CC's customers? Or even Rainbow Six or Battlezone's customers? It won't, I expect, and it will be the same reason that Myst sold so many copies when it's a pretty snoozer. Advertising. Word of mouth is good, but I think it will tend to stay within wargamer circles, with a few exceptions. Incidentally, has anyone tried CM out on a non-wargamer friend? If so, are any of those people planning on buying the game?

I've been wondering how "big" CM is going to be. I love it (or the beta demo and some reports and promises), but the conventional wisdom is that wargames are a specialty or "niche" type of computer game, and certainly WWII is a specialty within a specialty. What do people think a "big" response would be? Sales of 100,000 in six months? A six-page color spread in PC Gamer or Computer Gaming World? Steve being able to buy a Testosteronsa?

I said roughly the same thing in a post on the "why wargames & war?" thread, but again I gotta point out as a psychologist: you have to look at the overall frequency of behaviors of people before you characterize them. Women, in general (all generalizations are wrong including this one) are much, much less violent in all ways than men. They commit far less crime. They're not "better" than men, but they are definitely less violent in their behaviors. In the other thread, I also pointed out that extreme violence and warmaking is not "typical" behavior of males, either: most males in any national population that I know of don't typically commit acts of extreme violence. To take human behavior under the most traumatic and extreme circumstances and say: "There--that's what people are REALLY like" makes no sense. Also, the argument could be made that all of the female leaders who have made it to the top in any country do so in a society dominated by males: what kind of women do you think are going to make it to national political leadership positions? Maggie Thatchers and Golda Meirs and Indira Ghandis. The power structure they operate in wouldn't allow a pacifist woman (and usually allow no women of any kind) to take the highest office in the land and act on her beliefs. Nor a pacifist male, for that matter! ------------------ Max Molinaro

I would like to take issue with a couple of statements made in this generally very interesting thread so far. In particular, all the statements about "man being a warlike [or killer or whatever] animal" is a broad generalization that ignores all of people's other behaviors. How many individuals actually engage in warfare in a century? A tiny, tiny percentage. How many people kill others at any time? Again, a tiny percentage. So what is typical human behavior? Simply taking how many individuals in this species engage in extreme violent behavior, you'd have to say that humans are generally NON-warlike and violent! Here is something else the "violent nature" folks miss: over half of the human race almost never engage in war or extreme violence, and don't commit many crimes, either. I'm talking, of course, about women. Why should male behavior be seen as more typical of our species than the behavior of women? Obviously, not all women are peaceful or law-abiding, but the statistics are overwhelming as to who kills, wars, and commits most crime in every society that I know of. I also have to make a comment about war as population control. Wars can certainly decrease populations, but that does not make a case for it happening because the population needs to be controlled. Maltheus and his estimates of disasterous population overcrowding were mathematically disproved some time ago. We don't need wars to control populations for the good of the species (in the way that deer "control" their populations when some starve when too many graze the same area). In fact, since wars kill off young men, one could make the argument that war in agricultural societies decreases the food supply and harms the success of the species. As for Africa, they no more need to kill off a lot of their people than New York City does...although some of you might agree with the idea that NY could use a few less people! However, very few countries, and certainly not ours in the US, have figured out how to feed and clothe everyone well...yet most people don't take our inability to distribute our incredible wealth equitably in the Western World as a sign that we should get rid of some of the population. The population issue in the modern world is one of distribution and power, among other things, not of survival of the spcies. ------------------ Max Molinaro

I don't see any particular use for any racial sterotyping or derogatory racial/ethnic terms...I don't find them funny. They are the equivalent of using four-letter words to make something funny or dramatic when nothing else about the text is. I wish people wouldn't use "Jap" or "Kraut" as "humorous" terms (my guess is that the people using them are generally not Japanese or German), but I'm not naive enough to think that my wishing will stop anyone. Just had to say something, though. --Max

Barbie's Fashion MakeOver, using the "camo" outfit...

I know this has been brought up before, but Mark Ezra and I wanted to share the way we are spicing up the Chance Encounter scenario. Using this method of introducing units on a chance basis means that you never know what units you will have at which point, or what your opponent will have. No more being sure that five Shermans will come barreling down the road at the beginning of the scenario: the US player may have access to NONE of them! Or only one. Or all five. Etc. Here are the rules we are currently playing with: Each side is divided up into various infantry unit groups based on platoons. For the US side, initially, you have (I think) platoons B, C, & D. For the Germans, platoons B through G. All the unattached zooks, schrecks, and machine guns are attached to one of the platoons, however you both agree to do it. Mortar spotters can be attached to an HQ (we're doing it that way). HQ units not attached to a platoon will be dealt with momentarily. You have to trust your opponent (or not care about cheating), since this involves each of you doing die rolls to decide when each of your units may advance onto the map. Here, I would like to recommend a web site which allows you to generate random numbers quickly within any parameters. Also, you can ask for six random numbers at the same time if you need six "rolls:" http://www.irony.com/igroll.html You start out at the setup turn with ALL your units, except for non-platoon HQ (that would include Company HQ, Battalion HQ, Platoon HQ), on RESERVE status. Reserve means they have to stay put wherever they are set up and cannot move until the correct die roll for the platoon they're attached to releases them. The correct or "lucky" number you must roll to release a platoon is determined before the setup phase. You roll one six-sided die to find out which number (1-6) is your "lucky" number. You then keep using that number throughout the game, or until all your units are released. After you have your lucky number, for each platoon unit (or however you decide to divide up your forces)you roll one die once before each time you move your forces. If you roll the lucky number, that unit is released. If you don't roll the right number, your unit sits there for another turn. At the setup, you should "hide" all your units and put them behind some covering terrain if possible, because otherwise the units may be spotted and fired upon, either by the AI or your opponent. RESERVED UNITS CANNOT BE MOVED DELIBERATELY! Therefore, you may have to sit there while your reserved units are chewed up and broken, etc., although they can return fire from wherever they are sitting. If someone has a better way for handling this, let's hear it. We could not come up with a way to avoid reserved units from possibly being drawn into battle, if only by the AI. You will have to trust each other to not place reserve units in places where they can immediately fire upon opposing forces....the idea is that they are "tucked away." Anyway, any feedback, other people's experiences in the "reserve" idea, etc.? We considered other ways to handle the chance element such as using two dice or more elaborate schemes, but they seemed to create too small a chance of actually getting all your units into the battle. With the above rules, all your units should get on within the first ten turns or so. I think. ------------------ Max Molinaro

My father was in combat as a GI in Germany, coming in right after the Bulge had been contained. One evening his unit came to the banks of the Ruhr, a deep and swiftly moving river. It was Winter and very cold with snow on the ground. Some engineers brought in boats which they prepared and I believe were supposed to operate, but then they fled when Germans on the opposite bank started firing. My father and some others decided they had a better chance crossing than staying on the bank and getting shot up, so they got into the boats and started across. By this time it was dark, with tracers zipping overhead. Half way across the boat capsized. My father was wearing ammo for the machine gun--eight bandoliers He had draped them across his shoulders, first left then right shoulder, which added about 30 pounds or so to his weight. When the boat capsized he went down like a shot. Instead of panicking, he realized that he had to get rid of the bandoliers, and took each one off, counting as he went to make sure he had taken off all of them. He ditched his pack and headed for the surface. Unfortunately, he couldn't swim, and could only thrash around and call for help, which made the tracers start heading his way. Just when he was sure he was going down and dying, a hand grabbed him. It turned out to be an engineer in a small boat who hauled him across the front of the boat, got him back to the Allied side of the river, dumped him on the shore, and said: "You're on your own, white boy." (The engineer, obviously, was black!) Second part of story: when my father returned to see my grandfather after the war, after greeting each other my grandfather said: "Wait a minute, I have something to show you." He went and got a slip of paper and gave it to my father. The paper had a date (in winter) and time (around midnight) on it. "At that date and time" my grandfather said, "I woke up because I heard you call for help." When my father figured out the date, it was the same time and date he was drowning in the Ruhr. ------------------ Max Molinaro