von Lucke

Really? I was wondering if they would be viewable. Anybody else?

The Sherman's turret gearing squeeled to a halt. "Lined up and in my sights!" "Fire!" The heavy tank bucked with the recoil of it's 75mm gun. Sgt Meade's view of the Panther was obscured by the muzzle-flash and powder smoke venting from the barrel. But he didn't need to see the target to know they'd hit it: The loud explosion that had followed almost immediately had told him what he needed to know. At such close range penetration was garaunteed, and the Panther had brewed-up almost instantly. Now, where had all those infantry squads got off to...? (Music up and out --- fade to black) [This message has been edited by von Lucke (edited 06-01-2000).]

Sgt Meade heard a loud spang! as something hit the Sherman's turret on the other side of the armor from where he now crouched. "Betcha glad you come inside now, eh Sarge?" Meade looked hard at his driver: Cpl Moffit grinned back at him. There was something very wrong with this picture... "Dammit Moffit! What are you doing eye-ballin' me?! Rotate the damn tank right!" Cpl (soon to be Pvt --- if they lived) Moffit spun around in his seat and yanked the control levers in opposite directions as he gunned the engine... Unteroffizier Alt patted his gunner on the head, "Nice kill!" That Ami panzer had been backing into the trees at about 500m, and his shot had almost taken the turret clean off! Good thing the Americansichers built their tanks so high up off the ground! Now, what had he seen out of the corner of his eye..? Alt shifted to the right-side 'scope... "Oh, shi-!" [This message has been edited by von Lucke (edited 06-01-2000).]

Sgt Meade saw something swivel on the top of the Panther's turret, followed by a puff of smoke, as a small, dark object arced up almost straight overhead. But it was the burst of heat and light to his immediate rear --- followed instantly by agonized screaming --- that had caused him to finally slam the TC hatch shut. Cpl Anglin hadn't been quick enough in seeking cover, and a 7.92mm round had found him first. "Dammit man, can't you turn that crank any faster?" The Sherman's tall turret spun slowly to the right... Unt. Alt pressed his face anxiously into the padding around the commander's periscope, trying to follow the steep arc of the AP grenade --- when suddenly his entire field of vision was filled by an orange fireball! "Verdammen...!" He jerked his head back, slamming it into the turret ventilator. "Verdamnt! The Ami panzer must have been hit by a 'faust from our support platoon!" Unteroffizier Alt couldn't believe his good luck! "Gunner! Scan for new target vorwarts!" --- "Jahvohl! Sherman at 500m forward, 10 degrees recht...". Unt. Alt leaned into the forward 'scope... But was that something to the right still moving? [This message has been edited by von Lucke (edited 06-01-2000).]

The loader aboard the Sherman hurriedly reaches for the last of the precious tungsten rounds, as the gunner furiously cranks the turret to the right... Despite the incredulous glances of his crew, Sgt Meade stays standing in the commander's hatch, even as he sees the German TC drop from sight and slam his own hatch shut... If he's going to get it, he might as well see it coming... He hears a muffled curse, and looks back to see Cpl Anglin struggling to lower himself (and the heavy tanks of napalm strapped to his back) to the ground, and hopefully, some cover... Even as Unteroffizier Alt dropped into the shell of the Panther's turret, he reached for the trigger of the negvert-- eh, nammenhei-- er, nuggiethrow-- "Verdammit Heinz, was ist der nammen uf das thingy?" --- "Das ist nahverteidigungswaffe mein herr!" -- "Yah, das!" ...he reached for the anti-personnel grenade launcher mounted in the turret roof. He had seen the flammespritzer carried by the soldat on the back deck of the Sherman, and he did not intend to be cooked to death inside his own panzer... [This message has been edited by von Lucke (edited 06-01-2000).]

Fade in: A lone Sherman M4a3 heaves itself over the crest of a hill, the carnage of recent battle left below in the smoldering hell that was once a sleepy valley. The Tank Commander scans the shattered pillbox to his immediate right for signs of movement --- seeing none, he signals his driver to continue forward, down the reverse slope, and on into Germany... Suddenly --- seemingly appearing as if by majic! --- a Panther is there! Not more than 16m away, and parallel to the Sherman's line of advance! The respective tank commander's eyes meet, and they know survival will be a matter of who's trigger finger is the fastest... (music from "The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly" plays): SGT Meade: "What the--! Where the hell--!? Gunner! Panther right! Load HVAP! Now! NOW, dammit!!!" UNT Alt: "Vo bist? Vas ist--!? Americanischer recht! Recht, verdammen aller zer Holle!" [This message has been edited by von Lucke (edited 06-01-2000).]

This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System... [This message has been edited by von Lucke (edited 05-31-2000).]

Well, we could always get together for a LAN Party --- NIC cards aren't that expensive. I'm a bit south: Albuquerque, New Mexico (yes we speak English, and no we haven't all been burned out!). 6506278.

Anal-retentive, compulsive-obsesive, nit-picking, glass-is-half-empty, crotchety-ol-bastard #1 here (just ask my three ex-wives and anybody I've ever worked with)! It's human nature for those of us who can't do it ourselves (Grogs), to harp on those who can (Programmers), because we are frustrated at the very nature of the relationship: We know what we'd do if it were us, but we're relying on you to do it for us --- and delegating authority is not something I ever earned a gold star for! It's like trying to direct somebody in hanging a picture: "A little to the right... now up a little... now to the left... back down a smidge...". You get the point. Everybody gets frustrated, because everybody has their own vision --- most of all Steve and Charles! As you say, there comes a point when criticism becomes counter-productive (I can think of a couple of names I could insert here ) --- but think of it more as a group of disadvantaged artists wanting to add their brush-strokes to the master-work that CM will become! It's understood (by most) that there are things that can be tweaked, things that will have to be patched, and things that will have to do without. It's just a matter of finding out which are which. To some degree, it's your accessability Steve that brings out a lot of these -- ahem! -- "suggestions". People around here have gotten the impression that with enough feedback/evidence/documentation you guys are willing to move some code around (to your credit, you also know when to put yr foot down and say no), so we're more likely to throw the speed-balls at you. Anyway, keep at it man! Yours is the best relationship I've seen between Designer and Customer in a hell of a long time! Ok, enuff --- I need my sleep too!

Oops! Sorry about not posting the link --- had to jet! Yah, I've never been one for all that "modern" laser-sighted, GPS-tracked, terminal-radar-guided, one-shot-one-kill crap either. (I like to see my opponents expression when I hand him his arse!) But I heard good things about Steel Beasts and decided to check it out. In a lot of ways it kinda reminds me of CM: The whole 3D battlefield concept, well executed physics-based ballistics and targeting, obviously put together by somebody who did their homework. Overall it doesn't have the pollish and depth of CM --- but it doesn't need it. It's a tank simulator (though you can command a full platoon), and the depth goes into the detail of your individual M1 (or Leopard). Don't know if it's German, but the language choices are English, Deutch, and Svenske... All that technological gadgetry takes a little getting used to (I think there's something like 15 or so different sight/targeting combinations, dependant on your situation and/or damage). Whoever said every shot is a sure kill hasn't tried to "lase and blaze" a fast-moving T-80 at 3000m! And remember: If you can see them, they can see you! If the game is as well done as the demo, it'll be on my hard-drive for awhile...

Well, I went with T-46 because: a. It looks like one (T-26 with redesigned suspension). b. A couple of platoons saw service against the Finns --- like the three other tanks pictured. [This message has been edited by von Lucke (edited 05-26-2000).]

Dl'ed this last night and have been mucking about with it some. 3D modern armor simulation (M1 and Leopard vs T-72 and T-80, with APC's, troops, arty, etc). Graphics engine seems a little pixilitious at close range, but it provides for some very realistic effects! Very interesting, I must say! Even comes with a limited scenario editor (10 units, max). Any of you professional tankers out there give it a whirl yet? I'm interested in what somebody who's done this for a living thinks of it...

Yes, tss is correct. Here's a plan view:

Lewis: Isn't what you suggest exactly what the Russians did with the RPK (the design equivalent of a long-barreled KG44)? In retrospect, it probably would have been a good idea, but since the Germans where mostly on the defensive at this point, the extra firepower of the MG42 was probably more appreciated. Michael Emrys: The Soviet's solution was to mount their water-cooled Maxim guns on a wheeled carriage (complete with splinter shield), and have the crews pull them forward during an assault.

and furthering the thread on "Those Wacky Russkis" is...

1. T-50 2. SMK (Summa, Finland, 1939). 3. Bits of a KV-2 4. T-46 (basically a high-speed T-26)

How about this conspiracy theory, then: I've seen it put forth that Operation Jubilee was nothing but a sop for the Soviets. Churchill never intended for the "raid" on Dieppe to succeed --- he merely wished to show Stalin how difficult starting a Second Front would be, so the Soviets would quit carping about it...

I'd call Sage's advice --- well --- sage! Especially since it's what I was gonna say!

13 reviews now, including mine own. Since Mk IV seemed to have covered the technical shell rather well, I went more for the "paper-back blurb" style of review. Oh, and I rated your review Mk IV --- lemme know when you get enough E-pfenigs to buy everybody a round!

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DesertFox:

I'll know better than to ever do that again! But seriously volks: I should have known someone here would glom to the (obvious) answer fairly quickly: Yes, they are indeed panzertruppen of the panzer regiment of Fallshirmpanzer Korps Herman Goring --- the picture having been taken at the presentation ceremony for their Ritterkreuze --- somewhere in East Prussia early in December 1944 (dunno if Adolf was the one holding the camera or not, as the HG Div had been stationed in E. Prussia for some months by this point, trying to stem the Red tide). Maybe it's just me, but there's always been something a little strange about a bunch of Air Force personnel playing Army ("But Herr Oberst, I joined the Luftwaffe to fly Messerschmidts!" -- "Quit yr whining and get in that Panther!". And where did they stow their parachutes? Lends a whole other meaning to the term "bailing out" when yr panzer gets hit!). What struck me as odd, was the combination of Luftwaffe, panzer, and SS insignia that made up their uniforms! Sorry to all you aces of deductive reasoning for the delay (work is such a distraction!). Never ceases to amaze tho, how these threads mutate... PS: (Grog Note): The white piping on the collars and around the totenkopf tabs was peculiar to the HG Div tanker uniform throughout the war. [This message has been edited by von Lucke (edited 05-24-2000).]

Just curious if anyone else noticed what's different about this group... (And I wanted to see if I could figure out how to post an image).

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Scott Clinton: I sure withdraw my units off the map when needed: prisoners and crews specifically. Am I the only one withdrawing units off the map (why not move them off the map)? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I do it all the time --- reduces the posibility of casualties.

---and the question is: "What do you call a bouncer at a gay bar"?

Mr. Peng: I believe your development of Smilies as offensive weapons is in direct violation of the UN Charter covering Crimes of War and Atrocities (subsection B / paragraph 13), and an infringement on Monsanto's copyright on geneticaly engineered Russell viper venom as applied to the alteration of facial musculature and dentition radius. Expect a lawyer wearing a blue helmet to pull up outside your residence in a white APC any second now...