Hakko Ichiu

You mean there's porn available on the Internet? For free?

So, what was your strategy in this one? It does help when the turn limit goes your way.

Berisovka Station: I have played this one four times, mainly as a proving ground for various combined arms tactics. I have tried several different strategies against the AI, and have never done better than a draw. The reason for this is something I have mentioned on the main forum, to whit: * * * * * * * * * * * The Luftwaffe. Even when I have used approaches that shielded me from the big Paks, the Jabos destroy my armor with abandon. I wonder whether this is a problem with AA targetting or a combination of bad luck/lack of full understanding of AA. Of course, in my last, and arguably best planned attack, one of my M17s got bogged in the stream bed (possibly putting it out of range of many of the Jabo's runs) and the other got plinked by a well-placed 20mm Flak. So I was without effective AA for that particular go. In my final run, I sent all my armor w/mounted infantry along the stream bed and arranged them in battle order behind the cover of the woods. As I mentioned, I lost one M17 to bogging and one T-34 when it skylined and was nailed by an 88. I timed my assault to coincide with the Katyusha barrage, which I aimed at far half of the map. The goal was to charge one platoon of infantry to the first row of buildings where they would then be able to regroup and assault the crossroads; the other group would take the patch of woods w/the VL; then reform to assault the factory. A third platoon of tanks and infantry would remain in reserve. The second half of my inital assault went well -- I took the forest VL with little effort, but the first screwed the pooch when the infantry got separated from command: the only unit to make the first house in good order was the HQ, which got shot up pretty badly. It took several turns to regroup that part of the effort, which is probably why I didn't get a victory in that run. Once the MG squads got organized, the German infantry couldn't stand against them. Only MG 34s at range and HE from the guns could stop them. They are awesome once they get to close quarters, i.e., under 100 yards. W/o AA, it was only a matter of time before the Jabos made themselves felt. By the end of the game, I had lost all my armored vehicles, 11 to jabos and 3 to Flak. The heroic Red Air Army finally showed up on turn 30 to lay an egg on what remained of the Pakfront, but the scenario ended just as I was about to assault the station VL, which remained in enemy hands. If I had managed to keep my AA alive, I might have managed a minor victory. I tried other strategies, including frontal assault (not recommended); a flanking maneuver, sending a platoon of tanks and infantry around the cluster of houses on the left side of the map, but that just separated my forces and the flanking units got eaten by the Pakfront and the Luftwaffe. The new optics algorithms mean that even a platoon of T-34s cannot hope to slug it out with an 88 at 1000 yds. The odds are just not in their favor as far as I could tell. Leave it to the arty and the flyboys. All in all, a great little scenario. Very manageable, lots of fun.

*Bump*

I think it's by you. [Hint]It has a dry stream bed as the Sov. setup zone.[/Hint] I'm on my fourth try at it, and haven't managed better than a draw so far because the verfluchte Jabos keep killing all my brave tankers and giving my infantry a case of brown trouser syndrome.

You've obviously got the AA blues, man...</font>

Just a bump to keep this one from getting lost in the Sea of w00t.

I've been playing scenario [CENSORED] in which the Luftwaffe is active and the Sovs have 2xM17s. A couple of observations: 1) Jabos are devastatingly effective. I don't recall seeing anything in CMBO to compare with the results that I saw on the Ostfront. I had 14 AFVs destroyed, 4 to a Pakfront and 10(!) to the Jabos. 2) Despite using my M17s in the AA role, i.e. parked out of LOS to the Germans' nasty 20mm Flak. They very rarely fired on the Jabo -- which made at least half a dozen passes over my poor T-34s. From an initial ammo loadout of 200, by the end of the 30 turn scenario it was down to about 180. So, what are the LOS rules for AA targetting? Does a gun have to have LOS to the "shadow" of the Jabo? i.e., treating it as if it were a ground target? Or do trees, but not other terrain effects block AA LOS?

Arrived about 10 minutes ago, and I have to go out in another 10 minutes. Oh, well.

Lock up your Mormon Wives™! Joe's got CMBB. You can shoot me a set-up if you like. I'll reply as soon as my copy gets here.

I got one and left it for the good Doktor to sign. Unfortunately, he chewed it up and used it for bedding. I could but the remnants in an envelope for you, but they are a bit, how shall I put this delicately, used. Rather like you, one supposes. I think I shall shop around for a postcard featuring curvaceous UNC coeds in sheer sundresses, just to give you a flavor of how much better my life is than yours. And supervise His Evil Hamsterness during the signing process.

Why should I care? You are already dead, not to mention being a SSN. And you spelled "o-negai" incorrectly.

Lucille never gives B.B. no problem.

Hmm. I am reminded of something my Sensei told me many years ago. His precise words were, "Kusai-yo!" Then he hit me. It hurt a lot. If he were a participant in this, the Mutha' Beautiful Thread That Will Always Be There, he would probably extend his remarks by saying something along the lines of, "Read the rules, pillock." He would probably close with a hearty, "Sod off!", and would most likely regret being unable to reach out and touch you through the marvelous electronic medium that we share.

Absent a copy of CM:BB with which to do the research necessary to create finely crafted Grog-Porn™, the plucky denizens of Leather Tiger Press (Amsterdam, just upstairs from the Cosmic Café) have diversified into the music business. You can see their latest effort here.

he would probably have recorded the following 12-bar blues: Got a cold-hearted mailman He don't bring me no good news Got a cold-hearted mailman He don't bring me no good news I'm just waitin' for the postman Got those empty mailbox blues Oh, I saw that cd-mailer And I let out a joyful yell Oh, I saw that cd-mailer And I let out a joyful yell But when I opened up the package Another disk from A.O.L. Oh they've got it in New England They've got it in Germany But way down here in Dixie Ain't no sugar here for me Got a cold-hearted mailman He don't bring me no good news Got a cold-hearted mailman He don't bring me no good news I'm just waitin' for the postman Got those empty mail-box blues Got a cold-hearted mailman Gonna let my hound dog loose Gota a cold-hearted mailman Gonna let my hound dog loose (recitative) But when Maybelline ran off with another man and she called the Sheriff to repossess my truck which had already broken down twenty-miles into the swamp next to the house of a witchey woman that put a spell on me and stole my mojo but the Sheriff came anyway and my hound dog tried to bite him so the Sheriff kicked him in the face and he ain't go no more teeth so I'm still stuck with... (end recitative) Those empty mailbox blues Thank you. Thank you. I'm here all week. Good night everybody.

Someone must have spilled your pint this evening. Don't be such a sourpuss. Consider the village idiot to be local color. You'll reduce your stress level.

Whereabouts? I'm originally from M'head, and one of these days I hope to be able to afford to live there again.

Near Endicott College? Nice part of town, especially by the water. And damn all of you who have the game while we in the New South must sweat out another two days minimum.

So much explained in so few words.

Ah, Beverly, I know it well from four years of middle school. What part of town?

Rubber Gloves? Check. Manacles? Check. Astroglide™? Check. Donkey? Donkey? Yoohoo... Can someone check the paddock, please? Damn, the one time a cabana boy might come in handy. Large tureen of Sod Off!? Check. Gentlemen, start your engines. [ September 21, 2002, 01:20 PM: Message edited by: Hakko Ichiu ]

Maybe the case of Pinotage helped speed up the process?

The term used in the original is "Handhabung", which can mean "handling", but I think in this case refers to "learning curve/ease of use"; I think it could also mean "stability" (in a software sense). I think by motivation he means "immersion factor". I'll defer to the native speakers on this.

They don't like it up 'em! They don't like it up 'em!