RudeLover

As someone who spent quite a few hours staring at the old SL boards, I really appreciate your efforts in making these maps. Haven't tried them in a scrap yet, but it's amazing just to 'walk' the map at camera position 1. One question: was it deliberate to have 'tall' buildings on map 3? My recollection is that the only 2-level building on the map was 3N1 (I think that's the right coordinates...all my old stuff is in storage). I could see arguments for going either way, just curious. Anyways, thanks so much for all your efforts. Definitely makes one with for some cut & paste capability in the editor...CM2?

Yeah, there are times that playing this game actually does feel like watching a really gripping movie, and that mad dash across the bridge was one of them. What a cost, though. I think in the end I had a 60-40 minor victory (by the skin of my teeth). **SPOILER** . . . . . . . . . . . BTW, the air support showed up but was not decisive. Knocked out a pesky howitzer h-track by strafing and scared the bejeesus out of me and several of my men by hitting the no-man's land betewen me and the Germans with two big bombs, smashing buildings but not really causing many casualites. I nearly jumped out of my chair, though (playing with sound off, I didn't know the Jabo was near until the big boom!). Thanks for this scenario and all the others. You designers and testers have really complemented an excellent game.

I have played this one once, and it's a nail-biter watching those paras paddle across as their numbers dwindle. Finally won the day, though, took the bridge and the approaches. *SPOILER* . . . . . . . . . . . . What a thrill it was to finally roll a Sherman across the bridge; the still-surviving 75mm pillbox was shrouded in smoke, the Sherman dodged a Schreck shot or three, swung around behind the pillbox, and then popped the rear door of the pillbox. Meanwhile the Sextons were taking out the remaining MGs on the other side of the river. Lost a lot of paras and a whole bunch of tanks, but XXX corps can roll! [This message has been edited by RudeLover (edited 07-05-2000).]

These are both real: 7. When something cool happens in 'real life,' you have the impulse to replay the last minute from another camera angle. 8. When you see a red exclamation point in your MS Outlook inbox, you assume the sender has previously been broken by heavy enemy fire.

Only wishing out loud about CM5...search on PTO or something similar to see why this is not currently in the plans.

That (Elsenborn ridge) seems like it would be cool for an operation, as would the Hill 310? from Mortain (the one you're trying to relieve as Yanks in Drive to Mortain IIRC). Then there's the Crete-based op in CM3? Or Chosin reservoir or Henderson airfield in CM5...? Have only finished one operation, and it was a draw (I was defending in an advance-type, doing pretty well, but didn't realize I should have advanced to win...duh). Amazing how precious your singular assets become in these ops, and how much you sweat as your last ATG or AFV engages a foe...wowza...

That may be the case, that I'm seeing leftover foxholes from the first battle. As you say, foxholes should persist from battle to battle. However, some were way out of LOS of any of my units (directly behind buildings or through several groves of woods, for example), and it seemed like the bad guys came from the direction of these holes. Can't say if this is a bug or realistic, as you say. Hope to play more operations and keep my eyes peeled...

Wondering if anyone else has seen this. In operations vs. the AI, playing defense in advance-type ops, I have spotted enemy foxholes at the beginning of subsequent battles, even when these foxholes are WAY out of LOS of any of my troops. Have tried to fight the tendency to target artillery based on the foxholes, but it's hard to resist. Anyone else seen it? Or is this just my brave patrollers doing night-time recon? Have also had trouble figuring out where frontlines go in the defensive ops. Often I am bumped out of good defensive terrain without understanding why. Have read other comments on this in other topics, too. Minor things, these, however, and operations are way, way coool. Wish there were more!

Yes, but this was no halftrack, though. This particular enemy was a Royal pain until my boys Gammon'd him... Jeez, I just got to be a member, too...not bad for a hardcore lurker. [This message has been edited by RudeLover (edited 06-30-2000).]

All stripes of Allied airborne seem to have access to Gammon bombs. And they work...I've taken out some MEAN german armor with them, details omitted to prevent spoilers. Suffice it to say that I replayed that turn over and over...

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I know...I beta tested every scenario. Single player, against the AI. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Sigh. Some guys have all the luck.

Perhaps I should hang my head in shame and be banished from this board, but I got swatted by the AI the first time I played VoT. The smoke columns from the Shermans made nice markers for the ambulances that came in to get my infantry. Ok, I think it was only a minor Axis victory, but I felt like I was crushed. Thing was, I didn't know a 150mm infantry gun was out there, didn't know a Panther was coming. Every time after that, I've won, of course, but I remember all my previous mistakes and the poor AI doesn't. (Not a bad way to live, perhaps...) Sure, it ain't as good as a human, but that's what the 'A' in AI means. Meanwhile, I'm waiting for more blind scenarios to really judge the AI.

I decline to answer that question on the grounds that it may incriminate me. Unless anyone can guarantee that the State of California isn't listening. [i'm afraid they won't put the new G4 with its sweet graphics card on my desk come fall semester...]

I'd love to see a sub-forum for scenarios discussion. Though if there were one, certainly some of the spoiler stuff will spill into the 'general' forum. Someone will ask about AFV bogging and then someone else will reply, oh, yeah, that's a huge issue with the King Tigers when they come as surprise reinforcements on the swampy edge near the bridge in scenario #34. One can hope that with a zillion scenarios the effect of these spoilers will be reduced, as opposed to the situation where everyone's playing VoT blind and reading the forum for hours every day.

I'm a little confused. Some of the the above suggests that a player's success (or lack thereof) will affect the progress of reinforcements in some cases. Is this true in a Battle (single scenario), an Operation, both, or neither? And if so, am I more likely to get reinforcements if I'm getting hammered or if I'm doing well? Or is that a scenario/operation designer's decision. Sorry if this has already been answered, but the above discussion seems to have contradicting information. (Maybe I'm just too thick to get it...)

If you look closely at the scenario pages on Moon's Games of War site, you'll see several references to these documents.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Alright, added the in-game shots.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> They are lovely. Combined with the photographs, they really set the mood. Now I really can't wait for the UPS driver! Thanks!

Posted this in another thread (Moon's site announcement), but it fits here too. On Moon's site, in the 'goodies', saw the following: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Did you know that although CM comes without winter camo graphics for your vehicles, the game engine provides an "empty" set of BMP files which will automatically be loaded if available for scenarios with SNOW? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Zowie!

And from the 'goodies' section: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Did you know that although CM comes without winter camo graphics for your vehicles, the game engine provides an "empty" set of BMP files which will automatically be loaded if available for scenarios with SNOW?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Zowie!

GTP. Though I have to say that I'm not sure that the so-called "Total Realism" is really more realistic. If you've got LOS to a crew as it bails out of a tank, you see that it's a crew. Even if you didn't see the bailout, they're carrying pistols and probably not behaving too aggressively in most cases. As for re-crewing guns, well, I'd guess that in most cases the current system is more realistic than the alternative. Having never crewed a mortar with HE going off all around me (thank heavens...), I can't say for sure. Also, BTS said they've tweaked the panic code for crews anyway, so this may be a straw man. [This message has been edited by RudeLover (edited 06-01-2000).]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I don't understand why the entire ww2 could not be included. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Since every vehicle, every weapon, and every squad is modeled in the code, I think that would be a bit much for the first release. Think of every possible ww2 unit and all the data and graphics, for all the major and minor combatants. It would ship on several CDs, I reckon. Plus, just think what it would be like to wait for BTS to finish the whole war. Can you see us all hitting reload forty times a day for ten years waiting for the game to come out? I think there will be plenty of variety to keep us all busy until CM2 comes out.

Ya know, I'll pay an extra buck or two a CD to buy them at a cool indie record store, rather than Tower. Why? Because I have often talked to the owner of the store, who's not getting rich, but runs a record store because they just really love music and would rather do something they love than get rich. I'd like that person to be able to stay in business. That's partly because they recommend CDs to me, and stock the stuff I like, etc., but also partly because I want it to be possible for someone like that to stay in business in the face of a homogenized retail world. Similar arguments apply to bookstore, coffee shops. And beer, for heaven's sake. Sierra Nevada, Abita, or Alaskan vs. MGD, Bud, or Coors? I'll pay the extra. (Especially now that I've finished grad school and have a real job, and so it's economically possible to do all of the above.) I'd like to see these guys at BTS make enough money that they have the choice to continue to do what they clearly love to do, especially since I figure I'll get a zillion hours of enjoyment out of it. What's the appropriate price tag for that? $45 seems like a steal.

Hmmm. I tried this also, and had one Rifle44 squad turn into all-time heroes. They caused 35 infantry casualties and knocked out a mortar, and five of them were still in good order at game's end (though a second squad, 'schreck, and platoon hq were all eliminated in the firefights). Two US platoons were creamed. Sneaking was definitely the key. What's even better is that the AI sent artillery in that direction, but my guys (luckily) were all gone by the time the barrage hit. Three turns of arty, two batteries (1x81 + 1x105) from the looks of it, wasted. Almost as good as seeing an eliminated FO! (In the same game, one sherman 105 knocked out all of my bunkers and pillboxes, only to be taken out by the Panther who got 5 tank kills, 14 infantry casualties, and 10 infantry captured. High density of decorations that day...)

An additional consideration with the 'gamey' tactics that you described is that (IIRC) there is no fog-of-war with crews. After they abandon an AFV or heavy weapon, your opponent, when clicking on them, knows forever more that they are crews. Thus their use in faking out the enemy is somewhat limited, since he will know that that icon represents three scared guys with pistols and not your elite infantry schwerpunkt (sp?). Also, IIRC, all crews that have fled their weapons, vehicles, or bunkers have the dreaded scarlet exclamation mark of the once-broken and are not likely to go far if fired on again. Caveat: I'm only a junior memeber. I believe that more reliable answers to all this can be found by searching.