Juardis

I did a search on Ambush (lots and lots of posts), but I didn't find the answer. Found other useful info though... Anyway, last night I had 2 ambushes setup on opposite sides of the map. In both cases I had piats laying the ambush marker. At the start of the turn, both piats are targetting the ambush markers (red line from piat to marker). Great. Action phase starts and german armor slowly rolls toward marker. Piats still targeting the marker. As the armor gets to within 10 m of marker, the targetting line from the piat disappears. It does not shift to the armor (which would indicate a triggered ambush), but it just completely disappears. My piats are NOT underfire, are not hiding, are not being suppressed, and are regular quality troops. So what happened in both cases was that the armor rolled right through the ambush point, past my piats, and into my hidden forces behind. WTF? My piats did reacquire the armor as it was going past, but it took a while for them to get off a shot and by then the armor was already in the midst of my hidden troops. What causes this? ------------------ Jeff Abbott

As a follow on, do the captured HQ units provide their C&C bonuses to their nearby comrades even while captured? How about when they become "uncapatured"? ------------------ Jeff Abbott

I've captured a german platoon HQ and he is in the midst of my hidden forces. Now he's sitting there with his hands in the air, but the remainder of the german forces are coming. Does he provide relative spotting for his coming comrades? He shouldn't since theoretically he should have no way to communicate with his comrades, but I want to make sure. ------------------ Jeff Abbott

I have the 5500 with a celeron 500. I don't play first person shooters but do play flight sims. My needs are not pure speed. If they were, the Geforce 2 would be the fastest. My needs are image quality at fast frame rates and the 5500 fits the bill perfectly right now. But also buy a new vid card every year too. You have to ask yourself though how long you intend to keep your card. Both nVidia and 3dfx will come out with their next-gen cards in Nov/Dec timeframe. But since you live in Australia, it might be awhile before either one gets to you. Don't let anyone say 3dfx's support sucks. I have had no problems with my 5500 and neither have 99% of the V5 owners. They have the most stable boards around for all the vast array of configurations. You just can't go wrong with 3dfx. You might could do better, you just can't go wrong. Can't say the same for nVidia. ------------------ Jeff Abbott

what WBW said + Elsdorf has snow on the ground, Wiltz is snowing but none on the ground. ------------------ Jeff Abbott

what gaffertape said. But how long a scenario takes is dependent on 1) number of units in the scenario 2) size of the map 3) your playing style (i.e., aggressive attack or cautious overwatch attacks) and most importantly 4) how much time you wish to dedicate to giving good movement orders. If I'm on the defensive, I limit my movement so turns take at most 5 minutes. But if I'm on the offensive, I typically spend an hour during setup and the first move alone. Subsequent turns take less time, but it's still how precise I try to be when giving orders. I just finished a scenario called Elsdorf playing as the Americans. Medium number of troops on a medium sized map using catious overwatch tactics. I finished in 16 turns. Took about 10 hours to complete. It was supposed to be a 30 turn scenario, but I got the Germans to surrender early ------------------ Jeff Abbott

I'm new to this online gaming stuff, so playing CM with TCP/IP is a rather foreign concept to me. How exactly would one do it? Would it be as simple as battlefront.com having their own servers dedicated to the game, play it at someplace like Microsoft gaming zone, or something completely different? I've been playing computer games for 10 years now, but I haven't ever played online in any of that time. The closest I've come is modem to modem connections, which themselves are pain in the arse. ------------------ Jeff Abbott

Just one clarification. It may not be in next months issue since they've already completed or are nearing completion of it. Expect the new poll with CM in it in Octobers issue, which will show up beginning of Sept, which will have results of the poll up through July and maybe part of August given the 1.5 month lead time from start to shipping. I voted as well. Funny though, not many other titles caught my eye since all I'm really playing/have been playing is CM. ------------------ Jeff Abbott

I think CM at work, home, and sleep. I downloaded webspace.exe and about 30 CM related JPEGs just so I could set my wallpaper and screen saver to CM screenshots (thanks Madmatt ). I downloaded hypersnap so I could take screenies and get the awesome effects available on my V5 5500 (like FSAA). I'm considering spending 25$ to get the license that gets rid of the hypersnap watermark that is put on each screenie taken with the free version. I'm the head coach of a 7-8 yr old coach pitch baseball team. I pitch to them during games and practice and I'm thinking about trajectories, both incoming and outgoing. Line drives are now 88mm shots out of a 88. Fly balls are 81mm mortar lobs. Plays at bases are now hand to hand combat. My third baseman digging holes means he's entrenching. My baserunning coaches are constantly yelling snell, los, and move, move, move. (I even heard one say "OK, Listen up maggots"). It's horrible I say, horrible. Oh, and I'm kicking Havermeyer's ass in PBEM (jk Havermeyer, we're only on turn 2 of a 20 turn game). Now, gotta get back to Elsdorf. The allies need me bad.....

Matt, I noticed that as well. I think you should demand some props - like combatsim- addon-top-gun award or something . And yes, this is the first time I've ever seen the combatsim award. Rare indeed, and I've been a regular reader there for about 2 years now. ------------------ Jeff Abbott

hi-res, no problems. I should also state that I run at 1024x768 with 4x FSAA on as well (absolutely gorgeous). sys: celeron 500, v5 5500, 224 MB SDRAM, win98 ------------------ Jeff Abbott

I guess ranging is a decent reason. But I also see what Havermeyer is saying. If you fire your MG at a tank you're not gonna kill it (usually) but they will be alerted to your presence. There are situations where the first alert you want to send an enemy armor is a round from the main gun. Nothing like a 75mm tungsten tipped wake up call to get you going in the morning eh? ------------------ Jeff Abbott

http://www.combatsim.com/htm/2000/07/combatmission/ ------------------ Jeff Abbott

Not sure if you're serious but... ...considering the internet is about the only way you're gonna get CM and since about 25,000 +/- 20,000 people are playing CM, I'd have to tell your mom that it's OK just this once. ------------------ Jeff Abbott

I d'lded the big file last night and will get the other files shortly (assuming the big file doesn't contain the winter textures included on the smaller files (i.e., single vehicles)). Here's my question. I'm currently engaged in the Elsdorf scenario (snow on the ground) and I'm the Amis. I've identified a German armored vehicle as a SP gun? What I want to know is, will the new textures be applied to a vehicle that is not yet identified? It could be a clue as to what precisely that SPA is if it shows up in white camo since not all the german armor has been converted. In other words, is the generic unit counter going to appear the same as it does now or is the generic unit counter utilizing a particular unit for its representation? ------------------ Jeff Abbott

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Smoker: Jeff, The problem with a "Hold Fire" command is that it would take a great deal of courage and discipline for a soldier to do that when the enemy got extremely close. We would all be using that command to keep Green troops from screwing up ambushes. That would be unrealistic I think. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Not necessarily. It could also take a great deal of fear to involuntarily freeze and not fire. Ever see the movie "When trumpets fade"? It was about a US platoon and its companys' attempt to push through the Hurtgen forest. In one scene a green recruit was scouting the forest in the fog and got separated from his platoon. He made a sound contact with the Germans and hid. They were just meters from him. He was scared ****less yet maintained enough presence of mind to be quiet until they left. The other platoon mates, who were also green, also maintained their composure and did not start firing or shouting (mainly because of the veteran platoon leader though). Why? Because to open fire would be to commit suicide. He essentially held his fire, not for bravery, but for survival. So there you have it. A hold fire command that could work. If given to a conscript or green unit, the chances of success could be minimized as the enemy drew nearer. But if you set up an ambush 50m away for your zooks on 2 tanks yet your stupid machine gunner opens up on those tanks while they're 100m away, then a hold fire command is not only useful, but necessary. Green or not, holding fire on a Stug is smart and will ensure survival. That is, afterall, what the Tac AI is supposed to help ensure right? Survival of our little guys? ------------------ Jeff Abbott

I'd just plain prefer a hold fire command. The purpose would be to NOT fire unless the enemy was within 1m of you OR your ambush target was reached. This would solve many problems and clear up lots of confusion. ------------------ Jeff Abbott

Sorry, just got back from vacation and am trying to catch up. One thread caught my eye, that being the inability to fire into smoke. There were two different issues in that thread. One was wanting to fire into smoke to act as a deterrent. The other was wanting to fire into smoke because some sherman just popped smoke and is still there. I read Charles response about the first issue (firing into smoke for suppression) and I don't necessarily agree with it, but he's the programmer so... One compromise would be the variable smoke duration that someone suggested. One nitpick I have is during a winter scenario (Elsdorf or Wiltz say) you hear the wind howling yet smoke stays around for at least 2 turns as opposed to blowing away like the howling wind would suggest. I realize the wind noise is ambient only, but it kind of ruins the immersion when you hear the wind but the snowflakes or smoke don't reflect what you hear. So variable smoke would be good (as would blowing snow). But what I wanted to call to everyone's attention was the issue with targeting a vehicle that just popped smoke. On page 42 of the field manual, it has this to say: "It is also possible for the player to issue a Direct fire target order even if the enemy unit is out of LOS during the Orders Phase, but might come into LOS during the following Action Phase. The firing unit will track the designated target for a few seconds and engage it should it really come within LOS. If it doesn't, then the firing unit will cancel the order and look for other targets, but with a tendency to retarget the original enemy should it appear later on. This way you could, for example, stop behind a house, issue a movement order forward and at the same time target an enemy tank which will come in view during the Action Phase - and so (usually) ensure that your tank will engage this enemy (unless a much more significant threat suddenly appears)." I've used this tactic successfully when other units have spotted an armored vehicle but that same armored vehicle is not within the LOS of my Sherman. So I target it, move my Sherman, then my Sherman engages said target when it does indeed come within LOS. Same could be true for vehicles that just popped smoke? I don't know for sure since I haven't encountered this situation yet, but I'd appreciate it if someone will try or has tried this to report back on how effective that is (if it's even possible). Maybe the tendency to retarget should be made more of a priority? The coding is there already apparently, sounds like just a tweak to me if the current implementation isn't "correct". ------------------ Jeff Abbott

Buckeye, if your HQ is in LOS but your 60 mm isn't, then the best you can do is target an AREA (not a Unit) with your 60 mm (provided your HQ can see that area). Presumably, you'd want to target area fire right next to the unit and hope you get lucky. I haven't tried this yet, but that's what the manual says. ------------------ Jeff Abbott

WB, I agree that to each his own. I also agree that any ranking can be improved if you include the rankings for each component that makes up the composite ranking. That's more work though and I was just trying to make it easy for some poor schmuck to code. I'd love to pick the highest rated scenario that's 1) historical 2) short and 3) fun. But that's today. Tomorrow it might be 1) fictional 2)long 3) intelligent. Lacking that, one rank with some descriptions as to why it has that rank is the next best thing (IMHO). ------------------ Jeff Abbott

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Manx: How would the scenarios be "rated"???...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I was thinking that if you play a scenario to rank it by: Which side is it best to play first? Is it a 1-2 hour battle, 2-3, 3-4, longer? Do the victory objectives make sense/are they acheivable (subjective of course)? Immersion factor? e.g., no 14 inch guns in Germany Overall impression? e.g., I like Wiltz the best so far and would give that a 4.0 out of 5.0 (gotta leave room for a 5 star one if out there). Those are my thoughts. If enough people rank the scenario then you could average all the scores and come up with a composite score for that scenario which could then be compared to the composite score of other scenarios. Like I said in another thread, we could start with the canned scenarios on the CD and rate them. See what happens and ajdust accordingly. ------------------ Jeff Abbott

Hehehe, and I thought I was alone in the spousal neglect battlefield. Try getting your CM fix while getting ready for a week long beach trip, trying to coach 7-8 year olds play baseball every night of the week, and doing everything else that needs to get done around the house THEN see how much time is allocated to the wife Not enough time....for CM that is . I had to force myself to not even turn on the computer last night. Now I have a week at the beach coming up to detox. Get a little R&R, build up those browny points for when I get back and ignore her again. ------------------ Jeff Abbott

yes, I posted as much on the Scenarios forum. If all you guys who have CM specific sites would agree to share scenarios amongst yourselves, then that would be best. Otherwise, 500 scenarios spread over 25 sites is too cumbersome for this wargamer. User reviews AND rankings are absolutely critical to me since my time is limited and I'd be really ticked if I wasted 2 hours on a poor design. So regardless of whether there is one place or not, I want the rankings and won't mind spending a few minutes entering them. As a matter of fact, I'd suggest starting a ranking with the scenarios on the CD. Not everyone will enjoy every scenario (although I haven't come across one I don't like yet ) ------------------ Jeff Abbott

in my test of sound contacts (see my post on sneaking and talking), I set up a hot seat game and played both sides. Sneaking units are more apt to be killed when fired upon than crawling units. I don't think there is a difference with respect to being spotted. Just like in real life. ------------------ Jeff Abbott

Damn Havermeyer, beat me to it. I just posted the same on the Scenario forum. ------------------ Jeff Abbott