Joshik

check your mail!

Just a head's up for those who are interested... I posted my Spring Panther GL set here: Combat Mission Modification Database The JPEG shows the light version, but there's also a darkened version, as well as variations for two different types of numbers on the rear turret, or none if you prefer. OK, now on to the Spring and Winter King Tigers! -Joshik

CM Mod Database

Excellent new resource!!! Let's hope this one lasts! One request: can you add a "View by Game" sort on your database? That way, the CMBO players can get all the CMBB mods out of the way... If that's too tough, forget it! This is still a great site. -Joshik

Very nicely done! Is this your first mod? Kudos! -Joshik

ICM-- Arrgh! I just tried to send you the BMPs in two separate e-mails, but HotMail still didn't like it. :mad: We need a Plan B... -Joshik [ October 11, 2002, 06:56 PM: Message edited by: Joshik ]

ICM1947-- I just tried to send you a Zip'd file of the mod, but it's too big for HotMail... Do you have an e-mail account somewhere else? Otherwise, you'll have to hope someone is interested in posting this... Paul (KOAMS)-- Thanks for TOM's e-mail... I've just sent a copy to TCMHQ for them to look at. I've also sent you the latest package, with an additional BMP for no side turret numbers. Onward to the other mods! -Joshik ps- ICM- just noticed: we share the same birthday! I was born on December 17, 1969. How about that? [ October 11, 2002, 06:35 PM: Message edited by: Joshik ]

Hi guys! I'm pleased to announce that I've finished a Panther GL mod with winter whitewash, based on this photo: The inverse spray-painted numbers are historically accurate, but I've included an option for no side turret numbers. Seems some people get a bit tired of #808 after a while. So... I'd love to send this to Tom at TCMHQ, but the site DOESN'T GIVE HIS EMAIL ADDRESS! Anyone know it? If not, would anyone else be interested in posting it? -Joshik ps- now... on to Panther G, Winter KTiger, et. al...

I'm still trying to work on CMBO mods, but any forum that discusses modding techniques... please! Count me in! -joshik

Thanks for the positive feedback! As long as I know that someone, anyone, is still interested in these mods, I'll try and finish banging them out. My problem is that I'm very scatter-brained... I'll try and work on one mod, get pissed off, and just jump to another one. So I forgot that I also have this Winter Panther G. It's about 75% done... I'll replace the Fernando wheels with the dirtied wheels I made for the Spring/Winter Panther GL (why go and recreate the wheel?), as well as the turret top, front, etc... I also found a Winter Tiger, and excuse me for being a dumb-ass, but I can't even remember if this is my work or not! I think I remember doing this, because it's not very complete... the BMPs are floating all over my hard drive. This one might not be so high on the priority list, because there are already a lot of great winter Tigers out there... I think I'll try and finish these in this order: 1) Winter Panther GL - this is 95% done... I might dirty up the front a bit, and put in an option for no side turret numbers. 2) Spring Panther G - this is about 75% done. 3) Winter King Tiger - only about 40% done, but you guys seem to be really hot for this one. 4) Spring King Tiger - hot on the heels of the Winter KTiger... why not? 5) Winter Panther G - getting there, but I'm having some trouble loading the BMPs into CM. (tech question- am I limited to how many HiRes BMPs I can have???) 6) I can work on that Winter Tiger (by this time, it will probably be about 2006, and I don't know if people will still be playing CMBO.) Maybe I can release these as a "Winter Kat Pack"? Paul, correctly ID'ing Kitty's King Tiger BMP wins you the title "King of all Mod Sluts". I find a set of HiRes BMPs to use as a template, in order to make sure that my mod will also be HiRes. Then, as I work, I paste over the original mod. I must have started with Kitty's Mod as a base. Good catch! Hang tight... they're on the way...

While I'm excited that CMBB has arrived on the scene, I'm feeling a bit melancholy. I've been trying to make CMBO mods for quite a while, and I have a pile of half-finished or barely-started ones. Digging around, I found some of these. The first Panther GL was inspired by this photo: The second one (Panther G) is about 75% done: And I was even trying to get out of the Panther scene and do a King Tiger. I've got a spring one and a winter one. This picture actually shows bits of both. It's only about 20% done: I've also got a winter Tiger and a Panther D ('A' mod) lying about. <sigh>. Is there a demand for these, or should I take these materials and just start focusing on CMBB? -Joshik [ September 27, 2002, 10:32 PM: Message edited by: Joshik ]

THINGS I'VE LEARNED FROM WATCHING "CROSS OF IRON": "He said YES… didn’t he, Kepler… he said YES! Didn’t he, Kepler?!? It is quite amusing to be called an "ehr-row-ik orr-ses aah-sss." A German officer can have quite a swinging time, especially if he is stationed in the south of France. Russian soldiers under the age of twelve tend to look alike. Germans have the ability to tear through a salad bar, just like they tore through Poland and France. Private Deitz must not have been able to avoid the sunlight. Never, ever, attempt to sodomize a Russian. Steiner isn’t a man… he’s a MYTH. The most battle-hardened German can be brought to a dead standstill with a big, juicy kiss. German moustaches are a bad idea. A favorite tactic of saboteurs was to sneak into German banquets and spike the punch bowl with Acid. Russians are good on the attack, but don’t hire them to guard anything important. "Demarcation" is a poor choice for a password. Germans can handle all sorts of difficult fighting, but they get a bit weirded out watching their officers take a leak. Dirt, combined with natural body oils, renders you waterproof. And stinky. All that you are now, and all that you may become, is entirely dependent on this present company. The Eastern Front is more enjoyable than a naughty German nurse. And finally… Need to know where the Iron Crosses grow? Ask Steiner. .... MORE THINGS I'VE LEARNED FROM WATCHING "CROSS OF IRON": German regiments were often supported by a company of Kinderzingers, who would inspire the troops with their haunting melodies. Always look both ways before crossing die Straße. German soliders tend to get killed in slow motion. The cure for concussion? A bottle of vodka and a good schtup! After the war, Col. Brandt emigrated to the United States, changed his name, and developed a fondness for underage girls. Shiny, new leather coats don’t stand a chance on the Eastern Front. Gnarly knit caps, however, last forever. By the end of the campaign, Capt. Treblig had better ventilation than most T-34s. You can always find the cutest girls in the hottub. Photos of war atrocities are a good source of cheap entertainment. The Russians can spot cheap footwear a mile away. And finally… The German policy of "don’t ask, don’t tell" didn’t work too well, either.

Nu, shto dyelat'... :cool:

I believe it's called "Tvaiyamat'skaya". -Joshik

While we're at it... can I get some breakfast at Tiffany's?

Shep - Very interesting thread! I did some research, and found that "hurrah" was common in the American military vocabulary by the time of the American Civil War. There are countless examples of songs with the word in it (like "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"). Here are some interesting pages: Three Cheers and a Tiger Marching Through Georgia You propose an interesting thesis: a) the Greek word for "tail" is OURA. "In ancient Greece, the tail of the formation on the march often contained the elite formation; what we would consider the rear guard. This rear guard would form up into the leftmost of the battle line in a set piece battle." Questions: -is OURA ancient Greek or modern Greek? Is there a difference? -was the ancient Greek military term for the elite unit OURA? -is there any record of the ancient Greek military shouting OURA (presumably after a victory)? You imply that there is a double-entendre link: tail/tail. Did the ancient Greeks use "tail" as sexual slang? I think your thesis runs into some problems here. By your arguments, OURA was yelled, meaning "here come the elite troops - be frightened!" or "you are a bunch of pussies - be offended!" But it couldn't of have meant both things at the same time. If all those definitions were linked, your elite troops would have to bear the brunt of all the jokes in the Greek military, i.e. "here comes the PUSSY brigade!"(1) If there is a link between the ancient Greeks and "hurrah", it is probably your first postulation: they were an elite unit. But I need proof! Find me some evidence that shows that was the name of the elite unit, and that the cheer was used by the Greeks. I propose a different thesis, from the same time period: the Jews! In Hebrew, "hu - rah" literally means "He is evil!" I can imagine the Israelites, after kicking some rival king's ass, shouting "he is evil!", either refering to the rival king, or the rival god. Sort of the ancient equivalent to "We are great! You suck! All your base are belonging to us! Nyah nyah nyah!" I think this usuage of "hurrah" is more in tune with how "hurrah" is used. The unwritten part of the cheer is "hurrah (we won)" or "hurrah (we are great)", and by extension, "you lost" or "you're not". Is there any evidence to support my thesis? I have to do some more research. I did find one site that makes the "he is evil"/hurrah cheer connection: 1953 Purim Story Of course, that only dates back to 1953. I would need to find examples of the ancient Israelites shouting "hurrah" or something similar. I have found examples of "hurrah" showing up in Irish tunes of the early 1800's, the similar "huzzah" dating back to the American Revolution. I don't know how old the Russian "oorah" is, but a Greek or Hebrew origin would certainly explain the emergence of "hurrah" in different cultures. Any ancient historians care to chime in? -Joshik (1) unfortunately, the Greek army has borne the brunt of many cruel and unfair jokes: Q: What is the motto of the Greek army? A: Never leave your buddies behind! Q: How do you separate the men from the boys in Greece? A: With a crowbar! [ August 29, 2002, 06:15 PM: Message edited by: Joshik ]

once again, a GREAT JOB! -Joshik

Wow! An excellent and interesting idea- I can't wait to try it out! Just one thing, though... "Demarkation" is a LOUSY password! Just ask Sgt. Steiner... -Joshik

McAuliffe-- wow- I just wanted to congratulate you on your beautiful maps. The settings look incredibly natural and realistic. Nicely done! -Joshik

Outstanding job! Send me a mailing address so I can send you a bottle of Bailey's. You deserve it! -Joshik

I view these Panther photos with a touch of melancholy. As a Panther fanactic, I echo the sentiments of everyone else in saying "WOOT!" They do look spectacular! However, as a budding and frustrated modder, I'm wondering if these advanced graphics are going to end up killing the "home-grown" MOD industry. It took me about six months to do my one Panther GL mod. With all these additional graphics (asymetrical sides, MG turret rings, wood blocks, MG ports, etc), I wonder if I'll ever be able to finish anything. Hell, these graphics might even slow down Gordon! I'll have to examine the structure of the graphics once the game is released, but right now I'm just feeling intimidated. I may just have to stick to CMBO mods for the time being. Oh- I feel I would be doing a disservice if I didn't do a bit of PantherGrog nitpicking: If I'm not mistaken, the Panther A (and Panther D) didn't have any raised ventilator fans on the rear deck... weren't they flush with the deck surface? I believe only the later versions of the Panther G had a raised cooling fan housing on the left side of the rear deck, never on the right. BTS please fix or do somfink! -Joshik

If you are interested in this topic, there is a book by Jack Kneece called "Ghost Army of World War II": Ghost Army I RELUCTANTLY reccommend this book, because the writing is HORRIBLE (check some of the Amazon reviews). However, the story is so interesting, it makes up for the crappy writing style. Actually, it's not the writing so much as the lack of editing- this book really reads like a rough draft. Still, the stories of the 23rd HQ Special Troops are quite remarkable. Bill Blass getting his start as a camoflauge artist, rubber Sherman turrets in danger of floating away, etc... Interesting read... -Joshik

Just a head's up to let you know what's going on at Joshik's Panzerwerks: Don't worry... this is still obviously in the early stages. Like the Panther GL mod, I'll make a light and dark version, and perhaps some different turret number choices. --Joshik ps- the Panther GL mod should be coming to CMHQ soon, and perhaps Tom's CM Headquarters also...

I'm pleased to announce that this mod is now finished! The mod set includes light and dark versions of the Panther G (late), with options for large rear turret numbers, small rear turret numbers, and no turret numbers. I chose the rear of the tank for the numbers because, hey, aren't you tired of all the tanks numbered 101, 111, 181, 808, or 818? Gordon Molek has added the proper CMMOS information to the mod package (thank you, Gordon!). So be on the lookout for this on CMHQ real soon. Tom also has it, so it might be up on his site also. Thanks for all your input and suggestions (Zit- I tried to take care of the front fenders... looks a bit better). I'm so glad this one is finally done- it only took about seven or eight months. Should I mention the Winter King Tiger, Winter Panther GL, and Spring Panther G that are in the works? Nah, I'll just keep chugging away and suprise you guys later... -Joshik

Well, you can always try this: 5AP5APOCCA K 5EP/\UHY If you squint, it looks a bit better... -Joshik [ June 04, 2002, 03:10 PM: Message edited by: Joshik ]