Lawyer

PL, you are a Pimple on the Plains of America. Since you apparently have never seen anything other than Endless Amber Waves of Grain (ie. dead wheat) and homeless addicts in KC, your unhealthy fixation with the eastern front is perhaps understandable, though nonetheless annoying. I guess I will now be forced to bury your butt in Rodina Dirt rather than Belgium Beer whenever the final game arrives.

Be sure to go to CMHQ, Tom's HQ, and the other sites to get all the hi-res mods and new sounds. CMBO is a whole new beautiful looking, as well as beautiful playing, game with the user produced mods. We are lucky to have some very talented and dedicated folks who have helped CM grow.

Well said. Nazi's vs. Commies. Where are the good guys? However, I like both beer and vodka, so I have two dogs in the fight.

Back to the original issue, this seems to confirm that western front skins could be put on the German and US equipment in CMBB, along with the right uniform mods, just as new skins have been added to CMBO. So it would seem that mods for western front units could be used in CMBB with its terrain and other features to create western front scenarios. If so, I look forward to seeing it happen. I'm happy to welcome CMBB with its new features, and open to trying the eastern front. But right now I don't really have the feel for it like I do for the western front. I enjoy visiting the western front battle sites on vacation to get a feel for what happened there. While I can enjoy a good eastern front bang-up for a change of pace in CM, I have no desire to spend vacation time or any other time in Russia.

I hope the mod experts will be able to produce western front units. I've got some scenario ideas from my recent visit, and nobody will play CMBO anymore.

Seanachai's new bumper sticker: I may be broke, but I'm ahead of Argentina Didn't you save some of President Bush's tax rebate last year to pay for CMBB?

AARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!! I just downloaded and installed the Nvidia 40.41 driver yesterday. I went through this crap last November when CM wouldn't work with WinXP. Next time I'm getting a Matrox card.

Oops, sorry, I got the German Campaigns book at Border's six months ago. I think the Pitt's Chronological Atlas is probably what you want, but both books are good for getting an overview. I wish I had started with them three years ago.

I picked up German Campaigns of World War II by Bishop and Warner at Barnes & Noble after reading about it here. It is a nice book for $20 with pictures, text, and maps that gives a good overall view of what happened, including the east front. I also found Chronological Atlas of World War II by William and Barrie Pitt that covers the whole war month by month with pictures, texts, and maps. It is a bargain section book for $18 at Barnes & Noble. They are both good for easily understanding what was going on. I have Osprey books on Kursk and Bagradation with some good 3-D maps of parts of the battles. I also have the West Point Atlas of WWII in Europe that offers historic operation maps, including the east front, but to be honest, it isn't easy to follow or particularly helpful unless you already understand what is happening.

These buildings are AWESOME, Ed! I just returned from Belgium and that's what the building look like. You even got the moss right. I already have your earlier buildings loaded. I'm waiting to upgrade. And yes, there is still a lot of interest in CMBO for us western front enthusiasts.

Excellent! Many thanks, Murpes.

PL, I forgot to mention that "Baugnez-What If" is designed for the ADULT version of CM. It includes lots of violence, simulated sexual situations, and R-Rated language. Unfortunately for you, there are no Leggo tanks and soldiers in it for you to set up on the living room floor, like you do most Saturday mornings. Sorry. But please let me know how it turns out anyway. BTW, I enjoyed your comment in the Pool that Doug Beman is the oldest serf that ever was. I need more elders to look up to around here. Hehe...

Not this time!! Announcing a new scenario, "Baugnez-What If", that will provide you with one last big "blow 'em all to hell" PBEM or TCP/IP game before CMBB comes out. This is an alternate history scenario that tests what might have happened if Kampfgruppe Peiper had found the U.S. forces more prepared to defend Baugnez crossroads on December 17, 1944. "Baugnez-What If" is only 18 turns. Everything is already setup so you can start playing immediately. I think you will like the map, which is accurate for December 1944. I recommend a human opponent because the AI cannot handle the attack and defense functions needed to make this intense battle work. There are lots of things to shoot, explode, and otherwise destroy in a very short time. The light snow falling should even cool you down during August. And it's all based on real history. Available now under "New Battles" at Scenario Depot. Also available at Belgian Combat Mission Scenario Page under "3rd Party Scenarios" with mission information and screenshots. Many thanks to McAuliffe for design assistance and his terrific Scenario Design Page. I hope you enjoy a Big Bang.

Many thanks. It works!!

I'm finishing my first scenario. I want to have different opening pictures for the US and German sides when each first starts the game. I can save the last picture in the scenario editor, but it only shows for the US side. I can't figure out how to save the picture for the German side. Thanks for any help. Jake

Nobody has mentioned "Enemy at the Gate" (the book, not the movie). Is it good?

I'm leaving on Aug 8 to scout the Ardennes again for two weeks. Got my digicam and binoculars. I'm ready to go!!

I'm looking for a collection of the aerial photo's of European battlefields taken by Maj. John Hatlem right after WWII. Apparently, they were ordered by the army. They are mentioned by Hugh Cole in his official history of the Ardennes. I saw the Hatlem picture of Baugnez crossroads in "Battle of the Bulge; Then and Now" by Pallud. It was very helpful in designing the landscape and building layout for a scenario because it showed the area as it was in 1945 or so. But that book is 20 years old now. My Google search didn't find the original source for the Hatlem photo's, but they must be located somewhere or hopefully published in a book. Can anyone help?

I always enjoy The Capt's monologues as fine examples of what happens when a person stores his Moosehead and kerosene in the same containers. As Tommy says, "sickness shall surely take the mind where minds don't ordinarily go..." However, I'm posting here to say "hooray" for the return of PIPPU. He has always been my favorite, and I was sad when The Capt rather casually tossed him aside in earlier episodes. Pure jealousy on the The Capt's part, I believe. The Capt apparently deludes himself occasionally into thinking we care about what HE thinks and does, rather than what PIPPU is up to. That's incorrect. PIPPU is "Dogbert" to The Capt's "Dilbert". As such, he is far more entertaining and the real star of the show. If The Capt were smart (or put more kerosene in his beer), he would write a series of adventures based on PIPPU's experiences. Sort of a cross between Indiana Jones, Casablanca, Saving Private Ryan, and Austin Powers. He could put the dissipated Tom Clancy franchise out of business in no time. [ July 27, 2002, 09:24 AM: Message edited by: Lawyer ]

If you have an extra $7-8 laying around, I recommend you spend it on upgrading your so-called "computer" that breaks down every time you get cornered by us experts. For that kind of cash, you could probably double the power of your Amiga with the 8 color screen or even get one that runs on electricity. You're welcome. I'm always glad to help the needy. [ July 26, 2002, 05:27 PM: Message edited by: Lawyer ]

If you have an extra $7-8 laying around, I recommend you spend it on upgrading your so-called "computer" that breaks down every time you get cornered by us experts. For that kind of cash, you could probably double the power of your Amiga with the 8 color screen or even get one that runs on electricity. You're welcome. I'm always glad to help the needy. [ July 26, 2002, 05:27 PM: Message edited by: Lawyer ]

That's quite a statement coming from someone with geeky white hair. Cess-Hoover</font>

Marlow, you servile dog of Swedish socialist capitalists. (Tell them Swedish "personal" products sell best in America if they vibrate.) I shall be scouting the Ardennes area again for two weeks in August. I'll look for any stray details of CCB lying along the road or caught in the memory of 80-year-old Chaumont women sidling along. Then again, maybe I won't. I'll soon be posting my Baugnez scenario for your pleasure in getting blown up elegantly. I used real maps and everything. Seriously, if you need pictures of Chaumont, let me know. [ July 23, 2002, 07:55 PM: Message edited by: Lawyer ]

Please, do go on sharing your inadequacies when it comes to the handling (no pun intended) of members of the female persuasion. We're all ears, really... In the meantime, here is somefink you may want to check out. Help for the lawyer...</font>

Hiram can't be trusted with violent war games. But since the game CD is round and smooth, I guess he can't poke his busstop buddy in the eye again. BTW, CM is much more dependable than women. It fires up every time you touch it. [ July 23, 2002, 07:52 AM: Message edited by: Lawyer ]