russellmz
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Posts posted by russellmz
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Panzer Leader:
Hey Russelmz, thanks for the debriefing! I had not noticed that problem with the road. Are you talking about the road that cuts up into the mountain? I will check it out.
That was a great report. Let me know of anything else you think of.
Did the Self Propelled Artillery carriers do anything for you?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
as i mentioned, the priest blew itself up in the first round and the second got hit by the guns before anything could be done with it
. im sure it was bad luck both times.<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
Did the reserves arrive too early or too late?
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i got the tanks up to the mountain and i took my time, blowing tanks, building etc beofre crossing. if the road is fixed i think the reinforcement is fine.
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Would you change the load-out of the artillery in any way?
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it was doable with the small stuff used for smoke and the heavy stuff knocked out the open air guns fine. i can't imagine doing it with less or doing better with more.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
Could you give me a little more detail on the Jabos? Were any shot down? The allies get a total of 3 - 2 on turn 1 and 1 on (IIRC) turn 10.
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nope, the aaa was a little busy trying not to die from 240mm rounds... they smoked the half tracks, of which i am thankful, but the armor was not touched.
on one of turn replays, a jabo came out of the blue to drop two 500 lb bombs on one of my half tracks i had rushed ahead. no matter, only one and it only had 2 mmg guys.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
Did you capture ALL the flags?
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nope, i tried a armor rush at the end that got a few but missed by a few meters. i was concentrating on my own, more realistic idea of the primary objective, killing the damn pillboxes
(more realistic? this from a man who ran his jeeps in circles to give the pillboxes something to shoot at...)<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
Did you only use the far right bradge,
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
yep
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
or did you also use the large double bridge?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
reminds me of a quote in someone's sig: does this plan involve us walking slowly to the enemy's guns?
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
What did the Axis have left at the end?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
i wil email u the last turn, i remember it being ~130 left but not sure.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
Could you send me your last turn?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
yep!
[ 07-11-2001: Message edited by: Panzer Leader ][/QB]
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by russellmz:
the faq author went into a long and too detailed lecture on the subject of polyorchidism. "hahaha," chortled Maximus,
"he wishes he had anorchism like"...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
...<big>I SAID</big>, "like"...
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i tear panzer leader's scenario a new one: read the incoherent aar (with massive <big>spoilers</big>, <big>weaknesses</big>, and of course
<big>rants</big>)
see the longest "ahhhhhhhhh" in forum history!
try and decipher russellmz's code:
"F-CKING"
recoil in horror at russellmz's dark side: "I ENJOYED HIS QUICK TRIP TO HELL!"
<small><small><small>bump</small></small></small>
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***********SPOILERS*******************
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there is no way in hell to win this scenario the first time round. ok, when i first played i lost my tanks one by one to the super accurate pillboxes, which was odd since they are not crack or elite. anyway, i didn't play the whole way through because i had a frustrating day and this scenario seemed to be the same way. a few examples were:
o my 76 sherman hitting a panther twice, first shot shattered and the second bounced off. panther whacks sherman on second shot.
o my priest firing at a pillbox when hiding behind a building. self tko.
o smoking the guns then adjusting fire to save ammo. the delay was a few seconds longer than the smoke lasted. thus i had traded 3 of my shermans (dead from a gun that had its view cleared) for about one turn's worth of smoke.
o two of my tanks being able to target an enemy mmg in a heavy building, but not the building itself, so no area fire until i zoomed in and got the 2 pixels that were visible to the tanks.
o sent my jumbo out first. it got hit and had gun damaged before it fired a shot.
that was my first go around. i had smoked the mountain and moved troops and tanks up three ways: the forested area in front of the mountain, the forests to the right of that, and forested area to the left front of the rightmost bridge. while the smoke lasted i had a fair advance, but 400 shells last only so long. after i ran out, i had forces trapped and unable to move in fron of the guns. i tried dashing for cover with my tanks to no avail.
i did find the "safe lane" to the left of the rightmost bridge but was unable to utilize it due to that panther that popped my 76 sherman.
after i lost my last tank, had no arty, and no los for my mortars i gave up the scenario in frustration.
second try. i smoked the mountain again but i used my heavy arty to whack the open air guns in front and behind. i moved my stuarts up the "safe lane" i moved my shermans up the middle in the lanes between the scattered trees and woods in the middle of the map. i lost a few but i got two up behind the light 2 story house. from that position they took out the wooden mg pillbox.
2 others were lost trying to get to the cover of the buildings in front of the light 2 story house. a mmg mounted on one of the destroyed shermans was immobilized with one guy left. he musta sucked in 30 clips from the MG pillbox while lying in that wheat field.
i used my last 4 240mm and 6 VT on the village in the center. it was worth it i think.
well the stuarts were in the safe lane. i moved one up next to the house in front of the rightmost bridge. it traded shots with the shreck before blowing up from a squad in the house (i assume) i didn't know at the time. i moved another stuart up and noticed it was at such an angle the pillboxes couldn't hit me. i got killed by a panther though.
well i moved my reinforcements up, tanks only. lost a few till i only had 3 up in the safe lane. (the priest i left behind) but three 76 armed shermans, one a jumbo, is something to see. (in my mind i hear the sarge from sabing private ryan saying "we're in business!")
they took out a panzer iv g that strolled by with a side shot, then another panzer iv, then the panther. i used them to take out houses where germans opend fire. i lost the last stuart when i moved it arond to surprise the shreck guarding the bridge but it killed it with the first shot. a 100m up hill shot. color me stupid. i wasted the shreck by rushing 2 ht into the marsh he was hiding in. I ENJOYED HIS QUICK TRIP TO HELL HAHAHAHA! ok i got that out of my system...
the ht's flushed out some hiding stuh's and infantry. the 76ers blew up the stuhs as they shot at my ht's and the ht and tanks took turns wasting the infantry.
well with my three shermans killing any infantry that showed itself and with my other shermans behind the house i had used to destroy any buildings they could target i figured i was good to go with advancing. i had been moving my half tracks up and only lost one. with them in the lead i sent the shermans over the rightmost bridge. luckily a unit spotted the AT mines which i avoided. well, i figured, rush the ht's in first and if they don't get killed, send in the tanks to waste the pillboxes from behind. so i send the afv's in and they are runnin' and gunnin'. then they hit the edge of the road up to the guns. IT WAS TOO F-CKING STEEP. IS THIS SOME SORT OF SICK JOKE?????
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anyway, i only had two squads with me in the ht's: a hq unit and an engineer with 2 demo packs. i try and send them up but there were survivors of the massive arty. a green volk squad annihilated my engineers. i reloaded a past save and tried it again with an extra squad. thats when i noticed that a 20mm gun was still working.
ok, that was annoying as hell. i went back to an older save, loaded up the ht with guys and sent them up. i also moved my mortars to los of the 20mm position. i had problems with squad loading and stuff, afvs kept bumping into each other, so it wound up that the hq and eng had to go alone anyway. with no 20mm they did well. both pillboxes gone by end of turn 39. allied minor victory, mostly because i lost so many vehicles (200 to 91 germans to allied casualties but 18 to 10 allied to german afv losses).
the 20mm gun was still working but it was being mortared and was pinned. thus i claim that the guns of navarone are silenced.
notes:
IF THERE IS A ROAD LEADING TO A IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE MAKE SURE THAT VEHICLES CAN GO ON SAID ROAD. not to bitch but that was sooooooo annoying. i had three afvs jammed in trying to get up that road and i was going: WTF? when that happened i had 7 minutes left so i had to order my 2 units to run over the ciffs. leave a roadblock or make a rubble tile but please don't leave a road that is actually impassable...
those regular pillboxes are freaking accurate as hell.
what's with the wide open spaces in front of the bridges?
i saw a bridge destroyed. i never ordered fire on any bridges but sometime i looked at the middle bridge and it was gone, wrecked. never figured out what hit it.
some parts of the river look a little odd crooked. is it supposed to be a running creek or something?
i like the jabos. they only destroyed one of my guys once and nailed a lot of enemy half tracks. not much use against the tanks though.
i used jeeps running in circles to distract the guns. it was funny as hell. is that why you gave me so many?
is it at all possible to win if you lose all your tanks? my infantry barely had a chance to do anything.
the reinforcements are just right except for the priest. i never got much use out of it, sadly, as it is my fave afv.
even with my knowledge and past saves, i only destroyed the mountain guns at turn 39.
all in all fun puzzle to solve. i went to bed really really late even for me cause i was determined to beat this thing.
but DAMN that road still makes me wanna...
the blood of 6 men (eng half squad) who died needlessly are on your hands!
[ 07-11-2001: Message edited by: russellmz ]
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by David Aitken:
Here we go again. I would direct anyone who hasn't yet seen it to this thread:
CRAP AI, Other BUGS ,Fix Or implement IPX/TCP!!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Explanation of CM's Tile System
the above link is...an explanation of...well...YOU KNOW
LOS is the big factor why we can't have pixel by pixel terrain. For even a small map the CPU would crawl to a halt if we went with an absolute "pixel" based system. There are all sorts of other reasons, but this single one kills it dead all on its own.
So what does CM use for terrain and how does it work?
Basically, the terrain is done in tiles (squares), with each being 20x20 meters. This tile is then subdivided into 2x2 meter squares for determining unit position and special terrain placement (like a wall or hedge). Elevation differences are averaged between each 2x2 square as well. So a large map of 3000x3000 meters has 2,500 tiles and 225,000 subtitles (provided I did the math correct ). This is a HUGE amount of data and takes up about 7MB of RAM to store. Just imagine what would happen if we increased the resolution any!
There can be multiple types of terrain in one tile (road and Heavy Woods for example), but all are predefined "building blocks". The base terrain contained in each tile is an approximation of whatever it is supposed to be. For example, a Woods tile does not have individual trees, instead it is an approximation of large, dense tree growth. However, something like walls and buildings are defined using the 2x2m internal grid. Therefore, if your unit looks like it is in a building, and the display panel says it is in a building, it is in a building (unlike some others ). Windows, doors, interior walls of buildings, etc. are all approximated and are not represented directly.
A unit does not move from one 20x20m tile to another one like a unit would move from one hex to another. The unit actually moves smoothly along using the 2x2 meter grid. Also remember that a squad is has a "footprint" but no actual tracking of where each man is at any given moment. The end result at CM's level of simulation is identical, or so close that it isn't interesting to note differences. However, the difference makes it possible to make CM now instead of waiting several years for CPUs to improve.
The KEY point to take away from this is that having both units and terrain be approximated makes the game work, not only from a technical standpoint, but also from a SIMULATION standpoint. The problem with something like CC is that the units are "exact" but the terrain is full of approximations (apparently larger ones than CM too). This means that a soldier standing in the open might be behind a wall, or one behind a wall in the open. Trying to get fair results from incompatible treatments like this is very difficult.
In the end Combat Mission's tile/unit system is infinitely more flexible and realistic than something like West Front's traditional 2D hex design, but it also lacks the problems associated with CC. So while it isn't pixel perfect, it is the best system possible for today's computers.
Steve
(steve made a math error above somewhere with a square)
I think we need to clear up a few misconceptions.
First, remember that CM does not literally simulate the positions of individual men on the map. Reasons should be faily obvious, but the biggest one is CPU power. Consider that your average game of CC has maybe 100 men involved. CM can go as high as 3000 or even higher. Thirty-to-one! Now figure in that most algorithms that depend on number of soldiers, like line of sight, are what we call "n-squared" algorithms (which means that every man on one side must 'look at' every man on the other side) this increases the CM:CC CPU load ratio from 30:1 to NINE HUNDRED to one!
Ouch. 900:1. Now you can see why we simulate squads as a "whole", not as individual men. NOTE: We do track individual casualties and weapons within a squad, however, just not multiple locations. Note: For most purposes, squads "occupy" a single point in the map, not an amorphous footprint. So a squad centered on the edge of woods occupies entirely woods not half-in, half-out. The only time the game considers dispersal directly is when incoming fire takes casualties. For example, a direct artillery hit on the squad's central location point does not stupidly wipe out the entire squad. They're not literally all standing on the head of a pin.
Geek time! Now a little math. Each point on the subgrid (2m x 2m) requires two bytes: 6 bits for terrain type and 10 bits for elevation. A typical CM battlefield (1000m x 2000m) requires a 501x1001 subgrid, or 501501 points, or 979K. A large battlefield (3000m x 3000m) requires a 1501x1501 subgrid, or 2253001 points, or 4400K. Because of the need for dynamic playback, at times a copy of this information must be held internally, so we're up to 8800K for a large map. Shew!
Tanks are also considered to also occupy one "point" on the map, not a "bounding box" (again, due to CPU limitations). So you either see the tank or you don't. You don't see the front fender but nothing else, for example. It would be nice to add this detail, but we'll need faster hardware first, so perhaps in the future. Another reason we don't allow spotting "just the fender" is that CM allows (optional) scaling-up of unit graphics so you can see your tanks and men better. 1:1 scale is like fighting with armies of ants. So, because your tanks are often drawn larger than real life (though you can turn this feature off!) it would get strange when you, as a player, can "see" the fender because the tank is enlarged, but the program tells you that you can't, because it's using the real size of the tank to make its calculations. So it's an issue that has user-interface implications as well as CPU limitations.
All in all, the idea of a grid is hardly one we can claim to have invented. But as far as I know, no wargame of CM's scale exists that goes to anywhere near the lengths that CM does to provide precise LOS calculations. Most are just based on hexes - i.e. if the center of hex A sees the center of hex B, the LOS is clear. Obviously that's very crude by CM's standards. The only game I know of that even comes close is CC, and as I've described it's at a lower scale with far fewer men, and yet its LOS is still less precise than CM's.
Charles
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Maximus:
...Mace himself. Outraged, Mace charged back into the FAQ and yelled, "Well yeah so what, I got FOUR little balls dangling between my groin."
"Four balls, Mace?" asked the other FAQ'ers. "What happened? The sheep get a little too frisky one night?"
With that...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
the faq author went into a long and too detailed lecture on the subject of polyorchidism. "hahaha," chortled Maximus,
"he wishes he had anorchism like"...
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by AI:
Well, I ruined that joke.
I created a new screen name called AI but I logged in under my previous name.
Sorry guys, I really do suck. Just pretend you saw this post from a user name AI.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
no no no it's funnier when you use your real name
then i don't realize you're talking about the ai until midway
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this map sounds fun. can i get it?
oh, and seriously, whose sky mod is that?
[ 07-09-2001: Message edited by: russellmz ]
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Schpdoinkel:
I just did this in a Quick Battle of 600 points, Axis attacking, village, small map on a dry October day, with computer picked units:
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>heh, sorry dude, you cant post pics from yr desktop. just tell us the score!
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peter panzer
Rex_Bellator
i finished the scenario with your names in it but you don't have emails in your profiles. email me at russellmz@yahoo.com but if im not available then ask one of the other guys in the scenario: http://www.battlefront.com/cgi-bin/bbs/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=019912
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mace:
...pert little...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
...piece of...
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mace:
...the back bit that went right up his...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
...assinine...
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<big><big><big>BUM</big></big></big>p
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try my method in the faq in my sig.
involves putting a lot of enemy minefields on bridge, running a sacrifice unit over bridge, then getting the engineers to destroy the minefields, damaging the bridge till it blows.
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Specterx:
In contrast to all of this, I was playing a game where I was Axis defending against an Allied attack. My JpzIV, which was my primary AT asset, got into a position where it traded head-on shots at medium range with a PRIEST. A PRIEST. The priest fired two shots, the second one hit and destroyed the Jpz. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
was that against me? i was allies when the same thing happened. told the priest to move up a big hill and then reverse expecting it would fire a shot to distract the jdIV while another tank could take a shot at it but instead decided to duke it out. i was pissin myself when that happened, then boom!
and the guy i was playing had said that he loved jdIVs too.
priests are the most macho of the holy SPs...
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Cafard:
Playing Axis on Elsdorf scenario, i saw my life (ie my armors) ruined by a Sherman Jumbo. It killed my king tiger on a frontal shot
and turned a full tiger platoon to junk. :mad:Every shot i tried rebounded on him. I just *hated* him. Hell, the tank commander even ended the battle urinating on my flag...
Damn, i never made exhaustive testings, but i just can tell you that Jumbos are *truly* good tanks...
--
Cafard<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
welcome to the allied tank commander's world
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mace:
....prone to wear the odd pink tutu, as well as a few normal ones as well.
He wore matching...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
...widdle teensy tiny...
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...being out-flanked by...
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...foxhole near her...
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Gyrene:
"Combat Mission: Great game, but hope you don't have an Nvidia card"
Gyrene<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
why not? :confused:
oh and here's ya image from david aitken
with fcomments of the pic from steve's focus group as to why it sucks ass:
o 1. "The star on the side of the tank is ALL wrong. It is supposed to be a solid filled white star."
o 2. "The color of the German uniform is not gray enough."
o 3. "What's up with the that tank!?! The velocity of any tank round is far too great to have five in flight at the same time!
o 4. "It is impossible to safely fire the MP40 using the left hand only. He should be firing using the right hand and the left hand should be gripping the magazine. Also, it looks more like a M3 Grease gun than an MP40."
o 5. "I liked the blood and the severed head. Why can't this be in the game?"
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okay everyone who posted has their name added. if you want to come in on this there are:
2-3 in demo (mostly officers)
3 lambs (not squads)
some lemmings
some drivers left
lots in germans inf
lots tanks in later german waves
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...super karate money death car. but that was not the worst of it. mrs. ...
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my internet connection is iffy now so i can only tell you to look at the faq link in my sig then go to the sounds section and hit the link there.
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im not sure if the following will work since i never tried an escort mission, but you may want to try them out.
make the map edges reversed so the german side is the direction the germans are heading to(this makes germans more likely to head/attack there).
also make that edge the exit zone for the germans. make the trucks in the convoy worth exit points, but not many or any of the escorts.
put some germans in trucks so they will definietly stay with the trucks.
im not sure how effective the first two will be.
if it works let us know!
oh yeah, good call kingfish, i forgot the flag thing...
[ 06-29-2001: Message edited by: russellmz ]
. im sure it was bad luck both times.
To surrender or not?
in Combat Mission Archive #3 (2001)
Posted
yeah i hate guys who bitch at me for surrendering when i'm down to my last two crews and a routed half squad.