ParaBellum

Since the mods "only" change or alter the bitmaps used in CM I don't know how a patch could cause troubles... I use a lot of mods (hi-res), use V1.12 and never had any problems. Perhaps your graphic card has problems with too many hi-res mods. But that should only slow down CM. Care to provide some details?

Oh, 'been a little bit slow... If you still need someone, I'd like to join.

I just thought of a Ju 87 screaming down on some soviet tank formations... PLEASE, tell me there will be the "Jericho Trompete" siren sound in CM2! I would love to hear that sound during battle. Hey, even if the damned thing attacked my own troops, I don't care, just give me that sound...

You're right, 81mm, especially the US version doesn't pack a lot of punch. The german 81mm is a little bit better due to a bit higher blast radius. You have to learn to use the CORRECT arty units for certain conditions. 81mm mortars are not for KILLING, but for SUPPRESSING enemy troops. If you can pin an enemy platoon in the open, then call in the big guns to cause some real damage. In woods the chance of tree bursts significantly improve the lethality of light arty, but still don't expect too much. At least you get a lot of them. Due to their fast reaction time use them to knock out AT/Flak guns and they can be quite effective against open topped vehicles or tanks with light top armour. I lost some Hetzers to enemy mortar fire. When attacking enemy troops in foxholes you need bigger stuff. 75mm at least, although I would prefer 105mm and more, if you can spend the points. I like the german 120mm mortars, you can suppress enemy troops, cause quite some casualties and they're cheap. For most battles I think a mixture of 81mm mortars, 75mm and 105 mm should be sufficient.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by caralampio: I had a concept of the Panther as a monster tank. The Tiger, to a lesser degree. I mean, the history (myth?) goes that most Allied guns could not penetrate it frontally. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Well, there are quite some "myths" about german armour being almost invincible. Fact is that at the relative short engagement distances in CM almost every gun can achieve frontal penetrations. The Panther's got a better chance of survival than the Tiger due to its sloped armour but still it's far from beeing "bulletproof". You got to use this tanks according to their strenghts, e.g. use them as stand-off weapons to eliminate enemy armour at longer ranges. Engage Shermans at 1000+ meters and your chances of knocking them out without yourself getting toast will increase a good deal.

Ha! Yesterday one of my Stugs killed an imperial star destroyer with a lucky flank shot!

Good ideas, Dschugaschwili! I don't think that the first two points should be that hard to implement in CM2. And I think that the whole arty targeting system should be changed a little bit. Like to see an option to drop a certain ammount of shells when ordering a fire mission.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Redmow: Last but not least, I hope you do not take me the wrong way...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I still don't like it, but accept your explanation.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by David Aitken: Wait, I've had a better idea...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Not so diplomatic maybe, but I love this guy!

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Redmow: The first is the ability for FO's to get up in a church steeple...a 3rd level per se. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Ahem, all of CM's buildings as well as terrain is a mere ABSTRACTION of reality. All LARGE buildings are supposed to represent more than 2 levels. Church is a large building. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> I would also like to see snipers come into play...not as a represented troop but more as a percentage chance per turn or battle. Once one turns up, you have to designate his position in the orders phase, but you cannot direct his fire and yes, he can be targeted and killed if the enemy spots him. I am uncomfortable with the idea of being able to purchase a sniper in Quick Battles.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Any reasons why you're uncomfortable with being able to purchase a sniper during QBs? Your proposal sounds IMHO even more like an abstraction to an abstraction. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> How can I get my troops to dig foxholes? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> In scenarions where you defend you will get automatic foxholes after deploying your troops. You cannot dig foxhole or trenches during QBs. With most QBs lasting only half an hour the infantry wouldave to dig REALLY fast. Perhaps we will see something lik ethat in CM2. PS: Not to offend you, but I don't like your signature... [ 04-24-2001: Message edited by: ParaBellum ] [ 04-24-2001: Message edited by: ParaBellum ]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Windopaene: And will rubbing my Panther's belly when he knocks out a Sherman make him more likely to do that in the future?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Love this one! Oh, and I want some "GODLIKE!" when one of my SdKfz's kills a Jumbo...

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Blades: hmm Ok so are almost all of the German tanks more accurate? I mean even the 76mm is slower then the German counter parts by alot.. Blades<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Actually muzzle velocity for a 76mm US gun is 793m/s. Pershing's 90mm: 854m/s Tiger I's 88L41: 773m/s Pzkpfw IV's 75mm: 750m/s Panther's 75mm: 925m/s The Stug III and IV use the Pzkpfw IV's 75mm gun, so I woulnd't say that almost all german tanks are more accurate. But it's a fact that the long 88mm and 75mm were superior to US guns. The difference in accuracy between a gun with, say 619m/s and a gun with 1018m/s is REALLY big. Modern tank guns have a muzzle velocity of abourt 1500m/s. Makes them deadly accurate and gives them a lot of punch. Though muzzle velocity is very important for a gun's performance, there are other factors, too. Crew experience, quality of optics, design of turret and many more. Don't know how or if BTS modelled all these factors.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Fox: i must be doin something wrong..my guns are in woods or whatever (never out in the open) and there's NO WAY i can hide ..as soon as one shot is fired, within 5-15 seconds, the entire force knows exactly where the gun is... [ 04-24-2001: Message edited by: Fox ]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> The trick is to hide the guns until you got a good chance to hit. At least 50%, but I prefer 60% and higher. Then open fire (with two guns, hope you DO have 2 and placed them so that they can support each other). If all goes well, your guns should hit the target with at least their second shot. Your guns shoulnd't be detected by the enemy. If you need more than two, three shots, chances are high that it will attract attention in some way... Try to button up enemy tanks with MG/mortar fire. Helps to prevent them spotting your guns too quickly. Snipers are good for this, too. If I knock out a tank with a cheap AT gun, and then my opponent drops his precious arty on the gun's position instead of my infantry, they have really fulfilled their task.

Most important point for gun accuracy is the gun velocity. For a Sherman's 75mm guns this is 619m/s. The 88L71 of the King Tiger and Jagdpanther has IIRC a gun velocity of 1018m/s. => BIG difference. The faster the shell travels the flatter is the trajectory the higher is the chance for a hit. I don't think that CM models optics, I recall the hot discussions about the not-implemented superior optics in german AFVs. Also remember that some tanks (especially the 75mm Shermans) weren't desinged as tank destroyers but for infantry support. Use dedicated tank destroyers instead for killing axis tanks.

Actually this sounds pretty realistic to me. AT guns are VERY vulnerable to direct fire HE, which is as it should be. I read a lot accounts of tanks destroying AT guns fairly easily ONCE THEY SPOTTED THEM! That's the trick. Hide, open fire, knock out a tank, hide. When in good cover, the enemy will not know what hit him. Of course, when engaging 4 enemy tanks at relative short range the survival chance of the AT guns is pretty small... BTW were the enemy tanks unbuttoned? I recall german tanks in russia had little problems with lone AT guns facing their tanks, things changed once the soviets started to use their AT guns in so-called "PAK fronts". I like to lure enemy armor into firefights with my tanks, then use AT guns for flanking fire. Works well for me. But still, you got one Sherman for one AT gun, pretty good exchange rate IMO (if it was a 50mm or 75mm...).

Hehe, welcome to the world of CM! Even if you've played other wargames before, for playing CM you will have to change your style of play. IMHO CM is one of the few games that will not only encourage you to use "real-world tactics" but will kick your a*** if you don't! Most important hint:be careful! I know, sounds easy, but I met lots of people who got their armor toasted before they even knew what was hitting them. Use infantry to scout and then use arty and direct fire HE to neutralize enemy positions. Don't use your tanks as pillboxes, manuever them into positions where you can get flank shots at enemy armour. Use your AT guns TOGETHER with your armor to get enemy tanks into deadly crossfires. Hide your infantry and open fire until enemy infantry comes close (<100m). Try to make a plan BEFORE the battle, and be ready to change it during battle! And, last but not least: learn how to effectively use your arty! Ah, forgot the most important: practice your skills with human opponents. There are many guys on this forum who will help you to improve your tactics. Once you can beat human opponents, the AI will be easy prey!

During my army time I saw a movie about british operations in the falklands. Saw a wound caused by an 7.62mm (600-700m/s) bullet. Looked quite ugly! I just tried to imagine what an 88mm (!!)high velocity (about 1000 m/s) shell would do to a human body. Ugh, what a mess...

Good! Come on, guys GRIDS! GRIDS! GRIDS! GRIDS! GRIDS! GRIDS! GRIDS! GRIDS! GRIDS! GRIDS! GRIDS! GRIDS! altogether now:

In a recent QB an 88 PAK fired an AP shell against an enemy infantry squad. Result: one casualtiy I really don't wanna know what the 88mm shell did to that guy...

Do it! I once took a ride with a JU-52. The flight was about one hour and took us over the alps! I will never forget the roam of the engines and the view... And it cost only about (calculate...) 100$!

I once (looong time ago) set up an axis tank force aginst a US combined arms defense. I thought (Hey, Tigers against GIs, that's gonna be fun!) it would be an easy game for me. Result: Tanks CANNOT conquer victory locations in bad terrain! Tanks CANNOT conquer victory locations in towns/villages. So, tanks are great for tank busting/inf. support but you`ll need infantry (and PAK/FLAK) to hold VLs and to fight in difficult terrain.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Terence: You must move in exalted circles. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Yep. And next time I've got to bring along my big "caution irony" flag.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mattias: And that’s why some say; screw the graphics, they are already in place! M <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Sure, gameplay and historical accuracy are more important to me than some fancy graphics. But then... Last week I had to reinstall CM and then played it "naked" e.g. without all those beautiful hi-res mods. To tell the truth, I was a little bit "shocked". I hadn't seen the pure CM graphics for a looong time and was already so much used to hi-res grass, trees, buildings and units that the difference to what I saw now was amazing. If CM2 came out without at least SOME graphical improvements I would indeed be a little bit disappointed.

Yeah, the spotting range during night battles is bit high. In my army days it was fun to watch my fellow comrades stumble against trees or into ditches. Helps a lot when YOUR rifle is equipped with night-vision gear! I think the condition in CM is supposed to be full moon, clear sky or something like that.

Nonsense, nonsense... Nobody sees the BIGGEST BUG in this demo. The russian mine dogs are unable to track multiple german tanks!! This enables a gamey axis player to use cheap elite Tigers for armoured wave attacks against russian defenses! And did anybody compare the max speed of those dogs to real life? My Kampfdackel runs at least twice as fast as those bolchevist conscript dogs... FIX OR DO SOMETHINK! Otherwise the demo rocks, of course.