Faust

I guess one way to find out the "Attrition and Manoeuvre" aspects of CM is to do a small QB, your own side defend with all Elite units, the other side Conscript and/or green, and do a raid/manouuvre in the enemy's rear. Sounds easy. I tried it. It ain't easy! Unfortunately, quantity outperforms quality.

I agree with you, but even if you could use "ambush" with them they would still get spotted and eliminated very early. If an enemy unit has LOS to a pillbox/bunker, even at long range, it will be spotted. There was a recent thread about these problems. Read it here: http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/Forum1/HTML/015634.html SUBVET, Thanks for your link on the subject. BUT..... 1.) If a MG pillbox is quickly LOS detected, because of it's size, and thus becomes a prime target, then they are an expensive habit. The obvious question is why incorporate/buy them at all? As discussed numerous times in the thread. Also, I would have thought a MG bunker, with lower profile and camoflauge, would be a more difficult target to LOS. Does CM AI adjust for same? 2.) If a pillbox is, as you rightly say, easily detected, then AT pillboxes should also initially be easy targets. But if I use an ambush mode with AT's, there is usually a delay in discovery which allows some ambush advantage. I still think MG pillbox/bunkers should have independant ambush targets. It would offset their lack of usefullness as discussed numerous times in the thread. MORIARTY Excuse my ignorance; how do you determine three MG in pillbox? "YOU NEVER HEAR THE BULLET THAT KILLS YOU": British Commando training officer, to my father, April 1940.

One annoying facet of CM is not being able set individual ambush targets for MG pillboxes or Bunkers. They will shoot at anything within acceptable range, (even 2000+ yrds.) with minmal effect and blowing all elements of any surprise coordinating with other unit's related ambush targets. These MG units alos attract immediate attention and are usually destroyed within three turns. It's the one aspect of CM control which hopefully will be incorporated in CM2?

ScoutPL, Very interesting insights on defence. The desire to coordinate withdrawals, concentrate combined assets to hold/control certain AOA's is graet. The problem is that mortar/arty usually wipes out any semblence of organized defense within five turns. As a result, especially on smaller maps, concentrations are really a no no. Any thoughts?

If there is already a thread on this subject, please forward..................but Would CM2 be improved if there was an "Action Phase" option of 45sec., 60sec., 90 sec. or 120 sec., (maybe longer)? The choice would have to be entered within the setup battle/opertaion parameters and unable to be changed mid game. One major advantage is with large/complex battles, when spending a large amount of time planning units moves worth 4000/5000 points, waiting another 4 minutes while the AI thinks things out then there in only 60 sec. of battle resolution and the whole process starts again, (albrit perhaps with less planning). Also a longer "Action Phase" would mean/need better short/long term planning. Which brings up a second thought. Should there not be an option on using "auto-save"? If there is a thread on this particular subject, kindly forward.

Wild Bill Wilder Your the soul of tact! I have not had an opportunity to check all CM threads on this particular subject but from the initial back and forth on this one, there seems to be a need for some clarity, regardless. I should also add that my personal time is short and a lot of my questions are an atempt to get answers rather than hours of experimentation and frustration. I named and saved the operations map to .cmc. I assumed, originally, that once within a .cmc file when you clicked "battle", that same .cmc map would come up and one placed the first battle units. Ditto for remaining battles as were originally set in paramaters. To me that would seem the logical way of designing it. Bill, there is no mention in the book of using reinforcements mode as setting individual unit battle's within an Operation? There are only five reinforcement opportunities in each battle, (less any reserves?), yet the Operation parameters allow considerably more, 25 battles if you so choose. It's all a little vague but as you said, probably addressed in earlier threads. What is your comment to PAK 40's response to mine "Well, I havn't experimented too much with this but I assume CM tries to position the first battle where ever units from both sides exist. You may need to do some experimentation with where you place units. try spreading the defending unit's out and see where the first battle is placed. (BTW, there's lots of experimenting in making these operations-you're right, the manual is lacking in this area)" If e.g. there are five battles, are the units put on respective exit ends and the AI leaves them there to you to move subject to the new battle lines, (same as opertaions supplied in CM). But what is the point of choosing various sizes on individual battle maps if, (by choice) they are all smaller than the original scenario map? Where does the AI focus each smaller map? Would not one use complete Operation map as default map size with all battles? Then there is the calling in reserves, only applicable to Operations. Bill, as apart of the original braintrust on CM, I'm a little surprised that you personally have not used/applied the reserve factor in an Operation? It's one of the more intriguing aspects of the CM stratergy concept. Has there been a previous thread on "reserves" outlining the various AI parameters? PAK40, thanks for your input.

PAK 40 I did actually read the manual. You recommendations are fine, certainly more concise than any thing in my manual which, I feel, is rather negligent in this particular area. I assume the reinforcements are keyed in at the beginning of each new battle turn, always at 100%(?)If true that's not exactly defined as such in my manual. If you have an original operations map e.g. 2000X2000, and e.g. battle one has a map size of say 750X750, which part of the original operations map does it key onto? There is no such information in my manual. In the opertaions scenario format you can also add "Reserves" in addition to Reinforcements? But to add a reserve takes a reinforcement slot? Doesn't say as much in my manual. But thanks for your input but please be a little more patient/kind with us beginners. Don't worry, you will soon get a personal challenge and get your just deserts.........with or without a manual!!!!

ROB "Change cmb with cmc that dose it." Sorry, not with you Rob. Original Operation map already in .cmc.

It's probably a simple thing I'm missing but when creating a muti battle scenario, I gather you create/save the principal scenario map first? On completion, click on "battle" within the .cmc file and the saved scenario map should come up to plann battle #!? But it doesn't! I get a raw map; the same one which would open if designing a single battle only? How does one access a scenario map for planning the numerous battles? SORRY, I'M REFEREING TO CREATING AN 'OPERATION " MAP. (NOT SCENARIO), FOR USE WITH NUMEROUS BATTLES

It's probably a simple thing I'm missing but when creating a muti battle scenario, I gather you create/save the principal scenario map first? On completion, click on "battle" within the .cmc file and the saved scenario map should come up to plann battle #!? But it doesn't! I get a raw map; the same one which would open if designing a single battle only? How does one access a scenario map for planning the numerous battles?

Perhaps CM 2 will allow engineers to blast through bocage?

I assume building railway bridges over water or land, (deep valley), is not possible? You have to use a stone bridge and use one's imagination. Anybody else had sucess?

Portee units, I beleive, were used by the British primarily in North Africa? Were they ever used in Europe summer 1944? These units were known by the British as incinerators. Very mobile but very lightly armoured with a 2lb. gun had no punch whatsoever. Can any one clarify?

New to the game so many things to learn BUT.........what about ss, (sharpshoters), taking out exposed/open tank commanders? Target a sniper onto a tank with exposed commander and he will shoot. Sometines there is a yelp and the hatch closes immediately. On checking the ss's kill report, no kill. Is there a viable ss application here?

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Olle Petersson: Unfortunately not so successful in CM. I've tried it once with 6pdrs but the time to unlimber was 4 minutes or so, nothing to go for fired at. The German 88's take about twice as long to unlimber. My real life experience with ATGs were that we could stop the towing vehicle in cover, prepare the gun and man handle it about 10m up a ridge to get into firing position, aim and shoot within one minute. If there were more time available we also measured ranges (another minute or two) and dug in (a matter of hours or more). Movement on fairly hard open flat surfaces, like lawns and dirt roads, was at full running speed. Of course our gun was only 250kg total, a fair bit less than the PaK 40, but then we also had a small crew. I don't know how long it actually took in WW2 to limber or unlimber ATGs, only that it's a fair bet that heavy guns need more time than light guns. Cheers Olle<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Pity! The CM scenario "Fire & Maneuver", albeit it's a training scenario, (thus not realistic), for AT defense, the three US 76AT's are "exposed on a ridge" waiting for fire opportunity. It would be interesting to have three TOW's and move them around behind some smoke and then see how the foray would turn out. With such flexibilty one would probably not need the additional four M10's(?). Interesting to note your personal AT experience. I suppose I'm still surprised that hit and run with AT's and TOW's is/was not more of a science. Appreciate specifically 88's were big and hard to hide but give me twelve of them, with smoke, and used with some expertise I doubt two dozen Shermans Jumbos could get to first base.