M. Bates

To see some Dutch bowling technique, click here: http://www.triggerhappytv.com/bowling.mpg I thought I would mention the Dutch, because it is a battle between a Dutch player and myself in the Rugged Defense group league which is the subject of a new AAR. And this AAR is part of a new website. This is the website for the England Group Team at Rugged Defense, it is mostly an AARs website. (I admit to inspiration from THTV for the design). http://combatmission.portland.co.uk BTW... my opponent has not added in his comments yet, so the AAR is about 95% finished. Any thoughts on the website or challenges for the ladder are welcome. NOTE: Flash 4 at least is needed for this website. [This message has been edited by M. Bates (edited 01-19-2001).]

German tanks are f*cked in v1.1, I wouldn't recommend anyone playing as the Axis for the time being. Or just flood the field with 75mm halftracks and Pumas.

Good is all I can say, serves you guys right for fixing polls. Muhaha!

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Tungsten in CM 1.1 means that I will in future never buy Tigers, Panthers or KTs. Tank destroyers all the way for me.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> That quote was actually by myself, not Mace. Face it guys: King Tigers are just Sherman tungsten fodder! The Allies rule!

Isn't CavScout the same guy who said that D-Day could have been launched from the East coast of the USA??

Tungsten in CM 1.1 means that I will in future never buy Tigers, Panthers or KTs. Tank destroyers all the way for me.

I have found that the 75mm German halftrack is good for destroying buildings. However, it is not as maneoverable as the Allied halftracks and armoured cars, and these German halftracks usually end up as fodder for my AT guns. That said... a 75mm vehicle which is NOT in the "Armor" list cannot be ignored - In games of 1,250 pts and more, I would recommend the purchase of a 75mm halftrack to carry out the dirty work, while keep your more valuable tank assets out of harm's way.

I'm sure it was not all one-way traffic, the Red Indians must have done something to the Americans in the first place. Who is to say that if the Red Indians had good ships, and lots of willing men, that would not have invaded Japan or something, and then killed everyone. Imagine all the atroicities that would have been committed had the Indians access to machine guns and other such technology. What I'm trying to say is that peoples find themselves in situations because of their geography and technology, and that dictates their actions. Hitler could have happened in France had the circumstances existed.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I have tremendous respect for the warrior spirit within all warriors. I even like playing both sides in CM, but it can be too easy to gloss things over and to forget what really happened. I have absolutely no respect for cowards who sytematically murder innocent men, women, and children. I never have and I never will. Jumbo<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I say that the opposite is true. People are obsessed with the Nazis and the various personalities, judging from the number of films and books produced about them.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>In particular, Hassel's practice of ripping entire scenes almost word-to-word from other authors and then claiming that they happened to him personally disgusts me.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I've never actually seen this myself, and I have read all of the Hassel books, so if anyone can be more specific, I can have a look Just because an author has not experienced everything of what he writes does not make him a bad writer. Indeed, most historians have no front line experience, but they legitimately claim to have an in-depth knowledge of the subject in hand.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>This points out that the M-8 and other wheeled AC should be vulnerable to immobilization and critical hits from machinegun fire. As it is now mg's do not shoot at the M-8's. All it would take would be a chunk of rubber on the front tire being shot off and then when the M-8 tries to turn. The tire gets torn from the rim. Bingo immobilized.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> That would be tricky to do on a fast moving vehicle in and out of cover, hundreds of metres away!

For Eastern Front novels, I would buy Sven Hassel, and also Leo Kessler. I think Willi Heinrich also wrote a number.

Which German squad specifically? Some of their squads are slightly puny, but then you have the parachute guys and the storm troops who are excellent at all ranges.

Out of interest, who is 'our' and 'we'? Just wondering.

I can imagine that during this game, an electronic German voice will emanate from the larger Tiger saying, "Mini Me you complete me!" Must be two different sizes you can buy. Are there websites where these cute killing machines can be purchased from?

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>If you look at the entry on imdb.com, you notice an interesting fact: a lot of the minor russion roles are being played by Germans (or at least the names look German).<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> It is filmed in Germany, and all the extras are German. In Anthony Beever's report from the film shooting, he said that the extras playing the Germans and those the Russians did not get along very well.

What is the midget tank for?

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I think this movie would be extremely interesting if they actually used German and Russian actors speaking in German and Russian with subtitles. It would make for a more authentic movie, avoiding the entire hollywood garbage by using 'established' actors.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I disagree with that completely. This film will likely be a better acted and interesting film than the German production in the early nineties. Anthony Beever didn't have to write in Russian to make his account authentic. Done in any other language, no one would go to see this film, making it a financial and artistic failure. In any case, a truly authentic film of this kind of warfare would not be allowed into cinemas, the extreme violence etc. just wouldn't be allowed.

The trailer looks promising. I hope that the gimmicky special effect seen in the trailer (where one man is highlighted) doesn't make its way into the final film. It looks as if the computer effects will hold up well. Overall this can be the definitive Stalingrad film, hopefully curling a turd from a great height upon SPR.

Variety of trailer sizes available at apple.com. http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/enemy_at_the_gates/

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>You start adding all this micro-management stuff into the game and you start defeating the purpose of the Tac-AI, then you might as well go play Ground Control or somefink. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I understand your POV, but giving a unit a "personality" is not a substitute for proper player control. Of course, a tank should reverse out of trouble in many instances, but if a player uses a 'Hull Face' command, then that should be taken notice of. Like the Withdraw command, it is not something which would be used all the time but there are instances when a player needs to depend on his tank not to mess it up.

50 mins with no stoppages, but essentially an hour by reasonable standards, if you were to add in a couple of advert breaks for example.

IMHO Jeff is arguing for something which can only enhance the game. The addition of a 'hull face' command would take nothing away from the gameplay. Such a command would mean that players can have more confidence in their tanks.

As my father says, "Our American cousins have more money than sense." Joking apart, I can now tape this series for free. If I saw the complete DVD set second hand for a reasonable fee then they would be a good investment.

The epic 26 part TV documentary, World At War, is being repeated on BBC2 on Sunday (13/01/01). The Stalingrad episode is supposed to be amazing, but I haven't seen the series before. It is narrated by Laurence Olivier, and to buy the series on DVD would cost something stupid like £80.