karch

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MrSpkr: Pathetic, pointless, and ultimately destructive to BTS (and therefore the grogs)because the casual gamer 9'wargamer-lite') will take his money elsewhere.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I have to disagree with you. From everything I've seen about the development of Combat Mission, this game was developed by wargamers to be the most realistic simulation/game they could produce. The fact that many non-hardcore gamers have enjoyed the game as much as they have shows how good of an idea they had. IIRC BTS said that campaigns are not realistic because of all the turnover that would take place in actual units and that the same units would rarely fight day after day, but be pulled out of the line for the next attack by a fresher unit. That would seem to make campaigns less attractive... Say you just won a crushing victory and just as your army was going to advance, you were pulled from the line and would not attack until the next advance. Kinda kills the whole concept of a campaign as I think players want. To play attack after attack with the same units. just my 2c, but I'd rather see other things included that make the game more realistic for every game played rather than any of the campaigns anyone has described.

I have a 7 month old and my CM playing has gone from juggling about 4-8 PBMs and the odd IP game, to .... Zero games. I'm trying to finish a few games that got dropped right after he was born, but those little munchkins take so much time. I can't believe it. Scott

*** This is not me arguing... just clearing some points. I use Macs and PC for work and personal use. *** <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Gen-x87H: Mac s have a better mother bord Max thats why. PCs are cheep junk. And a 1.3 Ghz G4 cube is only $14,000 Candian I have know idea how much it is American." Oh please. The MBs in Macs are usually made by Motorola. They are nothing special. ASUS, Tyan, Gigabyte all make quality MBs. Macs are usually more expensive because that is what people seem to be willing to pay for them. I did not know the G4 was hitting 1.3Ghz. Last I heard it was at 750Mhz. Short pipeline seems to be hurting it. 7 stages ouchy! Gen<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Apple designs all it's own motherboards, I have no idea who makes them. Motorola only supplies the chips (along with IBM). Apple's MBs are pretty good, but I have to admit, seeing Linux memory and data tests on PC MBs and Mac MBs, the PC MBs come out on top most of the time. But it's really hard to measure. OSs aren't perfect and they make a bigger difference on how they manage info. As for being more expensive, it's partly that people will pay more, partly because Apple designs it's own MB, OS, hardware and puts a lot of effort designing what it's computers will look like. Most Mac users appreciate that. The Power PC chip is only around 700+ right now with around 900MHz or 1GHz this summer. Too bad really, but shorter pipes compared to longer pipes is much more complex than simple clock speed. There are some great articles at http://www.theregister.co.uk/ and other places that deeper pipes allow for faster clock speeds, but kill efficiency. That's why a 900Mhz P3 is noticably faster than a 900MHz P4, and why a 700MHz G4, let alone a G3 compares quite well to the latest high clock speed Pentiums. Yes they are faster for most things, but not by much, and not nearly as much as the clock speed would indicate. It seems it would be better to get the absolute fastest speed with the shallowest pipe to get the most powerful CPU, but Intel got it right (for selling CPUs) when it put EVERYTHING into MHz instead of power per clock cycle. It's really fascinating and complicated why the PPC chips still stand up so well in certain areas compared to the GHz+ PC chips. Cheers.

I play CM on a Mac and used the program Disk Copy to make an IMG file (thats a disk image file) then ran an applescript that turned it into a SMI, or Self Mounting Image on my iBook's Hard Drive. This way I can play CM without needing the CD. I only do this to save power (HD taked much less power than CD) while running off battery. My CD is safely sitting in binder full of CDs. I made 1 burned copy as a backup.. it's in the binder as well. Scott

Has anyone tried to run CM on OSX (through classic OS9) since 10.0.4 came out? Has Apple changed the Classic Rave extension? Scott Karch

Just saw this in the Chicago Tribune (Sunday). This group has a Stuart, a US Halftrack and a real Hetzer!!! They do reinactments during the year. Here is the link in the Tribune online. Chicago Tribune WWII article Sorry the web edition doesn't have pictures, but the paper has some great ones of dressed troops and vehicles. They will be at Fort Knox on the 4th for anyone close enough.. Have a great holiday all.

Don't forget cross platform. Aside from the best (in many people's opinion) military game for Windows, it's also available for Mac and Mac and Windows players can play head to head via email or TCP/IP. There aren't many games you can do that with. I can't play very often, but it is the only game I play when I have a chance. Scott Karch

"Mac Factor" Bug or cleverly coded "feature"? hmmmmmmmmmm [ 06-08-2001: Message edited by: karch ]

I'm trying to get CM to work through my router that uses NAT to handle multiple computers on the inside. outside... 192.168.1.1 inside... 10.0.1.1 I can to port routing to route any IP traffic on specific ports on a specific internal IP address 10.0.1.1 or whatever. I need to know what port CM uses when talking to another copy of CM for IP play. Anyone know? I don't have any port sniffing software to find out. Scott Karch

It's more work, but a friend of mine and myself have used the web site http://www.geocities.com/pbmcube/pbmdsvr.html To create random die rolls to determine the end of the game. You can chose how many dice to roll and how many rolls. We usually pick a 2 sided die and decide on a turn range... say, 20 turns +- 3, at 17 we use the web site to roll the die. 1 the game continues, 2 we declare cease fire. If someone would help come up with some kinda table to help me make my own, I'd creat a web based calculator and host it. I'd need some help to figure percentage chance at the first to last end game rolls. If you had 20 turns +-3, would turn 17 have the same 50% chance of ending as turn 22? Let me know if someone wants to help with some numbers and I'd make the app and host it. You would enter the number of turns current turn number +- turn variable weighted or 50/50 chance for rolls. your email and oponent's email it would then email results to both of you. It would be a fun exercise to try and give Mac users something to use without running any additional program than your browser. Scott Karch

I have to agree about the LCD. I run on my iBook most of the time, so I don't have to be tied to the desk. You have to adjust the screen angle to see certain details sometimes. These are active matrix screens so they have a wide FOV but it's not quite as good as a good CRT. Now my iBook also has video out that I hook up to my 27" tv and stereo. That's fun. Quality isn't fantastic, it's a little washed out, but it's fun to play that big. Wish I had a bigger TV. Scott Karch

I've played a lot of armour QBs as Germans and Allies. I always let computer pick troops for both sides and I've never had it pick a JT for the Germans.. (for the Amis either for that matter ) The calculations that go into picking troops never seem to exclude anything, but the computer usually gets a pretty round force and doesn't spend lots of money on big ticket units. But sometimes you get a KT, JPanther or the like. Rare enought that it seems pretty realistic to me. I think you just were unlucky having to go toe to toe against a JT. It doen't happen often enough to be a problem. Scott

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by David Aitken: Why do I envisage this thread turning into a flamewar? You're encouraging people to pick on a nationality and explain why they don't like it? Good basis for some serious discussion there.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I disagree... re-read his post. Even when saying he didn't like PLAYING the the French as Allies, he had nothing against him. He was asking which troops you don't like using. I think that there is a HUGE difference betweent the two. I lived in England for 3 years. Love England and the English.. But I don't like using British troops when playing CM. It doesn't mean I don't like the English or England... It means I don't like using English troops in CM, nothing more. That's what he was asking. To tell you the truth. I'm not really fond of any of the Allied troops in CMBO, from the beta demo until now, I have been dreaming of German VS Soviet troops. I have more books on the Eastern Front than the western front. It's my favorite. It doen's mean I don't like America, Canada, Poland, France... etc. When playing a war game I am most interested in the Eastern Front. I think it was an interesting question. I am curious what Allied nationality other members like and don't like playing. I agree this shouldn't degrade into discussions about nationalities... just keep it on what troops you like or don't like to use in CM. I see no problem with that. My 3¢ Scott Karch combat@karchfamily.com

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Terence: My attacks are short advances from cover to cover, and I'm always unprepared for the eventual ambush. I don't use any recon. This also means that in areas with no cover, I don't know what to do. My defenses are static and never in depth. I say this is because of shortages in resources, but in truth its because Im, well..., I don't know why I can't do this. On the small scale, Im always so eager to see the next turn that I don't always consider all lines of site, attack and advance for individual units. I forget the enemy is making plans as I do. I don't use view #1 enough to plan moves. I focus on one side of the battle and forget the other side. I shell areas where no enemies are and waste ammo because I forget the target line was set. I adjust the target line for the FO so often that the poor guy spends the entire battle firing spotting rounds. I forget about smoke. And because of all that, Im amazed I ever win anything at all. [ 04-20-2001: Message edited by: Terence ]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Ditto..... Now that was a post I can relate to!!! I'd use it as a sig if it wasn't so long!!! But it doesn't stop me from playing. Scott Karch

I'm home not feeling well today... you know, not well enough to go into work, but well enough to fart around on the computer. I'm amazed at the number of mid-day posts. Where are you all writing from? School? Work? Home? Just curious. Scott

As a Mac and PC user, I agree with everything said above. 1) Mac users should make sure their attachments are MIME encoded when sending to PC users 2) PC users can open HQX binhexed files if they get them, but they need to download the great free program Stuffit Expander. Scott Karch

Because of the way Mac graphics are stored as multiple resources in the graphics files instead of a folder full of .bmps like in Windows.. I was wondering if BTS has considered increasing the number of graphics files to use. If I recall, I remember someone saying that the graphics files can only reach a certain size before having problems. If graphics become higher and higher res at higher bit-depths, then the graphics files will fill up that much faster and Mac users may not be able to add as many high res mods as our Windows bretheren. If this is not the case... leave it the way it is. If it is an issue, I just wanted BTS to see a note in case it wasn't on their radar screen. regards and keep up the great work. I can't wait to see a Fernindard pounding T-34s from long range. scott karch

Am I wrong, or is there new code that allows the left table column to the left... with your name... to vary in width depending on the poster's name. I now no longer have to worry when jasoncrawley@ameritech.net posts and scrunches everyone's text right.... no offense meant jason... keep posting. scott karch

SL - COI - COD - GIAOV I have them all. I only have the counters punched for SL and have never played past scenario 5 on SL. But I don't think it was a waste of money. I loved the game, just no one to play against and now no time. I spent days and days pouring over all the counters and reading and re-reading the manuals. Laying out the maps and just imagining......... Well, imagining what it would be like to play on a computer, and Combat Mission is it as far as I am concerned. I am really excited to play CM2. Even if it was the EXACT engine and programming they are using right now I would buy it and love it. well, enough rambling... time to go home.

As for a Leopard in WWII, I also seem to recall a couple of books that mention there was to be a light tank Leopard produced, but it was cancelled and the turret design used on the Puma. If that turret would have sat on the Lynx (Lüchs), that would have been a pretty potent light tank. Smaller silhouette (sp?) than the Stuart. That would have been one cool light/recon tank. Scott

I know this will make security concious players skin crawl... but A friend and myself have been trading passwords and really flying through games. A moves T1 B moves T1 - generates M1 B opens As file, and fastforwards to end of M1 (movie) while covering screen - then saves file B opens his M1 movie he generated, watches it, then plans moves for T2 Sends movie M1 AND move T2 Player A now does the work A moves T2 - generates M2 A opens Bs file, and fastforwards to end of M2 (movie) while covering screen - then saves file A opens his M2 movie he generated, watches it, then plans moves for T3 Sends movie M2 AND move T3 bact to player B This ends up 1 full turn per email. It's great if you trust your oponent... and I generally trust all the players I've played. For all of you players who's turns I'm sitting on. Sorry. Work has been a killer and my 4 month old son doesn't sleep much so I haven't played a turn in 2 weeks. I'm really sorry and will email all of you soon. Scott Karch

Does the 109 have a 105mm howizer? Gun/Howizer? Can't remember. Great story. Thanks. I have a great book on the Hs129 ground attack plane. One of the really interesting things was the installation of 30mm and even a 75mm canon on the thing. They used very efficient muzzle brakes on the guns to reduce the recoil stresses on the airframe as well as airspeed loss from the recoil. The backblast was so powerful it could damage the aircraft body if not directed correctly.

The more efficient the muzzle brake, the more of the blast is sent backwards.... at the crew or vehicle. Tanks can use very efficient muzzle brakes because the crew is safe inside the tank, but you won't find too many muzzle brakes, especiall of much effiecency on field guns. The backblast from the muzzle brake would be really dangerous to the crew. Especially from big guns. For a really efficient brake of about 30%, 30% of the blast would be captured and sent backwards. That's a pretty hefty explosion going back towards the crew.

You know... that's one reason I like Macs over Windows! can you say MICROSOFT Nice second post though. Good points. I didn't know that about direct x. Good concept. I don't think Linux is toned down to run on lighter machines, I actually think it takes much more resouces than straight UNIX because of the GUI. The GUI takes more system resources than the straight text interface of old world UNIX. Both OSs could learn a few things from each other... and do. They both have strengths and weaknesses and people have personal preferences about them. Let's leave it at that..... Although I know no one will. Scott [This message has been edited by karch (edited 03-28-2001).]

I just got my copy of X today and will be installing it. Does anyone know if the RAVE graphics extension that gets put into 9.1 (classic environ) has been updated? Does CM run in classic mode or will I have to do what I did before... boot back into OS9 change my extension set to the 9.1 graphics drivers. It will be great once more apps run native in X with protected memory and such, but until then.. It won't do me much good. Scott