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markshot

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Posts posted by markshot

    Why didn't the AI surrender?

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    I just finished playing a game. I only got a tactical victory, but I don't understand why the AI didn't surrender to me. The AI's morale is showing at 4%. I thought the AI is supposed to surrender when its morale drops below 15%.

    So what happened? Why didn't the AI surrender?

    Thanks.

    http://mywebpages.comcast.net/markshot/tempimages/CMBO1.jpg

    http://mywebpages.comcast.net/markshot/tempimages/CMBO2.jpg

    [ December 06, 2002, 09:18 PM: Message edited by: markshot ]

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    CMBO: Dealing with arty on the battlefield?

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    Originally posted by CombinedArms:

    This also sounds like an unusually GOOD performance by the AI with its arty. In my experience, the AI often doesn't fire its arty at all. Or it fires smoke rounds after one's assault has succeeded. To have it fire effectively like this is very unusual.

    What scenario was it, by the way? Or was it a QB? If a scenario, you can check in the editor and see how much arty the Germans got.

    It was:

    L'Elle River Crossing

    Yes, I have never seen the AI make such good use of arty. In the past, I've seen it pick one spot where I was 3 minutes ago and then bombard it for 9-15 minutes.

    Go figure!

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    CMBO: Dealing with arty on the battlefield?

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    I played a 45 minute American attack versus German defense (AI) yesterday.

    This is one of the first scenarios I played where practically throughout the entire scenario arty was dropping somewhere on the map looking to snuff out my infantry. Also, it was somewhat unique in that my past experiences with the AI is that it tended to put arty on one location for long periods whether accurate or not. In this scenario, most bombardments only lasted a minute at a particular location. Blast effects varied from the smaller 70 to larger 200 blast effects.

    The map contained areas of scattered trees and woods and I attempted to move through cover where possible.

    There where no obvious spotter locations on the German side of the map like a tall hill with wooded top overlooking the entire landscape.

    For 42 minutes of the of the 45 minute fight, I did okay with the arty. The two things I did was:

    (1) Kept my forces moving and tried to avoid sitting in any location for more than a couple of minutes.

    (2) Issue withdraw commands at the first sight of a spotting round or convert forward movement command waypoints already issued into run.

    Alas, I got complacent after taking one of the two objectives on the map at minute 42. 1 1/2 platoons took a heavy building at the center of the one of the objectives. I left the large majority of my infantry deployed along a tree line where they had just provided supressing fire. The Germans hit the treeline with a massive barrage and shredded a large percentage of my force with casualities and panic. I thought the battle was over and that it was better to stay in the tree line than to move out into the open.

    ---

    The German arty proved to be a continous disrupter to my advance across the map. However, looking back except for my complacency at minute #42, I don't see much more I could have done to deal with it.

    Does anyone have any suggestions to offer?

    Thanks!

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    Buying a DVI flat panel ???

    in Combat Mission - Tech Support

    Posted

    I had gotten a 20" LCD for my wife to use.

    I first hooked it up on a quality analog video card. (Because her new PC hadn't arrived yet.)

    Later, I hooked it up to a card which supported the DVI interface.

    You could clearly see the difference in image quality.

    ---

    I just got a new 21" CRT for doing work and games.

    An LCD is great for text at the native resolution. At non-native resolutions, they look like crap compared to a CRT. For games, it's not always possible to play everything at the native resolution. Also, simulations with fast video updates are going to blur. Strategy style map games would probably be fine.

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    Where To Start

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    Whizbang,

    I sympathize with you. As flight sim nut, I was in the same boat. That's why I put together that anthology when I was starting out with CMBO.

    I figured it might help others. So, I posted my collection of links.

    I think you will have a lot of fun with CMBO/BB. It's sort of a cross between a third person simulation and a strategy game.

    [ October 12, 2002, 10:33 PM: Message edited by: markshot ]

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    CMBO: Tactical Advice Requested

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    I am requesting some tactical recommendations for a battle which I just completed last night.

    I have finished playing a scenario against the AI as the Germans versus the British. I won't go into too much detail about the scenario as there is no need to turn this into a spoiler.

    * Overview *

    The scenario was a meeting engagement with three flags and 60 minute clock. Despite being a meeting engagement, I pretty much started with control of two of the three flags. The flag I did not control was situated in a very large continuous wooded area on my right flank.

    * Minutes 0-5 *

    Despite being a meeting engagement, I treat the battle as a hasty defense. I scramble to establish reasonably defensible positions.

    * Minutes 5-20 *

    The British make a big armored thrust down a road on my right flank. After harsh fighting, I eliminate 8 British tanks at a cost of two of my own tanks. Kill ratio of 4:1. I have two tanks left. (However, my two remaining tanks will fall to fighter bomber attacks before seeing additional action.)

    * Minutes 20-40 *

    With the demise of the British armor, the battlefield falls into an uneasy quite. During the time before, I saw one or two British infantry units probe out of the woods on my right flank. Given that it is from that direction that the armor thrust came, a flag not in my control sits in the woods, and the probe; I assume that it is just a question of time before an infantry assault in force comes out of the woods.

    So, my strategy is: establish defensive positions right beyond the woods. This means: infantry situated in heavy buildings, HMG units, hidden mortar parks, flame throwers, 20mm flak guns, and be prepared to drop whatever arty I have on the woods.

    Given that I still have, at least, 30 minutes to take the flag in the woods, I am in no hurry. I assume that the British will mount a few assualts out of the woods and I will maul them badly. (I know that flags often act as magnets to the AI and that it grinds forces up trying to reach them.) I figure that once I have weakened the British greatly with minimal casualties on my side that I can then make my final push on the woods.

    * Minutes 40-60 *

    Despite being exceedling well prepared for a British assault, it never comes. I have done some probing of the woods and I am quite sure that the British are in there. So, before the final 10 minutes a lay whatever arty I have close to the objective (1x120mm spotter and 1x150mm spotter). My arty resources are quite limited in this scenario.

    I begin to doubt if the British really had a large infantry force to begin with, since I have seen so few units.

    I enter the woods and move forward in an uncoordinated with 4 platoons (two are understrength). I discover that the entire British infantry force has congregated around this flag. Despite my prior arty barrage, I suffer severe losses and the battle ends with this flag being contested.

    The end result is a minor victory for my side.

    ---

    Now, the question is what could or should I have done? (Note, I did not have any SMG/LMG units.)

    Here is what I think I should have done:

    (1) Not have underestimated the numbers of British infantry. (You know that a meeting engagement has to be somewhat balanced.)

    (2) Be prepared to have moved every available platoon into the woods. Attempt to pack my units into as dense a space as possible. This would have maximized my fire power given the limited LOS in the woods and that the British were probably scattered.

    (3) Advance slowly and incorporated flame thrower units into my force. With so much fire power and the limited LOS, the flame thrower units would be less likely to come under fire and could have served to break enemy positions.

    (4) Strip local platoon leaders from their platoons and place my force under the command of one or two HQ units with command and combat bonuses.

    (5) Set up HMG units with LOS in scattered trees to the treeline of the woods. This would have allowed them to pick off British units attempting to flee or flank my assault force.

    What would you have done in a similar situation?

    Thanks for your suggestions!

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    Any die hard CMBOers not buying CMBB?

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    Well, I have been playing for about a year now.

    I recently upgraded from a PIII/600+G400 MAX -> P4/2.53+GF4 Ti4600. This has allowed me to get into some of the larger scenarious and I am almost finished playing everything that came on the CD. But, of course, there are, at least, 1,000+ scenarios to download on the Web. So, I still feel there is a lot more enjoyment to be had from CMBO.

    Also, I plan to go overseas at the start of next year and take my old PIII with me and play a quite a bit of CMBO.

    So, I think will just hold off on purchasing CMBB and wait for that experience when I return to the USA in 2003.

    !Que Viva CMBO!

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    CMBO on a laptop?

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    If anyone was interested, this is the best solution I worked out for my time overseas:

    Take my old PIII/600 boxed with me. I'll leave it there as I will be going back from time to time.

    For the cost of a laptop rental, I was able purchase a 15" LCD (1024x768 native) instead. I can easily carry that with me on the plane.

    I can leave that stuff there and whenever I am over there I'll have some hardware to play CMBO on.

    I am imagine if you check in 40 years, you might find me in some nursing home somewheres playing CMBO on my old PIII/600. smile.gif

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    CMBO on a laptop?

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    Folks,

    Thanks for all your feedback.

    I used to play CMBO on a PIII/600, 394Mb, G400 Max (32Mb), and Win98SE. Except for larger scenarios and lots of smoke it played acceptable. So, I kind of let that define my minimum requirements for a laptop.

    I've been playing at 1024x768 on a 21" monitor. So, I was somewhat concerned about using a small LCD screen. However, I know LCDs are sharper if you run them at the native resolution. But my eyes aren't so great to stare at very small fonts.

    There are some other decent games to load on a laptop. But if I was alone on a desert island and choose only one game for just mouse play, than I would choose CMBO. smile.gif I know I could play CMBB, but I think I will save that experience for when I get back from my trip to play on my new system: P4/2.53, 1024Mb (pc1066), GF4 Ti4600, and WinXP Pro. {Since getting it, I've been playing some huge scenarios that I couldn't touch with my former PC.}

    Thanks again.

    PS: Does anyone know any good vendors for laptop rentals?

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    CMBO on a laptop?

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    Folks,

    I am going to be in the Far East for a couple of months. So, I started thinking about renting a laptop for playing CMBO while there.

    I've never tried CMBO on a laptop. What would be good parameters to balance cost versus quality of play? I've never had/used a laptop.

    I was thinking:

    Low end Pentium 4 class CPU

    512Mb RAM

    32Mb 3D video (if Nvidia than the 29.42 Detonator drivers)

    Win XP Pro

    14-15" XGA TFT with 1024x768 native resolution

    Internal CD-ROM drive

    Now, some form of internal sound system would be built-in correct?

    I am also thinking that I might take a mouse with me to attach and a small set of external speakers.

    So, how does CMBO play on a laptop? Will 1024x768 native on a small LCD be okay for CMBO?

    Thanks!

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    CMBO: Bridges have zero LOS affects!

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    Yes, folks it is an honest to G_d CMBO post (as I am still playing it and intend to keep playing as there is much enjoyment still to be had).

    Anyway, I was just about to send a pair of tanks under a stone bridge and that started me wondering. If they stopped somewhat before the archway would it minimize their vulnerability to side shots?

    Well, playing around in the scenario editor: the answer is "no". Unlike buildings and terrain elevations, bridges (even tall stone ones) do not cast a LOS shadow upon the land.

    Okay, now back to my road march. smile.gif

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    New Dentonator 4.0 beta

    in Combat Mission - Tech Support

    Posted

    Well, thanks for the info. I was contemplating them, since they claim to yield a 25% performance improvement. Although, I've seen postings saying that NVidia just tweaked (cheated) to get a good score on 3DMark.

    Anyway, I definitely ain't going to install anything that messes with CMBO on my computer!

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    Aircraft don't follow standard sighting rule

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    I just realized something.

    Aircraft don't follow the standard sighting rule. I have a battle with heavy air support. Planes keep zipping back and forth over the map strafing and bombing.

    I only see what they are shooting at if they kill it. This is unlike all other CMBO units which once they see something, I see it. I suppose this is necessary, since otherwise the fog of war would be virtually eliminated by air support.

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