The_Capt

Combat Mission - $45 US Shipping and Handeling - $10 US Total Price - $83.00 Cnd 3D Tactical Wargaming done right after a 16 yr wait - PRICELESS!!!

Combat Mission 2: "Nazis can't jump!"

I know that in current doctrine (NATO) that HMG fire can be sited, particularly in the defence. The posn and angle of the gun are marked and fire is coord by higher. Maybe an infantry wizard can enlighten us as to whether or not this is/was actually employed and whether it would work in CM. I would like to see it as it would greatly increase the effectivness of the HMGs by allowing fire outside of the LOS. The question of effective range still remains though...

Searched and couldn't find a discussion on the subject. I know it is current infantry doctrine that the .50 cal and other MG can be sited to fire indirectly in to beaten zone. Any thoughts on the employment in CM (ie HMG TRPs) The ranges would just fit on a large map, I believe. Any thoughts?

Flank Security, thus endeth the lesson.

A real Meeting Engagement involves an "normally" unexpected unit/formation colliding with an en going in the opposite direction. These battle are fast and furious in which the fastest "draw" usually wins. I believe CM is mistaken in placing objective flags in the middle of the two forces as it tend to draw focus on terrain rather than en units locations which in a real ME is ultimately more important. The error is compounded by the fact that the objective flags do not represent terrain which is really important to the battle (ie random) I think MEs should be based on unit strengths remaining and not positions on the ground. Please note that I have absolutely no idea what this would involve from a programming point of view, only what is correct from a military doctrine POV.

Even though it turns my stomach to discuss anything Navy in nature, I will venture my 10 cents worth. The resposibility of command is what empowers a commander to tell other people what to do. It is not because he/she is smarter or better at the job but because he/she has stepped up to be trained and accept responsibility. That being said, at what point should a commander be held responsible? When things "go bad" in combat, it is a very dangerous thing to automatically crucify the guy in charge. It breeds undo caution in his/her peers causing paralysis in decision for fear of making the wrong one. A very US military mindset right now, hence CNN polls etc. Perhaps the best advice I ever received was from an old Armd Maj who said " I will always forgive a sin of commission, it is the sins of ommission I cannot abide". Which is to say never hit someone for doing something (within reason of course) as long as they were using best judgement and keeping within the intent of their superiors direction (a little manoeuvre doctrine for you guys). Failure to act is a far more serious crime. That all being said, I don't think anybody here has enough of the facts to even wager a guess, let alone an opinion on the actions of a senior naval officer.

I don't have to take off any clothing do I?

I just lost my Junior cherry!!! I love you guys...sniff. Drinks on me, ring the bell!!

I had a similar problem running CM on a laptop with a ATI card. Try changing your bit color pallet. I was on 16 bit then switched to 32 and the mouse pointer came back. I would switch your card as I had nothing but trouble with that ATI, lock-ups etc

Tell your wife, gently, that she's puttin on weight and that the exercise of pushin the grocery cart will do her some good. Then play away. Or tell her that you've received death threats from your opponent so you are really playing for her and the family.

"We Go" concept has been seen before. First time I saw it was in the old SSI "Computer Ambush". Still a good idea reintroduced within brilliant packaging does not lessen the life affirming entity which has become "COMBAT MISSION". HOO-WAA!!

You guy (BTS) ever think of licensing the engine "a la" Quake/Unreal?

Oh c'mon! WW2 was not the final word on combined arms tactics. Even Steel Panthers went modern. There would be an issue of scale (ie larger maps) but systems are only getting faster. I think an Middle East game would be a blast...ATGMs, BMPs, mmmm!

Oh my someone needs a girlfriend.

A thought and a question. Thought: The CM engine could probably be used to model any number of small unit actions from cavemen to modern. I am speaking of something like TalonSofts Battleground Series. Question: Has this issue been discussed and is there any plans for expansion of the series beyond WWII.

It may be true that I was not alive during WWII but I do know that mines can be placed in a "hardstand" surface. I HAVE SEEN THIS WITH MY OWN EYES!!! Its is neither hard nor all that difficult only time consuming. I am pretty sure they had mine, pick axes, coal grit and clay in WWII, which is about all you need. I sincerly doubt one will find that little nugget of info in any book because in the grand scheme of the war it wasn't that important or was so common that nobody really thought to mention it. CM doesn't have booby traps either and there is plenty of evidence they were used in both the anti-vehicle and anti-pers role. I guess this is leading to a central bone I will pick now. IF IT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE IT PROBABLY WAS! And just because the "grognard" community cannot find it in their "manual libraries" doesn't make a valid option in game play. It's these argument against doing anything ahistorical which really tick me off. Yes, I do believe that one should keep boundaries on some things, like vehicles used, weapons and their capabilities, historic troop qualities but a "slavish" adherance to every facet and mistake that was made during WWII is really silly. If the equipment was available and the capability for an action is plausible then it should be allowed.

I will be very interested (read:worried) to see how the problem of relative spotting is addressed. The only way to truly remove the "godlike" position the player is in, would be to drop him (or her for the two girls out there who actually play the game...now, now lets not start something) into the chair of the Bn/Coy Comd. Restrict to a first person view and only get info by radio, runners and your own POV. Plot pins on a map and send orders the same way (radio, runner etc). This would be very realistic but I don't think many paople would find it very fun. In fact it would be a little to much like work (ie frustrating "What the hell did that guy say...The enemies where?!) I think a few really hardcore players who really need to get out more would go for it but you can forget mass market appeal. I think CM spotting is fine the way it is. There is just enough Fog of War to make you wonder just what the hell is going on but not so much as to make you wish you had bought Diablo II instead.

I am a Combat Engineer and I have seen AT mines placed in a paved road. In fact I have seen improvised AT mines made out of concrete to be placed on a paved road. The Croations were particularly adept at breaking pavement, placing a mine and then camming it with a combination of coal grit, clay and ground up concrete. Now whether or not the engineers in CM would have time would depend entirely on the scenario. IE a German prepared defence could definitly do this but in a hasty defence I really doubt it. Zgrose. Yes there is such a beast, it is called an "off-route" mine but I am pretty sure nobody fielded any in WWII except for the Germans who may (and I say this because I have only heard of it second hand) have rigged a Pzfaust 30/60 on a trip wire to fire flank side across a roadway. We have a similar trick with the LAW when a proper off-route system is unavailable. I hope this gives some insight

REMF!!! I will have you know I am a Combat Engineer..."FIRST IN LAST OUT!!!!" Hey guys I am not bashing the US(well OK maybe a little), although the UN still says Canada is number one. Must have something to do with the ability to take out your garbage without having to strap on a bullet proof vest and have the wife provide overwatch. I would also argue that a objective review of history isn't "second guessing" but in fact an attempt to prevent us making the same mistakes, not unlike our last battle Grobby boy! :} The world does need a police force as it is bloody obvious that nations will often be unable to deal with problems on their own. A global cooperation in keeping the peace (a Canadian idea by the way)is an evolutionary step forward. The knot of this entire argument is not based on whether the US is good or bad but the arrogance in which you people do things..period. Look at Kosovo. Just about every expert at the table said "partition" is the only way in which this would work. But noooo! We had to try and build a wonderful melting pot where all people could live in harmony and pursue life, liberty and hapiness. Guess what boys, it doesn't work. These people don't like each other and never will, you can't make me live together in peace and love. Once again American arrogance ruins what was an excellent exercise in intervention. Now I know you guys are footing most of the bill and are taking most of the risks but that doesn't make you right. So my advise to your country is to, shut up, listen to people who know, think about what you are going to do and then have the will to do it no matter what everybody is saying. Approach the whole thing with an open mind and a healthy dose of humility wrt to the awesome resonsibility of the role which is being thrust upon you. A little more Gary Cooper/Jimmy Stewart and less Senator Helms(sp?)

Your statement is isolationist by definition.."It is their backyard let them deal with it"..."It is a Europian war and has nothing to do with us". The UN did try to stabalize the area but lacked the funding or manpower to pull off the job. The American attitude was (until somebody lobbed a few mortars into a marketplace and we all got to see dead Grandmothers) non-interventionalist.."let them handle it". Yet the historic problems of the area really made a Europian solution impossible. Croats wanted Germans, but everybody else would have shot them on sight. Muslims wanted and got Turks, who damn near ruined the whole thing and the Serbs wanted Russia, who pushed guns on them anyway. The Brits, Dutch, French and Canadians were the only players who could even attempt impartiallity and were to outgunned to accomplish anything. UNPROFOR had about 10,000 troops at it height and as we finally saw with IFOR nearly 5 times that number was required and only one player could bring that to the table without causing reaction which could have been very dangerous...the US. Imagine if Germany or Russia said "OK we'll send in 50,000 troops". Rawanda is something we should all be ashamed of and is a blatent case of isolationism (if that is the right word). "They don't look like most of us, they don't pose any real threat to stability so hey let em die." Even the freakin UN had that attitude in the end. We of course shook our heads and sent in UNICEF fund to salve our guilt but the awful truth is that a fraction of the force we committed to the Balkans could have stopped that genocide but the West for all of it's holy intention let it hapen anyway.

As I believe was already stated but I will summarize; a. Smoke and lots of it b. Flanking Inf and Engineers, Inf take care of other infantry, engineers will take out a pill box in a zippy. c. Flamethowers also work but they are slow so keep em mounted or count on a bit of a wait to get em up close enough

Hey guys don't get me wrong, I would be remiss in stating that the US played less than a substantial role in both world wars. To respond to a few points. a. I will give you guys the Pacific theatre and paid for in full. I am not convinced the Japanese had the industrial might to maintain their momentum in the first place and I do strongly believe if the US had gotten dirty in the first place (can anybody say the Royal Winnipeg Rifles?) they wouldn't have had to do the Island hopping campaign in the long run. b. I said "what if" and if you believe the Germans would never been able to (ie 3-5 more yrs)develop the bomb, you are dreamin. In addition if you think the US would have had the political will to drop the damn thing in Europe you are dreamin in technicolor. c. As to Korea and Viet Nam I would not even try to push these out as magnificent victories despite the tactical highpoints. Korea has yet to be finished and Viet Nam was a complete loss (may I suggest you guys try winning the peace over there as well). Both of these conflicts were in fact poorly thought out and lacked political will to in fact win. Where I come from it is also known as "half-assed". This is not to slight the troops on the ground who did their job to the fullest and I have the utmost respect for the men who fought and died, its the politician who sent them there with which, I have a serious problem. d. As to laughable isolationism for the current administration, I would am sure the millions of corpses in Rawanda will feel much better knowing that we (and I include the entire Western World in this one) are not going to turn a blind eye to the plight and suffering outside our own borders. Don't even try to mention the Balkans as a counter point as a quarter million died there before the US even blinked. Lesson: never say never and nothin here is remotely funny. e. As to the US shipping guns to everybody and his mother, I believe that policy has also been known to bite you guys in the ass now and again. f. I know why the Americans stayed out of both wars until they did (or at least as much as anybody knows without haveing lived it). It was a rhetorical question design to point out a few cracks in the perfect history you Americans seem to try and write for yourselves from time to time. Bottom Line; I know it must be hard to be on top and have everybody blame you for everything but hey, being in charge is always like that. Try to be a little more humble as anybody with that much power should be, (the only people worse than the Yanks have to be the French for arrogance). You are not perfect and never have been. You are neither ruthless enough nor wise enough to make the really hard choices at times. And neither is everybody else but at least we try to listen.

I would have to vote for three golden oldies. Computer Ambush by SSI, grandfather of the "we go" concept or at least the first time I remember seeing it. LOS, gernades, morale and garroting(sp?). How could you not love it? Mech Brigade, father of steel panthers. USAAF, should have been named Luftwaffe because it was a hell of a lot more fun playing as the Germans. Honorable mentions to; Siege (now why can't they make an RTS like that today, cut the cattle, wheat and oil bull**** and stick to good ole fightin) Panzer General, not that it is really that old or that accurate but it was fun and orginal enough to bring a lot of people over from the mainstream.

Wittmann has a point, tank "run up" positions should be allowed but probably should be purchased like othe engineer works (minefields, barbwire etc) as they take time and hvy equipment to execute.