CMplayer

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by LC-: What does everyone tend to do once the squad they split up to do recon actually runs into an enemy force. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I usually just start writing letters to their mums. Seriously, it depends on the situation. If a split squad is moving forward into a potentially hazardous area, the rest of the platoon should be in overwatch cover. If you recon with your highest quality troops (which I recomend) then even if the half squad triggers an ambush, it might be able to stand up pretty well, with the aid of the platoon's cover fire. OTOH it might not. Running back is usually not a good option. Better for them to take cover and let their friends help them out. The key is that they shouldn't have to 'wait for the rest of the platoon to arrive'. The rest of the platoon should already be in place to assist. (even if at a distance). Of course this is all theory, and the situation can dictate other techniques, undoubtedly. --Rett [ 08-04-2001: Message edited by: CMplayer ]

I've tried chatting when I had a unit clicked, and given it inadvertent orders. That's the only explanation I can think of for the way some of my guys suddenly run off, where they're not supposed to (without being shaken, or whatever). I kind of like that though. Communication mishap. --Rett

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Elvis: I currently have 7 PBEMs going and this morning deleted over NINETY files!!!!! I had only emptied it 10 days ealier. With 7 PBEM games I need 7 PBEM files. Chad, do yousel a favor and don't even start numbering files. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Or you could just have two folders. One for current games, and one for archived games. Then, it 10000 years some archeologists can go through the material. --Rett [ 08-03-2001: Message edited by: CMplayer ]

Panzer Leader, Have i offended you somehow? Whatever it is, i am humbly and profoundly sorry. May you be wel and happy, at least until i meet you in a GAME and stick a flamethrower into your HQ's loud mouth to watch the lit diesel squirt out the back end, best wishes, -rett

Not that any of y'all care, but the AAR of a game with Mensch, (double-blind "Can't stop now" by Aitken) is over on the scenario board. From what I gather, Mr. Aitken occasionally bubbles up in these parts, so that's why I mention it. --Rett

Review and AAR of a scenario by Aitken. Anyone who's worked at a day care center knows how important it is to lay out and furnish the rooms in a way that encourages creative play, and fosters a sense of security in the children. The sculpting of living space reflects and influences how we spend our time in that space. The same goes for a CM map. Aitken's map in his scenario 'Can't stop now', together with the force composition and objective, is tailor-made to encourage a desperate, mobile fight which devolves into many separate skirmishes all occuring within a radius of just a very few city blocks. It also discourages the kind of stalemate which can arise in computer- generated urban maps filled with rows of large heavy buildings. This is my impression after trying out the scenario double-blind against Mensch in a 7minute/turn IP game. What can I say? It was one of the scarier CM games I've ever played. It reminded me of descriptions of Dieppe, once off the beach, where Canadians being hunted down in the alleys and streets of a living town, turned finally to make a final stand with their smg and last 5 rounds from the basement window of a Cafe, where snipers were beaten with pool cues and knocked out of second story windows, where firing lines were hastily formed in backyards and gardens where children had been playing not long before. This is the sort of fight I had believed was missing from the game, and I largely credit the simple, but well thought-out map. The following is an AAR, combined with comments for the scenario designer and anyone else who may be interested. Spoilers. My objective, as the Germans, is to stop British reinforcements attempting to pass a bridge at a small French town. I have 2 platoons of crack FJ, each with a crack Panzerschreck team. My default setup has one platoon taking up position in the graveyard of a Church, behind a stone wall, and the other nearby along a tree-lined street. Both positions offer decent cover for falling back, and I resolve on a 'shoot n scoot' type of delaying action. My flanks are covered by extensive AP mines on either side, and there are Daisy Chain mines on the streets. I also have 4 75mm inf guns which start out in my infantry line. I reflexively move these farther back into the town, nearer the bridge, figuring they will die too quickly in the front line. This brings up a history/realism question: Can a gun in a hostile, occupied town be considered to take care of its own local security, if it is not near infantry? Might a Frenchman, angry at seeing a Boche gun digging into his petunia patch, and knowing that the British are _almost there_, round up a posse of neighbors and evict the crew? In any case, I reposition the guns. I also have two PzIVg's on the other side of the river, covering the bridge. I decide to let them wait there, and see how the fight develops in the town before committing them. This is an exit scenario, so the Brits are supposed to attempt to bypass my defenders, cross the bridge and exit on the very road where my panzers are waiting, so I like their positioning. Hit Go! British armor is directly ahead of my FJs, on the four roads leading into the town. They are very close, but have to round a sort of corner before the fight will really start. I unhide my schrecks and hit Go. Mensch obviously feels pressured by the 15 turn game length, and the exit conditions. On my right flank, he decides to make an end run with 2 Cromwell VIIs on the road along the river. They barrel along at full speed, and turn the corner too late to stop for the Daisy chain mines. Boom! And a few seconds later the second tank is knocked out by a Schreck. (grogs: what is the first shot hit chance for an unsuppressed crack schreck team at 60 meters? about 110%?) On my left flank several tanks and halftracks decide to move along the board edge rather than advance along the road. I don't mind because his vehicles will get stalled by a little park with a duck pond in it and his infantry will discover a lot of mines. (The custom map discourages edge creeping). It appears Mensch hasn't decided to dismount his infantry and probe ahead first, so I rub my hands with glee. Before long a big fight develops in front of the church and several tanks fall victim to schrecks and fausts. After a few turns I am taking quite a lot of fire from infantry, Churchill VI's, Cromwells, Challengers and halftracks, and start running men into the church in preparation for withdrawing farther into the town, and closer to the bridge. Meanwhile, down by the river some British tank crews, from the KO'd Cromwells, are wandering about fraternizing with civilians. That pisses off the hidden crew of a 75mm infantry gun because the French never offered them wine and tea like that. Noticing the French whispering to the Brits and pointing in the direction of the gun, the gun crew unhides and and gives them something to think about. My platoon nearer the river, dug in along the tree-lined street, isn't seeing action so I run their shreck up behind the church and begin pulling the rest of the platoon back to new positions, mostly in the sparingly applied small heavy buildings, deeper within the town. They have to run over hedges and through backyards, and occasionally come under fire from MGs on haltracks and tanks up at the fight near the church. Back at the main center of action, the Church is on fire! and at least one vehicle has bypassed my infantry and is nosing along ahead towards the bridge. Enemy infantry has dismounted and I am retreating from the church. The extra Schreck which I sent up has gotten some more kills. I don't have time to figure out exactly what is going on though, given the time limit, but I am taking casualties now. The fun initial duckshoot is over. At least a squad is completely disorganized, and one confused FJ tries to run back into the burning church, perhaps to assist wounded comrades. He is shot down at the door. Still, I am convinced that the enemy will not succeed in bypassing me, and exiting any significant force to assist his comrades in arms. My 75mm guns are now all in the battle. One of them unhides first when british infantry enter a light building at about 10m distance from the gun. They get into a duel in which my gun comes out on top with some help from another gun across the river. Two Civilians, elderly, bail out of the house. WTF were they still doing there? In any case they don't have a house any more. More and more British crews are showing up all over the place, and as my 75mm guns succumb to tank fire, I get crack or vet crews as well. There is nowhere to run to, and FJ's being what they are, several pistol fights erupt in corners of the map between British and German crews. I even send a squad of infantry down to kill some of those damned tankers near the river. Crack infantry doesn't need to be in C&C, they function quite nimbly on their own! Buildings are collapsing in the center of town, and the Brits, quite heroically, keep fighting in the rubble. At this point I advance my 2 tanks to where they can see over the river and into the town. This turns out to be decisive. Whatever is left of the British armor quickly succumbs, as they are taken completely by surprise when fire starts coming in from a new direction across the river. I blow up a building which was hosting some kind of British tank-crew reunion, and am preparing to close assault another batch of routed crews when I win by auto-surrender. My opponent, Mensch, remains cheerful, quipping through it all, and I have to admit the game was more entertaining than most war movies. He seemed to enjoy it for spectacle value. I would have been cursing and screaming if I had been subjected to that treatment. Allied Attacker 95 casualties (25KIA), 43 Captured, 2 mortars destroyed, 16 vehicles KO, men okay 0, score 7 Axis Defender, 45 casualties (10 KIA), 3 guns destroyed, men okay 61, score 93. Allied surrender, Axis total victory. The big question here is: Is this scenario balanced? Was it really fair of me to move my 75mm guns farther back into a hostile town? This definitely increased their lifespan. Perhaps making the gun crews regular instead of crack/vet would give the Brits a better chance. Also, if this troop movement is so important, perhaps the Brits would have some off board arty available? I think it is good that the FJs are crack, because they need to do a lot of micromanaged fast maneuvering, trying to be everywhere at once and stall the brits. But perhaps the Brits could get another platoon of infantry? Or did Mensch just make a poor decision at the beginning as to how to conduct the fight? The point balance is British 1654, Axis 996. regards, --Rett [ 08-03-2001: Message edited by: CMplayer ]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Cauldron: I have NO IDEA how it is possible to see units in the editor ( an AFV in this case) so as to place a building at the correct "hex". eric[/QB]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I explained this to you when you asked on another thread. Why didn't you respond there, if you didn't understand my answer? [edit: rereading it, I can see that it might have been a tad bit less than crystal clear, not to mention the Berli's way, in the next post, is much simpler] --Rett [ 08-03-2001: Message edited by: CMplayer ]

Hi, I thought I'd just abuse your gracious hospitality one more time by saying that I am hosting an IP game right now. It's a scenario, 15 turns, by some CessPool type person (did it ever occur to y'all that the initials CP also stand for Cerebral Palsey? very apt) It's called 'Can't stop now' by Mr. D. Aitken. I'd like to try it double blind. I've taken the Germans, so you get the fun side. If you haven't played it, and would like a quick, brutal game: 217.208.10.193 Or go to the opp. finder for more info. Sorry, sorry...By the way, my wife read some of this thread and thought you were the biggest bunch of nerds she ever saw. Well, very few women seem to really understand the allure of CM. It seems to remind them of sweat and farts. I don't know why... --Rett

I thought I answered your question pretty clearly in that earlier thread. (now on page two). What is it that is still hazy? --Rett

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Ronf: my bro just told me that he toasted a mg nest with a flamer in a recent ip-game, but it was lonely and suppressed by inf-fire from opposite direction, so that the flamer could savly approach.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Ha! That was in a game against me! It's true, I had an LMG42 doing picket duty out on a flank, and it was shooting at some Yank infantry when a flamethrower appeared behind it and, well, squirt... you know the rest. I believe his comment in the chat window was 'my flamer aint no lamer'. To be honest, since it was an IP game, I wasn't watching that area of the movie, so I had to rewind to go see it. --Rett

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by WARHAMMER: Would someone do me a huge favor and walk me through the process of a TCP/IP game??<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Are you still there Kurt? I'll do it... Respond here...I'll wait around 15 minutes. --Rett

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Enoch: Germans would often leave the outermost set of structures in a town unoccupied in order to protect themselves from direct fire. Now, I've tried this tactic myself with very mixed results. As someone already pointed out, by putting your own troops towards the middle of a town you allow the attacker the benefit of making it into cover. You can place FO's in places to hit advancing infantry and some MG's to do the same. A problem arises though that once your enemy mak,es it to the cover of other buildings then you will have a difficult time dealing with these troops. I think the key is to keep your troops hidden for as long as possible and wait for the enemy to re-emerge from the buildings he is in and then hit him. Like I said I've had mixed results with these tactics and am still trying to figure out the best way to defend in a city. Perhaps limitations in the game engine simply don't help in this or I just might not be a very good arm-chair general.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I've been mulling over these ideas, and it seems to me that one way to make urban fighting a bit better is to make the streets wider than just one tile. Target acquisition is a bit slow, and one frustrating thing is that units don't seem to understand that if they are only going to fire one burst, they should do it WHILE THE ENEMY IS IN THE OPEN! They often wait until charging enemy units have reached the cover of trees or a building to fire. And this is when there has been a red targetting line on the enemy the whole turn. So making wider streets would make the assaults a bit scarier. Then you also have to stagger the buildings to create an 'inner city' area out of sight of direct fire HE from outta town. Now, what you do is prepare a hidden ambush at the edge of town, and also put MG's in buildings deep in the town but with keyholed LOS to the enemy's possible approach routes. This way you can harrass him, and spring a whopping nice ambush as his infantry tries to occupy the first line of buildings. Then, just as his tanks start firing you withdraw out of there to you next position. Be aware, that when you shoot and scoot like this, the next defensive position should already be in place, i.e. the guys running should be able to run _through_ the next line and already be covered by friends (ideally). Finally, you hope to stall his infantry a bit in, forcing him to move his armor into the streets, where you can pop him with a piat or the eqivalent. It takes some nice custom designed maps to be able to make a really fun urban defence with infantry against attacking tank-supported troops. Putting trees and parks etc. into the town, can make a big difference. I'd love to hear more ideas along these lines. --Rett [ 08-01-2001: Message edited by: CMplayer ]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Snake Eyes: The Germans defended a town from the middle rather than the edges due to this very tactic of area fire on buildings. The Allies were a bunch of gamey fellows, now weren't they? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Defending from the middle is also problematic in CM because you allow the attacker a too easy approach to the cover of the outer edge of buildings. --Rett

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Colonel_Deadmarsh: Does anybody know exactly what Allied units used these rounds? Also, how were they fired? Out of the main gun? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I remember reading somewhere that in the Hedgerows a Sherman would load a canister round in the main gun, and then bust through a hedgerow with the turret pointing backwards! They were trying to land right on top of enemy infantry, which they would then blow to pieces. GI's then followed through the breach. --Rett [ 08-01-2001: Message edited by: CMplayer ]

As I never tire of nagging about, due to poor modelling of how blast damages buildings, the Wirbelwind can take down more buildings faster than pretty much any other vehicle in CM. This is pretty absurd. DO SUMFINK! --Rett [ 08-01-2001: Message edited by: CMplayer ]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Cauldron: I am having great difficulty working our how someone can see a vehicle in order to drop a rubble on top of it in the manner described.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Lay down some landmarks on the map in the general vicinity of where you want the vehicle, something distinctive that you otherwise never use. Then go into 'view preview' and see where the vehicle is relative to these landmarks. You can count tiles, like, three to the left of the church and two up or whatever. Then go back into terrain editor, plunk down the rubble on the same coordinates and remove the landmarks. (If you miss, just count tiles again and adjust fire) regards, --Rett [ 08-01-2001: Message edited by: CMplayer ]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Big Time Software: Nothing remained of the attacking force worth mentioning<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Interesting and strangely disturbing post. What a gruesome thing to come upon so unexpectedly. Which reminds me of something: Do you agree with those who think that, atmospherically, wrecked vehicles could add a lot to scenario creation? Especially if you don't see them until your lead elements move into the area? The advance to contact phase already has a 'terrifying silence' to it, but coming upon this kind of aftermath could really intensify it. Especially if it was men from your own battalion who tried the day before. It might even be worth being able to strew 'eliminated squad' markers (unmodded of course) Horrible in reality, but we are drawn to it in fantasy. Don't ask me why. Sorry for taking every opp. to nag about game features...I feel like the guy at the party asking a doctor for medical advice. --Rett [ 07-31-2001: Message edited by: CMplayer ]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by olandt: I took the scenario on assaulting the West Wall that comes with the game (don't remeber the name). Played as the Germans and achieved total victory without giving a sinlge order. (Germans are on the defensive of course). What a general I would make... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Ahh, my dear olandt, that option has already come under my careful scrutiny and been dismissed. You are right that a defence can beat the AI with no orders issued, but a great deal of thought has to go into the deployment. Wheras my marching column was quite mechanically contrived. Suppose, though, you just took the line of troops the game gives you, clicked on the lot of them, moved them forward to the vicinity of the flags, plopped them down as they stood, and then let the clock tick on its own. If you won in that case, I would be even more impressed with your generalship --Rett

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Chad Harrison: its funny what CM experiments we try when everyone else is asleep? who was that who said something about a company of germans on a SINGLE tile with 100 zooks around them?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Whoever tried that must have been insane --Rett

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Freak: Ah, I have always wondered what the consences was on using sharpshooters as scouts. What does the CM community think about it? Is it considered gamey? Or is it accepted as a scouting party? Any comments?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> While you're ought it, what about leading with a german lmg team a few tiles ahead of an infantry platoon in heavy cover? --Rett

Just thought this was kind of fun, so I'll share it with y'all. I set up an infantry ME, with all the other QB settings at default, put everyone into a column, and group ordered the whole thing to walk to the other side of the map. I had a line of brits, and along the way a few squads were 'shaken' and ran to some trees, which turned out to be good firing positions to provide flank security for the village. As we got into the village, several more squads were 'shaken' and turned to run into nearby buildings, thereby occupying the VL. A few seconds later 2 Volksgrenadier squads ran into the building and were quickly cut down. Then when a few piats, which were what had become of the head of my column, poked out from the enemy side of the village I group clicked everybody and gave a collective 'halt' order. A grand total of 2 orders. After that I went to the highest camera and fast forwarded through the films. Twice the flag turned '?' for one turn. At the end I had the flag and a tactical victory. Please don't ask, so what's your point? There isn't any, except that the USA is asleep, and the opp. finder is dead at this hour. --Rett [ 07-31-2001: Message edited by: CMplayer ]

On the topic of splitting squads, it would be good if BTS would fix a minor but important problem. You split a squad which is in a heavy building, for example, and suddenly half the squad starts the next turn in open ground outside. This aint right. As it is now, when you split, one squad seems to stay where it is and the other appears right next to it. They should both be able to slide a little bit to keep sharing the same cover. This is not the same thing as the cover being too small for two teams, btw. --Rett

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Louie the Toad: Be careful, CMplayer: IMHO the worst feature of this tremendous game is when the AI or a scenario designer allows SET UP to be made in LOS of opposing units. This is especially irksome during a meeting engagement or advance that results in firing, casualties etc. on the opening turn prior to any movement. :mad:<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Agreed. Maps for this sort of rules would need to be hilly or wooded enough to have the opponents out of LOS of each other. --Rett

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lcm1947: The one thing that may goof it up is that a forest or cliff or something that a unit can't move across or thur will stop the said unit. I don;t know about you but a lot of times I can't determine from a distance if a particular unit can climb a particular hill/mountain until they actually start to climb it. I guess you could then re-route the victor for it. Anyway, I will try it and let you know if what happens if you like? You do the same if you try it or have you already?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Hi! Since this restriction depends to an extent on trusting your opponent, we could just say that you can do whatever is necessary within the 'spirit of the rules'. That means that your men are supposed to be travelling a long distance and unexpectedly bump into the enemy. So, for instance, if you get into some kind of awful traffic jam, with vehicles, and whatnot, you might need to straighten things out. As for cliffs, etc. if the map is really bumpy you might consider driving along an obvious 'path of least resistance' ideally a road. I hope to hear of your results, if any . regards, --Rett [ 07-29-2001: Message edited by: CMplayer ] [ 07-29-2001: Message edited by: CMplayer ]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by CMplayer: PS! I'm looking for a TCP/IP right now over at opponent finder. A quick dirty and fun little scenario! --Rett<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> still looking for that game...check out the opponent finder if you would like an IP game now. [ 07-29-2001: Message edited by: CMplayer ]