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Wolfpack

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Posts posted by Wolfpack

  1. Originally posted by NightGaunt:

    the key to all the people supporting the current sub state is they are playing the AI.

    Against a human opponent, subs get smashed pretty quickly.

    There are a couple of problems with subs:

    1. Too strong against surface fleets, just too much damage. When people can put out a list of capital ships subs sank and it is only 8-10 names long, it tells me subs were NOT effective against capital ships.

    2. unable to move thru enemy units. This prevents subs from basing in Norway/Germany, where they actually based in the war.

    3. to easy to destroy because they are easily located, then surrounded and destroyed.

    I have no problem with the mmp damage they do, in fact I think it is perfect, the problem is a human opponent will easily hunt down and destroy subs. I want to use them as a strategic weapon they were intended to be, that can not be done effectively right now.

    Not true at all. I've played quite a few PBEM battles, and done well with subs. So the first sub will get hunted down quickly...not necessarily, if you immediately move it down to do commerce raiding it will yes, that's why you hold off for a bit. Take France, get the Atlantic ports, build up your air force. Get at least 1 more (Preferably 2 more) subs. Now the British player is faced with a choice.

    1. Use the fleet to hunt down and take out your subs? Okay, the door is wide open for Sea Lion, and the MPP loss will cripple the defense.

    2. Leave the subs alone and defend the British Isle? Well, now he's got to face your air power and if I'm not going to do Sea Lion, he's losing MPPs for nothing.

    3. Split the fleet and try to do both? Worst choice. With a decent number of subs, properly spaced, the half that goes to hunt subs will get hurt. And the half that stays home is probably going to be torn up by my air force.

    In response to your #2...what do you guys think that a capital ship counter is just a huge mass of BBs and carriers running around? Those counters represent perhaps 2-4 capital ships and a much larger number of cruisers, destroyers, supply ships, ect. How often does the sub kill the entire fleet? only if he's already down a good bit. Therefore, consider the hit the counter takes as the fleet losing it's smaller ships. Anyone who knows the navy knows how much your effectiveness will be reduced by just losing a few of those precious supply ships.

    To sum up, the subs are a good strategic weapon in that they cause your opponent (AI or Human) to react to your plans. You cause damage to his support inrastructure. And, you can make him pay for any mistakes he makes. As I stated above, they aren't perfect, but they are far from useless as you seem to suggest.

    [ May 31, 2002, 05:27 PM: Message edited by: Wolfpack ]

  2. Originally posted by Lars:

    Wolfpack, I tried your strategy tonight and it worked like a charm.

    I usually go for long range fighters on the second turn. After getting Long Range Level 3 and five airfleets daring the Brits to come out fight I had no problem running the Channel. Destroyed the RAF if the navy didn’t want to play that turn, and if they did, so much the better. Three subs under aircover gave the Brits fits. Was really tempted to turn back from Yugoslavia and give Sealion a stab, but I wanted the points to build more subs.

    I would totally agree it’s mostly a time issue. Now if only the demo went another turn…

    Generally if Sea Lion is a go, I'll do it as quick as possible after taking France before the Brits have a chance to build up, but after the Subs are out would be a good time too. A lot less money coming in for repairs then. The real key to Sea Lion is getting London on the first or second turn, then you can keep funnelling troops across without having them sit in transports for a turn off the coast. Of course, if you've already taken out the RN and RAF, that is no longer a problem.
  3. Originally posted by Tellu:

    I have no problem with the effect of subs in strategic warfare. IMO thats about right.

    I have problem with German subs being unable to get to the Atlantic. Use France as base you say. Ofcourse Im doing that. But that is not always an option and it was not option for Germany before the Fall of France. But still German used subs from their own harbours before they got France. This is the greatest problem here.

    I can not get a sub from German harbour to Atlantic. period.

    That is a flaw.

    If I play against another human my one German sub in Atlantic WILL NOT SURVIVE for longer than 2 tunrs. In that time anyone with little cordination will hunt it down with superior surface fleet.

    That is a flaw.

    Im not saying subs were all powerfull. IMO German could have used it limited resources better than producing hundreds of subs especially 1942 onward. But Germany did use subs and some of them survived for some time at the sea. And in no account an entire fleet of subs(what I see the sub counters reflecting) was destroyed in 2 weeks which is the case in this(otherwise great) game.

    And this is a flaw.

    I don't have much problem getting them there, once I've prepared the way as you can see in my post above. I agree it is hard to do before you take out the RN, but I've managed to sneak one through there beforehand too.
  4. Originally posted by Tellu:

    I have now read in many places comments like:"since some people think subs are too bad and some think they are too good then they must be about right."

    Now could those of you who regard as subs good in they intented use please make they case here.

    Why do you see the subs are good?

    For I cant in my honest mind think of any reasons why German subs could do even remotely satisfacting job.

    Because if you concentrate on German sub production, and use the Italian fleet well, you can really screw up Britain's defenses. Too easy to kill subs? Perhaps, I think they need to be able to evade more until the Allies get higher levels in Sonar, but even so, they can be useful. I think a lot of the problem here is the time limit. Everyone is trying to do everything in just one year, so things get shortchanged. I've been trying to play the game like I would a full game lately, and it makes a difference. Take out France, then sit tight and prepare for my next move. I use the French bonus to build air fleets and use these to work on the British fleet in the North Sea. Or, if none are within range, bomb the RAF into submission. If I can work on the fleet fine, if I go after the RAF, I'll bring out my 2 cruisers to lure the RN closer to my shores. The North Sea Sub I run through the Channel once the English have been hurt or fled from my air fleets. By this time (especially if the yugos have gone allied and I can put them down) I can afford another sub or two. 4 Subs in the Atlantic can do a lot of MPP damage to England, and once you have a few out there, the dangers of a fleet attack lessen greatly. Just put them a hex or so apart so if one is blundered into, then the follow up ships will most likely hit the other hidden subs. England is given a choice. Repair damaged fleet (expensive) or continue their preparations for defeating Sea Lion. Whatever their choice is, they're in trouble, since either their big advantage (Naval power)is going to be destroyed, or they're going to leave themselves wide open to the Germans. Anyway, that's how I've used subs. They aren't perfect, but they're far from useless.
  5. Originally posted by Hubert Cater:

    </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Dan Neely:

    Totally agree about the need for a PBEM playback feature. TCP/IP would be a nice addition, but would probabally require signifigantly more work to implement. Without one of these options I doubt I'll buy the game. AIs generally lack in replay value, and without a way to see what my opponent did PBEMs would be too much of a pain.

    TCP/IP play will be included in a free future patch after the game is officially released. Interesting idea to have the replay feature for PBEM games. Definitly something to consider, but for whatever it's worth, I actually prefer the non-replay, I think it adds to the FoW when playing against a human opponent but of course that's just me ;)

    What I've found is that I like the way you can sneak around a lot and especially with naval warfare, you can sink an enemy ship and all they get back is a report of one of their ships lost at sea and not know by whom or what. It could have been by your whole fleet or by a combination of air and naval etc., and I've found it really adds to the overall tension.

    Now I'm not saying I won't consider it, but maybe this is something to think about as well, but I'll let you guys debate it out ;)

    Hubert</font>

  6. Originally posted by grimlord:

    hey is the pbmail function supported in the beta and if so would someone want to try a 1 year game?.... smile.gif

    Yes it is, and I happen to have nothing going for the next day or so, so feel free to e-mail away. smile.gif
  7. Originally posted by Mannheim Tanker:

    </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Wolfpack:

    Definitely not any land or air units. No way they would be able to get across the Atlantic IMHO.

    Why not? Just look at how many Polish pilots and soldiers escaped to return again in '44.</font>
  8. Originally posted by Lars:

    Last time I invaded England the Government moved north and they kept on fighting. So you have to take more than just one space.

    Yes, you have to take 2 I believe, London and Manchester. Then they surrender and everything vanishes. Which is why I posted this. Really, once London falls, Manchester probably isn't too far behind since the Germans can just keep funnelling troops across the channel into the port so the RN can't do anything about it. I'd much rather see them fight on from the empire, even if it would make it harder for me as the Germans. I really think that at the minimum, Malta should fall with the British Isles. I can see Alexandria perhaps getting supplies from the Eastern empire, and Gibralter has a very small chance of being supplied from Canada. Of course, since Spain usually joins when London falls, it's really a moot point. But Malta would be pretty much helpless without supplies from England.
  9. The strategy I've used against the AI is once I take out the low countries (3 air strikes and 1 or 2 ground attacks by armies) I move my panzer units up and hit the French unit in the Ardennes and the one just to the left of it. The AI will almost always pull these units back around Paris, and that gives you a break in the lines. Next turn I move my infantry up first to spot and finish off any wounded units, then run my armor toward Paris, try to smash his air unit before it flees to England, and get as close to surrounding Paris as I can. Usually the Italians come in when you've got a unit next to Paris, so those two armies, I move up to come in behind any remaining French units. Generally by the 2nd - 4th turn Paris will fall and France will surrender.

    Against a human, it's much tougher. My friend is a WWI general at heart apparently, and insists on filling France with huge numbers of corps that I am forced to batter my way through before I can get to Paris. Makes the invasion last much much longer.

  10. Originally posted by Nac4:

    As for my authority on the subject, having more or less authority in programming and design should not lessen the validity of my arguement. And as I stated earlier, game coding is not my field, though I am FULLY aware of the pitfalls and miss-ques it entails.

    Having less authority does make a difference when you tell the programmers of the game that "It can be done much easier than they would have you believe." or words to that effect. Unless programming is your area of expertise, then you have no right to make a statement like that. I can sympathize with the idea you have, it would be wonderful, but I wouldn't condone coming in here and telling the programmers their business. If there's a market, and it's possible, it will be made whether by BTS or someone else. You'll just have to be patient.
  11. I suppose I'm one of those that Nac4 would put in his "majority" of customers. I'd love to see CM taken up to the next level. Now, having said that, am I willing to wait on CMBB and the rewrite and (most importantly to me) the early war version? No. Like Steve said, if it was something that was easily done, it probably would get done.This is the best tactical combat sim on the market, bar none. And it looks like it's going to be the best for quite a while considering some of the competition I've seen. And they're coming out with one that promises to be even better. I may not be completely happy, but then, there's always something that I think could be improved in any game. War in Russia by Gary Grigsby is probably the best high level East front game ever. Does that mean it's perfect? Far from it, but I still have a great time playing it. And that's pretty much what it's all about when you're playing a game isn't it?

    As for the customer service and responsiveness. Someone must have been under a rock for the past couple of years. BTS has never stopped checking the forums to see what we think, or if we've spotted something that might have slipped through. And when someone posts something that isn't possible, or would require too much work to be practible, they tell us.

    The past couple of years has been a great time for small companies and individuals creating games. I already own 2 , and have at least 2 more games that I will buy, that were developed by either individuals or very small companies. One reason is that they are infinitely more responsive to the needs and desires of their consumers. When is the last time you've had a huge gaming company developer take the time to personally answer your questions or respond to a feature request? BTS is responsive, and they do care what we think...unless of course, you come across sounding like some 10 year old playing judge and jury on someone elses life work. So, from someone who is (I admit) disappointed that there won't be a higher level to CM, Thank you BTS for what you have given us, and what you will continue to give us. And thanks for your patience in putting up with the hordes of people asking for (insert feature here) without end. I'm sure you know that the great majority of us respect what you've been able to do with what you have, and will continue to support you for as long as you put the effort into the products that you do now.

  12. Originally posted by R_Leete:

    Jeez, I'm getting my own army of supporters! ;) Maybe I should be hired by Hubert as an official beta tester. Hint, hint, Hubert!

    I think R_Leete and I should both be shipped out full beta copies so we can test out our theories. :D Agreed R_L?
  13. Originally posted by Otto:

    I don't get it, how can everyone go on about extending the game and not even mention the A-Bomb. If as an Axis player, you don't end the game my mid '45, Fat Man and Little Boy will.

    Ummm...did you not read my post above? If you're doing a "What if" like this game is, you have to do it from all sides. In my world, perhaps the Germans take out Russia in '41. Then spend a couple of years working out the kinks in their intercontinental missle and bombers. Perhaps they even get their own atomic capability. Now, if you're President Truman or FDR, do you approve an A-bomb attack on Germany when you know that the end result is going to be bombing/missle/atomic attacks on your east coast?

    And if England is taken out...how exactly are you going to deliver these bombs to Germany? Based out of where? The B-29 is not exactly a STOVL aircraft.

  14. Originally posted by R_Leete:

    Well, if they are coming from Africa, where does Africa get it's supply? England itself. That is a heck of a long way away, and should have some built-in penalties. A one turn time delay for reinforcements to arrive might be good, but is probably a real nightmare to code. Probably cause all sorts of problems. But if no ports are available, how is this material getting to the partisans without being detected?

    Okay, how about air drop? Reduces or eliminates any time penalty, but wouldn't those planes be subject to interception or AA ground fire? It's a tricky situation. Without causing too much complexity, it's simpler to just limit the strength of those units.

    On a different note, is there a way to eliminate or limit all partisan activity? Like having a certain number of units stationed in the area? I've had Yugo partisan units appear right in between 2 understrength armies, a corps and an air fleet. You'd think they wouldn't form up right in the middle of the German army. Obviously, they were immediately eliminated.

    Well, the British managed to keep a good supply going into Yugoslavia throughout the war. It's not like you need a deepwater port to deliver supplies to a force smaller than 7 or 8 divisions that don't see stand up combat. Just a fairly steady stream of smaller craft. In the end it really doesn't matter much to me, I've never really had much of a problem with them, even with 2 appearing the same turn. It's a small drain on my resources, but nothing that's going to lose the war for me.
  15. Originally posted by R_Leete:

    Dammit Wolfpack, you can't reply to my edit by editing your message before I do! What are you, clairvoiant?

    Partisans were sometimes fairly well equipped. But that doesn't necessarily mean that they have the command structure, communications and transport of a standard unit. They are also (usually) very hard pressed to resupply. Add in men having to rotate out to take care of their families (they aren't getting a regular paycheck), lack of spare parts, etc. They shouldn't be as effective as a corps. More of a harrasment in the rear areas.

    Haha...you'll never know what secret powers I possess! Actually, what should be considered is who the money for their resupply comes from. The British, so therefore, that could be considered not only supplies being brought in from England or Africa, but also advisors and specialists such as the English dropped into Yugoslavia and especially Greece during the war. Considering the problems that Tito and the Chetniks caused for the Germans, and how many troops had to be kept there to keep the problems in check, a full corps is probably an understatement.
  16. Originally posted by R_Leete:

    [QB]I would say a partisan unit should never be able to leave it's home country, unless the entire country is liberated. Why would they go spoiling for a fight in another country, when their's is still in enemy hands?

    QB]

    Hehe...tell that to the Vietnamese. :D
  17. Originally posted by Marc Hameleers:

    Partisans seem to effective currently.

    While playing the Demo with Claes, we came up with the following idea after a partisan took venice...

    1) A partisan cannot leave it's home nation until it has liberated a home city

    2) a partisan cannot grow above strenght 5 unless it has liberated a home city

    Also, i agree with the thread elsewhere that a carrier shouldn't be sunk when attacking, unless adjacent.

    Marc

    I agree with #1, but not necessarily #2. It would make sense for the partisans to want to liberate their own country first, but they can recruit men in the countryside (Where most partisans come from anyway) But I've never let or had a partisan live long enough to do either. :D

    Edit - Don't you hate when you think of stuff right after you post? Anyway, the partisans in some countries outnumbered the German units garrisonning the areas, and after Italy collapsed and they claimed much of their equipment, in some cases they were better equipped than the Germans. And that was with the Germans holding onto the major cities.

    [ May 27, 2002, 05:23 PM: Message edited by: Wolfpack ]

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