LongLeftFlank

I'll take whatever I can get, but I'd sooner it be left to the scenario designer with the slider than hard coded like that.

Umm, Billy, you're not really helping here.....

Definitely an apt comparison. Most of WWII Pacific post Guadalcanal was profoundly asymetrical.... i.e. there really wasn't any question that the big white men and their infinite firepower were going to end up in control of the battlefield, given enough time and courage, just at what price in blood. And at the end of the day, I hate to say it, that's probably why BFC won't do PTO or Vietnam. Not that the latter, especially, didn't provide plenty of challenging tactical engagements where the US found itself in a losing position in the firefights and having to pull its men out of the vise. But the tactical balance (either side can "win" in terms of routing the enemy, vs "on points") that generally exists in the ETO is hard to replicate in Asia without getting fairly obscure (Kokoda, early Guadalcanal, Imphal/Kohima, Korean War, A Shau, Long Vieng, etc.)

End, Minute 30: Rifle Companies E,F and G are more or less reunited and commencing their various moves inland, moving cautiously. And while I suppose this thread has become somewhat repetitive and self-indulgent, I wouldn't put all this work in if I wasn't proud of it. I just never get sick of shots like this -- they remind me of that spectacular long take from The Longest Day, one of the greatest moments in military cinema. Maybe I'll try a FRAPS clip in a bit.

Cool! This thread gave me the idea of sticking a burning tank into my Makin scenario setup so that it will simulate the hazard of continuing explosions at a fuel dump previously set afire by US air strikes.

You read his book, dammit! You may actually persuade me to pick up CMFI just to see your work. You were able to pull the palm trees out of my PTO terrain mod, right? The .mdr and .bmp files are all pointed at CMBN Tree 2 (Tree B -- the poplar) now; just renumber the file names to replace the files for a CMFI tree you don't need). It should work fine without any mucking around with the code in a hex editor, unless they've done something to the build 2 engine that prevents this (which would seem silly, given the "new markets/theatres" development work we're doing for them gratis)

Playtest DJ pick for tonight: a proto-punk classic! Green troops advance into the jungle. One grenade could kill the lot of them.

So here's a big picture, illustrating the not inconsiderable tactical command problems in securing a beachhead, sorting out your forces and moving on your objectives. I guess it might be a spoiler if the scenario were fully finished and you, dear Reader, had a photographic memory, but let's risk it because it's interesting. In this case, CPT Leonard of Company F, 2nd BLT (165th) is supposed to cut off and advance on the West Tank Barrier, supported by G Company and tanks (platoon axes of advance = green arrows). This requires him to march west, lateral to the beach, and then to cross the island, clearing 2 settlements. One of which we have discovered is enemy fortified, courtesy of MJK's dad..... However, owing to the unexpected ordeal slogging across the reef, his platoons (highlighted units) have arrived scattered all along YELLOW beach. About half of them have gotten involved hunting down scattered enemy who are still sniping from the jungle into the 100 meter wide beachhead (US perimeter = light green lines). Moreover, the east-west road is a mess of shell craters and vehicles are still frequently bogging in the miserable conditions.

MJ, I think I just found your Dad; he's lightly wounded. He was walking point when his half squad discovered a complex of buried dugouts just behind the beach, in the smouldering ruins of a barracks adjacent to a coconut grove. The occupants are about 70 shell-shocked and half-clothed Jap and Korean construction workers, but a few are armed with rifles and are using them. They fled the first bunker, but another two behind it caught the flanking element by surprise, taking down 4 Yanks. The platoon leader who was directing the attack has vanished in the confusion. Even the combined direct fire of a tank and an Alligator .50 at point blank hasn't exterminated these sonsabitches. The Company CO has now come forward, and is ordering your dad's battered unit back into the breach to cover a bazooka team. Their ugly job is to systematically kill everyone in those bunkers, whether they're fighting or not. Just in case you ever wondered why your Dad never talked much about the war.....

As I mull over my work, I am actually leaning toward the M7 version; in spite of the more amphibious shape, the BMP just looks too alien, low slung and modern. If I could slap a superstructure of some kind of it, or at least some M2HB mounts, it might pass but my coding skills aren't up to the job. The stumpier BMD might look better, but I never bought the CMSF Brits module. OK, enough procrastination. Pour another glass of Chianti and get the battalion sorted for the big push inland.

Here's another possibility: the CMSF BMP-1, with turret and skirts rendered invisible. I applied Mangouste's Russian green and slapped on a US star so it wouldn't look quite so much like a refugee from the Syrian Republican Guard.... The "boat" shape is more amphib-like than the Priest mod above, and the length is about right although the silhouette is on the low side. I may also need to scrub out some of the surface textures that scream "BMP". I've browsed the hex editor file as well, but there's nothing there that would let me easily swap in an alternate superstructure. The vehicle files aren't as easy for a non code geek to work with as the infantry textures. Again, for comparison, the real animal....

" " (Always Should Be Some Mod You Really Love). I did manage to find a Blur vid that wasn't TOO, umm, flaming.

SLA Marshall definitely had it in for the carbine, especially in his Korea work, although he was doubtless echoing sincere criticism from frontline grunts. Part of his agenda though, was his general philosophy articulated in "A Soldiers Load" that for frontline forces, fewer weapons (and ammo loads) were better. The advantages of the carbine (light weight) did not, in his opinion, outweigh the added logistical burden, and he did have a point. The M1 and the fully automatic M2 carbine were fairly widely issued to US client armies and militias in Southeast Asia; its light weight made it a decent choice for small-statured local levies (padi farmers and hill tribesmen with protein-poor diets). In my long ago travels in Southeast Asia, I ran across these weapons repeatedly in use with the patchwork of "opium armies" and paramilitaries I encountered. I also got a chance to fire one; it was very easy to handle, not fatiguing to shoot and pretty accurate at what I'd consider a normal tactical range. I think if a round hit you, you'd know it. And while temperamental compared to the Garand and Tommy gun, it was worlds more reliable than the early M16s; however, by that point the AK47 had made the carbine totally obsolete.

That's the Ryujin magic; it's still a halftrack for all game purposes. However, for purposes of visual display only, it's a Priest. The passengers are shown in different places but again, it's just an illusion. And since the 105 is tbe primary armament on the Priest, but the .50 is primary on the HT, the animation is executed for the 105; it rotates to impossible angles to shoot MG bursts. that's why I rendered it invisible. The M2HB in the pulpit isn't shown as manned since the M5 has no secondary weapon.People can make up their own minds whether they want to see the halftrack (WYSIWYG) or a more amtrac-looking vehicle which occasionally delivers an odd visual like a muzzle flame out the side of the hull. it has zero impact on gameplay. Just a neat graphical trick showing the flexibility of this wonderful game. I'm going to finish my playtest with this mod in place to see if it triggers any other weirdnesses or game crashes, but since I haven't mucked with the code, just renamed certain files, it should work.

Maybe Kettler's kibitzing is getting under my skin (just kidding, John), but I decided to see if I could reskin the M5 halftrack to look a little more like a LVT Alligator. After trying out a couple of vehicles (including Churchill VII and a BMP-1 from CMSF, sans turrets), I settled on the M7B1 Priest, sans 105mm gun (I alpha channeled it invisible). . You get a few oddball visual artifacts such as a "Fred Flintstone" effect with passengers sticking down into the ground, the .50cal gunner sitting well backwards of his weapon and the shots coming out of the (invisible) cannon barrel. But it ain't bad. I think I will include it in my PTO mod pack. Here's a real LVT-4. At the time of GALVANIC, none had turrets or rear doors.

Good! Are you feeling up to wading in your heroic dad's boots at Makin, MJK? And I'm using Move right now to get my troops to wade ashore without Exhausting themselves in the process. It's basically a "route march" command, and it definitely has its uses on large maps. In the firefight zone, not so much of course. Remember, this is a wargame -- it isn't only about getting as many weapons shooting as quickly as possible. Patience, grasshoppers! Now if you want me to gripe, I DO have a problem with the AI routines that generally give units only two speeds: agonizingly Slow and suicidally Quick (until they exhaust themselves and Mosey instead!). I would like to see them use Hunt as their default when in Advance and Assault/Max Assault mode. I'd guess the reason it isn't is that once contact is made, that breaks their chain of orders and they then wouldn't move for the rest of the game. Nothing is simple.... Maybe Assault should be their default order instead, with a routine for AI controlled forces that they Pause if they (a) reach Fatigued and ( are in cover, then resume their Assault move again once they regain Tiring. But here too, extra coding spaghetti for Charles....

Air clipper view of YELLOW beach, minute 28. In case you ever wondered what an entire Battalion Landing Team looks like.

A bridge too far design-wise, IMHO, with respect to my learned friends. The eye candy of camo nets wouldn't be worth the graphical brain damage to design! What happens when the unit moves? Or takes a direct HE hit? etc etc. I'd rather use the functionality that already exists (i.e. You rename the Population Density slider "Camouflage Level" and either all the defending side's units automatically qualify as "Uncon", or units put in the last AI group 16 do; that lets you give them all an Ambush or Hide order too. Speaking of which, can we get the shortest Ambush order shortened to 40m? 75m is a holdover from CMSF desert. Again, I'm talking about something that already exists in the engine being adapted to redress the unrealistically easy spottability of what should be (generally) concealed bunkers, entrenchments, AT guns, etc. Bells and whistles just delay the fix.

Gotcha. Any chance, then, of some "camouflage" for designated units (e.g. adapt the dormant CMSF "pop density" function where Uncons are harder to spot at a distance until they commit a hostile act). Right now, it's basically impossible to ambush from fortifications since these are too easy to spot at range, even in heavy cover.

Hi, Mum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My own opinion (for a change) is that the movement commands are just perfect as they are. Right now I'm gaming at least a dozen distinct fights where small units are probing forward into close terrain, and things feel right. You as omniscient commander might like your pixeltruppen to fight forward continuously and "get on with it", but your guys don't necessarily feel the same way; once enemy is in sight, even if a long long way away from the area they're Hunting into, the guys are twitchy, on edge and go to ground at the slightest provocation. That's absolutely real to me. Once the enemy is encountered, you've got all the tools you need to prosecute the attack, assuming you're willing to do a little micro: Slow crawls and Fast/Quick rushes, and of course the excellent Assault command for squads. IMHO. That said, SOPs (drills) would be nice, but as a time saver for players maneuvering large formations, not a single unit micromanagement tool. I'd like a Formation command tab for platoon HQs that causes squads (or vehicles) in command to form Tactical Column, Line Abreast, (Wide) Skirmish Line or Wedge, and to maintain that approximate formation with the leader, until their Alert level reaches a certain threshold (influenced by experience, morale and leadership) and they go to ground, or they enter terrain that prevents it. I'd guess the "spacing checks" required would be computationally expensive, but as a player aid would be worthwhile for a future iteration of the engine as PC power proceeds apace. P.S. I also really like how Rattled/Shaken squads will not prosecute an Assault command; they don't delete the command but just sit there (will they eventually go? not sure). You have to use a different command to get them to advance, or bring up fresh horses.

Well, what do you want, it's the FRENCH. (Actually, didn't Marlene Dietrich allegedly come somewhat close to being captured in the Bulge because she refused to leave "her boys"? Or maybe that was just another rumour inflated by panicky REMFs; the same kind that had Otto Skorzeny's infiltrators cutting phone wires all the way to Paris) Now GREEKS, if you want to talk about seriously badass "With Your Shield or On It" ladies! In their wars of liberation against the Turks, half the partisan actions seem to be led by women. The Founding Mothers of the Hellenic Republic. And that's consistent with what (little) I've known of Greek women.... (Just trying to steer this thread away from the disturbing mental picture of beefy Russians)

OK boys, take it over to the movies thread. Nothin' ta see heeyah! Oh, you already did. Cheers. Screenie for tonight: Good old Uncle Sugar -- always firstest with the mostest. Sorry for the low rez - I need to be on Fastest for my elderly PC to handle 1-1/2 battalions moving and shooting on a heavily jungled 1500x750 map (plus Japanese opposition). Dress rehearsal minute 26: half of the 2/165th is now safely ashore, not unscathed (3 casualties) but in reasonable shape. A few poorly aimed artillery shots sail in now and then but the remaining forces should be on the beach within the next 5 minutes. The weary and battered (nearly all Shaken/Rattled/Broken, 15% casualties) men of the first wave have done their job, and look forward to being relieved. They've discovered at least 6 Japanese fortification complexes and lost about a dozen men probing them, even with Shermans and Alligator .50s to support them. But the newly landed forces are going to need some time to get reorganized for the big push inland.

Yeah, to paraphrase John Cleese on wine ("Wine for the Confused"), don't let anyone tell you what you like! For example, I love the Train, the Fugitive and the Bourne films (in spite of the latter's progressively more left wing subtext), as escapism: the character would never really get away with the things he gets away with, it requires a series of nearly impossible coincidences. But they still "work" for me because, having laid out the conditions for suspension of disbelief, the screenwriters and directors pay me the respect of remaining faithful to the premises they've set. Same with really good sci-fi like Dune (the book and the TV adaptation, not the notorious Lynch adaptation).

Well, better a tangential love interest whose scenes you can FF through than to have women inserted directly into the action as minor characters or outright sex objects (often with creepy sadistic overtones) who are then usually killed because they're inconvenient plot baggage: e.g. Stalingrad, Cross of Iron, Guns of Navarone, Dirty Dozen, etc. Remember, the "box office" take that these films rely on to turn a profit is heavily couples: "date night". And in exchange for subjecting Him to another Drew Barrymore romantic comedy, She consents to see an "action" movie as long as it's not TOO violent, and there's a cute guy in it. Also, the Titanic phenomenon has warped Hollywood horrifically -- everyone is jonesing to repeat that magical "star crossed lovers plus stuff blowing up (or sinking)" epic formula that crosses gender lines. With risible results.