LongLeftFlank

If you mean modding up a mujahideen force in CMSF so you can recreate NATO vs Taliban, it's been talked about but never actually done to my knowledge. If you own CMA (I don't) I suppose it's theoretically possible to repoint the Uncon models to adopt CMA moojie textures but again, that's a matter of figuring out model swapping; only a couple of folks here have done that and they're mainly busy with CMBN at present. BFC claims they are finished with CMSF, and probably with the Middle Eastern setting; future modern warfare CM games will likely use the next generation "CMx3" engine. Releasing CMSF for the Mac was an unexpected pleasant surprise, and I guess it's possible we might see one more patch subsequent to that release if there are bugfixes needed, but I doubt it will add or backport any functionality for PC users. Too bad, because I'd personally pay for such a patch, or even pay a full $50 for CMA if it were to become a CMSF-compatible module.... especially if some of the CMA features like tanks able to roll through walls were to become available. But that would be problematic since it might (a) create problems with the existing content and ( people lacking the patch probably wouldn't be able to play those who had it. But I accept that the market for this is also likely to be small. BFC is a small shop and needs to keep moving forward.

I'm a PokPokPok or ChukaChukaChuka guy myself. And remember, white guys die with "Argh!", nonwhites with "Aieee!"

Mind you, if I had to choose CoPlay or this, I'd choose CoPlay instantly.

Depends on your pov. I think CMBN AFV guns (or at least speed of target acquisition) are far too accurate.

Any momentary feeling of invincibility provided by the roar of 20 heavy diesels dissipates now into the chill morning as Major Hassan's armour takes up positions facing into the brooding maze of streets. Half a battalion can vanish here.... quickly.

Still testing concepts for the FSA defense here -- it's tricky. In the meantime, here's a suitably atmospheric screenie I took of the regime's notorious Shabiha (Ghost) thugs rolling with the 402nd Mechanized battalion. Mord's Mix and Match Fighters mod gives them a great paramilitary look.

Yes, the BTRs even look like their nickname: rolling coffins.

Brilliant! Love the "sound effects" too! And the previous CMSF opus you're thinking of is "Operation Go Through the Door"

Returning to the original topic of this thread, I just took another look at some of the vids I posted in the Syria thread and notice that most of the regime BMPs in Homs mount 73mm, not autocannon. I am adjusting my BLUE force for the Baba Amr fight accordingly. Also, I noticed that this gun can elevate above 45deg -- more if the driver tilts the hull using a curb or trash heap: that helps rationalize the amazing ability of CMSF guns to shoot up adjacent tall buildings... a bit.

Just read this thread and it brought back some "fond" memories of the learning curve needed to use the Editor. Carry on, General! The community needs every dedicated (obsessive) content provider it can get! The key trick with the AI, I've found, is not to try to go too far with a single Order. The longer the distances. especially in close terrain, the more chances of Keystone Kops or zombie behaviours. Take short bounds to good fighting positions, and don't have the guys -- especially infantry -- move on to the next Order instantly.... Let them reform and secure their new positions. Also, use "fixing and flanking" instead of flanking alone (i.e. One force takes a route you know the enemy is likely to take, and the flanking force takes an unexpected or circuitous route.) FWIW. Also, there's a "sticky" thread in the CMSF scenarios forum called "AI Plan Doubts" that contains a lot of accumulated wisdom that remains relevant to CMBN

One workaround might be the Ryujin/Mord model swapping. 1. Easier version: for (non-Nepalese) vehicle crews, repoint faces to US. For Gurkha officers, use a US Army soldier (there's a single man HQ unit in the Transport group) and repoint all his kit EXCEPT the face to British. He'll talk like a Yank, but oh well. 2. Alternate (more complex, if you want Gurkhas and non-Gurkha Brits in the same scenario), use US Army or a suitable NATO force) for Gurkhas, modding the US faces to Nepalese and repointing the kit and weapons to Brit. You'd then swap US for Nepalese voices while leaving your Brit voices intact. One quick hack for "Nepalese voice" mod might be to take the Arabic voice .wav files and speed them up; that way you just have to find the famous "Ayo Gurkali!" war cry. Disclaimer: I have no idea how to swap models; haven't the time to learn hex editing.

The TacAI (i.e. the unit logic that tells it to ignore or modify your orders) has improved a bit since CMSF, but probably needs some further improvement before formation orders become truly useful, especially for infantry. In a sparse-cover desert battlespace, simple parallel movement paths work for armour; for infantry dashing from wall to hedgerow, not so well. It tends to come off like WWI. You can simulate skirmish lines or leapfrog tactics, but it's extremely time-consuming.

I've wanted a slightly different AI vs AI option since CMSF days... I wanted to be able to build a scenario where a player was commanding a subunit that was part of a larger action. So some (or maybe all, if you wanted to make a 3D "war movie" for people to watch instead of play) of the guys on your side would be PC commanded -- hopefully the briefing would give you some indication of what each formation would be trying to do and when. I still long for CoPlay (multiple players per side), and maybe this functionality could be added together with that; they seem complementary.

LOL! And don't forget Grand Moff Tarkin: the planetary governors have direct control of their systems. No more know-it-all mouthy feminazi pseudo-aristocrats in the Galactic Senate tramplin' on planets rights!

GreenAsJade's site is very easy to use. Click my sigline to go there. You need to register but it's easy.

zZZZZ. Wake me when they transfer advanced sub and SLBM tech. Carriers are useful only against adversaries that can't easily sink them.

Yes, the Turks were the last major wave of pre-Mongol nomadic tribes to migrate west across the Central Asian steppes (unless you count the Pechenegs or Bulgars or something). Although they embraced Islam instead of Christianity, they have at least as much in common with Slavs as they do with Arabs, Kurds or Armenians, if not more; they're definitely a lot less tribal for one thing. It's kind of hard to define. They just socialize, organize, problem-solve and form loyalties in a very.... Western way. On the other hand, I can say from personal experience that there is a great deal in the old saying "Cruel as a Turk".

A buddy of mine's Dad served with the Australians in Korea. At the Turks' insistence, the Diggers were always on their right flank. He recalled the Turks in their long woolen underwear, sharpening their long bayonets in the dawn chill. The Chicoms evidently learned to avoid infiltration attempts in that part of the front. As to performance against the PKK, any army is going to take casualties from landmines and roadside bombs, especially in a rugged area where the population is warlike and hostile (A'stan anyone?) The Turkish army seems to lose most of its guys getting blown up in trucks. Again, it certainly isn't the most effective army in the world, but as your Korea anecdote also suggests, they are some of the best natural infantry.

As I've noted before, I pity da fool who picks a fight with the Turks on or near their home turf. They're some of the best organized killers on the planet when they get pissed. Their military command is probably as corrupt as Syria's, with commensurate logistical weaknesses, but their soldiers will close with the enemy, and they will win or die trying.

I have the RED force selected. Now, how to defend?

Nice work, CoonDog! Thanks for pushing this forward. Still no joy, alas, on the model swapping that would let us use the German trousers and jackboots (puttees) in place of the British gaiters. Instead of the regular British infantry, have you tried using the Airborne troops? Their tunics cover the hips, in a more Japanese cut. Also, a strap diagonally across the front appears to be fairly standard. As for the faces, I think we're stuck with the Caucasian wireframes. What can be done is to use colour to minimize the visual impact of the nose. Although a couple of these kids don't have "classic" tiny Asian noses.

Give this stuff a listen and see if you aren't up for a little Red Storm Rising.

Yeah, at the end of the day it's stlll the guy behind the weapon (or underneath it with a wrench) who matters most.

This article has been around for a while and I agree with it, although a lot of the key elements are hardly unique to the Arabs. Wherever you have an army whose primary focus is less on fighting external invaders than on securing the regime against internal overthrow, you have a recipe for corruption, military ineffectiveness and a "class gap" between officers and men. That's why, for example, I view the Chinese PLA as a paper tiger in spite of its storied history; for two generations now its higher command has been preoccupied with operating factories and mines and building real estate (using free labour), at the expense of its military missions. Not all of them, of course -- their military industrial complex is growing more advanced and it too is lucrative -- but enough that there's a huge gap between paper capabilities and actual effectiveness. The leadership knows it -- that's probably why they haven't retaken Taiwan yet -- but it's very hard to address. In fact, even in the "professional" West that's been the case for most of history; colonelcies and naval flag ranks were greatly sought after sources of patronage, with Quartermaster general being the most lucrative of all.

But they'd also put a lot of study into minimizing dispersion (e.g.dumping all the guys and gear out together at the absolute minimum safe jump height, tethering men to pallets, etc) after studying WWII. I'm sure they claimed that they could drop the crew in the vehicle, and even experimented with same, just like the Pioneers could supposedly throw up a functioning rail bridge in 24 hours and so on. Speaking of maskirovka. The message, of course, was propaganda. "Resistance is futile; we can be in Bonn in 48 hours. So play nice."