LongLeftFlank

Curious how your bloodbath looks and plays out with the new engine. Anybody do any vids yet? Relevant to my Normandy thread, as you know better than anyone here (except @Combatintman), the RL fight to clear Al Karama alone took freekin weeks: http://www.daeshdaily.com/2016/11/page/2/ 8 Nov. Apaches to hunt VBIEDs, a sign they're hurting 9 Nov. CTS troops surrounded Al-Karama, Malayin 3, Shuquq Al-Khadra, Al-Zahra, Karkukli, Aden, and Al-Dhahabi on Wednesday, the Mosul operation commander announced. Later the Al-Zahra, Malayin 3, and Al-Samah neighborhoods of east Mosul were announced to have been cleared of Daesh militants, according to the IWMC. 10 Nov. The Counter Terrorism Service commander says there is a delay in the Mosul liberation because of the huge numbers of civilians trapped by Daesh. He says Iraqi forces will use new military tactics. He also says Daesh has used 150 vehicle bombs in east Mosul so far. CTS troops destroyed three vehicle bombs and two motorcycle bombs that were targeting Iraqi troops in the Al-Karama neighborhood. 23 Nov. CTS says it liberated 80 residential buildings in the Al-Karama complex So the harrowing end-to-end sweep of the Hornets Nest map chronicled so well by our beloved General Ripper must be understood to represent the collective action of at least 7-10 days of block clearing heavy combat, plus mop ups in the shattered ruins. For what horrors went on in the interim I'll paraphrase a bit from our offline discussion thread of last year: H-day. Having sealed off al Karama, relatively unbombarded, you set ambitious phase lines and move in, with leg infantry clustered around their humvee-mounted base of fire. Local residents welcome you at first, assure you that there are only a few Daesh holed up. Where? Smiles fade, vague hand wave into the silent interior. After the first dozen RPG, IED and VBIED hits, reality sets in together with the noonday heat. A general halt is called for a rethink. This is far worse than Ramadi. Several subunit COs have visible head trauma from huge near miss explosions. Water is short already. Snipers are everywhere, they are extremely hard to spot and eliminate. Smaller block clearing combat groups are formed, built around vehicle weapons, with other units detailed to shield the flanks from the terrifying armoured VBIEDs. There are no Daesh infantry counterattacks as such, but constant 360 security is required as groups of 2-3 fighters keep popping up in spots previously thought cleared. The mine clearing groups must constantly beware of mortars and RPG potshots. By 4pm the exhausted, dehydrated attackers need to start thinking about resupply and securing defensible positions for the night, or else giving up their 'gains' and doing it all again tomorrow. Night brings no relief; NV equipped scout snipers report Daesh is moving, probably minelaying. The darkness is periodically rent by huge explosions as building facades are collapsed into many streets to block them. Other streets are, ominously, left open.... (I hope this is interesting to the commentariat, and not hijacking your OT)

Terrific feedback, many thanks all. So these are my core design challenges: 1. Put the player into this difficult tactical situation where Jerry sees him but he can't easily get back at them (btw CM could really use some kind of spotting inhibitor 'camo' counter for snipers, FOs, ATW teams etc.) 2. Present this clearly as a "time lapse" all day slog. Not the HBO nonstop charges and rat-a-tat; a series of specific clear and occupy taskings, punctuated by "hit the dirt!" and extended pauses to rally, observe and clear mines and to get the increasingly rattled GIs to clear the next one. Kind of that 'union road crew' effect you see in so much unedited combat footage: just a few guys up in harms way doing the work while the rest look on ('provide cover fire') from safety. 3. With that accomplished, I still need to give the player CO some reasonable latitude to manage within the boundaries (i.e. score a Victory by keeping casualties below historical). ... Or to defy the odds and try to overachieve with some bold rushes.

At the risk of taking your thread even farther afield (apologies), I am presently spending a little quality time in Normandy on my Carillon Nose series (after which I will, RL permitting, move back to the Ramadi sequence). As noted over there, I am trying to puzzle out how to replicate the actual tempo of a systematic battalion assault on prepared positions, in that case a town. Coincidentally, I also finally browsed the excellent Ashd al Dababir videos of Gen Ripper, and suddenly, a great... fatigue came over me I realized that he was facing the same problem, trading pixel-lives for time in a race to clear objectives on the game clock.

It'll be a cold winter indeed before I post a Don Henley video. Even I have standards.

Posting this over from another thread. So I am presently trying to puzzle out the German tactical defensive scheme for the La Meauffe sector, consulting reasonable historical documentation from both sides, (including detailed diagrams pasted above). And this has led me to think about the general tempo of battalion scale infantry assaults on prepared positions, both WW2 and contemporary, and how these might be simulated realistically in a single CM scenario. 1. As noted in other threads, many CM assaults become frantic races against the clock. Forces are not only pushed to their endurance limit and beyond, but are freely retasked by the omniscient player commander to ad hoc maneuvers well outside their original orders. Dense defended areas the size of my game map (1400x800m) are routinely swept clear in 90-120 minutes of intense nonstop rooty-toot. 2. Even if we as wargamers can pad the clock 2x with abstracted 'off clock' lulls in the action, during which medevac, resupply and artillery spotting occur but there are no major movements or exchanges of fire, it all just seems like too much, too fast. 3. In contrast, in the real world PURPLE HEART CORNER action of June 17th 1944, incompletely clearing a small town of 25 odd structures took half a fresh US battalion with ample artillery a *full day* (0530-1845) to accomplish, with significant US casualties (30+, overwhelmingly shellfire). 4. Enemy casualties in this action aren't tallied (a couple of PWs only). No wonder: resistance was said to be 'snipers', long range MG fire and nonstop shelling. This is consistent with the German MLR being below the town; they would not detail scarce infantry to hold it, only to bloody the nose of the Amis. Ergo, few bodies to count. (These reports prompted General Corlett the Corps commander to browbeat his subordinates to get things "cleaned up down there", in total disregard of the actual conditions). 5. Nonetheless, in spite of their lopsided manpower advantage, this was a nasty fight for 1/119. The still green GIs advance cautiously from house to house, wary of mines, traps, snipers and the rrrrrrrrrip of Spandaus. Frequent stonks of mortars or "88s" cause them to scatter for cover. The doughs can't see Jerry, can't silence the incoming. But hour by hour, the stretchers keep coming back while frustration and exhaustion set in. What's the solution? Call the guns! But onto what? More time goes by. .... So, how do I put that into a scenario? (What's that you say? That doesn't sound like a fun 'game' at all? Well sorry, can't help ya with that, son. I'm all about the digital history, trying to face what the doggies actually faced. And there are a few here who are like minded. Go play something else if that's not you.)

Wasn't that a song, The Boys of Case Blau or sumfink? (Look at those poor kids. They look like the high school rowers I used to coach in largely German Cincinnati OH back in the day)

S²H, did you ever formally release Al Hutamah, in either iteration of CMSF? Just curious. Since we're on eschatology, here is the source of the name, for those interested... Sura 104 of the Holy Quran, Al Hamazah (the Slanderer): Wai lul-li kulli hu mazatil-lumaza Al-lazi jama'a maalaw wa'addadah Yahsabu anna maalahu akhladah Kalla layum ba zanna fil hutamah Wa maa adraaka mal-hutamah Narul laahil-mooqada Al latee tat tali'u 'alalafidah Innaha 'alaihim moosada Fee 'amadim-mu mad dadah Woe to every scorner and mocker, Who collects wealth and [continuously] counts it. He thinks that his wealth will make him immortal. No! He will surely be thrown into the Crusher. And what can make you know what is the Crusher? It is the fire of Allah, [eternally] fueled, Which mounts directed at the hearts. Indeed, Hellfire will be closed down upon them In extended columns.

Yes, that is very much a placeholder. This Co scale 'prelude' scenario is really intended to fine tune the town/bocage fights for the battalion scale actions of the 137th which followed on 11-15 July. I've been out of CMBN for a long time.

Briefing pages for my second scenario in the Carillon sequence: PURPLE HEART CORNER Still laying out German defences here, so it will be a while before this is ready for testing.

Said it before mate, but this is just spectacular work! The OpenGL engine is getting a bit dated visually, but you really breathe new life into it here.

I wonder if ISIS, or the Badr Brigades et al., have their own Johnny Cash?

You really had to requote my wall of text in full for a 1 liner? One day the interwebz will run out of space and YOU (and 100 million mousy Asian girls each uploading thousands of selfies) will be to blame! EDIT: (oh hey look, it folds up. Kewl) FURTHER EDIT: Second thought, Head², maybe ixnay on the Mahdi campaignray. Given BFC's scary record of predicting actual conflicts, you may bring on the End Times (Shia variant).

Here, have a soundtrack while you chew on that lot. (I'll be over in le Carillon if you need me)

And if they prove to be the new Qizilbash, shock troops of the Hojjatieh and straighteners of the Way* for the return of the Hidden Imam (al Mahdi, pbuh)? Do they proceed directly to liberate al Makah and the patrimony of the Prophet (pbuh), or first unify the Caliphate of al Sham and strike for the Rock, fulfilling the prophecy as foretold: 1. The Sufyani will come out in revolt; 2. the Hasanid will be killed; 3. the Abbasids will dispute over worldly kingdom; 4. there will be an eclipse of the sun in the middle of the month of Ramadan; 5. there will be an eclipse of the moon at the end of that month in contrast to ordinary happenings; 6. the land will be swallowed up at al-Bayda' (Latakia); it will be swallowed in the east-it will be swallowed up in the west; the sun will stay still from the time of its decline to the middle of the time for the afternoon prayer. 7. It will rise from the west; a pure soul (nafs zakiyya) will be killed in the outskirts of Kufa with seventy righteous men; 8. a Hashimite will be slaughtered between the corner (of the Ka'ba) and the station of Abraham); 9. the wall of the mosque of Kufa will be destroyed; black standards will advance from Khurasan; 10. al-Yamani will come out in revolt; 11. al-Maghribi will appear in Egypt and take possession of it from Syria. 12. The Turk will occupy the region of al-Jazira; 13. the Byzantines will occupy Ramla; 14. the star will appear in the east giving light just like the moon gives light; then (the new moon) will bend until its two tips almost meet; a colour will appear in the sky and spread to its horizons; a fire will appear for a long time in the east remaining in the air for three or seven days; 15. the Arabs will throw off the reins and take possession of their land, throwing out the foreign authority; 16. the people of Egypt will kill their ruler and destroy Syria; and three standards will dispute over it (Syria). 17. The standards of Qays and the Arabs will come among the people of Egypt; 18. the standards of Kinda (will go) to Khurasan; horses will come from the west until they are stabled in al-Hira; the black standards will advance towards them from the east; 19. the Euphrates will flood so that the water comes into the alleys of Kufa; 20. sixty liars will come forward, all of them claiming prophethood, and twelve will come forward from the family of Abu Talib, all of them claiming the Imamate; 21. a man of important rank of the supporters of the 'Abbasids will be burnt between Jalula' and Khaniqin. 22. The bridge next to Karkh in the city of Baghdad will be established; a black wind will raise it at the beginning of the day and then an earthquake will occur so that much of it will be swallowed up; fear will cover the people of Iraq and Baghdad; swift death (will occur) there and there will be a loss of property, lives and harvests; 23. locusts will appear at their usual times and at times not usual so that they attack agricultural land and crops and there will be little harvest for what the people planted; 24. two kinds of foreigners will dispute and much blood will be shed in their quarrel. 25. Slaves will rebel against obedience to their masters and kill their masters (mawali); 26. a group of heretics (ahl al-bida) will be transformed until they become monkeys and pigs; 27. slaves will conquer the land of their masters; 28. a cry (will come) from the sky (in such a way) that all the people will hear it in their own languages; 29. a face and a chest will appear in the sky before the people in the centre of the sun; 30. the dead will arise from their graves so that they will return to the world and they will recognize one another and visit one another; 31. that will come to an end with twenty-four continuous rainstorms and the land will be revived by them after being dead and it will recognize its blessings; after that every disease will be taken away from those of the Shia of the Mahdi, peace be on him, who believe in the truth; at that time they will know of his appearance in Mecca and they will go to him to support him. So get busy on that Al Qiyam campaign series, Ayatollah Squarehead! What locust mod are you using? * yes, Twelver Shiism sounds a lot like Frank Herbert, and that is no accident

While nobody can doubt the combat skill of motivated Arabs, can this multisectarian force retain its effectiveness without the support of a First World military, with hot and cold running C4I, arty and air on tap? (been away for a few weeks, work)

Nice map but she needs the sharks teeth road removal treatment real bad!

Sorry, missed this. In spite of my semi-regular Forum participation, my actual gaming is near zero for work reasons. Please go ahead and upload any of my works to GaJ's site as you like; happy any of this stuff is getting use. Cheers, LLF

I resemble that remark! I found myself wondering what that Green Zone would be like to fight through in the wet season, when all those barren watercourses and surrounding fields are inundated (presumably with snowmelt). Also, nice map @puje! Very realistic topography. I can smell the goat dung from here.

One of my favourite features of @Mord's mixed mods from SF1 was that it mixed masked and unmasked (Spy) figures, making local fedayeen look more authentic. They aren't always faceless headchoppers, after all.

You could also consider decreasing the ambushed units' Fitness level to reflect stress, dehydration etc., as opposed to Morale and Experience. That also encourages them to hunker down and defend themselves until relieved, as opposed to engaging in strenuous and complex manouevres, or rabbiting around in a panic.

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Lol! can ya smell the immersion now swee'pea? I am so happy that my ~1000 man hours of mapmaking is paying off as intended!

Nope, I'll buy CMSF2 either: (a) as a reward when they add in non-modular buildings (b) once work gives me time to play (by which I mean design scenarios). No idea when that will be. In the meantime, what little bits of time I can spare go into Le Carillon. And that's precious little of late.

In CMSF1 Syrian SoF were part of the base game. My Baba Amr scenario used them, and needed base game only. Syrian Airborne was part of the Brits module (which I never bought).

Ramones: As what red blooded human does not? My 2012 Baba Amr map, derived from a section of Ramadi, might make a more suitable starting point. But to narrow many streets to alleys, model medieval and modern tenements, etc., we'd really need the non-modular building types, including the shed and heavy (cathedral) buildings which BFC was unable to include in CMSF2.