c3k

Well, I don't want to give away any information I shouldn't. However, the TacAI reaction to being lased seems to me to be spot on. There are some circumstances in which the tank's reaction causes it to be more exposed to an unknown (to it) threat, but that reflects reality. In MOST cases (the vast preponderance), the TacAI's reaction to being lased increases the tank's survivability.

One benefit is the flat trajectory out to 300m. That's the magic distance within which most firefights have historically occurred. Oh, Afghanistan? Oops. Time to dust off the M14. Meanwhile, the flat trajectory is very beneficial. No .300 Blackout will ever be accepted for line issue. It's too loopy. The next size up, which gives the same flat trajectory (about 3,000 fps or better), would .300 Win Mag. Imagine a squad with semi auto .300 Win Mags? The muzzle blasts and reports would be enough to knock over most small mammals. Now, imagine lugging something like that, and its ammo, on patrol. The Brits had an excellent study which pointed out that rounds within 1m or so are what suppress. Hearing that crack go past one tends to make them duck. Fast and flat are the desired characteristics. Under stress, you don't need to make ballistic computations or find the right hash mark on your sight. Just a few cents more to add to the topic. Carry on...

The Abrams is a fearsome beast. In reality, and in-game. Bil will need to think about how to defeat them. (Both have already played this battle, based on previous comments, so both know what the other has.) I'd expect Bil to try to get positions to fire on sides/rear and with multiple shooters. His front-rush will help with that. Scott will have to pry open a safe entry zone in order to use his Abrams.

DARPA: yeah, fun vehicle. Until it runs into a tank.

Eleven action events in one turn? A -real- AAR would have gif's of all eleven! Sounds like a very pivotal turn. I'm thinking BMP-3's are better than BMP-2's...by a decent margin. ATGM's, airbursts, autocannon, active protections systems, and more! They're like miniature Imperial Cruisers roaming about the battlefield...and Scott has Ewoks.

I tend to plan my turns with "trunks only" and toggle to "full" before hitting go. That's usually when I find that I'm in a jungle, not a Home Depot lumber aisle. The foliage makes a huge difference...

Great vid! (Oh, the AAR one isn't bad, either. ) Very cool how the Tunguska shredded all the ancillary equipment off the tank.

Great point. Arty=suppression. It's best followed by immediate advance and taking of ground. However, that's kind of what Bil's doing. He's suppressing the town (where that atgm came from) while he takes the dominating ground. It will be interesting to see what happens when that artillery stops landing in the town. "It's gonna be a hot one, Buzz."

Yes, tanks are near the end of usefulness on the battlefield. See, as soon as something else can transport a fighting team, unfatigued, with night vision which would shame 18th century astronomers, artillery beyond 19th century understanding, machineguns beyond early 20th century imagination, and protection unequaled in the 21st century, then, sure, they'll be gone. Let's see a soldier carry a weapon system like a modern tank's. 120/125mm, about 40 rounds of ammo, guaranteed kill out to ~3km. Javelin? One round. Let's see him carry that javelin through a mortar impact zone at 30mph over a distance of 20 klicks. Oh yeah. Tanks were made obsolete by field artillery and anti-tank guns. Until the armor got sloped and the horsepower increased. Tanks were made obsolete by ATGMs. Until spaced armor and era were developed. Tanks were made obsolete by newer ATGMs. Until APS were developed. Give me 1,500 horsepower and 60-70 tons of engineering margin and I will give you something more survivable than an infantryman...every time.

Bil, very nice advance out of the gate. I like the use of arty on the town. And, as usual, your imagery is second to none. Ken

It's what, 3 minutes in and all you've done is hide and skulk? Gadzooks! It's at least 2 minutes late for an ATTACK!!! I like the briefings...nice job mixing the announcer with the first person perspectives. Ken

That 100mm has an airburst setting. It's very effective against infantry, apparently. Nice autocannon vs the BMP2.

Garbage? I need to know if Schneible will finally hit the motherlode! Gripping dialogue: unscripted fershur...

Funny anecdote to illustrate changing times.... My father-in-law, as a teen, would go with his uncle into the desert. (US Southwest) They'd go on the highway in a jeep...towing a 37mm antitank gun. Once there, much fun was had by shooting boulders. Imagine the reaction today...of the environmentalists!

Whew. Glad you got it sorted. Now, get in and start playing!

You should be good. Launch the game. Take a screenshot of the splashscreen and post it, please.

Hmmm. I'm confused by your initial description What was the last working cmbn configuration you had? (Modules, patches.) What did you do next? What are you trying to do now?

Aye! If he'd been ATTACKING rather than FLEEING, they would live... See? I -care- about my men when I force them forwards. (Okay, I get it: Bil is moving towards a screening position beyond the bypassed enemy...as he should.)

My computer screen got too hard to read. So, I got a webcam, put it close to my screen, and have it transmit the image to my other computer. Now that one's getting hard to read. Starting to price out another webcam...

Excellent! Now you know that Scott has one less ATGM than he started with! I applaud your technique to leave your opponent weaponless. Those BMP-3's are the ultimate hammer/eggshell. They are infantry devouring machines. Unfortunately, sometimes it is the infantry in them. Love the gif. Ken

Great Scott! That's a hell of a briefing to start with. Now, we await your...wait for it...ATTACK!!! Give the same command I give to my men: Order them to advance and, when they get hit, to make sure they fall with their arms stretched out towards the enemy so the rest of us will know where to aim! Good luck.

No problem. I've already used it to activate on 3 computers, so no one else can use that key...until you get another activation in a year. Can you no longer edit your post? It's minor; most of the folks here are stand up types. If you cannot edit, ask the mod to delete it. Ken

Um, you may not want to give away your key like that. Toss a few "x"'s into the mix and you won't have bought the game for a bunch of forum tossers. But, yes, a document like that is what I use. Ken

If you don't know what Arena is, go look it up. Really. BMP-3 has a lot of good stuff...

Historically, the closest analogy would be Caesar at Alesia. Follow his example and immediately construct a double set of walls. Then attack. Then take over the empire. There can be only one. Aye.