c3k

Scale matters. 50% of a platoon is okay. In a combat capable sense. Not so for a division.

2nd Cav is getting them. I can only imagine the rest will follow. The US military does have the ability to prototype and produce very rapidly when needed. This is an example.

Supposedly, the unmanned turret does not impded the Stryker's ability to carry 9 infantry.

I like how a twig triggered the fuse...despite the yawing.

This can...sorta...be done by the designer. Just pick a reinforcement group and give it a whole lot of little (one square) reinforcement zones all over the map. Make more action spot drop zones than there are squads/teams. Enjoy the scatter.

UAVs and other "robot" battle-mechs have one flaw: their comm link. Or, better yet, the chip which controls that comm link. If it's made in China, it'd be hard not to envision a backdoor built into it: a commie-link? Any aperture (talking comms here), can be exploited. It can be jammed, misdirected, delayed, intercepted, targeted, etc. That's just looking at getting into the control system or the UAV. (It's a two way opening: there's got to be a transmitter and a receiver. Sometimes both on each unit. Either way, it can be hacked.) Also, think about the tremendous EW footprint of a four-ship mother-tank. Bolt an off-the-shelf radar detector to the nose of a GBU82, and no need to worry about GPS signals. (Okay, that's a simplification, but you get my drift.) Or, you could say that you'd render the link as a "nice to have" feature and that the device could go fully autonomous. Yeah. If you think the game AI is bad, wait till you see flying/crawling/driving robots with guns, bombs, or missiles. "Sorry, men. Our programmers had a divide by zero error in there. You must be the new replacements?" As stated, maintenance needs are not simplified by autonomous devices. In fact, they are exacerbated. These are cool ideas, but they do not take into account a vicious, manipulative, opportunistic, skilled foe. Or Murphy.

My top choices (in no particular order): - France, 1940 - Poland, 1939 - Patton, 1946/1948 - Fulda Gap, 198x

German binos: standard inf distribution was a 6x30 set. For tank commanders and other specialists, it was 10x50. FWIW. Internet citation will be edited in later...

Rinaldi, Excellent find. So...the Commonwealth (as represented by the "reprint" in Canada) assumed NCOs and Officers should be proficient in the use of field glasses. That's a start. 300,000 M3? Nice, again.

Certainly. But, perhaps that can be spun off on the "Out on a Limb: The Boche and Bausch and Lomb" thread? Or the similar one: "GI Joe goes glassing"? All is moot unless there is evidentiary reason to overturn the BFC position.

I recognize that road from an episode of "Hart to Hart". Good stuff. Thanks.

Gents, I'm starting this as a separate thread to avoid derailing any others. There is a group of players who contend that the game incorrectly limits the distribution of binoculars in the Commonwealth forces. The game limits it to FOs and platoon leaders and higher. The contention by this honorable opposition is that binoculars should be distributed down to squad (section) leaders (and possibly to team leaders?). This subject was brought up here: However, that thread broke into tangents about 1970's kit, WWI, Airfix 1:72 scale box art and other interesting desiderata. We can have the same kind of thing here, but it will result in the same ending as the other thread: no resolution and no change. 1. The starting point must be that BFC has it right. 2. If BFC is wrong, then some sort of documentary or contemporary photographic evidence has to be brought forward. Lacking this, see 1, above. So....if you have some TO&E which shows 18 binoculars per infantry company (or somesuch), or a group photo showing every fourth man with a pair of binos, a even an excerpt from an account which states that, "Corporal Smithy could ID the troops as Boche and relayed that to the rest of the section", that would help. Really. Feelings don't matter. (I can hear the snowflakes melting...) Present facts; or, failing a fact, a reference. Hopefully, we can either put this to bed or effect a change to the game. Ken

The Commonwealth infantry structure was light on organic firepower...and manpower. They compensated for this by the attachment of support arms. Vickers were distributed (either attached or just alongside) from the MG Battalion. Plentiful artillery tubes and FOOs were used. And, of course, ATGs (which brought Brens and men to the frontline) were used. Vanilla infantry were poor at attacking. Plucky, brave, and all that...in spades...but missing the manpower depth and firepower of other combatants. You need to use combined arms. Easier said than done. As for spotting, get more eyeballs up front. Snipers, especially SS ones, are a pita. Don't expose your men. Find a sniper? Douse it with HE. This campaign rewards the Monty approach: steady, well-planned, secure the flanks. At least, that's how I remember it. (The bino thing: I thought it was settled that there were no low level binos in any TO&E table?)

Nicely stated. (The rest just doesn't matter. ) Ken

Hmmm....a nice use of a TRP? One TRP near the firing location means it's a surveyed firing location? Another TRP near the target location and you've got much faster response and better accuracy? Ken

Looks great!

When I have a bogged vehicle, I'll cancel its movement orders. I don't know if it helps, but in my mind, it increases the odds of unbogging.

Open the wrench icon to see the status. Every weapon icon in grey means that it is inop. It's usually (always?) because of ammo. For example, some tanks had ammo which was not in their ready racks. So, for the ready ammo, you'll see the gun fire, a brief period of grey as it gets reloaded, then it's white again. However, after the ready ammo is gone, it can take up to a minute (or more) for the grey to disappear. I'm not an expert on Vickers Jeeps. I see that there is ammo in your screenshot, but it is a lot less than I'd expect. Perhaps that is the case. Regardless, it's an interesting observation and it'll be interesting to see if/when the the Vickers is up and running again. Let us know. Ken

More booms is more fun!

Out and about for a few days...with no portable game access. (I know. Horrible....) I'll add them to the reports when I can. Thanks.

Sigh. British tank crew you said? Obviously, the tank commander embraced the "individuality" for which the British upper class was/is renowned. As an avid pigeoner, he would have taken his best birds with him over to the Continent. Once he found himself "unhorsed" upon the field of battle, he immediately rescued his birds from the tank bustle. Seeing the Hun, and knowing that his men depended upon him, he scrawled a quick note on a slip of paper: "Dearest Babs. I hope this missive finds you doing well. I know that running the estate can seem daunting, but James is an excellent caretaker and you can rely upon his judgment. I find myself in a bit of an embarrassing position. If it wouldn't be too much of a bother, I'm sure my comrades would be very appreciative if you could ring up Dodgkins, from the Regiment, and pass on to him that a few rounds of 25 pounder would not go amiss. Especially if they were delivered about 87 yards NNE of the small chicken coop by the yellow farmhouse on the road just outside Mesnil-Petry. The one you liked when we rode the countryside in '36. If you're too busy, don't worry about it. Until I return... Your Jamesy-poo." Quickly tying off the message to the leg of his favorite grey, he tossed the bird aloft, whence it circled, got its bearings, and fluttered away over the trees. Minutes later, the shells started landing. What other game has this level of simulation? Ken

I'd call it "premature fragmentation". Embarrassing, or worse, to anyone handling the big gun. But...have any actually failed? X-raying the entire inventory? Perhaps they'll use airport screening machines during lull periods.

No pics??? It's been...ages!!! Moar.

Pericles has a point. Objectively, there is little difference between WWI and modern war. Antagonists still use gunpowder propelled projectiles, marshalled by uniformed formations, to wreak mayhem upon one another. There have been incremental changes in equipment (e.g., bolt action -> semi-auto -> assault rifles), but, overall, it's all the same. Pericles...what you're looking for is too sublime to describe. Try the demos and determine the differences for yourself.

"Gog and Magog" gave me fits! I lost the main gun on about 1/2 my KT's the first time through. Grrr. The second time, I just charged forward with the KT's. The results were more satisfying. Un-buttoned TCs spot better. They die better, too. Shrug. That's why they get the cool uniforms and the hot chicks when they're home on leave. Every man with a pair of binos needs to be looking towards the tree lines. Once an ATG starts pinging hits on a tank...get it out of there! Back up. Advance another one. Play "wack-a-mole". Don't let the ATGs range in on your tanks. Death by a thousand cuts. Pick the likely ATG spots and hit 'em with arty. Toss a few expendable scout teams on hunt around the map. (Near your focus...) It's a hard battle and will test your skills.