Erwin

"How many people replay a campaign five times after they've completed it once? " Agreed. For a standalone scenario maybe it's worth a couple of AI plans. But, I can't recall ever playing a campaign twice.

I always attend to WIA and KIA, primarily as I think you lose less points for a WIA than a KIA, and the WIA are more likely to become KIA if you don't give em buddy aid. Also, it's more "realistic" to rescue casualties and provide medical care. It can be a fun mini-battle to clear away enemy from a position, just so one can get a medic to the wounded.

And in CM1, fire would spread...

Am all about the fun of the game, so agree with your frustration. However, the above behavior seems very "realistic". Generally, there were only a few nasty "stand and die" battles when there was defensive terrain that absolutely had to be held at all costs. In those cases it's perhaps better for the designer to use more highly motivated defenders.

"...my 'Lions of Carpiquet' campaign took two years (granted with a few breaks) between starting the first map to uploading to the Depot." This is why we need to be prepared to pay for professionally made campaigns by BF. Campaigns are the best way to enjoy CM as one has to deal with ammo and force preservation issues. Many of us prefer the larger missions. So starting small makes sense from a learning perspective. But, that not that many want to play small scenarios. One is merely adding extra delay to making the large scenarios and campaigns. For a complex game such as CM2 we can't expect many good user-made offerings b4 another CM2 product is released, and all the attention leaps to the new "toy". Don't see any alternative to paying BF for well made content.

That seems to be the best camo strategy - total lack of uniformity.

Not sure I agree with that. I recall simply having a fascination with WW2. Perhaps it was cos my parents were refugees from the "East Front". (But, they never talked about their experiences, so I still know nothing about that.) I recall there were a lot of WW2 movies out when I was a kid: 633 Squadron, Where Eagles Dare and Brit TV was saturated with old B/W war movies. So, not certain where my interest in WW2, and East Front in particular came from. But it had nothing to do with the Cold War. I never had any antipathy vs the Soviets. I think the East Front wargames themselves were more interesting.

Liked the pic of a large contingent of the modern Brit Army presence in the area:

"As time goes on, they may or may not become more sophisticated in their tastes and broaden their interests." And hopefully decide that the Germans and SS in particular are waaaay more fun than those boring Allies... After all wasn't it Hugo Boss who designed those cool-looking sexy Nazi uniforms?

Am amazed how thick some of those shell fragments are. Now I understand why they weigh so much.

Isn't that strange how the demographics have changed. Back ion the day when cardboard wargames were the only ones available, 90% were East Front topics. In addition, you had to practically pay opponents to play the Allies. Everyone wanted to play Axis, well Germans specifically. And the sexiest pieces were the black and while SS units. At the time, the SS shoulda received an award for their contributions to the hobby of wargaming.

Wonder if it's possible to temporarily have units increase some factors when in good defensive terrain? (I mean for BF to program that in.)

"The US Army is a professional organization, is it really any different than a civilian mechanic being expected to buy his own tools, or an executive buying his own business suits? I suspect mechanics and execs are paid a lot more... and when was the last time an exec had to put his life on the line for their country? Wall street exec... Grrr... But, so long as you guys are happy, no reason for me to get riled up...

About an hour left in this scenario. Captured the first objective. Am finding that a successful tactic is use the ditches to go around the blind side of buildings so that no enemy can fire at my guys from a building (no doors or windows face most of the ditches. That way one avoids time and ammo-consuming firefights. One can make progress and leave possibly enemy-occupied building behind. VS a human that may be problematic, but the AI doesn't seem to take advantage of that. The other tactic that seems to work successfully is splitting off a two man AT team and using that as a scout. However, lost a two scout team to a "good" uncon ambush at a corner of a ditch. Never saw em even afterwards. Not sure I could have avoided that. Maybe I should had the guys take longer at waypoints (I usually give 15-20 sec pauses) and they woulda heard the enemy. Am plotting through the maze of ditches to objectives 2 and 3. One platoon per objective, with the Support Group of the ANA and their mentor teams... well... in support. I am using two engineer teams supposed to be guarding the base just for the extra charges. But, with the progress I am making so far, it's possible I may not need more. This is a very good scenario so far and I recommend it.

Like a movie... Scary stuff...

"...assumes Hitler was deposed and thus Germany has a more rational strategy..." If rational, Germany woulda immediately tried for a ceasefire or negotiated surrender, and with Hitler and presumably other of H's henchmen gone, if rational, the Allies woulda negotiated. Ok, it's fun to play what-if's. But those types of scenarios are akin to sci fantasy. May as well play the Allies without Churchill, or Stalin, or Roosevelt etc etc. But, absolutely nothing wrong with that if one enjoys em. The air system in War in the West literally frightened me after having to put so much work into WITPAE. Even tho' I bought War In Russia and all its modules, I couldn't bring myself to get War In the West. But, let us know how it plays...

That's what I feared. Thanks...

That's terrible, almost unbelievable that you have to purchase your own uniforms. As a former contractor, I know how much bloat there is and most goes into pockets of highly paid contractors. <sigh> It's a sign of our times that so much is wasted into the undeserving already wealthy pockets while there seems to be no end to the exploitation of everyone else. Akin to expanding empires lose the their young officers, an empire in decline loses its non-coms.

"...Also got Gary Grigsby Torch expansion for the new War in Europe" You mean War in the West?? Will be interested to hear your comments re Torch - wish it started earlier to feature the fluid desert battles from 1940 onwards. I like Grigsby's WITPAE. I have his War in Russia game but it looks heavy and no pretty ships and planes. His West Front version looks even heavier with airpower looking very complex and handling it a game on its own.. I recommend "Decisive Campaigns: Barbarossa."

Mmmm... It raises another point... So, Scorpion starts off as darker than desired in order to fade over time to desired camo effectiveness as a money-saving project??? That's another bean-counter decision there. (Note to self to write Trump to stop these ridiculous procurements.)

I know that CMSF only allows two activations. Anyone recall if CMA is more liberal or the same? I have more than 2 computers in various undeclared locations (so as to survive a N. Korean first strike).

"...terrain can give them cover to move to a location that they cannot be seen from but allows them to fire to a adjacent hex from the desired target." Yes, area firing at units in a location that you can't see (and the enemy unit(s) can't see the flamer) is xnt use. Generally, dense urban Stalingrad type situations. Hmm, wish we had flamers in CMSF "Mosul" and "Ramadi" in RL. Re: "...best way to clear a certain building type with no windows and one door." I thought that one could fire thru a wall with a door or window(?)

Some defense contractor executive must have needed a new Gulf G650 so he persuaded DoD to make up another contract for uniforms that look almost identical. Seriously... in the field covered with mud and crap, is there really going to be a difference in the above's camo capabilities??

That's wonderful. I could do with another big $commission$ check from BF. FWIW I have about 36 scenarios (plus SS's) and 6 campaigns for CMA. The newer ones are better than the one's that come with the game. I recommend "Competent Incompetence" campaign.

So sad... That is the best use for flamers. As you said, they are easily killed unless used vs enemy that is already so suppressed that you could probably more easily wipe em out with an Assault.