Erwin

Can one pick up a weapon without giving buddy aid? Also, when one is playing German vs German (or US vs US), can one acquire a weapon from the oppo side?

No, I had to stop playing and saved the game and pressed ceasefire to see how I was doing so I could give you feedback. I still have to complete the 2nd scenario. But, we'll see if I can do it without losing most of my force. My only concern so far with the 2nd scenario is that the EXIT zone is so close to the town, I think I may have to attack the town whether I like it or not, and I really don't think U have enuff force left. I worry that that is where all those extra US troops (and bazookas) are. No hints please... we shall see...

Masts are not modeled in CM2, hence the high death rate of ATGM vehicles that are supposed to have masts. GMSS should be modeled (as they are with the US versions), but not sure.

"I play WEGO only and really enjoy company sized and below. Anything bigger and it starts to get too convoluted." Interesting viewpoint. I find RT with anything over a company not satisfying as there is too much going on. I like WEGO becasue one CAN handle the larger scenarios. "When designers go overboard to make things too hard or challenging it's just more frustrating than anything else. I love scenarios that are winnable with the right tactics and not ridiculously one sided or un-realistic." +1 to that. It's great training to play very hard scenarios like in CMBN's "Courage & Fortitude." But, too many of those are a burn-out and the game starts to feel like work, not fun.

I hear rumors that the next patch will provide instant access to Steve and other BFC employees 24/7 to answer all questions and to immediately implement all ideas that players may have. In addition, your pixeltruppen will have access to hot water for bathing and they will be able to eat as many eggs as they want!

Maybe there is something weird about CM2 systems. However, tankers are a nervous lot - at least in WW2 they were. There is something about being trapped in a furnace watching yourself burning to death that made them skittish.

Now, now... We must embrace alien cultures and North Korea has much to teach us... (...on how we can get used to being ruled by China.)

Battle 2 feedback (WEGO WARRIOR): About 40 minutes left. Enjoying this battle very much so far. This scenario is more conventional/less innovative than the really interesting first scenario, but it's fun as the decisions to be made are clearer (less thinking involved). At start I decided to attempt the right flank thru the farmhouse since this route gives me longer range LOS and that should benefit my tanks. (The left flank approach would require my units to skirt a forest which can be death-traps for vehicles.) Used tanks to blast US out of the farmhouse and only lost a couple guys taking it (as usual I should have blown up the buildings more b4 sending in inf). The 251/10 plus a squad on the road intercepted US reinforcements trying to rush from (my) left to the right of the map (on the far side of the river). So, as the main Gerberian force advanced towards the crossing on the right, the tanks managed to cause a lot of US casualties. Currently, most Gerberians across the river. But, now faced with a dilemma as to how to reach the EXIT zone. Either I blast thru the town (could be very bad re ambushes), or I try and detour to my left and sweep around the town. But, then I could run into more US on my left flank. And, because the EXIT zone is so close to the town, I worry about ambushes from the town - esp bazookas in what will then be my right flank. I did a Cease Fire and found I had 5 casualties so far. 2-3 KIA and 2-3 WIA IIRC. However, the US has lost almost 10 times as much so far. However, I was dismayed to see how many men the US still has. We'll see how I get on as I try to make the EXIT. But, I worry that my Gerberians will get worn down to nothing at this rate. (I seem to be much better at commanding armor than infantry in CM as I rarely lose armor, but my inf is usually worn down... A man here, a man there... The inf casualties inexorably mount up. Generally, I don't do enuff prep fire before sending in inf I think. I am very conservative/too conservative about wasting ammo!)

re no flamethrowers or burning wheatfields cos it "could get abused/be gamey" is an irrational reason to not include the feature in an entertainment product. We all LOVED the burning buildings etc feature in CM1. And there are plenty of CM2 features that can get abused, so...?

I haven't looked at this campaign yet, but I hope all Campaign designers provide campaign maps so we can return to saved games and try for different outcomes just to see the alternative scenarios.

Thanks for the link Wolfe. Really useful to know one can (maybe) get a tank-sized hole using only one satchel charge. Never even tried blasting ALONGSIDE bocage. I wonder what that would do to a building or wall? Hmm... And sburke... I really try to discipline myself to keep platoons together, honest... But, After nasty scenarios like "School of Hard Knocks" I found myself with several platoons with no HQ's at all. AND their Co CO's did not give any C2 to the squads. AND those platoon HQ's were never replaced in subsequent scenarios in the campaign. So... given those squads were leaderless for what could have been days, weeks...? I rationalized that they decide to "do thar own thang" like Kelly's Heroes etc.

+1 to that as it would make the vehicles look even more different from each other.

Each nation was/is a world leader IN CERTAIN AREAS. So maybe the Nazis were ahead with missile/rocket tech. But the Allies were ahead in many other areas. This is not an "all or nothing" thing guys. Arguably, the only reason the US was ahead in so many areas, was that the Brits sent over all their research and many scientists during WW2. And after WW2 I recall the national scandal of the Brit "brain drain" where the cream of Brit researchers were lured to the US cos of more money. So, what does it all prove...?

Thanks. I'll make sure all my files are in folders from now on. I don't like brz files/folders as it makes it a lot harder/more time consuming to have to keep exploding them in order to compare or mix and match. Am thrilled that Aris just puts his files in zips and regular folders.

Taki1980 from BoB wanted someone from BoB to post something on this thread, so anything to make him happy...

"He could just have easily (or maybe more so) decided the thing to do was build up a battleship line, or maybe super-long range bombers to try and level New York." Hitler's naval CO's begged him not to go to war for another 3(?) years as they wanted to build more U-boats and battleships. They were not ready for the RN in 1939-40. The entire German war strategy was based on fast victories as they knew they didn't have the economic capacity for long term war, so they emphasized short-medium range tactical attack aircraft over long range heavy bombers. The US Lendlease destroyers were invaluable in keeping the sea lanes to GB open. IIRC Britain was within weeks of starving at one point. But, ASDIC, radar etc eventually turned the tables as the Germans could not keep up with such technology as they became obsessed with the more critical War in the East. It has been long rumored that Hess's little vacation to Scotland in a Me110 was to make contact with sympathetic aristos and Royal Family types. Natch, not something widely discussed in the UK but, from time to time things leak out...

"This is a name specific file I believe." I did not realize that there are files that one cannot alter by putting a "Z" in front to ensure it will be loaded last. (Have been doing that a lot.) What sort of files are name specific? Presumably they can be placed in a folder that has a "Z" at the start to ensure it will be loaded last, or...?

The Campaign flowcharts are invaluable. I wish all campaign designers would include one with their campaigns. It enables players to save certain games so we can go back and get a different ending to play all the scenarios. (It's better than just posting all the scenarios individually as one gets to play with what one was left with from the prior scenario.)

Yeah, but who really cares about RT. All real men play WEGO.

Did you try adding a Z to the front of the name to ensure it is loaded last?

Mortar ammo is shared so long as the mortars are in proximity (8m?). But, if they are apart each reverts to what it had originally (which could mean that one of the mortars is OOA). Small arms ammo is only shared clip by clip ONLY when one of the units is OOA, and ONLY between units in the same platoon IIRC. So, when they part the OOA unit is still OOA.

However, as soon as the ammo "giver" moves away, the OOA unit has no ammo. It would be good if could issue an order so that (say) a certain ("reasonable") % of the giver's ammo was transferred.

Thank you for this explanation. Presumably this also explains why vehicles do that silly dance trying to get across a bridge.

My (hopefully) final comment on your very fun first mission: 1) You put a lot of work into the town and that part of the map. It's a waste that you make it obvious that the Gerberians should avoid it. It would make the game more replayable and fun if there were at least two viable escape routes. Eg: The first time I ever played this, I attacked towards the town as that is where I thought I had to enter the RR. (I assumed the steep embankment was impassible.) I did quite well, as the town guards tend to cower or run and hide quite quickly. I was then able to KO both bunkers with grenades (one does NOT need the pfaust). If you perhaps reduce the town guard quality, or took a couple of teams away, Gerber can quite realistically escape via the town and bunkers with minimal if any casualties. Using this route, TIME was my problem, not the guards. Rushing to make it in 30 mins is what caused casualties. 2) In the prison I think you should have 1 and 2-man guard teams only. However, the headcount probably could be the same. 3) I think you should consider making the large barracks building to be part of the wall, and give it a small door (rear entrance). (If you do that I would not increase the TOTAL headcount of guards, but I would put a 2nd one or two-man team in the barracks someplace.) That would give Gerber a choice of taking out the guards in the barracks and escaping that way, or as currently, thru the main gate. Giving the player options and difficult choices is what makes a scenario fun and replayable. Currently, there is a "trick" to the scenario and one only solution. Once one knows that, one never wants to play this scenario again. Now to move onto the 2nd scenario.

But, it wasn't (and even today it is not) all about firepower, but tactics, training, experience, terrain etc. If it were all about firepower, the US (and the Soviets for that matter) would have rolled over Afghanistan etc in a weekend.