Mark Gallear

Only a few hours away now in England - suspect its already happened for some people on the forum. Happy New Year (I hope it's hell of a lot better for me and everbody else than 2002 was for me!!!!! :eek: ) Dirty Mark

My mod sites are listed below - one has mods for correcting problems created by CDV and censorship issues. The other is a newby guide to mods and mod making. You may find some useful mods here - Mod Corner and a beginners Mod tutorial here Mod School Dam my signuture didn't work - have I been knobbled? :eek: [ December 29, 2002, 07:59 AM: Message edited by: Mark Gallear ]

Merry Christmas everyone especially Battlefront for bringing us all together with their games. Coming up to 11 PM UK time Christmas Eve - not drunk yet but will try hard, promise! Certainly been hiting the old Quality Street hard! Dirty Mark [ December 24, 2002, 07:48 PM: Message edited by: Mark Gallear ]

I would buy CM:Da Nang - Saigon but it would have few tanks and require helicopters culd that be done? I suspect so as some game I have never played Plastic soldiers??? managed it. However I suspect the next game will be thge Desert war and then the Italian campaign - Funky you could get a job as an historical advisor! Ok it is Christmas and my father took me to a real ale pub - I am sure it is effecting my typing - it really ought to antway!

I assume you got the geocities - closed down for 2 hours because the site has gone beyond its allocated bandwidth - that sounds as if people are interested in the tutorial or possibly everybody has just remembered about my mod site and were downloading everything in sight! I have checked it is up now. If it is down again just bookmark it and go back to it later. I have thought of moving my site to the space provided by ISP. With Geocities they just cut me off for two hours if everybody goes to the site at the same time – I could end up without a site and ISP if they got pissed at the bandwidth been used. Geocities do seem to have increased the bandwidth to my site from what it was like when I first put the mods up. My sites visitors increased from half a dozen to around 500 a month when I started the mod downloads section and I have no placement on any search engine! I am fairly new moding myself – my thing is creating scenarios and campaigns. The example mod was a Hidden Unit Icon that are used in every game played. I suspect my next beginners tutorial if I do one will be on create a replacement icon for the scenario icons – as this involves a few more techniques. I was hoping to persuade some of the more notable moders to explain how it is done. I did approach one of them who at first was happy with the idea but backed down when he found how hard a subject it is to explain. If I have got some volunteers – I would prefer a complete tutorial explaining every step in creating a mod. However, I suspect it would easier and I would get more volunteeers if I just got the masters to explain a single technique and assume a great deal of knowledge in using Photoshop etc. If you keen to do a complete mod pick the simplest uniform or tank you have ever done – you can always add extra special techniques at the bottom of your tutorial It would involve taking screen shots of the process with explanation of each step in a word-processor. You can do the screen shots by pressing the print screen button then Edit Paste in Windows paint. The tutorials will totally belong to the artists who do them – I will just be hosting them. Who knows a game-design book may want to print a few of them!

I have created at beginner’s guide to mods and a mod tutorial at: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arena/8461/modschool.html If there is interest in this subject I will put together some more beginners’s tutorials and try and twist some arms and get some of the old hands to contribute some techniques for a Master Class.

As promised got my total beginners tutorial for making a simple mod up. Mod School Mark

I am doing a beginners tutorial on mod making – it will be for a specific simple mod aimed at people who have never even seen a paint program before. It will take me about a week more – watch this space. I am hoping to get a Master Class going in my site with tips for non-beginners – this means contributions on how it is done by the old hands. Contact me here or on my email address. Be warned it is not easy, explaining techniques! Mark

After I had stopped laughing – I thought poor Seanachai, Minneapolis must be a hard place, maybe even harder than certain parts of North Yorkshire. I think it is time to start looking on the bright side of life. Maybe Battlefront will fix everything after all, so you don’t care when your girlfriend doesn’t come back or what ever it is that getting to you. Starting to wish I hadn’t posted under my real name when I was a newby and come up with something original like Montgomery! Oh my god have I been tricked into posting on a Peng thread! [ December 17, 2002, 04:03 PM: Message edited by: Mark Gallear ]

I was surprised how early (1940) the German army had used rockets but apparently they had the three rockets (two types) in service by the begining of the Russian invasion. See the Achtung Panzer Site. http://members.rogers.com/georgeparada/articles/rockets.html Not so surprised to learn that the Russian Rockets came as a shock because Stalin had kept there development a secret and kept direct control of this limited force in its first battle. [ December 17, 2002, 02:10 PM: Message edited by: Mark Gallear ]

My little site tries to deal with some of the CDV problems, if the patch is missing something now apart from Danish Go-go dancers. Post under here and I will try and produce something. No chance on friendly Swedes of any sex or state of undress.

I was setting up another June 1941 game and was surprised by the variety of Rocket artillery available to both sides at the start of the war. German June 1941 158mm Rocket – 36 tubes 108 Ammo This is presumably the 150mm Nebelwerfer 41 or more properly called the Wurfgranate 41? (could fire He or smoke) Presumably this represent a battery of six – each of which has six launchers. (Ok apart from disagreement over calibre this is ok) 280mm 36 tubes 72 ammo This is presumably 280mm Wurfkorper Spreng Incendiary Rocket 337mm. Is this the 320mm Wurrfkorper MF1 50 that had an incendiary warhead in heavy liquid form? These two-rocket systems service date starts in 1940 and originally had wooden carrying crates that doubled as launcher platforms. Seen period photos of them been fired singly from the ground or could be mounted on the sdkfz 251 with six rockets or other vehicles including captured French tanks sometimes with only four Rockets. Again only small argument over calibre. The Germans used Rocket artillery from the beginning of the war. Four Nebelwefer Regiments of the Wehrmacht were among many artillery units that opened fire on June 22nd of 1941 at 3:15am, beginning the Operation "Barbarossa". Russian June 1941 132mm M-13 64 tubes 82mm M-8 64 tubes This time we have the luxury of knowing what system is represented. I have issues with such an early representation as it is known that Red Army used rocket artillery for the first time on July 14/15th 1941, firing at the rail station at Orsza (controlled by the Army Group Centre) on the Minsk-Moscow route. As far as I am aware the Russians at this time had only one battery operational and Stalin considered them a state secret and the battery was carefully guarded by the NKVD. I am not sure what type was used on this occasion but I have always assumed it was the M-13 on Zis trucks Therefor Russian rocket systems should not appear in the game until July and be very rare on this occasion. Although it is known that the Russians put a lot of effort into researcher multiple rocket systems in the 1930s and the M-8 ad M-13 were designed in the late 1930s. I am not sure when Russian Rocker systems start to become common – I would suspect Oct/Nov 1941 at the earliest. Like the Germans a wide variety of launcher platforms were used including T-70 tanks, and Studebakers, Fords, Chevrolets trucks. Late in war armour-piercing and flare rocket types were produced for the BM-13. Checked for June 1942 and by then following had been added to lists by then German Rocket 214mm Probably the 210mm Nebelwerfer 42 or 21cm Wurfgranate 42 Spreng. If so the date of introduction is to early because it first went into action on the Russian Front in 1943 as problems with the launcher design delayed its introduction. The tubes were reduced from 6 to 5. Russian Rocket 300mm M-30 These were first fired from their Rama frames in German fashion sometimes diretly at tanks and houses at close range. In March 1944 a mobile launcher was introduced that carried 12 rockets on a Zis–6 truck. Only had HE warheads and the range was much shorter than the other systems limiting its use. Info from the Achtung Panzer site and WWII: The Directory of Weapons book. To sum up for 1.02 patch can Russian Rockets be moved back to July at least and be made a bit uncommon until 1942, the German Rocket 214mm is to early if I am right in thinking that is the 210mm Nebelwerfer 42 its entry date should be Spring 43 (February - my guess on this exact month). Pretty please with holly on top. Maybe also adjust calibre of German Rockets as listed in game. [ December 17, 2002, 02:10 PM: Message edited by: Mark Gallear ]

I am the guilty person, but in my defence you took the post the wrong way. I was speculating and piecing evidence together on the real effectiveness and appearance of the Amp. I believe it had much shorter service period than is represented in the game. Although it could blow up tanks t could also blow up its crew. Its appance was also some what different from a mortar. Can we add these factors in to my moans and wants list to the Battlefront Santa for delivery with 1.02.

Big Bump This is all good stuff and well worth a look.

Some more moans and wants have occurred to me: Can we have the hidden unit icons properly mirrored in the next patch - so they are the right way round in the game. I know I have mods out to fix this – but only a small minority of CMBB players visit my site. I know you will not want to fix this one even if you could but can you limit the Russian SMGs in German use to the Recon units only and give a few MP40s to Russian Recon units from 1944 – this would be a lot more realistic and it would stop bugging me every time I play German.

As everybody is having such a good time with this post I thought I would add a bit more on the difficulties of being a Russian T-34 commander: – “Since the driver had a very restricted field of view –and that directly to his front – the commander, using his throat microphone, had to direct him rather more precisely than in some Western tanks where the driver could see more. In addition, of course, the commander was entirely responsible for seeing that the rounds he fired from either of his guns hit the target. Thus, grabbing his orders to the driver to get the tank positioned properly, shouting to the loader the kind of ammunition he had decided to fire, ducking down to the telescope to lay the gun, working out the range and opening fire – and then shrugging himself well clear of the 76.2mm as it smashed back for the full fourteen inches of its recoil – he had little time to see what any other tank was doing. Yet if he was troop commander, with three or more tanks under him, he could only tell his subordinates of his intentions by waving coloured flags, since wireless was not provided at lower command levels in Russian tank formations. Thus, by using the hand–trigger instead of the foot-button, (the two different triggers for the 76mm gun) he could at least keep himself in the upper part of the turret for longer at a time.”

Go for Rune it - wrap it up in Christmas paper with bells and holly and good cheer! Spanish Blue Division mod has been done - doubt a T-28 mod will be possible. [ December 12, 2002, 06:09 AM: Message edited by: Mark Gallear ]

I surrender on the June T-34 (Although I still think they should be much rarer in this month than they have so far been set. (I thought Gorki was just outside Moscow – Germans got there Dec!! Although I am sure you will all prove me wrong on this one as well.) Ok you have all successfully taken attention away from my moans and wants list! More info on points games such as encounter/defend, weather, time of day, even if set randomly I think it should tell you before you buy and not afterwards! A T-28 – pretty, pretty please! Separate heads for Axis and Russians – the winter mod makers will love you! More pretty, pretty, pleases! Slight rethink on rarity and points cost – why the expensive Italian 81mm mortar, cheapish T-34 in June 1941 etc. (I never give up! ) [ December 11, 2002, 06:45 PM: Message edited by: Mark Gallear ]

I tried to find my Zaloga russian Tanks of WW2 as I rember this source stating that russian numbers of T-34s were low at the begining of 1941 around 100 and were still undergoing trials when war broke out. The source is my rather old Douglas Orgill T-34 Russian Armour - apparently the 17th Panzer Division the banks of the Dniepr on 8th July were the first to note the new tank. Your source says the offensive began on June 26th - which may be diffrent from them actually been in action and there may have been long range engagements in which the Germans did not notice the new tank - or my source could of course be completely wrong and not found an earlier sighting. Hogg Allied Armour of World War Two tries to be as vague as possible. Russian T-34 Profile AFV Weapons Jm Brereton and Major Michael Norman, RtR says that numbers of russian Tanks in 1941 are guestimates at best. Your source - Russian? Clearly goes into some depth with Russian figures of the time and points out the trouble with pinning any figures down - although I appluade its efforts - the best i have seen.

I think the arc of fire of the MGs is just to the front - and to one side. As you could only see the barrels in a Juju mod - I don't see why they have to move - arcs such as this must have been worked out for pintle MGs, etc. I am still hoping somebody in high places will think oh we could have done that anyway and say make it so!

So Foxbat are you agreeing with me that T-34 introduction date should be July not June?

As the Battlefront designers have complained there is no info on Russian tank gunsights (and implied they were therefor non-existent) I came across this information which I thought was interesting. Found this information in T34 Russian armour, Douglass Orgill 1970, Purnell’s History of the Second World War Weapons book No21. (Orgill was a World War 2 Tanker) The 1941 version of the T-34 is described: “The turret guns were sighted either by means of a periscope dial sight, or by a cranked telescopic sight mounted at the side of the gun. The periscope sight had a moveable top prism, and illuminated moving graticules. The man at the gun could deflect the crosswires of the sights on to the target by adjusting a knob on the eyepiece, while he put on the appropriate range by a knob underneath. Three ranges were provided on this periscope: upto 100 metres for the machinegun; 3,600 metres for armour-piercing shot, and 2,100 for high explosive. A rubber eye guard and brow pad were provided to protect the gunner from the lurching of the tank, but they were not efficient light excluders, and it is clear that sighting either of the turret guns by means of the periscope must have been a fairly chastening experience. However, the more accurate method of laying the gun was by the alternative telescope sight. This was a straight-tube, moving eyepiece of X 2.5 and a field of view of just over 14 degrees. Like the periscope, it had an illuminated graticule with a hand-adjusted knob controlling three range scales, though these offered more scope than was available on the periscope. They showed up to 5,000 metres for high explosive, and 1,400 for the machinegun. The telescope, however, shared a serious disadvantage with the periscope: its rubber eyeguard was not good at keeping out light, which must have hampered quick laying of the gun. The book points to the difficulties of the small turret and the many tasks of the tank commander who was overworked:- “The turret had a pronounced overhang at the rear, making an awkward, ledge –like space between it and the hull. German infantry soon learned to take advantage of the overworked commander’s preoccupation with his gunlaying to approach the tank from behind, climb on the rear, wedge a time-fused tellermine into the overhang, and jump off. This accounts for German propaganda photographs issued early in the campaign showing T-34s with their turrets blown off- something which no contemporary standard German anti-tank gun was capable of doing. “ [ December 11, 2002, 01:49 PM: Message edited by: Mark Gallear ]

A plea for the T-28 to be added in the next patch and some questions on T34 and KV availability and rarity, plus a few other features I would like explained or added to the next patch! I was a bit surprised by the inclusion of the T-34 and KV tanks from the start of the war but after doing some checking I decided the CMBB introductory dates were not far off. The first KV-1 was encountered only three days after the invasion by the German Army Group North and the first T-34 was encountered on July 8 1941 – although game has three different T-34 available from invasion start in June. I have seen various estimates for numbers of T-34s at war beginning from a few hundred still undergoing trials to a around 1000 operational. So depending on your source the T-34 could potentially be encountered in June. However everybody agrees they were very small part of the total tank force. The game has the T-34 appears in June – T-34 M1940 & 41 only 20% rarity (not a very big rarity or penalty) and the version with cast turret 50%. This seems to make the T-34 a fairly common tank in T-34 especially compared with the KV, which was actually, encountered - KV-1 1940 30%, KV-1 1939 tank at 80% rarity, KV-2 65% rarity. I don’t have any data to hand but would assume that the KV-1 1039 was the more common tank because it had been operational longer, rather than rarer because it was been replaced. How does battlefront determine rarity? I must make a plea for the inclusion of the T-28 – which must have been a more common ubertank at the start of the war than the T-34 or the KV. OK it is a multiple turreted tank and I have been told that the system can not cope with such tanks. (I will accept you cannot do T-32/T-35.) Can there not be a fudge the two MG turrets – must have had less than 180 rotation – so why the need to treat them as turrets. The big problem with multi-turret tanks is that commander cannot control all the turrets – this is a good excuse to let the AI fire the turrets at whatever target it wants. Please, please can we have it in the patch. I noticed that the 81mm mortar is 41 points but the German 81mm is 33 points and Italian offboard 81mm mortar battery is only 53 points – how is this calculated? A very big moan is that the a points game gives you some information such as amount woods etc, but not other critical information such as is it day or night, fine or snow and if memory serves me correctly if it is an encounter or defence game. Opponents rarely, tell you this information any more. Please can we have this info added to the start screens in the next patch, please…. please! Many thanks for taking the time to read my moans and questions.

A plea for the T-28 to be added in the next patch and some questions on T34 and KV availability and rarity, plus a few other features I would like explained or added to the next patch! I was a bit surprised by the inclusion of the T-34 and KV tanks from the start of the war but after doing some checking I decided the CMBB introductory dates were not far off. The first KV-1 was encountered only three days after the invasion by the German Army Group North and the first T-34 was encountered on July 8 1941 – although game has three different T-34 available from invasion start in June. I have seen various estimates for numbers of T-34s at war beginning from a few hundred still undergoing trials to a around 1000 operational. So depending on your source the T-34 could potentially be encountered in June. However everybody agrees they were very small part of the total T-34 The game has the T-34 appears in June – T-34 M1940 & 41 only 20% rarity and the version with cast turret 50%. This seems to make the T-34 a fairly common tank in T-34 especially compared with the KV, which was actually, encountered - KV-1 1940 30%, KV-1 1939 tank at 80% rarity, KV-2 65% rarity. I don’t have any data to hand but would assume that the KV-1 1039 was the more common tank because it had been operational longer, rather than rarer because it was been replaced. How does battlefront determine rarity? I must make a plea for the inclusion of the T-28 – which must have been a more common ubertank at the start of the war than the T-34 or the KV. OK it is a multiple turreted tank and I have been told that the system can not cope with such tanks. (I will accept you cannot do T-32/T-35.) Can there not be a fudge the two MG turrets – must have had less than 180 rotation – so why the need to treat them as turrets. The Big problem with multi-turret tanks is that commander cannot control all the turrets – this is a good excuse to let the AI fire the turrets at whatever target it wants. Please, please can we have it in the patch. I noticed that the 81mm mortar is 41 points but the German 81mm is 33 points and Italian offboard 81mm mortar battery is only 53 points – how is this calculated? A very big moan is that the a points game gives you some information such as amount woods etc, but not other critical information such as is it day or night, fine or snow and if memory serves me correctly if it is an encounter or defence game. Opponents rarely, tell you this information any more. Please can we have this info added to the start screens in the next patch, please... please! Many thanks for taking the time to read my moans and questions.

Juju has increased the colour depth and reduced the pixelation of the Hungarian Battleflag - updated version two on the site now.