Desert Dave

As for A-bombs... why would you even want these? Weren't used in GErmany. Nope, nix. By the time they were actually inflicted on the non-combatants in Japan, the war was O.. V.. E.. R. Only thing I can figure... some kind of awful thrill in visualizing a lot of peeps being vaporized???

The Luftwafffe had... ONE MILLION MEN... serving in the Fliegerabwehrkanonen. AKA: The "flak." I don't think we want 10-20 flak units RE-presented in this game, do we? Not at this scale anyhow. OTOH, you could make a mod that would indeed have them 88mm Flak doom-gun batteries all lined up and firing 4th-of-July kind of flames into the night skies. I'd rather see separate Naval bombers myself. Which would cost more since the naval pilots required more specialized training than the others. Not a bad idea, but currently beyond the capabilites of this game engine. Maybe down the glory road, eh? For now, it's probably best to suggest that which CAN be done -- oh, a twitch or a tweak here and there, as opposed to something highly contrived (... IE, WRT RE-doing a lot of code) which we realize is now highly improbable?

Actually a decent point here, and one that I tend to agree with. Probably could be better re-presented by having MORE "demoralization" and LESS strength point losses. Here's the thing -> YOU can change this in the Editor. I have. And with shore-bombardments as well. It's so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o easy to do. Thanks! To HC for providing the VERY finest Editor that has EVER been constructed out of... nothing to start with. I've played almost all of 'em, and IF we were to use a scale, say 10 for the best, and 1 for the worst, well, Hubert's editor would be an eleven (11) and the NEXT CLOSEST game would be, oh, about one-half (1/2). Do this too much and you end up with: Deconstructionsim Relativism Exceptionalism Existentialsim Unjust-War-ism ISM-ism LOL! Ah, how we tend to "abstract" doggone near everythng... into bits & pieces of NON sense. Me as much as the next guy falling-off-the-back-of-the-turnip truck, so no offense intended. All I can say, good thang the Engineers and Game-makers don't do too awful much of this! O/W, you'd have bridges and auto-mobiles and war-games -- such as those made by Grigsby and that "Hearts of Iron" malfeasance and etc -- that collapse under tiniest little iota of applied pressure!

The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose. *********************************************** The above succinct indictment of "the State," and it's dully dumb devotions to War, was composed by Randall Jarrell, who served in the US Army Air Force during WW2. He also offers the following brief explanatory note on his short, yet, truly memorable poem... copyright 1945: ----------------------------------------------------------- "A ball turret was a Plexiglas sphere set into the belly of a B-17 or B-24, and inhabited by two .50 caliber machine-guns and one man, a short small man. When this gunner tracked with his machine guns a fighter attacking his bomber from below, he revolved with the turret; hunched upside-down in his little sphere, he looked like the foetus in the womb. The fighters which attacked him were armed with cannon firing explosive shells. The hose was a steam hose." ------------------------------------------------------------- In most instances the real-deal story of any war is to be found in the fictional, and selectively, in the non-fictional accounts of those who were there. Nobody did it better than Ernest Hemingway's "Farewell to Arms." One active participant's (... as an ambulance driver) romantically expressed disenchantment with the first world war, or as can be easily extrapolated -- any war. Also, the best history is to be found in those some times terribly intimate details provided by (... non "embedded," as in Iraq2) journalists who traveled with, occasionally fought with, and very surely lived and died with the troops. I am considering here and now a few truly stalwart writers such as... Bill Mauldin in Italy -- primarlily a cartoonist, so to speak, who wrote sparely but with intense spirit and lyric; and Ernie Pyle who sailed with the army and marines, island-hopping throughout the South Pacific; and of particular interest to me, Michael Herr who wrote the definitive account of Vietnam -- "Dispatches." What is mythic, what is dug deep from the very gut -- to include the dreams, the fantasies, the intuition and the sub-conscious understanding insofar as it might be apprehended -- of the ones who... were there... trumps "history" every single time, IMHO. For -- really, what is "history?" A compilation of anecdotes. A SUBJECTIVE interpretation of distant events, adjuged -- disturbingly, distantly. And worse, "historians" tend to rely on Government sources for their "facts," and those, as we might know, or -- guess-it-so, if we don't know -- quite yet... are ever unreliable. JMO. It's all I got. It's all I need.

The Japanese Army had that "zen warrior" mentality. What is that called? Ummm... bushido? LOL! Anyhow, they were in constant and continual clashes with the Navy, who were far less doctrinaire when it came to allowing ancient ideology to dictate their S & T. This constant internecine warfare naturally led to conflicts WRT who would get vital resources and manpower. Was this the ONLY reason they lost the War? No. But, I am already beat and tired typing out merely that much WW2 Pacific history. Yep, JJ, and Henry Ford had some shady wheeling & dealing with the Nazis as well, IIRC. Well, he was an "Egyptologist" and was maybe? Hoping they would venture out on an anthropological dig and find him a suitable resting place? For a man of his stature, I mean. Either that, or a cavern deep and dark and aswarm w/snakes... for all those labor agitators who clamored for a living wage? Too bad for him, but the Anthro black cats decided to TRY and find the Ark of the Covenant instead! Fortunately, Harrison Ford thwarted them in any case... wait! That was a MOVIE I saw awhile back? No big deal, I've been going out on the high desert roundabouts Desert City in search of the Holy Grail. I wear my old canvas-sided combat boots with no laces and I carry my trusty canteen and entrenching tool and just... keep digging and digging and digging and so far... alas, no Grail. The work's not too bad, there under the burning lens of the Sun. I don't bother re-filling the holes, for one thing. I did find some fantastic artifacts... a rusted out pail with little sea-horses on the side and some really ancient sea-shells -> that tell the tale of this very windy & dusty! High desert (... the USA State I reside in is about the size of the modern Nation of GErmany... got a ways to go on that digging I guess) once having been completely underwater! Also found a few fragments of gold nuggets the Conquistadores must've dropped on their way to San Jose. Well, anyway, since we DO INDEED have this phenomenon known as "global warming," perhaps here pret' soon I can simply get in the row-boat I keep handy in my backyard shed, and simply row on out and scoop up those shining new sea-shells! Some times... Life IS X-actly like a movie, I reckon. What makes it all -- so much fun!

In the CONTEXT of the quote quoted, and given the CONTEXT of Bush Junior's original bellicose bluster, I stand by my comment that Axis -> IN THIS INSTANCE, signifies... 3. Ah me, 3 TINY little world powers trumpeted-up! As the evil Axis does indeed = 3,... in the minds of those who had to listen (... worse by far, suffer the carnage of) to this "pre-emptive" kind of neo-con clap-trap. O/W, you are exacto-mundo! Correcto! WRT to the dictionary def of "axis." [... not to mention the long-standing WW2 reference to the Axis = 3, IE -> GErmany, Italy & Japan, yes?]

Thank you, incomparably rare species... Historianacus Floridus, you have yet again! Demonstrated precisely HOW "history" can be made interesting and entertaining. Presented with no small insight, and even better than that! Insofar as I am concerned! With some carefully placed... grace and, lyric. I am hardly surprised, no, not after all these many years of reading yer takes, faint & bold praises, and panegyrics too! On sur-real aspects of WW2. Which is why I have "quoted" yer entire... Axis-as-3-stooges-redux... ram-a-lang-a-ding-dong - shebang! Since Axis implies 3, one might presume you left out the vilest tentacle of the Triad, IE them there Wall Street Molochs ... annihilators of whole entire blocks of Main Street USA's Angels, satans, people and trees!"

Wanted to add one more thing. IF we had a "partially, to more-completely-rubbled" City, then! The avid game player would have to wonder? Hmmm, is that City... diminished enough so -> that I have gotten it BELOW that magic # of 5... which, size-wise, is required in order for the wily opponent to Op-move across great distances. X-tremely vital when preparing for invasions, eh? To prevent quick reinforcements. Now, that would be just plain 'ol, flat-out non-redundant... FUN!

Cool. It's just that I wanted folks to COMPLETELY understand me -> That I would LIKE TO HAVE that option for MORE historical research, AND! Given that the game has progressed to the point where there are a MULTITUDE of events, decisions and very many other time-consuming aspects... well, IF I did NOT have to worry about research anomolies & vagaries (... IE, advancements would arrive in due course all the while -> RETAINING some parameter of chance) THEN I could! JUST... play! ... the game! With SKILL being the PRIME mover mover! Whoa! What a fantastic big-ring SHOW it could be! For those like JdF2, and you -> and me!

Great ideas SM! Now we're kicked back and talking IMAGES, [... and I appreciate we are thinking AHEAD of the curve here; after all, Global is probably immanent and NO TIME to do this kinda X-travagant stuff now] I'd REALLY like to see particular research upgrades reflect the yearly increase in MOBILITY. For instance... for Artillery you would eventually get the tracked arty that all major Nations developed. Same holds true for the later tracked anti-tank vehicles. That SC Artist needs to get 'is paint palette REALLY re-mixed and brush us up -> something innovative and new! See, since Humans rely on SIGHT for the major part of their sense receptions (... though, mostly disregarding the MOST important... 6th sense), perception is crucial and critical. Due to so very many demands on our limited ability to absorb SO MUCH data, what is "aesthetical" -- IE, more attractively, originally presented -- matters more and more as time goes on. Too bad in a way, but it's what we got now in this latter-day... Age of short attention spans and Instant Gratification. Well these "tracked vehicles" may not always work at the MACRO level (... tho, I myself would surely use them, EVEN for a Global Mod!), but for those who MOD the smaller-scaled scenarios, it would be the Alley Cat's Meow!

Far as SPRITES go, there are a couple of things I wouldn't mind seeing: 1) For CITY/TOWN... have it where strategic bombing would result in several partially destroyed sprites. When the City is REDUCED by ~30% you'd have a PARTIALLY destroyed sprite When it is leveled by ~70% you'd see a more completely destroyed sprite. That way, the game player could tell -- at a quick glance -- whether his bombing campaign is having -> none, some, or a lot of success. All the game artist would have to do is a couple quick sketches, tho, don't know what would be required coding wise? 2) I'd really rather see TRUCKS used for the motorization icon, and 3) Have a new slot for MECHANIZED. This would incidentally add better re-presentation to some Minor force pools, such as Rumania, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Turkey and some others that do NOT qualify for a full-fledged ARMOR unit.

Since the VAST MAJORITY of games are played SOLO, I'd imagine that it would be a grand thing To have as many CHOICES as possible? The more choices, the more satisfied players. The more satisfied players, the better is the "word of mouth." The exponentially increasing word-of-mouth leads to more sales. The more sales, the increased likelihood there will be more games. More games - and especially those as accomplished as SC Means more FUN! For every one! Even! For those that prefer more SKILL requirements, And a LITTLE less "luck, randomness and chance." Which is ALL I am asking for. NOT eliminating it, nay, nor, even, DRASTICALLY cutting it back. See what I be gettting -at here SeaMonkey? -------------------------------------------------- Hmmm, IF it quacks - rack 'em! just like a Duck, And, IF it walks golf courses awkwardly (... it's that crooked 9-iron we know about) Just like a Duck, Well then, it's probably...

I like it JdF2! It's... succinct and straight like an unleashed bow arrow -> FIERCE to the far, FAR away bulls-eye! More economical than my comments, also... kinda like Pre-Reagonomics, and Post-Reagonomics! (... IE, more Keynesian and less "Chicago School," IE -> Milton Friedman and that there pitiless obsession with... perpetual shock doctrines, ugh!)

Yep JJ there's been plenty of great comedians over our lifetimes... Morth Sahl, Andy Kaufman, George Carlin, and Robin Williams & Steve Martin -- at times, and not to omit! Richard Pryor. Laughter IS the best medicine. Been proven, even, via (soft) scientific research. Many times over. And even better than that academic kinda proofing (spoofing? somethimes you gotta wonder!), it's really just... common sense. You have consistently made me laugh over these many years, and so have many others right here on this very forum. Thanks for that. Having FUN is what it's all about. Whether playing the games, or just kibitzing around.

Snowstorm: Glad you are in accord (... ah, MOSTLY, since no 2 humans EVER agree fully, eh? Well, that's how it should be). To elaborate a little more: 1) I would like to play the game(s) where SKILL is the primary determinant. All too often I have heard (... even if merely echoes in my own hollow head) the following moan-full lament... "I'd'a beat that no-good sonofagun! IF NOT FOR THE RESEARCH LUCK! Bah!" How often would I myself play it using "more historical research?" I'd say -> EVERY OTHER GAME. You know what, that's a LOT. 2) Those opposed (... who haven't made much of a case, either in this thread or on ANY threads I've read over these many years) like to tell me... "You've ALREADY got sufficient control on TOO MUCH LUCK in research. You've got that 1% added to your research success IF another player/nation is ahead of you. ONE WHOLE PERCENT. How often does that strike? 1 in 100 times. They also remind me of the "intel" that now & again grants me a bonus. How often does that occur? I've played 3 or 4 games in recent weeks and it has happened ONCE (... and then, when I had 2 intel successes). 3) I have been playing war-games -- and especially WW2 ETO games, since age 9. That's HALF A CENTURY. I have managed to thoroughly! enjoy most of those games, and NONE of them had random research. They had competely faithful or mostly faithful progressions through the tech tree. 4) When you have ONLY random chances, the ONE AREA that really makes a difference (... even moreso than my above related example of L-0 tanks VS opponent with L-4 by 1943) is in INDUSTRIAL advances. It is impossible -> EVEN when playing the AI @ "Expert, +2 -- for Russia to be able to push the GErmans back into Eastern Europe IN ANY GAME where they DO NOT get adequate research advances in "Industrial Tech." There is simply not enough $$$$. There is no there there. ---------------------------------- OK, here's one way to do it: After 3 months -- ADD 2% to the chance of success for any given research field. After 6 months -- ADD 4% to the chance... After 9 months -- ADD 6% After 1 year -- ADD 8% After 15 months - ADD 10% STOP at that point. STILL random alrigt. And STILL in addition to ALL those other factors that ALSO make the game random. Such as: Combat outcome variability, weather effects, trigger effects on Event and AI schematics, variablility in Human/AI responses, diplomacy (whether using the table or random events), decision event choices, and even more. That's not enough CHANCE? ------------------------------ AND/OR... as part of our pre-game CHOICE of HOW we'd like to play -- you know, simply clicking a button, same as you'd do with "soft build limits" or "diplomacy" and etc, You could have it where there is an alternate and/or a wholly separate... 2nd kind of feature (... and this is where our trusty "Science Minister" comes in): Simply remove research altogether and let it progress according to "historical outcomes." WITH a 6 month to 1 year variablilty either way. So that, you would STILL have "semi-random." True? JJR has stated in this thread that this would make the games BORING. Rubbish. It would mean you would play the games (... at least sometimes, and for me, every other time) and MAINLY -> your SKILL at tactics would be the determinant in game outcome. Not a bad way to go IMHO. ***************************** Having said all that, I am in NO WAY suggesting that Hubert's games are deficient somehow. LOOK IT UP. I have ALWAYS said that his Editor and his AI are... SECOND TO NONE. To make it plainer than that even -- and as I've ALSO always said, EVEN to the extent of posting harsh and detailed critiques of ALL those other WW2 "pretenders" out there -- that SC is the very best game in this genre... now on the market. Can't be more complimentary than that I wouldn't suppose. Well, I am purely interested in seeing that it remains that way. Somebody disagrees? Get in here and say so. Not too awful hard to do. **And the ONLY way that it will REMAIN the best, is when Forum folks say what's on their mind and not become victims of "groupthink" or rely mostly on "kiss-*ss approvals" or O/W subtly or overtly undermine DYNAMIC and X-traordinary development by witholding honest and up-front comments. Hey! It's change or stagnation. Always has been, as the Competitors (... in whatever field) ain't gonna stand around and wring 'em hands and mope. Nope, nope, that's for dopes.

Wait a minute, wait one cotton-picking minute here! Immer would NEVER say something so... irritatingly uptight as this: ----------------------------------- "Many of us surely expected your intervention. Padlocks are designed for a good and sufficient reason. Mindless nihilism is hardly a substitute for measured and cogent commentary. Unless of course there is a need to over-throw a terrible Tyrant, or briefly explore the Collective Unconscious" ------------------------------------ Upon refllection, well maybe... he would, ahhhhhh... THAT's why he's in that jail up on the Butte overlooking the Rio Grande River! And has been there since Cristmas riot, Come to think of it! Perhaps? He was not REALLY an instigator, an outside agitator, some 60's DEgenerate, oh no, he was... jeeeeeeeez! An INSIDER. In the fob-pocket of the vest the Big Boys used to wore. Never on the same day, naturally, but every 3rd day anyway! He wrote babbling notes in a crabbed hand! Scratching frantically like a barnyard cat trapped under a stack of hay! No! Hold the phone... scrreeeeeee, wrackle carack... & pop! explodes the weasels! Alackaday! It's Immer! Coming through on that invisible Blue Bird RAd-io! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kuni is duping you my old & doddering & cantankerous fraternal Twin Brother! He is dicing & chopping the ancient scrolls, this heinous felonious text into -- fragments -- that Benefit him and his KIND! Kinda like photoshopping. Like where you see a PIC in a slag-mag of Shraron Stone and she's got this 20 year Old Bod - you know, upper front pushed WAY out and the middle behind Protruding like a sack full of over-ripe melons! T& A IOW! Sure! Don't believe this Commie Agit Prop Loki-meister -- for one stinkin' minute! ------------------------------------------------------ OK, yer right Immer and -- that's IT! KUNI & JJ and Comrade & Brian the Wise and CvM, and Macon et al -- it's enough! I dare say, O crapola, I need my meds! The White Knight is walking backwards, The Red Queen is delerious with her King-sized wedding-eve dreams, and! The Dormouse has already up and said said said! "Feed your Head!" And rambo jr - you bet, it's coming clear now -> HE's the one behind the curtain. Gotta be. The evidence is IN and damning! Saw it on lap-top split-screen! He was always... the Oz Man, who has this TREMENDOUS booming voice, only... when the curtain is yanked aside -- well, well, well, what do we see, hmmmm? A little shrunken gnome that is propped upright by a bent crooked 9-iron. He stoops over and his white beard droops, and eyes're like 2 holes burnt in a white sheet with a smoldering cigarette end, That burned & burned (twice, if yer counting) in the black-hole pit of the night! I have had enough! It's Christmas Riot Redux! Bring me the pills Jeeves, 'at's a fine fellow! NO! NOT the suppositories! The little pink and yellow ones you keep handy up yer sleeve For occasions JUST such as this when all is cruelly framboozeled, And the Center will not hold, yea, It's the moment for one last stand! The one-horned Beast slouches onward across the sun-blistered sands, And when you stare into the Abyss - Aieeeeeeeee! The abyss stares directly right back -> into you! I can't stand it I tell you. Hiatus time. Hiatus time. H-i-a-t-u-s T-i-m-e once more! O, LOLOLOLOL, ah me the defeated creature at last, Undone by the memory of some strange holiday riot years & years ago, oh, Haha haha hahahahahaha! Ah, ha ha! Hahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahah!

My objection to that vapid piece of puerile crap had nothing to do with cursing. I REALLY liked Lenny Bruce back when, and I like Bill Maher and Jon Stewart now, both of whom have been known to curse to blue blazes. ------------ Well, far as war goes, I reckon it all depends on what the prevailing definition of "evil," IS. And from which vantage point you view it, IE -> back 'er in 1776 I'd imagine the Lords & Masters of the doomed Brit Empire thought Thomas Paine and John Paul Jones were "terrorists," eh? ALL you gotta do here in USA to stop this senseless "pre-emptive" sh*t & shinola, is reinstate the draft. No exceptions for boils on the butt like the demagogue Limbaugh! And, ALL Senator's sons & daughters have to serve. And, ALL Congressman's sons & daughters got to serve. And, NO "chicken-hawking out" for the rich or the famous or the ones with "connections." That'll do er' I reckon!!

LOL! Ah, that recent hiatus was so much fun! And also -. not fun! Simultaneously no less! Sure, SM you can count on me -. one 2 anna 3!

Quick Addendum: What I am sorta getting at there is this... IF I could click on a "semi-historical" tech outcome, I would NOT have to deal with this for the rest of that particular game. Same way as how we can turn off Diplomacy for instance. Let the tech advances happen according to the dictates of my "Research Minister," so to speak. IE, in the way that some games have it where you can turn over many aspects of the game, to an "advisor" or "minister." That way, and again, given the long time to play out the whole Global, this would help SPEED UP the game. Then! I could stay up to 3 or 4 in the morning for "just one more turn!" for reasons other than insomnia or the doggone Cat moaning like a banshee to get outside.

While I surely do understand and appreciate that it is likely too late in the process to have any significant changes, there is one thing -> consistent throughout ALL of the iterations since SC-1, that I have ALWAYS wished were different. Some kind of tech advancement model where you could check-off a box at game outset, and have a "semi-HISTORICAL" outcome. Now, I appreciate that varying tech advancements absolutely! Makes each game different, and terrifically re-playable. No argument there. Tho, I would counter by saying that there are several OTHER aspects that provide PLENTY of opportunity for "randomness." IE, combat outcomes, Diplomacy, decison-events, unpredictability of Human or AI, varying "triggers" on Events, and etc. Granted, the outlier/unusual thing does NOT happen very often, but, it is TRULY frustrating - as recently happened to me when playing "Storm of Steel"... when you don't EVEN get L-1 tanks for GErmany by late 1943. Whereas them Relentless Reds had L-4 tank tech by that time. [... yeah yeah Terif I know, I know, you CAN adjust yer strategy and still win, well, YOU could, so you claim anyway, but not I... where in tarnation ARE you BTW?] Anyway, utterly RUINED the whole game and I deliberately crashed it. Kinda like playing Third Reich and making a one to one attack on Paris or Leningrad and rolling a wrong number and, having lost 2 "4-6" armor and 4 "3-3" infantry, well, ipso finito, THAT game is over. And so, the upshot: I'd really REALLY REALLY! like to see an option at game start to have that previously mentioned "semi-historical" tech tree. Really. Not precisely, but say, oh, each researchable area would advance for each unique Nation within 6 months to year of it's ACTUAL historical outcome. GIVEN -. Global is likely to be MUCH larger in terms of... all of what you NEED to do in TWO Theatres. I can remember playing SC-1 until 3 or 4 in the morning, BECAUSE -> I had to finish "just one more turn," I couldn't help it, there was NO stopping now! And I mean I would start and finish -> a WHOLE and complete game! Didn't do much for my work output the next day, but, well worth it anyway! OK, and again, I COMPLETELY understand that it's HIGHLY unlikey that MAJOR changes can be made at this late stage. Perhaps... down the glory road, as enhancement that is part of a patch? Or, wait until SC-3? No problem, fine by me. For here & now, I wonder? Could something be coded in where you would select that "semi-historical" or, maybe better stated... "more historical tech advances," AND -> you would DEFINITELY reach the next tech level after so many months/years have passed. IE, you invest a chit in heavy tanks in November of 1939. You would keep the SAME 5-4-3-2-1 chance, BUT... the % would INCREASE by X number of percentage points... EVERY 6 months. Or every 3 months. Or every year, whatever is determined to be most appropriate. Well, a long post, but I gotta admit... THIS is the ONE thing -. out of every other game feature, that has bothered me the MOST over these 8 years. Thus, the l-o-o-o-n-g X-planation. [... yep, I know there ARE a few ways to fiddle this into APPROXIMATE reality, and I've modded them all, BUT they don't come anywhere near what I've described above... I am talking about a SIMPLE little pre-game "click." And there she is! ]

You didn't insult... me. Rather, I insulted myself. Curious, but true. I did not call for anyone to censor this inane sillliness. I never have done such a thing since I've been here. Period. I did not suggest in any way shape or form that broader perspectives aren't valuable. In my own posting history, quite the opposite is surely true. Anyhow and foremost, my apologies Big Al for NOT clearly separating the message from the messenger. If I am not able to adequately do that at this point in my life, well, back to a lower rung on the ladder, and I'll commence the climb all over again. My distaste and PERSONAL disgust with this sort of trivial Net trash is ONLY that, merely my own, and nothing more.

Reducing the spotting so that SB's = Naval bombers is a good idea, as I mentioned in my first post. I also agree that CV's should have to bear the brunt of locating sub & surface raiders. One problem... as currently constituted, in game terms (... and here we need go back to "Storm of Steel" in PDE) the UK Carriers are over-rated. IE, too much fire-power relative to: a) the IJN & USN, and the very large # of A/C in the typical LB air unit, of any kind. Let's see... 20-40 mixed plane groupings in UK Carrier (... recall it was a Swordfish BI-PLANE that put the Bismark's rudder out of commission) compared to what? ~500 planes in a LB air group? That's quite a HUGE difference, yes? The "combat target data" should be adjusted DOWNWARD for ALL UK Carriers. Naval Attack, Carrier Attack, and most especially Sub Attack. And I also agree with the one who said that SB "sub attack" should be reduced as well. The Battle of the Atlantic is obviously of great interest and concern to MANY SC folks, as evidenced by the # of posts herein. Most of which (... ah, sure, excluding mine, LOL!) are VERY informative and helpful.

Ummmm, not sure why you'd think THIS GROUP would appreciate that sorta low-life, bliss-of-the-knife (... our pal Nietzsche again) serially silly & stupid antics? ???? Punks indeed, but I myself don't notice so very many a' them there sorta slagging drag-*ss Cats in here. Who might them kind be, Big Al?

Say, SM ... what'd you have for Tex breakfast this morning? OOoops! Sorry. That's for... "twittering," or to put on yer facebook? Or myspace - heck I can't keep track of ALL the crazy ways to be connected nowadays... or could be? A new TV series like Ozzy the English (... every other word is a curse word) Goof had awhile back? Sure! You could send the little neighbor boy aloft in a hot-air balloon along with Elin Wood's 9-iron? And then the kid could do us all a BIG favor and drop the golf-club on Jon Gosselin's aggrieved head - since he has so many kids he can't count 'em all! Man, you'd have the MASS MEDIA drooling hyperbole - all over it! You could be a semi-celebrity! Back O/T: I'd agree that in a one month period, there would be plenty of opportunities or "windows" to move highly mobile Air Fleets around. They could surely take off at some hour of the day or night, and would NOT be ALWAYS flying through bad weather. Whereas with a more static unit, they are restricted by immobility and inability to fly OVER the storm front. But, I DO like arado234's notion about having "weather reports." You could do it where the weather reports are mostly accurate, but... sometimes NOT accurate, as it is mostly done on our local weather channel. THAT would certainly add in a REALISTIC sorta "random event." Come to think of it, VERY realistic.

As with Rambo, I agree with you Kuni. [... tho, knowing Hubert as we do, likely he's got SC3 and 4 and 5 percolating in the back of his mind, ALREADY? ] One or both of you - start another thread? Or not, hey! I ain't no officer issuing conflicting orders, nope, just some slog-it-along private 2nd class kinda guy, clinging to last-gasp hopes.