Lou2000

Anybody on the forum read this .... Panzertaktik: Amazon Books Looking for some info. It looks good, but never judge a book by its cover (literally)...especially at this price ! Reviews are a bit mixed ...... is it worth it ??

Just throwing a couple of ideas into the pot ! 1. I dont know if this one can be done.... Some sort of temporary 'blog' or posting area where tcp/ip players can post their details, (similar to the way they currently do on the BFC forum). To be used for 'engineering' ip games during setup or loss of connection. Obviously these could become bloated over time, but if the posts were automatically removed after a period of about 4 hours it should provide enough time for gaming and prevent bloating. A 4 hour timelimit would also ensure that any ip's posted when looking for a game are fairly current. I dont actually play many ip games, so maybe somebody who does could say if this would be of any use. 2. This isnt my idea, but was posted in another thread and it seems suitable. A list of player recommended scenarios & maps, either hosted on the site, or with links to the host site (eg. Scenario depot) .... with their permission of course . It would provide a quick pool of maps that suit multiplayer games. Obviously there are lots on other sites,the scenario depot in particular, but they dont all get reviewed and it seems crazy they cant be searched on PBEM suitablility/rating.

A little self bump to ensure the proposed settings get seen ............ Lou2000

To add to all the other questions, here's another one ... (if you get a chance to answer) Will there be any change to the campaign structure of the game ? As its the same game engine I doubt it, but the ability to carry forward units from battle to battle would be excellent. If it could be done being able to import all one sides 'servicable' units from a saved game and then use remaining points to top-up would make a good addition to the campaing play. ================================================ As for the lack of French forces ..... this is a desert campaing against a brutal, oppressive regime !!!

1. YES ! :cool: 2. I dont even need to go to CDV to get it 3. "you can count on seeing multi-turreted vehicles (and those with turrets and sponsons)" ..... So let me be the first to ask... can we have some for CMBB (be honest you knew that one was coming) 4. Poor old 'mac os-x' users ... get a PC 5. I take it the stories about the current CM engine being 'dead' should be ingnored ? 6. THANKYOU ! Edited because Shep beat me to the 'multi turret' vehicles statement .... I'd better learn to type quicker ! [ April 04, 2003, 02:16 PM: Message edited by: Lou2000 ]

This would be a good idea ... though it may not suit a 'tactics' site ... however if you check out the Proving Grounds thread, it could be a good idea for that site, as its a dedicated multiplayer site. Suggest it in the thread, GJK is currently looking for feedback and input for the site... ..... oh yeah and you may want to join

Ok getting close to some of the Round 2 games starting ... especially as CSM is just about finnished kicking me off the battlefield (sorry Greens ) Here are the proposed settings: =============================================== Dec '43 North Combined Arms German - Mech Soviet - Infantry (see notes at bottom) Quality - Medium Allow Human Casualties - 10% Ammo - Full Sewer Movement - Allowed (but N/A due to map type) Meeting Engagement 1500 points Map - Medium Handicap - None Rarity - Standard Time - Mid day Temp - Cold Weather - Overcast / Breeze Map: Terrain - Farmland Trees - Moderate Hills - Modest Damage - Light Turns 27 +/- variable =============================================== Germans should get 399 armour points and the Russians 423. It gives the Germans tigers (218 - green) and the Russians have KV-1's (190 - green) or could afford a KV-85 (237 - green). Both side can still get their StuG's, SU's and the lighter stuff. I need Feedback on this one (forum or email) ......... I looked at the Soviet Guards and they seem to get a poor deal on the available troop types, so I have gone for Soviet Combined Arms/Infantry .. it seems a little closer ... as always I'm open to change if there is enough support ! Late '43 the Germans get Shrek teams and with Soviet Inf come the SMG squads, so each side seems to have advantages in different areas. For Infantry the Russians can even pick at battalion level and have enough points for armour. Just for info the SEPTIC tournament have also been changing their settings for similar reasons. Their round 1 games were a clean sweep to the Russians. If no drastic reasons for change then I'm going to confirm these settings Sunday morning. Any feelings make them known ............ otherwise, just take the fight as it comes

Max ... Welcome to the world of Combat Mission. Just a word of warning ! BEFORE you open the box, buy your wife a present, take her for a meal and pay her some attention. Call all your friends and family, just to say hello. ....... Once you open the box, it may be sometime before any of them hear from you again

Just a bump from page 4 ..... As I dont think the original question from MG-42 actually got the response it deserves ... the guy was trying to get an idea of what people want and it kinda lost track a little ... you could hardly blame him if he's given up on the idea now though As the Proving Grounds are now up as a multiplayer site, with all the functions I was looking for (and more!)and new members joining daily, :cool: I'm going to throw my vote in with the the 'Tactics' crowd, as its an area MG seems interested in, I'm fairly sure it was going to go that way anyway One article that I'd like to see is one that covers the advantages / disadvantages that the Axis & Allied forces have with the availble forces for each year. Not a shopping list of what to buy, not a lesson in the tactics to use for an attack over open ground etc .... But more a discussion on each sides strenghts and weaknesses for a given year, how Russian armour/infantry compares to German in '41 '42 ... Why do I think this would be useful ? Well it would help people who are getting into scenario design and want to ensure they are producing a balanced game. People could spend hours trying to get a map just right but unless it provides balanced forces all the effort is wasted. It would help players with their general knowledge of forces in the game, which in turn gives a better understanding on how to deploy and use them... and in almost every PBEM i've played (yeah multiplayer again ) one thing that often comes up is what year/month to pick for a balanced game. The article might even include some setting general force mix and year setings based on a 'reference' game - say 2000 point/ME/everything set to med/mod - and let players make adjustments to suit. Obviously it would take somebody with 'the knowledge' to produce this article ...do we know anybody with that level of understanding but I think it would make a good and informative read (IMHO) Well I think we can consider that 'bumped' [ April 03, 2003, 12:56 AM: Message edited by: Lou2000 ]

As the membership list is still steadily growing, I was just wondering if anybody else has actually made contact with an opponent using the site ?? I've got 2 games via the site (nevermind & Sgt Kelly) Oh yeah and another bump ...... also using my sig to spread the word for a while

Thats pretty much what I was thinking ... not specifics about what units to pick ... but more an overview with details for the main Axis $ Allied strenghts and weaknesses during each year ... or even broken down by early & late periods for each year (ie late '42 / early '43) if it suits better ..... I had some similar advice by email earlier and got to thinking how a fuller version of that info would be really usefull ....(for me anyway ) Here are some extracts from the email .. hopefully the author wont object .. though I'll keep it anonymous as I wouldnt want to put any pressure on anybody to come up with the fuller article .......though some feedback may encourage him to produce one ========================================== ....1500 point / ME / Aug '43 / med hills / mod trees / dry & overcast / pick own forces. The date heavily favors the Germans. Because Tigers are out and no longer particularly scarce. 80mm front StuGs are out and common. But it is one month before the arrival of the first 85mm Russian AFV. With what you have, the Germans may take a full platoon of StuG-IIIGs, or one Tiger and a StuG (or with a bad rariety roll, perhaps a Grille or Marder). The Russians will have 3-4 T-34s or 2 SU-152s, or will go "gamey" and take 5 Valentine IXs (rariety roll permitting). A platoon of StuGs vs. a platoon of T-34s is heavily lopsided in favor of the StuGs, for the armor war. (The T-34s are better vs. infantry, but they won't live long enough for that to matter against 3 StuGs or a Tiger). Russian cavalry is a bad idea. It severely limits their infantry type, to a particularly poor type. In a combined arms battle this size, the infantry portion of the forces will be 2-3 companies, a large portion of either force. =============================================== This is only an extract of the email ... but it gives the general idea - general strenghts and weaknesses for Aug '43. A fuller article along those lines would make excellent reading and IMHO is better than a list of "pick this unit for #####, pick that unit for #####" as it leaves the player to analyse the advice and make his decisions. I agree with you that a general 'blog' has the potential to get cluttered with pointless posts ...but there is always room for quality, well thought out and presented advice. Lou2000

Just an idea for some content on the site that came to me whilst talking to another, much more experienced player ....... One of thing I always see when 2 'average' players are setting up for the first time is what settings to pick in a QB for a balanced game. I think an article written by one of the CMBB 'Vets' giving some advice on settings would be useful to the newer player ..... or those like myself, who are only just starting to look in more depth at the effect on balance some settings can have .... OK I know there are lots of factors that can effect gameplay (map size/points etc) but if it was based for example on a 2000 point,QB, ME, medium map, modest hills with moderate trees as a 'reference game' it could prove useful as a pointer, whilst still leaving the player to make all the decisions and appropriate adjustments for the difference in their current game compared to the 'reference game'. I'm NOT talking about a list of forces a player should pick, that would be a huge task and there are just too many variables/options, more along the lines of the advantages/disadvantages that each side has for a given year in its armour, equipment and infantry choices etc .... A 'balanced game primer !' Also I know most if not all of these problems can be overcome by playing pre-made scenarios and these give good well balanced games .... but they also stop people from having to actually think about the year, force mix and the consequences on the balance of a battle. The majority of players joining the site so far (since relaunch), have rated themselves as either 'green' or 'regular'. So I'm fairly sure there must be more than just myself who would find this useful ..... unless I really am the only one :eek: Lou2000

SETTINGS:- I have asked a non-player (nameless) 3rd party, who has a reputation for giving sound advice, for an opinion on the settings ....These are his unbiased views and are as valid as anybody elses -You will be playing the games, but they do give some food for thought ....... here are a few clips from his email.... ======================================== Round 2 games will be 1500 point / ME / Aug '43 / med hills / mod trees / dry & overcast / pick own forces. The date heavily favors the Germans. Because Tigers are out and no longer particularly scarce. 80mm front StuGs are out and common. But it is one month before the arrival of the first 85mm Russian AFV. ......snip....... Russian cavalry is a bad idea. It severely limits their infantry type, to a particularly poor type. In a combined arms battle this size, the infantry portion of the forces will be 2-3 companies, a large portion of either force. If you shift the German force type to infantry, their armor budget drops to 201. They can't afford a Tiger. They can afford a StuG and change, and if they like can add gun halftracks. But they are outnumbered in armor war terms pretty seriously. The qualitative edge of the StuG is still there, but not a match for 4 T-34s. A better balance idea is to move the date to October or November, and to ban Tigers. That allows SU-85s, which can counter StuGs. Or to move the whole year, to 1944 (T-34 85s are out) or 1942 (perhaps with StuG restrictions, as well). If you keep the date mid 1943, the Russians need all their armor point advantage. And the Germans still have an edge with Panzer division unit type - the Russians have one if the German parent unit type is Infantry. ============================================= An option could be to move the date to move the date to Nov and ban Tigers (but what about KV's ? ) ....... Or set the force type to 'armour' (which leaves fairly unrestricted armour points) but restrict the rarity value to 50% or 65% thus limiting choice. Of course we could just forget the changes and go with the current settings ... imbalance or not ! Hoping to get this sorted in the next 24-48 hours and publish the settings for Round 2. Before we get that far - I know circumstances change and we all know (and hopefully accept)that turn rates can vary due to other commitments but...... is everybody still 'IN' for the next round ? If anybody forsees any problems that could force them to withdraw completely - just email me. Thanks Lou2000

Just to keep spreading the word........BUMP !

As certain 'Round 2' games will be starting shortly this is the last chance to have your say on changes to the settings - particularly those for Force Mix .... I'm currently looking at the earlier suggestion of Combined Arms Axis Mechanised (399 armour pts) versus Soviet Guards (423 pts). Modest hills/moderate trees, with 'overcast' dry weather and 27 turns variable ..... That would seem to cover most of the suggested changes and nobody has come back with any objections ...... If anybody has any objections/concerns or alternative suggestions, lets hear them ! Lou2000

Well I know for a fact he used to be veteran Gamer. He mentioned a certain game I played against him ..... And the earlier comment about armour racing around in a large group is exactly the same tactic he used then!

Primarily intended as a BUMP from page 2..... My game with CSM wont last more than about 2 or 3 turns ... he has decimated my infantry and just needs to secure the last flag and he should have it all sewn up..... Jiggles, your wait is nearly over - I'll be with you shortly For those who have not seen the thread the former mod site for CM the Proving Grounds is back as an opponent finder site. Not another 'ladder' site - just likeminded CM players. With (fast) searchable player profiles, designed to show a players current status and avoid becoming 'stale'. I've already got 2 game offers via the site. Well worth a visit .. GJK is putting lots of effort in and there will be more content as the site develops. Lou2000

GJK - just thought I'd let you know that I have I have updated my profile and used the Proving Grounds to establish contact with 'nevermind' to setup a game. All seems to be working fine... I've set the 'active' button in my profile - should this status be showing up when searching for opponent ? It would seem you have had 10 people join in the 24 hours since you put the site back up .... I'm sure more will follow. Thanks for the effort you are putting in.. Lou2000

SDog ... another gem! Many thanks. What other terrain mods are you using in those screenies ? I gotta agree with Mr Noobie about the gridded grass .... I'm looking for a good set of gridded terrain but also a non-gridded version of the same terrain so I can easily switch between the two without messing up the 'look' of the game with my other mods ! Can anybody help with this ? Lou2000

I've got to say I'm with moneymaxx on these suggestions. Especially an open/closed flag that could be set by the player in the profile - or automatically by the site after a given period - say 1 or2 weeks and would require the player to login and reset the flag ... thus ensuring that a players PBEM status is 'fresh'. I think this is almost the same as neverminds current status post. I have modified the comments in my profile to show the date joined (today) and current status, this should help The BO or BB option is available as a search parameter but would be nice when viewing ALL players in the list. When I added my profile earlier today the list was at 37 and now its at 42. Tomorrow I'll throw out my first shout for a PBEM via the site, but without knowing who is current and who isnt I may not get an answer. This site has potential ... buckets full of it Lou2000 [ March 29, 2003, 02:31 PM: Message edited by: Lou2000 ]

The chances of me taking your bait are minimal. I'm not in awe of anybody on this forum - and I dont know of anybody who want me to hold them in awe ... except maybe for you But I do consider Fionn's CM advice to be worth listening to, and not just from this thread but many others where he has offered advice on aspects of the game .... and he's not the only one i listen to ! However just because Fionn says its so, doesnt mean I'll a play my game exactly to his prescribed methods (maybe I'd win more if i did ) but I will keep in mind the advice offered and try to incorporate it into my own style of play. Win or lose, my opponent will always be facing 'Lou' not a Fionn clone. One of the dangers in player sticking rigidly to advice offered is that they try to become the other player.....instead of using that advice to improve and develop their own unique playing style. Definition of advice .... advice n an opinion offered; counsel. Please feel free to throw more bait into the water if you feel the need - I wont be taking it .... but it would be nice if you could offer something constructive to the site content discussion ... perhaps and example of the tactics advice you'll be submitting for publication on the site - I for one would welcome it ! Lou2000

Just a quick note to all you scenario designers.. The Proving Grounds are back on air. GJK has brought it back offering a multiplayer opponent finder database and soon a scenario database. All you scenario designers should soon be able to find playtesters to check your latest creations and get some feedback. Lou2000

================================== Thanks Lou, it was actually your post on the "What this community needs" thread that made me realize that I already had that built. ================================== :cool: :cool: Whatever the reasons, its good to see the site back. Hopefully there will be a few new players signing up over the next few days/weeks. If I had the knowledge of how to do the profiles I'd have tried to create one myself .. but I decided I couldnt do it justice .... thankfully you can I know you have only just put the site back up and I'm looking forward to seeing any changes/updates. It will be good to see the scenario designers posting missions for beta testing. I'm sure you can use the site to add something to the CM community that is currently missing .... A good multiplayer site with interesting content and a purpose ! Lou2000 [ March 29, 2003, 11:13 AM: Message edited by: Lou2000 ]

Can you believe it - as soon as I post that I see the Proving Grounds are back active again. Without the mods but with an opponent finder with user profiles and no ladder play, and a scenario finder and AAR's coming soon ... I'm in CM MULTIPLAYER HEAVEN With player from Green to Vet and names like 'kwazydog' on the player list it should be good. Lou2000