RSColonel_131st

True enough, I'm crushing you easily without the book already.

Thanks!

I dont have his Email...

Dear Battlefront Team...or those who happen to lurk around. I ordered the book on german squad tactics on the 22. January. The day before I had ordered the Tiger Poster. While the Tiger Poster arrived almost a week ago, the book is not here yet. Shipping Time was stated at 3 to 5 Business Days to Europe, so I'm starting to worry just a little that our infamous austrian postal service might have dropped the ball. Is there a way to check? regards RS

I guess it depends on what you want to simulate. If you want to put the player into the position of the local Combat Group Commander, it's realistic that he can only know about units after a certain delay. However, it would certainly be frustrating to see your troops run into an ambush and not to be able to counter it because you can't see a damn thing.

Gunnergoz, what makes you so sure it isn't him? I just had a look trough the web for Mussolini Pics, and the profile is quite the same. But then, the original photo is not really sharp. I'm not saying it got to be him, but what makes you so sure of the opposite? One thing that is strange, though, is that that guy has no medals or awards visible.

Excuse my rather naive viewpoint, but from reading the tables provided with the unit infos... The T-34 has 70mm round armor, the PIIIL has 50 standard + 20 round. At 1000 meters, both can penetrate around 70mm. The two, judging by this data alone, are pretty much equal at standard combat ranges it seems. In my current PBEM with Sgt.Goody we have plenty of PIIIL and T-34 early 43 models. I see any direct engagement between two of them as a 50/50 chance and therefore try to avoid it. So, in other words, where would the T-34 Advantage against the PIII Guns come from?

And why not? Right now you command single units, like StuG's, including their hull rotation, target selection, turret rotation (trough the use of fields of fire), movement speed, firing smoke, you even tell them to open or close their hatches. That's already a LOT of detail. What's the difference in taking it one step further? And always remember, what I suggest here is optional. No one forces anybody to use anything else than the good old top down view. If you dont want it to be used against you, disable it in a PBEM or TCP game for both sides. I think there are two schools of thought at work here. On one hand you have people who dont project themself into the battle. You want to play a godlike entinty hovering above the battlefield and use the avalable means to direct your forces as well as possiple. I'd take a wild guess that the same people also like to play bigger games (Company Size), with less micromanagement on the individual unit. On the other hand you have people who like to play on platoon size and individual vehicle size, with lots of micromanagement. Instead of having artifical enhanced access to all battlefield information we would prefer having to use our own eyes from the ground floor. One doesn't exclude the other at all.

Try as I might, I can't. Been using this website, which has pictures from most of the political leaders back then. But I can't find no matches. One thing I agree, though, it looks like early SA. ***EDIT*** on a second look, the guy behind Hitler in the first picture this page, and the guy in the front of the last picture look similar. [ February 02, 2003, 12:49 PM: Message edited by: RSColonel_131st ]

Just because YOU dont want it doesn't mean it shouldn't be avalable for anyone else. We are talking about OPTIONS here, if you dont like it, leave it. And while BF1942 is a nice game, it is in no way realistic. For what it's worth I just finished a quick 500pts QB following Frankos Rules. For me it is indeed much more immersive that way, plus it reduces the advantage of "Borg Spotting".

I think I mentioned in my first post that PE is getting to damned old. CMBB Graphics are okay, PE Graphics simple dont stand the test of time anymore. Why would player gunning open up cheating possibilitys? Do you think someone would write an aimbot or somefink? As for the "Forced Unit LOS", yes that's what I had in mind. You would always know your general terrain layout from maps or similar intel, but you would need to SEE it yourself to make it 3d. In practice it would mean commanding from overhead view takes place on a standard 2d military quality card, but for the exact details you would "beam" yourself into the eyes of a frontline soldier and give your orders from there. It would be an interesting mental exercise to combine the picture of your 2d map and real view - just as real commanders are doing it I guess.

One thing that is a bit unhandy in CMBB is the tendency of a tank to always turn it's front armor towards the enemy. For those of you who have read the Tiger Manual online, you might have seen how the handbook descripes "Mahlzeiten" positions in details. Basically it means that Tiger crews, and quite possiple others as well, where instructed to show the enemy their 1.5 or 10.5 O'Clock corners, thus artifically increasing armor angle on the side and front. A Tiger standing frontal to a T-34 was actually easier to knock out as if the crew used that manouver. Since I'm sure the armor penetrating algorythms in CMBB could realize this advantage, it would be quite handy if the Tiger (and other tanks) wouldn't always insist on turning straight to the enemy. Maybe it could be an option somehow to disable this temporary for individual units?

Okay, before someone tells me to SOD OFF, I *know* this is kinda farfetched, but hey...no damange in trying. So, what I would want is the chance to be Gunner on the tanks and PAK's. This should work on a way that, when your tank or PAK spots an enemy, you can either leave the battle to the AI (as it is now) or you can try your luck yourself. Of course, that's kinda an oxymoron, because it would mean user interference during the "movie" part. BTS would need to get data about the sights of that time, and the methods of shooting. I dont want a simple "point 'n click" interface, it should be something realistic. It should be compliacted enough that the AI will have an advantage unless you have a very skilled User...then it would become an advantage for the player who choses to do the stuff himself instead of leaving it to the TAC AI. Why Gunner? Simple, because you are already commanding the tank (spotting targets, ordering movement), and driver would be quite a boring job. In short, I want more interaction. There hasn't been a good WW2 Tanksim since Panzer Elite, and that one is definitly getting to damned old. CMBB so far is the closest to a tactical tank warfare simulation you can buy at the moment, but it lacks a little bit first person. An alternative suggestion, BTW, would be to allow you to see trough the *eyes* of your soldiers. Right now the Godlike Top-Down view including Borg Spotting gives you a real lot more knowledge about the Battlefield than a real company commander would have had. Maybe it would be possiple to have "Fog of War", and you couldn't move your virtual eye all over the map like now, but instead only use the LOS of your units. Both of these suggestions would mean getting the player down at the ground and into his units. Making the thing more personal. Unless the makers of Steel Beasts go WW2, I think that might be the best we have.

I'd add one option to Yankee Dogs two for taking out a Tiger in late 42, early 43. Use captured 75mm StuG's or similar Guns. The Tiger will get a penetrating shot at the first hit against the StuG, but the StuG has the same chance. As for T-34's...dont think they are invulnerable. Currently playing a PBEM with Panzer IIIL (50mm Lang) against T-34, and both have quite similar characteristics. The T-34 can penetrate around 70mm at thousand meters, has itself 70mm curved armor. The PIIIL can do 70mm at the same range, and has 50mm +20mm curved (I assume that refers to the enlarged cannon protection "Saukopfblende")

I tried CMMOS once and didn't understand it. I didn't get the "rules" system at all. It's cool to see that someone has taken up this work, but it could be so much easier if it was just a .bmp pack you drop into your folder.

CMMODS is a very well organized site, but it's still really trying to get a complete set of Winter BMPs. Scipios Winter Mod Packs are certainly a step in the right direction. You download one infantry pack for each side, and one pack for every T-34 out there, and some other models. To the contrary, downloading single mods for every german sub tank type really takes a lot of search and time. Aside that it seems that I can't find winterrized versions of many tanks at CMMODS at all...guess that means they aren't done yet? What I'd propose, and I would be willing to help with that effort, is setting up a website with mod packs similar to Scipios, offering a complete winter environment for CMBB. This could also be done offering complete mod packs for other stuff, like say "general object upgrade" or "landscape upgrade" or whatever similar comes to mind. OF course we would need to get permission from all moders first. What are your ideas on that problem? Did I miss a site somewhere that does this already?

What can I say...I come from simHQ's and Combatsims EAW Boards, and over there it is common to post "Babe Pics" for people breaking post count jubilees and stuff. The trend even has spread itself to other forums on simHQ. Okay, we usually dont post them all naked, but if it isn't porn, it should be okay.

Hey Scipio...you are my hero (at least for today ) Tried to get my game completely winterized but it's kinda hard picking that toghter from the Mod HQ. Your site is most helpfull.

Any news? and *bumb*

Now this is getting insane. Stalin and Hitler close up's on the same roll of film? More and more it sounds like these are either official photos, or as guessed earlier photos from photos.

Yeah, I realized that at any rate someone can do a print screen or something. However, I think the simplest solution for getting the pics online would be to use a heavy jpg compression. That way people could still identify the persons and the content of the pictures, but never be able to use for bragging or sales because the quality would be just to poor. Also, I seem to remember that there are ways to disable keyboard input on websites. Digital watermarks are another option but I'm not sure how they work. Easiest way for setting up something would be by password protection and only allowing selected people to view them.

That's a good idea, funny game and actually a chance to learn the difference between different arty. For 110 Points he'd have to kill or render combat unworthy a Platoon of enemy infantry (AFAIK, not being a CMBB Point Database). If you have LOS, and we are talking CMBB here, I'd say you will get 80 to 120% of your investment back - meaning a 4/5th of a platoon or 6 groups rendered unuseable.

As for putting guns behind houses and let them fire to the side...painfull experience. Did that once, even the AI ate me alife when they tanks kept the distance and their infantry, supported by tank fire at mine, came trough town killing all my guns without them ever firing a shot at an armored target. Scouting PAK's with infantry can't be that hard. If your enemy has them protected by infantry close by, you can most likely see the gun while you get into the skirmish with infantry. If your enemy protects them with an infantry belt ahead, chances are his PAK's can't support his Inf. Wipe them out with Tanks and continue Scouting. Of course, last alternative is to use Armored Cars or similar fast scouting vehicles, with emphasis of fast movement and cover. They are cheaper as a tank if you lose them, and they might be able to spot the gun without staying to long in the cone of fire.

As for putting guns behind houses and let them fire to the side...painfull experience. Did that once, even the AI ate me alife when they tanks kept the distance and their infantry, supported by tank fire at mine, came trough town killing all my guns without them ever firing a shot at an armored target. Scouting PAK's with infantry can't be that hard. If your enemy has them protected by infantry close by, you can most likely see the gun while you get into the skirmish with infantry. If your enemy protects them with an infantry belt ahead, chances are his PAK's can't support his Inf. Wipe them out with Tanks and continue Scouting. Of course, last alternative is to use Armored Cars or similar fast scouting vehicles, with emphasis of fast movement and cover. They are cheaper as a tank if you lose them, and they might be able to spot the gun without staying to long in the cone of fire.

Hey Moon, good letter. I wrote something similar earlier, but it got eaten by the forum software over there. Your basic point that CMBB is a tool for the military historian, and inspires others to dive into the history of WW2 was also my main point. I'm one of the guys who came here owning a single book about Tanks from WW1 to today, the rest was about airwar. A month later I'm already reading Achtung Panzer and ordered another book on german Infantry Squad Tactics plus a print of the Tiger. If that is the result of a mindless game, then I dont know...