RSColonel_131st

Ah, so it doesn't just happen to me? The StugIII I used yesterday kept buttoned up as I told him. However, I had 4 Panzer 38, and they would again, and again, and again open the hatch as soon as the turn started. I thought it was my error...obvisiously not.

Hhmm...what exactly do you mean? CMBO or CMBB? From all have seen in my three days owing CMBB, it's always a battle for the flag. Have never heard about an "advance" operation?

KnivBjorn, thanks. That means that you have to switch between CM and your email programm while playing...I was kinda guessing that the game could read the emails directly. Cubes, I'd appreciate that, but it will be a bit late before I'm home today (3 more hours work, and two hours watching the new Bond Movie.) I've send you an email from work with my home-email adress. Maybe you can get things started in the meantime, and I hope I can send you my turn back this evening. PBEM appeals to me not least because it is obvisiously easier to organize and less time consuming than other multiplayer games over TCP/IP.

'xcuse me if it has been covered ad absurdum, but I want to know how, from a technical POV, playing per email works. When you do a turn, will the programm create the email? Or do you have to manualy send a save-game file? also, when you recive a turn from your opponent, how is it imported into the game? I currently have no one to try that out, but I'd be interested. thanks for all answers RS

I dont know how good the ATR Round is. If it is indeed strong Tungsten, chances are that they penetrate the passenger compartment and bounce around inside. As for range, why not...using a modern unscoped M-16 up to 200, 300 meters against infantry is not unrealistic, hitting a HT the size of a truck even less so. I'm not sure these rifles are unscoped, either. Visit this link for more details (in german, though) http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Waffen/Bilderseiten/panzerbuchsen-R.htm It has pictures of german ATR's, here's a scoped one.

I've bought this game just this friday, so there might come more in the future...for now, setting up an AT Gun without infantry cover, which totally managed to keep the tanks away, but was overrun within two turns by enemy infantry troops. I only had two of them...losing that gun made me lose the QB.

As I see it, there are two main tactical options: 1) Delaying defense using up lots of territory, always the option to fall back. Many small skirmishes. I guess this works well if you have only a limited number of turns, reinforcements, or similar. Then it will most likely spare you some casualitys compared to option two. 2) Last ditch defense with total firepower concentrated on a very small area. Problem is that the enemy can also concentrate his firepower on one area, and you have no way of retreating. On the bright side, if this works you will crush your enemy and send him packing...not just delay his approach. In a scenario, this might be more usefull if you plan a counter-attack later on.

In the small battles I've played so far (800 points, medium maps) it can be very hard to have more than one line of defense because LOS can easily be all across the map. In larger battles, however, the idea of "delaying the enemy" seems good to me. I think that's bit of what the AI uses in villages and citys. My biggest problem with that is that I like to use mines. And for mines at the front line to have effect, I found that I need to pull the defense back a good bit. Otherwise the enemy will be shooting at me before even crossing the fields.

I've been thinking about a logical way to set up defense assets. I'm pretty new to this game, so excuse me if it has already been covered. From what I've seen so far, it's ultimatly infantry that will capture flags. The enemy usually uses tanks to supress and eliminate defending infantry, HMG's and Bunkers, not to take flags. So, I guess it would make sense to set up anti-infantry defenses for each point, and in such a way, that they can only be hit from a very narrow corridor by enemy tanks. Then, I'd try to get my Anti-Tank Force lined up to defend these corridors, thus denying the enemy the option to support his infantry. Someone earlier advised me about "keyholing". My problem is, I can not cleary see any keyholes on most maps yet. But maybe you can *create* keyholes by giving the enemy specific targets to work on? Comments and your personal ideas would be appreciated. This game is a blast to learn, especially with the help of people that are in there a bit longer.

Hey Cuzn! Lotsa familiar faces here...25% Sturmovik Pilots it seems

I've just finished an attack against a few russian T-26 and PAK Guns, using the Panzer 38(E) in August 1942. My Panzers had a reaaaally hard time getting anything else than riochets on that T-26. Shooting range up to 600, 700 meters. Are Panzer 38 obsolte in this time frame? Should I rather go with 3 Panzer III than 4 Panzer 38? Would be neat to have a general listing on what tanks you need to stay competitive in every year.

Small update...just had my first successfull defense battle against the Reds This time I put my PAK 38 and the Panzer 38 at the outmost flanks, making sure they got a good elevated position where they could lay fire across the map. I had one Target Point for Arty set up, and managed to take two of their tanks out with the 75mm Spotter. Plus two or three tanks ran into my minefields and got bogged down. I really need to think more "3d". So far I've often blocked my own sightlines with hills. But hey, it's really, really fun when it works out.

Very interesting movie, Laxx. How can your infantry avoid beeing seen until the Tank is next to them, though? I take it if he sees the moving there just once, the plan will fail... Frunze, sounds like a possiple explanation. Got to say this forum is most helpfull.

Ah, that explains the high number of infantry they can field. I'm still stunned because of that Tank Battle earlier. I've lost so many tanks in the last two days, all at ranges of 400 meters or less...and today, when they had a chance to shoot across the map up to 1500, they totally waxed the sovjet armor. Impressive. Question now is...how do you use this advantage in the woods and citys...

Ah, I see...said the blind. I've just played another QB, movement battle, bought 4 Panzer 38 and two Panzer III's. As luck would have it the map was almost free of trees, and good sightlines to the maximum range - firing started right from the get-go. Result? 6 Sovjet Tanks destroyed in the first few rounds, 3 more later. Not a single one of my tanks lost. I do know that the germans had better optics, better material, but less of it. Guess I must learn to extend combat range and to avoid taking them on with single tanks. Seems that in wood land, or Villages, were the distances are closer, the Sovjets can gain an edge trough their overhelming numbers. But out in the open...no way. Ah well, lots to learn. Thanks for the replys, I didn't know that the SPW and Panzer 38 are better than those russian tanks.

Hhmm, one example. Standard battle, Computer buys, Fog of War OFF. Then I checked euqipment: Sovjets got 2x BT-7 with 45mm Gun 2x T-26 with 45mm Gun 1x T-38/12 MG Carrier Axis got 2x PSW 222 with 20mm Gun 1x PSW 221 just MG 1x Panzer 38 with 37mm Gun Infantry pretty equal. So, why am I outgunned?

Well, I tried buying myself, and I still dont get it? Now I've played a movement battle (that should mean both sides get equal equipment, right?) With the 500 points I had I could buy a Cavallary Platoon (3 teams + HQ), three Panzer III, and one Panzer II. The Sovjets greeted me with up to 6 tanks, 4 of them light, 2 heavy, and at least 5 infantry teams. Something doesn't compute here. Am I buying to "good" stuff? Same in defense. I can barely manage 2 PAK's for the money, plus a FLAK SKFz, and the Sovjets will roll me over with 4 or 5 tanks plus lots of infantry. I know I need to improve my tactics, too. But why am I always outnumbered?

Eek! Now that we are over the technical problems, it's time that I start whining about how mean the AI is. I'm playing mostly defense missions currently, as I like them best. As german. How comes the russians ALWAYS have tons of tanks (5, 6 pieces) and a few groups of infantry, while I barely get two AT-Guns and a few MG's? Okay, as defender you get mines, and target points, and bunkers...none of that is worth anything against T-34s it seems. I'm completely mining every open space I can, and they roll trough it without even sneezing. My Arty doesn't hit a whole city if it needed to, let alone a tank. To make things worser, the T-34 seems pretty unpiercable by anything german. Lots of riochets, hardly any penetrations. I take it playing normal battles would give me more armor than defense? Maybe for an equal chance... It's kinda getting frustrating, so any help would be appreciated. I can't defend against enemy tanks with either infantry or own tanks, and now that's not really fun...

Yep, that was it. 4x works fine, Quincunx and 2x give me black screen. Would be nice if that gets fixed along the way, because I prefer lower FSAA standard settings for other games - in CMBB it should be fast enough, though. Looks like I waked up some of the old Cess-Poolians. Indeed the AI does kick my backside regulary, maybe I really should try Lorac for a change. If he's not busy support the infantry by creating instant-foxholes for them. Harv... heartly sod off to you, too. Were did you guys leave the sheep and Yerpalal? (Not that there is much of a difference between these two?) BTW, any quick hints for a little more combat efficency? My biggest problem is fighting tanks without any armored vehicles or PAKs on my disposal.

Thanks that solved it. 4x does work... Moose from the EAF? Lots of old faces here me thinks...

Sorry, I missposted that in the normal forum...here's a copy of my post crying for help: Any ideas? later RS

Oppsie. Didn't see the tech support forum down there. Will try that.

As of yesterday, 1400, I'm now a proud owner of CMBB. Various people at simHQ, and your own Cesspoolers made me do it - blame them, not me. If I thought that the ILyushin-2 or EAW Croud is freaky, I have been proven wrong...this site definitly wins. Guess I fit right in, though. HOWEVER...before I really can enjoy the unlimited fun of crushing the virtual russian peasants with my mighty Pussycats (or however that big tank is named, you tell me...) I need some technical help. When I start up the game, all I get is a black screen with a mouse pointer. Tabing out to windows and back in then makes the menu visible. This happens also to the menus after the 3d-sequence. Now, I can still play that way, but it's annoying as hell. I'm running this on an AMD 2000+ 512 RAM, Geforce 4 Ti 4400 with the 30.82 Drivers, under Windows 2K. If this is a known problem, please let me know about a fix. I did a search here on this board, but didn't find anything. This is the unpatched european game version. I haven't yet been cruel enough to torture my cable modem with the 70 MB download, however in the patch readme my problem isn't mentioned anyway. I'm not sure if it would help anything. Have a nice day, and tell Harv, Harpoon, Para_Bellum and the sorry rest of the Cesspool to report back at the simHQ some day. It's getting way to friendly there.