Gutshot

Can't find the Russian multi-turretted T-35 tank anywhere in Cmbb,nor the T-28 for that matter,even though they weren't all that rare birds historically.Are they hiding under different designations somewhere in the game or what?

Come to think of it,the lack of cover from being behind vehicles is quite a downer! In old war footage we often see infantry advancing close behind their moving armour for cover and what a cool sight that would be in Cmbb.

You'd have thought the U.S.would have thrown in a few hundred thousand bazookas along with all the tank shipments they were supplying to ther Russians.Hey don't the Russkis get zooks in ASL?

Yes Manchild,I'm probably just too impatient waiting for a shot-up light AFV to die! Thanks for all the hard data and comments guys,and especially SgtWoody's suggestion that I read up on Somalia,as I've long believed you can't beat reading true-life accounts to get the most valid appraisal of things.

Hey Poop,pop over to the Combat Mission Tactics website to check out a couple of articles written by Headshot for beginners.He also runs Headshots Battle Academy for newbies so why not drop him an e-mail at mikplym@aol.com?

In ex-Desert Rat C.S.Joly's book "Take These Men",he mentions the time some disgruntled 1942 Brit tankers aired their disquiet to a senior officer about how their armour wasn't capable of stopping German AP-shot,to which he gave the assurance "Cheer up men,better tanks are on the way,and remember not all shots hit head-on,and will glance off if the angle is narrow,just as they'd bounce off water"

Well, if BFC needs the opinion of an untrained and inexperienced civilian during the rewrite of the game engine, I guess they know who to call now? </font>

Just an observation--My AT-rifles have scored fairly regular "track hits",but I've never yet seen any "immobiliseds". Also,My ATRs get the odd "wheel hit" against armoured cars without immobing them.

Hey guys!-If ever we find ourselves together in a light AFV that starts taking multiple holes,and if my veh commander doesn't get us out of there in a hurry, you can stick with that fire-magnet if you like,but I'm sure as hell outta there and diving for the nearest ditch! (Edited to include-"and if my veh commander doesn't...") [ January 25, 2003, 02:04 PM: Message edited by: Gutshot ]

Okay guys thanks for the contributions,but leaving aside the hard data for a second,let's place ourselves in the shoes of the crew of a light AFV taking multiple small-cal penetrations. Human nature being what it is,surely there's no way they're just going to ignore the violent hammerblow against the vehicle followed by the sudden appearance of a hole letting in daylight,to say nothing of possible dust and debris flying inside? Wouldn't the commander immediately order a quick move to try get out of the line of fire? A typical crew might-just might-ignore the first pen and possibly the second,but surely not a third and fourth and..catch my drift?

My KV-1 bogged in snow while carrying a squad,but when I ordered them to dismount(move order to 100m away)they wouldn't climb down for several turns until I cancelled the still-bogged tanks move order!

I'm thinking of posting for QB cmbb pbem non-ladder fun opponents who are willing to go with the games inbuilt handicap system,whereby the winner gets a 10% unit penalty next game,then 25% if he wins again,then 50% and so on. This way,inexperienced players will have the confidence to take on vets,while the vets will have the irresistible challenge of trying to win with one arm tied behind their back!(The first game will be no h/cap to either) After several games with a fluctuating h/cap level,it should eventually settle down to a near-hover and they'll hopefully get nicely-balanced games,that's my theory anyway! Or have I overlooked anything? Maybe pride would stop anybody letting the other guy be h/capped?

Yes guys I agree it's a mathy area,and perhaps crews aren't bothered too much by small rounds.I remember a true account of the commander of a Priest SPG being asked by Gen.Patton(I think) how the vehicle stood up to small-cal fire, to which the guy replied "Well sir,the odd round penetrates sometimes,but then it only sorta rattles around inside a little."

Yes Sigurd,but I don't feel the "ricochet factor" plays a big enough part in Cmbb. Once a slug penetrates,surely the story doesn't end there,as it (and armour fragments) will continue bouncing around off the inside walls of the vehicle until its kinetic energy dissipates or until it's stopped by human flesh, and all the "empty space" inside the vehicle won't be regarded as empty enough by the crew!

Time and again when small-calibre AP rounds penetrate an AFV,the crew seem to just laugh it off and continue as if nothing happened! Classic examples are when armoured cars are riddled like sieves by multiple AT-rifle penetrations,yet just happily roll on! Surely if high-vel slugs keeps letting daylight into their vehicle and then ricochetting around inside like crazy together with armour fragments,somebody's going to get hurt or severely rattled after just the first penetration? (Sorry if this has already been posted about,I haven't seen it)

Am I the only pbem-er plagued by tardy opponents who vanish without trace partway through games? Maybe the forum could contain a special slot where the names of guilty offenders could be posted if they've failed to respond for a month or more? This would encourage players to finish games to avoid the shame of seeing their names in the box?

Hey Goodale old chum!--A guy called Headshot tells me he walked to victory through your TNT rocket barrage in a recent pbem and is waiting for you to take up his return challenge...