With Clusters

Damnit, Woody beat me by mere seconds! So uh, yeah, I agree with him...

Don't know if I'd equate Nazi ideology with the "battle/martial qualities" of the Germans - they fought plenty hard in WW1 w/o being Nazis. But I do think Nazi ideology was the guiding force behind the German war aims of WWII. Take away the vile Nazi ideology and most likely there's no WWII at all...

I don't get it either - feel like I'm back in some horrible math/science class I just figure that the bigger number after the 'L/' the better, at least when it comes to shooting at tanks. Seems to work OK

A WW1 game would need cheap engineering units (more than one I'd think), and cheap fortifications (to simulate the superiority of defensive capibilities vs offensive ones). No need for armor units at all either, I would think, as tanks only had a limited impact (unless you want a 'what if?' WWI...).

Actually, the US did 'take over' the Phillipines from the Spannish after the Spannish-American War, and fought a very bloody insurgency there for years in the early 20th century. Its why the US was still there at the start of WWII. In fact, IIRC, the .45 semi-automatic handgun was developed to deal with fighting fanatic tribal warriors in the southern jungles (something with more 'knockdown' power at close ranges was needed). The US did go through a brief imperialistic phase, when it wanted to play with the 'big boys', but nothing quite to the extent of the European colonizers... Just to get our history straight Not sure what any of this has to do with the Nazi flag though...

Very helpfull comments! Snorri, thanks for the advice on short cover arcs to limit pointless return fire that delays finding cover. Joachim, thanks for the heads up on that bit of scenario design. I guess trying to get into good position near the victory location swiftly is still important, but if I'd known that the reinforcements' arrival time has nothing to do with 'enemy contact', I think I would have stayed off the road all the same (this is a platoon action so far, so even a few casualties might be costly).

Well, normally I try to stay off roads w/ infantry. But in my (limited) experience w/ MEs, the guy who gets to the victory flag first usually has the upper hand, as the other guy has to then attack w/ equal odds. So I figured any extra seconds might be critical. Also, the scenario briefing had the arrival time of reinforcements contingent on spotting the enemy (went something like "expect reinforcements w/in 5-10 minutes of enemy contact"). Figured I'd like to get that clock ticking ASAP. Of course, maybe his reinforcements are linked to the same conditions, in which case its all a wash... Anyhow, I got impatient and executed/sent the turn before waiting for advice. Sent one squad up the road on 'move to contact', and fortunately, he spotted the enemy near the end of the turn. He's veteran and in command, so with any luck I'll get him into cover w/ a minimum of hassle. But maybe next time I'll have my options thought out a little better, and wont have to rely on luck so much. Thanks for the help!

I guess Wagner would be too obvious...

Inserts stick into ant-pile, stirs vigorously... :eek:

OK, here's my situation - a meeting engagement, all infantry (at least on my end as yet), and the faster I move to the victory location and encounter the enemy the better. I've got a road to use, so I'd like to send one squad/half-squad down the road for speed's sake. The trick is, I'd like them not to get slaughtered once they do spot the enemy. It would be nice if there was a 'move to contact, then immediately move to the closest cover' command. I'm just worried that using the regular 'move to contact' order, they'll freeze in the road in plain sight of the enemy. And I doubt they'll be able to 'hide' very well out in the open like that. Any advice? Thanks!

Of course, in such a 'what if?', you'd probably have to factor in 'justifications' and 'morality'. In WWII, the Russians fought hard because their Motherland was being invaded. Would they have fought as hard if it was their own crappy dictator who'd started the war? Some things go beyond mere 'numbers' and such...

Time to start a new thread, methinks

Note: I posted this first over at the CMAK Forum in a thread on how to deal with AT guns. "Have you tried airplanes? In a PBEM game once (I'm Russians attacking Finns), I lost 3 AVs and 2 guns to 4 entrenched Finnish AT guns in the first two turns! I assumed I was doomed. Then my plane flies in (I forget the type), and within 3 turns, bags all 4 guns (killed two placed closely together in one run)! After that, my lone surviving AV managed to support my infantry on to victory. Hmm, maybe I should post this in the 'improbable victory' thread in the CMBB Forum" I guess I should have mentioned that massive luck is also quite helpfull

Have you tried airplanes? In a PBEM game once (I'm Russians attacking Finns), I lost 3 AVs and 2 guns to 4 entrenched Finnish AT guns in the first two turns! I assumed I was doomed. Then my plane flies in (I forget the type), and within 3 turns, bags all 4 guns (killed two placed closely together in one run)! After that, my lone surviving AV managed to support my infantry on to victory. Hmm, maybe I should post this in the 'improbable victory' thread in the CMBB Forum

In my first ME game ever (against a buddy who'd been playing CM since CMBO - way to learn the hard way!), I bought two guns, and 'oops!', I forgot to get any transport. I had loads of fun watching my force get decimated, while the guns ever so slowly trundled toward the action. I never made that mistake again...

Cool :cool:

Any thoughts on how this will be handled? Especially as it relates to the combat ability (or lack thereof) of Allied naval forces?

My (shacking-up-with) girlfriend always checks to see if I'm surfing porn and/or chatting with floozies. Recently, I made her watch Band of Brothers with me (she's Japanese/I live in Japan, which was kind of interesting as we both watched it for the first time on DVD), and when I directed her attention to a point in a game where I'd just blown up a Sherman ("Cool! See, just like in the show!"), she gave me a really confused look. "That's American, right?" - meaning, I'm American, so why do I think that's so cool? "It's just a game baby, just a game..."

Anyone up for Axis 'partisans' if Belgrade is Allied?

And costly to maintain perhaps (consider part of the cost a small caretaker garrison not represented by a unit)?

The WEGO system is the critical component (along with the somewhat complicated emailing sequence) that prevents PBEM cheating in CM.

How about the Rat Patrol? Boy, those guys must have taken out dozens of German tanks, and all from the backs of only two MG Jeeps!

How about some sort of 'maintenance/upkeep' fee for fortifications? I have no idea at what rate these facilities might have deteriorated over time, but perhaps some kind of MPP expediature to keep them battle worthy would provide its own cap on the number of fortifications?

To play WEGO, each 'turn' would probably have to be divided into several 'phases', ala 3R (a phase for assigning air unit tasks, movement phase, combat phase, exploitation movement phase, exploitation combat phase, etc.). Not so much a problem if turns are long (only 4 a year in 3R!), but it might become a hassle with shorter turns. More realistic, but more time consuming.

I would think Axis control of Malta would only effect Allied units in Sicily and Italy.