David I

Wow! :eek: Both projects look great. August? That's like ahhh (Looks at calendar, counts on fingers), 6 months from now! Are you going to release Greece first? Would you recommend reinstalling CMAK with another name into my hard drive and the downloading your little gems into that? I don't know what the Greeks were wearing, but the British tropicals from N. Africa would be perfect for Greece. I don't think the Germans or Italians wore tropicals in this Campaign. British vehicles were more likely to be painted in desert camo as most of the CW forces were either going to or coming from Egypt. DavidI

A Aw ****, I can afford it, and if I don't like it I can always crunch up the disk and mail it back to them. I can still play my overseas friends in CMAK & CMBB. DavidI

Anteportes, Treeburst155 had this to say about artillery in CMAK forum. Very helpfull: "This is a little thing I put together for a PBEM buddy. I thought I'd post it here just in case some might find it helpful. If you think anything below is incorrect, please post. How Off-map Artillery REALLY Functions There are two types of off-map artillery, rockets and guns. Rockets do not fire spotting rounds, guns do fire them. I'll start with rocket artillery. Rocket artillery is very inaccurate. Any friendlies within 500 meters are in danger, even if the spotter has LOS to the target. This is because the impact pattern is a large "target wide" pattern, and because the strike can be off-target even with spotter LOS established at the time of targetting and maintained throughout the bombardment. "Green line" adjustments to the target point may help bring the center of the impact pattern closer to the desired point, but there is no guarantee. The only way to be sure of an accurate rocket attack is to fire at a TRP, or to target the rockets during Turn 1 (prep bombardment). The large "target wide" impact pattern will still happen when targetting TRPs or doing prep bombardment; but the center of the impact zone will be on-target. Blind rocket attacks (other than TRP or prep bombardment) are VERY risky, and work the same way as blind gun strikes. Blind strikes are discussed below. Off-map guns differ from rockets in several ways: 1) Spotting rounds are used. 2) The player can choose between two different impact patterns, "target" and "target wide". 3) The impact patterns cover a smaller area than rocket patterns, making fratricide less likely. 4) The player can be positive that a strike will be on-target before the first full salvo goes out. Blind Targetting (Guns and Rockets) Targetting a point out of LOS of the spotter almost guarantees an off-target strike. There will be no spotting rounds fired by guns when targetting blind. Subsequent adjustments to the target point may or may not bring the center of the impact zone closer to the desired point. I have occasionally managed to get an accurate strike with blind targetting; but it doesn't happen often. I'd guess the odds are no better than 1 in 6, probably much worse. Impact Patterns for Guns You have two choices here, "target wide" and "target". The first gives you a circular impact pattern. I like to make sure friendlies aren't within 120 meters of the target point when using "target wide". Most rounds will fall inside a circle of this radius; but even at 120 meters distance, friendlies are at risk. With the "target" command you will get an elliptical impact zone, the deadly area being about 160 meters by 80 meters centered on the target point. The orientation of the long dimension of the ellipse can be north/south or east/west, depending on how the friendly map edge parameters are set. When the north map edge is friendly to one side, and the south edge friendly to the other, the long dimension of the impact pattern will be north/south. If one side has the west edge friendly, the other the east, the long dimension of the arty pattern will fall east/west. In cases of ambiguity, the program will cause the long dimension of the impact pattern to run east/west. This means that in most cases arty will fall parallel to the axis of advance, rather than along the front lines; but a tricky designer can easily make it so the impact pattern is the opposite of what is expected. How To Hit Your Target Every Time This section deals with guns ONLY. There is never any guarantee with rockets. I'm also assuming the spotter remains unmolested during the delay period, and while the strike is underway. Accurate arty strikes require the following things to happen: 1) The spotter must have LOS to the target point when it is targetted (blue line). 2) The spotter must have LOS at the exact moment the first spotting round is FIRED. That's it! The strike will be on-target EVERY time if you make sure these two things happen. However, #2 can be a bit of a problem. This is because spotting rounds are fired during the action phase of the turn, when you can't give orders. If smoke, or more likely dust, blocks spotter LOS, even briefly, at the exact moment the FIRST spotting round is due to fire, the spotting round will NOT fire, and the strike will be considered a blind strike by the program. There is nothing you can do until the next orders phase. Fortunately, the next orders phase is usually soon enough to prevent much wasted ammo and large scale fratricide due to the blind (inaccurate) strike. The key is to monitor your spotters closely during action phases to make sure spotting rounds do indeed fire. If they don't, you can bet there is an LOS obstruction. Cancel the strike during the next orders phase because, at that point, the strike IS blind and will likely be off-target. Watching For Spotting Rounds Don't do it! They are easy to miss on a busy battlefield, and where they land is irrelevant. Instead, select your spotter during the movie phase. This way you can watch for the beginning of the 60 second countdown and monitor the ammo counter. What you are watching for is the FIRING of spotting rounds. Depending on arty caliber, spotting rounds will fire at the beginning of the 60 second countdown and/or the 30 second mark. As a general rule 105mm and up will fire two spotting rounds, one at 60 seconds and one at 30 seconds. Smaller guns and mortars will fire a single spotting round at 30 seconds on the timer. It is important to know the spotting round behaviour of the particular arty you are using. Run a quick test if necessary. No arty fires more than two spotting rounds, and only the first one means anything. The second spotting round is pure eye candy stuff. In the case of 105mm, the first spotting round fires at 60 seconds on the countdown (right after the countdown begins). If you do not see the spotter's ammo count reduced by one at this point, spotter LOS is obstructed and the strike is blind. Cancel the strike promptly. With mortars you're watching for the ammo count to drop by one at the 30 second mark. If the FIRST spotting round goes out, your strike will be accurate no matter where the round lands. You can even move the spotter out of LOS in the next orders phase. The strike will continue to be on-target. His job is done unless you want to adjust the strike. It is very possible that the first spotting round will not fire; but the second one (at 30 seconds) will. This is because the LOS blockage, which prevented the first round from firing, cleared before the second spotting round was due to fire. The strike will still be off-target! Only the first spotting round matters. Be sure you know when this FIRST spotting round is supposed to fire for the arty you are using. It will either be at 60 seconds or at 30 seconds. You need never again be surprised by a haywire arty strike that you thought was an observed strike. EDIT: Green-line adjustments of ongoing ACCURATE strikes will always result in an accurate adjustment. Treeburst155 out." Hope this helps, DavidI

Here's another intersting stat: The Germans, on the Western Front alone, executed approx. 5,000 men for desertion or derilection of duty between June 6 and December 31, 1944. That'll keep you in the trenches and fighting! The US executed 1, the Brits ?, but not too many more. It got even worse on the Eastern Front in '45. Schroder was known as the Hanging General. Volksturm kiddies and old men not up to snuff? Hang a few hundred and the rest will get the idea. Great! DavidI

Matrix Games "Uncommon Valor" is WEGO, and is the best simulation of the war in the South Pacific that I have played. Lots of micro managing however. David

What have I created??!!!! :eek: DavidI

For CMBB Infantry/Crew BMP's go to the Grossduetchland site. It has a definitive list of every German, Italian, Hungarian, Romanian, Finnish and Russian BMP. Absolutely priceless info! I wish someone would do the same for CMAK. (the Germans in CMAK for mid and late war are the same as CMBB, with minor exceptions). DavidI

This column represents 20% of the population. This column represents 75% of the population. And this column represents 45% of the population. Telling figures indeed. DavidI

Chiavarm, Never had that problem, of course I am usually sending a turn in the morning and one or two in evening for each game, so it stays pretty fresh in my mind. Surprising, that. A good turn naming system is vital. DavidI

Brent, Wanta go 3 out of 5? DavidI ----------------------- Insurance Companies move in mysterious ways. Like God, of course, but not as generous.

Ah Oh, My list is getting longer. You last lot are not very helpfull. DavidI

Vergeltungswaffe, And thank you too. DavidI

PzMan, Thanks. They had me stumped. DavidI

Mikey, I've been a forum frequenter for over a year, however I see alot of initials used for common terms that I haven't figured out. Since you did such a good job on AFV, please explain the following Initials to me: IIRC = ? LMAO = ? LOL = ? DavidI

Double blind means you have to play with your monitor turned off. That way you can simulate being the Battalion Commander. It's a challenge, but I won two games that way. DavidI

I prefer to clump all my units in the center of the map. 'Course then again I always get surrounded and crushed. DavidI

I've got six PBEM games going. I live in Calif. and I am playing guys in Switzerland, Scotland, Canada and, gee I don't know where one guy lives, and a couple in Calif. That said I have to have a couple of hours of IP time each week or I go through withdrawls. DavidI

Dey, Something that I appreciate a great deal. I will keep my fingers crossed for a good outcome. DavidI

Mikey, AAaarrrggghhhh. :mad: You bastard! :mad: Stop torturing me! :mad: A three day weekend has just passed, in which I had nothing to do, and then Tuesday morning while I slaving away at the flag factory and TTTAAAA, DDDAAA! :eek: A bitchin new Stug. Ergh. Seriously, looks beautiful. It will be mine, all mine this afternoon about 4:00pm. DavidI

Tero, A submachine gun with a barrel 12,362" long might be accurate but it would be a little awkward to move around. IMHO. DavidI

Junk, You understand, you really understand. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. There. Better now. :cool: Ahhh... Wait. IT's STILL DOWN! :confused: AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH! :eek: The fate of the World hangs in the balance! If the COMMODs site isn't there that means the terrorist win. Aaaahhhhh. :mad: Sigh, DavidI

Aaarrrggghhh, CMMOD's is down and there's a White Washed Marder III waiting for me. :mad: Oh woe, this is worse than being at work! "Life! Tell me about life!"* DavidI *Marvin the Robot "Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy".

SC2? Que es? DavidI

Tom, Sorry, "Blazing Saddles" reference. Headly Lamar makes an eloquent speech about his thought process "My mind is aglow with whirling transient nodes of thought, carreening in an atmosphere of creative ... etc". Taggert, his henchman, says "Golly Mr Lamar ...". Thought it kinda fit. DavidI [ February 16, 2005, 03:34 PM: Message edited by: David I ]

Wartgamer, "Ive read the 'parable' a few times...." What on earth for? Are you reading the forum while your at work or somefink? Don't you have solitare on your computer? DavidI