murphus

Hey para, I'll be happy to pbem with you. I suggest a smallish scenario at first, and I'll be happy to give you hints and tips. Drop me a line - murphus@wanadoo.es Cheers

Hi all, I'm looking to do a massive battle or op based on Third Kharkov. I've found some good maps on Internet, but I'd like to know if anyone's already done one. I mean, a big one. Steve "Mad Russian" Overton has done a number of smallish ones, and there's another medium sized one in Scenario Depot at the moment. But I'm looking to do a massive Kampfgruppe-sized one that goes into the centre of the city and Dzherzinski Square. Ring any bells? Sources, maps and previous scenarios?

Have you done London and the Home Counties? I'd be happy do do you a map of any of these places from my photographic-type memory of Blighty. Drop me a line if you're interested.

Count me in also for playtesting. E-mail me with the scenario and I'll get right to it.

I like Mikey D's Soviet armour, with the inspirational Soviet slogans painted all over them.

I'm working on one called "Firebug" which uses ampulomets, flamethrowers and FT tanks to set fire to a wood where the Germans are lurking. It's great to see them scurrying out from those burning forests!

You need to know what situation your troops are in? Look around you. If they're walking calmly through wheatfields, they'll be talking about what was for supper last night. If they are being shelled at close range by a tank, they'll be yelling "Holy ****!". The language they are doing that in is irrelevant. I already intuitively know that "Masoh! Mashoh!" is Russian for "Let's get moving" or something like that, because that's what they say when they start moving.

I agree with the first comments. The 90s-generation tanks would simply destroy anything in their path. An armored division, even now, has infantry cover. These would also serve to protect the supply line. Put it another way: what would a 1943 armored division do in WW1? Destroy everything in sight, be invulnerable, then move on for more.

Describe it some more. Is it cardboard or metal? What shape is it? How big? I would tend to agree with the above, that it's a container, unless you said it's metallic. Don't worry about the tetanus, though, I'm sure you've had your shots.

One I really like vs AI, and PBEM too, is "Sword of Bagration". Some tricky dilemmas there, and a really nice array of artillery choices.

I second that, CMBB is where fleets of T34s clash with Panthers in burning cornfields... don't get any better than that!

All of the foregoing shows what a tremendous game CM is ... from the massive size scenario down to the platoon firefight, from the old grognards to the freshfaced newcomers, CM will give you all you need. That's not to say that there are not gripes or wishes for the next version. But on the whole, I think it's pretty damn good. I wouldn't like to worry my little head about commanding every last soldier, so I think the squad/vehicle should remain the basic unit of play.

Welcome... Check the Tips & Tricks forum on this site for some ideas on the above. I suggest learning how to use tanks first, they are the trickiest. When you feel you know what you're doing, contact us for a PBEM.

I've listened to your music pieces on cmmods, Philippe, and I have to compliment you once more on your taste, the Katyusha piece is truly moving in the way of so many Stalinist-era ballads. I never would believe such a soft piece could be a tribute to a rocket launcher. But I stick with Mussorgsky as my intro music - my children love it so much. By the way, I've downloaded your Russian mine-markers and I have to say: Good Work! Even though it's illogical for me to see the markers in Russian (I always play as Russian, so the markers should be in German, assuming that the enemy were so courteous as to put out warning signs), it is nice to see them scrawled in chalk. I suppose I can say to myself that these signs were placed by my engineer units before they crawled up to deactivate them. Once more, great work. You are a great modder already.

Yes, I second Sergei's appreciation. This level of scholarship is what makes this forum special. While we're on the subject of Russian AT capability, I'd like to point out two holes in the CMBB menu of possibilities: 1) the Russians have no US-made bazookas. These were shipped to the USSR with other lend-lease equipment from 1943 on. So why don't the Sovs have them, even with a high rarity penalty? 2) No captured Panzerschrecks. Surely the Russians would have captured masses of them, so why don't they exist in the setup list, say from 1944 on? Just my two roubles.

I don't know if any of you have seen a real molotov in action. I did once, at a riot in London. It broke over the windscreen of a police van, then burned for about 15 seconds. The police crew were what they call in CM "SHOCKED" and backed away. But no damage was done to the van. If a van isn't damaged by a molotov how can a Tiger get tanked? By the way, I didn't throw the molotov. I was just watching.

Molotovs are one of the most embarrassing aspects of CMBB. Research done by one of the grogs has definitely shown that they are really useless vs tanks, despite the odd kill we've all seen. I hereby appeal to all scenario designers: EDIT OUT the molotovs, give your infantry grenade bundles if you really want them to score vs tanks. They won't throw grenade bundles if they have molotovs still to use: "Piotr, here comes a German panzer. Shall we throw this really deadly packet of explosive?" "Niet, comrade, I have this vodka bottle full of cheap grade kerosene. Glub glub... Hey, it's not bad! Throw the explosive, we'll have a party with the molotivs later".

My question is this: why isn't any AP ammo available for it? It's useless in an AT role as it stands.

Patience... patience. My advice to you is to say a few last words to friends and family, finish any outstanding work and prepare to be sucked in to the CM universe. You may never come back.

Philippe, I have to compliment you on your excellent taste... I've just seen your intro screens on cmmods and I think they're excellent. By the way, don't hold back next time you're overcome by revolutionary fervor... let it all come pouring out!

Reminds me too much of the shabby 70s, but I have to say that I have every note of every Abba song burned into my memory. Too bad.

I don't think I'll ever change from the Mussorgsky... it gives me a thrill every time I hear it.

I DLed the Juju small-arms pack, and it's very nice. But I'm disappointed to note that the Soviet HMGs still have tripods, I can only assume that it's impossible to mod the tripods. It's a mite annoying when the Soviet HMGers pick up their Maxims and walk with them, tripod in the air, when in reality they would have trundled them along. Not the end of the world, but a bit of a pain.

Thanks, Junk. I'm on my way...

I love Mussorgsky, in fact I'd like to have a longer version of it to put in the CMBB intro. My kids love it too, my son spends all day singing it: Da-da-da DAH! Da-da-da-DAH! DAH! DAH! Alternative songs might be the Wolgalied as sung by the German Sixth Army in Stalingrad, or the Volga Boat Song as sung by the Red Army. BTW, where is the music file?