Squad Leader

Interesting point about the use of solo riflemen (women) in the Ghetto ... I stand (somewhat) corrected. I suppose I would still find myself very surprised to find there were fighters in the Ghetto who could make snap headshots at 400 yards. If only there had been ...

They look great! Nice work! But ... tried to connect to cmmods.com, and found that the site was down. Any ideas, or just bad luck for me tonight? It's currently 21:24 on the US East Coast ... all is quiet. SL

Hi all, First, a quick thank you to all for the wonderful welcome I've received since joining up, not to mention the help I'm getting from some very experienced tutors via PBEM. Anyway, I'll put on my historian's hat for a minute. One of the things I enjoy about CMBB is that the designers have attempted to mimic historical tactics quite well in the Tac-AI, as well as in the available moves. Thus, to give the most obvious example, you have the 'Human Wave' technique available to the new Sov recruits, but not to anyone else. Last night, I spent some time playing the excellent scenario design 'Ghetto Uprising', which takes place in the Warsaw Ghetto during its final days in 1943. First, thanks very much for designing this -- what a great opportunity! However, here's the big question -- when playing this scenario, do people try and make things as historically accurate as possible? When I first played it, I found I had partisan snipers, one of whom managed to frag a German armored car commander with one shot at 400 yards. Wonderful, eh? But, sadly, the Jewish fighters in the Ghetto had neither the weaponry nor the training to do such things. When the Ghetto was wiped out, most of the casualties to the Germans came from close-range fire, grenades, and the Molotov Cocktail. I played through again, purposely not using my snipers until close range, and, unsurprisingly, was crushed. So ... historical accuracy, or fun? That is the question. (On a side note, German techniques in Warsaw generally consisted of 1) exposed infantry/SS entering the ghetto and receiving heavy casualties, and 2) in phase 2, operating only under the shelter of heavy armored cars. The tac-AI does a nice job of representing this when it plays the Germans. Hope this is the right place for my first lengthy historical post! Squad Leader

Hope my taking the nickname isn't considered blasphemy! Thought it suitable for this forum, and, especially as I hope to play both German and Sov units, didn't want a nation-specific name.

Lucky break for me! I was surprised that 'Squad Leader' was available as well. Could be a sign, eh? I will look into joining the Proving Grounds forum as well ... look forward to seeing some of you there.

Thanks for all the great responses! Ace, I e-mailed you about some possible scenarios. LT, would love to do the same, but couldn't find your e-mail address in the profile. Basically, what I am looking for are 'tutorial battles' that will help teach me a bit more about the interface and focus on controlling infantry and armored movement. Basic tutorial on my special edition CD is too easy, advanced tutorial too hard ... And yes, Mikey, seeing a Tiger pop up on my boys outside Leningrad would be a pretty big thrill. Now just to decide on whether to learn the German or Sov ToE first ...

Thanks, YD! And best luck with your wedding. Marriage is great, and so is having a kid -- just had my first in September. That's a REAL steep learning curve. Am currently getting destroyed on the Jaegermeister tutorial scenario. Oh, more experienced players, please help!

I am a historian (now on a fellowship studying legal practice) and have always enjoyed teaching and writing about the First and Second World Wars. A friend recommended CM:BB as the ultimate computer simulation of Ostfront combat during WWII, and from what I've been able to pick up from the tutorials (owned the game two days now!), he's right. So, here's my problem -- I know a lot about the surrounding history of the Eastern Front, but am pretty much a novice at serious computer wargaming. I have found that the included tutorials are nowhere near enough to get me started ... and wonder if anyone would be willing to play a few PBEM games with me as a tutor. I would love to be involved as an active member of what seems to be a great community, but realize that until I can play the game in a more professional fashion I won't be much help. Looking forward to hearing from people soon. Best wishes Squad Leader