Sgt Schultz

My first attempt at scenario creation in CM2 runs 30 minutes with a 5 minute variable end time. Company level meeting engagement. I doubt I could have squeezed it down any more, and some players thought that was too little time for RT play. A twenty minute battle would most likely have fairly severe force constraints. One or two platoons with little armor and no artillery beyond small on-map mortars with direct fire capability. Even with my small amount of experience(since release) in the editor I can see where it would take very little time to build these types of battles. If you want 'em .... make 'em. It's not rocket science, and the community is all one could wish for in regards to assistance. I don't/can't play RT, so there is little incentive for me to make small RT battles, but I will give whatever meager help I can to anyone who wants to. While I agree that CM1 battles had quite a bit more 'dead air time', I still prefer longer battles for PBEM play.

1. That's what we have. Water is all at one level, at least for now. 2. IDK. I suppose I should start testing this out right away, especially strength of damaged versus undamaged buildings. 3. It is a performance improvement. Peeps were getting smacked hard in windy conditions and lower-end systems. 4. +1 to dat. 5. Shift/Click on each building. You get two choices per building. Other than that, it is about spacing and spreading building types. 6. Low Bocage and slope. Wall of your choice. I use Rural Stone. Bocage lines every other tile seems too far apart, but every tile and it looks like they won't get enough sun on the vines. 7. I am not entirely sure what you are describing, but it seems like you want to pre-make "village" blocks, and then be able to drop various combinations onto a fresh clean map. You can make "seed" metas, that can be used to grow maps around, but you cannot put more than one on a map at a time. Oh, and by the way ... there is a Map forum right above us bro. We are in general discussion. I do it sometimes too.

I keep slipping back into CM1 thinking, when JPzIV wasn't available at certain times. Yes, the IV and later JagdTiger were clearly superior to StuG. The "li'l PzIII variant that could" still has a place in my heart though.

I am still in "Giddy Child at Xmas" mode. As far as I am concerned, this is the best thing since sliced bread and square lunch meat for my gaming dollar ... and I am still just making maps and scenarios. Haven't had the time/inclination to play much, unless scenario author mode counts. The small quibbles and gripes that I share with others are just that ... barely noticeable because I know Steve&Co got my back. If it needs tweaking/fixing, they are on it. I own CMBO, CMBB, CMAK and now CMBN(Harpoon fulfills my modern needs). At least one has been on almost every hard drive I own since CMBO came out. Just because I haven't posted/signed up during long lapses, doesn't neccesarily mean I am a 'lost' customer. Danke for the quick patch. Bring on the Modules, my pre-order money is waiting.

'Fleet in being' factor on just Tirpitz kept the Royal Navy up at night for a long time. 4,000lb bomb designed and bombers modified to do one thing... sink Tirpitz. Many planes and ship tasked to one thing ... keep Tirpitz located. Cost effective and barely did anything, and didn't have the prestige of sinking Hood in one shot. Bismark's escorts had to turn back. If Bismark makes port, she gets a chance to try again with a proper Surface Action Group. No telling what the row in the House of Commons would have been if Bismark scored even one more kill on a major fleet unit. I meant that if they had abandonded plan Z in favor of Uboats sooner, then Donitz would have had closer to the 300 boats he wanted to close the Atlantic.

Once we are out of the bocage, yonder StuGs will shine like the stars they are at range. Hilly semi-wooded terrain with long shots. The StuG is a bush until the Amis get the "flaming datum" of a Zippo going up. Then try to hit the thing at 800+ meters as it backs away to take up another position 200 meters even further down the line. In any non-constricted defensive battle, I would choose a StuG/JPzIV over almost any turreted vehicle.

While I believe there is no way Germany could have 'won' in any way that THEY(hitler et al) envisioned, there were some turning points/decisions that could have kept things interesting a LOT longer and MAY have led to negotiated settlements. In no particluar order and far from complete personal list... 1. Losing the Enigma machine in Poland(before war even really starts for gawd's sake) and having the English develop a computer at the same time. 2. That Swordfish torp that ruined Bismark's rudder. 3. Swordfish AGAIN ruining the Italian Navy's day at Taranto. 4. Almost every tactical decision Hitler ever made(he did have some rainman-like moments of strategic brilliance). 5. Going with Naval Plan Z(carriers/battleships) instead of the Uboat swarm before the war started. 6. NOT doubling down and taking Iceland right after Norway, and then screwing Portugal and taking the Azores for good measure. 7. Never thinking of strategic air power. 8. Forgoing commonality of parts and logistics efficiencies for over-complicated, non-version-frozen vehicles. 9. Winter clothes and training for Russia. 10. Putting bombs on ME-262s. 11. Letting Porsche anywhere near military vehicle design. All these have been discussed in much more learned circles than I have ever been privy to, other than reading the conclusions. I could go on and on in regards to this subject. It is one of my favorite 'alternate history' topics.

I PRNTSCRN, then ALT/TAB to Paint(which is minimised), then CNTRL/V. Cropping, and saving as JPEG, ensues. Done and done ... all my screenies posted here are either Infranview to Paint to Photobucket, or just Paint to Photobucket. Paint comes with Window$, so may as well get some value from the overpriced P.O.S. O.S. -

I think that BFC have said they aren't interested a few times over the years. It would be great to have an independent group do a CM:A-type of deal. As stated above, the research alone would be a large undertaking. Then combining that into the engine with all those new units and terrain is another whopper of a job. I go on record as saying I would pay full BFC price for the game and any Modules, if it were to ever come to pass.

M18 does its side proud indeed, however, once again I must interject. A single round from a SturmmTigger can be a scenario-ending event. It doesn't matter that there were only 18 made in RL. In CM1-land it was a tactical nuke. If Steve&Co bring it back, we will see.

Looked like it was already a crack(head) driver to me.

The wire trick is cool as all get out. I am fairly certain something similar was done in CM1 on a map or two. It will now feature prominantly in "Heartbreak Ridge".

You are of course correct. All those are possible and are a wonderful test of skill. The mobility of dashing 100 meters or less from hedgerow to hedgerow was more of my turn-off as far as bocage country is concerned. I want those German optics and long guns to get their chance to shine. I want to see just how good the Ami 76 is at 800+ meters.

I am assuming the main issues are with AI QB ME(m o u s e) pre-planned barrages? If so, then this seems to be a map/design issue, rather than a "it's broke/unfair" issue. If the AI can purchase enough arty to smack the player's setup zones effectively, then the setup zones may be too small for that battle size. The purchase parameters may also be allowing for an inordinate amount of artillery. Easy fix time... If you have found a QB map you really like, except for that issue, then I would suggest you take the map into the editor and expand the setup zones somewhat. Save it with a new number. Delete the offending version. Taa-daa, you're a map maker. If you are having this issue with a Human player, and it is in violation of a pre-battle agreement, then take your ball and go home. If you are having this issue with a Human player and there was no agreement, you have just learned a lesson. Man up and soldier soldier. -

Aye... while I love the effect generated by the raised tiles(want to use it myself), it should definitely be used with caution on larger maps(reason I can't ATM). I do have orchards in swales and on diagonal(across tree grid) slopes though. And where is our fruit press flavor object? BFC fix or do sumfink.

I keep forgetting that I am one of the few that am not even thinking of the "Normandy" part. My interest stopped at the dune line and didn't pick up until after the breakout even back in the 70's when I was all groggy(no pun intended). It's all about combined arms mobile warfare for me, so my maps are by definition non-Normandy looking, as you need room and LOS to actually combine the arms. What we are working with now just happens to be the Module I have, to build the basic skills and maps. I work within the editor, and plan on adjusting all the regional stuff as I can with new modules. Any screenshots I show should be construed as fictional areas of Eastern France or anywhere in Germany. Low Bocage makes a great vinyard, but I leave most of the rest to the historical crowd. They have the resources, inspiration and talent. Back to Orchards in general... Insights from the discussion have improved my maps(in my tiny mind) already. The staggered tree effect is fun to play with. Rural Stone walls do seem more sensible to keep the critters out than a post and rail fence, and make for wonderful staging areas for infantry. The fence detour has me thinking about starting a thread about each type of editor object or class of objects. Feel free to beat me to it.

There can be only one. Sturmmorser Tiger - Sturmtiger 38cm RW61 L/5.4 380mm... 38 cm... any way you say it translates to "say hello to my little friend". It was in CMBB, and I for one prostrate myself nightly to a graven image of the brain in a jar in hopes for its triumphant return.

http://cmmods.greenasjade.net/ Mod warehouse --- http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=314&func=select&id=41 The repository

I'll be taking a crack at a few "Kelly's Heroes" scenarios in the near future. The rush through the German-occupied town at night while Mulligan drops every shell in the world all over the map. Meeting the German patrol while trapped in the minefield. Oddball vs the Tigers in the final village. I expect more grey hairs trying to make 'em work, but should be cool in the end.

+1! Is variable end time(and duration if so) a data point that can be extracted? Great work.

I agree DT. I am constantly having to "de-Americanize" my maps in the final stages, as I realise I am looking at Virginia not France. I grew up in Virginia and have never been to France or Germany. The hedges look wimpy and low bocage is a hindrance to travel that I do not wish to have in certain locales. Rural stone walls seem to be the order of the day for my preference, until later modules give us more options. I like the ideas of leaving holes and staggering the trees. Will have to look into those. -

--- A "D" orchard ... The branches are much lower to the ground in a "D" orchard. This is neither good nor bad, it just needs to be taken into account when constructing your orchards. Yonder pixeltruppen will not see as far in a "D" orchard. Sloping terrain, and adjusting the edges can result in many LOS variations from within and without the orchard. Also, tree choice will affect LOS of any units from behind and above the orchard. "C"s are tall, and enough of them will stomp out LOS from any reasonable structure nearby. "D"s may allow LOS over the orchard without going to extreme lengths.

Saw a request in another thread in the main forum re: orchards. This thread has nothing to do with LOS, just how I happen to go about constructing orchards. Any interested orchard makers are more than welcome to chime in with their methods. First, I use the grid single tree icon. Completely undocumented as far as I can tell. I spent almost two days believing that icon made single trees movable like flavor objects... and I just was too dumb to figure out the key sequence. Next... spacing. I use a single tile space between every tree tile in a grid. Ground cover is a personal choice. I tend to use Tall Grass with regular Grass under each tree, with assorted weeds and flowers. Then it comes down to tree choice. Personally I use only "C" and "D" trees. C makes a nice apple-like orchard, while the Ds are more peary/peachy to me. A "C" orchard ... Note the ground clearance and overall apparant LOS. -

OOPS! Wrong forum. My bad, thirty lashes with wet noodle.

Oh, and by the way ... enjoy the nice clear skies and late morning sunshine in these pics, because it's the last this map sees of that. The battle takes place under overcast skies about two hours before dark, and the battle takes .... two hours(plus 15 variable).