Sgt Schultz
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Posts posted by Sgt Schultz
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And I bet you thought because it's a B&P battle, it would be all Tiggers and Panthers...
Nope...
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Here is someplace no sane person wants to be ...
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The big picture once everyone is on the field, but the sun has not risen yet.
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The LOS changes as dawn approaches are just scary sometimes. It helps that I slathered the map with XT Grass too.
A platoon can simply vanish if it so chooses.
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Here are some pics from my latest test run.
A duel between a 'schrek team and an M8...
It was almost a full turn's worth of duel, but we will stick with the five pics that cover the meat of the engagement.
Turn starts with a miss by our Tube Guy™, followed by answering MG fire from the M8. Our boy reloads like he doesn't have a care in the world.
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Sending one downrange ....
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Yikes! A 37mm haircut incoming! (I swear it grazed his helmet and the bugger never flinched)
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This can't end well ....
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Nope, it doesn't.
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To give you an idea of the actual engagement range, let's take a look at zoom 1.
Buchholz there never once lost his nerve. The follow-through on the killing shot was like watching Arnold Palmer in his Prime. His little buddy however, missed most of the fun kissing the dirt. That 37mm round passing 4 inches from his face must have disturbed him I suppose.
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I can post more if you folks wish.
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Same here. I saw the thread title and thought "I didn't know Steve Martin was even PLAYING CM, much less an authority on it".
Now I want "Bunny Ears" and "Arrow through the Head" mods for my troops.
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... has been submitted to the repository.
Anyone else want to host it?
Would have been released sooner but I blew a day trying to understand GIMP, and layers, and all that jazz. No luck.
Went back to Infranview and MSPaint, so please excuse the crude briefing area.
It's 2 AM and I am a tad too drunk and tired to finish and release the QB map right now... tomorrow is anothe... well later today.
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I've only been testing plans since release, but it appears to me from what I understand of this thread that Max Assault and an Ambush setting is what SteveP MAY be looking for.
The truppen seem to crawl and engage more often(sit/terrain dependant ofc) than with other oders.
Ambush will have them engage only targets that are likely to impede their progress.
So, they won't stop every time they see a twig snap, but they will stop and fight relevant targets, while taking their time about it.
The terrain is a huge variable, and if you are tying yourself to a historical representation, then you may be tying your hands as well.
If you want your AI troops to accomplish something in a certain way... you may have to tweak the map to your needs. Your HQs WILL go to their deaths if you do not have the zones match the amount of units and terrain. Little space up front... HQ takes up little space ... you do the math.
The spacing between, as well as the size and shape of each and every map zone in your plan will affect how your groups travel to and from each zone. THIS is probably the most granular part of the editor for getting your boys to do(more or less) what you want.
By adjusting the spacing, size and shape of your zones... you can turn a disorganised rabble into a formation that performs in an orderly, proficient and military manner.
But be prepared for the vehicle 'criss-cross' maneuver that I have yet to find a solution for. Two or more vehicles in a combined arms group + any movement order to any close zone in any fashion = criss-cross flank-showing idiocy. -
"No Exit" still in progress. Company w/support Meeting Engagement.
Summer of '45. The Soviets were stopped in Poland, leaving it up to the Western Allies to drive into Germany. The Autobahn becomes target, logistic route for both sides and main line of resistance all in one.
Scenario begins before dawn, with sunrise halfway through the battle. This provides constantly changing LOS values.
Still tuning multiple plans on my first attempt at design. It will be for H2H or either side vs AI. The learning curve is steep, but I believe I may be on the downslope.
Due to the underwhelming response to my Beer&Pretzels approach, I stripped and de-tuned the forces to more historical levels.
The process is fun though.
Idea becomes map. Map reveals mission. Mission generates force. Force adjusts map. Force needs plans. Plans adjust map. Test sober. Test drunk.
It would be done if the whole 'single working dad' thing didn't get in the way.
It should be done soon™.
The QB map will be released when the scenario is.
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I have been experimenting with different ways to ensure (re)playability for both Human and AI players, for both sides of a battle. Balancing setup zones. locked units, etc.
I wanted to give the AI a bit of a boost, without giving a Human who may play that side an even larger one.
This is a Meeting Engagement btw.
What I have done is construct one platoon of "Expendables" per side. All Crack/Fanatic, and they come on as reinforcements.
This gives either AI side a nice punch if the Human doesn't guess right and have HIS Expendables in position to meet them.
What say ye?
The first plans for both sides are done. Three more plans for each side in progress. Briefings need to be written. I would like a beta tester or two... or an experienced designer to dissect and critique.
Thanks for your attention.
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The big question is who will take the plunge and make clown faces or "The Women of CMBN"?
I want a blonde female sniper team. Something about that image...
Plus there is the added nyaa nyaa factor of "you got beat by a bunch of girls".
Guess I just dig chicks with guns.
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One other thing reared its ugly head.
American armored infantry get hosed by the Plan AI if they enter mounted and then dismount.
Purchase them 'mounted'. When they dismount, they leave their bazookas in the H/Ts.
Purchase them 'dismounted'(bazookas present). Place them in H/Ts that you now had to buy after deleting the organics. When they dismount... they still leave their bazookas behind.
The work-around is of course to add an independent bazooka team to various squads. The downsides are overstrength and (sometimes)available seating in the HT.
"Acquire" is on my wish list if we cannot get the boys to take all their toys with them please.
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Thanks Mord!
Excellent work.
Now when my boys are in the swamp, they'll look the part, once I take the time from design to download em. lol
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The first choice looks that way for now Viaj, but I only have a sample of one.
After looking in the editor for that version of the Plan, I found that the endpoint for the quick order WAS a tad closer to the mortar position that previously thought.
This meant that any detour would have most likely exceeded the TacAI Quick order parameters for 'best-time'.
So they blew the sucker.
Load up some tiles with units and trees and flavor sheds, then send a breach team though. See what happens.
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I moved the order endpoint down the tracks and the behavior was not repeated.
The upside is that now I can script in explosions almost anywhere and anytime I want to throw off the Human player. (insert evil grin)
No one notices outhouses during setup, so they won't notice when one is gone.
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I am still in 'kid on Christmas morning' mode, but there are always things that can be improved later.
Things we may want to see if possible...
More groups. Contrary to popular wisdom, eight is not enough.
Adjustable ammo loadout for artillery re: smoke/HE. Some missions need more smoke, but not a huge amount of tubes on map.
Single turn reinforcements. Every five minutes loses some granularity. No para battles without every turn drops. Other things in my repertoire are not possible either.
Facing command in Group Orders. I currently have to 'steer' my orders so the endpoints face possible action. Any lateral move is ended by a pause with the force in question giving flank shots. Easily worked around physically, but it is fairly significant temporal hit.
Label the buildings in the editor for one, two or three stories. The 80's were way too good to me to try and remember all those options.
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Plan TacAI suggestions ... again if possible. I want to learn coding about as much as I want a good case of rope burns.
No soft vehicle(halftrack etc) will move past the rearmost order tile(or 1st tile entered) for a given order. We can keep 'em safe if you let us. Without more groups, the Hannomags have to come along for the trip.
No HQ will enter the final line of order tiles for a given order. We can keep those safer too.
STOP the CRISSCROSS maneuver. Gawd that's a mind killer. I don't know why(yet), but vehicles just love to move to the other flank of the next order zone from their current one, while their buddy on the other side has the same brilliant idea. Move forward! It's THAT way! Some of it is solved by making sure all order tile terrain is equal to vehicles. They will tussle and maneuver for that lone clear tile in the forest.
Edit - This behavior occurs more on short distance max assault orders it seems.
More to come...
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If you look carefully at the last mortar crewman on the left as the team passes by, you can see him throwing them the finger.
He is supposed to have a round in his hand, but the effect is priceless.
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Boodytrapped outhouse!
Now THAT would be the FRAPs of a lifetime. Single German soldier appears to enter shed, as demo charge goes off.
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The non-hilarious reason for their behavior came to me after I was able to finally get a viewing in without spraying my drink all over the screen.
It has to do with tile crowding and order pathing. Even though I saw what seemed to be plenty of room for the order to be carried out, alas, it was not to be.
Neither the start nor end point of the order were near the mortars. the end point was small and situated between two rows of forest, so the plt would naturally travel down the tracks.
The bottleneck occured where the mortar teams and their Hannomags were parked near the map edge. The squad would not break our little Matrix AI rules re:gamey map edging(yay btw), and they would not go through the mortar positions for some odd reason(assumption.. fire mission under way), and their best-path 'quick' order was compelling them forward.
So rather than detour a tile or three... they burn a demo charge on an outhouse and wake up the whole world at 7:12 AM.
"Path's clear now Sarge!"
"Way to go Private."
"But I'm a Corporal Sarge!"
"Not anymore you idiot."
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Sometimes the tedium of testing is lightened by moments like this.
Keep in mind that this happend on turn two, well out of LOS of anyone. In fact it was as far to the rear as one could go. Behind a house even.
I give a custom-made Ami recon squad a Plan Order to move around a mortar position and down a railway. This is an HQ with just two Scout Teams, a Breach Team and a LMG Team.
Turn one ... They move out as ordered, reach the mortar position... and halt with time running.
Hmmm. Well, I will see what is the matter next turn. Push the button.
It is thirty seconds in, and the sluggards are still watching the mortar crews do their jobs. I suppose one of them needed to use the outhouse...
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Then I just about come out of my chair...
BLAM! WTF?!?!?
Now either there was a freak methane buildup, or those morons blew up the cr@pper!
They procede to move out like it's just another day on the job...
After I was able to regain control of my own bodily functions, I thought I would share this encounter with a flavor object.
It's a good thing Steve & Co didn't put in a "smell contact", or those guys wouldn't get far at all.
Imagine the poor mortar crews.... the rain of sadness all over them.
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Thanks for the info Steve.
I have noticed a HUGE improvement over CM1 during my endless scenario author tests.
If you set up the plan right, the HQs stay well back up to the point of real contact. I aborted my first few test runs because I was sure my Co/Btn HQs were left out of my orders group. Why? Because they did not move out until up to 1:00 after the rest of my group.
I have seen Plt HQs allow the lead elements to just barely get out of C2 before moving out.
The scenario designer has to hold the AI's hand quite a bit during any approach marches to ensure proper interval. From the very small sampling I took of existing scenarios, many plans are very simple. This may lead to HQs taking the lead when the lead elements run into fire where the designer did not anticipate.
BFC gave us a lot of orders to use with each of our piddlin' eight groups.
Use 'em.
If I could ask for any changes, it would be for two more groups.
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I have had a few struggles with this as well. Unless I am missing something(quite possible), certain building types are not available in 90 degree while others are not available in 45 degree.
In addition, until I get off my arse and write it all down in a graph, I cannot get the hang of which buildings on the bottom menus are one, two or three stories(again, I may be missing something).
Some things are just not published in the manual that I can find. Such as the little 'grid' tree option. Took a while for me to figure out that is the "orchard" setting.... not the "place 'em like flavor objects" setting. I was a really happy camper for a while, until I tried every click combo there was on a tree and it wouldn't move.
I am quite certain there are undocumented things in the editor that we can all treat as easter egss.
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U.S. Colonel uniform mod request.
Usually only one in a battle... has pistol... movie coming out soon... the fit for the game(and scenario possiblities) is just too good to pass up...
Let's go a bit Hollywood...
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Come on, how many of you grogs read Cap as well as WWII history?
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Who wants to Mod THIS uniform???
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... and yes, he is set to Fanatic, so he will never give up the fight.
I love this game.
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Colonel uniform would be perfect. usually only one in battle at a time. LOL
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Here are a few suggestions you might try...
Make the troops 'unfit' and they won't move fast for long. This could also model the "Stomach Battalions" that were used for rear-area duty.
For a vehicle patrol, set up some low hedges and low stone walls at the beginning of the patrol pattern. Set very short travel orders over the obstacles(so they won't go around). Test to see how many obstacles it takes to damage the wheels to the point they travel as slow as you like.
Again, make the order zones very close together. The troops and/or vehicles will not get up to speed. They will stop-and-go, but that may be as good as you may get.
Hope it works out for you.
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Great shots!
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Anyone got a light?
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Sing around the campfire....
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Don't know if I would have the nerve to post my scenarios to the Repository until they were play-tested by someone other than me.
I agree that the Paypal button at The Proving Grounds, with a quick "heya.. great site.. please add CMBN" on the forums is the best overall solution.
I don't think The Repository is the place to put the learning curve versions of scenarios and QB maps.
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Patrol patterns are fairly simple to produce, but require test runs in scen author mode for tweaking to avoid traffic jams.
I am making one with patrols running up and down a road. It helps if you can create a feasible turn-around area such as a courtyard etc.
This allows one to create patrols that run from one compound to another, turns around, then goes back.
Assault/Active is going to most likely be your best option.
Send patrol to a zone.
Wait.
Send patrol to next zone which is very close.
Wait.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
You can make a group move extremely slowly if you so choose, by setting the next order to one set of tiles further along and a minute or two between moves.
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Got it here on the Outer Banks.
Microfont brown-on-brown manual is only gripe. Would have gladly/happily/gleefully paid $5+ more for larger/thicker manual to accomodate a larger font for my bad middle-aged eyes.... with the CD stuck inside.
I assume that it may have just come down to how much info you can cram into a certain size mail packet, as well as the steelbox limits themselves for production purposes etc.
Other than that extremely minor gripe(which I can fix if I so choose with 200 sheets of paper, my printer, a binder and a date with a hole punch) I am loving every minute of the CM experience.
I will buy every module that comes down the pike.
Offer a "geezer" font manual for shipment for an extra charge. I would wager they would sell out faster than anything else.
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QB AI Plan Question on use of Groups
in CM Normandy Maps and Mods
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From what I have gathered, the best way to script QB map Plans is two groups with very few broad orders and zones.
There is no way to tell what the AI will buy, or how it will divide it forces, so just let it have its head and see how it goes.