Faelwolf

Also don't forget that the USAAF and the RAF were doing a fine job of making it very difficult to move supplies and get them to the front lines. This reduced availability of already limited stocks even further. Supply lines were so disrupted by late '44 that civilian populations were beginning to starve in some areas, as much of what was left of the infrastructure was diverted to military use. Even in early '44 it was a serious problem, and was part of the reason the construction of fortifications (and placing of some of the large guns) was delayed along the Normandy coast. Manufacturing was actually far less interrupted, as Albert Speer was brilliant in his adaptation to the situation, and a lot of production actually went up over the course of the war. But it doesn't do much good to make stockpiles of items when you have no way to get them to where they will do the job Part of the Normandy campaign that often goes unmentioned was a concentrated bombing of every train depot, known storage facility, and major crossroad leading into the Normandy area. Allied ground attack aircraft had a field day attacking supply columns and trains, and even quite a few fighter aircraft got into the act. The Germans were quickly reduced to moving supplies only at night or periods of bad weather, in smaller deployments. This would have been even more effective if we'd had been less protective of bridges! (The theory was that blowing the bridges would slow our advance, my theory is we had bailey bridges, and some darned good combat engineers, blow the d***ed things up!) In the midst of all this, that the Germans would even bother with changing camo patterns with all that it would entail in manufacturing and distribution has been a curiosity with me. A reflection of bureaucracy at work somewhere?

Interlocking fields of fire with machine guns. I have set up MG's with ILFF, and mutual support, just to watch the enemy advance through the kill zone with few if any losses, even in areas where the overlap puts them in the field of fire of 3 MG's at once. Quite a few times they didn't even go to ground. I have gotten to the point where I have to wonder why I even bother with MG's, a couple teams from a split squad is much more effective in the same role. It looks like MG's in the game are treated as just another single rifle and don't have much real impact.

Thanks, that makes sense. And, I assume, that the TRP allows this because they would already have the base calculations for targeting that area and wouldn't need to recalculate for later missions. Should be interesting in later modules if we get the VT fuses then Appreciate the info!

Just something I have been curious about for a while, and I'd thought I'd ask since I learn a lot from the replies I get in this forum, usually beyond my original question I noticed that when I bring up artillery for a pre-planned bombardment that I have the option of general or personnel, yet once the game starts, I can only call for general artillery. Is there a reason for that? Something that restricts this in R/L? I would think that the FO at least, could specify a particular type of strike when he calls in the arty. Sorry if I have missed this being asked before.

When I read the announcement for the new features in CMFI, my first thought was "shame they can't go back and add that to CMBN". I am very pleased to read that it is not only going to happen, but with this new progressive upgrade system, it will happen again when even more features are added, and older families won't be pushed aside by the new ones that come out. So we won't be forced to choose what front to play based on game features, and all the families will stay fresh. I also have to admit that my knee jerk reaction was against the idea of paying for the upgrades, but on reflection I do think it is fair, if reasonably priced, as it is not unreasonable for BF to make money from the time and resources invested. BF is proving that you don't need "Planned Obsolecence" to make money. Why can't other companies do this?

It was worth the wait.

This forum has been an invaluable learning aid to me. From asking questions, and posting situations like this that have me wondering, I learn a lot. I have also learned more than I can list from following threads on other topics. If anything, I feel I haven't taken advantage of it as much as I should have, as I don't want to end up being a pest by posting a bunch of noob questions all the time. I agree that this game "throws you to the wolves" but I actually prefer that over hand-holding me, as I learn more from my mistakes and these WTF moments than I would from a tutorial or an "easy mode" setting, but that's just my preference, of course. If I wanted something easy and mindless, there are plenty of arcade style tank games and such that I could play. Being a history nut would still only get you so far IMO, as there is a gap between theory and practice that can only be filled by experience. I knew, for instance that a single machine gun is not the uberweapon Hollywoood would have us believe, but that proper placement and intersecting fields of fire can be a pretty formidable way of using them. Experience with the game has taught me that is true, but I also have to take into account lines of sight, effects of suppression on one or more of the guns in the emplacement, ammunition and ballistic limts, etc. Not to mention the enemy is not going to just stand there and allow themselves to be mowed down like theoretical troops would! And as I have mentioned before, the learning is a big part of the game for me, and the challenge is what keeps me interested. But I am part of the niche market this game is aimed at. I am curios if the mobile device version will lead to more sales of the full game as from what I can see it is the "lite" version that may appeal to a broader audience.

I listed as medium mortars as I only saw them listed that way when in purchasing screen, and didn't get the exact size. I am by no means an expert at all this ordinance, but I am (slowly) learning. I can certainly see immobilized as the reason for no retreat, but it was still actively seeking targets and firing, so it was not knocked out, nor had the crew abandoned it after all that. I didn't get to finish the game, so didn't have the ability to do an after action check on it. Also, as I said in my original post, I am not upset, but rather amused if anything, and appreciate the input from so many here as to what could have been going on. If the game gave us the ability to award medals, I think this crew certainly deserved one It was certainly a unique situation, which prompted me to wonder if it was a bug, or if others had seen the same thing. If it ever happens again, I also now know more of what to look for, and I appreciate the input. I am always happy to learn, and that is part of the enjoyment of this game, in that I have learned quite a bit already while playing, and look forward to learning more as time goes on. Odd chance does play a part in this game, and has led to some rather fun coincidences. I have seen spotting rounds land down the open hatch of an enemy tank and take it out, I once had a spotting round land right on top of my FO and take him out, and have seen ricochets do some odd things at times as well. This is the first I have seen luck stack like this on that tank, but I can believe it.

I didn't take a screen shot, as all it would be is a picture of a Sherman tank sitting in a field. I was playing a quick battle game of WSS v Brits on a medium village map, when early on I came across a Sherman sitting in the middle of a field. He was doing a good job of holding up my advance. Then I noticed he was doing TOO good of a job holding up my advance I brought an anti tank team up, and fired off a few rounds at +/- 50m which scored direct hits, and he took no damage. A PZiv also managed to score a few hits, and he showed no damage. At this point I realized something was definitely up, so out of curiosity, I brought as much to bear against him as I could. Overall, I saw him take 5 direct panzerfaust hits, 4 side hits from the PZiv, 4 direct hits from 81mm mortars, and 6 direct hits from medium on map mortars, with no discernible damage, and no retreat. This is in addition to indirect mortar hits and other hits he most likely took when he was first spotted which I didn't see as I was busy at the time with the other flank. I have not had a problem like this before, is this a common bug? Is there something I could have done to correct this rather than just restart another game? Also where can I find the load-out option for Kryponite tipped AT rounds? As a note to BF, I am not mad, and actually was little amused. This is not a "I am going to quit playing until the game is perfect" thread, just curios as to the incident.

The reference I used was "Dirty Little Secrets of World War II" It's a compilation of all sorts of trivia from the war. I do wish it was organized better, but it is presented more as a trivia book to be read than an encyclopedia or reference book. Still it does present some interesting stuff, and I found it an interesting read. The book is primarily backward-looking, and the ammo consumption rates are from after the war, but it also includes organizational tables, etc. taken from sources that appear to have originated during the war. The ammo consumption rates that I posted are backward-looking, as they are presented to be compiled after the war and represent actual consumption estimates. The specific reference they used to obtain the figures are not given, but if I find time later I will see if I can find out if it is important to you. I don't know if it is still in print, but a quick check of Amazon or E-Bay may dredge it up, the copy I have has a publishing date of 1994, and it has been in my library since about '98. The authors are James Dunnigan and Albert Nofi, if that means anything to anyone.

Typical daily Ammunition expenditure in Tons (U.S. Army) Operation_______Armored Division____Infantry Division_____155mm Battalion Attack____________436 - 832________353 - 658___________66 - 121 Defense___________596 - 969________472 - 768___________86 - 142 Pursuit______________107______________83________________15 Delay/Retirement______321_____________256________________51 8th Air Force avg 12,700 rounds per enemy aircraft kill (.50/.30 cal) 5th Air Force avg 14,200 rounds per enemy aircraft kill (.50/.30 cal) From D-Day to VE day the US Army expended 1 Billion rounds of ammunition (inclusive of grenades bazooka rounds, etc) for an average of 3.3 million rounds per day. This does not include Air Force or Navy rounds used in support of operations. The book I have did not give an estimate of rounds per kill.

I have had surrendered units that went for practically the whole game. So far as I know, to be removed they have to be "captured" by one of your squads. There have been times though, that I have had one of my squads in the same action square with a surrendered unit and they weren't removed even after a few minutes, so there may be a bug somewhere. Unless a friendly unit makes contact and rallies them, I think they will stay that way, and not pose a threat to your troops. Either way, they haven't posed a problem for me yet, and I tend to ignore them.

WH. One of the first things I noticed too lol! Also modders, while you are at it, the "SS" lightning bolt collar tab is an indeterminable blob. I presume both are due to censorship laws in certain countries. And someone correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't the camo smock of the W-SS a longer (though not nearly as long as the Fallschirmjager) oversmock with no pockets and no collar, which allowed the tunic/shirt collar to show to display rank, etc. ? And it also had the Reich Eagle patch on the left sleeve in green on black instead of silver, along with certain rank and award hashes on the sleeve if memory serves. Perhaps I am thinking early issue, and this was changed by '44? Can't recall if the smock had a unit band in green on black on the left sleeve cuff or not. I think that may have been on a per-unit basis. The adapted Heer tunics seem to be fairly correct to include the unit band above the sleeve cuff (with a generic name since the game needs to remain unit neutral, or at least I am assuming that since I can't quite read it) Also the rank tabs and epaulets look right from what I could see. Certainly not a game breaker by any means, more wondering if I am remembering right, and my references are long gone.

Backups are not just a good idea for your Z folder. Back up all your data regularly. Lesson learned the hard way a few years ago. Re-installing software is a snap compared to recollecting data, some of which can never be replaced.

The last line of F5's had me thinking of this

So you are saying you don't have a contigency plan for the Zombie Apocalypse?

Don't know if this is the specific thread you were looking for, but there is a discussion of the particulars of the blast command in this thread: http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=97498&highlight=blasting+holes&page=2

That, or being able to use the "aquire" command would be nice.

I would absolutley love a PTO game and modules using this engine. I don't see it happening without a 3rd party developer, as others have already mentioned

Thanks guys, forgive my venting a bit, the frustration has been getting to me. Maybe the break from playing is what I really needed, afterall. I have been having these targetting issues pretty consitently, if it was a now-and-then thing, I'd just write it off as fog of war or something. It does seem to be more prone to happening in some scenarios and less during quick battles. Another clue perhaps? I am also having another issue, which may be pointing to something being up with my system specifically, as I have not seen it mentioned on the board. Whenever I play the game, after I am through, if I leave my desk for a bit and my computer goes into screensaver mode it won't wake back up. I have to do a forced shutdown and restart to get it going again. It only happens after CMBN. So, this weekend, I think I will take the morning to make sure that all drivers etc. are up to date, do some system cleanup, and if necessary do a full reinstall of the game. I'll keep you posted on how it works out.

I downloaded the new patch, and while I have seen some obvious improvement in preplanned barrages, I am still seeing mortar rounds falling way off target later in the game. For example tonight I tried the Buying the Farm scenario, and put a couple tubes of mortars on the trench near the center back of the map. My rounds landed full force on the swamp on the right side of the map. The HQ unit had full line of sight, and should have seen the spotting rounds. This is just an example, arty is still way off target in other scenarios as well. I have seen little if any improvement on it. I am at the point now of being frustrated enough dealing with this on top of the learning curve, that I don't even bother to play much anymore, and am starting to consider uninstalling the game altogether. It has been weeks since I even bothered to open the game. Is this issue still being worked on?

If the game modeled the enhanced shrapnel effect of air-bursts in wooded areas, the personnel setting would potentially cause some amazing carnage.

Yes, this is the problem, the spotting rounds walk up to the target area, the artillery should be on target, then the shells are landing at least 100m away from the target zone. It is doing it regardless of the mission type. I aim for a patch of woods, I hit the empty field next to it, or sometimes even my own troops instead. I don't expect smart bombs, but I do expect that with having a full LoS the whole time, that it shouldn't be landing so far away, and on several occasions, landing on my own troops (one time including the FO) Preplanned hasn't landed on target yet at all, and it always seems to be the same distance off, and generally to the right so far about 70-80% of the time. (Roadblock Scenario) I am a noob, so didn't know if it was me screwing something up (which is why I posted), but it looks like there may be a glitch somewhere.

No, he is usually under light fire if any at all, I am pretty paranoid about losing my FO. It is also happening during the initial bombardment, so he isn't even in the enemy LoS. I have had a couple times where he has been hit by friendly fire, along with losing whole squads when fire for effect lands on them instead of on target. This problem has been consistent across several scenarios.

So my FO isn't crosseyed?