Seedorf81

I agree this is not a pleasant thread anymore. But, in spite of the fact that some people use words, and state opinions, that are far (really, really, far) from me, there's still a dialog going on that is - be it barely - acceptable. In my opinion it NEVER helps to cut off a discussion because it's getting unpleasant. Au contraire, if we want to make people aware of mistakes, or if we want them to understand that their believes may be wrong and/or dangerous, keeping the dialog going is a necessity. Arguments and facts and explanations can sometimes make people think again, but being able to accept that one has been misinformed, misguided or maybe even indoctrinated is nearly always a slow and very difficult process. It takes time to change. Besides, we cannot, and should not, expect that anyone will change his convictions just because we think that our opinions are very righteous and morally right. And one thing I know for sure: people with unpleasant prejudices never respond well on blunt statements and judgemental verbal attacks. They'll just dig in deeper. Nobody on this forum hasn't had some bad idea(s) and or convictions in his time. So do not judge to soon if people seem to be "ignorant" or "racist" or "stupid" or whatever. Maybe they just haven't been informed properly, and maybe the discussion on this thread can help to show people that there are other ways of thinking. So I'm for keeping the thread open.

Eh, the name of that first trooper wasn't Eddie Slovik, was it?

Partially. Not completely because of two arguments. First: I do not know of groups of people, (except those who protest or do not conform enough), that are being pursecuted by the North-Koreans with the murderous vengeance and/or magnitude that the Nazi-Stalinists deployed. (But I could be proven wrong when this North-Korean dictatorship will - inevitably - end, and we discover how horrible things really were.) Secondly: I do not know of any attempt of the North-Koreans of wanting to conquer (a large part of) the world. Yes, in the early fifties they tried to re-unite North- and South-Korea through war, but, besides the fact that it could be considered as a civil war thingy, since then there hasn't been any expansionism. Nor has there been some kind of "we're gonna change the world to our view" ideology, as far as I know.

Well, the single country that you mention would at least after a while be easy to govern since there wouldn't be too many people left. National Socialism wanted to silence, enslave and/or exterminate Jews, Gypsies, gays, the mentally and physically handicapt, political dissidents (read: anyone who dares to have any criticism), intellectuals (see Poland after '39 invasion) and artists and writers and comedians, and every other "useless mouth to feed". And offcourse, all the (rest of the)Untermenschen. (In short; pretty much everyone east of Germany). I'm not gonna list the people Stalin wanted to silence/use as forced labour/exterminate, because that includes about everybody that did something that he didn't like. And everybody that he SUSPECTED of doing something that he didn't like. And everybody that he THOUGHT POSSIBLE of being able of doing something he didn't like IN THE FUTURE. And everybody who did nothing that he didn't like, because the fact that they weren't suspicious, made Stalin think they were the most dangerous of all. Hitler's National Socialism and Stalin's socialism together would make a country where hardly anyone could stay alive. I do not disagree with you that capitalism and democracy have huge flaws, but I still agree with Winston Churchill: "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."

Yeah, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, loyal artyoffficer in the Red Army in WW2 until arrested, wrote a book called "The Gulag Archipel" in which he describes who and why one (Ehm, millions that is) would win such a "holiday". And sometimes those holidays could last years and years.. Just two tiny examples: Just the fact that a Red Armysoldier had been in Germany in 1945, and witnessed "Western decadence", could earn him a "workholiday". Even if he had been loyal to Stalin and the Party. And any Sovietsoldier or civilian who had worked for the Germans, even if -like for instance in the city of Charkov and in practically all the POWcamps filled with captured Sovietsoldiers -the ONLY alternative was death by starvation, got one of those "horrorholidays". That is, if they weren't shot first. I believe/hope that Baron Jacquinot ment that he believes that peace between Hitler and Stalin couldn't have been worse than the massacre that the war between them turned out to be, but personally I think that things would have been much, much, worse.

Eh, to be honest, I hardly look at the pictures in the Battle menu, but when I do I never assume that they represent exactly what will be in the battle. So I didn't see them as a spoiler. However, your mentioning of the fact that there are Tigers to be expected is a certain spoiler.

Your P.S. worries me slightly. Do you really mean that Stalin's USSR and Hitler's 1000 year Reich should have teamed up?

A bridge...

Only AI-artytrouble that I've had, was when playing QB and I let the game choose forces. Multiple times I got nice bit of artysupport, but couldn't use it because of not having any forward observers. None of the given units had permission for calling in the assigned arty (or airsupport); "DENIED". Not too bad a situation, but for sure a little annoying.

As far as I know, there hasn't ever been the possibility to cross fords (the rivercrossing, not the cars, because they surely can be crossed with tanks and that's real fun!) with tanks. Jeeps and trucks yes, not sure fore halftracks, but I thought they could too. Tanks have been excluded and from what I believe that was intented by Battlefront.

When playing combat mission, be it cmx1 or cmx2, I am frequently amazed about the unbelievable possibilities this game gives us. An AI that performs mostly wonderfully well, graphics and sound that give a real feel of how battlefield mayhem can be (Just try a hotseatgame with yourself on the receiving end of a massive rocketartybarrage! Even in the safety of my home I wanted to desperately duck for cover). Ballistics, terrain, soldiersbehaviour that ranges from courage to cowardness, wind and weather and much, much more are things that not so very long ago were completely unimaginable. When I play Combat Mission I feel like a kid in a candystore. Well, to be honest, that's usually when I'm winning. If I'm struggling for victory, or get my ass kicked, I tend to behave like a child and I have to blame someone other than myself. And so I ask for a NEXT TARGET option, or complain about not being able to shove wrecks aside or not being able to re-man ATguns or whatever. It's a human characteristic I think, not being satisfied with abundance. Therefore I would like to apologise to the Battlefrontboys, for not mentioning my thanks for such a magnificent game often enough. (BTW Steve, the fact that no one hasn't requested something in 5 yrs doesn't mean everything. I could be brilliant, you know )

$Pec5: See? Them forumboys are fast..

It means Smokescreen defense. In case of serious trouble the AFV can be enveloped with a allround smokescreen. About hotkeys change, I did know, but (he, I'm over fifty) forgot. I bet there are some forumboys that can give the answer faster than me. I wouldn't be surprised if the answer is allready available to you while I'm still typing this. If no one reacts i'll look it up for you later, because I've got to go now.

I tried to go with my Sherman over rubble that was left over after I destroyed a house with AREA FIRE, but got the same problem. Tank is trying to find another way and, offcourse, stumbles straight into deadly ATfire.:mad: Real tanks can go over rubble without too much of a hassle, can they not?

I don't believe asking hurts anyone or anything, but even if it did, how will you define "properly"? My definition of "working properly" could be very different from someone else's. This besides the fact that, in my understanding at least, great inventions usually originated from people who asked for/wished for/ thought of extra things just BECAUSE of the fact that other things didn't work properly.

Daisycutters! www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiP7-HBHwPc

I had forgotten all about it, but the cmx1threads made me remember that in CMBO we had the "target next" command. If properly used it could prevent your troops from neglecting a serious target a little further away, while at the same time they were waisting precious ammo on non-threatening targets close by. Is there any chance of getting this back in the future?

"When I said a wanted a pet panther for my birthday, I meant the living one!"

I played as US. Real nice map, and I had a ferocious fight (minor defeat). But to be honest: numerical advantage of tanks disappears because of (near) impossibility to get them across the bridge. I got one across and counted myself very lucky. I am really impressed by the big duneslike sandy crater east of the town. Don't know how you made that, but it looks very good. If only foxholes could be that realistic.. Gonna play it again soon, also as US. I've got to win! Overall verdict: Nice exciting scenario. Difficult, but real intense, and I especially like the relative small battleground and the close quarter atmosphere.

O, don't forget to undo the Coverarc when you need to. I played "band of brothers" scenario and positioned my teams silent and beautiful. When I started the attack I - allready victorious in my mind -forgot to undo the very short coverarc for the mgteams. And so they didn't suppress the enemy on the other side of the field. Guess what happened.. Somebody nearly destroyed a keyboard.

Well, tourist because he obviously is NOT a tourist, and secondly because "Turkish" alliterates so nicely with tourist. And he has a, like someone else also stated, certain mediterranian appearance. Couldn't call him a Syrian at the moment, but Jordani or Lebanese or Cypriot or Israeli or even Greek or Egyptian would have been possible if not for the alliteration.

Wow man, currently snow and ice and cold here in Holland. Your perfect scenario makes my heart ache with longing: I want "NICE", too!

I love your description of the annoying and crazy movement when tanks follow each other too close: "(..) did the stutterdance (..)". Exactly!

Having read the forementioned schedule, I'm under the impression that Market Garden is not te be expected before the second half of 2013. Not what I hoped for. And are there any guesses what "Something Nice" will be? Could it be Vietnam? Korea? The Pacific? my expectations are high again.

Very nice. It gives the battlefield a somewhat grimly atmosphere, I like it.