Jammersix

I want an AI I can only beat 20% of the time. Before you tell me it can't be done, remember when CM on the Mac couldn't be done.

I just used TRPs, an Armored Knight, two FOs, a TACP and a FIST to kill the computer without every sending a ground attack. I bought a combined arms task force, took one of the armored teams, the HHC, battalion, and 2 batteries of 155s in platoons, two Strike Eagles and two Guardian AT Apaches. An extra Raven and two Shadows. Step one, conduct precision 155 strikes, three rounds at a time, on all visible armor until 155 precision ammo is exhausted. Enemy armor turns out to be T72s. Not fair. Step two, since no one is shooting at the Shadows, I conclude that the computer has no AA. Send in one Strike Eagle to test the theory. After two strikes without drawing fire, cancel the mission and send in all four aircraft. Step three, wait patiently while Apaches and Strike Eagles decimate everything that looks red. Step four, run one short line of 155 AP on the largest concentration of visible infantry. Step five, oh, wait, there is no step five, because the computer surrendered. I never moved my task force, elite FOs, TRPs, and Apaches for the win.

I just tried it, and you guys are right, at least in an assault, as the attacker, I can set up TRPs anywhere.

I tried to buy and distribute TRPs as the attacker in an assault, the game wouldn't let me lay them outside my setup area.

Ah, I see. Does anyone have any idea if the experience-motivation of the guns has an effect?

Playing a handful of games against the computer, sometimes the COLT had faster response times, sometimes a BFIST had faster response times. I can't tell what causes the difference.

Nope. That wasn't aimed at you. I've tried to play opponents where I had to re-buy a few times to get a "legal" force.

Oh, damn, did I do that?

One advantage of playing the computer: the computer doesn't whine about house rules.

I don't like to expose either my FISTs or my FOs. FISTs are too valuable, and FOs get all uppity if they get shot at. They're not really tough enough to hang with infantry. I like to have both of them watch from the back with UAVs and bunk with the Air Force, where they can be happy.

I dunno. American FIST, though, don't need an FO team in them to work. (And the FO teams don't fit unless they're assigned by the unit. The FO teams you buy have three people in them, and the vehicles only take two. There doesn't appear to be an option to target the extra person with friendly snipers.)

I've taken to adding an extra UAV, and having the FIST vehicle use it. I've recently realized that the FIST vehicle enjoys all the advantages of an FO unit riding in it; having the vehicle itself capable of calling in indirect fires is frequently an advantage. It's one more FO with the speed and accuracy advantages of a FIST vehicle.

I specifically tested the ammo-from-a-vehicle phenomenon. It is fact. I put a 7.62 machinegun team in a building, shot the ammo down to 380 rounds and drove a Bradley up right next to the building. The machinegun team's ammo jumped to 2K +, without having to do any loading-unloading. P.S. I did not test specifically for a difference in terrain type, I just tested as wide a sample of terrain, type of engagement, force size, and so on.

I've run thirty games, all sizes, all opponents, against the computer. (I know, I know, but I didn't have time to run them against a human.) In all thirty games, I didn't pick up any extra ammunition in the beginning of the game from vehicles at all; I just started the game with the basic load of ammo. The purpose of this experiment was to see whether or not it is actually necessary to carry extra ammo. In thirty computer games, ranging from one mech platoon to a Task Force of a mech company, HHC, scouts, Engineers and armor, without loading any extra ammunition in the beginning, the following teams have needed to board vehicles for resupply during the battle. 7.62 machineguns: six times. Scouts, 5.56: twice. Scouts, AT4s/Javelins, twice. Infantry fire teams, 5.56: twice. (Down to less than 100 rounds between four or five men.) Infantry fire teams, AT4s: four times. (Facing enemy vehicles without friendly armor.) Infantry fire teams, Javelins: three times. (Facing enemy vehicles without friendly armor.) Infantry fire team, 25mm: once. Obviously, fire teams that are away from the center of gravity of the battle will never need extra ammo, but I was surprised to see that it's actually a very rare thing that an infantry unit is engaged heavily enough for long enough that it runs low of any type of ammo. This game is usually decided between vehicles, not infantry, and when infantry is critical, ammo is not. My conclusion is that unless the game or the circumstances are unusual, carrying extra ammo is only worthwhile for scouts and machineguns that you know will be operating away from their vehicles. I did not observe it directly, but machineguns operating right next to a Bradley or a Stryker never ran low, and it almost looked to me like they were taking ammo out of the vehicle.

For this reason, the 81% bug is permanent.

"Contact! Front! Sides" "How many?" "Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots plus a squad!"

Contact, front, armor. Javelin engaging. One dead T-90.

It's been pointed out to me that I should have a plinth in the park. So black granite, with a roman ogee cut into it. Shouldn't need polishing more than twice a day, unless kids are present.

I'm surprised that it says you lost five tanks. I only counted three.

As long as my personal statue doesn't look like MacArthur.

Contact. The enemy is advancing mounted behind a smokescreen in the western half of our sector. Engaging.

I believe something simple, in bronze, something tasteful, no more than three stories high, no more than eight Bradleys and four Abrams is appropriate. Lights, of course, at night. I would prefer to forego a plinth and have a small park, perhaps six acres, no more than ten, with a football grid, a baseball diamond and some basic concession stands. Out of respect for the dead, the concession stands should be closed during the Saturday night fireworks displays.

The enemy commander has sent word that he wishes to surrender, even as his heavy mortars and airstrikes continue.

We continue to wait. We have lost an officer and his bodyguard, out on a recon on foot.

Charley Tango Mike. No contact.