Glubokii Boy

My uncle, age 74, is complaining about the fact that he is loosing 30 seconds on his standard lap times...."I don't understand why !!"....I try to tell him that it might be because he's 74 ! 😊...
 

The problem I belive is that most people want to play on good maps...not simple ones...
Playing on a well designed/detailed map is more enjoyable compared to playing on a hastely designed one...
The problem is not neccesarely the difficulty in creating good, detailed ones but rather the time commitment neccesary for creating such a map...even if it is fairly small.
Such simple things as designing a realistic looking/varied forrest and not just plink down a number of the same trees on a number of tiles....takes time.
Editing buildings, damage, elevation etc...takes time. It is not difficult...but it takes time.
Adding flavoured objects...takes time !
Additional mapfeatures that would speed up/ simplify mapdesign would be most welcome 🤓.

I've been pleading for Uncons (& IEDs) across all the titles, designers don't need to use them if they don't want to, but there would be a metric s**t-ton of options for those who do.....If we had them.
IMHO it would be wise to add them for BOTH sides as I beleive Partisans are being added with this pack too.....TBH the core mechanics of CM:SF's Combatants, Fighters, Spies, Spy Forward Observers & IED Triggermen could all be used in any of the titles, as Maquis in CM:BN through to militants & paramilitaries in CM:BS.
VBIEDs maybe not so much though. 
PS - The CM:SF2 Uncons could use some tweaking TBH, they have no radio comms whatsoever as it stands, despite using taxis for their primary transport. 

I've suggested in the past that Uncons should be able to administer Buddy Aid to opposing units, essentially finishing them off (all wounded would be killed) and stealing their guns.....This would give a player a genuine incentive not to leave anybody behind in the presence of Uncons and it would make them a much scarier opponent to boot (as they should be IMHO).

I recall reading, but not sure where, that the Berlin towers, along with those in Hamburg and Vienna, were very rarely hit during the bombing raids, though some hits were recorded. The towers were built to provide mutual support/cover and with each tower able to put up something in the order of 1000 various calibre rounds per minute over a 10km area it's likely the allied bombers just went round them. After all only the Hamburg towers protected what the Allies were really after - industry and logistics - the Berlin and Vienna towers mostly covered the government centres.
Of course by the time the Soviet forces entered Berlin much of the city was already ruined, but the towers were very much in operation. Not sure why the Soviets had trouble lobbing shells onto the upper decks, maybe they couldn't get close enough to achieve the correct trajectory. Also, sensibly, they just avoided them, the towers were impregnable to their largest calibre bunker busters so assaulting them would have been incredibly costly.
A few more images:

The Zoo tower - given it's about 40m tall and surrounded by parkland we can see it has a relatively clear field of fire.

Post-war it was used by convalescing British troops. The twin 12.8cm guns still in place.

Twin 12.8cm post war again, here the guns are practically level resting on the parapet. I'm sure I read somewhere that this was how they were fired at ground targets, only a low railing being removed from the top of the parapet, and their repercussion being felt through the whole building.

Poor Hitler Youth crew member. The gun barrels are level here and a railing can be seen on the parapet. 
Apparently the 12.8cm Flak 40 could be depressed to -3 degrees. They didn't have any direct sights since they were putting up general fire under instruction from a separate control tower equipped with range finding and spotlights etc. They must have just fired over open sights at ground targets. I'm sure that once they'd been ranged-in the amount of fire that they could put out must have been pretty horrifying. 
 

The problem I belive is that most people want to play on good maps...not simple ones...
Playing on a well designed/detailed map is more enjoyable compared to playing on a hastely designed one...
The problem is not neccesarely the difficulty in creating good, detailed ones but rather the time commitment neccesary for creating such a map...even if it is fairly small.
Such simple things as designing a realistic looking/varied forrest and not just plink down a number of the same trees on a number of tiles....takes time.
Editing buildings, damage, elevation etc...takes time. It is not difficult...but it takes time.
Adding flavoured objects...takes time !
Additional mapfeatures that would speed up/ simplify mapdesign would be most welcome 🤓.

I most certainly agree...this is another part of map making that he exels in imo...
It may well be the most difficult part in designing a good map...and he does it in a most impressive way....
Providing both possibilities and difficulties for both attacker and defender alike...
The importance of these elevation changes is one of the most impressive aspects of combat mission imo...other games might look better but few handle elevation better when it comes to LOS/LOF...
 
 

I think that the best piece of advice i can give right now with you about to start working on the suburbs would be to check out any of Georg MCs maps...the KING of mapmaking ! 😁..
I don't know if he has made any city maps...but the way he design his villages and farms are absolutelly brilliant...
Have a look at some of these maps both in the editor and while in gameplay mode...
The way he uses fences, hedges, trees and flavoured objects results in some very realistic looking villages imo....
I'm thinking that something simular might be suitable when designing your suburb. 🤓
 

hello...
Have you guys read any good books lately (about WW2)...That you recomend as christmas holidays bedtime reading ?
Personally i'm considdering bying this one...the  2020 version...As a nice companion to CMRT 😎
 
https://www.bokus.com/bok/9781912866137/bloody-streets/
Has any one bought this one ? If so...do you recomend it ?

Comming along nicely 👍...
When i design a larger map like this I tend to mix up expanding the map further with 'some time off' to concentrate on a smaller section of the already finnished map to add the finer details to that part of the map...things like adding flavoured objects, tweaking doors and windows, slight elevationchanges and if desired...adding damage to that section...then after spending some time fine tweaking sections of the map...I go back to expand on it...painting the bigger picture.
I have found that this allows me to get more work done without exhausting myself.
It can be a bit tiresome at times to only paint the bigg pictures for days on end...and then the same with the detail work.
Mixing these two tasks up is less fatiguing imo.
Keep in mind though that you have better decided on the overall size of the map before adding flavoured objects...and eventually units to the map...as these might get moved out of place if you change the size of the map...iirc its when you expand the map to the west and north that units and flavoured objects...'moves' with the mapsize changes...I belive it is to the west and north but it might be to the south and east...I don't fully remember right now.
Again...Just a small suggestion...you obviously do as you please..😊
 
 
 

I recieved my copy of Bloody Streets today 😁
I have obviosly not read it yet...simply had a quick look at it...
The book comes with high quality paper, A4-size (standard printersize). A decent number of pictures...not exesive though.
Close to 500 pages...
As for the map-book...most maps are fairly high altitude areal photos. Some other maps are included also but the vast majority of them cover a fairly large area...
Will it be useful for scenario design ?
Maybe...to some degree i guess. The pictures will give you a good picture of the larger area but perhaps not so much when it comes to being able to plot down the individual buildings and other terrain features with the highest level of accuracy.
I will dive into the book comes weekend 😊.
 
 

I’ll draw the city to the suburbs.
And I’ll work out all the details later.

I'm guessing that a few scenariodesigners have been and still are in...waiting-mode.
BFC have been struggeling to fix some of the AI 'bugs'...several have been delt with but yet more AI improvements will be released with the F&R module for CMRT.
Hopefully scenariodesigning will pick up somewhat shortelly.

I'm guessing that a few scenariodesigners have been and still are in...waiting-mode.
BFC have been struggeling to fix some of the AI 'bugs'...several have been delt with but yet more AI improvements will be released with the F&R module for CMRT.
Hopefully scenariodesigning will pick up somewhat shortelly.

Don't forget the new Panzerkrieg series by the same author, on the panzer units that fought at Stalingrad. Stunning research and lots of new pictures. The first book has already been released.

I recommend Island of Fire, by Jason D. Mark. It's a day-by-day coverage of the German assault on Stalingrad, from both Wehrmacht and Red Army perspectives. It's jam-packed with real maps, photos and reports. The focus is put on the tactical and operational levels, but not without strategic context.
Perfect to get you hyped for urban, and prepared for winter, operations on the Ostfront -- that we'll hopefully see soon in F&R.

Those Who Hold Bastogne by Peter Schrijvers is a good account of the battle for Bastogne. The Battle East of Elsenborn & The Twin Villages By William Cavanagh is a fast-paced narrative which makes for a good bedtime read. Seven Days in January: With the 6th SS Mountain Division in Operation Nordwind by Wolf Zoepf offers a very detailed and personal account of action in the Vosges Mountains during the first seven days of 1945. Also covering the same campaign from the perspective of the US Seventh Army When the Odds Were Even: Vosges Mountains Campaign, October 1944-January 1945 by Keith Bonn. And Victory Was Beyond Their Grasp: With the 272nd Volks-Grenadier Division from the Hurtgen Forest to the Heart of the Reich by Douglas Nash is an insightful account of a rarely covered subject. All of these are manageable size for bedtime reading!

The Bitter Woods by John S.D. Eisenhower and Snow And Steel by Peter Caddick- Adams are two excellent books on the Battle Of The Bulge. 

Since it seems that we can forget about Fire and Rubble until after the Season holidays, I suggest that this is also a good time to re-read books about the Ardennes offensive. The Duel in the Mist-series by Timm Haasler, Roddy MacDougall and Hans Weber comes to mind.
Apart from that I've started the Kampfgruppe Peiper-campaign again, which is great for this time of the year.
I'm also planning on a self made winter battle in Italy, using MJKerners great Goumiers-mod. Still one of my favorite mods.
As I always use to say, there's still so much to explore....😀

Or even better...perhaps the graphic artist at BFC could find the time to add such a touch to these walls while we are waiting for the release. 🤓

Or even better...perhaps the graphic artist at BFC could find the time to add such a touch to these walls while we are waiting for the release. 🤓

Yes, you did. I remember that now. Perhaps in time someone can make a wall mod with bullet and grenade holes/damage, to make it look even better.

i pretty nice video about the Carl Gustav..
 

I have placed bridges over the railway.
Give your opinion and do not hesitate to advise me on the entire map.

 

 
I place buildings near the bridges