AlexUK

Sorry, I was in a hurry when I typed my response. My wife was calling me to do something so it's a tad abrupt.
How are you Erwin? Thanks for the offer but Bootie has restored the Montebourg revised file and he's dug up my old CMSF campaign , USMC Gung Ho! which I'd really like to revisit for CMSF2. I want to do some work on the old campaigns before embarking on a new one.

I just burned out after CMBN Market Garden, I guess. Even before starting the maps, the RESEARCH that was required to make a campaign like the three I made for CMBN was a massive undertaking. I'm going to take it VERY slowly but yes, I plan to make some new content. I doubt very much I'll ever make anything like 'The Road to Nijmegen' again because some of the missions in that featured an entire reinforced battalion and that exceeds my pain threshold for RTS. I can DO it but I miss so much of the action in RT because I'm too focused on what platoon X is doing and that's a lot of the fun in CM for me. I like to get the camera down to ground level and see the action from my pixel troops' POV rather than the God view.
I expect you'll see campaigns with reinforced company sized actions and a few smaller reinforced platoon missions to change the pace from me. But there's quite a lot changed with regards to AI scripting - more groups is always going to result in better AI plans but the triggers were relatively new when I last played and I didn't see much need for them. I'd like to see what some of the other guys have doe with the new scripting and see if it's better.

You are my favourite person from now on. Thank you for making such a simple tool available.
 
I'm afraid I had a horrible computer crash a few years back and lost everything CM-related and now I can access all the campaign files and perhaps rework them.
 
Thanks
 
PT

I’d also like to know the LAV-AT bug story. I was one who reported it and found out it had been reported a long time earlier. It is far removed from shell casings - it has a significant impact on scenarios where the vehicle is present (and there are a few). How come it has taken so long to fix (and maybe still not fixed now, unclear if current patch has fixed)?
From this customer’s perspective, more focus on significant bug fixing would be appreciated, together with greater clarity as to whether it is a confirmed bug and whether it has been reported and eventually accepted/fixed waiting for next patch. If there is a way that we can help with that it would also be interesting to know. 

I’d also like to know the LAV-AT bug story. I was one who reported it and found out it had been reported a long time earlier. It is far removed from shell casings - it has a significant impact on scenarios where the vehicle is present (and there are a few). How come it has taken so long to fix (and maybe still not fixed now, unclear if current patch has fixed)?
From this customer’s perspective, more focus on significant bug fixing would be appreciated, together with greater clarity as to whether it is a confirmed bug and whether it has been reported and eventually accepted/fixed waiting for next patch. If there is a way that we can help with that it would also be interesting to know. 

I’d also like to know the LAV-AT bug story. I was one who reported it and found out it had been reported a long time earlier. It is far removed from shell casings - it has a significant impact on scenarios where the vehicle is present (and there are a few). How come it has taken so long to fix (and maybe still not fixed now, unclear if current patch has fixed)?
From this customer’s perspective, more focus on significant bug fixing would be appreciated, together with greater clarity as to whether it is a confirmed bug and whether it has been reported and eventually accepted/fixed waiting for next patch. If there is a way that we can help with that it would also be interesting to know. 

Honestly? I don't know. Who knows what bugs you know about? Did you forget about them? Do you think they're unimportant? Some have been around for years!  As to why I'm taking time and space to post this - I want to know!
Of course not. But given the context of the thread, I thought citing the thread would be helpful to figure where the current conversation is. I thought that made sense, maybe not. I'm not sure.
I might be, I'm sicker and grumpier than before. I was hoping to share my perspective. I haven't been super into CM recently after encountering a whole bunch of these bugs in a row, switching from game to game. I searched the forums before posting and found others had mentioned them, so went on to the next game, and so on. I posted about the artillery almost a decade ago.  Anyway, I took a break and came back to find that really nothing had happened. It's frustrating, and I get that this is only my perspective, but clearly a lot of people who I remember being quite positive and supportive chaps back in the day are equally frustrated.
Don't get me wrong, I'll be watching for it, but I am definitely going to wait quite a while before buying anything else in the future given my own seemingly unreasonable gripes to make sure it'll actually be supported.  I'm still here because you are one of two guys who make games in this genre, and your Ukrainian friends are allergic to anything past 1943.  Despite how it may sound to you I of course want you to succeed!
Honestly, thanks for that. That's a step to the kind of communication I think I was trying to get at in my first post. People in this thread have legitimate grievances, and by and large we haven't been as civil (including me I think) with you as we should.  I think we see "We did pretty well with our 2022 calendar" in the second paragraph and immediately think "What are you guys smoking?"  According to your internal metrics - you probably did do a pretty good job. Lots of stuff behind closed doors and it sounds like tournaments were a big pile of problems for sure. But from the perspective of us plebs that sounds comical given what we've actually seen on our end.  But that's the core of the communication problem - we can't tell that, all we can do is see, right?  Anyway, thanks for staying civil Steve!

I'm not sure the hyperbole is helping your point here, Steve, even if it's understandable given the high emotions in this thread.  Going by this thread, the demanding peoples have mentioned: an easy-to-fix model bug in a Panzer III (that Phil already figured out and seems to have been fixed! Great!), the aforementioned T-90 armour bug (finally fixed, and by your definition seems a bug of more importance), the two I mentioned (9K114 missiles don't work at all and artillery damage to subsytems), bugs with the GILL ATGM guidance, and the LAV-AT sights not functioning.  All of these seem like major bugs, no?  Or are they "the game is unplayable because the spent casings don't bounce correctly off of bushes?"
I was excited to see what was coming for CMCW and to hear news of an update to the engine, but honestly after this last year and reading this thread, I'm not as much anymore. I don't trust that any bugs that show up with new units in BAOR will be fixed even within a year (if ever, going by the LAV-AT), let alone anything in the new engine.

Since I purchased BN in 2010, it's seemed pretty clear that Combat Mission franchise was focused predominantly on producing content; one only has to look at the setup and shape (i.e. skill sets) of the BF dev team to perceive that content development WAS the commercial emphasis - since at least that point in time - and was NOT shaped by customer's views. But I'd love to hear about any market research data that BF has ever carried out that demonstrates that there was ever such a decision point (I mean perhaps it was before I discovered CM - entirely possible). 

Nonetheless, moving beyond this with a constructive point; would it be useful for BF to undertake some market research,(e.g. a formal forum poll) with their customer base. Not only might BF find such information useful but it might end a lot of the grumbling about 'development priorities' in the future. Maybe there's a core problem in that nobody feels that the relationship between BF and the customer is the two-way listening exercise that it could be. 

Let's be clear I prefer features over content but I'm not complaining about whatever BF develops. The way I see it is that BF are either interested in what the customer is thinking and they shape priorities to that (which would be great for the feature/s I'd like to see), OR BF do what the hell they want because they are simply relying on their own commercial acumen (for better, for worse). It's your livelihood at stake!

But in this I'd warn that pretending that it's the former priority, when it's really only (and has ever been) the latter, might be interpreted as a tad disingenuous, which would not be helpful in maintaining good customer relations.

There certainly is a communication problem about bug tracking. The Gill ATGM in CMSF2 is also unfixed in the new patch, although it is completely broken.
I vividly remember Elvis asking once "which bugs?", while at the same time (buried in semi-random threads) reports of such bugs were in the minds of people. The mechanism of catching the attention of a beta tester who can then transport that to the official bug tracker is obviously not working.
Given how expensive it is to make a patch release such opportunities shouldn't be slandered. 

I'm sure dealing with us is a pain, but from my perspective you guys might have a little communication problem. From the 2022 prospective, only the CMCW patch released, and in July (and again in November!). And that was aimed at early February. I certainly appreciate the September update but it was radio silence until then. Then radio silence until now.
CMBS just got a patch that fixed one major bug in the game, which is pretty great too. I haven't had a chance to test it yet but the patch notes haven't mentioned the at least year old AT6 bug (also in CW which patched twice this year with no dice) and armored vehicles and their subsystems are still immune to artillery save for direct hits, which we've known about since at least 2014. I know these are maybe my big bugbears but you can't argue that having such long lasting bugs is a good look? We also have no idea if you even know about them. We post on the forum and occasionally get a volunteer tester to ask about it and then it gets forgotten about until maybe next year it gets fixed.
Finally, and I don't mean to be rude, but you say you spent recent time on content: what content? I guess you mean CMCW (the best game you've released, and I'm genuinely grateful you you guys!) But that was in 2021.
Overall I think we might be less cantankerous if instead of getting official word when the deadlines go whooshing by months later, a word sooner might make us happier than otherwise.
Anyway, I finally caught COVID and am grumpy so I apologize if I come across the wrong way! I wish everyone here the best and am looking forward to 2023! 🙂

Expression of gratitude to Battlefront team.
Like other players of Battlefront's Combat Mission series, I have my own wish list, of things I'd like to see that I think would make the game better. Now at the age of 72 and wargaming as my primary hobby for 64 years, I have learned that such expressions of "I'd like to see it done this way", appear to be an inevitable response to any set of rules and any game. Tiresome sometimes. To rules writers, game coders and games masters, such feedback can be a bit discouraging. So at this time I want to say:
I am VERY HAPPY playing the WWII Combat Missions series 'as is'. It is afterall - a game.  From my perspective it is a perfect follow-up or replacement for miniature wargaming. To me this is what it feels and looks like. Except it looks better than minis, I can field larger armies, and I don't have to learn a 60+ page book of rules!
When we gamers sometimes appear to gripe about this or that feature no implemented - we might as ourselves, "How long have I been playing these games." For me the answer is "Continuously since the release of series one - Combat Mission Barbarossa to Berlin, CM Afrika Korps etc." So I must have been enjoying it as is. No? So many years of fun.
And I LOVE having an easy to use Scenario Editor. I probably spend more time tinkering with map making, or tweaking graphics than actually playing. I have yet to play through all of CMBN's over 300 sceanrios in my collection.
In conclusion. THANK YOU Battlefront for many years of happy gaming, for your many hours of coding work, your responses to the community. Given my wonky ticker, I don't knwo if I'll be around to enjoy engine 5. I hope so.
Dr. Wilhelm C.T. Oudshoorn BA, DDS (a.k.a. WimO, a.k.a. Kandu)
 

Some 3D model bugs were fixed by the fans using Blender.
 
1. Numerous titles had long standing unfixed error with Bunker ATG had firing blast from concrete base. Very simple error in the naming of a model component and fix was done.
2. CMCW sprockets on several vehicles not moving. Same issue as above. Model component named cylinder and not wheel.
3. Big ugly turret issues with F&R PzIII. Fixed by grabbing model from other title.
Maybe your beta team can develop an house "repair squad" for these simple issues. Fix before game is released is obvious goal. If not that then post fix in forums as a link to an official mod for z folder versus waiting for a patch. THEN later roll that initial fix into patch brz.
Here is where you must tell how the beta team does catch many errors and a few slip through. Of course. Everybody (should) appreciate/s the beta team. But these 3D errors got through... 
 

Cold Warriors.
  Well it looks like Steve has already dropped the mic over on the annual update thread, so let myself, Bil H and Cpt Miller (along with a small team of unwashed heathens - two of whom are actually from the UK), be the second to announce the first CMCW Module - CMCW - British Army On the Rhine (BAOR).

We are still in development so I will only outline the broad strokes of what we are working on, and insert the caveat that we reserve the right to add/subtract - 
 - Time frame of the game is going deeper backwards into the Cold War.  We are setting the clock back to 1976, so CMCW will now encompass 1976-1982 (including some minor tweaks to the existing US orbats).  As has been noted we are less interested in the later Cold War years largely because they really do start to resemble the later CM titles and we are shooting to keep CMCW distinct in its own right.
- UK BOAR - right now we have a pretty comprehensive build planned for the UK units as they transitioned from their 1974 structures - to where they landed in 1980.  As per the picture above players should be able to become deeply engaged within the historical BAOR sector of the ETO.
- And because I just have to represent the home team, we are also doing the Canadians.  That little black box is the planned 4 CMBG AO - you will note this was right at the tail end when the brigade was still part of the BAOR, although for those that really want to play First Clash and park them down in Lahr you are fee to do so because the basic unit structures remained the same.
- We do have plans for the Soviet side, but are going to hold off on details until we zero them fully in...more to follow. 
- I will let you all speculate and discuss what new vehicles and weapon systems we are talking about but there is a not insignificant list of new ones we are planning - more as we start to get some cool screen shots.  
As noted by Steve, we are well on our way and are planning for a release this year - content and full scope remains TBA.
Thank you all very much for your support, the response to CMCW has been well beyond what we were expecting and that is entirely thanks to you guys.

He sent me this when my little border collie died....
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten year old Irish wolfhound, named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa and their little boy Shane were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer.
I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog. Ron and Lisa told me that they thought it would be good for the four year old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few moments, Belker slipped away peacefully. The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion.
We sat together for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, “I know why.” Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I had never heard a more comforting explanation.
He said, “People are born so that they learn how to live a good life – like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The four year old continued, “Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

Special Report From The front: Autumn 1944.




Got some rail cranes, Cheers JM Stuff.

Belgium Autumnal City map.

Found a way of making deep trenches...
 
 
 

Two years end-Apr, Bil.  CMCW is a teenager now, demanding a new DLC it can drive around and show its friends.

Here's an Assault Sherman ("Jumbo") that I knocked out with a Panther at 260m range.
As you see, nearly all shots bounced off the thick armour, but to my surprise, I got a penetration next to the barrel.

 
Since I assume this is a solid block of metal, I don't see how the shot would go through at this particular point.
Searching for some info online, I came across this pic of an Assault Sherman that was hit in this exact spot. This time by an 88. The shot didn't go through.

 
I know of course that whether a shot penetrates depends on a lot of variables, so I'm not saying this is definitive proof that the game got it wrong.
What I am saying is that this pic shows the cylinder around the gun barrel seems to be a very thick solid block of steel and not a weak point. (The actual shot that killed the Jumbo in this photo was one that hit the gunner's periscope, marked "9").
After playing the game for nearly 10 years, I've noticed many cases of tanks getting knocked out by hits on their 'weapon mount', and this is just one example.
So I'm saying it's possible this is a part of the tank armour that is somehow undermodelled by the game.

Ok ok, I was probably a bit started by the evening, too much tapas probably, (just check the time to understand) 🥂😋
 
So peoples, what can be small or tall, big or thin sad or naughty...nothing else as a human we all on the forum guys, so different that we are but only HUMANS...
Every time that we want to wish a good year to peoples, in a common way, for exemple to a forum, we say "Happy new year to everybodys".
Me I transform this "Everybodys", by
"You can be  small, or tall big, or thin, happy, or sad, kind, or naughty, ...this evening of course, my thought was "I wish  you ALL Happy new year" !
in the tag text we have the name >happy new year< ...this is why I said all is in the tag tittle, 😆
But, check the time that I was dig my brain to searching a simple text,🙄🙃 and hope that everybodys will understand.
After a certain time, I was wishing to delete this text, but it was already no more possible. I was 🤯 but 🥳
I know is a long story for only one word, sorry, I will pay attention next time, so we meet us next year on the same time 😆!
You know guys that I am always a little crazy sometimes.
 
Cheers Friends
 

Holy crap.  A series of nostalgiacal events has dumped me here like a drunken frat girl left at her front door in a grocery cart.
I was yakking with Seanachai tonight actually, and something made me do some searches for Peng thread stuff, and I lighted on a new YouTube post of an old Joe Shaw podcast where he interviews Boo.  Surreal.  (I don't remember the specific Boo Hetzer vs dalem Shermans groin kick you related, Boo, but I have no doubt it happened.)
So I did another search and ended up here and wango zetango, the nostalgia rises even higher.
Saw Lars the other weekend - he drives a rig long-haul these days.  He's probably driven by some of your houses, even.
Think about that.  No state is safe.
Papa Khann, who I dunno if many remember, is also doing well - he was at the same game night as Lars.  We played a fun pulpy Solar System game.  As familiar to some of you, I did not win.
Who else do I know about...  well, a few other CMers, but no other Cesspudlians.  Luckily since Berli's ascendance into Berlidom the Angle of Death has been off by a few degrees in my locale.
Me, myself, and I?  I'm doing fine.  Same house, different dog, different cat, same hatred of all of you & stuff.  "But what about your versificationisms" you ask, hand-to-breast?
I sling small ones on a hockey forum I've come to enjoy.  They tell me they like them.  In honor of their foolishnessitude, I shall copy-paste an old one here, for your enjoyment. ("Oh my lord," they breathed, "he actually kept them.")
So I give you "PBEM by the CM Light" once again.  For you youngsters in between your avocado toasts and your pogo sticks, there was a rather famous song by one aptly named "Meat Loaf" from the late 70s called "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" (Ask your parents where you came from and they'll probably burst into spontaneous chorus from this one.)  And "Gnome" is one of the many names for Seanachai.
I've improved on it a bit. Ahem.
=============
PBEM by the CM Light
I. PBEM
Gnome:
I remember every little turn
As if they loaded only yesterday
PBEMing in the dark
And there was not another game in sight
And I never had a foe
Playing any worser than you did
And all the Cesspoolers
They were wishing they were me that night
And now our recon screens are so close and tight
It never felt so good, it never felt so right
And we're glowing like the tracer at the end of its flight
C'mon! Watch the flank!
C'mon! Watch the flank!
Chorus:
Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night
I can play PBEM by the CM light
Peng:
Ain't no doubt about it
We were doubly blessed
Cause we were barely on Turn 5
And we were barely dressed
Ain't no doubt about it
Baby got to go and shout it
Ain't no doubt about it
We were doubly blessed
Gnome:
Cause we were barely on Turn 5
And we were barely dressed

Baby doncha hear my heart
You got it drowning out the sound FX
I've been waiting so long
For you to come along and hit my mines

And I gotta let ya know
No you're never gonna regret it
So open up your eyes I got a big surprise
It'll feel all right
Well I wanna make your Sherman burn

And now our recon screens are oh so close and tight
It never felt so good, it never felt so right
And we're glowing like the tracer at the end of its flight
C'mon! Watch the flank!
C'mon! Watch the flank!
Chorus:
Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night
I can play PBEM by the CM light
PBEM by the CM light
Gnome:
You got to do what you can
And let the Tac AI do the rest
Ain't no doubt about it
We were doubly blessed
Cause we were barely on Turn 5
And we were barely--

We're gonna go for a Major Victory
We're gonna go for a Major
An tonight's the night...

Radio Broadcast:

Ok, here we go, we got a real pressure cooker
going here, Turn 5, defender Hidden well,
armor recon advancing down the road, and there it is,
a moving shot from a lead Sherman and a defending halftrack
goes up in flames. Look at him go, this tank can really shoot!
He's going straight down the road and through the AT mines and
he's not letting up at all, he's gonna try for Hull Down; an
AT gun reveals itself, here comes the shot, he's hit! No, wait,
Minor Penetration, No Damage, he's fine, this tank really makes
things happen out there.
Followup Sherman comes down the same road, the AT gun rotates to
target, and the first Sherman nails it with one shot. Holy Cow,
Routed the crew!
The first tank's TC's unbuttoned now, almost daring the defender
to try and pick him off. A Tiger I inches forward from cover to
engage the second Sherman but it ends up in the arc of the Hull
Down Sherman, the Sherman's turret rotates, the Tiger I's turret
rotates! Here's the shot, there's the turn clock winding down,
Holy Cow, I think he's gonna hit it!
II. Let Me Drink On It

Peng:
Stop right there!
I gotta know right now!
Before we go any further--!

Will you play me?
Will you play me forever?
Will you loathe me?
Will you always stalk me?
Will you post wicked things for the rest of my life?
Will you reply to my posts and will you cause me much strife?
Will you play me!?
Will you play me forever!?
Will you have my email?
Will you never delete it!?
Will you send me fast turns for rest of my life!?
Will you reply right away and not make me wait while I play on this fife!?
I gotta know right now
Before we go any further
Will you play me!!!?
Will you return turns forever!!!?

Gnome:
Let me drink on it
Baby, baby let me drink on it
Let me drink on it
And I'll give you my answer in the morning

Let me drink on it
Baby, baby let me drink on it
Let me drink on it
And I'll give you my answer in the morning

Let me drink on it
Baby, baby let me drink on it
Let me drink on it
And I'll give you my answer in the morning

Peng:
I gotta know right now!
Will you play me?
Will you play me forever?
Will you loathe me?
Will you never be sober?
Will you turn over fast like a mail-order wife?
Will you remember that we have games backed up to last the rest of my life?
I gotta know right now!
Before we go any further
Will you play me?
And will you play me forever?

Gnome:
Let me drink on it
Baby, baby let me drink on it
Let me drink on it
And I'll give you my answer in the morning
Let me drink on it!!!

Peng:
Will you play me forever?
Gnome:
Let me drink on it!!!
Peng:
Will you play me forever!!!

III. Praying for the End of Time

Gnome:
I couldn't take it any longer
Lord I was drunk
And when the feeling came upon me
Like a boot to the junk
I started swearing to my god and Traci Lords' love for spunk
That I would play you to the end of time
I swore that I would play you to the end of time!

So now I'm praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
Cause if I gotta play another battle with you
I don't think that I can really survive
I'll never break my promise or forget my vow
But Berli only knows what I can do right now
I'm praying for the end of time
It's all that I can do
Praying for the end of time, so I can end my games with you!!!

Gnome:
It was CM:BO all through CM:AK
and it was so much better than it is today

Peng:
He never plays too good
He's never sober at night
And we were glowing like
A tracer at the end of its flight
=================
Thank you, we're dalem, good night!!
 

All going well Battle for Berlin V2 will go to Bootie tomorrow....

Now that genuinely makes me feel like I'm looking at a real building. 

KaDeWe department store on Wittenbergplatz, originally owned by Hermann Tietz but confiscated by the Nazis as Jews could no longer own any business in Germany in the 1930's.

@Butschi I've created a basic UI for the csv and sent a pull request. Little rough around the edges and doesn't use the data converters yet but it's a decent start to help people. 

This “where are the Leo2’s/M1s!!” is like a chronic cognitive yeast infection on this thread.  Does anyone actually still believe that 200 of either of these platforms would sweep the Russians from the field?
If one could get past the integration bill (training, organization and logistics), which is a pretty big hurdle in the middle of a shooting war - “what about the M777 and Pz 2000!?” well integration of a few dozen arty sub-units is one thing, and even with these we know there have been challenges.  Integration of a Bdes worth of armour which has to fight in close cooperation with a Ukrainian military organized very differently than the German or US Army is something else entirely.
But for arguments sake let’s bypass those issues and say in 6-12 months the UA can fully integrate these systems into their current battle order…ok, so what?  Last I checked both the Leo2 and M1 still run on the ground and are vulnerable to mines, which we know the Russians are planting everywhere.  They are big, fat, hot concentrations of steel that even the RA ISR will be able to find quickly.  The RA still has ATGMs last I checked, and a lot of them. And last I heard all western tanks run on gas…a lot of gas, and need ammo and spare parts.  So their logistics system will also be a big target.  In fact a lot of what we have heard and seen on tanks in this war makes little sense in terms of doctrine - “indirect fire role 10kms from the FEBA”, how are western tanks going fundamentally change this?
I get the sense that some still believe that 200 Leo 2’s or [insert my favourite tank from CM] would end this war by next Tues. Well that position is not supported by the evidence we have seen in how this war is being fought.  In fact the cost of a few hundred western tanks could be more than they return on investment at this point.  To wit The_Capt’s prescription for western support:
- give them all the C4ISR 
- give them stuff they can use, right now.
- prioritize supporting the big three - infantry and infantry support, unmanned systems (both offensive and defensive/counters), and precision fires.
- prioritize logistics.
- and once you have got all that, then send in limited complete tactical capability packages that the UA can operationalize.  So we are talking a western tactical system, top to bottom, that the UA can make best use of in how they are waging this war.  One that does not force them to have to shift entirely to a western based doctrinal approach that we have zero evidence would even work.
People want this to be a nice and neat western conventional war, over in a week or two…it is not, that ship has sailed. In fact the few western near-peer conventional wars we have had are terrible parallels to try and draw from for this war.  This is the real deal - brutal, grinding and drawn out.  This does not mean “frozen”, it means attrition is back in play - it is foundational in corrosive warfare. Fast, loose and easy manoeuvre warfare is sitting on the sidelines with a broken nose.  We all need to get used to that idea.
All war is certainty (a vision of how we want the outcome to be…we cannot lose this), communication (it goes slow…then fast), negotiation (what does victory look like?  What does defeat look like?), and sacrifice (what are we willing to pay?).