Bud Backer

For those who asked - Apache: A Tank's Tale was released yesterday on this thread: Apache!

Gaaah! That's nasty! I thought it was bad even when an M8's 37mm fired those but this brutal! Thanks for the neat illustration.

The long-delayed and heretofore illusory comic, Apache, is finally nearing completion. Like my previous CAARs (links below in my signature) this one shows something new, both in terms of the side being illustrated, as well as design concepts for the comic. I'll let you mull that over and see if you find them appropriate and intuitive. This CAAR was unusual in that it required substantial setup to provide useful and interesting material. Some of the lengthy pauses in development were cause by obstacles in story-telling that had to be worked out in a pleasing and realistic manner. The fault is mine - I never used the scenario editor for anything other than map-making, and Apache necessitated a foray into scenario design that illustrated (see what I did there?) that it takes practice and a LOT of effort to make workable scenarios. My respect for those volunteers who design them here is increased by an order of magnitude. We all owe them a debt of gratitude for enriching our experience in these games. Once again, the map is one of my own making, another 208m x 208m custom job with a beach and water for troops to come out of as they invade. Fortunately, my partner in this, once again the inestimable Kohlenklau, recognized that the map was too small with the beach and water and the need for some space to represent a landing, so he made alterations that greatly improved on my original work. Much as I'm fond of the idea of micro-maps (after all, these comics are called Micro-Battles) there comes a point where being able to spit in your enemy's eyes is just a tad too close. I hope you enjoy this effort. As always, comments and questions are welcome.

From a PBEM....

That's called a "Preserve" Objective. Do a search in the 3.xx engine manual for the word "preserve" and you'll find it.

I never understood the fascination with these Schwimmwagens until I saw their armament:

Love it!

Wait! New Jersey was fought over as well? Space Lobsters, right?

Don't forget that the forum has a thread for finding opponents so you will cast your net wider if you post your request for PBEM there.

It's interesting to see what drives people's inspiration!

I just spent a couple of hours walking in the woods, with all the fall colours, so this really fits my mood. Nice!

Wow ten years is a long hiatus. Good to have you back

I had a PBEM as the Italians vs a Canadian force and it was a an utter disaster for me. I realize my C2 needed much more serious work to be at all effective because my men would panic after just a few shots. It was a near-rout. Playing as the Canadians I did a beach landing against a Italian force in PBEM. It was not good. I set the Canadians as green since this was to be Sicily in 1943 and their first fight. Playing in another PBEM as veteran Canadians against the Italians they put up a fight but were fairly easily defeated. What I gather out of these three experiences is -The Italians can be played against green troops and prove a challenge -The Italians need a lot more focus on C2 and leadership than other nations to keep their troops stable

It is an interesting, and to me, reasonable suggestion. Vanir has a good point, but as you say, the option isn't a crazy one to offer.

Welcome, Stamos (and fellow countryman!) For information on how do handle tactics - real life, but applicable to the game - I would strongly suggest going to Bil Hardenberger's Combat Mission Tactical Problems Blog. It covers the real life tactics used by the military, and then puts it into game terms for maximum benefit. The Beta AARs that you will find for each game are an excellent (and fun) way to read how the top players (who are often also military folks) do stuff. The manuals - depending on the game - are two flavours. One is specific to the game (EG: Combat Mission Battle for Normandy Manual) and the second is the Engine Manual which applies to all the CM games. There is often a lot of overlap, but there is also unique info in each and they are both quite useful. Of course, this forum is a great source if ideas and knowledge. Don't be shy to ask, and try out the search engine too, it can save you waiting for replies. When you feel ready - and that doesn't mean an expert - try PBEM games. While many play only against the AI, many others find it such a richer experience that its worth it. There are no shortage of newer or less experienced players that you can find people to play who will not turn it into a slaughter. Good luck and have fun.

Nice, especially dust from one tank only to give dynamic tension between static and moving elements.

I think if you download the master installer you can buy then commonwealth module and you input your code and it might be 3.0 at that point, if not, buy the 3.0 upgrade and input that code and it will be current (don't forget the 3.11) patch. 4.0 is, according to Steve, only going to be started sometime in the future as they are working on Bulge, CMFI, etc. Don't hold back for it unless you're prepared to wait a year perhaps.

Great series, PeterPanzer. Nicely composed and fun comparisons.

But what I understood in Bil's first example was that he was extracting topo info from the editor, not overlaying it from and image which was the second example. Or did I misunderstand?