Vet 0369

Regarding the operational level question, please remember the roots of CM. if I remember correctly, Steve and Charles began by developing a PC version of Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) until Avalon Hill, or Hasbro, pulled the plug on that project. I remember commenting to a friend who got me into CMBB that I could see the underpinnings of ASL (minus the dice rolls, to hits, to kills, checking the rule book, and etc.) in the engine of CMBB. To date, Battlefront has stayed true to that model of battalion size battles or smaller. The only difference I can see is that some ASL. modules included campaigns that could cover time frames of up to a number of days. Since I can't code, or even develop a proper scenario, i can't even to begin to imagine how labor intensive and time consuming it is to develop such a campaign.
I too am a member of Few Good Men, and was intrigued by their operational campaign structure, however, it just doesn't fit my level of play. There is a really good branching CMBN campaign called "Sie Kommen" that is very intricate. I've just never had the opportunity for a play through. We also have some good branching campaigns in CM. Two of which I can think of offhand are CMBN "Devil's Descent" and the American campaign in CMBS.
IMHO, Battlefront is (I assume) simply following their original business model of squad to battalion sized actions. I personally don't feel I could manage anything larger. I struggled with the size of "My Honor is Loyalty" which was a Brit battalion with armor and infantry, and an SS battalion with the same make-up, and "Dunes of Erde" (both H2H PBEM).
For those of you who look for an operational level campaign, try experimenting with designing a campaign tot is close to what you want. Some scenario and campaign designers have done amazing things that don't require the time and money of having to do it by Battlefront. I for one am perfectly happy with what we have. If I decide I want something with an operational level, I'll buy the game from a producer that specializes in that type of game play.

Yes, I agree with you. A good commander needs a balance of the two attributes. Both Patton and Chesty Puller were hard charging, aggressive commanders who got the job done no matter the cost. Fortunately, they were balanced by their own superiors who were more measured.
I love CMSF now. Unfortunately, a MacOS update a year ago broke my ability to play my Mac CMSF with all the modules. Even Steve couldn't fix it. Fortunately, I still had my original install disks for the PC version of CMSF and Marines that I installed in Boot Camp. I'm super excited to be able to play on the Mac side again. I would caution new players of the Marines that they should not (must not) play them as they would play the U.S. Army. You should consider Marines as heavy infantry shock troops. Each Marine platoon has the equivalent of an additional Army squad. That means that a Marine company has the equivalent of an additional Army platoon! Also, while the AAV is lightly armored, don't try to use it as an AFV. Your Marines will die. We didn't have the LAV when I was in, so I know nothing about it.
I'd love to see a combined campaign in which we use Marine Amphibious Assault to take a beach or port, followed by turning it over to the Army, which then continues the assault until the campaign needs another amphibious assault. In other words, using Marines and Army in the manner they were meant to be used. Something like the battle for Guadalcanal.

Yes, I agree with you. A good commander needs a balance of the two attributes. Both Patton and Chesty Puller were hard charging, aggressive commanders who got the job done no matter the cost. Fortunately, they were balanced by their own superiors who were more measured.
I love CMSF now. Unfortunately, a MacOS update a year ago broke my ability to play my Mac CMSF with all the modules. Even Steve couldn't fix it. Fortunately, I still had my original install disks for the PC version of CMSF and Marines that I installed in Boot Camp. I'm super excited to be able to play on the Mac side again. I would caution new players of the Marines that they should not (must not) play them as they would play the U.S. Army. You should consider Marines as heavy infantry shock troops. Each Marine platoon has the equivalent of an additional Army squad. That means that a Marine company has the equivalent of an additional Army platoon! Also, while the AAV is lightly armored, don't try to use it as an AFV. Your Marines will die. We didn't have the LAV when I was in, so I know nothing about it.
I'd love to see a combined campaign in which we use Marine Amphibious Assault to take a beach or port, followed by turning it over to the Army, which then continues the assault until the campaign needs another amphibious assault. In other words, using Marines and Army in the manner they were meant to be used. Something like the battle for Guadalcanal.

Based on reading both AAR's in CMFB, and this AAR, I would attribute your more measured and calculated approach more to Rommel. I see more of Patton's "Hell for Leather" aggressive approach in Banenan's style.
I also prefer CMSF to CMBS because of the technological differences between the two time periods. My own service time in the U.S.M.C. Was 1969 to 1980 when we were just changing our air/ground support tactics from WWII tactics because of the development of Manpads. Most importantly, CMSF is still the only CM family with a Marine module😄

Wow!!! At last. This is like watching Patton and Rommel!

The difference between cynical and experienced. When you're cynical, you EXPECT something to happen. When you're experienced, you KNOW it will happen. Let's just hope he's not speaking from experience!

The difference between cynical and experienced. When you're cynical, you EXPECT something to happen. When you're experienced, you KNOW it will happen. Let's just hope he's not speaking from experience!

The difference between cynical and experienced. When you're cynical, you EXPECT something to happen. When you're experienced, you KNOW it will happen. Let's just hope he's not speaking from experience!

I would like to head off a potentially catastrophicly erroneously characterization and stereotype of the misunderstood Puritans. They were not at all adverse to drinking beer (or ale as it was known then), except in excess. In fact, one of the reasons the Mayflower landed in my home State, the PDR of Massachusetts, was because they ran out of ale on their way to Virginia, and had to land to brew more. Of course, you would be put in the stocks if you had a ladder leaning against your house on Sunday. OT I know, but I couldn't stand that the Puritans could be so vilified. 🍻

I would like to head off a potentially catastrophicly erroneously characterization and stereotype of the misunderstood Puritans. They were not at all adverse to drinking beer (or ale as it was known then), except in excess. In fact, one of the reasons the Mayflower landed in my home State, the PDR of Massachusetts, was because they ran out of ale on their way to Virginia, and had to land to brew more. Of course, you would be put in the stocks if you had a ladder leaning against your house on Sunday. OT I know, but I couldn't stand that the Puritans could be so vilified. 🍻

I'm running CMSF bundle on a 2010 Mac Pro. I've not experienced this "dreaded" 36% lock up on any of the modules (now watch me have one tonight). I also have CMSF and Marines on boot camp and have never had the issue on that either (Mac Pro and MacBook Pro). I did upgrade to at least 8 GB of RAM on both. 

I have all of the CMx1 and CMx2 games and modules. I don't expect to ever be able to play all the campaigns, scenarios, and Modder content that's available. I'll be just as happy with BF even if they don't release any new modules or game families. If they do, I'll have to buy it and be even further behind in game play than I am now. :-b

It's a bit misleading. The Civil War count is for Americans killed. The count is so high because BOTH SIDES were Americans.

Actually, that wasn't really such a bad thing. Some of the combat rations (C-Rats) I got in 1969 were packaged in 1945. But, I ate them anyway:-) It was said that Marines would eat anything that didn't move quickly enough to get away. Made our "steel pots" very useful.

Actually, that wasn't really such a bad thing. Some of the combat rations (C-Rats) I got in 1969 were packaged in 1945. But, I ate them anyway:-) It was said that Marines would eat anything that didn't move quickly enough to get away. Made our "steel pots" very useful.

You are one intelligent man! I broke up laughing when I read the part about stealing the pallet of Gatorade. Marines in my time were known for their "midnight acqusitions" of Army, Airforce, or Navy supplies. We never considered it to be stealing because it was going to us anyway. We were just cutting out the middle men
 
Most people don't know this, but we have a tradition in the USMC called Mess Dress Night when all the Officers and Staff NCOs in the company gather for a very, very formal dress uniform dinner. It's about a seven-course meal with a different wine at every course and all of the obligatory toasts. What people don't know is that our first toast isn't to the President of the United States, it is to the Queen. That signifies our roots in the British Royal Marines at the start of the American Revolution. The second toast is to the President. The first course is brought to the President of the Mess (the Senior Officer) who tastes the food and declares it "Unfit for human consumption." We can then begin dining.

Enlisted in the regular United States Marine Corps (USMC) at 19. Served four years as an F4-B, RF4-B, and F4-J hydraulic/pneumatic mechanic, and six months as a cell-block sentry in a "red-line" brig (as part of a fleet augmentation program). Deployed to Fleet Marine Force, Western Pacific (FMFPac) and spent a year in Iwakuni, Japan. I believe I was one of four Marines who never went to Viet Nam. Largest "pucker factor" was when I was on duty as Assistant Squadron Duty Officer (aka radio watch), and a North Korean cruiser shot down an American weather plane over the Straits of Japan. Two squadrons of F4s, two squadrons of A4s, and two squadrons of A6s scrambled with armor piercing bombs and rockets. The Wing Commanding General came into our ready room and kept the 60 plus combat airplanes from obliterating that crusier.
 
I then served eight years in the USMC reserves (USMCR) as infantry; 0311 - rifleman, 0331 M-60 machine gun section leader, 0341 60-mm M2 mortar section leader, and finally 0369 - Infantry, Small Unit Leader (rifle platoon sgt). Biggest pucker factor in reserves was when we were "activated" for a three-day readiness test that seemed an awful lot like Staging (where as "airwingers" we refreshed our infantry skills before deploying to FMFPac). Learned about 10-years later that it wasn't a test. We were being activated to invade Iran to rescue the hostages. The Soviets had our Navy Crypto codes and massed 26 divisions on the border. They said "if you invade, we will drive you out. Carter called off the invasion. Got out of reserves in 1981. Qualified evey year with M-14 rifle at 500 yds, M-16 at 300 yds (all with open sights), and M1911A1 .45 caliber pistol at throwing distance (my issued pistol was manufactured by Singer Sewing Machine Co. in 1943, so it was a bit loose, that is to say worn out).
 
At that time, the transportation for Marine Infantry was primarily "leather." Our normal combat load out was helmet, flak jacket, two canteens of water, eight 20-round magazines for an M-14 or eight 30-round magazines for the M-16, four fragmentation grenades, two claymore mines, two 60mm mortar rounds if the platoon had mortars attached, two boxes of 7.62mm rounds if we had M-60 machine guns attached, six to eight 40mm grenades for the M-79 "blooper" and if unlucky, an M-72 rocket launcher. Add to that three meals, clothing changes, health and comfort items, and we generally weighed in a more than 100 lbs (45kg) over our normal weight. Maybe that's why they referred to us as "heavy infantry."
 
I had very little work with "combined arms" when infantry, and the lethality of Black Sea weapons absolutely terrorfies me. I wouldn't want to "see the elephant" in this new environment.

Enlisted in the regular United States Marine Corps (USMC) at 19. Served four years as an F4-B, RF4-B, and F4-J hydraulic/pneumatic mechanic, and six months as a cell-block sentry in a "red-line" brig (as part of a fleet augmentation program). Deployed to Fleet Marine Force, Western Pacific (FMFPac) and spent a year in Iwakuni, Japan. I believe I was one of four Marines who never went to Viet Nam. Largest "pucker factor" was when I was on duty as Assistant Squadron Duty Officer (aka radio watch), and a North Korean cruiser shot down an American weather plane over the Straits of Japan. Two squadrons of F4s, two squadrons of A4s, and two squadrons of A6s scrambled with armor piercing bombs and rockets. The Wing Commanding General came into our ready room and kept the 60 plus combat airplanes from obliterating that crusier.
 
I then served eight years in the USMC reserves (USMCR) as infantry; 0311 - rifleman, 0331 M-60 machine gun section leader, 0341 60-mm M2 mortar section leader, and finally 0369 - Infantry, Small Unit Leader (rifle platoon sgt). Biggest pucker factor in reserves was when we were "activated" for a three-day readiness test that seemed an awful lot like Staging (where as "airwingers" we refreshed our infantry skills before deploying to FMFPac). Learned about 10-years later that it wasn't a test. We were being activated to invade Iran to rescue the hostages. The Soviets had our Navy Crypto codes and massed 26 divisions on the border. They said "if you invade, we will drive you out. Carter called off the invasion. Got out of reserves in 1981. Qualified evey year with M-14 rifle at 500 yds, M-16 at 300 yds (all with open sights), and M1911A1 .45 caliber pistol at throwing distance (my issued pistol was manufactured by Singer Sewing Machine Co. in 1943, so it was a bit loose, that is to say worn out).
 
At that time, the transportation for Marine Infantry was primarily "leather." Our normal combat load out was helmet, flak jacket, two canteens of water, eight 20-round magazines for an M-14 or eight 30-round magazines for the M-16, four fragmentation grenades, two claymore mines, two 60mm mortar rounds if the platoon had mortars attached, two boxes of 7.62mm rounds if we had M-60 machine guns attached, six to eight 40mm grenades for the M-79 "blooper" and if unlucky, an M-72 rocket launcher. Add to that three meals, clothing changes, health and comfort items, and we generally weighed in a more than 100 lbs (45kg) over our normal weight. Maybe that's why they referred to us as "heavy infantry."
 
I had very little work with "combined arms" when infantry, and the lethality of Black Sea weapons absolutely terrorfies me. I wouldn't want to "see the elephant" in this new environment.

Combined GPS and GLONASS. Here is the manufacturer's data sheet: http://lreri.tripod.com/TIUS/TIUS-N.pdf