The_MonkeyKing

Hello all!

Does the community need a few tutorials on what to do once you figure out how to move all that stuff around on the battlefield?

I am a currently serving US Army infantry officer who spends an aweful lot of his free time these days playing CMSF. The Army is getting more and more into simulations so my interest shouldnt come as a surprise to anyone here. However, I first started playing CM ten years ago and was very prolific in the Forums back then as "ScoutPL." If you are bored cross eyed one night and looking for some entertaining reading, do a search for my username in the CM archives. You'll be laughing and crying all at the same time at the catfighting that went on back then between a bunch of grown men. I also had a number of tactics tutorials that were very popular and I eventually put on my own website for people to access. Alas, that website and the attached tutorials are long gone.

I am currently playing a number of different opponents in PBEM and through my various discussions have found that perhaps there would be some interest in some new tutorials for CMSF. Particularly considering we are now playing with modern weapons and equipment, which correspondingly, work best when they are used as they were designed doctrinally from the ground up.

I am not proposing to write tutorials on how to get your squad to maneuver into a building and clear it using the game mechanics. Nor how to get a tank to shoot and scoot. That stuff has been adequately covered already. I want to cover topics such as the Mechanized Platoon in the Attack, Company Team in Urban Operations, that sort of thing. The sort of things that after you graduate from CMSF basic and have an understanding of how to move around without getting your butt handed to you, you might want to learn how to maneuver all those units around the battlefield so they are mutually supporting and your fires are massed in the right place at the right time. In other words, how to hand your opponent his butt!

You can read all sorts of FMs and go to fancy schools where you learn how to gauge the length of the lecture by the number of powerpoint slides to be presented, as I have done for thirteen years, or with enough encouragement I would be persuaded to take all that knowledge and real world experience I have and put it into some easy to read and understand tutorials for all you wee little grognards in training out there (yes everyone has Grognard potential).

So drop a reply on here if you might be interested in this sort of thing and let me know what medium would work best (powerpoint, word document, video - this would take longer of course but doable). Given enough interest I will get on it (at least while I am in another one of those tedious Army schools and have nothing better to do).

This all looks amazing. Shock Force is easily one of my favorite CM games, and this upgrade is my most anticipated upcoming release. I would have been happy with an engine update, so the new content and TO&E tweaks being added or potentially added is a great bonus. Also very glad to hear that the trenches will remain in game as ditches. The more options the better.
It's going to be a long two months waiting for this.
Forgot to mention, but the $35 price tag is a steal!

Beta 8 is in the Dropbox.  This is probably the last one.  Maybe a few minor tweaks and then the final version for release, I hope.  

Why is it that infantry units often spot other infantry units moving through forests before spotting armored vehicles moving through forests? 
The reason I ask is because I just witnessed a Russian BMP move into a forest about 10 meters from one of my Ukranian infantry units. Russian infantry units dismounted from the BMP - these were promptly spotted by the Ukranian infantry unit (basically right after they dismounted). But the BMP was not spotted even though it is closer. I suppose they'll notice it next turn. 
I guess I'm supposed to imagine that foliage and brush not graphically modeled in the game is hiding their view of the behemoth 10 m next to them? 
All I'm saying is that it doesn't seem right to for them to be able spot infantry and not the BMP in this case. I have witnessed this spotting behavior once before. 

Yes. That's it!!  

Every day I come here hoping I would find the announcement for CMSF2 or CMBS addon. Every time I have been disappointed but I know that someday my patience will be rewarded.

FULDA GAP!!!

That was a dangerous article to read... So many links to other interesting articles with even more links!

Ballad of the QRF
The forward observers crawl into their positions overlooking the control tower and surrounding defenses.

They are unable to spot anything on the airfield, even after a few minutes of observing. No matter, as they can call for fires on the airfield, which is precisely what they do.

The fire mission is a low rate of fire, long duration, HE. This will allow me to keep the target under fire for a long time while conserving ammunition. However, there is a catch; the fire mission will take 12 minutes to arrive. This is a painful delay that will put both the FO team and the QRF at increased risk.
Meanwhile, the QRF has arrived.

No time is wasted as they are immediately ordered to move along the ravine providing defilade into their support by fire position.

As the QRF moves into position, enemy spotting rounds begin to land near my FO team.

Shortly after a second spotting round falls, this one even closer to the FO team.

Time to displace. I am concerned by the fact that the enemy is able to observe my FO team in this position, while I am still unable to observe anything on the airfield. Fighting this action at night as the Syrians (who lack night vision devices, BMPs included) is going to be very difficult.
At the same time, the BMPs roll up into their support by fire position. They immediately begin firing 30mm into the control tower, as this is a likely enemy observation post.

The FO team displaces.

Its just in time. Right as they go to ground at their new position, an airburst mortar barrage lands where they were only seconds before.

The airburst shells creep closer to my FO team, and for a moment I worry that I may lose them. This would be a massive blow to my efforts, as it would essentially remove my ability to call for fires. Without fire support, I have little chance of taking the airfield.

Luckily, the barrage ends. No one is killed or wounded.

That was too close. Note the incredibly fast time on target the British mortars have compared to my fire support assets. This is one of the chief advantages of NATO forces, their ability to call for fires and get fire for effect extremely quickly on a given target. The amount of time that passed between the first spotting round landing and the first round of the barrage was roughly 2 minutes.
The BMPs have been pumping 30mm into the control tower for a minute now, but their rate of fire is very slow. I believe this is because of the low light conditions and their lack of proper night optics making it hard for them to see what they’re shooting at. So, I decide to move two of the BMPs up the ridge a little more to allow them to fire their ATGMs at the building. The leftmost BMP has a large enough target to engage with his ATGM from where he is.

At the same time, I order a headquarters section from the anti-tank units occupying the resistance nests up to get more eyes on the airfield.

The leftmost BMP fires its ATGM at the control tower.

Which promptly falls out of the sky hundreds of meters short.

Bad luck. This is either operator error, or the missile’s motor failed.
The other two BMPs get into position and begin firing their autocannons. I was hoping they would fire their ATGMs instead, but in Shock Force there is no way to order a unit to use a specific weapon system. I’ve given all three BMPs ‘Target’ commands, which generally prefers heavier weapons, but this time it didn’t pan out that way.

These BMPs were given pause commands of 20 seconds. This is because the position they are in is more exposed, and I don’t want them sitting there long enough to be engaged by the dug in Brits. The idea is for them to move up, fire an ATGM, then fall back into better cover and reload.
Both BMPs fire off a few rounds of 30mm, begin reversing, and…

Javelin. The best laid plans…
 Once again, the speed of NATO forces shows. The Javelin operator likely only had 20 seconds, or less, to acquire and lock the target. A few of the infantrymen in the back spill out of the burning vehicle, the only survivors.

Its worth noting that a fair few of the infantrymen, including one crewman, survived the initial hit. However, as they are evacuating the vehicle, a secondary explosion goes off, killing close to half the survivors. This infantry element is now combat ineffective.
After seeing this and kicking myself for making the mistake of not dismounting sooner, I order the rest of the infantry out of their tracks. I also ensure the BMPs are in proper hull down positions relative to the control tower defenses.

The HQ section arrives at their observation point, and immediately take fire.

Its machinegun fire from the looks of it, probably an M240, coming from the barracks on the airfield. The fire causes no casualties and doesn’t really cause any suppression effects either. Despite this my men are unable to get a solid spot on anything on the airfield, even the enemy shooting at them.
As this is happening, the FO team comes under spotting fire again. They’ll have to displace again.

This has been a tough, though not unexpected start. The QRF is doing its job. I have a rough idea of where some of the British strongpoints are, and I know they have Javelins. I also know that these British paras must be set to very high training and motivation levels based on the quick spotting and firing times thus far.
Right now, my single biggest problem is my lack of offensive combat power on the field. Indirect fires can help make up the difference, but with a 12-minute call-in time and my FO team being harassed by enemy artillery, the advantages of indirect are pretty well negated. Add on to that the fact that I have yet to get a solid spot on any British positions, and the advantage disappears.
I still have plenty going well for me though. I still hold the initiative as the attacker, I know I have more combat assets on the way, and I’m developing the battlefield and getting an idea of where the enemy strong points are. I am in no way close to being down and out.

@grunt_GI and @Andy_101 thanks for showing an interest.  Just polishing up some things in the late part of the scenario.  Also trying to mod tag some mods. RL got busy for myself and my PDF adviser/tester.  I'm hoping by the end of this month to have it out the door.  Below is a link to a few screenshots. 
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/117778-unofficial-screenshots-videos-thread/?do=findComment&comment=1741829
 

I assume this is the case but I wanted to check before I pull the trigger.  If I buy the version 4 upgrade bundle today and next week I decide to buy another CM title will the version 4 upgrade apply to that new game?

Is there a downside to hiding a tank? Slower to get moving? Less responsive to action?

Somehow with a friend who introduced the series of СM discussed that it would be better to make a game about a hypothetical conflict between the Treaty of Warsaw and NATO in 1980-1985. I think many would like this game. When there was parity between the sides was equal, and modern systems only evolved.

Shock Force 22222222222222 give me beta or give me death!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ObJh26eNn73_pP_ca8v4uYEEhmzwpHwf
A link to the scenario. I haven't published yet because I need to see if I have to make any balance changes/scoring changes. It took forever to get Power Hour balanced (it favored the Russians too greatly) and I'd rather not have to constantly re-upload. Right now the scenario still probably favors REDFOR too much. 
Unfortunately, Aer0mat (who was my opponent in my last AAR),  is @Saint_Fuller's opponent and doesn't have an account so he probably won't be giving us an account of the Russian attack. So crack open the scenario if you'd like to see the balance of forces.

This is good.  Very glad that CMBS is getting more interest now.

Probably not unless BFC decides to do a 2025 vehicle pack* or something.  Same for JLTV, AMPV, SCOUT SV, etc.
*this would actually be pretty cool and probably popular.

Good day everyone. This AAR is based on a PBEM of a quite interesting scenario created by @Rinaldi, "Action at Chervona Hirka", and based on the (quite well-made, I would say) master map by @H1nd.
 
SITUATION AND BRIEFING
It's the early hours of June 11th, 2017. I have command of the Ukrainian 15th Mechanized Battalion of the 58th Mechanized Brigade, deployed to hold up the brigade's northern shoulder around the town of Chervona Hirka.
My primary objective is to retain control of the town itself, as it sits adjacent to the enemy's MSR and controls access to side roads that could let the Russians bypass Krolevets. This is Objective Aleksej.
A roadblock positioned astride the road to the south is a secondary objective, designated Objective Vasilij. It is held by the battalion recon platoon occupying Battle Position 1. I do not expect to hold the position for very long against enemy attack, if it comes to that. However, forcing the enemy to deploy to destroy the roadblock will cost him precious time, and hopefully, the recon platoon will provide me early warning of enemy movement.
My third objective is to attrit and delay the enemy as much as possible: inflicting losses and forcing him to deploy a significant amount of forces to overcome my position will cost him time and weaken his ability to continue the thrust. In this case, the priority is to engage and destroy his infantry and their carriers, with armor and logistical vehicles to be engaged as targets of opportunity.
At my disposal is the aforementioned 15th Mechanized Battalion, reinforced by a platoon of armor (BM Bulats) from the Brigade and a platoon of MT-12 antitank guns.
The enemy force is a BTR-equipped motor rifle unit with armor support, and the incoming attack is likely going to be in battalion strength, though possibly somewhat diminished: a company-sized enemy force was repulsed yesterday, leaving behind several BTRs and T-72s.


PLAN
There are three probable routes for the enemy to attack down, by my estimation. Map is hopefully legible enough to interpret.


My intent is to cover all three probable axes of advance:
The field, Axis Alpha, is the fastest and most direct approach to the town.
However, it is covered from three sides, forming a fire sack to attrit the enemy as much as possible if they choose to advance there. The Bulats and antitank guns will engage from BP 3, ATGM teams of the battalion antitank platoon are situated in BP 2, and the right flank is covered by infantry with RPGs as well as their BMP-2s, occupying BP 4.
Axis Bravo, along the river on my left flank, would potentially allow the enemy to maneuver very close to Objective Aleksej while remaining out of my view. A rifle platoon is deployed on the north side of BP 2 to keep the area under observation. If the enemy chooses to focus his main effort down this axis of advance, that platoon is to act as a delaying obstacle so I can shift my forces accordingly.
Axis Charlie, the road on the south, is the third potential route for the enemy to take, and the one I judge to be least likely: it is constricted and forces the enemy to drive straight along a fairly narrow path, directly into any potential ambushes. Nevertheless, if the enemy chooses to move through here, my intent is, much like with Axis Bravo, to delay them with the limited forces I have at BP 6, to buy time for shifting around other forces to BP 9 at the south end of Chervona.
The artillery has pre-registered target points on positions on the east edge of the field: these are where I expect the enemy to position support by fire elements in case of an attack along Axis Alpha. Artillery fire on the TRPs will hopefully obscure the vision of and damage/disrupt any SBF elements on these positions.
Phase Line Forward is the first position where the enemy is likely to be engaged, by the battalion recon platoon at BP 1.
PL Midfield is the forward line of the battalion's main body.
PL Stop is the no-pass line.
 
If the enemy attacks along axis Alpha:
Forces at BP 2 and BP 4 are to put flanking fire on enemy forces as they move across the field, and then withdraw to contract the line when the enemy approaches PL Midfield: the forces at BP 2 will move to BP 8, and the units at BP 4 to BP 9. Alternatively, units at BP 2 and BP 4 will be kept in place to strike at the enemy's trailing elements, if he chooses to pass them by.
Forces in BP 3 just past PL Midfield will be the first to engage the enemy when he breaks into Chervona Hirka from the field, and will if necessary cede the edge of the town and attempt to conduct a fighting withdrawal to BP 12.
BP 8, 9, and 12 are the final fighting positions, being directly in front of PL Stop.

If the enemy attacks along axis Bravo:
Forces at BP 2 will engage the enemy first, and fight to delay the enemy as long as possible.
They may attempt to conduct a fighting withdrawal toward BP 10, and then either fight in position there or withdraw a second time to further strengthen BP 3.
Units at BP 3 and BP 8 will reorient to face a thrust from the northeast. If they can be safely pulled out of their position, forces from BP 4 will move to BP 12.
If necessary, forces at BP 8 will conduct a fighting withdrawal to BP 12.

If the enemy attacks along axis Charlie:
Forces at BP 6 will be the first to engage the enemy, to delay and attrit them.
Units at BP 4 will move south to strike at the enemy's flank where they are strung out along the road, and units at BP 8 will move to BP 9 to receive a thrust from the south.

In the event I fail to stop the enemy and lose control of Chervona Hirka, I am counting on inflicting enough losses to leave the enemy unable to effectively take advantage of the ground they have taken.
My briefing does not indicate that force preservation is a critical concern, but ideally, I want to keep losses below 30%, to ensure the battalion remains capable of further combat operations.
 
And well, that's it for the opening post.
The next update (and first actual AAR content!) should be along fairly soon.

Thanks @Bil Hardenberger.  I will continue to post how different game mechanics can be made to work in cool, interesting ways.  I hope others will use this knowledge in future scenarios and maybe make them think of something new that I have not stumbled across yet.  This stuff will be even more in depth and interesting if used with spy's, unconventional forces, IEDs, VBIEDs and more nationalities.  @Battlefront.com has created a pretty cool game here and also provided a powerful Editor for us.    

Soo.. How long will it take for this to be released for the general public?  Just a general guesstimation of course.

This is beginning to really irritate me now.
 

With my Javelins in position on the forward slope of my hill, I am swiftly rewarded with the sight of an ATGM team perched in the bushes atop Point 228. I expect the Javelin teams to use their launchers and wipe the enemy team off of the face of the Earth, but instead, the idiots start plinking away with their rifles! I hurriedly give the team that has spotted the enemy a 'target' order on the offending ATGM.
 

The AT operator finally puts away his rifle and takes aim with his launcher. I anticipate the thunk-whoosh of the missile launching, but all I hear is the chatter of incoming machine gun fire. Before he can fire, the Javelin operator is critically wounded by the next burst from the enemy MMGs. My first casualty, and all because the stupid bloody Javelin men decided that it would be a splendid idea to use their rifles instead of their honking great missile launcher. This is exceedingly frustrating.
 

The offending MMG team and his platoon HQ are spotted on the edge of the berm.
 

Another enemy ATGM team is spotted making a run for the East Yard. All of my vehicles are currently behind the slope of my hill, so once again I am unable to do a thing about this.
 

The round of frustration isn't over yet, as one of my withdrawing scouts is shot in the back by another burst from the MMGs. My second casualty, and this time I have no one to blame but myself. I should have used the hunt or slow command, but I wanted to get the teams back to their APCs without exposing the APCs too much, and also these scouts are exhausted from creeping forward all the way from my start line.
 

I creep my three Scimitars forward and subject the location of the ATGM team to a few bursts of 30mm HE. The time for conserving ammo is gone. Unfortunately, before the Scimitars get into position, I spy the ATGM team crawling away to safety.
 

This time, however, Instead of leaving the Scimitars in one location, after about twenty seconds of fire I pull them back and relocate. Then I roll them forward again and give the location of the machine gun a similar pasting.
 

The enemy AT platoon HQ is spotted running for the East Yard, and I have a pretty good idea of what building they ran to. A future target for a Javelin missile, perhaps?
 

The ATGM team on the hill is spotted again, in an alternate position. Thankfully, the Javelin team elects not to open up with their rifles this time! I order the team to target the enemy ATGM. Second time's the charm?
 

This time though, I'm going to be more careful. I send the Scimitars forward again, to a position where they can see the berm. If that MMG team reveals themselves again, they'll be in for a rude shock . . .
This has been a highly irritating and frustrating few turns. By the quirks of the game and my own mistakes, I've suffered my first casualties of the game. This is not an auspicious start to my first proper engagements with the enemy. Hopefully, however, the next few turns will be better. Finger's crossed . . .

I would say CM is engine limited. After certain point no matter what you throw at it the frame rate doesn't move an inch(frame?). Law of diminishing returns gets pretty rough after card like 1050ti.

Your Bones.....I has finished them!

See:

Doesn't the "OCCUPY/HOLD" victory condition do that - accompanied with 'PRESERVE STRUCTURE" penalty/points?  Can a defender get points for preserving structure, or that only penalizes the attacker if he destroys it?