HerrTom

Please tell me that pun was on purpose. I was reading more about the upgrade and the meteorological suite piqued my interest. Seems the already amazing accuracy of the Abrams is going to get even better. I do wonder how useful the wind sensor is going to be though. I foresee trouble when the tank is moving, or facing the wrong way, or if it's damaged, or maybe even dirty, and the sensor info throws off the first shot before the gunner knows to dump it. Maybe its mountains out of molehills?

It's good to hear that violence is subsiding. Thank you Kino for bringing this to our attention. It's been a very interesting thread so far especially thanks to Haiduk's help. In the end what was gained, out of curiosity? A couple acres of land with some trenches in them? As a side note, I can definitely see the appeal of whataboutism, and can even see its validity. That is, except in formal discussion and debate where we try to deal more in absolutes (especially with formal logic's deep connection to maths!) where it is invalid. Informally, the argument fundamental to whataboutism is "why do you judge me to standards you don't hold yourself?" or even standards no one else achieves. It's attractive because it's hard to argue against and the comparison may even be quite apt. But formally, the fact that the US abducted its citizens for mind control experiments doesn't really have a bearing on mafia murders in the Donbas beyond the legal argument of precedent, which isn't the point here either! That said, one would hope we try to stay closer to formal logic here, since there is less room for creative interpretation (alternate facts?) and flared tempers. Sorry, I got a little carried away on the side note! I should stick to DARs...

Just when I thought I was out, they drag me back in. Just got a turn from my buddy, now in Shiny, New V4! May have some fun screenshots for the next couple of turns, but it's not dead! (Huzzah!) 0812 Well, some good some bad. The ambushing T-64 knocked out another tank and damaged a third, which returned fire and brewed up the tank, killing the brave crew. Two more BMPs attempting to overlook the bridge crossing got knocked out by the other T-64 entrenched at the bridge. An IFV caught sight and began firing its autocannon, causing the tank to retreat. Russian forces are now attempting to cross the ford. My infantry in position to counter their advances got themselves surprised by some autocannon fire that came from across the river. They're all suppressed and retreating now. In response, I've pulled most of 3rd platoon out of position facing the bridge and am bringing them to engage in house-to-house fighting in Pryvitne. Artillery should begin landing on the crossing. As a side note, the explosion smoke on loading an old save is pretty funny! Confusing, but funny.

It's like Godwin's law, but for this Forum. I'm sure it's Hitler in the WWII ones! Here's another article I found about it. Not sure if it's any more new info: http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/americas-once-future-tank-the-us-new-m1a2-sep-v4-super-18422 It's interesting that they're replacing the canister round with the M908 "Obstacle Reduction" high explosive round. I guess CMBS' airburst rounds are becoming a standard-issue reality. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/m908.htm

Hit the nail on the head! This, coming from someone who actually had heard and believed the promise line! When I brought it up last time here I got a right serving of information to the contrary and I searched where it came from. The entire basis of this myth comes from something the BRD foreign minister said at the time, supposedly after meeting with the American diplomat to Germany. It's all really wishy-washy and to think that anyone would take the private word of a German minister as gospel on NATO strategy for the next two decades is a little extreme. So yes, someone from a NATO country did say that it wouldn't expand past Germany. But that was never official NATO statement or policy.

Oh yeah, I was going to do that, wasn't I? Yeah, I'll definitely work more on that. Maybe play around with upgrade 4's new AI plan stuff.

It's been 2 weeks and I haven't really heard anything about this game from my buddy. I'm afraid it may be dead. Plus side is that I'll finally get to upgrade to v4... Sorry everyone, I was just as excited to see how it plays out!

They do, but the plans are generic one-size fits all plans, so specific force compositions may be pretty funky-fresh.

Definitely sarcastic hyperbole! I don't know of any missile that is that maneouvrable! Though I am a big fan of the spirally corkscrews that the Vikhr flies.

Did it look like this?

My girlfriend's family says getting government forms in Russian (from Kharkiv Oblast) was immensely difficult even 10 years ago. Oftentimes the forms would get, as they say, "lost" or delayed or were not available at all. My read on this is that it's hardly a new issue and is pretty deep rooted from even Tsarist times. She tells me Bulgakov writes about the Revolution that some Kievskites question who really speaks Ukrainian and whether anyone knows what it really is! Language is a contentious issue in the region, regardless. Regardless of the reason they're there (and many lived there before Stalin's time, just to say), barely anyone there is alive and actually moved there. These people grew up and live in the area. Isn't it an American ideal of your house is your home? Manifest destiny and all that? I mean, just because their fathers may have been placed there under different circumstances, they have no say in how their home works? Same with the Tartars - it's a shame and is historically relevant, but why does something that happened, for example, a century ago discredit hundreds of thousands today? Life in the West isn't a capitalist utopia either. So what? While I agree, medical care in the Eastern bloc had its problems, there's something you're missing. In the USSR, people in Polevoy had access to medical care and education - something that they had never had before, and don't have now the USSR has collapsed. There were a lot of problems in the USSR, and they definitely lagged behind in many areas, but it's almost a miracle they were able to provide social services on the scale that they did! Sorry, it bothers me a little bit with this whole attitude that life in the Eastern Bloc was a life of groveling at the state as they feed you maggoty bread and force you to sing happy songs about cooperation. It's not the dystopia George Orwell told you about...

I have a feeling it may be (partly) to do with the Kornet's flight path compared to the Javelin. The Javelin flies up into the air and does fancy loop-de-loops and stuff while the Kornet just flies straight at the target. A little too low or to the side and the Kornet eats dirt. The Javelin, on the other hand, is happy as can be.

I think the trick with T-64s is to turn out the commander. He seems to get a better view from outside than through the periscope. I also have a feeling he gets a close range spotting advantage over vehicles with better optics die to the higher field of view, but I can't be sure. The BRM on the other hand was probably just lucky! 2 Company will be moving to occupy the town primarily. The tanks will form a QRF to stymie any clever Russian activity. I have a sinking feeling that 3rd company will arrive too late and might be only capable of contesting the crossing. They will move into the trenches that the Shturms are currently occupying. In other news, a pair of Su-24s call sign "Grach" have taken off from near Kiev. Seems extant AA has kept Russian interceptors at bay... For now. At this rate their primary task will be to blow the bridge and get the hell out of Dodge.

Apologies for the delay! I'm still getting used to not being unemployed 0811 One of 4th platoon's tanks drives along the forested road leading to the ford crossing. Hopefully he can get there in time for the impending Russian crossing. Echoes of gunfire reach the T-64 commander. One of the BMPs defending the canal crossing gets nailed by a hidden BMP-3. Further explosions echo from behind him as the remaining T-64 at the bridge eliminates a BMP-3. A second one appears to the right at the close of the minute. Hopefully our brave commander will spot it and destroy it, too. As promised, the hidden T-64 next to the north/south canal catches a T-72 unawares. The shot enters straight under the turret, igniting the carousel and sympathetically detonating the stored ammunition in the carousel. There are no survivors. Another group of vehicles crosses the field in front of the tank. He takes aim at a T-72, saving the thin-skinned BMP-3s for later. Hopefully his shooting is as good as the last tank. We'll see in the next minute. A PG-7VR flies over one of the T-72s. They remain hidden for a few seconds, before an accompanying BMP lays into the house they're hiding in. 2nd platoon is pretty much ineffective now, so I've removed them from the map. My primary concern right now is the ford. It's not nearly as defensible as the bridge. I've some mines along the footpath leading to the crossing, but I doubt they're enough. That T-64 is probably going to be the biggest obstacle I can place there. Range is also relatively short - 50 meters. I have almost 3 squads from a couple of different platoons in place on the crossing. They're armed with RPG-7s and some disposable -22s and -26s. I doubt they're going to be particularly effective, but the close range engagement could be the advantage I need. BMP-2s have some serious spotting problems, so I doubt the remaining one on the crossing will prove much help - I plan on relying on area fire with it to suppress enemy infantry. I have an artillery barrage en route for the forest around the crossing off of a TRP. Hopefully it won't land on my troops, and if it does, hopefully it lands more on the enemy! I'm not too concerned about the bridge right now. The two tanks and dug-in infantry have been doing a pretty good job at holding it down so far, and if they get in trouble, they can pull back and let the Shturms cover the area while I blow the bridge with artillery. There's also a fairly heavy minefield around the bridge which may block or slow the Russian advance. (As a side note - I really wish I could move some of the post-processing shaders I'm running back in the rendering order! I'm content with how they look (for the most part) except for the damned ambient occlusion pass. Anything transparent - smoke, windows, and trees(!?) at close range get the AO rendered through them - since they're not in the depth buffer (because they're transparent and get rendered over everything). Perhaps that's my wish for any CM update - a native AO shader, or opening up the shaders in-game so we can tinker with them... And as a second side note - anyone have any advice? I have almost ten minutes until another paltry company arrives. Can anyone think of any dirty tricks I can pull to slow the Russians down?

Coming soon on Road to Odessa: Russian tanks and BMPs pop thanks to glorious T-64s An unfortunate BMP crew gets fried So, so many Russians. Hopefully I'll have enough time tomorrow to put out a full report!

An interesting theory, Steve. Very compelling. I wonder, (and rear) what would happen to trigger a full Russian intervention, perhaps like seen in South Ossetia. Do you think anything short of the imminent collapse of the Donbass republics has a chance of crossing the line? I guess I'm mostly curious what you think would be red flags in the region.

Paraphrasing some bits of the article TFO posted in the other thread, since I love numbers: They ran 3 tests on artillery effectiveness in the late 80s 56x 155mm shells with VT and PD fuses were fired at a simulated entrenched position with M113s, M557s, and M-48s. Effectiveness on trucks and infantry were close to their predictions, but armoured vehicles and tanks suffered 67% damage. Fragments were able to penetrate into the fighting compartments and caused damage to road wheels, tracks, and sights. They determined that current US army models for armour and artillery were inadequate, meaning more tests. 155mm shells were fired one at a time on different targets to get a detailed analysis on the effects of a direct hit or nearby detonation of each round. Direct PD hits consistently destroyed vehicles, near hits damaged components significantly, and airbursts took out sights, gun barrels, vision blocks and engines A simulated mechachanised infantry team was bombarded according to Soviet battalion sheafs. (As far as I can tell, this represented a fairly significant plot of land). 2,600 shells were fired, causing 50% casualties in manpower, fighting positions, and 50% of IFVs and tanks suffered damage preventing them from moving or firing. Hope this helps!

What about fragmentation simulation? Probably never due to the computation needed to add hundreds of projectiles for am explosion. A man can dream though...

You may be doing it wrong, but it's far from ineffective. For anyone curious, here is the thread. The impression I got was that vehicles, including tanks, are a little bit too... tanky?

I'm hoping I can force him to commit his forces piecemeal across the bridge (which is easier) and also on the ford (much, much harder). He may pull up on the opposite bank and just slaughter me at the ford. If it gets too hot, I'm pulling my troops back so I can hit him with artillery. I've been saving up my fire support so I can really rain it down on him when I need it. "Artillery brings dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl."

Indeed. I had done some research on the 73mm, and it turns out it scared the pants off US planners when they figured out how effective the HEAT round was. Until better armour turned up, it was a game of keep BMP-1s more than 500 meters away, or you're in trouble. Thankfully, they can't hit anything further away than that anyway! Thanks, I'm also glad it hasn't died. I'm determined to fight this through to the bitter (I'm sure of it) end!

Hi everyone, sorry for the big fat delay! My buddy went on a trip and I just got hired (finally)! Yup, all BMP-2s and T-64s. 2nd company should be coming sometime around 0820, and 3rd company around 0840... if we last that long. I'm down to a (fairly heavily) reinforced platoon in the town at the ford, more or less. 0808-0810 Russian forces continue to advance on the tattered remains of 1st and 2nd platoons. An ATGM team creeps onto a woodline, ready to bring some hurt to the Russian invaders! All of the scout platoon is now entrenched across the bridge, except for 2 of the BRM-1s, which are stuck hiding behind buildings in Maloolekasndrivka. A Russian T-72 fires on some dismounted crew hiding in the woods. The creeping ATGM team manages to land a Konkurs on a T-72's flank, knocking it out! The trench team manages to fire an RPG at a T-72 at close range which is eaten by ERA and is subsequently raked with 125- and 30 mm cannon fire. One of the BRMs fires a round at a BMP-3, which goes high and smashes harmlessly into the ground. Thankfully, the crew doesn't seem to notice. Must be the stealthy low-pressure guns. The crew doesn't make the same mistake twice. The second shot slams into the BMP, detonating its ammo stores, leaving an impressive crater below the vehicle. The volunteers left in Malooleksandrivka fire an RPG-26 at a passing T-72. It, too, is eaten by ERA. Thankfully, it seems they've gone unnoticed by the platoon of armoured vehicles surrounding them. Finally, the map. I've taken the recon platoon's command BMP, as well as the BMP from the company command team and one from 3rd platoon and moved them to cover the ford crossing. The third tank from 4th platoon is also on its way to help cover that avenue of approach, since it seems the Russians are already at the canal there. I'm hoping I can delay them the 10 minutes I need at the chokepoints, but I'm getting doubtful.

That's pretty damn impressive if it managed to blow part of the glacis plate off, let alone the entire corner of the tank...

@akd I think it means "Out Of the Time Frame"

Photobucket makes you jump through so many hopes just to look at an image it's crazy. I suggest imgur or abload.de, though I think imgur is better for image hosting.