Josey Wales
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Posts posted by Josey Wales
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This is great. Bil you set the standard in AAR presentation that the rest of us aspire to.
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20 minutes ago, Bulletpoint said:
Agreed, but I'd overlook that if they manage to crack the old problem of how to make a tactical multiplayer shooter, well... tactical. Instead of a random chaos mess.
Also agreed. I think that restricting access to information for individual players would go a long way to help that. The GPS map is a good example as it gives everyone way too much info which devalues it and negates the requirement for Command & Control. By restricting access to info, leaders have to work harder to get it and ensure they communicate it to their subordinates, making info more valuable as it should be. This will require full use of contact reports, sit reps and land navigation techniques and the ability to disseminate this info. In turn individual players will be reliant on C2 from their superiors in a way that is not yet required in most FPS games. Now whether people would find that fun or not is up to individual taste and will likely only appeal to a minority hence the devs reason for access to a GPS map.
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I was interested in this until I saw the 'GPS' maps used in game. I realise the developers want to maximise their customer base but games like this are the reason kids ask WW2 vets questions like 'how did you charge your mobile?'
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Have you tried a broom?
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Agreed, the Combat Stress mechanic would be more reasonable if its propagation was governed by audio/visual proximity to the unit sustaining the casualties as opposed to organisational structure.
The other end of the spectrum of the current system is that a conscript/-2/-2 unit from a different platoon as a unit which is being massacred 20m away in front of their eyes wouldn't suffer any impact on their morale.
Combat Stress does eventually propagate between platoons, but the casualty rate in the engaged platoon needs to be high before this effect is seen.
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@IanLyes, great spot!
It looks like an example of how Combat Stress (the effect upon morale of the build up of casualties within a unit) works in the game. Although the video below was made to show the effect of the Leadership modifier on a HQ unit, it also shows an infantry platoon in which one of the squads takes casualties.
As it does, from 1:36 it can be seen that the persistent morale state of the other squads in the platoon and the Plt HQ is reduced. This happens regardless of another squads geographic proximity or LOS to the unit that is taking the casualties as the effect is distributed via the platoon structure.
To relate this to the OP, as all the units in the AT team are from 1 Battery, then any team suffering Combat Stress in 1 Battery due to the build up of casualties will cause other teams within 1 Battery to suffer Combat Stress, regardless of how many hundreds of meters apart the units within 1 Battery are located from each other. Basically what IanL said.
Additionally, because both of the gun teams are already in a Broken morale state with the red 'Brittle' icon showing in the suppression indicator, the slightest hit on morale is going to cause them to go Shaken or Panicked.
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Just a guess, but could it be down to your position?
Have you tried from a location further back from the hedgerow?
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Definitely not boring. The last image clearly shows the extent of the hill your opponent has to overcome.
Are you intending to have a reserve to counter attack if the situation presents itself?
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This is a different class of AAR. I'm really looking forward to this.
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There are times when we don't have the quality of troops we want so we have to play the hand we're dealt regardless of patches or updates.
Keeping low quality troops as a combined squad helps mitigate the negative effects of suppression. Splitting them into smaller teams is not always a good idea.
If any of the squads have leadership or motivation bonuses then get them on the firing step first as they can handle incoming fire better.
Keep the HQ within C2.
Use smoke to conceal them getting into position.
Don't let them get killed 😉
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It looks like it's broken to me based on your findings.
Is the same true if the information is passed via audio/visual comms. i.e. between infantry squads?
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Brutally brilliant!
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32 minutes ago, Bulletpoint said:
I mean ?-markers. I'm getting contact markers for firing guns at 530m distance, when max visibility is 130m.
In foggy conditions in this game, it's difficult to actually spot anything at even half of maximum visibility, so being able to pinpoint the exact firing positions of those guns at five times maximum visibility from sound alone would be quite a feat.
So I guessed maybe the muzzle flash would somehow cut through the fog and explain getting a contact.
I'd assume it must be the noise rather than the flash hence the use of fog horns on ships and shore locations when lighthouses where in effective in heavy fog.
I'd prefer to see the contact markers '?' to show a scattering effect though so that several turn up in different locations when the gun fires, perhaps with the scatter area reducing with each subsequent shot although never fully reducing to an exact pinpoint location.
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5 hours ago, Bil Hardenberger said:
I am happy to hear someone has taken my blog posts to heart and actually took something away from them. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just pissing in the wind.
Hi Bil, I'm also a big fan of your Battle Drill Blog and your AAR's prompted me to start making my own in a video format. I have learned a lot from your efforts so can vouch that you definitely have not been pissing in the wind!
Many thanks.
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I made a video about a year ago where I talk about why I like the WeGo system. The footage is from A Muddy Affair. I don't comment at all on the scenario but give a brief summary at the end on how the battle went.
I thought the scenario designer did a sterling job on this scenario, it was extremely challenging and rewarding.
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If a scenario designer or campaign overseer wanted to model the effects of genuine fatigue then selecting troops of a lower experience would seem the best way to simulate this. Units that were historically regular or veteran that were set in game to green or conscript will have compromised their spotting ability, accuracy, susceptibility to the effects upon morale of being suppressed & taking casualties, their ability to recover from suppression and their ability to pass on information.
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3 hours ago, Lethaface said:
A question someone may know the answer to: does fatigue affect spotting?
No only experience affects spotting.
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27 minutes ago, c3k said:
Agreed.
I would think doing tests with troops "Exhausted" in red (with a +2?) would show some poor spotting and accuracy. Gonna be tough to figure a test regime for that.
For the accuracy test I did multiple runs with first a rifle squad and then a sniper team firing at an infantry targets at various test ranges. Each test condition was repeated 5 times. The tests were broken up as follows;
Fatigued vs Rested at 100m ,200m, 300m
+2 Leadership vs -2 Leadership at 100m ,200m, 300m
+2 Motivation vs -2 Motivation at 100m ,200m, 300m
+2 Fitness vs -2 Fitness at 100m ,200m, 300m
Elite vs Conscript at 100m ,200m, 300m
The only soft factor which consistently affects accuracy is experience.
Similar results were found when testing for spotting.
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On 2/27/2018 at 5:59 PM, Mord said:
CM turned me into a WWII freak.
Me too, I couldn't tell the difference between a Panzer III and a Tiger when I first started playing CMFI.. I know embarrassing right?
Now every moment of spare time which is not spent either playing (or editing) CM, is invested in either watching WW2 documentaries or reading about WW2 history & unit tactics.
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49 minutes ago, sid_burn said:
Nah, I was very new and still very bad at this game when this match was happening. A lot of sulomon and I’s games consist of people who don’t know what they are doing throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.
I thought that was just me!
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Looking forward to the outcome of this, if you can get the Brummbars in a position where they can level the buildings in the town then do it, that's what they're designed for!
However, you are right to be concerned about your opponents AT capabilities. Good luck.
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Fatigue has no effect on a units accuracy or on its morale state regardless if the current morale state is as a result from either Combat Stress or Combat Shock or a combination of both.
Fatigue will only affect your movement options;
Tired troops cannot Fast Move.
Fatigued troops cannot Fast, Assault or Hunt Move.
Exhausted troops cannot Fast, Assault, Hunt or Quick Move.Maintaining a C2 link with a Plt HQ for example provides that squad with a resistance to Combat Shock i.e. its morale state will not drop as low under incoming fire as it would if it was out of C2 link.
Whether you want to maintain the C2 link is up to you as a player. Well trained, led and motivated units have a built in resistance to Combat Shock whereas poorly trained, led and motivated units are more susceptible to its effects. You could make a case that its more important to keep the C2 link with lower quality troops when they are in contact, however even good quality troops get worn down and will benefit from maintaining the link when taking incoming fire especially if they have taken casualties and are suffering an additional impact on their morale state from Combat Stress.
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On 09/02/2018 at 11:32 AM, The_MonkeyKing said:
Have you ever thought about making CMBS pbem content?
Unfortunately not, my passion at the moment lies with the WW2 titles. I own CMBN, CMFI, CMFB and my next purchase will be CMRT probably later this year.
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Well as others have done it then I may as well jump in with some of my own shameless self promotion.
I have almost completed part 2 of my Lonsdale's Block AAR against Pericles and as well as watching that here are some things I have picked up playing against a human opponent:
1. Keep tanks mobile - infantry will seek cover if a tank has LOF to them, to overcome this keep your opponent guessing as to where the tanks will reposition. Do not stay too long in one place so that AT assets can be brought to bear on you.
2. If you are infantry vs tanks, then move behind buildings so as to be out of sight of the armour. Try and predict where your opponent could move to next turn and get those units that would be in LOF into cover ASAP.
3. Use lots of smoke! Use it to conceal manoeuvre and to blind enemy guns/armour. Frustrated opponents may expose their tanks to attack by trying to get through or around the smoke. Mortars are excellent for this.
4. Manoeuvring without concealment or cover fire is suicide.
5. When opportunities present themselves, take them if the pay off is worth it i.e. casualties vs objectives.
6. Use large calibre artillery for prolonged periods. Urban environments allow good protection from indirect HE, so go big and go long.
Are AT guns too fragile?
in Combat Mission Red Thunder
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AT guns are my favourite CM unit type. I only know about British WW2 doctrine when it comes to AT guns and I use this in game.
In defence the guns would be positioned in defilade or reverse slope positions with infantry positioned to defend them rather than the guns positioned to protect the infantry.
In attack, tanks would be used to take ground. AT guns would then be brought up to take the positions of the tank units so that the tanks could advance whilst the guns protected the newly captured position with infantry supporting them.
I have broken with doctrine on occasion and used smoke to conceal AT manouevre to attack tank positions.
I am currently playing a game where I have several AT guns at the edge of woodlines. They are protected by sandbags and have been getting the upper hand against multiple panzer assaults. All guns are in tact with a couple of crew casualties only, whilst the area they are covering is a graveyard of German armour and burning wrecks. Man I love AT guns!!