[British Archer Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Gun]

Good morning,

Why was the British Archer (SPAT) omitted from the Battle for Normandy and Commonwealth Forces? I realize that it went into production in October, 1944 so it would not have been available during the invasion or even during the Battle of Arnhem, but it did see action in NW Europe from October of '44 until the end of the war. It also saw action in Italy in 1945, so it would have been nice to have it available in Fortress Italy/Gustav Line as well, but I didn't want to double post. I just think that it is an interesting design and should be among those units that might be added to the Commonwealth Forces in some future update.

**Chris**

[Map Editor]

11 minutes ago, IanL said:

LOL that was my experience too. It took me forever to find the images after.

Just a word of warning I find that the screen capture has a habit of just stopping from time to time and to fix it I have to install the update for GeForce experience. It feels like an apple product in that regard. And a couple of times after an update I had to re-enable screen capture again.

Thanks for the heads-up. G'Nite

Chris.

[Raupenschlepper Ost]

6 hours ago, Sequoia said:

Probably need the Sdkfz7 in the game before this one.

Definitely.

[Map Editor]

5 hours ago, IanL said:

If you use Nvidia cards then GeForce experience has built in screen shot taker that works very well.

Found the command. It is alt-F1, instead of ctrl-print screen. It worked but then I had to track down where the screen-shots were saved to. You would think it would be in the Pictures Folder, nope in the Videos Folder. And the GeForce program makes a separate sub-folder for each game. Of course, I am probably telling you something you already knew about.

[Map Editor]

2 hours ago, RepsolCBR said:

Looking forward to see what ideas you come up with.

In the right hands the map editor is a powerful tool and can produce very realistic, good looking maps...

 

It will just take some tinkering but I am very familiar with the Overlay Method for making maps.

**Chris**

[Map Editor]

7 hours ago, rocketman said:

FRAPS is easy to use for screenshots. Free download. Consider trying map overlays. Powerful tool when making maps of real life locations.

Thanks. Since I found the GForce application (mentioned by Ian) I am going to explore that first before adding anything more to my tiny SSD drive. When I did map work for Matrix Games, I used a combination of Google Earth, 1:50000 scale maps and their map editor. I can't say what game I was working on because I signed a NDA with Matrix Games/Slitherline Games and I am in no mood to be sued.

**Chris**

[Map Editor]

2 hours ago, IanL said:

If you use Nvidia cards then GeForce experience has built in screen shot taker that works very well.

Yes, I discovered this today. I have only had the new rig since January and never really explored any of the programs that came wit the card. I plan to do so and hopefully I will figure it out. I really want to show what I can do when it comes to making maps. Thanks.

[Map Editor]

Good morning ladies and germs,

This afternoon, or tomorrow, I am going to start tinkering with the map editor because I have always enjoyed making maps. This map editor seems, from what I have read, to be a rather powerful one. Actually, I have already tinkered with it but nothing worthy of showing off. 

I think I've come up with a pretty good solution for a certain aspect of the game that has been discussed recently, but I want to leave it as a surprise until I have an example of what I'm trying to accomplish. You never know, but this old fart just might surprise you. Of course, I have to find out what is the best way to take a screen-shot of my work before I can show you anything. I think what is preventing me from taking screen-shots is the software for my video card.

I hope each of you have a great weekend.

**Chris**

[Raupenschlepper Ost]

6 hours ago, 76mm said:

That thing looks like a suicide mission waiting to happen...

Definitely.

[Raupenschlepper Ost]

7 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

How about the 'tank-destroyer' version too:

Damn those things were slow though! 

I wouldn't want to be the driver of that thing when the gun went BOOM!!!! Eh, what you say Sarge?

[Raupenschlepper Ost]

6 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

Yup. 

Most of the late war antitank gun carriages were a bit useless TBH.....Take this one for instance (Ardelt Waffentrager):

 

Allegedly its inventor died in it during an 'operational test'. 

https://heroesandgenerals.com/forums/topic/84349-kruppardelt-waffenträger-88-cm-pak-433-l71/

Probably died when he fired the gun, the recoil caused the whole contraption to go @ss over tit, and squashed him.

[Raupenschlepper Ost]

6 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

Yup. 

Most of the late war antitank gun carriages were a bit useless TBH.....Take this one for instance (Ardelt Waffentrager):

 

Allegedly its inventor died in it during an 'operational test'. 

https://heroesandgenerals.com/forums/topic/84349-kruppardelt-waffenträger-88-cm-pak-433-l71/

Still, if it ever went into production, I would have hated to be the Allied tanker in it's LOS. The 8.8 cm Pak 43/41 were nasty enough on their carriage mounts. But trying to mount such a heavy weapon on such a light chassis (38t) is a bit ridiculous, IMHO.

[Barbarossa now ?]

20 hours ago, Blazing 88's said:

My dad absolutely hated Major Frank Burns. Actually, my dad hated officers period. My dad fought in the Pacific as a Navy Seabee. When they got home he had to stay aboard the transport ship to make sure that all the construction equipment was off-loaded properly. One day, he was coming down the gang-plank and this young Ensign told my dad to get out of the way as he was boarding the ship. My dad was a Senior Chief Petty officer and you DO NOT speak to a Senior Chief that way unless you are at least of Lieutenant Commander rank. So what did my dad do? My dad saluted him and then he showed this arrogant young punk (who never served a moment in combat) how to dive off the plank and into the drink. Yep, my dad threw the Ensign into the water between the ship and wharf. My dad was busted down to a Second Class Petty Officer and was immediately discharged. Luckily, he was not court-martialed.

[Motorcycles?????]

56 minutes ago, MikeyD said:

Motorcycles are like a couple other items I can think of in CM. They'd be cool to see but after trying them out  twice you'd probably neglect them afterward. Because their tactical utility at the 'tip of the spear' is VERY limited. What other 'cool' things are in CM titles that experienced players tend to avoid using? Let me think. MG-armed Jeeps are practically useless. M1200 and PRP-4M fire support vehicles, heavy artillery assets that take forever to target, and of course Italian tankettes...

All true, but what are we trying to simulate with these games? Simple answer. A re-creation of the events of one of man's greatest creations, World War II. And every single one of the units you listed were as worthless during the war as they are in the game(s). So, yes I completely agree with you.

**Chris**

[Motorcycles?????]

1 hour ago, Sequoia said:

As long as they don't hit the bike ( Just kidding). German soldier reenactors are told never to wear their uniforms when traveling to and from an event to prevent misunderstanding, especially if pulled over for a traffic violation. 

 

 

Edit:spelling

The problem is, there are no German re-enactments happening here is Columbia. It would be miserable for them  if they did. It is 89 degrees with 45% humidity (feels like 90) and the only re-enactment events ever held here are either SCA or Civil War. BTW, he just passed by the apartment again. He was wearing a pale-green German helmet but otherwise, just regular clothes and a backpack. Could be a USC student.

[United States vs Russia capability questions]

On 6/6/2019 at 4:41 PM, Sgt.Squarehead said:

I see a profitable opportunity for some cooperation with China right there. 

Yeah right.

[Motorcycles?????]

 I swear to God but you aren't going to believe this. I am sitting out on the porch at my apartment and guess what just went whizzing by? Some guy wearing an authentic World War II German uniform riding a beautifully restored BMW-R motorcycle. Can you say "Ironic"? He is taking the anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy way, way too far. Somebody needs to let him know that it is 2019, not 1944. I live in redneck country and he might get shot.

[Abstract vs. Realism]

53 minutes ago, domfluff said:

The main advantage of face to face wargames is that the "AI" is generally better.

Tis' true. Well, most of the time it is. I've have played FTF with many people in the past and some of them were just plain dumb as a door-nail when it came to playing the games. Yeah sure, put your Hummel (in Panzer Leader) up on a hill so my Shermans can blow you away.

I'm a firm believer that choice of game medium should follow from external factors - there are things that a boardgame is really good at (e.g., the amount of information you can communicate with a counter is very high), and things which they do very badly (hidden information in particular). You can work around these issues, or you can work with them, and play things designed to be played in the appropriate medium.

Yes, I hated putting those stupid "?" counters on units in SL and ASL.

As a general rules, I usually look for wargames that you can knock out in under two hours, maybe three at a push. That's something that's very suitable for face to face play, and fits in nicely with the form (e.g., "game night", or something that you can finish in one sitting).

Again, I agree but it is usually my fault when I choose to play anything larger than a medium sized engagement. I just don't have the concentration or the patience to play the Large or Huge games after my recent health episode. I tend to loose track of what I am trying to accomplish when dealing with more than two or three companies of units.

That narrows the field considerably, of course.

Yes it does, but good Lord look how many games are available on Stream now, including BFC's Theater of War series.

Combat Commander, Commands and Colors: Ancients, Hannibal: Rome vs Carthage and Hammer of the Scots are all great examples of something fitting into that model.

I have heard of these but I've never played them.

The games of Phil Eklund (the BIOS series, High Frontier, the Pax games and Greenland series) are simulationist games which are wargames in all but subject matter (since they are concerned with spaceflight, evolution, cultural change or whatever), and also usually fit into a two hour period.

I did like these types of games in the past but I got burned out on them a very long time ago. Do you remember a game (can't remember who published it) Universe. Talk about a micromanagement game. Sheesh.

In terms of miniatures games, I'm a big fan of Crossfire, since it's unusual in that the emphasis for the average minis game is on the miniatures, rather than the game rules.

My favorite miniature rules would be GDW's Command Decision (their artillery rules were great), TSR's Tractics (of course you'd better have a Masters Degree in mathematics), and Angriff (can't remember the publisher)

Further afield, something more esoteric like an Engle Matrix game, which is basically a group roleplaying game on a strategic/political subject, can easily cope with things that only that medium can do - it would be extremely difficult to model a satisfying matrix game as a singleplayer PC game, for example.

Once again, I got really burned out on the role-playing games long ago.

So, yes, it's all down to context. Combat Mission does infantry combat in particular extremely well, and (because of the lack of individual control), probably better than something like ARMA, since your soldiers will react more or less realistically. The detail at this level does mean that it struggles a little at larger scales (and obviously can't cope with anything Operational), but that's fine - it has it's niche and it works very well for that.

Yes, the Combat Mission games do reflect infantry combat very well. As for ArmA, there really isn't any comparison between it and Combat Mission. Completely different monster. Also a very easy Rabbit Hole to disappear into if you get addicted to it. There is one ArmA III player on Stream that has played it 28,000 hours or 3.1 years. He must not have much of a social life. As I have stated in another post, I have ArmA II/Operation Arrowhead and ArmA III plus 2.2 Tb of mods. ArmA depicts combat at a very high level of realism with the possible exception of the aircraft, but it wasn't meant to be a flight simulator. However, the number of mods available for ArmA III are mind boggling. Did you know they even have a Waffle House mod? After a hard day of killing militants or zombies (NO, I DO NOT PLAY DAYZ), you can stop by your local ArmA III Waffle House and have a greasy hamburger and some scattered hash browns. The video I've attached is one of my favorite. TURN UP THE SOUND. I just hope the Admins don't get upset with for posting this video.

**Chris**

I'm progressing. Only one edit this time round.

 

[Off topic, an apology]

10 hours ago, BFCElvis said:

I hope you do well coming off the stuff. I had it once in a fairly low dosage and was batting .400 and hitting with power. Plus I cleaned the kitchen floor 5 times a day...so it isn't without it's merits. Be well my, friend.

Thank you. This morning, as I was filling my pill-pack...guess what I found? Two more doses of Prednisone. Guess where they went? Right, in the toilet. Let some worm or whatever have "roid" rage. My luck though, some kinda weird creature will crawl out of the toilet and attack me I completely agree with you. I am supposed to be resting but yesterday a bout of mania hit me, so I vacuumed and cleaned the carpet in my office and I did clean the kitchen floor, but not 5 times. Your floor either shined or you wore holes in it  Take care my friend.

**Chris**

Must be getting better. Only two edits that time.

[Off topic, an apology]

11 hours ago, jtsjc1 said:

Hope your recovery continues man. In the mean time use CM as part of the treatment!

Ditto

[Abstract vs. Realism]

16 hours ago, HerrTom said:

I also agree with you by and large, though I would say the key is applying the realism and detail where appropriate. I still play cardboard occasionally (though my wife won't touch them with a barge pole) and something that particularly newer wargames (like the COIN series or even the newer Next War games) have done well is really narrowing the focus of the details to make the point of the wargame really pronounced without dragging you into unnecessary bean counting.

The only conventional game I have is Avalanche Press' Panzergrenadier series but they are in storage. I hope some rat couple hasn't made a nice little home for themselves.

[Abstract vs. Realism]

19 minutes ago, RockinHarry said:

I like realism all over the place. Even if it´s kinda.... complicated.  Hm... reminds my I have a full set of AH´s original Squad Leader + modules on the shelves. Think I´ll get rid of it at ebay or so.

Edit: Anybody thinks it´s worth something? 

Cool. I was a beta-tester/researcher/rule designer for Anvil of Victory and Crescendo of Doom but Don Greenwood was a real ass to work with. Took credit for many of the rules that I wrote and were included in those two modules. I told him where he could stuff his games and that is why I am not listed in the credits. I also have a friend in Bethesda, MD that did all the graphic work for the original games, but not ASL. He left TAHGC because of Don.

I would love to get my hands on the basic, Anvil of Victory, and Cross of Iron scenario cards so that I could convert them for use with CM. You might be able to sell these on Ebay. I am sure there are people that would love to add them to their collections.

**Chris**

[Off topic, an apology]

7 minutes ago, Ultradave said:

Cheers. Last year I was being treated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Prednisone is given in combo with chemo. 100mg/day. Big dose. For about 5 days, then cut off cold. It then as you say, takes about a week to ten days to get back to normal. I didn't have the aggression " 'roid rage "  but I was so tired I could barely function. Spent about 15 days of every 3 weeks on the couch, then started over again at 3 week intervals.

Bottom line - I hated the prednisone effect, which for me was like staying up for 2 days straight and then drinking 6 or 8 cups of coffee to make up for it. And you stay in that state for about 2 weeks. Horrible.

So to make a long story short, I sympathize. It seems to affect people differently. Take care and best wishes for recovery.

Yes, I could not agree with you more. It keys you up so much that sleep is like "what's that". I have to take at least 2 mg of Xanax at night just to shut my brain off. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

I hope that your cancer is in remission. My girlfriend is a breast cancer survivor.

**Chris**

[Off topic, an apology]

Good afternoon,

I wish to formally apologize to the administrators and all members of the forums. When I was hospitalized they had to put me on Prednisone to protect my kidneys. In addition to the attack on my lungs and heart, I also had an acute kidney injury caused by the fluid that had built up in my body. For those of you that are not familiar with this drug, it is a steroid and a nasty one too. One of the side affects is aggression which I have been experiencing since all of this has happened to me. I took my last dose of this drug yesterday. I also saw my primary care physician yesterday and asked him how long it will take for this drug to clear my system. He told me that it normally takes about a week to ten days to clear a person's system because the liver has a hard time filtering it out of the body. So for the time being I am going to try to keep a low profile when posting or commenting on posts. I really enjoy this group and would hate to be banned because a drug is causing me to be an ass.

**Chris**

[Motorcycles?????]

3 hours ago, DerKommissar said:

Do hope you get better, soon!

I know motorcycles were heavily used, by all sides -- as dispatch riders.

A very important service, when you simply couldn't text or email plans, photos and maps.

Thank you. It is going to be a long road to recovery but I hope never to experience something like what happened a week ago tomorrow again. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Dying is not one of my favorite hobbies. Again, thank you.