Attilaforfun

Thousands of threads. Many ideas seen so many times to the 10th power. ...but no consensus so no action nor discussion. That makes
little sense to me. 

You guys are taking this SOP stuff very seriously. When the Stryker Bdes first stood up there was lots and lots of making it up as you go along. Very few of the their NCOs were former mech. None of their officers were. Let me tell you how hot a metal box gets in 125 degree sunlight. Now add boots, clothes and armor...and for the crewmen the extremely tight CVC helmet. It's fricken hot. Dangerously hot. There's no AC on the standard Stryker. I can't describe how hot. The air guards were more about getting air (while also allowing air to flow inside the stinky filthy infantry Stryker) than providing air guard. The excuse would be more eyes on the environment. They were mostly light infantry and were never comfy with vehicles. I'm not exaggerating.  (I was a 19K...M1 armor crewman...but they broke up our armor Bns and sent us to the inf. We were supposed to man the MGS systems but they weren't ready so the tankers manned the Strykers of 4th platoon of each company...ATGMs.)

OK,  but I sure hope that CMx3 features "theater sandboxes" so that all of the East Front or West Front content, etc. can be played within a single East Front or West Front game, respectively.  I am not a fan of the current model, which would require four separate games for the the East Front, for example.  Why not provide front-specific content as DLCs?

The amount of posts is absolutely an indication of sales. This game is deep and with the varied modules this board should be screaming with activity. It isn't because the customer base is small. 
The fact that BF is still around when so many gaming companies have gone away in insolvency means they obviously have some clue on how to run a business BUT I believe were the following steps taken their customer base and revenue would skyrocket:
   -simple campaign system introduced
   -fix auto buy for AI during QBs
   -cut prices 50% and sell on Steam w workshop for scenarios
   -contract the more talented moders/scenario designers (I'm looking at you GeorgeMC) and start knocking out quality product with the BF logo at a rapid rate and sell cheap
   

His first comment...kids these days:
 
I can't figure out how to download
I know very boomer of me
 

His first comment...kids these days:
 
I can't figure out how to download
I know very boomer of me
 

His first comment...kids these days:
 
I can't figure out how to download
I know very boomer of me
 

If there is a map of Mosul, or at least NW Mosul I would purchase SF2 today. I may have spent some time on those lovely streets. 
A couple of notes from that vacation:
I was (and remain) a huge fan of CMBB. When CMSF came out I purchased it immediately. I played one mission and never played again. Strykers were getting knocked out left and right by RPG-7s. Unless the ammo for those RPGs has changed significantly since 2004 the odds of destroying a Stryker with an RPG hit should be about 5%. That's a hit. Only about 20% fired actually hit especially once return fire begins (admittedly this probably had more to do with the experience level of the enemy). To be honest I've never seen a hit once suppression begins. 7 Strykers hit with RPGs (including one hit 4 times) led to one total loss (we used to store our POL on the outside...stopped that poor practice after a second platoon Stryker burned to the ground...no casualties and the only lost Stryker from combat) and one penetration leading to one casualty (that was ugly but he was evaced to Germany and survived). I believe RPGs are MASSIVELY overpowered in this simulation.
 My next complaint...mortars. In particular 60mm mortars. I must admit, whether gaming or RL I have never taken mortars seriously. I used to mock our mortars saying their only purpose was to lay smoke. (Ironic as my kid is now a mortarman in the 101st...he wouldn't follow me into the decisive branch...armor. Sad.) So...summer 2004 in Mosul. Bn is having a volleyball tourney. Hot summer day, no missions going on....most of the Bn is gathered round watching the companies compete. (It was dull....I was actually in my conex playing games). Insurgents fire of a string of 60mm rounds. 3 land right on the court where they are playing volleyball. The rest of the Bn gathered in tightly. This should have been a disaster of epic proportions. As it was a third of those there got purple hearts...for scratches. Not one single serious injury. One hundred guys in T Shirts and shorts (no armor) and 3 60mm rounds land right in their midst...doing nothing. Mortars are overpowered as well!
 

First look to the left of my response and look at my total posts...now take this advice for what it's worth! Below exists opinion not fact.
There are three types of general battles...attack, defend and meeting engagement (specialized scenarios exist but they are...specialized).
Attack
Screen/Recon: How much time do you have and how fast is your force. In the vast majority of CM battles time is not a factor in determining victory...there is generally plenty of time. Assuming this to be the case DO NOT RUSH. As stated by Josey Wales use a portion of your force as a screen/scouting force to determine the location of enemy forces. Your screen is NOT the attacking element. The main body of your force can move into position but do not move it into potential contact (don't move them anywhere you think it would be possible to be fired at) until you know what you are facing and where they are. In my opinion this  is the most important part of the battle. Control your desire to rush forward and start fighting until you have actionable intelligence which allows you to employ your limited forces intelligently.
Assemble and mass main attack force: Keep your attack force concealed as long as possible. This will hide what you have and what your plan of attack is (admittedly the AI doesn't care but play like you are playing another human at all times and you'll have less to unlearn when you do!). Once you know where the bad guys are you look at your objectives and terrain. Determine where you want to advance (down that road, through those trees ect. Ensure the terrain offers maximum protection for your flanks. At this point you should have an idea about where the initial enemy line of resistance is and what it has. Decide at this time whether you are better off engaging at long range or short. You have Tigers and he has 45mm AT guns? Start the fight as far away as possible. He has hvy MGs and you only have infantry? Get close. Use terrain and limit exposure. 
Reserves: Ensure you keep a reserve force in place. At the height of the battle there will be times where you realize there is an opening where if you just had one more platoon to go left you could roll his whole line...often you don't have that platoon. Keep a reserve force. This gives you options once your main attack is underway which you will not have if all of your forces are committed. 
Defense
Look at the above...the attacker will be doing that. How to counter it? First and foremost limit the enemies intelligence. Create a screen of your own. If you can get the enemy to deploy his forces in such a manner that he makes his main attack on that screen you will have an advantage. Why? He doesn't know where your main line of resistance is nor what it consists of...meaning mistakes are more likely and opportunities to destroy the enemy from a location he doesn't expect will frustrate his plans. 
Defend in depth. The defender will generally start with a smaller force. If you try to cover your front with a single strong line the attacker will be able to choose where and when to mass his force and he will break through and roll your defensive position. Screen - Main Line of Resistance - Reserves.
Reserves. If you are completely static the enemy will be able to take his time, locate your positions one by one and eliminate them with massed fire and indirect. Keep him guessing and remember time is on your side. You want the attacker to lose patience and make hasty decisions. That's how you generally win as the defender. Keep a force which has some mobility as a reserve. They can plug holes in the line and counter attack unexpectedly from the flank.
Meeting Engagement
Treat it as an attack. Let the enemy race forward and occupy those positions. There are no points awarded for getting there first. Let him expose his forces and plan. Your screen is taking notes of the composition of his force and their location. The initiative is now yours. Keep it. Focus on his forces NOT the objective...you'll have time for that when his forces are degraded later in the game. He is generally less well situated in defensive positions because he hasn't had the opportunity to view lines of sight from all the prospective positions. IOW he is not set up as well as he would be in a defense mission. Take advantage of that. See where he is, decide the best way to approach and engage and KEEP YOUR RESERVES READY. 
Hey I was bored and felt like talking.
 
 

Found this:  http://www.alternatewars.com/Games/CM/CM.htm

I don't think that there is such a relationship between numbers of enemy spotted and rounds on target as you suggest.  There are other variables which you don't mention are probably a factor such as:
How much offensive support is available.
Soft factors for the observer.
Soft factors for the offensive support asset.
From limited experience of something that I am working on - AI spotters will consistently call offensive support onto what are perceived as lucrative targets displaying the same movements and behaviours in the same timeframe and action spot, at the same rate.
You may now give me heaps of likes for knowing it all.

Well, once the rains stop and the ground freezes, things will start rolling again and we'll achieve final victory.

Guys
This thread will be used for me to advise you of updates and latest uploads to the aforementioned areas.
Its an ongoing process that Im working through but a quick update for this first post is....
The Scenario Depot III : Ive totally redesigned this and am working on fixing thumbnails so that the grid format looks good.  When uploading scenarios be sure to use a square image (any size) for your featured image.

The CM Mod Warehouse : A huge task that Im still plodding away at. Im tidying up all the downloads from the previous site and have also got a HDD full of mods from the mists of time that will eventually all get uploaded also.
The Proving Grounds II : This site is dead but I am going to work on it to turn TPGII into something new... possibly a challenge site or something along those lines... still to be decided.
Any updates I carry out or content uploaded you will be notified about in this thread.  
Thats all for now.
Thanks
Bootie

I believe this is a marketing ploy after a long study of wargamers. Just this morning I was forced, very much against my will, to purchase and download FB to stave off the craving of waiting for this module. As stated by the poster above...a RT expansion is what is really needed.  

A pot and a kettle used to be made of iron and thus were both black in color. For one to call the other black is amusing and hypocritical.

Well your visit was worthwhile Gen JR. You allowed me to steal your quote from Heraclitus and use it as a Monday morning motivator for my managers.

Well your visit was worthwhile Gen JR. You allowed me to steal your quote from Heraclitus and use it as a Monday morning motivator for my managers.

Don't know if right now is the time to be defending the NYT. Back to topic I would also like to express my amazement that a simple campaign system...mastered so long ago in SP...isn't available.

Don't know if right now is the time to be defending the NYT. Back to topic I would also like to express my amazement that a simple campaign system...mastered so long ago in SP...isn't available.

Another site to check is the Blowtorch one:
http://www.blowtorchscenarios.com/Newest Scenarios/newest scenarios.htm
Lot of themed scenarios by George McEwan and a colleague plus at least one is an operation - Sunday Dance.
Haven't played these as they seem big? But found the site as Jason from the forums has his Russian Training Scenarios posted there:
http://www.blowtorchscenarios.com/

In the past (20+ years ago) one practically had to pay someone to play the Russians.  Everyone wanted to play the Germans and with their cool black and white SS counters.  One reluctantly played the WAllies.
Something changed in the late 90's so that when CMBO came out that seemed to marked the start of an era where people wanted to play the "good guys" mostly the US, and shockingly to some of us, even the Russians.
It might make a decent PhD thesis regarding trends in wargame design and their relationship to generations, or perhaps economic and social trends in society.

Only 3 years later. This scenario is easily worth the necro. My son and I are playing now. Perhaps 20-25 min in. He gets the Pz IVs and a company, I get the Panthers and a company while the Tigers and reduced strength (two platoon) company make up the reserve after taking the initial farm across the bridge. It's even further reduced as a heavy mortar barrage landed just as congestion reared it's ugly head at the farm just past the initial heavy bridge. Awesome. The reduced state of the grenadiers makes it feel so believable. I love this scenario. I have been playing CM since the CMBB Demo. This is the most fun I have ever had. Thank you for making it.