dbsapp

Thank you for the job! It really helps. For example due to the information on your site I realized that Imperial Grunt's additional Russian campaign has some concealed missions. It's also the only site that has convinient sorting tool by size\type etc.

It's a really good documentary indeed. Made by 2 guys - one is Drabkin, who made a biggest contribution in war oral hilstory (thousands of interviews with vets) and Isaev, quite popular historian.

Doesn't matter what it's called, the thing is it does the opposite thing of what it's intended to achieve.

Turns out that "Basic training" skill level, which theoretically intended for the beginners, is the most diffucult one. It gives AI a huge advantage - it shells poor newbie with artillery fire at least 5 times faster than those, who play on warrior or iron. Game manual tells us that "basic training" provides player with faster artillery call time. Sounds good! What it doesn't tell us is that the same benefit goes to AI, which - considering AI mechanical reaction and precision - may give player real hell. I made a small experiment: created simple mission in Red Thunder with German artillery observer and some Soviet troops. In Basis Training artillery hit came almost immediately - in 2 minutes!! Playing on Warrior level made artillery 5 times less lethal - the first strike occured only on 10 minute! So, if you are battling defensive AI with artillery support (which is the case for the majority of scenarios) it's much easier to play on Iron than on Basic Training. Maybe it's better to reconsider the skill levels in CM, which confuse new players and push them away. At least, the AI advantage on Basic Training should be explicitly noted in the game manual.

Do you play on "basic training" difficulty level? Sounds like you do.

Some 10 years ago the bicycle theft was the most often crime in China. Now they have cemeteries for millions of used bicycles and you can easily rent one using you phone. Bicycle theft is almost gone. But it seems it migrated to Europe.

It's definitely a short step from bicycle to war crimes jokes.

I'm not against "Hollywood" (if it implies being interesting and fun, and not stupid and flat). I liked it because it was dramatic and simultaneously requried some tactical maneuvers, e.g.not simple meat grinder. And no Arillery ! (what a relief)

Kudos to the guys who made "Now or Never" scenario. It was really nice.

Well, this type of comment was inevitable, right? Usually I do it as well: reading manuals for toothbrushes, washing machines, laptops and smartphones. Especially the Safety Instructions, those are my favorite.

Sturmmörser-Batterie 1000 Sturm-Mörser-Kompanie 1000 was established by orders dated 13 August 1944. One day prior, on 12 August 1944, the prototype of the Sturmtiger (chassis number 250174) was sent to Warsaw, along with service personnel from the firm of Alkett. The Sturmtiger was unloaded from the train on 15 August. Another Sturmtiger (chassis number 250237) arrived at Pruszkow, outside of Warsaw, on 18 August. Both vehicles were employed in the greater area of Warsaw for approximately four weeks. They were given the mission of destroying blocks of buildings occupied by the Polish insurgents.

I tried to cross with every vehicle, except this little car, that I couldn't imagine to swim:)

"Out for Schwimm" scenario. The goal is to cross the river. However, the bridge is broken and there is no river banks suitable for crossing. AI can't find the path either. Looks like a bug.

Ok

Oh, WW2 - the sad story about unfortunate German POW and Soviet cruelty. We are lucky that in the end private Ryan killed Stalin and Hitler, and persuaded tovarich Khrushchev to release the remaining prisoners.

The first pic: "King Tiger captured by the 3rd Army units at Regezen (to the West of Brandenburg)" The second pic: "Antitank fence built by Germans at the entrance to the city. Such installations were built across all roads to Berlin".

It's truly amazing that you shared your priceless experience being stationed with heavy machine gun behind the lines to gun down any soldier who ran from the assault during WW2. Internet experts and war veterans make us look humble and make our lives easier with useful advice.

Is it true? I've been wondering if it is so since I begun playing CMBS. Manual tells that on Basic Training artillery call time decreased. Is the time shorter only for the player or for AI as well?

Wow, you do hold him at high esteem

I've already watched your video. It's more cinematic than instructing, but I got the idea. I accomplished this mission in a different way: concentrated the forces on the left side and went through under smoke cover. It produced good results. Overall this mission is a massive joykiller. Terrain is constructed specially to dump attackers field of view. The most awful part is the scripted Stug, coming from cover when your tanks (which can't penetrate it from the front) are going into attack, and flak, hidden in the trees. Unfortunately, even game manual promotes strange idea that Soviet troops were some sort of brainless numerically highly superior hordes that fought by simply throwing at the enemy as much human bodies as necessary. This twisted image came from Hollywood movies, like "Enemy at the gates", and memoirs of German generals, who blamed weather, Hitler and "hordes" for their defeat. This notion is very far from reality.

In my experience it depends on the mission type. Unfortunately, the stock campaigns in Red Thunder don't provide best experience of infantry usage. Mainly, with some exceptions, they deal with slow and painful fighting with superior forces well hidden in the bushes or buildings. There are several good single scenarios though. When I wrote opening post I was struggling with Bunkers Burning scenario. Despite it being quite challenging and interesting, I find it rather unbalanced. Finally, I achieved victory after numerous save and load attempts. I downloaded several community-made battles, and they are far better.

Since you insist on continuing this off topic "discussion", which you suddenly begun with out-of-nowhere unasked argument that offends the memory of millions of Soviet people who died in WW2. I'm glad that you enlightened me that killing 76,000 children "with good intentions" is OK and can't be equated with such evil acts as reclaiming the territories from Polish state which it annexed 20 years earlier after the war with USSR. USSR was never "allied with Nazis". You don't sign non-aggression pacts with allies. Never heard of non-aggression pact between USA and Britain. It was conducted only after Munich'38 and after almost decade long futile attempts of Soviet diplomacy to make alliance with France and Britain against Hitler, which were torpedoed by Chamberlain who wished Germany to turn its aggression Eastward against Russia. Some people of Poland and Baltic states, unfortunately, were subjected to purges. This fact deserves severe condemnation indeed. But the scale of this repressions are not comparable with Nazi crimes or - if you wish - civilians casualties of bombardments "with good intensions". And yes - we're great. Not because we fought Nazis (many did), but because we contributed 90% to the victory. P.S. I'm sorry for this off-topic discussion. But - once again - I'm not the one who started it. Moreover, there are some things one shouldn't leave unnoticed.

Wise and meaningful words. Sad, that they didn't appear after this comment. Maybe you didn't notice, but I only react to other people's "politicised arguments" and don't provoke "angry debates" myself.

Agree! Unless the Soviets are condemned and Wehrmacht is praised, then it's OK!

You mean the one that killed up to 1 million civilians and left another 8 millions homeless? As American war hero and champion of democracy and human rights Curtis LeMay said: "I suppose if I had lost the war, I would have been tried as a war criminal." But, hey, we are "going too far in rehabilitating the conduct of Soviet army"!