dbsapp
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Posts posted by dbsapp
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On 4/10/2021 at 4:56 AM, Erwin said:
Stumbled onto this extremely well made series of docs starting with Barbarossa.- free on Amazon Prime Soviet Storm is big-budget Russian production made about 10 years ago and redone for western audiences.
Great digital effects combined with realistic live action - features a large cast of troops and realistic looking armor. Good writing and performances from actors. The first 3 or 4 episodes focus on Barbarossa in great detail. While mainly explaining the operational-strategic situations, there are many tactical-level explanations of German small-unit tactics eg: use of flame-throwers etc.
The episodes also detail the times when the Soviets made successful counterattacks. So, it's not all about the Germans steamrolling over the Russians. A good source of inspiration for early war designers (for CM1 anyhow). Highly recommended for anyone interested in this phase of the Eastern Front.
It's also free to watch on u-Tube.
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.
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Doesn't matter what it's called, the thing is it does the opposite thing of what it's intended to achieve.
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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.
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17 hours ago, SDG said:
have one question though.
How does the AI artillery work? I presume it is not cheating but man it feels like that it has the all seeing eye of Sauron..
Do you play on "basic training" difficulty level?
Sounds like you do.
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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.
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It's definitely a short step from bicycle to war crimes jokes.
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21 minutes ago, Ithikial_AU said:
You're welcome.
A touch Hollywood for sure, but hopefully something different.
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)
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Kudos to the guys who made "Now or Never" scenario. It was really nice.
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13 hours ago, Andrew H. said:
It just occurred to me reading this thread that it may not be obvious to non-grogs that a Schwimmwagen is an amphibious vehicle that can cross a river without a ford or bridge.
Well, this type of comment was inevitable, right?
12 hours ago, Vet 0369 said:Well, that’s probable, however, if you open the CMRT Fire and Rubble manual in the game folder, the Schwimmwagen is detailed on page 27 under Unarmored vehicles. It might just be me, but the manual for an expansion to an existing family is always the first thing I look at after downloading the expansion. It helps me to understand what has changed, and new advantages and disadvantages in the expansion.
Usually I do it as well: reading manuals for toothbrushes, washing machines, laptops and smartphones. Especially the Safety Instructions, those are my favorite.
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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. -
6 minutes ago, CHEqTRO said:
The only unit that needs to cross the river is the Schwimmwagon so the river should not be a problem. (Plus there is a fordable site to the left of the map in case you want to cross with your full force).
For the AI, well, isnt the scenario presented to be played as Axis only? Or atleast it was Axis prefered, thats for sure.
I tried to cross with every vehicle, except this little car, that I couldn't imagine to swim:)
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"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.
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32 minutes ago, chuckdyke said:
I talked about Soviet POWs and nationals who were denied the return to their country. One of them was like an uncle in our family. I never talked about German POWs.
Ok
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3 hours ago, chuckdyke said:
It is a myth most people know that, that wisdom comes from 'Enemy at the Gates'. What is true Soviet POWs couldn't go home till some 30 years after the war. You could only surrender with permission. The Communist Soviets were on par in regards of morals with Nazi Germany. The Gulag system was dismantled under Nikita Khrushchev for a reason 15 million people were imprisoned there, it would have been higher if the Soviet POWs were made to return.
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.
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2 hours ago, Dan Dare said:
much to my favor...so it survived Budapest
Don't know Russian...Elbe then?
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".
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6 hours ago, Vet 0369 said:
Please try to refrain from making those types of “judgement” statements unless you have the actual experiences and knowledge to back them up.
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.
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On 4/20/2021 at 1:12 PM, 37mm said:
Playing on 'basic training' gives the AI access to faster artillery.
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?
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3 hours ago, Lethaface said:
And TIK is the prophet who knows it all
Wow, you do hold him at high esteem
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8 hours ago, Bozowans said:
We are the Soviets here, comrade. We don't have time for any silly bourgeois niceties like "tactics" or "finesse". We just have to throw ourselves at them. The courage and indomitable spirit of the working class shall always prevail!
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.
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On 4/16/2021 at 12:23 PM, chuckdyke said:
I don't find any problems with Soviet infantry in RT. They are anything but impotent, just share some screenshots of the tactics you employed.
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.
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1 hour ago, AlanSA said:
Since you insist on continuing this off topic discussion.
I don't think fighting Nazis offers the Soviet military a clean slate for their acts of aggression and crimes against not only their own people but their neighbours.
Neither do I equate the Allies whose acts were committed against targets with the intention of ending the war and freeing the people or Europe with that of the Soviet Union who deliberately targeted the peoples of Poland and the Baltics with acts of mass murderer to terrify them into submission. All the while allied with the Nazis. It's frankly absurd to try equate the two.
Sorry your "we're great because we fought Nazis, after being content to first align with them, and because our crimes against humanity didn't quite match theirs " argument doesn't fly with me.
You are of course entitled to your opinion.
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.
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10 minutes ago, Freyberg said:
Actually, most of us have thought about these issues and have various sad, complex and humanitarian opinions, often coloured by the experiences of the many people we know, have known love or have talked to or read about - but we prefer not to be drawn into politicised arguments in the BF Community.
Sometimes it spills over because we're only human, but we try and leave the angry debates in the world outside, as it spoils the fun of discussing a game we love
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.
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2 minutes ago, chuckdyke said:
The thread is the Fire and Rubble extension of Red Thunder. If I require history lessons I know how to research and don't need the comment section of Battle Front. Com. Here I am a happy customer of Battle Front and look forward towards any news of this module.
Agree! Unless the Soviets are condemned and Wehrmacht is praised, then it's OK!
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10 minutes ago, Geoff-Ludumpress said:
Please don't forget the allies humane strategic bombing campaign of non military targets in the pacific/Japan which resulted in hundred of thousands of civilian deaths.
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"!
A touch Hollywood for sure, but hopefully something different.
List of all missions for all scenarios?
in Combat Mission - General Discussion
Posted
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.