Looking for Allied vehicle consultants

[petestorm]

Forgive me if this isn't the correct place to post, but the CM series is one of my favorite games ever and I know the biggest Grogs in the world hangout here.

Anyway, I'm a U.S. weapons researcher working with a group of guys building a new game (that in no way competes with the CM series) and we're looking for experts on Allied vehicles, real experts, not a guy who can just Google. Someone who has been into it for years and has a huge reference library and extensive knowledge. If all goes well with the game, it may turn into a paying gig. Email me in you're interested with a quick "resume." Email should be in my profile.

Sorry if I've broken a forum rule by posting this, delete away if so.

[Michael Dorosh]

Originally posted by petestorm:

Forgive me if this isn't the correct place to post, but the CM series is one of my favorite games ever and I know the biggest Grogs in the world hangout here.

Anyway, I'm a U.S. weapons researcher working with a group of guys building a new game (that in no way competes with the CM series) and we're looking for experts on Allied vehicles, real experts, not a guy who can just Google. Someone who has been into it for years and has a huge reference library and extensive knowledge. If all goes well with the game, it may turn into a paying gig. Email me in you're interested with a quick "resume." Email should be in my profile.

Sorry if I've broken a forum rule by posting this, delete away if so.

That's pretty broad; are you looking for detailed knowledge of

Russian? American? Commonwealth? All of them?

Armour protection? Armament characteristics? Performance (HP and speed?)

Or camouflage and markings?

Crew training? Crew uniforms and personal kit?

Order of battle info? Which units had which vehicle types? How many vehicles per platoon/troop?

What do you need to know? I suspect that more than one person would be needed to adequately cover all these areas. I could help with markings and uniforms, primarily German and CW.

These sites are mine, but like a museum, only a fraction of the available 'stuff' is on public display right now.

http://www.deutschesoldaten.com

http://www.canadiansoldiers.com

If you're looking for detailed armour stats, for example, there are a couple of guys floating around on this site.

Depends what you're trying to achieve.

[petestorm]

Originally posted by Michael Dorosh:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by petestorm:

Forgive me if this isn't the correct place to post, but the CM series is one of my favorite games ever and I know the biggest Grogs in the world hangout here.

Anyway, I'm a U.S. weapons researcher working with a group of guys building a new game (that in no way competes with the CM series) and we're looking for experts on Allied vehicles, real experts, not a guy who can just Google. Someone who has been into it for years and has a huge reference library and extensive knowledge. If all goes well with the game, it may turn into a paying gig. Email me in you're interested with a quick "resume." Email should be in my profile.

Sorry if I've broken a forum rule by posting this, delete away if so.

That's pretty broad; are you looking for detailed knowledge of

Russian? American? Commonwealth? All of them?

Armour protection? Armament characteristics? Performance (HP and speed?)

Or camouflage and markings?

Crew training? Crew uniforms and personal kit?

Order of battle info? Which units had which vehicle types? How many vehicles per platoon/troop?

What do you need to know? I suspect that more than one person would be needed to adequately cover all these areas. I could help with markings and uniforms, primarily German and CW.

These sites are mine, but like a museum, only a fraction of the available 'stuff' is on public display right now.

http://www.deutschesoldaten.com

http://www.canadiansoldiers.com

If you're looking for detailed armour stats, for example, there are a couple of guys floating around on this site.

Depends what you're trying to achieve. </font>

[flamingknives]

The goal of this game is to be so picky that an armchair expert wouldn't have anything to complain about

Oh dear oh dear.

I think I ought to warn you that this isn't possible. As the many millions of posts on this board might indicate, the opinions of one armchair expert will clash horribly with those of another.

For models, the best bet is to look at scale modeller's sites. There are few people as dedicated to nitpicking fine details.

Contacting the Guys at Battlefront directly would probably be a good step in finding out about the nitty gritty of technical data etc.

Books, such as Sydney Jary's "18 platoon" or S.L.A Marshall's "Men Against Fire" (two I've recently read) would give valuable insight into the infantryman's battlefield.

[Michael Emrys]

Originally posted by petestorm:

The goal of this game is to be so picky that an armchair expert wouldn't have anything to complain about.

I have to reinforce what fk said. You clearly have no sense of the lengths a grog will go to find something to criticize. You'd be better advised to chuck it all and go search for the Seven Cities of Cibola.

Michael

[petestorm]

Originally posted by Michael Emrys:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by petestorm:

The goal of this game is to be so picky that an armchair expert wouldn't have anything to complain about.

I have to reinforce what fk said. You clearly have no sense of the lengths a grog will go to find something to criticize. You'd be better advised to chuck it all and go search for the Seven Cities of Cibola.

Michael </font>

[John Kettler]

petestorm,

One of the first things I'd do is go to www.afvnews.ca and post your request there on the AFV Discussion Board. It's the online site for George Bradford's renowned AFV NEWS

magazine community. Not only is he frighteningly expert, but the site's infested with grogs like Hanno Spoelstra of Sherman Registry fame. I'd also highly recommend you do whatever it takes to get Jacques Littlefield to help you. He has the largest privately owned tank and AFV collection in the world, much of it running. He has everything from a finished Panzer I to a Panther being rebuilt, with even deeper vehicle coverage on the Allied end. Quite the resource. Start cultivating every military museum curator you can find, for it is through them that wonders like normally forbidden interior access come. This is what Teut Weidemann and the Panzer Elite troops did. You need to visit Aberdeen, Ft. Knox, Ft. Benning, Ft. Hood, RAC Bovington, IWM, Munster, Kubinka, and many other museums large and small. You'd be amazed what they have and what small museums and even individuals have. Have video on my old computer of guys with their own running PzIV!

One guy in England used to have a beautiful JPzIV

in full camouflage. For first rate armor models, see www.missing-lynx.com There, you'll find quite a bit of work by another "nobody," a guy named Zaloga.

Regards,

John Kettler

[ December 09, 2005, 08:41 PM: Message edited by: John Kettler ]

[Other Means]

If it's a FPS, are you going to model player suppression? No offence but otherwise who needs another FPS?

BFC who run this site have all the model and other info you could ever want, all meticulously researched. They may be willing to sell it to you. You could even have a chat about publishing, possibly.

[John Kettler]

Other Means,

Doh! OTOH, I rather doubt they have much on vehicle interiors, seeing as how they weren't modeled except for OT vehicles. Several good ideas!

Regards,

John Kettler

[petestorm]

Originally posted by John Kettler:

petestorm,

One of the first things I'd do is go to www.afvnews.ca and post your request there on the AFV Discussion Board. It's the online site for George Bradford's renowned AFV NEWS

magazine community. Not only is he frighteningly expert, but the site's infested with grogs like Hanno Spoelstra of Sherman Registry fame. I'd also highly recommend you do whatever it takes to get Jacques Littlefield to help you. He has the largest privately owned tank and AFV collection in the world, much of it running. He has everything from a finished Panzer I to a Panther being rebuilt, with even deeper vehicle coverage on the Allied end. Quite the resource. Start cultivating every military museum curator you can find, for it is through them that wonders like normally forbidden interior access come. This is what Teut Weidemann and the Panzer Elite troops did. You need to visit Aberdeen, Ft. Knox, Ft. Benning, Ft. Hood, RAC Bovington, IWM, Munster, Kubinka, and many other museums large and small. You'd be amazed what they have and what small museums and even individuals have. Have video on my old computer of guys with their own running PzIV!

One guy in England used to have a beautiful JPzIV

in full camouflage. For first rate armor models, see www.missing-lynx.com There, you'll find quite a bit of work by another "nobody," a guy named Zaloga.

Regards,

John Kettler

Really excellent tips. Thanks for the info!

[petestorm]

Originally posted by Other Means:

If it's a FPS, are you going to model player suppression? No offence but otherwise who needs another FPS?

BFC who run this site have all the model and other info you could ever want, all meticulously researched. They may be willing to sell it to you. You could even have a chat about publishing, possibly.

It's way more than an FPS. That's just one component. See: http://1944game.com

[Other Means]

Originally posted by petestorm:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Other Means:

If it's a FPS, are you going to model player suppression? No offence but otherwise who needs another FPS?

BFC who run this site have all the model and other info you could ever want, all meticulously researched. They may be willing to sell it to you. You could even have a chat about publishing, possibly.

It's way more than an FPS. That's just one component. See: http://1944game.com </font>

[Mace]

Originally posted by petestorm:

It's way more than an FPS. That's just one component. See: http://1944game.com

First of all, lose the Vietnam era uniform on the grunt in your graphic.

errr...and after looking at some of your models: Nice work but some of the equipment was either obsolescent (eg Me109 E) or wasn't fielded until later in the war (eg cantilope, locust, Panther G with latewar mantlet) and thus shouldn't be included in a game that's supposed to be an accurate representation of D-Day.

[ December 10, 2005, 01:39 PM: Message edited by: Mace ]

[flamingknives]

I might be wrong on this, but I don't think that any Hurricanes were fielded in NWE in 1944, much less the 8 .303 carrying Mk Is and IIs.

Plus there are some crazy German 'planes I don't even recognise - heavy twins with remote turrets.

[petestorm]

Originally posted by Mace:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by petestorm:

It's way more than an FPS. That's just one component. See: http://1944game.com

First of all, lose the Vietnam era uniform on the grunt in your graphic.

errr...and after looking at some of your models: Nice work but some of the equipment was either obsolescent (eg Me109 E) or wasn't fielded until later in the war (eg cantilope, locust, Panther G with latewar mantlet) and thus shouldn't be included in a game that's supposed to be an accurate representation of D-Day. </font>

[stoat]

Does the SBD come under the category of "what if?"

[stoat]

And your Sherman calliope doesn't have enough tubes. The T-34 launcher had 60.

[stoat]

Are you planning on doing something in the Pacific? That would explain both the Dauntless and the LVTs.

[flamingknives]

Will there be engineering work? Can't have D-Day without combat engineers (this doesn't just mean the guys who carry satchel charges).

A.Vs.R.E. would be essential.

[petestorm]

Lot's of what if models as far as I can tell. Yes, they're planning on full engineers.

Ahh!! So many questions! I can't really cover everything, I'm just a lowly weapons guy who has only been on the team about 3 weeks!

Your best bet to answer a lot of these is to go to the site and read the FAQ sections and all the "Community Interviews." I have access to the team forums and I'm not even up on everything. Lot of people involved!

I can say that once the Alpha comes out you'll get a better idea of what's planned and the critiques will actually be considered for the improvement of the game. Everyone is big on listening to the historical data to get the final product right on.

[Michael Emrys]

Originally posted by Mace:

...but some of the equipment...wasn't fielded until later in the war (eg cantilope...

Would that be the fragmentation cantiloupe or the armor piercing version? I was always partial to the incendiary honeydew myself as it was useful both for laying down a smokescreen and anti-personnel work.

Michael

[Michael Emrys]

Originally posted by stoat:

Are you planning on doing something in the Pacific? That would explain both the Dauntless and the LVTs.

Don't forget, the Dauntless saw action during the Torch landings and doubtlessly was on board the Wasp when it ran Spitfires to Malta.

LVTs were used in northern Italy late in the war and also may have seen some action in the ETO, although I am a bit fuzzy on that.

Michael

[stoat]

Originally posted by Michael Emrys:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by stoat:

Are you planning on doing something in the Pacific? That would explain both the Dauntless and the LVTs.

Don't forget, the Dauntless saw action during the Torch landings and doubtlessly was on board the Wasp when it ran Spitfires to Malta.

LVTs were used in northern Italy late in the war and also may have seen some action in the ETO, although I am a bit fuzzy on that.

Michael </font>

[Mace]

Originally posted by Michael Emrys:

[Don't forget, the Dauntless saw action during the Torch landings and doubtlessly was on board the Wasp when it ran Spitfires to Malta.

Didn't US Navy Atlantic fleet aircraft have two tone grey camo rather than the Blue based colors of the Pacific fleet?

[stoat]

Do you mean differences in upper/lower surfaces? Or more of a RN aircraft paint scheme?

Some pre-war US aircraft were painted with a darker upper surface color and a lighter lower surface color (F4F for example). Others were painted in camoflage schemes. By mid to late war periods, however, it was much faster to paint the aircraft all one color. That's why you see single tone aircraft, both in the Navy, and in the Airforce.