Battlefront.com Posted January 27, 2006 Author Share Posted January 27, 2006 There are at least two popular flashlights out on the US market right now. One is the "shake" flashlight (I thought it used static electricity) and the other uses a flywheel. One minute of cranking gives you almost an HOUR of light. I've seen the former and own some of the later (after losing power for nearly a day last week, I gave up on batteries ). Amazing technology, though these things could not power much more than the extremely simple LED bulb setup. How did things get so f'd up with batteries? I'll tell you how... COTS procurement. Us dirty, wasteful civilians don't give a tosh about using something and then throwing it away when it's used up. We've got plenty of options around us to get a replacement. So when the soldiers go and purchase commercial off the shelf technology, they get the same system even though they do NOT have the same logistics opportunities we unwashed masses do. Rechargeable batteries would be a nice addition to the COTS arsenal, but my understanding is they drain far faster than one time use batteries. So perhaps that is why they aren't being (widely?) used. No idea if full game "movie" playback, for either WeGo or RT is possible. Tend to doubt the latter but we're trying for both. No idea what the upper player limit will be when we get CoPlay in. Hoping for at least 20 on a side, which would allow for a full battalion on each side commanding all the platoon and higher commands. But who knows because we don't know when it will get into the game. Yes, the scenario designer will be able to make some sort of very basic game plan for the AI for both (either) sides. The form it will take is yet to be determined. Steve P.S. Martin is here for a visit and we're going to go out boozing all weekend, so don't expect any replies until Sunday or Monday. With his jetlag and my headcold I think it will be an inexpensive weekend (probably spend more on NyQuil than beer ) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugged Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 Originally posted by Battlefront.com: P.S. Martin is here for a visit and we're going to go out boozing all weekend, so don't expect any replies until Sunday or Monday. With his jetlag and my headcold I think it will be an inexpensive weekend (probably spend more on NyQuil than beer ) Woo-hoo!!! Mom and Dad are gone... let's parr-tee! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 Originally posted by Bugged: </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Battlefront.com: P.S. Martin is here for a visit and we're going to go out boozing all weekend, so don't expect any replies until Sunday or Monday. With his jetlag and my headcold I think it will be an inexpensive weekend (probably spend more on NyQuil than beer ) Woo-hoo!!! Mom and Dad are gone... let's parr-tee! </font> 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juan_gigante Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 Answer them with a whiff of grapeshot? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Cairns Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 Steve, To cross over to another thread, Do you know what percentage of the batteries being used by forces in Iraq,.... ARE MADE IN CHINA..... Peter, 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undead reindeer cavalry Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 i was thinking more about friendly AI than enemy AI. stuff like the "dance of death", the horror of making vehicles follow roads, IS-2s that decide to reverse instead of taking a shot at a Panther's side and so on. my worry is that with all the added complexity (i mean in general, not just the new bones), 1:1 representation and real-time, CMSF might be a micromanagement horror to play if the AI of friendly units isn't significantly improved. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 20 a side? Oh, wow... And each of them commanding a battalion! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigduke6 Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 Steve, That ain't a bone, I know a Porterhouse steak when I see one. Congratulations, once again BFI goes here no game company has gone before. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Ruddy Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 Thanks for the bones. waiting :mad: patiently :mad: for :mad: release :mad: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 Originally posted by Michael Dorosh: I smell a whiff of Peng in this thread....I suspect a leak... Have you checked your britches? Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtweasle Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 Originally posted by John Kettler: dirtweasle, In GENERATION KILL, the screwup was a sergeant or 2nd looey; I forget which. Either way, Evan Wright conveys the clear impression that the batteries were available but that this miserable excuse for a soldier couldn't be bothered to do his job properly. This wasn't some general's massive error... ...Regards, John Kettler Ah, so it was a Company sized unit... gotcha, I can see where they might be out of batteries for a bit of time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C'Rogers Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 No idea if full game "movie" playback, for either WeGo or RT is possible. Tend to doubt the latter but we're trying for both.Well since the game has been announced that has been the first bit of tentative news that has been disappointing to me. Which I guess leaves me only 1 million times happier than the WWII grogs. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becket Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 Wow. That is all. Wait, no: release ASAP, please thanks. (So, when do we get to start begging for the East Front version, because man, this sounds like the making of the ultimate Stalingrad or Kursk setting.) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan/california Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 The army is working on a backpack unit on the very general lines of the the flash light that would power a lot of the soldiers gear. They build it right into the frame and it turns all the usual pack shaking into useful power. I can't find the weblink right now but I read this in the last month or two. They are also heavily pursuing fuel cells as an alternitave to batteries so you could just inject more alchohol or what ever the fuel cell was running on instead of changing batteries. I have read several times about SOF teams agonizing over taking more guns or more batteries. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 dan/california, Thanks for that! Good to know that thinking caps are apparently firmly screwed on at Natick, which presumably is honchoing the effort. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drusus Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Batteries powered by alcohol. That is a recipe for disaster, at least in the Finnish army. We are afterall überdrinkers. Yes, I know that the alcohol doesn't necessarily have to be that kind of alcohol that makes you feel funny... But then there is the risk that our soldiers will be blind after trying if it is the good kind of alcohol. No need for flashlights in that case, so problem solved anyways. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YankeeDog Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Yeah, I'm anxiously awaiting the day I can recharge my cell phone or laptop by picking up a bottle of cheap vodka and pouring it into the power cell. Apparently, the day is not far off. They've been demoing the technology at some of the big electronic shows, and it's already pretty far along the development process, from what I've seen. Very cool on all sort of levels; cost, convenience, environmentally benign, doesn't rely on hydrocarbons for processing, etc. Besides, it's would also be a nice convenience to pull the fuel off your computer or whatever and take a tip when the work day goes pear-shaped. . . 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Cairns Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 I can remember what it's called, but there is a French car on the market that runs on compressed air..... It might be a cheap light way to store power if it could be delivered to a dynamo. Peter. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drusus Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 I found the site about that car. The MDI Air Car That link is actually to a question in the FAQ where it is said that the reload cost is around 1.5 euros. I think that electricity costs about 0.075e/KWh so that means that the car's airtank can have a maximum of 20KWh of energy. That equals about 2 liters of gasoline. And I don't believe that the transformation from eletricity to air to motion is too effective. So you don't get too far with that. It is not on market. I could only find out that they have an office in Barcelona that you can visit. Their factory is supposed to be in france. I think it is a hoax. [ January 28, 2006, 12:14 PM: Message edited by: Drusus ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan/california Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Here is the link on the backpack/ power supply. I google better on a well caffenated Saturday morning. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7970 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan/california Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 On a completely different subject. A number of precision guided mortar rounds of various types seem to be just coming into or about to come into service. I am strictly an interested amatuer but these strike me as enormously effective force multipliers under the direct control of battalion and company commanders. Will these be in the game or will it be possible to mod them into the game relatively easily for experimentation purposes? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Cairns Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 This looks real enough to me, crap but real. Peter. web page 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drusus Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 That site seems to have the same information as the link I provided. They claim that they have a system that can be used to have just one wire for all the electrical devices in the car. And that system will turn out to be a security system when the key is removed. And that the engine can be used with fossile fuels and work backwards as a genereator with eletricity. Or turn braking power to compressed air. Oh, did I mention that they are not releasing any technical information due to trade secrets. And ofcourse the car has a working range similar to fossile fuel cars. I still think it is a hoax. But this is OT. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 There's an article in Times online about the air car (including a driving test) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,588-957436_1,00.html Not a hoax in the sense that it wouldn't be plausible. But I wouldn't hold my... eh... air, while waiting for it to enter the market. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drusus Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 That article is dated January 11, 2004 and they say they are starting manufacturing that year. If not hoax, vaporware at best. That article has more reasonable numbers for the car BTW... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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