BFCElvis Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 1446 hrs The battle at this point hinges on my ability to eliminate Jons major AT resources. By my count he has 2 Pak 38s. One on each side of the valley and both overlooking the path I need to take to the Villa. He also has 2 JPz IVs that are positioned near each gun. The one to my left on Hill 154 has been advancing forward, looking for a good target and then reversing to safety. The one on Hill 144 to my right is backed into the woods providing it with both cover and concealment. Here is a view of the gun and AFV on Hill 144 to my right. They are “behind” the hill with clear views to Hill 154 and the Villa. The on the other side of the hill ridge in this picture is where my Sherman from my last post is located. Full size The rest of my Shermans are in 2 locations. 3 Shermans are still being held in the rear and out of sight in the center of the map. The 4 others are still stuck at the top of Hill 154. I am afraid to move them anywhere because of the over watch position that Jon has on Hill 144. I believe running them back down the hill would be suicide. So I make the decision to advance them head on toward Hill 144. I will try to keep them in the wooded areas that they are able to travel though hoping for both cover and some concealment. With a bit of luck maybe I can get some shots in before being knocked out. As they move forward my Shermans, a M4A3(75)W (early), takes the first shot. You can see the gun and JPz IV on the opposite hill. This shot causes some damage to my optics, radio and tracks. The TacAI has the vehicle reverse toward safety. Full size I was lucky to escape that but the next couple of minutes did not go well for me. Losing a Shermans in a matter of moments. (Look at this near criminal grouping of tanks. I should have the game taken away from me just for getting myself in a bind like this) Full size Remarkably the M4A#(75)Ws (one early and one mid) have both taken more hits and survived. Things are looking so bad now. Full size Full size Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFCElvis Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 During all this the JPz IV on Hill 144 has taken no less than 6 (and if I went back and counted it would probably be 9) shots. Through all the smoke it is hard to tell how many hit it but all rounds hit at least near it. Finally I get a hit that I can tell at least has some effect. I suspect I have killed the vehicle commander….Yes, that one that has been sitting unbuttoned while my rounds explode all around him…that one. Full size Full size While this is going on 2 other events have gone my way. The Pak38 on Hill 144 has been knocked out!!!!! What a relief to see that go. Full size And as importantly as that, the JPz IV on Hill 154 moved forward again. This time it came into view of one of my reserve Shermans. (in these shots you can also see how the Pak38 on side is set up) Full size Full size So far I consider theses exchanges to be not only huge successes but a balancing point in the game. I think things are swinging back in my direction. Of the 4 major AT assets Jon has left I eliminated 2 and damaged one. If my armor is allowed to roam relatively freely on the battlefield I should be able to make up for any infantry discrepancies. All at the cost (so far) of one Sherman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFCElvis Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 Thanks it...For once I decided not to end on a cliffhanger type note Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
user38 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Lt. Dike? Really?!?! . I've always wondered whether Dyke was as useless as he was portrayed. I saw the mini series of course. I read the Stephen Ambrose book “Band of Brothers” and then I read the Dick Winters book “Beyond Band of Brothers”. And then I started wondering what the other 13 million soldiers, sailors and marines were doing while Easy company was winning the war. So I used the google machine and guess what? There are a lot of people out there who consider Stephen Ambrose to be a hack (you have to love the internet). It’s interesting how the book came to be written. Stephen Ambrose had finished a book on Market Garden was looking for a small project. Dick Winters suggested he write a book on Easy company. So Ambrose sent some researchers to an Easy company reunion. The researches taped several hours of interviews. The stories were great: full of heroism and dare doing. The sort of stories you would expect to hear at a veterans’ 40 year reunion. Only Ambrose turned it into a book. Apparently he got a lot of it wrong. See http://www.101airborneww2.com/bandofbrothers.html. I found the website while trying to find out what happened to Albert Blythe. Blythe was portrayed as a poor soldier who was shot in the neck and died of his wounds. Ambrose didn’t even get his name right. Albert Blithe was not a bad soldier. He was shot in the shoulder and recovered. Indeed he reenlisted after the war and fought in Korea, attained the rank of Master Sargent, completed 600 jumps and received several commendations including the 82nd Airborne Division 1958 Trooper of the Year. See: http://www.506infantry.org/his2ndbnwwiiphoto24.html I didn’t research Lt Dyke but, given Amborse’s over reliance on anecdotal evidence and sloppy fact checking, I find it hard to believe Dyke was as inept as he was portrayed. Or would this post be classified as “off topic”? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkhorn1x Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Thanks it...For once I decided not to end on a cliffhanger type note Excellent work Elvis. You are still in this game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mord Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Harrowing stuff, Elvis. You guys are doing a righteous job...I am enjoying both threads immensely...they just get more and more exciting as things go on...can't wait to see who wins. And I'll tell you, if I was pumped up and excited for Normandy before these DARs...I am friggin' rabid now! Oh, and thanks for the answers! Maybe Steve can pop in and give us an idea of how artillery affects trees. Mord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Field Marshal Blücher Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Pak30 You do realize it's a PaK40, right? I saw it once and thought it was a typo, then I saw it repeated a bunch of times. (AFAIK there is no such thing as a PaK30.) Really enjoying the DAR even though I'm playing the game myself! It's always fascinating to see how other people tackle situations like these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finalcut Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 You do realize it's a PaK40, right? I saw it once and thought it was a typo, then I saw it repeated a bunch of times. (AFAIK there is no such thing as a PaK30.) Really enjoying the DAR even though I'm playing the game myself! It's always fascinating to see how other people tackle situations like these. "Playing" the game? Aren't you supposed to be TESTING the game and squashing bugs? If you are going to "play" the game,then perhaps someone else should TEST it.I'm sure there would be a few volunteers around here somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFCElvis Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 You do realize it's a PaK40, right? I saw it once and thought it was a typo, then I saw it repeated a bunch of times. (AFAIK there is no such thing as a PaK30.) You are correct. I just went back in the game but this time with my glasses and saw that it is marked as Pak38 not Pak30. My bad. Sorry folks. I corrected where I could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnersman Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Is that Pak30/38/40 () that is straddling a foxhole considered to be in a foxhole? Is that considered to be behind cover? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFCElvis Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 Is that Pak30/38/40 () that is straddling a foxhole considered to be in a foxhole? Is that considered to be behind cover? It is considered in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battlefront.com Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 There was a bug in this version of CM:BN that didn't strip tress of foliage when hit with enough HE. I think that was fixed in the last Beta. Elvis is doing a fine job Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongLeftFlank Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Curious about the Surrendering pattern in Elvis' Army (wasn't that Oliver's Army?). 1. As I noted elsewhere, I've been ratcheting down the Motivation level on my CMSF infantry to increase the amount of time they spend Cowering and lower their average fire volume. But there's no Surrender to worry about. Are the chances of Surrender in proximity to the enemy influenced by Motivation, Experience, casualties, out of command or several of these? 2. Also, from a purely aesthetic standpoint, it might look better to have these guys Cowering for most of the time instead of on their knees with their hands raised in the middle of a firefight (I know it's actually woods, not an open field). I take it that the fact they've surrendered makes the TacAI ignore them as targets regardless of their animation. So if Charles just tweaked it so that they automatically Cowered for the maximum period whenever bullets came into their action spot, that would look a lot more realistic -- be safer for them too! And then they would resume "Hande Hoch" when things got quieter. Just a thought.... 3. Surrendered units are clearly, like Panicked units, no longer under control of their owner. But have these units "switched sides"? Can they be moved by their captor? If so, why isn't Jon having them move toward his lines rather than risking them being "rescued"? And would their former owner's TacAI now identify them as enemy units (no mercy for traitors!) and target them? Soooo many questions. Can you discuss this a little more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillLight Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Well, JonS mentioned earlier that when in their "visible surrender" state, there is a limited amount of time for them to be recovered by being in close proximity to their own side again, after which they disappear from the map, just like routed units do now in CMSF. I would also suggest that, while not realistic, having them appear with their hands up is a useful game mechanic to indicate their state and doesn't stretch realism too far given they disappear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawomi Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Bug?...new agonal feature?...voodoo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisND Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Bug?...new agonal feature?...voodoo? Already been spotted and fixed I believe... Dead soldiers had sometimes been switching between the new poses between turns. That, or it is in preparation for CM:ZM (Zombie Module). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZPB II Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 There was a bug in this version of CM:BN that didn't strip tress of foliage when hit with enough HE. I think that was fixed in the last Beta. Elvis is doing a fine job Steve What? Seriously, trees getting affected by explosions? This is great news to me! :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanzfeld Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Elvis, Did you see that Pak after it fired or did you spot it before it fired? Kinda interested in the ability for AT guns to be stealthy and I dont remember it shooting at you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFCElvis Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 Elvis, Did you see that Pak after it fired or did you spot it before it fired? Kinda interested in the ability for AT guns to be stealthy and I dont remember it shooting at you. It did fire, more than once. But guns set up like he has can be very hard to spot. The woods are doing a fantastic job of providing comcealment for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Balboa Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Bug?...new agonal feature?...voodoo? They should have just left this bug alone ... More realistic to see incapacitated soldiers moving from time to time. Some might be dead or unconscious but others may be in shock or extreme pain and moving about. Of course if this happens too frequently then it might be too noticeable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFCElvis Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 They should have just left this bug alone ... More realistic to see incapacitated soldiers moving from time to time. Some might be dead or unconscious but others may be in shock or extreme pain and moving about. Of course if this happens too frequently then it might be too noticeable... Hee hee..While playing that is what I thought was actually going on. Not all casualties are KIA and I thought this was just representing the WIA men. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFCElvis Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 Oh, and thanks for the answers! Maybe Steve can pop in and give us an idea of how artillery affects trees. Mord. I'm glad Steve stepped in for you. Where I get on shaky ground is talking about something that has both not been announced and is not in the build that I am using for the AAR. There have been several new builds since we started and I have barely had a chance to touch any of them as my game playing time is a little full right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riptides Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I'm glad Steve stepped in for you. Where I get on shaky ground is talking about something that has both not been announced and is not in the build that I am using for the AAR. There have been several new builds since we started and I have barely had a chance to touch any of them as my game playing time is a little full right now. Nice of you to remind us that there are several new builds and your game time is full....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFCElvis Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 Nice of you to remind us that there are several new builds and your game time is full....... By game time full I really mean I have a wife, a 9 year old and a 6 year old. Each post here probably takes me about 2 hours. Plus processing my turns. Times up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futon river crossing Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Has something been done graphically with the "earth pimples" or foxholes, every time I see them - it really the spoils the view Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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