Rocky Balboa Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Looking at the number of reply's and views to this thread, and its still only turn 4. :eek: I'm predicting this one will surpass the size of the previous AAR threads by a wide margin. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottie Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Cookie-cutter = the same thing repeated = you'll have to match the tactics to the situation. ah i see , thank you, understood. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battlefront.com Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 When I made the comment about the 5:1 Sherman kill ratio I took into consideration the average personality of this Forum (i.e. "snarky") Steve 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmar Bijlsma Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 For every comment Steve makes, five snarky replies must be made. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MengJiao Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 For every comment Steve makes, five snarky replies must be made. I'd like to make a snarky reply, but I'm happy to hear that the game simulates things well enough to demonstrate that Shermans do have some slight advantages in some circumstances against some German tanks. It's as big of a shock as the time a bunch of Stuarts in a board game destroyed my PZKwIIIs in a simulated North Africa 25 years ago. But why have a simulation side to games if they don't occasionally offer real surprises? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medex Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 We should make a Sherman mod so that the word "Snarky" is written on the side of the tank. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soddball Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Since only ~17% of German tanks in France were lost due to enemy tanks, that fits into the picture from the 1st hand reports - but doesn't fit very well to the model you describe, Steve. A questionable assumption which ignores factors such as fuel shortages and allied air supremacy. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadsword56 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Yes, I'm getting more excited to play this game too. And the more I read the more convinced I am that map design and dimensions will be critical. There will be times when you must use your PzIVs in a furball and times when you must assault long 75s or 88s on a distant ridge using Shermans. Cookie cutter tactics just won't cut it.... Wow. Let's say you were the US commander and had to assault those 75s or 88s on the distant ridge using Shermans. Ideally, I'd do it at night. I saw an episode of "Greatest Tank Battles" recently where that's exactly what they did, forming up in a great big armored phalanx, following the little dot of each other's tail lights. By the time the Germans could react, the Shermans were already in the midst of their positions and were overrunning them, and the range advantages the Germans had were all negated. Would an attack like this be possible to re-create in CMBN? We have the ability to fight at all hours of day or night, right? Do we have illumination effects? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNAFU Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 This is all sounding very good. I'm quite confident my pre-order is going to pay off quite well!!! I do have one question though that I haven't seen answered or addressed anywhere... Will some of the US armor be equipped with gyro-stabilizers and will they have a better (albeit slightly) chance of hitting while on the move? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Balboa Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Bill posted this pic earlier as an example of damage taken by one of his PZIV's. Notice the yellow dot showing track damage after taking the hit. Notice also the chart at about the 7-8 o'clock position from the area which is circled. What exactly is the purpose of this chart and how do I interpret the data? I would think that a track hit would also reflect on the speed, turning and maybe off-road capability but it doesn't appear to from this pic. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panzermartin Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Bill posted this pic earlier as an example of damage taken by one of his PZIV's. Notice the yellow dot showing track damage after taking the hit. Notice also the chart at about the 7-8 o'clock position from the area which is circled. What exactly is the purpose of this chart and how do I interpret the data? I would think that a track hit would also reflect on the speed, turning and maybe off-road capability but it doesn't appear to from this pic. I think these are "factory" characteristics and not indicators that depend on the in-game status of the vehicle. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YankeeDog Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I think these are "factory" characteristics and not indicators that depend on the in-game status of the vehicle. Yes; this is the way it is in CMSF. Panel under the vehicle silhouette is a summary the general characteristics of the vehicle and does not change, and the info under "Damage" tab indicates whether any of various systems are at less than 100%. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Balboa Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I think these are "factory" characteristics and not indicators that depend on the in-game status of the vehicle. Yeah I figured that as well, I just thought it would be meaningful to see those "factory characteristics" diminished as it takes damage. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongLeftFlank Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Let's say you were the US commander and had to assault those 75s or 88s on the distant ridge using Shermans. Ideally, I'd do it at night. I saw an episode of "Greatest Tank Battles" recently where that's exactly what they did, forming up in a great big armored phalanx, following the little dot of each other's tail lights. By the time the Germans could react, the Shermans were already in the midst of their positions and were overrunning them, and the range advantages the Germans had were all negated. Would an attack like this be possible to re-create in CMBN? We have the ability to fight at all hours of day or night, right? Do we have illumination effects? Interesting idea, if the brass will let you do it, which probably won't be until at least 3 daylight attacks have been shot to pieces leaving the battlefield strewn with shattered and burning wrecks! Of course you did get Monty's Moonlight -- by D plus 10 or so the Brits weren't so proud. Also, moving vehicles offroad at night is fraught with danger. I'd love to see the vehicle off road bog percentages go WAYYY up at night. And it would be even better if they occasionally reinterpreted their waypoints to go the wrong way (this is a pipedream not an expectation). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Is damage from terrain (as in woods example above) cumulative? So, if you insist on ordering a vehicle thru "tough" terrain, it will continue to sustain damage until immobilized? Is driver quality a factor (I guess that would be unit or leader quality)? It was very rare to get an immob in CM1 (unless ground was wet and soft) and any damage in CMSF. So, is this an added challenge for players? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Balboa Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Is damage from terrain (as in woods example above) cumulative? So, if you insist on ordering a vehicle thru "tough" terrain, it will continue to sustain damage until immobilized? Is driver quality a factor (I guess that would be unit or leader quality)? It was very rare to get an immob in CM1 (unless ground was wet and soft) and any damage in CMSF. So, is this an added challenge for players? As for leader quality, when you've got this guy in the hatch .... No wonder it was taken out early 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WineCape Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Regarding forests in CMx2... there are a number of very nice toggle features for better visuals. However, if you really want to get the full fear factor of dense forest battles, go to Camera 1, lock onto an infantry unit on the advance, and imagine how much fun Hürtgen was for the Americans. I had a battle the other night in dense forest and it was horribly bloody. Hardly ever saw the enemy either. At least not alive. One thing I love about American rifle units is that they pack a LOT of punch when they do Area Fire Steve Aye. And how! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 Minute 5 Current Situation Let's step back a bit and examine the current situation. I think it’s safe to say that AA1 doesn’t appear to be a threat. There is one surviving M-10 that I know about on AA2... I assume that Warren bought an M-10 Platoon, so that leaves one M-10 unaccounted for (there is a third with the Sherman Platoon on AA3). I need to get better visibility on AA2. AA3 seems to be the main effort. Warren has, in a compact mass one Sherman Platoon, at least one surviving M-20 armored car (perhaps more), and at least one M-10 TD on this avenue of approach. I currently have three tanks in action, for 2nd Platoon Tank 1 is overwatching AA2, but can’t see most of it. For 1st Platoon I have the HQ Tank that is actually attempting to get eyes on AA2 and perhaps take a shot at the surviving M-10 on the hill. For me this is quite scary, I have ONE tank (Tank 1) defending against the Sherman Platoon and whatever else Warren has barreling down AA3. My Plan Okay, with the obvious limitation of my equipment I am going to try to hold back on the aggressive maneuvering and let Warren come to me. In 1st Platoon’s sector I am going to hold as long as possible with Tank 1 and bring up the Company HQ element to re-man the blocking position, because my biggest fear is that Warren will try a move as outlined in the image above by the purple arrow. That could give him a clear view and a flank shot at Tank 1. 1st Platoon’s HQ Tank will Hunt forward and engage the second M-10 on AA2. I am moving 2nd Platoon as indicated in the map above. They will move in line with Tank 1 already in position and then slowly move through the light woods until they can provide a base of fire onto AA2 and if AA2 proves to be clear then they will be in a good position for an attack into the flank of Warren’s Sherman Platoon on AA3. But that eventuality is in the future. 2nd Platoon Tank 1 was stationary throughout the turn and other than some infantry movement in the big woods between AA1 and AA2 has nothing to report. The other tanks are still in transit at the end of the turn. It will take them a few more minutes to pull into their final positions. 1st Platoon 1st Platoon is where all the action was this turn. HQ Tank At 55:48 the HQ Tank sights the M-10. Thankfully it has not moved. I had a very narrow cover arc set for this waypoint and I spot the M-10 almost immediately upon stopping. At 55:44 the HQ Tank opens fire from 400m… the following sequence of MG and main gun fire cutting down the crew one by one and leaving only a smoking wreck by the end of the fifth minute can only be described as anger and retribution over the death of their comrades in 2nd Platoon last turn and frustration over the losses of the good friends in his own platoon. It was brutal to watch this: I don't think the M-10 ever saw what hit it. Tank 1 Right at the end of the turn Tank 1 spots, fires, hits, and penetrates the M4A3(76)W… damage is unknown. But at least now I know I CAN penetrate these beasts! The Company HQ tanks were almost to the blocking position at turn end. Next: Minute 6 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisND Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Edited.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Crowley Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 This is wonderful stuff! Thanks for putting up this AAR. This, together with the previous one, is starting to achieve the same levels of excitement and anticipation that the old CMX1 Alpha AAR produced. Except this this time round I have already pre-ordered. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Capt Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Ok, let me share a litte something about myself. In the real world I am a military engineer of about 23 yrs experience. My background is combat engineering (the troop and tank variety) but like most old warhorses I have done the whole gambit..well except Geomatics. I'll be in the cold ground before I hang with those weirdos. Anyway one thing I have learned in all those years on at least three continents is that there is always a "click" before the trap springs. And this leads me to The_Capt's Great Sin #3: "Never ignore the f#ckin "click"". The "click" in turn 5 was when I lost that second M10 in overwatch. Rather than pull back and put the other M10s and possibly the M4A3 76mm back on that hill, I decided that I would keep pushing up AA3 to try and smoke out Bil's "last" tanks. I knew he had at least one tank coming up my right so I decided to peel off an M10 to cover that side but I did it short just off AA3 instead of well back...again committing the 2nd Great Sin. On AA3 my plan was to (and here I have to admit I was being wreckless and wanted to really test this Sherman thing....I was indestructible ahahahahha!!) push one Sherman up an out on the left edge of AA3 to draw fire whilst the remainder of the platoon (and second M10) pushed thru the smoke and hopefully spotted that last Pz IV. At this point I had estimated Bil had 2-3 Pz IVs but they were on the right...so a classic Napoleon split em in half and kill em piecemeal. I wasn't totally blind on the right by this point (or shortly) I would have two sniper teams in that woodline with eyes on. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Instigator Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Is it me or did that TC not button up after the hit?! One tough SOB! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadsword56 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Can snipers in CM:BN pick off TC's standing in an unbuttoned turret cupola? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stikkypixie Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Can snipers in CM:BN pick off TC's standing in an unbuttoned turret cupola? Yes. But only if they aim carefully. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chops Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Anyway one thing I have learned in all those years on at least three continents is that there is always a "click" before the trap springs. And this leads me to The_Capt's Great Sin #3: "Never ignore the f#ckin "click"". I have learned during three years of playing CM:SF to pay attention to "the click". Some may call it a "sixth sense", a "funny feeling" whatever. When I am about to make a move in CM:SF or CM:A and I get that internal "alert" I stop and think. Often I will end up not making the move, as I have learned, that to ignore the "click" is a recipe for disaster. I find that paying attention to this, also results in more realistic game play. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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