A few questions about the CS [Archive]

John Given

06 May 05, 23:48

Hello all.

I have a few general questions that I thought I might be able to get answered here, so here goes;

1) If you download the optional mods for east front II (Bulgarian army, new units for the Russians/germans, etc, will it make you incompatible for pbem? (I'm pretty sure these mods are from the same place you get the DG-Vietnam mod)

2) In my EF II game, in 2d zoom-in mode (view #4) many of the unit counters have a "dirty" look to them - many of them have little brown "speckles" or brown pixels on several points on the counter. I seem to remember this started about the time I installed the EFII scenario disk #1, but was wondering if maybe something else was causing it. In snowy scenarios, it's especially noticable. Has anyone else heard of this and how do I get rid of it?

3) If I re-run a patch for EF II, will it UNinstall the EF scenario disk and/or uninstall all of those DOZENS of downloaded custom scenarios I have for EF II??

4) Is it generally frowned upon if you resign a game - even if you are losing badly with no hope of even minor defeat?

5) Is scouting with unloaded halftracks considered unsportsmanlike? I personally don't mind it, but since they have radios (I think), and are armed. But how do others feel?

Post away, gents! :coolban:

battlegroupllc

07 May 05, 06:17

As to question 1 I am pretty sure it wont be an issue.

the other ttech questions I can not answer with confidence other then to say the best thing to do is to upgrade to the World at War eddition of the Games it will solve many of the tech issues.

For questiosn 4 and 5. I think surrender is something worked out between the two players as some with have difernt prefernces to this. Simply dymping out of a game though is disliked in general. There are also ladder rules but I personaly can not stand ladders, so I cant speak for the rules on those.

And with the scouting. Thats a long debate that pops up here and there on forurms and so forth. My opinions on reality and fair play normally hugely differ from the general community. But for games with ym personal freinds. The Germans using halftracks to scout is normal. But Other countries would not. And using trucks of any type is dirty play.

Abatis

07 May 05, 09:26

Hi John,

I have no idea about your technical issues- I'm not savy there!

On surrenders- hell, as long as your opponent understands your position on it, and you gave it a good shot, why not? Tip the king if you feel its hopeless- its the players perogative to surrender any time IMHO. That said, nobody wants to get a reputation as a quitter either- might limit the amount of opponents you can find- something non of us wants with the pool as few as it is.

On empty halftracks on recon...That just depends I guess on who you play with and what's agreed to...my self, I don't much like it- its an ahistorical tactic- the Expeditionary Empty Half Track Pack :cheeky: , and I like things as close to true simulation as possible. The Germans had a 251 Recon HT- but it would also have a squad attached to it, not be cruising around with just a driver and gunner...They should never be able to assault armor either, yet they can...what is a half track with a mg42 gonna do against a platoon of Shermans? Discomfit the crews possibly with the massive amount of pings against the hull, but without supporting infantry- they'd never stand a chance. I can accept them in the assault when supported by infantry..I suppose they would use the halftracks as cover and for interference while AT weapons were being deployed...Thats my 2 cents on it. I'm not sure that every HT was radio equipped- even by war's end. I don't think even every single tank was radio equipped by war's end, let alone HT's. Could be wrong though- wouldn't be the first time!

Krink

07 May 05, 10:25

I will answer to the best of my knowledge, but if I'm wrong, I hope someone will correct me.

Downloading mods will work fine with your pbem opponent no matter what they have installed. Only you will get the benifits you have downloaded like different sounds or whatever.

I can't answer question 2, cause I hardly ever use 2d mode.

Reinstalling a patch should have no effect on scenarios you have downloaded, except what it is supposed to do.

I have no problem with an opponent resigning. And I have dome it myself a few times. You concede a major win, and that should be fine. I guess it's always best to ask your opponent if he has a problem with you resigning, just to be on the safe side.

As for halftracks....this is always a debateable issue. It is always a good idea to discuss this with your opponent before you begin play. This falls into ROE(rules of engagement). Other things to discuss are the removal of units from the map, and movement allow by mt carriers.

Hope I have helped a bit.

Cheers,
Ray

Boonierat

07 May 05, 10:30

5) Is scouting with unloaded halftracks considered unsportsmanlike? I personally don't mind it, but since they have radios (I think), and are armed. But how do others feel?

Post away, gents! :coolban:

The question I ask myself is: is it historically accurate? would the halftracks (Sdkfz 251, the most common type) of a panzergrenadier unit go on recon after unloading their men or head to the rear where its safer? I think they would do the last.

Cheech Marin

07 May 05, 11:05

Abatis, you just gave me a crazy idea when you mentioned unloaded halftracks assaulting tanks. Let's say that the armor unit is disrupted for one reason or another. Suddenly, a 251 (if you're a German) or a M2 halftrack (if you're an American) pulls up next to the tank, who doesn't notice it. The gunner jumps out, climbs onto the hatch, pulls the hatch open, and lobs a grenade in. Then he runs back to the halftrack and they drive away, content with their kill. :D

Abatis

07 May 05, 11:32

:laugh:

Well- I suppose it's possible! :)

Krink

07 May 05, 11:35

The question I ask myself is: is it historically accurate? would the halftracks (Sdkfz 251, the most common type) of a panzergrenadier unit go on recon after unloading their men or head to the rear where its safer? I think they would do the last.

There are alot of parts in the game that aren't historically accurate. But they way I look at it is...if a unit can fire, then it's a combat unit. If you wanht to go galloping all over the map with a weakl unit and take the chance of losing the points without ever firing a shot....have at it.

Thats why it's always good to discuss things before play begins.

Cheers,
Ray

Gnrl Confusion

07 May 05, 13:28

Hi John,

I agree with Krink on this one. If I were playing you, I'd discuss up front what rules you liked/disliked and pretty much play it anyway you wanted. I use halftracks from time to time, but mainly out of desperation. Sometimes I'll send a couple out on the flanks as spotters. Right before resigning. :)

As for the tech issue. Before blaming the game, how much RAM do you have? What kind of video card are you using and are you using the latest video card drivers? If using 32 bit display - try 16 or 8 bit.

Jason Petho

07 May 05, 14:28

Hello all.
2) In my EF II game, in 2d zoom-in mode (view #4) many of the unit counters have a "dirty" look to them - many of them have little brown "speckles" or brown pixels on several points on the counter. I seem to remember this started about the time I installed the EFII scenario disk #1, but was wondering if maybe something else was causing it. In snowy scenarios, it's especially noticable. Has anyone else heard of this and how do I get rid of it?

John, can you send me your "Icons2d.bmp" file?

Send it to jasonp(a)theblitz.org

Thanks in advance!
Take care and good luck
Jason Petho

John Given

07 May 05, 15:24

Thank you for the replies everyone!

First thing; Jason, I just e-mailed that file to you. Out of curiosity, I took a close look at it with my media editor, and sure enough, "speckles." I guess the question now is, how do I fix it? Rerun the patch perhaps? It has occurred to me though that maybe the orig. game file has these marks on it too, so you may want to take a look at it anyway. Thanks again!

My opinions on the unloaded HT issue. I feel that the point in any war (or wargame) is to win - any commander would strive for this. As far as realism is concerned, I have read once or twice that some units were equipped with things such as signal flares in the event of enemy contact. Yes, many russian tanks had no radios (usually command tanks only), but all german and american ones did. And let's not forget the scouting german halftrack in "Saving Private Ryan" - "we've been expectin' a probe, that musta been it."

I guess the major point is, if it's questionable enough a tactic to warrant discussion, then it should be discussed (and agreed to) beforehand.

Post any further thoughts/ideas/suggestions, people! :banana:

Jason Petho

07 May 05, 17:46

John Given

07 May 05, 18:07

It works!! Goodbye ugly brown speckles.

Thank you again Jason. P.S. I noticed that the German units now have an actual nazi flag in the top-right corner of the info box; the russkies have a yellow sickle and hammer - cool!

Jason gets a :drink: and a :thumup:

Abatis

07 May 05, 18:58

And let's not forget the scouting german halftrack in "Saving Private Ryan" - "we've been expectin' a probe, that musta been it."

True- but they had an accompaniment of infantry too, that was gunned down after the HT took the zook hit. There was definitely German halftrack recon in WWII, they had a 251 model outfitted for it- but they were supported by an infantry squad. Massed empty troop carriers scooting around the flank....they couldn't have afforded to risk the resources on such a risky prospect as a normal method of recon.

And before someone else says it- we might not want to rely on Speilberg for history- good as SPR was- better than good in fact! *ATTENTION PLEASE- I am NOT putting SPR down!* :laugh: But it is a movie...that's all ;)

Cheech Marin

07 May 05, 19:59

we might not want to rely on Speilberg for history-

Especially since Spielberg has highly-trained Army Rangers hanging around on top of a German tank for some strange reason, despite getting shot at by a 20mm AA gun. :confused:

Abatis

07 May 05, 20:03

Especially since Spielberg has highly-trained Army Rangers hanging around on top of a German tank for some strange reason, despite getting shot at by a 20mm AA gun. :confused:

Or that the same Rangers put their 30 cal in the same place as their sniper- guaranteeing the loss of secerecy for the sniper, and getting him killed...as soon as that mg opened up, that tower was doomed! :laugh:

John Given

07 May 05, 20:48

Heh, no question about that - I head many veterans ripped Spielberg really bad after that movie was released - supposedly for lack of realism. But I never heard specifically what it was they were complaining about.

Now I have one more nagging question for today and I'm done.

There is a mod out there somewhere, I'm fairly sure it's for EF though it could be for WF - that adds quite a number of new unit types for the german and allies. I tried to find it on the web, looked at all the CS forums that I know, and I can't seem to find it. Does anyone know where such a mod may be? I found the one that had add'l russian units only, and I was not impressed with it, as all of the pictures for the units were missing when I pressed the F2 button.

If anyone knows what site this mod is available on, I would appreciate it!

P.S. My flamethrower units no longer show the little "ball of fire" icon on the info box - even through the shaded area for it still remains in the left column - anyone know the easiest way to fix that?

Jason Petho

07 May 05, 21:07

There is a mod out there somewhere, I'm fairly sure it's for EF though it could be for WF - that adds quite a number of new unit types for the german and allies. I tried to find it on the web, looked at all the CS forums that I know, and I can't seem to find it. Does anyone know where such a mod may be? I found the one that had add'l russian units only, and I was not impressed with it, as all of the pictures for the units were missing when I pressed the F2 button.

If anyone knows what site this mod is available on, I would appreciate it!

Possible this is what you're referring to?

PB#1

http://www.theblitz.org/member_sites/project_blitz_sneak/index_1.php

PB#2 and PB#3 will both add additional units, PB#2 will add more for EFII while PB#3 will add a plethora to West Front.

Hope that helps
Take care and good luck
Jason Petho

John Given

07 May 05, 21:14

So THAT's where I remember seeing that - glad to see I already have those extra units then! So whenever I play those new scenarios (I haven't played any off scen. disk#1 yet) I hope to see some new units.

Between mods, new scenarios, and new expansions, I must've lost track of where I saw all those new units.

It's too bad that "russian balance" mod didn't impress me that much - with no photos of any of the units when you click F2 - but since all of the enhancements were to Russians and not germans, perhaps it just would've unbalanced the game. Oh well.

But thanks for the tip on those new units Jason. I must be getting senile. :salute:

John Given

10 May 05, 20:00

Quick question: what is the "fireball" icon on some german and russian units for? It appears on the left side of the info box.

I first noticed it after I installed Fall of the Reich a few years back; it appears on any unit (infantry or vehicle) with an assault factor of "9" or higher. Is it just to remind us that that unit is good at close-assaults? The icon does not appear on high assault-factor units of other nations, either (such as the Finnish "Yaegers" with a factor of 10).

If you know, post away! :clap:

KG_Norad

10 May 05, 20:04

Units that are equipped with flame throwers. I am pretty sure thes units have some sort of bonus for "assaults" but someone else will have to give you the finer details.

Krink

10 May 05, 20:10

KG_Norad

10 May 05, 20:14

I don't think I have ever had a successful assault with them though.

Hmm strange...I know MY moral decreases when I'M on fire!

ER_Chaser

10 May 05, 22:44

Yea it does mean flamethrower...beware though. There are some german units out there with an assault factor of 16 that have a flamethrower. I don't think I have ever had a successful assault with them though. I just use them for spotting now.

Cheers,
Ray
Actually those flame halftracks are extremely powerful in assulting. Their strength is the combo of high mobility and high value of assault. That would enable them to several (even 3 at some times) assaults in a single turn. That could end the game in that turn. The problem is they must be used together with other units to be successful and the terrain must be flat to avoid penalties.

ER_Chaser

10 May 05, 22:45

Units that are equipped with flame throwers. I am pretty sure thes units have some sort of bonus for "assaults" but someone else will have to give you the finer details.
CS uses the fireball to signal "extremely high" value in assaults. Though the sign was primarily for flamethrowers. However, many other high assault value units were given this sign as well. For example, the most common one is the SMG units of Soviet.