ATF: 82mm Mortar

[Scully]

Guys,

I'm working on my first scenario design and had a couple of questions for you. As background, I'm going to do a scenario based on the Russian-Afghan War based on a couple of books I have by Lester Grau. This is going to be a small first scenario, but hopefully once I get the hang of it, I'll be able to start putting some more out.

So the questions are:

1. I couldn't find a crew served 82mm or 60mm mortars. I'm working off KB's database, but also checked the main ATF database. No luck...unless I'm missing it somehow. I did notice that there's an 82mm mortar on a vehicle, but couldn't find the weapon to modify and add to a dismount team. Any help with either finding the weapon in the database or finding the specs to create the weapon would be appreciated. Btw, I've checked FAS and Global Security and didn't see it.

2. While the NTC map could probably work fine, I'd like to use the actual Afghanistan map I believe came with BCT. Do I need BCT to import the map? If not, where can I get and ATF version of it?

Thanks,
Brian

[Deltapooh]

1. I couldn't find a crew served 82mm or 60mm mortars. I'm working off KB's database, but also checked the main ATF database. No luck...unless I'm missing it somehow. I did notice that there's an 82mm mortar on a vehicle, but couldn't find the weapon to modify and add to a dismount team. Any help with either finding the weapon in the database or finding the specs to create the weapon would be appreciated. Btw, I've checked FAS and Global Security and didn't see it.

They are named US Mortar Team (60mm) and US Mortar Team (81mm). Just scroll down to the "U"s.

2. While the NTC map could probably work fine, I'd like to use the actual Afghanistan map I believe came with BCT. Do I need BCT to import the map? If not, where can I get and ATF version of it?

There are five Afghanistan maps in BCT: Commander. I think it is actually three maps and five .bmp files. I would not mind converting them. I'll get on it today.

[kbluck]

What DP said, although US forces use 81mm, not 82.

Since you're talking about Soviet Afghanistan, I'm guessing you meant the OPFOR 2B14 "Podnos" 82mm. That is also available as "Mortar Team (82mm). There's also a 60mm version.

I've tried to come up with a way to simulate the "burst fire" capabilities of the magazine-loaded 2B9 82mm "Vasilyok" mortar while preserving its indirect fire and attendant area effect capabilities, but so far have come up empty. That one will have to wait until (hopefully) area effect direct fire is implemented.

--- Kevin

[Pat Proctor]

These maps are not actually Afghanistan terrain. At the time they were generated, I could not find open-source Afghanistan data. Since then, there has been a flood of geo-data.

Standby for an announcement in a couple weeks that could add some REAL afghanistan maps to the ATF universe.

[Scully]

Since you're talking about Soviet Afghanistan, I'm guessing you meant the OPFOR 2B14 "Podnos" 82mm. That is also available as "Mortar Team (82mm). There's also a 60mm version.
--- Kevin

Hmm...must have missed it. Thanks for letting me know.

Brian

[Scully]

There are five Afghanistan maps in BCT: Commander. I think it is actually three maps and five .bmp files. I would not mind converting them. I'll get on it today.

Thanks DP.

Based on Pat's note below, feel free to hold off on this if you'd like and I can work with the NTC maps.

Brian

[kbluck]

...but couldn't find the weapon to modify and add to a dismount team

On a side note, if you're looking to create or modify teams or vehicles and want to use weapons already in the DB, you'll generally find them under the type-classification number ("M16", for example) for US weapons or the "industrial number" ("2B14", for example) for the Soviet weapons, where I was able to find one. If no such number are known (particularly for very old weapons) or the weapon class is very widely known under a different "technical" number system (as in the AT missiles and small arms; AT-5, AK-74, et al.) I have used what is, in my judgement, the most common, unambiguous available numbering system.

The point is to eliminate ambiguity as to which weapon is which when there are a number of very similar alternatives, since calibers tend to be reused repeatedly, and sometimes ongoing block improvements can cloud the picture as well, as is particularly common with missiles. For example, there have been six major flavors of TOW missile over the years, with some significant game differences between them. That's why I chose to use the BGM numbers instead of just "TOW Missile". Admittedly, though, it can make them more difficult to find for somebody not familiar with the numbers.

--- Kevin

[Pat Proctor]

Any new maps will be 1 year out, so there is certainly no harm in porting the BCT maps in the meantime...