nuovo

venerdì 31 agosto 2012

Steam Greenlight è attivo

Segnalo questo nuovo servizio Steam che permettere di votare i giochi che si vorrebbe vedere e acquistare su Steam; l'elenco dei giochi da votare è ben fornito, proverò a vedere quali giochi strategici sono presenti per segnalarli e farli votare.

http://steamcommunity.com/greenlight/


Cominciato PBEM con Panzer Command Ostfront

Ho cominciato un PBEM con Panzer Command Ostfront contro un giocatore inesperto quanto me. Un primo consiglio: nel  configuratore del gioco potete decidere la cartella di salvataggio dei files PBEM (utilissimo per tools come dropbox e google drive) ma ricordatevi di settare bene il nome del vostro player o almeno comunicarlo al vostro avversario se setta lui la partita. Infatti il gioco setta questo nome sul file della partita e vi chiede anche durante il setup di settare quello del vostro avversario (che deve coincidere con il nome che lui ha impostato nel suo configuratore): se i nomi nei due configuratori divergono da quello che appaiono nel nome del file rischiate di non vedere il file nel gioco.




Decisive Campaigns: Case Blue patch 1.02c

Decisive Campaigns: Case Blue è stato aggiornato oggi, ecco il changelog:

Bug Fixes

Fixed a bug with the AI in final stages of defeat taking really long to process
engineering moves.

Fixed a bug caused by playing a regime card in the middle of giving an attack
order (like air attack).

Fixed a bug with big map modus and switching back to small map modus using
PgUp while in the middle of issuing an attack order.

Fixed a bug with the 1st Panzer Army campaign where newly created units or
empty units (by add (sub)unit) where not properly transferred to the next level.

Karl Gerat, 200 hp instead of 40

Aircobra P39 graphic is now correct

Endless battle bug in AI with naval attacks on port should be fixed.

Alfredo Guzzioni combat bonus glitch fixed

Arial Font issue with some systems missing arial is now solved. All Arial fonts are
now loaded from internal font directory.

Stated in intcp mouse over that only fighters will intercept also double checked
that no bombers are actually intercepting by accident.

There was an issue with the Germans getting told they have 1 minor order but not
seeing any items in the list. This is fixed.

When setting replacements to prio they got counted double in request stats. This
glitch is fixed. Also a minor bug has been fixed with some units being allowed to
request too many troops if they were very close to their full complement.

X and T hotkey no longer cause a crash

Fixed a bug where AI kept attacking a port hex until infinity

Fixed a bug where the AIs Stavka unit got corrupted. This bug when it is found
during a running game is fixed with this version on the fly.

An ai related bug

A pbem++ bug with some non US culture-region settings, like Norwegian.

When pbem++ you can now abort registration properly and use login with existing
username/password.

Combat popup artwork for soviet side now correct.

Fixed a Bug with aircraft not doing any structural damage when not faced with
any opponents.

1st Panzer Army campaign save in last turn and reload bug (ComradeP) is fixed.

Karl Gerat … x5 attack. (still forgot the hitpoints, its on the list for the next
version)

Caprione 311 logo vales and quite a few other aircraft used the right stats but did
not show them in their pop up window=> fixed.

1st PzA replacement troops are now working as they should!

A bug related with playing a card like 'emergency troops' and having certain tabs
open like the OOB tab has been fixed.

When clicking OOB tab close you click through on map => fixed.

Some small fixes in editor and for import zip function.

Editor Add SfType bug fixed.

Improvements

Changed the d100 dice throw for intercept algorithm, this should fix issue with too
often too large amount of enemy interceptors or to often too little amount of
interceptors.

If by some freak accident the pbem++ file (or any savefile) is corrupt the game
will exit more gracefully and actually tell you why it exits.

All scenarios now no longer allow playing an officer card on unit that has changed
HQ in the current turn.

For modding: When loading ZIP game will now display any readme.txt file
contents to player and if a file has been written to the mods/ directory the game
will advise the player to restart the game.

For modding purposes: Regime Pen color is now not used for the natocounters and
all text in the color is now correctly rendered in the Pen color. This should allow
for modding really light counters and using black pen on top of them. If none of
the rgb values of the Pen is above 128 then the text shadow is also dropped.

Message text with Intelligence card reply improved and correct strategic position
of enemy now given. (R)

Renamed reinf group light tanks to light-med tanks to take away some confusion.
So PzIIs, PzIIIs, Pz38s, Pz35s are reinfgroup ‘light-med’ and PzIVs are reinfgroup
‘medium’.

Moved Hungarian Corps to Black Sea Coast in Case Blue Campaign Scenarios.

Also moved a Security division in Uranus to the Black Sea Coast.

Made cargoships and barges weaker and thus more easily destroyed (50% less
hitpoints) as well as reducing the transport capacity of cargoships from 4 to 3
weight points per ship.

Message text with Intelligence card reply improved and correct strategic position
of enemy now given.

Now game doesn’t number newly created Soviet Engineer groups, it’s more
consistent.

Azov is now a port so Rostov can be kept in supply when encircled, in all
scenarios.

AA / Flak now have higher symbol value so it shows on counter in silhouette mod.

14th Panzer missing from Stalingrad 6th Army, added it to both Uranus scenarios.

16th Motorized added to Case Blue campaign scenarios but not to Voronezh
scenario.

Reduced number of trucks, halftracks and tanks in (to-be pocket of) Stalingrad in
Op. Uranus. (only about 100 German tanks or less left now )

Little bigger font used in combat results.

Hotkey for HQ Power (Key-5) and Air/Art Range (Key-6) added.

Super Higher resolution now supported, bug with 2600 pixel width should be
fixed.

Already registered people with Slitherine (due to playing PBEM++ with another
game) now have option to choose ‘already registered’ button and use the regular
login in the next screen.

When you switch a unit and play the speed card again it will have less effect.

New mod file lines can be added. After the buttons have all been defined there is
now an optional line that takes the number of graphicfile string replacements. For
each number add a line below. With two arguments: “stringtobereplaced,”
”stringtoreplacewith.” This functionality makes it easy to make graphic mods that
don’t overwrite existing graphics. I will give some more info on this separately.
o Wheel zooms in and out at location of mouse.

Mega offertona Paradox su Amazon.com

Su Amazon.com trovate un'offerta per giochi Paradox per 136 euro a 9 euro; i giochi sono questi:


Crusader Kings II [Download]
Crusader Kings II: Dynasty Shields DLC Pack [Online Game Code]
Crusader Kings II: Mongols DLC Pack [Online Game Code]
Crusader Kings II: Ruler Designer DLC [Online Game Code]
Crusader Kings II: Songs of Albion DLC [Online Game Code]
Crusader Kings II: Songs of Faith DLC [Online Game Code]
Crusader Kings II: Songs of the Holy Land DLC [Online Game Code]
Magicka Collection [Download]
Magicka: The Stars Are Left DLC [Online Game Code]
Majesty 2 Collection [Online Game Code]
Majesty Gold - HD [Online Game Code]
Victoria II [Online Game Code]
Warlock: Master of the Arcane [Download]

After Action Review: John Tiller's Battleground Civil War - Second Battle of Bull Run

Sempre collegato all'articolo dell'altro giorno su The Wargamer c'è un AAR con John Tiller's Battleground Civil War - Second Battle of Bull Run, un wargame classico: http://www.wargamer.com/article/3235/after-action-review-john-tiller's-battleground-civil-war-second-battle-of-bull-run

giovedì 30 agosto 2012

White Eagle Red Star

Torno a parlare di uno dei libri che ho preso prima dell'estate: White Eagle Red Star; il libro è abbastanza divulgativo nel genere ma senza cadere nel banale, inoltre tratta di un periodo e luogo poco conosciuto, l'Europa Orientale alla fine della Prima Guerra Mondiale. Come ho già accennato tratta della Guerra Russo Polacca 1919-1920, non solo delle operazioni militari ma anche delle complesse vicende politiche che vedevano coinvolti Rossi, Bianchi, Polacchi, Tedeschi e Intesa; probabilmente le operazioni militari risultano piatte rispetto alla complessità della politica all'opera. Nel complesso se si legge l'inglese non posso che consigliarlo. Come gioco in parallelo si può giocare Revolution Under Siege che ha uno scenario sulla guerra russo-polacca, ma anche The Operational Art of War III ha uno scenario bellico sull'argomento.


Preview di Strategic Command World War I: Breakthrough!

Su Armchair General trovate una preview di Strategic Command World War I: Breakthrough!, espansione per Strategic Command World War I della Battlefront: http://www.armchairgeneral.com/strategic-command-world-war-i-breakthrough-pc-game-beta-preview.htm


Video Arma 2 Realism quarto video


Quarto video del clan USMC con Arma 2, trovate i precedenti nei miei posts.


Call of Duty: Black Ops II - Eclipse Collector's Edition Trailer


Certo che è il festival delle DLC\Package\bonus e affini.


mercoledì 29 agosto 2012

March of the Eagles Announcement Trailer

Ecco il trailer di quello che una volta era Napoleon's campaign II ma è diventato March of the Eagles dopo il divorzio tecnico tra Paradox e Ageod.


Ecco l'elenco delle features:


March of the Eagles Features:
A Decade of Fire: Rule a major European power from 1805 to 1815 and ride out a decade of tactical innovation and strategic duplicity.
Manage Great Men: Take advantage of your generals' unique skills to be sure they are in the right place when rival armies meet.
Manage Great Armies: Recruit vast armies from your population or build a navy to contest the rule of the seas.
The Velvet Glove: Build coalitions to strengthen your hand and use diplomacy to undermine your enemies
Logistics and Tactics: An army marches on its stomach, so keep your supply lines secure while your forces master new tactics and new modes of fighting in an era that revolutionized warfare.
Mutiplayer: Up to 32 people can go online and duke it out for mastery of Europe.

Ci si può iscrivere per la beta qui: http://beta.paradoxplaza.com/signup/39/

Nuovo video di Hawken

Ecco un altro video di Hawken il simulatore di mech molto atteso di cui ho già parlato e che avrà una web series sua l'anno prossimo; il gioco supporterà anche l'hardware per  la realtà virtuale Oculus Rift


Primo video di gameplay con War in the Pacific Admiral edition

Mi sono deciso a prendere in mano il gioco e ho provato uno scenario breve. Si alcune cose devo prendere la mano, ma ho fatto parecchia esperienza in passato con la versione DOS del gioco (free sul sito Matrix) e quindi i concetti di funzionamento li ho presenti. Appena possibile proverò a dilettarmi con la gran campagna.



Articolo sulla Seconda Bull Run

Segnalo su The Wargamer quest'articolo storico sulla seconda Bull Run (battaglia della guerra civile americana per chi non lo sapesse): http://www.wargamer.com/article/3234/historical-article-second-battle-of-bull-run-(manassas),-29-30-august-1862


France ’14 review

Su The Gazette du Wargamer trovate una review del gioco dell'HPS, France '14 appunto ambientato sul fronte occidentale nel primo anno della Prima Guerra Mondiale: http://www.wargamer.fr/france-14-rendez-vous-avec-bertha/ .



martedì 28 agosto 2012

Crusader Kings II Legacy of Rome

Annunciata per quest'inverno la nuova espansione per Crusader Kings 2, dal titolo Legacy of Rome che sarà appunto incentrata sull'Impero Bizantino.



Continua la gran campagna con Pride of Nations

Nuovi video della mia grand campaign con Pride of Nations; la lunghezza di calcolo dei singoli turni è davvero esasperante, spero le prossime patch lo migliorino.







Documentario in italiano sulla Prima Guerra Mondiale

Ho trovato questo documentario in italiano sulla Prima Guerra Mondiale con delle belle immagini video e testimonianze.




lunedì 27 agosto 2012

Esempio di difesa con l'artiglieria in Operation Star


In Achtung Panzer l'uso dell'artiglieria può essere di grande aiuto se ben piazzata ed usata la momento giusto. Ecco qua due video; nel primo la vedete usare contro truppe meccanizzate, senza il suo intervento sarei stato spacciato. Nel secondo la vedete in azione contro un Tiger a cui rompe un cingolo.

Nel frattempo abbiamo un primo elenco delle DLC programmate per APOS nei prossimi mesi:

3rd Sinyavino 1942
Summer in south-east Ukraine in 1943
Taranovka Summer 1943
1st and 2nd Sinyavino 1941
Nomongan 1939
POC42

Non è ben chiaro che scenario sia POC42. Una nuova patch dovrebbe uscire ad ottobre.


Tales of Virtual Combat 2

Si tratta di un mockumentary realizzato con Combat Mission Shock Force; ne era già uscito uno in passato e appena lo trovo lo posto ma per il momento godetevi il secondo.


Endless Space review su The Wargamer

Su The Wargamer trovate una review di uno degli ultimi spaziali 4x usciti, Endless Space: http://www.wargamer.com/article/3232/pc-game-review-endless-space




domenica 26 agosto 2012

Histwar 2 immagini nuove skins fanti francesi

Rilasciate nuove immagini delle skins dei fanti francesi in Histwar II


Rilasciato a free content per Battlefield Academy

Sul sito Matrix è stato annunciato il rilascio di un free content per Battlefield Academy, si tratta di una campagna single e un pack di missioni multi, sviluppate dalla comunità. Trovate la notizia qui: http://www.matrixgames.com/news/951/New.Free.Content.Released.for.Battle.Academy!

Strategic War in Europe in vendita sul sito Matrix

Strategic War in Europe, la versione easy di Time of Fury è adesso in vendita anche sul sito Matrix: http://www.matrixgames.com/news/950/Strategic.War.in.Europe.Now.Available!

Video della nuova patch di Steel Armor Blaze of War

Ecco un nuovo video che mostra alcune delle nuove features della prossima patch di Steeel Armor Blaze of War. Steel Armor usa lo stesso engine di Achtung Panzer quindi è prevedibile che verrà upgradato con la nuova interfaccia già in uso per quest'ultimo; se non ho capito male però dato che il gioco originariamente   era stato sviluppato per un terzo ci sono questioni di diritti che ne hanno rallentato lo sviluppo.



Grosse notizie attese per Flashpoint Germany

Sul forum Matrix è apparsa la notizia che tra qualche settimana ci saranno novità riguardo il seguito di Flashpoint Germany. Si sa già che sono in lavorazione due seguiti del gioco: uno è Flashpoint Middle East appunto con ambientazione medio oriente, di cui trovate immagini in questo post http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=1399532 ; l'altro è Flashpoint Red Storm che appunto riprende l'ambientazione della Terza Guerra mondiale, ma coprendo il periodo '50-'80 con il nuovo motore di ME. Si dice che Matrix sia interessata ad usare Flahspoint anche per ambientazioni Seconda Guerra Mondiale.

I due giochi sono in sviluppo da diverso tempo quindi non mi stupirei se almeno Middle East fosse prossimo all'uscita.



sabato 25 agosto 2012

Chiarita situazione di Histwar 2, libero o a pagamento

JMM su un post ha chiarito come sarà la situazione di Histwar 2



"
Alors je vais clore le débat...
HistWar 1 sera finalisé avec toutes les spécifications mentionnées : prise de commandement d'un corps en mode IA vs IA.. IA de Division et de Brigade...

Ce genre de commentaire m’entraîne dans des réflexions d'une autre nature...
et si HistWar 1 n'implantait pas les échelles 1/1 et 1/2 pour les figurines,
et si HistWar 1 ne bénéficiait pas des améliorations considérables apportées au graphisme,
et si je désactivais la seconde interface qui semble apportait à beaucoup un confort d’utilisation
et si je faisais la liste de toutes les améliorations, qui ne sont pas des correctifs, et qu'elles disparaissent...
La réflexion est un préalable à toute action, y compris celle de poser des questions... les questions sont les bienvenues mais les commentaires... la normalité? vous voulez débattre de la normalité? ok?

Soyons factuel alors : donnez moi un jeu qui offre ce qu'offre HistWar ? 3 éditeurs, possibilité de refaire toutes les batailles de l'époque napy, jeu en PBEM et en réseau, des centaines d'heures de jeu pour ceux qui le souhaitent (et puisque que l'on parle de €/$, un coût de l'heure de jeu défiant toute concurrence.. Le prix réel d'HW n'est pas 40€ mais surement 3 ou 4 fois plus vu ces spécifications...
Je ne citerai pas les éditeurs qui proposent des jeux non finis, avec parfois une absence de correctif, et qui sortent la version suivante avant même d'avoir réglé tous les problèmes.. Voila où est la norme! alors que vous trouviez normal qu'HistWar évolue comme il le fait démontre que vous êtes déconnecté de la réalité du monde des jeux vidéos...

Ceci dit, continuez ainsi avec ce genre de propos et il n'y aura plus aucun concepteur de wargames dans les années à venir... c'est un genre en voie de disparition et vous en serez pour parti responsable...

Pour résumer...
HistWar 1 en version 04 (échelle 1/1 et 1/2.. et oui, gratuit)
HistWar 1 en version 05 (avec mise en conformité des IAs... normal)
HistWar 2 à suivre... (ce ne sera pas gratuit pour les propriétaires de HW1, mais ils auront droit à une remise conséquente... et là aussi je vous invite à regarder vers les autres éditeurs... si vous en trouvez un seul qui procède ainsi, faites le moi savoir)

JMM

PS : pour info, je continue à assurer gratuitement la fourniture des Releases et fourniture des Clés plus de 2 ans après la sortie.. et je pense être le seul à pratiquer ainsi... Les éditeurs n'assurent pas ce genre de suivi et si vous avez perdu les infos, il vous reste à payer de nouveau.. voila où est la norme Glaude...
"

La sostanza del discorso è che fino alla versione 05 del gioco non ci sarà da pagare nulla, mentre la versione II del gioco sarà da pagare come un gioco separato anche se i proprietari della prima versione avranno diritto ad uno sconto. Considerazioni mie: in un primo tempo era stato detto il contrario, ma è comunque nel diritto di JMM cambiare idea visto che ci mette il lavoro. Ed è anche vero che ha garantito in questi due anni il supporto continuo e che le chiavi perse sono sempre state rimpiazzate a differenza di altri editori. E' vero che il gioco "in potenza" ha un gran valore (ma 3 o 4 volte di più è folle, anche i monster games più complessi sono sui 60-70 euro, Scourge offre di più in termini di gameplay e moddabilità ma costa la metà). Ma, e qui sta il punto, dopo due anni il gioco è appena giocabile, migliorato graficamente, i grossi bug corretti, ma nessun miglioramento nel senso del gameplay e dell'AI. Ora come ora posso dire che quello che ho pagato sono stati soldi buttati, l'impegno di JMM è stato lodevole ma finora è stato orientato a dare quello che doveva esserci fin dall'inizio; la versione 05 dovrebbe dare quello che era stato promesso all'inizio, ma appunto sarà subito obsoleta perchè soppiantata dalla II. Quindi sostanzialmente io ho pagato la versione I per nulla,  perchè appunto il nocciolo duro degli utenti passerà alla versione II e io potrò mettere la I nel cassetto. La situazione è che il gioco sarà completo quando sarà obsoleto. Dubito che prenderò la II  a meno che non si dimostri davvero valida........

Prosegue il PBEM con Flashpoint Germany

Proseguo il mio scontro sui campi di battaglia della terza guerra mondiale; lui sta cercando di distrarmi dall'attacco facendo muovere i suoi Chieftan nelle foreste e arrivando alle mie spalle, ma ho deciso di sbattermene ed continuare l'avanzata a sud verso la zona obiettivo e ormai ci sono quasi. A nord voglio continuare a tenere sotto pressione i suoi mezzi all'imbocco della città, ho subito parecchie perdite a causa degli Chieftan, non sono buoni come i Challanger ma neanche i miei T72 tedeschi sono come i T80 sovietici. Nonostante tutto il mio livello di perdite ed il suo non sono distanti come ci si potrebbe aspettare dal livello attaccante-difensore. Ed ho ancora della mia un'arma nucleare tattica da usare nel caso estremo.



Due review su SimHQ

Su SimHQ trovate due nuove review:

una è su Take On Helicopters - Hinds, espansione del simulatore di elicottori della Bohemia: http://www.simhq.com/_air14/air_536a.html


L'altra è su sul map pack 1 del simulatore navale Jutland che riguarda lo scontro delle Falkland (non la guerra dell'82, ma la meno conosciuta battaglia navale del 1914 http://simhq.com/_naval/naval_039a.html


Trailer di Jagged Alliance: Crossfire

Trailer della nuova versione di Jagged Alliance; il gioco esce il 25 settembre.



Review di Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Su Eurogamer trovate una review della nuova incarnazione di Counter Strike: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-08-17-counter-strike-global-offensive-review


venerdì 24 agosto 2012

Naval War Arctic Circle video di suggerimenti anti bug

In questo video vedete i 6 suggerimenti del giocatore per lanciare Naval War Arctic Circle evitando i vari freeze,time compression bugs e gli arresti.

Francamente piuttosto che perdere tutto questo tempo a fare questi passaggi preferiscono non giocarlo. Sono gli sviluppatori a dover correggere il software, e le soluzioni tampone devono essere facili e brevi. Nel caso di Naval War dopo mesi ancora non si ha una soluzione, perchè dicono di non riuscire a riprodurre il bug.


Ghost Recon: Future Soldier nuova DLC

Prevista per l'11 settembre l'uscita della DLC Raven Strike per Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.



DLC Info:

It contains three campaign missions and a new Guerilla Mode map, each playable with up to four players. Raven Strike will be available on September 11th for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the Sony PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. It will be available on Windows PC at a later date.

Additionally, Ubisoft disclosed that the Ghost Recon: Future Soldier development team is hard at work on further DLC content planned for release later this fall.

Raven Strike DLC content includes:

3 new missions in Campaign Mode
• Secure Dawn: a foggy marsh in Kazakhstan where the Ghosts will not be allowed access to advanced technology (no optical camouflage, drone or sensor grenade)
• Cold Walker: a train depot on the Russian countryside
• Argent Thunder: a nighttime urban setting in Moscow

1 new map in Guerrilla Mode
• Sawmill: face 50 waves of enemies on a foggy Russian countryside

Raven Strike will be available for purchase for 1200 Microsoft points on Xbox Live or $14.99 on the PlayStation Network. It can be pre-ordered at GameStop and Best Buy.


Mechwarrior Online River City Trailer

Altro trailer dedicato ad uno degli scenari di Mechwarrior online


giovedì 23 agosto 2012

Their Finest Hour possibilità di entrare nella beta


http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?627973-Win-Beta-Spot-for-Hearts-of-Iron-III-Their-Finest-Hour!

Seguendo le istruzioni al link sopra si avrà la possibilità di entrare nella beta di Their Finest Hour, l'espansione di Hearts of Iron prevista per settembre. La possibilità scade il 30 agosto.



Intervista a uno degli sviluppatori su BF3 Armored Kill

Video intervista alla Gamescom ad uno degli sviluppatori di Battlefield 3 su Armored Kill



Intervista a Mark Spanel

Su Rock Paper Shotgun c'è un'intervista a Mark Spanel il leader dei Bohemia, che parla un po' di Arma 3, ci sono anche delle immagini nuove.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/08/23/day-z-arma-3/#more-121273


Turni finali al PBEM di CMBN

Alla fine ho perso malamente anche se almeno il Priest l'ho fatto fuori. Il mio avversario ha fatto delle considerazioni interessanti sulla tattica da impiegare sia per il primo che per il secondo game che sto giocando; le riporto qui nel caso le si voglia discutere o le si voglia provare ad applicare:

"

The hardest lesson I'm trying to learn in this game is pacing. 
It's should be played at a much slower pace than I tend to play it myself and I think it's the most common mistake of most players.

Once you reach the point where contact with the enemy is imminent slow down everything you want to do. 
Unless a unit is dangerously exposed make sure your troops stop regularly and spend who turns doing nothing. 
This give them a chance to spend time spotting for the enemy, gathering intelligence and finding the enemy for you, it also keeps their fatigue level lower, which is important to their combat effectiveness, tired troops are disadvantaged. If a unit is still for a turn or two it will notice things it wont notice if it's moving. 
Take the time to set a firebase and then split off scouts and 'hunt' or 'slow' move them forward to find the enemy. 
Even with scouts, leave them still every second turn or so, I and most player make the mistake of thinking that every unit has to be 'doing' something every turn.
It's the most basic mistake that I make every game.
"
"
I think you're problem in the second game has been that your troops were extremely spread out in the town. Which meant that I could take care of each small element in turn with overwhelming firepower.

Of course you do need 'depth' in defence, but what you need is a series ambush and retreat.
There are so many houses, it's impossible for me to know where your troops are if you have them 'hidden' most of the time. 
Set one small scout group in locate and identify my advancing troops, but not engage. At the appropriate time have the 'hidden' units come out of hiding, attack with everything they have at close range for a turn or two, then retreat to a preplanned second line, go back into hiding and await another ambush. Don't have long drawn out fights, hit and run, defence is about attrition.

Also I spent quite a long time carefully probing the forests and buildings around the town. Your entire force seemed to be in the town, which made it easy to envelop and choose when and where I wanted attack.
Some small forces on the flanks, also fighting in ambush and retreat style would have made me wary of my flanks all game and therefore reduce the concentration of troops targeting the town.
"



Scontri sul fiume Ussuri

Ho trovato questi due resoconti diretti degli scontri di confine cino-sovietici del 1968-69 lungo gli isolotti del fiume Ussuri. Si tratta di testimonianze di guardie di confine sovietiche, il cui corpo faceva parte del KGB. In questi scontri fece la sua prima apparizione il T-62, di cui un esemplare fu catturato dai cinesi.


"

Every Russian border guard holds great respect for the heroes of Damanski. Hero of the Soviet Union Vitaly Bubenin, Lieut. Gen. (ret.), was a first lieutenant at the time. His service record also includes the commanding posts with Alfa, a special antiterrorist unit of the KGB. Just like an Izvestia correspondent suspected, “the truth about the armed conflict on Damanski is even grimmer than the picture painted by the media”.

The hunt for Bubenin and Strelnikov is on

Fierce hand-to-hand fights between the Soviet border guards from a border post Sopki Kulebyakinskiye which I commanded at the time and the Chinese soldiers had been going on for a year prior to the clashes on Damanski. My boys would normally overpower the Chinese in those close fights on the iced river. Most of my soldiers were the stocky Siberians with huge fists of a foundry’s workers so the Chinese stood no chances of a win at the beginning. Then they brought in reinforcements from Northern China and each Siberian would be confronted by a cluster of Chinese servicemen armed with boat hooks, pickets and sticks with spiked heads. We didn’t have body armor back then. My combatants were wearing thick winter sheepskin jackets. Those jackets were good for saving my boys from the sticks with spikes. The fights occurred on a daily basis and one day we realized that we won’t last long by using our bare hands. We got ourselves some bear spears and maces with metal heads similar to those used by epic warriors. The new weapons proved to be just perfect during the first fight. We were using the bear spears to contain a advancing throng of attackers while swinging the maces to knock down those who somehow managed to filter through.

The weapons become hugely popular with all the border guards stationed around the area.

Ivan Streknikov and me, the commanders of the “sturdiest” border posts, were declared “the revisionists” by the Chinese. They posted our pictures on every fence in each village of Northern China. We became the celebrities of sorts. The Chinese were after us during those fights. The hunt was on. Once they grabbed another officer in the middle of a fight. They dragged him into a vehicle and took a better look at his face. Having realized that they got the wrong guy, they threw him out and rushed back to join the crowd of scuffling men in search for the right target.

There was the only purpose they were trying to achieve with those actions. They wanted us to pull the trigger. But no matter how bloody the fighting in the snow could be, we always kept our Kalashnikovs behind our backs. Once a young soldier, fresh from the boot camp, just couldn’t help firing a long burst at the wheels of a Chinese vehicle after they crossed his submachine gun’s strap around his neck and started dragging him away. The bullets hit the tires and the Chinese got scared. They jumped in the vehicle and rolled away on the rims. The incident got no publicity at the time.

“Don’t look now, just step on it”

Then the Chinese began taking their carbines for the fight on the ice. Then they attached bayonets to their carbines. We attached the bayonets too and switched into a counter bayonet charge. Then they filled the cartridge chambers of their carbines. The tension just kept going higher every day.

The most memorable fight involving more than a thousand men from both sides took part in January of 1968. A column of trucks pulled up on the other bank of the river. More than 800 troops dismounted and were warming up for a fight. Music was playing at a maximum, speakers were frothing at their mouths and the mob was roaring. We saw them distributing boat hooks and spiked sticks. “Looks like they’re going right to the limit this time, no bars held,” said to me an interpreter, a Korean kid. On our side of the river, we had only about three hundred “green caps” at the moment including a mobile motorized group that joined us in the nick of time. The fighting broke out and half an hour later I could see the enemy slowly but surely getting the upper hand. Something had to be done to change the situation. I climbed the APC and gave orders to a driver to cut the mob in two. “There’s people out there,” said the driver. “You don’t look now, just step on it,” I said to the driver and we moved forward. I sat on the armor at the front and kept the vision slits covered so that my humanistic driver might see nothing. Instead, I was directing him myself . I just shouted to him “turn it to the right” or “to the left now” as we moved along. When we finally turned around, I looked at the tracks and saw the bodies of four Chinamen lying in the snow. The rest of them fled to the other side of the river. They apparently didn’t bother to ask for a second helping.

Chinese authorities staged the sumptuous funeral one day later. The caskets were real topnotch. I still remember those caskets. And the Chinese news agency kept repeating my name over and over again.

“From that moment I fought the rest of the battle as if in my subconscious”

Than the clashes on Damanski took place. A Chinese battalion of estimated 400 soldiers
moved to the island under cover of the night. All of them were painstakingly disguised with snow. The Strelnikov group from the neighboring border post was the first to reach the island. The Chinese shot them at point-blank range while we were still moving in. Before reaching the island, we built a line and began advancing. Soon we came under heavy fire. We ran out of ammo pretty fast – back then a border guard carried only two ammo clips. We started to retreat. The Chinese mortars across the river went into action, they were shelling the area behind us in an effort to cut our retreat ways. I couldn’t make a single move since I was being shot at by a sniper and a machine gunner at the same time. I had to lie still and feel the sheepskin jacket on my back turning in rags. The bullets were ripping it apart. Luckily for me a shell landed really close and the blast wave rolled me out of my shelter. I found myself lying under the birch tree soon to be shaved by a burst from a machine gun, the trunk fell on the snow right before my body. The Chinese couldn’t see me for the time being. That was my first shell shock that I got during the fight. From that moment I was fighting on as if acting in some different world.

I made it to the river bank and got into an APC with a few soldiers. We flanked the enemy and took in the rear. The maneuver caught them really off-guard, they popped up one by one from the snow just seconds before our vehicle was about to roll them over. That when the reality started to sink in – they were hundreds of them. We spent the next two hours riding around their positions. We were just squashing and shooting them. After getting back to our bank of the river after completing another tour, I counted only four combatants who were still up and shooting. The rest were killed or wounded. We loaded the casualties into the APC and sent it to the border post. We embraced in silence, and, after a short while, we were on our way back to the island. All of us knew that the next combat would be the last.

Then our reinforcements came around. The missile launchers dealt a devastating blow on the island. The Chinese battalion was demoralized and crushed down. According to official sources, the Chinese lost more than 200 men in that battle. It was an unprecedented combat operation even by WW II standards, according to some military analysts. Three of us, Ivan Strelnikov, sergeant Yura Bababski, and myself were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Ivan was awarded posthumously. Ten servicemen were awarded with the Order of the Red Banner. The rest got the Orders of the Red Star and other decorations.

“They always fell like a bolt out of the blue”

I got my transfer orders in 1974 and arrived in Moscow. Yuri Andropov, then the head of the KGB, appointed me the commander of a newly formed antiterrorist unit “A” or Alfa.
Terrorism had become a reality of life by that time and steps had to be taken to tackle terrorist activities. We handpicked the best out of the best for our team, mostly masters of sports and rated athletes. We tested all kinds of fire arms in search for the best one, from American M-16 to Israeli Uzi. We realized that our Kalashnikov was the best. Once we were testing the nerve gas on the rabbits. I got in the cab of a minivan for terrorists. The rabbits were put at the back, behind the Plexiglas window. We sealed the glass around the edges with modeling clay to keep the gas from leaking into the driver’s compartment. So went for a ride. Our escort group gave us a special sign, and all the doors along with an accelerator and a brake were locked up immediately. And then my head felt really heavy and my eye lids were starting to shut. We apparently failed to seal the window the way we should. I looked back and saw the poor creatures getting gassed, their long ears hung listlessly.

We used pigs for testing the flak jacket of a new type. We arrived in one of the pig-breeding farms near Moscow and chose the most awesome boar in a livestock. The flack jacket was then fixed on the animal. We fired a few rounds from our standard-issue weapons. The hog got lucky. The bullets couldn’t pierce the armor, they left only the dents on it. As a result, the new jacket became our standard piece of equipment.

Special training conducted on a regular basis enabled us to mold a special force composed of highly professional personnel. Our opponents in the combat training were no strangers to martial arts and target practice, most of them were the operatives with tons of experience from other departments of the KGB. One of them told me once that he “was on a lookout all the time trying to guess where the special force would come from. But they always fell like a bolt from the blue.”

People keep asking me if there’s any difference between today’s Alfa and the Alfa that operated in the past. I can tell you that they’re as different as heaven and hell. In comparison to the modern special forces, we were barely armed back then.

"

"

Thirty-four years ago, in March 1969, a Soviet-Chinese border conflict broke out on Damansky Island known in Chinese as Zhenbao. In violation of standing orders, a Soviet sergeant fired the first shot - becoming Hero of the Soviet Union


Yuri Babansky, 20, arrived at the Imansk border guard outpost a month before what was to become a central event in his life. He was transferred to this god-forsaken place on the Ussuri bank by way of disciplinary action, so to speak. The boy lacked discipline, and never finished high school. He enrolled in a vocational and technical college and then was drafted for military service, in the Border Troops. Hailing from the Kemerovo region, Siberia, he was a big, hefty fellow, which proved useful. By March 1969, there had been hundreds of illegal border crossings by the Chinese. Waving small red books with samples of Chairman Mao's wisdom, they urged our border guards to expose their revisionist bosses. "Your chief," they would shout, "is a toady to party leaders Brezhnev and Gromyko who follow a pro-U.S. policy."

Then political demands would be made: "Give us back our territory." In exchange they offered bagfuls of dried bread, packages of cigarettes, and bottles of sunflower oil. They seemed to have this odd idea that Soviet servicemen were undernourished.

As a matter of fact, Soviet border guards were pretty well-fed, and they would hold hands, forming a chain and pushing the intruders back to the Chinese bank. It was categorically forbidden to use weapons. True, the Chinese did not shoot either.

March 2 was a sunny day, a Sunday. It began, very much as usual, with an alert. The Chinese were out on the ice.

"We were not surprised," Babansky recalls. "We grabbed automatic rifles from the stacks, also taking flare guns and a radio station - everyone took whatever he was supposed to have on an allotment-of-task basis. We assembled in the courtyard. Our commander briefed us on the situation: Chinese adversaries were advancing. We were to expel them from our territory."

They went in three vehicles. The Babansky group was in the last vehicle, bringing up the rear.

"As we approached the island, I saw an empty armored personnel carrier. I asked the driver where the boys were. He said they had gone to chase the Chinese. I decided that I would not run after them but would make a flanking movement and intercept the intruders. We would rough them up a bit, as usual, and then send them home."

His decision proved fateful. Because an ambush had been set on the island. The main party, led by outpost commander Strelnikov, was massacred at point-black range. They had had no time to respond. Babansky witnessed the tragedy as he was running on the ice toward his comrades, and then he violated the order, forgetting for a while the Party and government's political decision. He commanded that fire be opened, and fired the first shot himself.

Bubenin, commander of a neighboring outpost, came to their aid. The Chinese began to retreat. The island was retaken. Then they evacuated the wounded.

"We carried them in our arms. We thought that the Chinese would shoot, but they didn't. We evacuated the wounded, put them in vehicles and sent them to the hospital. It was all over at about 1 p.m."

When Yuri returned to the outpost, he was struck by the serene environment, with music playing on the radio and lunch ready and waiting for them. True, no one was able to eat. They had a lump in their throats. All of a sudden he felt bitter.

"We were one on one with trouble. No one knew anything about us."

Yuri recalled Volodya Shusharin: He was to have gone home, but lingered on and got killed. He had twins at home waiting for him. Who was going to answer for this? Pasha Akulov, an athlete, an ice-hockey player, an erudite person, hailing from the village of Shushenskoye. He had been brought up in a single-parent family, without a father. He had a girlfriend waiting for him in his village. We kept talking about his plans for the future: where he was going to study and what he was going to be. Later on his body was returned to us by the Chinese - with marks of terrible torture.

There was another attack on March 15: This time around not only border guards but also regular army units were there to repulse it. The enemy suffered a devastating defeat. There were no major skirmishes after March 16. The total body count: 48 border guards killed. They did not count the Chinese: "I remember a machine-gunner. Also, an officer who was waving his arms, leading the attack."

Participants in those two border battles became heroes overnight.

"The first accounts were truthful. But after a while they got ‘fictionalized.' Names and events began to be confused and unknown names were cropping up."

On March 21, Babansky's citation was solemnly announced before servicemen in formation. Then he left the outpost. He returned in June, briefly, to meet with his former fellow servicemen and take a a speedboat ride past Damansky. He saw the Chinese hastily filling in a channel, thus incorporating the island in their territory. He was issued the card of a CPSU candidate member and given a present: an alarm clock.

"What does Damansky mean in your life?" I asked the former sergeant.

"It messed everything up for me. I had been preparing for a peaceful life. I wanted to live in my village, work as a technical maintenance specialist, fish in the Tom river, be near my former school teachers and friends."

But that was not to be. Perestroika found Yuri Babansky, 46, in Ukraine, with a general's rank, as deputy commander of district border troops. The government of the newly independent republic asked him to stay, but the general refused. He now lives in Moscow, working at the Railways Ministry head office.

By 1999, the underlying causes of such conflicts in the Far East had been eliminated - mainly through the transfer of disputed islands to China. This included Damansky.

"Do you not get a feeling that blood was spilled in vain?" I ask.

"I've had this feeling a long time. We should not have been sent into the line of fire in the first place. Because those disputes should have been settled through negotiations. The boys lost their lives needlessly."

"

mercoledì 22 agosto 2012

Test Preview di Company of Heroes 2

Su multiplayer.it potete trovare un articolo d un test-preview avuto alla Gamescom con Company of Heroes 2; ecco il link: http://multiplayer.it/articoli/107344-company-of-heroes-2-la-fredda-madre-russia.html

Prima missione della campagna italiana di CMFI

Questo è il video della prima missione della campagna italiana di Combat Mission Fortress Italy; me la sono cavata bene anche se ho pareggiato per scadenza del tempo massimo. Solo tre morti sono meglio di quanto mi aspettassi dalla fanteria italiana.



mod Game of Thrones per Crusader Kings 2 aggiornato

Questo mod per l'ambientazione del Trono di Spade riportata in CK2 è stato aggiornato alla versione 0.3 con nuovi scenari. Trovate tutte le informazioni qui: http://citadel.prophpbb.com/topic1282.html


"
In a land where summers last for years and winters last for decades, nine great families struggle for control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Take control of a noble house, from the Starks of Winterfell to the Lannisters of Casterly Rock, and win the Iron Throne!

But remember, winter is coming.

Patch 0.3 Notes

Yes, lords and ladies, it’s the scenario you’ve all been waiting for. At long last, it is time to take a side in the War of Five Kings, and decide the fate of Westeros once and for all. Here’s an overview of our the changes:

Two new scenarios: « The Greyjoy Rebellion » and « A Clash of Kings ». Warning: The « A Clash of Kings » scenario contains plot spoilers for A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings and Seasons One and Two of HBO’s Game of Thrones.
A complete overhaul of the Megawar system, now allowing for multiple simultaneous rebellions against the Iron Throne – and potentially dire consequences for the rebels if they fail.
Potential Wildling invasions of the South, and a number of Night’s Watch improvements to go with them.
Improved Trials-by-Combat: Not only are they now handled by the duel engine, but you’re no longer the only lord who’ll ever have to deal with them.
A number of improvements to the high politics of Westeros, including an option for dealing with Lords Paramount who are growing just a bit too powerful for the king’s liking.
Powerful R’hlloric magic for those who choose to follow the Red God.
City Watches for Westeros’s major cities.
Several minor changes – cosmetic changes, a few new traits, balance changes and bug fixes.
Giant flying lizards what breathe fire.

We’re pretty confident that this build is one hundred percent not balanced, but we still think it’s in a state worthy of release. We’ll be especially looking forward to feedback on balancing the Clash of Kings scenario. Our next release will obviously focus at least somewhat on fixing issues reported in this one, but we also have a smorgasbord of planned new features that didn’t quite make it into this release. You all still have plenty to look forward to.

"