What the Hell Happened??

[Big Ivan]

What the hell happened, did everyone die off?

Rico, UP844 and Hailstone are you there? Been Quiet!!

Last Sunday (Palm Sunday) had an tornado touch down 6 miles (9.8 Km) from my house.
We are OK, took a break from TotH to see damage up north, WOW! Never saw a dumpster
box in a tree before, and a pickup truck and 30 foot trees (9.1m) cut off 8 feet (2.4 m) above the ground.
Tornado's are bad indeed! Welcome to the American heartland!!

[Paullus]

I'm glad you are okay. Tornados are nasty things.

[rico21]

ORIGINAL: Big Ivan

What the hell happened, did everyone die off?

Rico, UP844 and Hailstone are you there? Been Quiet!!

Last Sunday (Palm Sunday) had an tornado touch down 6 miles (9.8 Km) from my house.
We are OK, took a break from TotH to see damage up north, WOW! Never saw a dumpster
box in a tree before, and a pickup truck and 30 foot trees (9.1m) cut off 8 feet (2.4 m) above the ground.
Tornado's are bad indeed! Welcome to the American heartland!!

Glad you're safe![&o]
Us, French, always wait our American friends talk to act along![:D]

[Big Ivan]

Yes Gwen and I are fine but a friend of mine didn't fair so well.

His house and barn took a direct hit, lot of damage. Thankfully he and his wife and the animals (horses and goats) are OK. Another
guy that works at the steel mill I do, well, his house was totally obliterated, gone. They had to dig he and his wife out of the basement.

Tornado was an F2, a quarter of a mile wide and on the ground for 17 miles (~28Km). Lot of damage in its path including a car dealership!

Thankfully no one was killed!

Never take the power of nature for granted. When the tornado sirens go off get to cover.

If anyone is interested and want to read more about it, Google Shelby, Ohio tornado.

Thanks for the well wishes all!!

[Hailstone]

I was getting into the latest addition of Orders of Battle and kinda drifted away from TotH. John, I know all too well about tornadoes as a USAF
meteorologist stationed at Offutt AFB, Omaha, NE and Whiteman AFB, Missouri. I also went to school at KU, don't hate me because I'm a Jayhawk.
I chased tornadoes when I wasn't forecasting them when I was young and stupid. In fact, I envy you being able to experience nature in its most extreme but
that's the weather bug in me. Yet, I haven't forgotten grabbing my sons and running into a closet when it was really close many years ago. The funny
thing is that my kids were 4 and 7 at the time but now they are in their 30's and they still remember the whole incident as if it happened yesterday.

Don't worry John, It's all gooood.[:)]

[Big Ivan]

Hey Sam,

Then you know all to well about tornadoes living in Nebraska and Missouri! They can really get rocking over there.

It was strange. At my house it was 68F and sunny at that time but 6 miles away all heck was breaking loose. It spawned
out of a super cell T-storm over towards Crestline OH just west of where I live. Traveling northeast. Man I envy you. Weather can be
an interesting science to study. Never a dull moment for sure.

BTW I am a Buckeye, class of '82. Jayhawks are cool!!

Cheers![:D]

[lk2500]

ORIGINAL: Hailstone

I was getting into the latest addition of Orders of Battle and kinda drifted away from TotH. John, I know all too well about tornadoes as a USAF
meteorologist stationed at Offutt AFB, Omaha, NE and Whiteman AFB, Missouri. I also went to school at KU, don't hate me because I'm a Jayhawk.
I chased tornadoes when I wasn't forecasting them when I was young and stupid. In fact, I envy you being able to experience nature in its most extreme but
that's the weather bug in me. Yet, I haven't forgotten grabbing my sons and running into a closet when it was really close many years ago. The funny
thing is that my kids were 4 and 7 at the time but now they are in their 30's and they still remember the whole incident as if it happened yesterday.

Don't worry John, It's all gooood.[:)]

Ha, small world! I'm a Jayhawk too, class of 1988! I lived in Overland Park for 20 years but, fortunately, have never experienced a tornado.

Stay safe!

[UP844]

Hello John,

I'm glad to know the tornado missed you: last year I translated a book about winds and I was impressed by the destructive power of such phenomena.

As regards to ToTH, basically "The thrill is gone".

I played all the released scenarios, including the very last ones, and I came to the conclusion - supported by the many AAR I posted - that, despite the best efforts of their authors, they inevitably fall into one of two categories:
1) scenarios ending in easy Major Victory, with ridiculous loss rates due to the AI wimpiness.
2) scenarios where victory is utterly impossible (Best, to name one, where the only way to reach the farthest VP hex is to double time across a plain covered by German MGs).

I lost any hope to see the major faults of the game AI (lack of long range fire and omniscient OBA) acknowledged, let alone corrected.

[wodin]

I dont understand why people live in Tornado areas. No chance I would. I mean how much insurance it must cost!!

[rico21]

I asked myself the same question about people who live where it rains.[;)][:D]

[dox44]

i've dodged the tornadoes for many years but got wiped out by a hurricane in 2017...

just before blub blub time

[Big Ivan]

ORIGINAL: wodin

I don't understand why people live in Tornado areas. No chance I would. I mean how much insurance it must cost!!

Actually the insurance is not bad. Couple that with the fact that there are very few and far between tornado free
areas its a wash and a crap shoot whether you get hit or not. Hurricanes cause way more damage widespread than
tornadoes. In fact hurricanes can spawn tornadoes which compounds the problem.
The entire gulf coast, Florida and the eastern seaboard up to Virginia can see hurricanes regularly. There is
a lot more folks living there in concentration than the Midwest. Trust me a sizeable chunk of insurance companies
monies goes towards fixing hurricane damage not tornado damage.[:D]

[Hailstone]

John, I just got back from 2 weeks in Kansas visiting family and I'm happy to be back in the desert. Lots of flooding even weeks after the storms yet,
the people persevere as they have since way back with their "corny" humor with the understanding that that's life in the heartland. It was in Kansas
when I discovered Squad Leader at the student union lounge watching people with tweezers moving stacks of square cardboard around so delicately as
if their lives depend on it. I've been intrigued with Squad Leader ever since and now look at the new friends I have because of TotH! Take Care All![:)]

[Hailstone]

ORIGINAL: UP844

Hello John,

I'm glad to know the tornado missed you: last year I translated a book about winds and I was impressed by the destructive power of such phenomena.

As regards to ToTH, basically "The thrill is gone".

I played all the released scenarios, including the very last ones, and I came to the conclusion - supported by the many AAR I posted - that, despite the best efforts of their authors, they inevitably fall into one of two categories:
1) scenarios ending in easy Major Victory, with ridiculous loss rates due to the AI wimpiness.
2) scenarios where victory is utterly impossible (Best, to name one, where the only way to reach the farthest VP hex is to double time across a plain covered by German MGs).

I lost any hope to see the major faults of the game AI (lack of long range fire and omniscient OBA) acknowledged, let alone corrected.

UP844, you are right, of course, but as you know the limitations of TotH makes porting old ASL scenarios very difficult and many compromises are made in the
hopes that a new scenario will keep the "flavor" of the author's intent. Rico's scenarios have taught me a thing or two about thinking outside the box like when
I used brush to simulate a canal to allow for fording. It appears playtesting scenarios for balance has only demonstrated my limited abilities at TotH because I
try to create scenarios that I can win most of the time on the first play and still be enjoyable. I don't enjoy challenges that require multiple plays to win and I
believe there are those that might appreciate that. The trick to everything is knowing the AI but just when you think you figured out the AI's behavior it disappoints.
Anyway, the Editor is where players can adjust a scenario to increase the challenge. The scenarios are all open for modification for a TotH entusiast to explore and
that's all we can do. [;)]

[rico21]

I asked myself the same question about people who live in desert.[;)][:D]

[Big Ivan]

ORIGINAL: Hailstone

ORIGINAL: UP844

Hello John,

I'm glad to know the tornado missed you: last year I translated a book about winds and I was impressed by the destructive power of such phenomena.

As regards to ToTH, basically "The thrill is gone".

I played all the released scenarios, including the very last ones, and I came to the conclusion - supported by the many AAR I posted - that, despite the best efforts of their authors, they inevitably fall into one of two categories:
1) scenarios ending in easy Major Victory, with ridiculous loss rates due to the AI wimpiness.
2) scenarios where victory is utterly impossible (Best, to name one, where the only way to reach the farthest VP hex is to double time across a plain covered by German MGs).

I lost any hope to see the major faults of the game AI (lack of long range fire and omniscient OBA) acknowledged, let alone corrected.

UP844, you are right, of course, but as you know the limitations of TotH makes porting old ASL scenarios very difficult and many compromises are made in the
hopes that a new scenario will keep the "flavor" of the author's intent. Rico's scenarios have taught me a thing or two about thinking outside the box like when
I used brush to simulate a canal to allow for fording. It appears playtesting scenarios for balance has only demonstrated my limited abilities at TotH because I
try to create scenarios that I can win most of the time on the first play and still be enjoyable. I don't enjoy challenges that require multiple plays to win and I
believe there are those that might appreciate that. The trick to everything is knowing the AI but just when you think you figured out the AI's behavior it disappoints.
Anyway, the Editor is where players can adjust a scenario to increase the challenge. The scenarios are all open for modification for a TotH entusiast to explore and
that's all we can do. [;)]

+1 Couldn't of said it better Sam!

[Hailstone]

ORIGINAL: lk2500

ORIGINAL: Hailstone

I was getting into the latest addition of Orders of Battle and kinda drifted away from TotH. John, I know all too well about tornadoes as a USAF
meteorologist stationed at Offutt AFB, Omaha, NE and Whiteman AFB, Missouri. I also went to school at KU, don't hate me because I'm a Jayhawk.
I chased tornadoes when I wasn't forecasting them when I was young and stupid. In fact, I envy you being able to experience nature in its most extreme but
that's the weather bug in me. Yet, I haven't forgotten grabbing my sons and running into a closet when it was really close many years ago. The funny
thing is that my kids were 4 and 7 at the time but now they are in their 30's and they still remember the whole incident as if it happened yesterday.

Don't worry John, It's all gooood.[:)]

Ha, small world! I'm a Jayhawk too, class of 1988! I lived in Overland Park for 20 years but, fortunately, have never experienced a tornado.

Stay safe!

Hey Ik2500, a small world it is; class of '83. [;)]

[Rosseau]

I wrote an article a couple of years ago when the big one hit Offutt and the roofs came off the entire community. I think they're still working inside the gate. At least I hope that was the big one!

[Hailstone]

ORIGINAL: Rosseau

I wrote an article a couple of years ago when the big one hit Offutt and the roofs came off the entire community. I think they're still working inside the gate. At least I hope that was the big one!

Interesting. Well, when I was there I was working in a dungeon in the bowels of a huge hanger on base that was supposed to provide some protection against a nuke attack but those huge twisters could test whether those "safe zones" would actually work or was it all just propaganda. Good to hear from you. [:)]