Project Golf course OR Battle at Longstop hill 42

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All the m1903 types for project. The m9a1 rifle grenade still needs help and still need to do the frag type rifle fired

[Shadrach]

Wow, have to say this looks extremely cool. Will be following this with much interest [&o]

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[:D]



Ok this last one STILL needs final tweeks but got the go play apos itch so going to go do that. But would like feed back on the M1 garand to see if I missed anything or something is WAY off. AS this will the most common weapon in this project it needs to be GOOD, while not crazy on the polygons.

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little update blurb. We now have British maps of area from 1943. They are VARY good down to exact locations of buildings.....even mine fields

[general_solomon]

awesome, looking forward to this map.

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Well alot has been going on behind the scenes as it where. Been working vary slowly on m3 half track series. Still VARY early and will get done in spare time. Will take awhile before complete. But expect lots of screen shots soon of what I think is pretty damned neat stuff. In the mean time heres a primative m3 halftrack frame.



It will be quite a bit more than simply a map. New stuff, new area, at least 2 new campaigns.

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Anpther little update blurb. Ok so heres what happened with the dang polygon...............er map. After finally getting historical maps it became vary clear something was off with the polygon we where working on. It was close but WRONG! After looking thru the thing there where issues with projection (map/satelite data and making into LEGIT map for APOS). Also somehow we managed to set slightly off distances for polygon...it was 24 meters to small per 1 KM. Talk about SUCK. It fooled the eye, but the maps totd the truth.... So the polygon has been totally redone. Alas i lost all the roads and crap I had put in. Also we now have a season file made by Graviteams Andrey for project. It looks much less Russian summer and more Tunisian Winter. That alone saved a ton of time. SO.........we have small arms and some infantry gear and a map that is now RIGHT but is empty of grass, brush, trees, roads, building....etc etc. Over the next couple months I will be doing all that. Screens coming soon.

[Dane49]

Comming along very(vary[:D]) nice FB.
I'm really looking forward to seeing some Americans in this game.Brits sound cool also.
I can do without the French or Italians,though the Italians had some pretty cool stuff.
And German Afrika Korps would be very cool.

I don't have the book about the the Long Stop battle handy,but didn't a German Paratrooper unit fight in that battle.I know there were some in Northern Tunisia but don't recall if they fought in this particular battle.Anyways,will you be adding them to the German force mix.

I'm a sucker for maps too,a good or bad map makes or breaks a game for me.
The maps in APOS are what attracted Me to this game in the first place and one of the main reasons why I don't play much Combat Mission anymore.

And keep the screen shots comming,I'm very much interested in this Theatre and look forward to seeing to how your comming along with the project.I'm also pleased to see that Andrey is lending some help and support,which gives Me hope that this may just in fact become a reality.

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Yes I beleave there where some German Paras fighting around there in early part.... But pulled out pretty quick and replaced. The dealo is all about TIME. US for sure..... I hope Brits.... If they miss the first it they will make the second. Coldstream Guard made inital assualt on hill and where replaced by US after first few hours. Depending on time depends on if they make it in...... Or camapgins will start as US takes over..... All time. Right now only me doing the art. We are recycling everything possible that Graviteam has done.......to speed things along. If time German paras......would be nice. But its a problem as they have different uniforms. boohooo. So that is NOT hopeful. But this thing is really a test.... If it works out, great... . I WANT TO DO MORE!. If it flops. Well i tried .

Longstop hill is actualy more of a second choice for me. The battles in the valley in early DEC 43 late Jan 42 which where a hell of alot of armor and mech infantry fighting it out...... But that is just TOO much for 1 art guy to do in any sort of time frame. Andrey siad the polygon for that size could take like 4 months or so. Plus all the US vehicles......... A good tank with all the textures is easlily 3 weeks to make.... multiplied over 10 vehicles and guns......... YA I want to finish in 2013....lol. So its baby steps and an important little early war largly infantry fight instead. But thats legit. It was rainy season there. The whole area was a sea of mud. in the valley floor. Langs counter attack with panzer grenadiers however....should be interesting.

Actually i would like to do the French......I mean who has after all? Despite being equiped like crap and forgotten by the Vichy government until they changed sides in North Africia, they actually fought hard to resist the Germans and sometimes DID. Like when those pesky German paras got into the out skirts of Med Jez el Bab. They where able to push them out I do beleave. Or when that tiger unit sp whatever 501 got to Medjez el Bab and they fought them off with old school direct fire arty. I am guessinf that 1896? rapid fire 75mm gun... Hell that gun was old but still decent in early war. The Us used it on m3 75mm GMC tank destroyers. Even Germans pressed it into limited service as an AT gun.

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A little Wip shot from the top of longstop hill. As you can see it commands the areas around it. Which is why it got fought over.. Oh and the trees are an OOps from me......they are suppose to be bushes and NOT everywhere.. lol

[Dane49]

Alexander the guy who made the new PZ 1F for the game said He was working on an American Lee tank did you plan on using it in this campaign or did you even know He was working on modeling that tank.

[Dane49]

Hi FB,

Nice commanding view there from the top of the hill.A German 88mm FLAK piece would really dominate from up there.Don't know if 88mm FLAK guns were actually used during the battle but a battery was attached to the armoured elements of the German 7th Pz. reg. that counterattacked and retook the hill on Christmas.

I don't know alot about the battle,but as I recall the British attacked Longstop hill first and routed some newly arrived to Tunisia German Inf from the hill,then the American 1st bat. 18 reg. with tank support was suppose to move up and relieve the Brits on the hill and take the nearby RR station in the valley.A German mech. unit counterattacked and destroyed 1 Inf company of the American 1/18 reg. and beseiged the rest around the hill and the Brits were called back to lend a hand and help stabilize the situation.

There were some Frenchies in the battle,but they had no AT weapons and were routed immediately by the German tank attack which eventually ended up securing the hill for the German side.It seems it rained alot during the battle also and air support didn't figure much into the battle ,radios got wet and malfunctioned the hills screwed with radio reception and minefields,poor recon all added to what essentially was turning the battle into a goat f**k for the Allied side.

You said this was essentially going to be an Infantry battle,so I take it your not going to include the American assault on the RR station or the counter attack by the German 7th Pz. reg.
I like Infantry battles so this battle sounds real good as a starter campaign for Tunisia.also I'd be interested in seeing a screen shot of the operations map to get an idea of the scope of the battle area you plan to represent.

Off topic-The Russians have a 85mm AA gun in APOS that looks alot like the 88mm german FLAK gun.It's in the encyclopedia but I can't find it in any of the campaigns for the game.Any clues about what campaign battle it is used in.

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Indeed I do know about Alex's m3 lee. I was going to model that thing but after my total duplication of work in SABOW withe the m113's........ Well it did not have an m106 so there. Anyways I check with Andrey before I started......he let me know about that. But the M4 is MINE! Actualy m4a1 DV and m4a1 versions. Well that will be awhile.......and vary few m4 Shermans at the sharp pointy end yet. US armored units where mainly m3 lee and m3 stuarts. The armored stuff was limited in scope due to the rain and mud. Apos also allready has m3a1 stuart. Mues has an m3 scout car......also Alex. I am slowly working on m3 half track family. So while there was an armored assualt to the halte and its railroad station it was quite small numbering 13 unknown type of tanks. My guess is m3 stuarts? As to 88 up there......no. The Germans never put much up there actually. However could see whole valley leading out of Medjez el Bab. Could call doen arty on whatever they saw. The Germans felt no one would try and just drive tanks up there to kick them off...... Well that happened later....with British Churchhills doing the kicking. And ya....the inital French deal of them getting kicked out of the Halte area I am not bothering with. Infantry with no AT weapons VS tanks does not equal fun game play. As to why the Germans did not deploy the big toys...... My guess is 1. The weather the tiger tank guys..sp whatever 501 was probably somewhere in tourbuba waiting to see wtf would happen. Likly dug in 88's around there. Economy of force and depth of defense sort of stuff. 2. if the tigers went off road.....good luck getting them out of the mud. Germans where still buildign up force to resist. they had enough to hold and do some counter attacking......what pushed the allies back into Medjez el Bab. But I dought they had enough of everything to exploit the weaknesses. Also the Britsh attempting to flank around to tourbuba in hills just north......

In the end, this flop stopped the allies from marching up the Valley and taking Tunis in Jan 43. Would extend the fighting out to MAY do to this. THe green US forces which where less than great over all at this time (some BIG exceptions company and battalion levels) quickly reorganised and got there crap together and came out swinging a few months later. And did not stop until Germany fell.

Barring some money falling from the sky......this will be awhile before done. TONS AND TONS To do on the map. If I am lucky 2 months from now the bulk of map should be done. The campagins shoudl be somewhat fast to make, but require alot of testing. Thats the great thing about trying to remake history in game land.....just got to copy. Then theres all the model stuff. As few veichle are needed at first for this it simplifies things. I have alot of the odd and ends for US infantry allready so thats good. Hopefully no more big backwards steps ..................... That was at least a month down the crapper.

Ya that 85 never gets used.........no clue as to why. I guess no historical units to game had them.

[Dane49]

I did a QB earlier today to see how effective the 85mm is.

Used the Volokonovka map and had a battery of 3 guns with an AT Rifle platoon defending the battery against A german platoon of medium tanks and 2 platoons of armoured APC inf in the attack.

The Germans got their ass handed to them,the attack made it half way across an open field and fell apart,flamming wrecks everywhere and a bunch of surrendering and panicked infantry running around in circles a real nightmare to watch.

The 85mm is a good gun and I suspect the 88mm FLAK is even deadlier,which is probably why Graviteam hasn't bothered to model one yet[:D]

[flashburn]

Ok it the 1st of march..........update time !




MY favorite hill EVER...ok I am getting sick of it. BUT it is looking better everyday. As to the other 10 or square KM well hmmmm.....LOTS TO DO!

[Dane49]

It's comming along very well.So far lately your stuff for the game is about the only thing I have to look forward too.

The Hi res mod/DLC isn't much of an improvement and the Nomanhan battle isn't a battle I particularly care for either.
Graviteams new marketing strategy is leaving me a little perplexed.Last year saw some real improvements with new campaigns,graphics and maps.
This year looks a little thread bare.Sinyavino 42 is having map issues and may not be released till the end of the year or maybe never.
I have absolutely no idea where on the Mius front the next campaign is suppose to take place,I've asked Andrey that question countless times and He treats it like some kind of closely guarded military secret.

I think somebody at Graviteam needs to take some marketing classes!I'm starting to lose interest in the game and not just for the lack of info on up and comming projects,but with the whole new direction they seem to be taking with the game.
IDK,maybe they think we like surprises and want to wait till the absolute last minute to release all the info for these new maps and campaigns that they are working on.

Lately though,I've been playing Combat Mission Normandy just for a change of scenery and I don't even like that game.I bought it before I discovered APK43 which was an OK game,but it wasn't much better than CM except for the large maps.After APOS came out and improved last year with all the new patchs' and updates I shelved CM( I thought for good).I can't believe I'm actually playing that game again just to look at something different for awhile.

At least Battlefront knows how to market their games even though the product sucks.I'll never buy another one of their games that is unless someone in their graohics dept. gets the boot and is replaced by a more competent artist and the whole micro manage every single aspect of the game play mechanics changes.But I still follow their projects with interest because I like the subject matter and choice of campaign theatres.Something I'm having a hard time with now as far as interest goes for Graviteams new choice of campaign theatres.

OK,rant over.
Get back to work on your Tunisia project[:D]

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The Mues front thing and lack of info COULD be a non discloser signed between them and some other entity...... Or who knows. I have not heard anything in while about Nomanhan........but I do want to play this one. Something not touched is always good IMO. WHy they are silent more than ever..........who knows. Perhaps fear of evil publishers stealing more stuff of theirs? The new texture pack DLC......ya I am a bit perplexed at this one.


Sinyavino 42........I did not know about this being all stalled.

As for meus......I have no idea when the projected release date will be..... Which is sort of odd at this point. Could be its close but some issue or another. Just more ???????????

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Cause Andrey asked me about flora.......... LOTS AND LOTS TO DO!

[Dane49]

Tunisia always reminds me of some of the desert scrub regions of the American South West.Glad to see Andrey taking an active interest in this project.

[Dane49]

RR station Northern Tunisia