Started 1st H2H

[swkuh]

Have successfully initiated such w/rkimmi and posted my 2nd turn to multi-player system. Hope opponent can post screen shots as that's not one of my skills. rkimmi certainly welcome to post this thread.

Playing "normal" balance and w/o conditions on tactics, or playing conditions. Plain vanilla end-of-game rule.

So far (2nd Axis done,) the Russian retreats, but has set up some useful delaying strongpoints.

[swkuh]

Resistance stiffens at T5, but opponent is flexible. Hmm... intimidation?

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: rrbill

Resistance stiffens at T5, but opponent is flexible. Hmm... intimidation?

sounds good, especially the intimidation [;)] (after all what is the point of email in a PBEM game?)

any chance of a wee picture or two?

[swkuh]

Screen shots not one of my skills... would like to do it, but need a clue...

As goes the game, I'm surprised by the flood of Soviet units that suddenly appear and just as quickly, disappear. Opponent uses security pieces (regiments?) in crucial locations for delay points. Will know soon (maybe) if there is significant delay vs. AI experience.

Opponent is responding promptly, thanks.

As 1st timer, quite pleased.

[Oshawott]

Make sure to check the bottom of the Commander's Report to see whether your opponent plays the same version then you.

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: rrbill

Screen shots not one of my skills... would like to do it, but need a clue...

ok. You basically need 2 bits of software, something to take the images and something to edit them (even all you do is to crop them to show the bit that matters). Depending on how you use this forum, you may also want somewhere to host them.

I'll start with editing software. You don't need anything fancy, the basic paint that comes with MS Windows is pretty good. Far better is Paint.Net which is freeware and upgrades the basic. The good thing is it is easier to use rather than just allowing you to do more complex things. You can download from here,

Now to take a picture, the most basic routine is to press your 'PrintScreen' button on the keyboard. You can then save the resulting image into an open editing software, save it and carry on. This is pretty clunky, and you get basic images like:



So the basic image is whatever you can see on your desktop at the moment. Paste it into your editing software and then edit to taste. No reason why not to do this but its a bit of a pain.

The alternative is to use on the freeware image capturing programmes - this is a good review of the options and the MS snipping tool seems easy to use. Watch out as some of these will try to bundle other software that you may not want. I use faststone capture, but the paid version as its incredibly useful for my work, the freeware of this comes with a notoriously hard to remove bit of garbage so I wouldn't recommend it.

The real advantage to using a screen capture programme is you can take a load of images and they save automatically. Then you can deal with them at your leisure - this is handy if you want to combine them or chop them up etc.

Once you have your image, you can amend it to suit.

So this is the image above, done using an image capture programme, all that is immediately different is that the stuff that is not part of the game has not been captured.



(I've reduced it to 50% of its size for convenience)

Now all I'll do is to reduce the bit shown to the section I want to concentrate on:



I've added a few lines/arrows. Really from here on, its a matter of taste as to putting on text or commentary.

Last bit is how to get it onto the matrix forum. If you only want one image in a post, easiest is to use the upload facility provided (just click on 'click here to upload' on the message screen). If you want more than one, then you need some sort of image hosting site. There are a lot of these, you can even use the 'public' box on your dropbox if you want. Some are free, some charge around 20 euros a year - I use imageshack but that is out of laziness, it was the first I found and it does all I need.

So now, you're good to add pictures.

Obviously there is a lot more to this. You might want to have a look at this collection of articles I put together when I was active on the Paradox forum. You can end up investing a huge amount of time in images, or rely on essentially capture an image and upload it ... really all a matter of taste.

[swkuh]

Thanks, Loki100. Most is far beyond my skill set (& patience,) but I'll try the simplest approach and see. Agree that pixless posts are bland & not desireable.

Nonetheless, narrative continues. Opponent's retreat has stopped (t5) and believe I can "nibble" at opportuities here and there. Serious stop is the Dnestr, but that may all fall away if/when opportunities at Kiev bear fruit. Southern theatre is problematic. Does this predict future strategy?

[swkuh]

And here's 1st pix at T10... looking at AGS Pz ball hitting Kiev. Opponent's defense in South @ Dnestr appears quite formidable, my hope is that when Kiev blows he'll pull back.

Pix should show investment @ Kiev.

[charlie0311]

congrats on your screen shot, and others for helping

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: rrbill

And here's 1st pix at T10... looking at AGS Pz ball hitting Kiev. Opponent's defense in South @ Dnestr appears quite formidable, my hope is that when Kiev blows he'll pull back.

Pix should show investment @ Kiev.

...

I'd agree, a drive on Kiev will often dislocate the rest of any defense in the western ukraine ... but make sure you are still making enough pockets as you move forward, or you'll never seriously reduce the size of the Red Army

[swkuh]

And here's that Southern wall. (Still haven't compared progress to AI, don't remember if doing Kiev @T10 is usual pace.)

[swkuh]

Here's T25. Opponent configured very strong defense @Kiev, or, maybe my approach was weak. Now that E Kiev (the strong point) is down, I can nibble at the Southern theater.

AGN & AGC, Finns almost meet expectations, however.

[swkuh]

Southern fronts of AGS, T25. Surprised that Odessa is still an objective. So, this campaign will be played out with short supply lines. Interesting.

[swkuh]

T25central. For all AGS' trouble, I do get some good play at Moscow. Is it enough to pay for delay in the south?

[swkuh]

And, AGN approach to Leningrad. Finns, too, have their issues, but not much is expected there.

[BJP III]

Are you playing mild blizzard? I hope so, because if you are not, I think the Russians can try to Stalingrad your Moscow bulge.

Also, they can sea-lift troops into Odessa, and you could be facing some nasty pockets down there.

[loki100]

would agree, at the least I'd try to eliminate that Odessa pocket, the Stef-Oshawatt game is clear as to the dangers if Odessa holds out

[swkuh]

Kiev attack is met with surprising riposte, but Kiev holds and am nibbling attack away. Next post shows Odessa front, where which only able to nibble at weak points. Hmmm... where's the invincible Wehrmact?

[swkuh]

And at Odessa, not much compensation for Soviet blowout of Southern front. So far, AGN, AGS playing out somewhat as expected.

Opponent using 1.07.15 and I play 1.08. That shouldn't give an advantage, or does it? Overall, there seems to be too much Soviet power (# quality units.)