Monday, July 20, 2015

Rule the Waves - Preview

In the brave new world of computer gaming, where fantasy is premium (is history not fun/epic enough?), if I read a title sounding like "Rule the Waves" and the description "design your ships in a detailed ship designer" I would have not even payed attention. It is only because I love everything in the Steam and Iron line of products from Naval Warfare Simulations, that I bought Rule the Waves and I am here to tell you about this game.



Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Steel Beasts ProPE - Infantry Tank Cooperation in Polyvalent Brigades of the Ejército the Tierra (Spanish Army)

In 2012, the Fuerzas Armadas Españolas (FAS, Spanish Armed Forces) have started a reorganization process that will mix and match battalions from the Spanish Army (Ejército the Tierra) into so-called "polivalent brigades". With two main flavors (threaded/heavy and wheeled/light), the purpose is to cover as much possible threats and increase deployability without bankrupting the government. The underlying trend? An absolute love for wheeled vehicles.

Those are tanks, not wheeled vehicles! I know, keep reading.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

DCS Mig-21bis - No Mercy for Traitors, Part 1

This is a narrative/debrief of a custom single player mission in which I am flying a Mig-21bis in DCS. DCS Mig-21bis is a high fidelity simulator of the famous interceptor/multirole supersonic jet. Equipment, airbases and weapons may be a bit off their real life time frame (i.e. mixed from modern and the 80's) due to DCS World's limitations in installations, arsenal and inventory. Be patient on that and do not throw the book on me on that matter. This debrief contains some language.



Monday, July 6, 2015

Fulda Gap '85, Modern Campaigns for Android - Latest Release from John Tiller Software


Cover art


Now available for Android and soon for the iPad/iPhone.

Fulda Gap '85 Modern Campaigns at the Google Play Store
$2.99
by John Tiller Software



A Couple of Changes to the Blog

After some thought, I have decided to remove the "reactions" to each individual blog entry.

As a device to keep tabs on what people likes or not, It served its purpose. I know I am on track with the blog's content and I really appreciate the pats in the back which came in the form of "give me more like this".

I also appreciate the well intended "please stop this nonsense". Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about those because the majority of readers didn't agree on those negative reactions. Some of those "unlikes" were not so nice, like the ones on a blog entry with a video of my son playing airsoft. But hey, a father can be biased watching his kiddo grow an appetite on all things military.

That's change number one.

Change number two is that given my current day job obligations, the content of the blog entries is being trimmed or divided in several parts. You already have seen that: AARs with just captioned screenshots, debriefs delivered in pieces, etc. Shorter entries are already in. Unless is a game review, like the upcoming review of Scourge of War Waterloo.

I hope you still stick around. And if not, it was really great to have you on the other side of screen.

Cheers,

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Block Busting in Bobriusk - Combat Mission Red Thunder - AAR, Briefing

Not a single HE or AP round left. So down to the wire it was for the Stug IIIG to defend against the Soviets in a small sector of this shitty place named Bobruisk.


Yet it allegedly saved the day, causing 27 enemy casualties, 1 enemy tank destroyer, one enemy heavy tank. And shaking the crew of another heavy tank out of their armored vehicle, if all of the above was not enough.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

DCS Black Shark - Supporting a Raid at the Inguri Dam

In this single player scenario,  I am commanding a flight of two Russian Ka-50s. The storyline is simple: Russia is supporting Abkhazian irregulars in the frontier with Georgia. After a lackluster performance by the irregulars, Russia has launched a raid into the Inguri Dam. Surprisingly, during their exfiltration, the Russian raiders found themselves outgunned against the Georgians, who quietly have been building up an outpost near the dam. From the heights of the dam, the Russian raiders can see the Georgian forces, which include one tank, two BMPs and infantry. One hell of a Georgian reaction force is teaming up at the foothill of the dam ... A flight of Russian Su-25Ts and a flight of Ka-50s is called in support. The mission is to clear the exfiltration route of the raiders.

Takeoff from FARP Torba .

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Steel Beasts ProPE - Moving to a Subsequent Battle Position

After I could get a Kindle copy of it, I am re-reading Team Yankee. After all the years I honestly forgot how good it is.

Team Yankee's first battle and my previous Combat Mission blog post about vehicle emplacements made me realize how un-prepared I am for defensive engagements.
The thing I struggle the most is moving my platoon of tanks to a new battle position. When it hits the fan, it's very difficult to plan, transmit and execute orders.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Falcon BMS - This War Never Ends

One of my favorite "fun facts" is that Falcon 4, in one way or another, has been always installed in my computers since 1998. That by itself is not remarkable. What is absolutely great is that I never lost interest in this flight simulator. I have ended campaigns more than I dare to count. But I immediately re-launch another one.

The airport facilities and the lighting looks like as in one of those early flights I have to take in my day job. If I could only fly a Viper to this business trips! :p

Monday, June 22, 2015

Combat Mission Black Sea - An Odd Vehicle Fighting Position

It was a bad place to fight against Russian tanks. Plenty of open fields and very little real cover. With just 4 BMP-2s against a platoon of Russian T-72s and two BMP-3s, this whole thing had retreat written all over it. This setup is from an scenario that I was editing a while back.

A panoramic view of the ongoing battle. The red icons are Russian, the blue ones my own Ukrainian Army troops and vehicles.