I got a Tablet and I Like It

After a lot of thought (money is tight), borrowing iPads and tablets from friends for test drives and hunting for deals, I finally took the plunge.

In order of importance, my "needs" were: (i) everywhere access to an ever growing collecttion of technical reports/papers in PDF format; (ii) internet browsing with high portability; (iii) access to games/simms manuals while playing such games/sims and (iv) ebooks and other assorted niceties a tablet/iPad could offer.

The iPad is the undisputed darling of the market. Surprisingly, the android tablet I got outperforms it for reading the huge pdfs I use everyday. But that will not impress you, I reckon. The DCS A-10/Ka-50 flight Sims manuals (very large and graphics intensive) are rendered faster in my android tablet than in my neighbors iPad2. Also, the android tablet's storage can be expanded through a microSD card.

For internet browsing, I preferred the iPad. Its shape and weight are a work of art. My android tablet is a bit heavy to hold for long periods of time.

E-books are not a priority for me right now and you can read them with cheaper alternatives. A gadget that I will miss by not getting an Ipad is that wonderful app that connects to the DCS-A-10 ( http://www.ipadpit.nl/).

Anyway, the winner was the Acer Iconia A200 ( http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/series/iconia-tab-a/iconiataba200/), an entry level tablet powered by the Android Honeycomb OS. Got it at my local Microcenter at a nice discount ($300.00). Powerful, not too fancy and is helping me with work and leisure.

Cheers,

Weekend Venture to the WWII Pacific Ocean ... And Skies

Pass the ammo. And the ritalin, because I was not able to focus on one game ...

HPS's Guadalcanal is a 2D simulation of WWII naval combat. I'm messing around with the Savo Island scenario and I needed to "see" how the area of operations would look like. "Seeing" meaning getting a better grasp of how big is the area and such other things you can't get from a 2D map.

Command Ops Highway to the Reich - It's Good to be Back ...

... To where all started. Panther Games' original game engine resembling what nowadays is one of the most exquisite war gaming experiences you can get, saw the light back in 2002 under the name Airborne Assault Red Devils Over Arnhem. I've just retrieved my copy of Red Devils from my cabinet and I can't help to marvel  how far Panther Games has come.

Command Ops Highway to the Reich is an expansion to the base game Battles from the Bulge, that takes advantage of all the goodies that during the recent years were introduced into Panther Games' war game engine. Command Ops Highway to the Reich now replaces Airborne Assault Highway to the Reich, which is now discontinued.

Achtung Panzer Operation Star - Quick Facts

I've missed Achtung Panzer Operation Star's release back in November. Not for lack of interest but because of the gaming backlog I have. Time to catch up, fellows.

Since it is a bit late to review this game and Operation Star is closely related to the previous highly acclaimed Kharkov 1943, this entry will be just a quick overview of what's new and better.

ArmA 2 Operation Arrowhead - Named Area of Interest "Viking" - An Inconvenient Combat Outpost

As part of the impending NATO invasion, my Czech team of special forces is tasked with developing ground truth intelligence plus organizing and training Takistani rebel forces in a location centered around a dilapidated enemy air force base (NAI Viking) of the Takistani Air Force.

The Takistani Army has increased its presence in the region and now they are putting pressure against the rebel forces. A reinforced company enemy force has been deployed and the works on combat outposts around the airbase are increasing. The combat outpost pictured above, north of the airbase overlooks the main avenues of approach to the airbase and is looking good for a baptism of fire.

This entry just to show you some pics of the (built from scratch with the editor) combat outpost before we try to blow it into oblivion ...

Combat Mission Battle for Normandy - Yet Another, Final Note on Combat Functions/Services and Weapon Systems

This is a continuation of a continuation ... I know, it's getting messy. This entry just to wrap it up, I promise. :)

Tigers Unleashed (HPS Simulations) - Review

A detailed, high fidelity simulation of WWII land combat … Are you ready for the real deal?

At the time of this writing, HPS Simulations’ Tigers Unleashed (TU) is the most detailed WWII tactical land combat simulation out there. This simulation is data heavy, versatile, highly scaleable and offers an enormous range for customization of weapon systems. A greatly improved offshoot of the Point of Attack 2 simulation, TU's topic is tactical combat in Poland (1939) and the Soviet Union (1941-1942).

ArmA 2 Operation Arrowhead - Bunkers with Improved Frontal Cover

Do you remember this old entry, where I was complaining about the lack of frontal cover in the stock bunkers? Well, it doesn't look pretty, but it is doable.

Side by side comparison of the stock bunker (left) and the modified bunker (right) with more frontal cover. I went a bit loco and added overhead cover to the modified bunker too.

Combat Mission Battle for Normandy - More Notes on Combat Functions/Services and Weapon Systems

This a continuation of a previous entry. The topic is how this Combat Mission scenario took me out of a cozy tactical mind frame of just simple fire and maneuver.

Germans hiding in ambush within a French village. Come on! Like the hedgerows were not hard enough to take these out from ...

The scenario: Bloody Dawn, by one of the great scenario designers Field Marshal Blucher
The game: Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

Spoiler Alert! Do not read if you are still going to play this scenario against the computer.

Mius '43 (John Tiller Software) - Soviet Phalanges Pushing Forward

In ancient warfare, the Greek hoplites deployed in tight formations called phalanges, which were eight or more ranks deep. The usefulness on the rear ranks is still a matter of scholarly debate, but many now believe that the rear ranks had a role beyond replenishing casualties in the front ranks. The "physical pushing match" school of thought believes that the rear ranks exerted so much pressure on the front ranks that the resulting shock action of the phalanx was, at least partially, a physical push forward.

I'm enjoying John Tiller's free demo for the Panzer Campaigns series. You can ask for it in this webpage. I recommend this fantastic graphics mod for a more complete enjoyment.

The demo features the Soviet offensive in the river Mius in July 1943. I'm not new to commanding a whole Soviet WWII front in an offensive against prepared German defenses. But I'm not getting any better!