Burning Sands: Africa '42

[MehMan 0]

I played with Crazybump a bit, tried to enhance my NV filter created normal maps. But now that you mentioned creation of specular maps I'm interested.

[MehMan 0]

Hello everybody, unfortunatley time and other problems have forced me to stop modding ArmA and perhaps modding all in all. I've been struck with the Rastley disease, if you are interested you can read more about it here.

Thank you for all your support and kind words!

[Sennacherib 0]

nice one.

I have forgotten the april fool. I thought that you were serious

[Wolfrug 0]

I had it coming, I guess.

Daaaamn youuuu!

[MehMan 0]

I am serious, the Rastley disease is real and not imaginary and it's far from being funny. I see I made a mistake in my previous post, I posted the wrong link, here is the right one. If you want to know more, just follow this link.

[Col. Faulkner 0]

... it's far from being funny...

Well, you got that bit right, at least

[MehMan 0]

I would also replace the scarf by an unbutonned shirt

Well to add some more diversity they now have both, though not unbuttoned. There's a shirt, but I forgot to make it unbuttoned, dunno how much more work that'd be :P. The shirt looks pretty good atm. I'll get more renders and stuff later when I sand paint the gear. My time is very limited atm and it's taking a while to make things.

Ok, I had my april fools, even rick rolled a rick roller.

[maza94 0]

You made a italian soliders too? please

[Col. Faulkner 0]

I would also replace the scarf by an unbutonned shirt

Well to add some more diversity they now have both, though not unbuttoned. There's a shirt, but I forgot to make it unbuttoned, dunno how much more work that'd be :P. The shirt looks pretty good atm. ...

Silk scarves were popular; nice and comfy around your neck

in all that nasty sand, and nice and warm in the cold of the

night. You could also wear it as a veil when the "khamseen"

kicked up.

Anecdotal, perhaps, but I seem to remember Lt Col Desmond

Young writing that when he was taken prisoner in N.Africa

his German captors were all wearing silk scarves, Italian shirts

and brand new British battledress trousers! I may have that

garbled, I don't have that book to hand any more, but natty

silk scarves and brand new battledress items were definitely

mentioned.

Anyhoo, they'll all look much the same over the sights of a

No. 1 Mk III*  

[MehMan 0]

You made a italian soliders too? please

No Italian soldiers for now. My hands are overly busy with this and real life.

Quote[/b] ]Silk scarves were popular; nice and comfy around your neck

in all that nasty sand, and nice and warm in the cold of the

night. You could also wear it as a veil when the "khamseen"

kicked up.

Well, both are there.

Sorry for the lack of updates, it's mainly due to lack of progress, as many of you who are still a part of the state educational system know it's the time of finals and mainly the end of the school year for seniors and as such time becomes limited.

And I have a quick request everybody. Can anybody provide me more info about where did machine gunners store ammo? Was it in a pack of sorts? Or just the drum carriers? Were they hand carried or in a backpack?

Any help much appriciated.

[Enixj7 0]

Mehman need a hand with models/textures?

[Col. Faulkner 0]

And I have a quick request everybody. Can anybody provide me more info about where did machine gunners store ammo? Was it in a pack of sorts? Or just the drum carriers? Were they hand carried or in a backpack?

Any help much appriciated.

The ArmA situation with MGs doesn't simulate reality so the

question is rather moot. Real MGs in WW2 were operated by

teams - never less than a gunner and loader, while in ArmA

they are individual weapons like a rifle.

In reality the MG34/MG42 gunner never usually carried

more than about 50 rounds for the gun. Most of the ammo

was carried in ammo cans (ie. rectangular steel boxes) by

his loader (and spotter and one or two ammo bearers - if

present. Depending on the time and situation a German

infantry LMG group could vary between 2 and 5 men but

never less than two). There was also a carrying frame for

two 50 rnd assault drums but this frame is not often seen in

wartime photos of infantrymen - rectangular cans are more

usual. The LMG team also carried at least one spare barrel in

its case, the M1934 tripod (when required) and the MG34

toolkit (usually carried by the gunner).

They didn't carry ammo in packs. Germans used their packs

(ie the A-frame combat pack - or the early-war Tornister

) for their subsistence load - mess kit, washing kit, extra

rations that wouldn't fit into the bread-bag, spare clothing,

Zeltbahn etc.

[Col. Faulkner 0]

Further to the above. In the 1941 "Ausbildungsvorschrift" it recommends

a 50 rnd drum on the gun when in the assault, and a belt of AP ammo

to be carried by the loader as well as his normal complement of linked

ball ammo.

Also, a German MG gunner usually carried a pistol - P08 or P38 in a

pistol case on his belt - as well as the gun. Loaders, according

to SOPs, were supposed to carry only a pistol too - but usually in

fact carried a Kar 98k.

I usually regard the [ridiculous] ammo load carried by an ArmA

gunner to represent a "ghost" loader. I wish someone could

script proper weapon crews though. You just don't at all get that

"gun team" feeling when toting an LMG in ArmA.

[MehMan 0]

I've been planning to port General Barrons squad leading system for use in this mod, so a proper loadout might just be used. Also, in MP it gets very useful to have an ammor bearer.

As for AI, perhaps. I'm interested in seeing if there's a possible connection with using the new FSM system and barrons squad system. Scripting is sure to be implemented with this, so, we'll see.

[Col. Faulkner 0]

An improved squad leading system would be great. The

current one is very annoying and frustrating.

You want the same info for Bren gunners (I'm much more

interested in Allied stuff - not including the Americans)?

The "realistic" loadouts become more challenging with that

since the whole rest of the infantry section were effectively

ammo bearers for the Bren. Official guidelines for around

your period specified an 8 man section carrying 24 Bren

magazines between them! A combined total of 1,250 rounds

(in rifle chargers and Bren magazines) and eight hand

grenades (by 1944 the recommended section was bigger and

more ammo and grenades were carried). In practise the ideal

was rarely realised, of course. It was not unusual for sections

and platoons to go into action understrength and/or without

a full complement of ammo and grenades.

[MehMan 0]

Loadouts for both sides would be very nice to have, even if it doesn't get implemented I find it interesting to know.

Sorry for the lack of updates, I'll have something soon probably.

[Col. Faulkner 0]

For 1942 (ie. the period your project covers) the model British infantry

section was organised and equipped thus:

Rifle Group

===========

Section Commander (a Corporal):

TMC and 6 mags,

2 Bren mags,

Wire cutters,

Smatchet (the smatchet can be omitted for your theatre),

Mapcase,

Torch,

Whistle

Total weight: 65 lbs

No.1 Rifleman:

Rifle with 50 rounds,

Bayonet,

4 Bren mags

Total weight: 61 lbs

No.1 Bomber:

Rifle with 50 rounds,

Bayonet,

1 Bren mag,

2 No. 36M grenades,

2 Smoke grenades

Total weight: 60 lbs

No.2 Rifleman:

Rifle with 50 rounds,

Bayonet,

4 Bren mags

Total weight: 61 lbs

No.2 Bomber:

Rifle with 50 rounds,

Bayonet,

3 Bren mags,

2 No. 36M grenades

Total weight : 60 lbs

Gun Group

=========

Section 2/ic (a Lance-corporal):

Rifle with 50 rounds,

Bayonet,

2 Bren mags,

2 smoke grenades

Total weight 65 lbs

No.1 Bren

Bren gun,

4 Bren mags,

50 loose rounds,

Bren wallet (toolkit and spare parts)

Total weight : 75 lbs   (which is why members of the

gun group were usually big guys, BTW)

No.2 Bren:

Rifle with 50 rounds,

Bayonet,

4 Bren mags,

Bren holdall (spare parts, cleaning kit and spare barrel)

Total weight: 75 lbs

This is as laid down as a guideline in the 1942 manuals. This

arrangement could be modified as required for specific tasks.

As the war progressed the tendency was for more ammo to be

carried and grenades to be distributed more widely (the distinction

between "bombers" and "riflemen" had disappeared by 1944 and the

section was by then 10 men).

The No.1 Rifleman listed above was meant to be the best shot with

the service rifle in the section and was intended to function as

a "designated marksman" - in earlier manuals he is explicitly

referred to as a "Sniper" (section "snipers" never carried telescoped

rifles).

[MehMan 0]

Gifts, moving renders

xvid needed.

[Mr Sarkey 0]

Gifts, moving renders

xvid needed.

They look nice

[Daniel 0]

Whoa, very nice! Top quality.

[FABfm 0]

Hi MehMan

Is it possible that I can make a mix of your three videos and place them on Youtube?

Anyway, great job. I am eager to play with your units

EDIT: by PM. Thx to him

[MehMan 0]

Here's a quick shot I made in Bulldozer:

As you can see, some more playing around with the spec maps will be need in some places.

Till next time, cheers.

[Kristian 47]

Your units start looking more awesome than ever! What about all the LOD's? What about weapons in progress?

Planned of making panzerfaust?

Keep up the awesome work m8!

----------------------------------

OFFTOPIC: I apologise about my "revenge of jihad" video,

I know not all muslims arent terrorists

[sim 0]

So this is what you've been up to mate!

Looking very nice! Keep up the good work

[Col. Faulkner 0]

Planned of making panzerfaust?

The N. African campaign was well over before development of

those things even started.