It was only a matter of time for a topic so near and dear to my heart (OK, other ones are too.) to be out there and not deserve my one cent (Tough times you know.). Never said I was a tech on the internal software settings of how the game works but from my layman's position and game play against the AI it seems to me that the whole discussion on CB ranges is irrelevant for off map artillery except where it might apply to on map targets or targeting which are different concepts in general.
1. The assumption is made that off map arty then is placed at the extreme edge of it's range therefore it cannot be counter battery fired on by tubes of a lesser range from your opponent, AI or you firing at them because x-arty has a better range then y-arty. Well I guess my 155mm current Thai units must be hitting someone else's 122mm and larger caliber tubes then the AI Chinese opponents they thought they where conducting CB fire missions on. By the same token in the past I've had to make up my losses in my arty units to the same issue of losing them to CB fire to include on one rare occasion from a 105mm Battery, now that's embarrassing because 98% of the time all I use is 155mm or close equivalent depending on the country I'm playing.
So if range mattered how can this happen, unless I'm playing a Secret Squirrel version of the game such as TSO 5.5 Rev. A-CB?
2. Arty is
generally based on Intelligence, Mission, Support, Target, Targeting, CB and Area Denial (To include AA assets etc.) and or Protection.
3. CB has been around for a couple of hundred years now but saw it's more modern foundation laid in the Civil War with the introduction of the rifled cannon, and has grown only more effective as we "progressed" through WWI and WWII. It pains me to say this but many of the modern tactics used today came from the tactics used by the USMC in the Korean War especially in the defense of the Pusan Perimeter where the targeting grid system was developed, more effective tactics in the use of overlapping fires, CB and the more proficient use of offensive tactical and strategic fire movement techniques.
4. This was discussed in great detail a couple of year ago and provides many official references on the topic that might well be worth a look especially for the newer folks looking in here, I had so much fun with that one.
5. I guess I'll never play anyone in a PBEM game I suppose, the reality is if your playing to keep things at a realistic level all elements of the game should be allowed. I guess you could limit things by points, but I still like that "Oh crap where did that come from..." factor the AI still gives at times! And as I've said, though I spend a lot of my time dealing with them but, this is more then a tank game to me, there's enough of them already on the net this certainly doesn't fit that category or else I suspect many like myself wouldn't spend all the time we do with the game other then not playing it as much as we might like to.
6. The above of course was just my opion and like an ... everyone has one.

I'll leave you with some food for thought from the USA below and a gift for the CORPS. I need some sleep it's been a tough week.
7. Get past the ref. and read from the source document I think the man is qualified on the topic as taught at Ft. Sill which by way of reminder is the home of "The King of the Battlefield" for the USA and good read on doctrine. The next again is for the CORPS (And everyone else to!) out there with a little CCR to make things right with the world.
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Target...e.-a0213232140
http://www.12thmarineartilleryregime...Battery-A.html
See Thread CM arty modeling by IMP, thread page #5 top currently it again is worth while as the refs cover this and other arty issues as well. Also another thread was actually posted a couple of years before this one under a slightly different name.
Regards,
Pat
P.S.
What does the fact that one of these is displayed proudly on my desk and not a sub, John Denvers dad is at the very start and Jimmy Stewart at the end, nothing we or the "enemy" had could catch or shoot at it in it's beginning have to do with this? Nothing I just find it cool and rerelaxing after all it's now "Just another day"-enjoy! And we all just need to BREATHE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx-uZZVc0dE
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!