Wunderwaffe, Secret Research, Megalomaniac schemes!

[xthetenth]

Nukes were more as you described. They were all based on what the math said, but no one had worked out the exact details and this was the closest to "physics = magic“ that humans had come to. It speaks to America's trust in science that the Roosevelt administration actually believed that slamming 164 pounds of uranium (then a metal of no great renown in popular culture) together would do more damage than 32,000 pounds of dynamite.

That and convincing them that it was worth 2 billion dollars, getting the treasury department to fork over 5,500 tons of silver, using one seventh of all electricity in the United states (iirc over 30% the total electricity production of the third reich during its total existence), and the minor detail of building a bomber to carry the thing, at the cost of three more billion.

The nuclear bomb project was not a trivial one. There's a reason the British bowed out and gave all their information to the US.

 

[seattle]

Yes, if they include a single "fun" scenario like this or an Alien invasion (Worldwar style, not invincible aliens.) I would be very happy.

Exactly my point! An alternate, fun 1945 scenario called "Wunderwaffen" is what I have in mind. I'm pretty sure that most people would love it. The German army on the brink of defeat pours out (functioning) Wunderwaffen like there's no tomorrow. The odds would still be steep, but my like early 1944 steep. The idea is basically that Germany gets tech that's years ahead of the Allies but faces overwhelming numbers, manpower and IC.
The Alpenfestung would obviously come into play while we're at it. Most of Germany's factories have been redeployed into the alpine fortress. That way Germany will be tough to defeat even when most of Germany's home territory is conquered.

The Landkreuzer would have worked perfectly btw., just not exactly as intended. Had Germany deployed and assembled one Landkreuzer in Russia, it would have reduced infrastructure to 0 while the German army was retreating. There's no road that could have withstanded the mass of the Landkreuzer. It would not have been an efficient military weapon, but would have played the role of a logistical weapon.

 

[Art1985]

This please http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taifun_(rocket)

 

[Big Nev]

The Landkreuzer would have worked perfectly btw.,

You mean in this fantasy "Worldwar" scenario right?

This, I don't have a problem with. In fact, as a fantasy I love the idea, but to suggest that even the Mouse would have actually worked as designed is folly.

Unless you accept needing a second tank to provide power to the first one in order to cross a river as an acceptable design “feature”.

The Ratte & Monster were nothing more than ridiculous fantasy.

 

[Kuipy]

What about Soviet madness?

View attachment 106245

Is that me or turret 14 does not even have the room to turn ?

 

[keynes2.0]

Is that me or turret 14 does not even have the room to turn ?

Soviet turrets do not need to turn. They make one revolution when you construct your perfect classless tank and then they are content to point forever in the direction the motherland needs!

 

[vortexsurfer]

Is that me or turret 14 does not even have the room to turn ?

In Soviet Russia, turret turns you

 

[xthetenth]

Exactly my point! An alternate, fun 1945 scenario called "Wunderwaffen" is what I have in mind. I'm pretty sure that most people would love it. The German army on the brink of defeat pours out (functioning) Wunderwaffen like there's no tomorrow. The odds would still be steep, but my like early 1944 steep. The idea is basically that Germany gets tech that's years ahead of the Allies but faces overwhelming numbers, manpower and IC.
The Alpenfestung would obviously come into play while we're at it. Most of Germany's factories have been redeployed into the alpine fortress. That way Germany will be tough to defeat even when most of Germany's home territory is conquered.

The Landkreuzer would have worked perfectly btw., just not exactly as intended. Had Germany deployed and assembled one Landkreuzer in Russia, it would have reduced infrastructure to 0 while the German army was retreating. There's no road that could have withstanded the mass of the Landkreuzer. It would not have been an efficient military weapon, but would have played the role of a logistical weapon.

I'd personally prefer something set in early 1944 or something with the axis getting a chance to reverse the tide while the Allies have to take time to get counters into place. Partially because of the potential for the German superscience to go really weird places as far as gameplay is concerned if they're the only ones with superunits, so if they get enough resources to build them the game becomes a matter of them going and winning at everything, and partially because the allies had a lot of very impressive stuff that frankly warrants a lot more credit than it gets, and the German superscience meme is already dangerously close to the ridiculously warped pop-cultural understanding of the war. Trying to figure out whether it's easier to develop the T34 heavy and/or developing the shaped charge 5 in rocket to deal with the Maus or just hit the units that aren't supported by Maeuse leads to interesting divisions, as does figuring out which toys are utterly vital to turn the tide and more importantly where to deploy them on Germany's still long defensive frontier. The decisions in tech and/or construction and deployment make me think that that would be a more enjoyable campaign to run rather than a gimmick that wears thin quickly.

 

[Lamahorse]

It seems that Wunderwaffe would be a great DLC for this game. Fits in with the optional aspect and researching these things (which potentially could win the war) might just also ruin the war effort by allocating war resources that otherwise fit better elsewhere.

Just think of the amount of men needed for the German railway guns! Not just to load, pack and move them; but an entire division just to defend it from the air and from partisans!

 

[nikssims]

I would enjoy such a DLC too (if the game is any good however), but as long as it is kept in historically possible theme. I wouldn't want something twice as big as Ratte tank, or some German laser eyed two headed eagle soldiers. As long as it is kept nice clean and possible-ahistorical.

Also about that battleship tank i saw in page 2 i think. My first impression is "what the fuck is that immobile plane target?". Seriously it doesn't have any proper air defense and do you expect it to have any speed at all with that ant-engine pulling weight like 4 tanks simultaneously over there? Also if the bottom turret turns, the whole tower atop turns as-well, so coordination would be ... . It wouldn't be able to drive atop even a small hill, and if it gets hit, just imagine what metal loses those would be for Russia. Just too many problems in one tank/battleship. It wouldn't stand a chance against German Panzers.

 

[SFSLovenought]

I would enjoy such a DLC too (if the game is any good however)

Also about that battleship tank i saw in page 2 i think. My first impression is "what the fuck is that immobile plane target?". Seriously it doesn't have any proper air defense and do you expect it to have any speed at all with that ant-engine pulling weight like 4 tanks simultaneously over there? Also if the bottom turret turns, the whole tower atop turns as-well, so coordination would be ... . It wouldn't be able to drive atop even a small hill, and if it gets hit, just imagine what metal loses those would be for Russia. Just too many problems in one tank/battleship. It wouldn't stand a chance against German Panzers.

That's because it's a fake made up by someone who probably has no tank designing experience.

 

[balmung60]

Yeah, it's just a kitbash from some guy with a whole bunch of spare parts and too much time on his hands.

 

[podcat]

yeah, funny enough the Ratte and Monster designs makes a lot more sense from an actual practical standpoint

 

[redflag]

Russian Anti Tank Dogs are practical guided weapons.

The Germans had a different approach

 

[seattle]

You mean in this fantasy "Worldwar" scenario right?
This, I don't have a problem with. In fact, as a fantasy I love the idea, but to suggest that even the Mouse would have actually worked as designed is folly.
Unless you accept needing a second tank to provide power to the first one in order to cross a river as an acceptable design “feature”.
The Ratte & Monster were nothing more than ridiculous fantasy.

You should probably have read the full sentence and not stopped here:
"The Landkreuzer would have worked perfectly btw.,"
This is how I continued:
"just not exactly as intended. Had Germany deployed and assembled one Landkreuzer in Russia, it would have reduced infrastructure to 0 while the German army was retreating. There's no road that could have withstanded the mass of the Landkreuzer. It would not have been an efficient military weapon, but would have played the role of a logistical weapon."

There was an emoticon at the end as well, giving you a hint about the seriousness of my post. Still the point remains, the Landkreuzer would have reduced all infrastructure it passes to 0.
Think about it this way: A regular truck imposes 100 times more damage to road than a regualar car, despite not nearly being 100 times heavier. The weight-to-damage curve increases exponentially. Had Germany assembled the Landkreuzer in Russia and managed to drive it back to the German border, then it would have been an infrastructure weapon.

 

[seattle]

That's because it's a fake made up by someone who probably has no tank designing experience.

What about the super battleship "Yamato"? It even got its own tech in HoI2, or is there any other super-mega-awesome battleship that fits that category? The Yamato was so ridiculous that its final hurrah was logical and ironic. Sunk in record time by some dirt-cheap, completely un-imaginative torpedo bombers you can buy at Wal-Mart.

That's the story of real WW2 unfortunately: Reason and simple production logistics > megalomanic designs.
10 Shermans guarded by air supremacy beat 3 King Tigers anytime. The science behind proper resource management is still highly interesting, but being a mad architect of doomsday devices is so much more fun!
I wish reality would be a little bit cooler, more Warhammer 40k-esque. But that's what games are for, right? Or at least mods and DLC.

 

[shri]

What about the super battleship "Yamato"? It even got its own tech in HoI2, or is there any other super-mega-awesome battleship that fits that category? The Yamato was so ridiculous that its final hurrah was logical and ironic. Sunk in record time by some dirt-cheap, completely un-imaginative torpedo bombers you can buy at Wal-Mart.

That's the story of real WW2 unfortunately: Reason and simple production logistics > megalomanic designs.
10 Shermans guarded by air supremacy beat 3 King Tigers anytime. The science behind proper resource management is still highly interesting, but being a mad architect of doomsday devices is so much more fun!
I wish reality would be a little bit cooler, more Warhammer 40k-esque. But that's what games are for, right? Or at least mods and DLC.

Tiger Heavy Battalions kill ratios were near to 6-7 on an average, but i agree with you- wonder weapons failed.

 

[SFSLovenought]

Make Cold Fusion a pre-requisite. Those death-rays will need all the power they can get.
I'm secretly hoping for some mods or DLC that adds batsh*t crazy Wunderwaffen to the mix. Maybe an autumn of 1944 scenario where the Axis finally had breakthroughs in their secret techs. Smashing the Allies with a single Landkreuzer Ratte and fending off amphibious invasions with death rays... come on, who wouldn't want that?

Isn't that the premise of the next Wolfenstein game?
Nazi WunderWaffen (probably paranormal in nature) turn the tide and eventually they take over the world.

 

[Big Nev]

You should probably have read the full sentence and not stopped here:
"The Landkreuzer would have worked perfectly btw.,"
This is how I continued:
"just not exactly as intended. Had Germany deployed and assembled one Landkreuzer in Russia, it would have reduced infrastructure to 0 while the German army was retreating. There's no road that could have withstanded the mass of the Landkreuzer. It would not have been an efficient military weapon, but would have played the role of a logistical weapon."

There was an emoticon at the end as well, giving you a hint about the seriousness of my post. Still the point remains, the Landkreuzer would have reduced all infrastructure it passes to 0.
Think about it this way: A regular truck imposes 100 times more damage to road than a regualar car, despite not nearly being 100 times heavier. The weight-to-damage curve increases exponentially. Had Germany assembled the Landkreuzer in Russia and managed to drive it back to the German border, then it would have been an infrastructure weapon.

OIC

Destroys all infrastructure just by trundling through. Yeah, I got that. Sadly, even that wouldn’t have worked. It’s tracks & propulsion were impossible for the period. Simply too heavy.

What about the super battleship "Yamato"? It even got its own tech in HoI2, or is there any other super-mega-awesome battleship that fits that category? The Yamato was so ridiculous that its final hurrah was logical and ironic. Sunk in record time by some dirt-cheap, completely un-imaginative torpedo bombers you can buy at Wal-Mart.

That's the story of real WW2 unfortunately: Reason and simple production logistics > megalomanic designs.
10 Shermans guarded by air supremacy beat 3 King Tigers anytime. The science behind proper resource management is still highly interesting, but being a mad architect of doomsday devices is so much more fun!
I wish reality would be a little bit cooler, more Warhammer 40k-esque. But that's what games are for, right? Or at least mods and DLC.

Hardly “in record time”. She took 17 torpedo hits and goodness knows how many bombs.

At least a super-battleship is feasible. We haven’t even reached the limit of ship size yet. Even aircraft size can be pushed beyond our current limit. Large size actually helps the efficiency of huge wings.

Megga-tanks, however, don’t benefit from scale. Quite the opposite in fact. Steel just can’t be made strong enough.

Think for a while why ants can only grow so big. It’s all about volume to cross-section ratios. Now think about springs. Double the dimensions of a tank & you increase its volume (and therefore weight) by a factor of eight. So your springs, drive-shaft, track pins, bolts, pistons (and many other components including everything in the gearbox) have only quadrupled in cross-sectional area. So they’re only half as strong as they need to be. Double them-up and you’re adding even more weight. So if you want a tank twice the size of the one you’ve got, it will need to be at least ten times as heavy.

Now it’s massively under powered

You reach a limit very quickly.

But, for a fun scenario, I’m all for chucking the laws of physics out of the window for a while

 

[SFSLovenought]

I found that this document was very useful in understanding the problems associated with stupidly large machines.