Briefing Room Archive (April - July 2004)

July 2004
July 28th
  • Sorry, no updates today.  I wanted to do something but my free time ran out.  I'll be away for the next few days, so if you're a regular visitor to this site a good time to look for the next update would be August 1st or 2nd depending on when I get back.  Until then, have fun searching the database, and thanks for so many helpful and encouraging emails.
  • PHP conversion is a success.  I had more unique visitors on the site yesterday with only 33% of the previous day's page calls.

July 27th

  • For those of you that want know what World War II Online is, it's a massively multiplayer online game.  What that means is you play alongside thousands of other real players like yourself for control of the European continent.  It's set in May 1940 - the Battle of France - and continues on until the war is won.  There is a 14 day free trial going now right now, so you can download the game and see if it's something you'll enjoy full-time.  I highly suggest you give the game a chance!
    English
     
    Italian
    French
       

      

  • Converted the entire Header to .php today.  This doesn't do a whole lot for you guys, but it means that all the information is now taken directly from the database.  It should mean no more broken links, no more broken images, and no more old data.  This also means that I cut down my .html files from over 200 to less than 50, so the site should run faster.  This also allowed me to "unlock" the Japanese, Russian, and Commonwealth sections of the site - although they don't have anything in them at this point but aircraft.  Thanks to Adam "Modus" Toering" for all the help!
  • Added the following units to the Vehicle Database:
    Sd.Kfz.7
    Sd.Kfz.7/1
    Sd.Kfz.7/2
    Sd.Kfz.10/4
    Wirbelwind
    Ostwind
    Sd.Kfz.251 Ausf. C
    M4A3(76)W Sherman
    M4A3E2 Sherman "Jumbo" 
    M4A3(76)W E8 HVSS Sherman "Easy Eight"
    Daimler AC Mk.I

July 26th

  • Added a new database tool to view Infantry Weapons in the Intelligence section!
  • Added the following weapons into the new infantry database:
    Karabiner 98k
    Karabiner 43
    Sturmgewehr 44
    Maschinenpistole 40
    Maschinengewehr 34
    Maschinengewehr 42
    Fallschirmjägergewehr 42
    Stielhandgranate 24
    Pistole Parabellum P08 "Luger"
    Selbstladepistole Walther P38
    Raketenpanzerbüchse 54
    Panzerfaust 30
    Panzerfaust 60
    Panzerfaust 100
    Panzerbüchse 39

July 25th

  • Most updates will be later today.
  • Thanks to Eymerich and company, we now have an Italian version of the Boyes .55 and Pz.B 39 guide!
  • Note: Some of you are e-mailing me with stories of killing tanks from spots that you shouldn't be able to.  While I think this information would be useful to some folks, ultimately it's not supposed to be that way and should be fixed.  However, in the interest of fairness, I'll post some of the "non-sense weakpoints" in the guides if they still persist after a few days - and after the Rats have time to check it out themselves.
  • Added the following vehicles to the database today:

    Sherman VC "Firefly"
    Cromwell Mk.IV
    Pz.VI Ausf. E "Tiger"
    Pz.VI Ausf. B "King Tiger"
    Elefant
    Pz.IV Ausf. J
    Pz.Jgr.I Ausf. B
    Marder II

Note: I'm going away for the weekend to see my baby's ultrasound.  Next week I plan on adding a lot more to the website, but I'd like to know what you guys like to see.  I had about 10,000 page hits today with almost a fifth of that from unique visitors.  If there's anything you'd like to see put on the site, email me at: tarrif@hotmail.com

Next week I plan on adding about 30 more vehicles to the Vehicle database, including Italian and Russian tanks.  I'm also going to add at least 10 more aircraft to the Aircraft database, and also begin work on the Infantry Weapon database.  Check back Sunday or Monday for more updates.  Thanks to all that contributed this week - it really helped!

July 23th

  • Added a new article to the Intelligence section describing the various Sd.Kfz.251 variants.
  • Note: Today is patch day.  You can read the patch notes here.
  • Added the original Tiger Tank Training Manual, courtesy of The Desert Fox.  Unfortunately the Fox's bandwith is very low and you usually couldn't read the whole thing without geocities cutting you off.  Now it's hosted here and in .jpeg format for all to enjoy, although only in directory format sorted by chapter and page number.  It's in German, and if anyone is willing to do some translation I'd be more than happy to create a page in English - with full credit to the translator of course.  (Note: Please excuse the female nudity in the manual.  The Germans put those pictures there to make sure the trainee's eyes would stay focused on the book!)
  • Important: ATR testing is in progress on the live server and training server!  If you're testing the new ATR's please send me your findings at: tarrif@hotmail.com  I plan on publishing an updated ATR guide later today when testing is done!
  • Update: Both Anti-Tank Rifle User's Guides have been updated with results of sniper testing.  New graphics have also been added.  Testing will continue during the rest of the day.
  • My site traffic has reached over 1500 unique visitors today, mostly looking at the ATR guides.  If you're going to link my guides off the website, feel free to use the following graphics to do so...

             You don't have to use them, but they do add a bit of color to an otherwise bland text link.

  • I added this website and banner to the links section...

July 22nd

  • Added a new guide to the Intelligence section for the Boyes' .55 anti-tank rifle.
  • Added two new links to the links section...

  • If you'd like me to link your site, just send an email to: tarrif@hotmail.com and include the URL and/or the link image you'd like to see displayed.

  • I also joined this group...

 

July 21st

  • Added a new interview in the Interview section.  You guys seem to like those a lot.
  • Added a new guide to the Intelligence section for the Pz.B 39 anti-tank rifle.

July 20th

  • Added new vehicles to the database including the Panhard 178, R-35, H-39, S-35, Char B1 bis, M24, Sherman series, Stuart series, Laffly W15 TCC, Crusader series, A-13, A-12, and the Vickers.
  • Added a new chart to the German Equipment section with data on vehicle gun penetration.

July 19th

  • Added another comparison tool for vehicles.  It's in the intelligence section.
  • Added new vehicles to the database including the Jagdpanther, Panther, Pz.IV, and StuG series.

July 18th

  • Added a new search tool and database for vehicles.  You can find it in the intelligence section.
  • Added new vehicles to the database including the Pz.I, Pz.II, Pz.III series.

July 17th

  • Added a new search tool for the Aircraft Database.  You can now sort by country and aircraft type!

July 15th

  • Added new artwork for aircraft, finished the name check, and added "Lend Lease" variants for some aircraft.
  • Added my early prediction for the Italian Vehicle and Aircraft set. (Italian section now open!)

  • Docdoom posted a list of units in development...

    Name

    Tier

    		 Type Country
    Panzer IVG 2 Main Battle Tank Germany
    StuG IIIG 1 (?) Tank Destroyer Germany
    Fw.190A-4 2 Fighter Germany
    PaK38 / L60 2 Anti-tank Gun Germany
    Pz.B 39 0 Anti-tank Rifle Germany
    Crusader Mk.III 2 Main Battle Tank Great Britain
    Spitfire Mk.IX E 2 Fighter Great Britain
    QF 6-pounder 2 Anti-tank Gun Great Britain
    Boys .55 0 Anti-tank Rifle Great Britain
    Sherman M4A3 2 Main Battle Tank France
    P-38 F 2 Fighter France
    Mle1897/40 2 Anti-tank Gun France
    Boys .55 0 Anti-tank Rifle France

           ...and it looks like my predictions were 100% correct again.  Not bad for guesses I made a year ago :)

July 14th

  • Added more aircraft to the database, including the Potez-631, F2A3 "Buffalo", C-13 Boomerang, MB-152, C-47, Li-4, Dakota III, D3 "Val", and Ki-21 "Sally". 
  • Made a small change to the aircraft names where non-official names are in quotes ("").

July 13th

  • Added more aircraft to the database, including the Yak-3, Yak-7, Yak-9, Il-4, Il-10, I-16, and A-26.

July 11th

  • Added more aircraft to the database, including the Yak-1, MiG-3, LaGG-3, La-5, La-5N, La-7, Me-410, and Do-335.
  • Note: This will be the last update until at least the 13th as I will be at the beach.

July 10th

  • Added more aircraft to the database, including the P.38, Fw.200, Sm.79, B5N, A6M, He.162A, and He.219A.
  • Made changes to aircraft based on forum feedback to the Blenheim IF, Il-2, and B-25C.

July 9th

  • Added more aircraft to the database, including the Ms.406, Me.163, and Il-2.

July 8th

  • Added many aircraft to the database including the B-25, B-26, B-29, Mc.200, Mc.202, and Mc.205.
  • Added new artwork for many aircraft with wrong or missing color plates.
  • Note: Updates over the summer are going to be slow since I'm at the beach most days or preparing for September when I'll be a first-time dad.  Life's a little busy now, so please excuse the absence.
May 2004
May 27th
  • No updates until June 1, 2004 I don't think. Going away for Memorial Day weekend soon and probably won't be able to update anything until next Monday or Tuesday.  See you all soon!

May 26th

  • Updated the Aircraft Orders of Battle with new information and a new look.
  • Updated the entire Intelligence section with a uniform look.
  • Added a new sound to the Multimedia section.
  • Completed new UI for the Secure Area which will be opening shortly.
  • Started the "Links" page and am looking for new links to add.

May 25th

  • Added a new interview: Johannes Steinhoff
  • Please Read: I've noticed a lot of my visitors are either bi-lingual or speak a language other than English.  Primarily this has been German, Spanish, and Finnish, although I've jotted down about a dozen or so languages with 100 or more unique visitors over the last 33 days.  If any of you kind souls want to help me translate the more popular pages of my site into those languages, please contact me: tarrif@hotmail.com  Full credit will go to those that help. Thanks!

May 22nd

  • Got a 30 day ban from the official WWII Online forums for posting this picture.  It's good to know that for a game intent on re-creating Nazi-era Europe they at least got one thing right - censorship.  Good work moderators!  Somewhere in hell Hitler is smiling!

May 21st

May 20th

  • Converted a good portion of the website to .php code for better dynamic functions.
  • Added "Secure Area" section to the website.  Username and password required.

May 16th

  • Added 10 new aircraft to the database.
  • Added "The Cinderella Story" about the Philadelphia 2003 mini-con.

May 15th

  • Added new visual aircraft list from the database to the Intelligence section.

May 14th

  • Add German version of Fairmile B User's Guide
  • Corrected many image errors.
  • Increased monthly bandwith from 5gb to 25gb per month.
  • Added Aircraft vs. Aircraft feature to the Intelligence section.

May 8th

  • Finished the RAF section.
  • Added un-assigned aircraft types to the Luftwaffe and RAF sections.

May 7th

  • Finished the Luftwaffe section.
  • Eliminated the Do.217K1 and replaced it with the Hs.129B.
  • Added the Fw.190A-8, Fw.190F-8, and He.111H-16
  • Did work for about half the RAF including all the Spitfires and Hurricanes.

May 6th

  • Started conversion of all static vehicle data to new database type.
  • Finished work on most of the Luftwaffe units and upgraded old ones to the new standard.
April 2004
April 30th
  • Updated the Intelligence section with one new article.
  • Updated the Destroyer User's Manual with a Torpedo Computer guide.

April 29th

  • Updated the Intelligence section with one new article.
  • Updated the Intelligence section with a new .pdf file from Ring.

April 28th

  • Updated the Intelligence section with one new article and one updated article.

April 17th

  • Updated the Multimedia section with a dozen new movies, mostly real war footage.
  • Updated the Intelligence section with Fairmile B and StuG Ausf. B User's Guide(s).
  • Made minor corrections to other User Manuals as per playskewl recommendations.