Re: Hills, Mountains, etc.

Roger Burton West wrote:

> On Thu, Mar 07, 2002 at 10:38:41AM -0500, Bell, Brian K (Contractor)
wrote:
> >I could be _really_evil_ and place the game in winter (with freezing
> >rain/ice storms). Try to go up the hill, make a save or it slides
down (hits
> >vehicles/soldiers below, etc.). Don't laugh, I've gone miles out of
my way
> >to go around a steep hill in icy conditions.
>
> I've heard stories about this from US troops posted to Germany. "We
> don't want you using snow chains on your APC because it damages the
> roads". "OK." (Later:) "See that APC-shaped hole in the wall of your
> church at the bottom of the hill?"

Sorry, but that APC was driven by a dumbass.  I have driven a
nose-heavy, RWD
land yacht on black ice, and it is not that difficult.	However, you
must be
completely unhurried.  If you can get it moving, you can make it stop,
but if you
drive faster than you can maneuver, it is your own damn fault.

Oddly enough, one of the scariest pieces of footage that I saw from the
Battle of
the Bulge was a sherman tank, driven by an inexperienced driver, sliding
backwards, down a hill.  The infantry marching behind it (obviously not
raised to
waddle on ice like a penguin [actually rather effective]) were
desperately trying
to not be in its path (they all made it, with much thrashing of limbs).

I realize that you cannot train tracked vehicle drivers (zipperheads?
tread
heads?) for skid recovery with the same equipment as police car drivers
(caster
mounted bedframe under the car partially lifts the vehicle with
hydraulic rams to
reduce the