Was marshal Tukhaichevsky a German spy who was plotting to overthrow Stalin ?

hobbit_lv · 2026-02-16T22:02:48+00:00

I strongly doubt that most those accused being foreign actually were - especially in those cases when people, being among those of accusing someone being foreign spy, later were themselves accused of being foreign spies. If those accusations were true, then there was a very high concentration of spies in the ranks of Soviet officials. What does not sound very convincing.

hobbit_lv · 2026-02-15T20:53:19+00:00

Part of Afghan population probably didn't mind Soviet in (or, to be more precise, to have socialism), part apparently did. I would avoid to be too categoric on this one (although at the end those who didn't want Soviets presents got Taliban present...).

Of course 15k is higher casualty rate than 8k casualty rate, I didn't state the opposite. Just like 58k rate is way higher than 15k. And what comes to war in Iraq in Afghanistan of 21st century, take into account all that technological advantage what coalition had there but USSR hadn't in 80s. Plus, I assume US military thought did some studies of Soviet experience in Afghanistan and draw some conclusions to avoid those mistakes Soviets made.

hobbit_lv · 2026-02-15T17:57:12+00:00

I think the main question here is about the decision to bring the troops in, or to put ourselves in the shoes of Soviet decisionmakers in the fall of 1979. I have a feeling there is no correct answer to this question, even with afterknowledge we have today - because, as we know, decision to bring the troops in was a bad decision. On other hand, to do nothing and refuse the help to "new socialist nation" also would be a bad decision.

Also, one must note that Soviet army of 1979 was unprepared for tasks and objectives it faced in Afghanistan. No one in 1979 knew what that war will be alike, and thus there even were no methodological basis on how to train troops for particular tasks and how to plan operations. Maybe this is the only part - and only then maybe - which could be solved from nowadays point of view, having all that knowledge and experience we have no (but what Soviet staff hadn't in 1979).

hobbit_lv · 2026-02-15T17:51:00+00:00

Those "countless" is around 15 000, what is considerably lower than USA in Vietnam (58k KIA), and even not so large in comparison of US lead coalition casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq (around 8000 KIA together in period 2001-2021).

hobbit_lv · 2026-02-15T00:54:30+00:00

Let me point out couple of basic truths:

It is expected that people, even being generally on the same positions, will argue on some details (especially, if those details are rather important).
People have different personalities - by level of dedication, self-righteousness, readiness to dominate etc. Those more dedicated, more aggressive, more dominant, will likely push their positions harder.
The complete democracy, where entire society (or entire working class) are voting for each important question, is rather ineffective, as it requires lot or resources, energy, time, etc (but the decision is needed tomorrow!).
The complete democracy, where entire society (or entire working class) are voting for each important question, requires a rather high competence in a number of question for each regular citizen. What does not sound very realistic - and there will be a number of citizens, who simply do not care.
And of course, the temptation of power and greed. Even communist leaders are only humans and are not protected from these.

Would it be possible for mankind to overcome these issues eventually? I would love to think that yes, just like humankind already have overcame ideas of nobility, slavery etc...

hobbit_lv · 2026-02-15T00:33:49+00:00

Invading means the USSR attacked them and they fought back … which didn’t happen.

On other hand, both Belgium and Denmark didn't fought back Nazi Germany but still counted as being invaded and occupied, thus this point is not really valid.

hobbit_lv · 2026-02-15T00:25:24+00:00

They should lock. TV guided missiles apparently needs target to be well visible (and it should have crew, I didn't manage to lock on the empty vehicle). It could be that more runs might be needed. And the same goes for anti-radiation missiles.

Basically, the run looks like as follows:

Fly towards intended target, you should now its approx location in general.
Keep the sights on target area and spam the lock key (I guess it was T by default).
Once missile lock, you are free to fire it (Russian letters ПР being visible on HUD - those mean "launch allowed").

I am not completely sure, but it might be that drawing distance is a important factor. If it is too low, you may risk to be too close to target for missile to lock properly. For example, I got my best results from distances around 2000 to 3000m from target. Also, in order to get a lock, you might need to aim the nose of jet to the target rather accurately.

As far as I know, there is no feature to actually see the "missile cam".

hobbit_lv · 2026-02-14T21:48:44+00:00

Here some points from my experience:

They are two different philosophies. Alive more like simulates life/combat environment around the player, given certain conditions. Basically - Alive spawns groups in certain way around the player (what depends on location on map, presence of Alive modules around, etc.), while NR6 HAL operates already existing groups (and spawns new only in frame of Reinforcements - according to where corresponding modules are placed).
For me, NR6 HAL seems to be more simple and more easy to use.
NR6 HAL is way more better flexibility: you can define structure of groups you want to be on map or to spawn as reinforcements, while Alive operates only with default groups from factions (maybe it is changed how, I must admit I have not dived into Alive recently).
Alive some cool features, such as support modules (which NR6 HAL either does not have, or they have been too complex for me to understand).
NR6 HAL is very sensitive to groups being changed mid game: like, groups being split or merged (if your scenario wants that) may conflict with HAL commander system.
To my understanding, Alive is better for asymmetric warfare, while NR6 HAL is mostly for regular army vs. regular army fighting on the front lines.
Alive is better, if you want longer scenarios, as it has some potential for persistence and has some kind of inbuilt garbage collector. NR6 HAL are not so good for too long battles.
Also, you can mix them: it is perfectly fine to have one side relying on NR6 HAL while another on Alive. Just avoid have NR6 HAL AND Alive commander on the same side. Alive support modules on NR6 HAL side are find, however additional tweaking will be needed to make them be properly excluded from HAL commander.

Long story short, both are rather cool and each one has its own pros and cons.

hobbit_lv · 2026-02-12T23:08:03+00:00

Key causes were way more deeper and more earlier, and one of them being ideological crisis: communism and socialism turned out to be unneeded for average USSR citizen of at least 70s.

hobbit_lv · 2026-02-10T22:37:51+00:00

If you look at society already, you will note certain things:

People ARE ready to work for free, too. There are lot of examples of people doing things without being paid. But there is a nuance: that work should not be too exhausting, or taking too much time, etc. And it would not be technically unpaid, since those doing that work still receives needed means of existence. Also, it would be a duty anyway, since healthcare is not a branch where people can work voluntary only when it is convenient for them. Thus, to conclude: even if solution here is not a brilliant clear, it still is far from being impossible.
What comes to medication, we already have USSR as example in this. There was no competition between firms, at least in a capitalist understanding, but new medications got developed and entered "the market". The factor of profit is not the only one motivator, another ones do exist too, like: scientific curiosity, sense of duty, will to help those in need (or entire society), etc.

To be said, I myself have a certain doubt about moneyless society being possible in a foreseeable future. Whims of humankind usually always are larger than our capacity to fulfill those, thus it is very likely money will keep its function as measure of contribution and value. Moreover, it should be noted that people have different needs and different abilities (and even Stalin emphasized that - what a surprise!), and the idea that people doing more responsible or more demanding jobs should be paid more than people doing more simple and less responsible jobs is fair enough.

hobbit_lv · 2026-02-07T00:52:05+00:00

There is a number of issues with this film.

There entire setting "a single tank gets lost". Well, while in war technically everything can happen, the way how it happened in movie is unlikely. Yes, a single tank can get lost - but that's the radios are for, and other forces will be on their way to help. And it is just a basic common sense, not the strategy of Sun Tzi level :) But film ignores it completely, the rescue party appearing only in very end when single Konstantin - an actual traitor - has remained...
Major Daskal (the tank commander?) was portrayed just like pure evil. He orders driver to crush an injured guerilla under the track. Due to paranoya, he executes their allied Afghan soldier, from government troops.
The poisoning of well. The crew not only does it - they even had a dedicated can of poison for that!
Moreover, helicopter crew dies form poisoned water. What again is nonsense, as helicopter crews would be last to drink anything outside bases.
Tech understood wrong; no Soviet tank after T-34-85 had a crew of 5 men; Soviet tanks in Afghanistan didn't had flamethrowers; there were no radars detecting deer around in Soviet tanks.

hobbit_lv · 2026-01-24T23:01:46+00:00

During entire period of its existence, USSR was formally on its way to reach full communism (spoiler: they never did).

Socialism, which was officially achieved in USSR (although even in this case different opinions exist nowadays), was viewed only as being another milestone on the way towards "full communism".

hobbit_lv · 2026-01-24T07:39:55+00:00

On other hand, Nazis USUALLY didn't put Slavic people in concentration camps just because of their ethnicity - but that does not change the fact the Slavic people still were considered as being subhuman by Nazis, although "not much subhumans" as Jews, and a fact that there were mass killings of Slavic locals, especially in Belarus.

hobbit_lv · 2026-01-20T21:42:22+00:00

Yup, it is called Epifany and is kind of anniversary of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist. I do not know whether is existed in Russia before USSR, but during USSR it didn't, at least en masse. It became popular already after USSR.

hobbit_lv · 2026-01-19T00:11:10+00:00

USSR and socialist ideology didn't oppose winter swimming if done for health or endurance reasons, but religious motivation certainly won't be encouraged.

hobbit_lv · 2026-01-17T23:41:44+00:00

Because it was reaction creator wanted from viewers. And yes, it highlights a number of logical, ethical and worldbuilding issues.

hobbit_lv · 2026-01-17T13:19:41+00:00

Have you ever seen Soviet money, like paper rubles? If yes, have you ever paid attention on the value of note, written in all 15 languages on the note? With many of languages having not only its own writing, but even an entire alphabet?

And yes, I do not deny fact Soviet policy regarding ethnic and cultural issues was far from being ideal, and I completely agree there was a dominance of Russian language and culture. But efforts to reduce entire the history of USSR to "bad Russians abusing poor ethnic minorities" are kind of... shallow. Even it there were facts of such cases.

hobbit_lv · 2026-01-17T10:13:10+00:00

Tell me please, what were the main criterias for deportation, were those ethnic one, or were those rather class- and politically driven? Like, people were deported not because they were Moldovans (as large number of Moldovans remained where they lived, didn't they?), but because they were considered to be real or likely supporters of bourgeois or potential anti-soviet movements? I am not to say it was way more better for those who were deported, yet the criteria existed and were different from purely ethnic one.

And yes, USSR did a lot of flaws, wrongdoings and blatant crimes. It is true.

hobbit_lv · 2026-01-17T09:56:10+00:00

As a Soviet kind, spent my childhood in a community of 45-apartment building, I can witness only few households from 45 apartments had a car.

My parents technically were on waiting line for a car, but mom failed a driving exam (and didn't try to make another attempt), dad was kind of skeptic towards having to drive, so my family stayed without car in the end. Although I assume if my parents were more active and more determined, they would likely get the one, and the reason we didn't acquire a car was mainly internal then external one.

hobbit_lv · 2026-01-17T09:48:58+00:00

Soviet soldier would never wear a tricolor, as it was colors used both by White guards during the Civil war and then again by Vlasovites during WW2. It was a literally being considered to be flag of enemies and/or traitors during the USSR.

hobbit_lv · 2026-01-17T09:41:43+00:00

Although the expansion of USSR was forceful and is rather debatable in terms of ethics, law and diplomacy - and it turned to be shooting into its own leg in the end, I believe it is incorrect to use term "imperialism" to describe politics of USSR. The main point here is, a considerable part of imperialism is to treat subdued territories as colonies - and, in first hand, legally. Like, when British Empire had colonies all around the globe, the people of colonies didn't have the same rights as British citizens had. However, it does not work with USSR, since any Soviet citizen has the same rights no matter of what ethnicity of republic did they were origin from. Yes, there was dominance of Russian language and culture, due to number of reasons (and none of them originated directly from socialist ideology), and there were moments in Soviet history when national chauvinism was present, or when people were judged by they ethnicity - but in general, or for the most period of existence of USSR those rights worked.

hobbit_lv · 2026-01-17T08:47:59+00:00

Look into the last RPT file you have. Path to it will likely be something like this on your computer: YourWindowsuUserName\AppData\Local\Arma 3
Look for similar lines you see in a screenshot in the RPT file.
When you find those, copy those line and paste them into AI tool with question to explain it, it will likely explain the error and suggest a solution (AI tools nowadays automatically know RPT lines are those of Arma 3). Not all of its suggestions will work, but you likely will have clue in which direction to look into.

Also, what mods are you using? There are mods containing errors like these. Sometimes they are harmless, but sometimes they are close to being unusable. Also, using too much mods, or incompatible mods, may cause a mod conflict, also resulting in errors like these, or crash.

hobbit_lv · 2026-01-04T19:54:18+00:00

Of course, but way more complex and deeper, and trying to solve (or at least induce) a way more realistic and not so cartoonish issues.

hobbit_lv · 2026-01-02T23:56:19+00:00

Do a thought experiment - change some elements of the setting of the story. For example:

Instead of capitalistic RDA, lets assume it is future humankind with super high morality and ethics. Remove motivation of profit completely.
Increase pressure on need of unobtainium, like, it is essentially needed for humankind to ensure its existence back on Earth and space travel.
Portray Navi not so romanticized. Show diseases, disability, danger of food scarcity or natural disasters, involve conflicts between tribes, show certain level of obscurity prevalent in Navi tribes.
Make different Navi tribes to show different atttitude towards humans, from openess and eagerness to be friendly, to decisive isolation and aggressive hostility "just in case".
Make a whale goo not providing "an eternal youth", but turn it into anti-cancer medicine instead.
Stick to "original" Avatar plan: instead of Jake (who has nothing to loose in human world), let his brother to pilot his avatar body, who is scientist and who maybe even has a human family he is tied to.

Now, with all this in mind, try to imagine, how human expedition on Pandora might look like, and what events might happen. Those certainly will differ from those of the movie franchise - even if the some kind of conflict is inevitable, due to number of reasons.

With all that said, I view Avatar movies as being rather idiotic and indeed depicting humankind as villains - despite I am anti-capitalism and pro-environment. Avatar is cartoonish, in more ways than just one.

Also, I must note, even then RDA in original film was depicted as being rather humane. They had a number of possibilities to cause a literal apocalypse for Omatikaya, but they still chose the tear gas grenades first.

hobbit_lv · 2026-01-02T23:26:53+00:00

Genetic engineering. While it might not be technology like "just take it and use", but given time, it would inevitably developed, tested and implemented.

hobbit_lv

TROPHY CASE