Eastern Front 1941 campaign

[AngrySwan]

Some changes:

- There is a ''disbalanced'' version of Odessa if you want to use German reinforcements from turn 2 and take the city faster; I got a nice result once but I do not know how you will like this, so the original Odessa will be there as an alternative.
- Same about Crimea, get the bomber unit from turn 2 (but there will also be the regular version).
- Corrections in Kharkov infantry battle, auxiliary units are now deployed on the map.
- Cosmetic changes of Staraya Russa, added ''forest soil'' to forests.

Time for Bryansk and Tula (then first one is ready and I have the data for the second one).

The new version with the corrections (everything ready except Tula so it is not included here.

[AngrySwan]

A change in the Vjazma scenario, Uhnov set as the fourth objective.
Another test of Bryansk. There are tough infantry battles for Bryansk and Trubchevsk. If someone plays this scenario I would like to hear your comments on the tank battle near Mzensk, what was the result and how did you like it?

[AngrySwan]

Odessa is now ''disbalanced'' (on Turn 1 Germans reinforce the Romanian 4th Army with all 4 units that were reinforcements in the original scenario, they arrive at the beginning of turn 2) and time for victory is shorter (15 for Brilliant, 17 for Normal and 19 for Tactical.) In m=y test I got a Brilliant victory in 14 turns.

After Odessa JG 77 is sent to Kharkov. 6th Army also gets some artillery and so do the Soviets. Both sides have air force so the Germans will need an airfield. I guess the best idea is placing that airfield near Dnepropetrovsk and placing a security battalion (Wachbattalion) in it, to prevent surprise attacks. The Soviets know their partisan tactics quite well, so watch out.

[AngrySwan]

All scenario files from v.1.08 and earlier still have the ''drunk drivers bug'' so now I recreate the v.1.09 scenario files from my test saves.

[terminator]

ORIGINAL: AngrySwan

All scenario files from v.1.08 and earlier still have the ''drunk drivers bug'' so now I recreate the v.1.09 scenario files from my test saves.

With the last Beta (Germany at War 1.09 Beta Ausf. A), this Bug is gone.

[AngrySwan]

The bug is gone in the new campaigns included in Ausf.A. I just need to recreate my collection of scenario files because they are from older versions.

[terminator]

ORIGINAL: AngrySwan

The bug is gone in the new campaigns included in Ausf.A. I just need to recreate my collection of scenario files because they are from older versions.

Logically, the bug is in the application of the game and not in the scenario files.

[Ronald Wendt]

Hi folks,

the bug is based on the movement changes in 1.09. Its in the xml code of the maps if they were saved prior to that change. Then, under the new rules, the movement points of those units are interpreted as 0, which leads to immobility during the first turn until it is refreshed at the second.

[AngrySwan]

Hi Ronald,

If you could send me the EF-Uman Hard and EF-HardSmolensk scenarios of v.1,09, I can recreate the rest from my save games.

A small fix for Odessa and Crimea, reinforcements are available on day 1 but in game the code for day 1 is 0, so I set the value to 0 instead of 1 in the editor, If the value is 1 the reinforcements only appear on day 2.

''Schnapps is fun - but only after you have won your victory, not before, and I believe the Russians have a similar saying about vodka.''

[Ronald Wendt]

Hi AngrySwan,

here are links to your two complete campaigns Eastern Front and German Offences 1941-1942 as they are currenly included:

Eastern Front

German Offences

[AngrySwan]

Hi Ronald,

That makes life a little bit easier for me. The Art of War is a short campaign with three mini scenarios, I can recreate those from save games.

A question on Kishinev scenario. It has 2 events:
Yugoslavia Dissolved - July 8 (turn 2, or 1 by the game code because turn 1 has the code 0)
Soviet/British pact - July 12 (turn 8 - should it not be the turn 6, or 5 by the code? Or is the date wrong?)

I was thinking about an event ''Odessa reinforcements must survive'' but that can be easily done keeping them behind the lines.

Since 11th Army gets an extra unit (KG 77) in Crimea, the core units in Crimea are 13 (original 12 + reinforcement).

[Ronald Wendt]

Hi AngrySwan,

if you also need the Art of War tutorial, no problem:

Art of War tutorial

The timing of the Soviet-British pact was wrong indeed. Its now changed to the correct date.

Odessa & "keep units":

If you force the player to watch out for certain units, i would recommend you create a situation where the player wants to use the units, but hesitates because of the victory condition. For example if the player has to attack to win, use the best units for direct attack on the map in the event. This way the player may get into an interesting conflict during the mission.

Crimea:

The designer may break the core limit that exists in a mission. It primarily is there to prevent the player from destroying the balance of a map by deploying too many units.

[AngrySwan]

Hi Ronald,

Odessa

I will need to think about that. For the time being I have a house rule ''Use Sturmpioniere as much as you can.''

Crimea

The new version gives 12 units + an extra bomber. The player can have only 4 air units (because there are only 4 air deployment hexes and one of them is occupied by the extra bomber appearing on the first turn) but in any case he gets 1 extra unit.
I will see what happens if Sudak, Feodossiya and Kerch are made victory objectives, that would put additional time pressure on the player and require more advanced planning, not just to break through and concentrate on Simferopol-Yevpatoriya direction.

[AngrySwan]

Crimea with the new victory conditions.

[terminator]

ORIGINAL: AngrySwan

Hi Ronald,

Odessa

I will need to think about that. For the time being I have a house rule ''Use Sturmpioniere as much as you can.''

Crimea

The new version gives 12 units + an extra bomber. The player can have only 4 air units (because there are only 4 air deployment hexes and one of them is occupied by the extra bomber appearing on the first turn) but in any case he gets 1 extra unit.
I will see what happens if Sudak, Feodossiya and Kerch are made victory objectives, that would put additional time pressure on the player and require more advanced planning, not just to break through and concentrate on Simferopol-Yevpatoriya direction.

Will the Soviet be able to defend all these new objectives (Sudak, Feodossiya and Kerch)?

[AngrySwan]

There are no new Soviet units in these cities. The Soviets can defend Perekop but, if Germans get through, they take Crimea without much fighting (except Sevastopol which is off map in this scenario).
It is a version of the same old scenario with the reinforcement bomber available as a core unit but then Germans have to reach all key points, not just Simferopol-Yevpatoriya.

[terminator]

ORIGINAL: AngrySwan

There are no new Soviet units in these cities. The Soviets can defend Perekop but, if Germans get through, they take Crimea without much fighting (except Sevastopol which is off map in this scenario).
It is a version of the same old scenario with the reinforcement bomber available as a core unit but then Germans have to reach all key points, not just Simferopol-Yevpatoriya.

I found this map, can it help you ?



PS: you could put a Bunker Garrison as a Town Guard in Kerch ?

[Ronald Wendt]

ORIGINAL: AngrySwan

Crimea with the new victory conditions.

The new version of the map is now in the game for the next release.

[AngrySwan]

If there are bunkers in distant cities the question is how to destroy them on time. So either a longer scenario or Kerch and Sevastopol in 1942.

Sevastopol could also be put on the map and made very hard to take; like Tobruk in Panzer Corps African scenario. You reach the city but better do not attack it.

Historically Germans took most of Crimea but not Sevastopol in 1941 (normal victory instead of brilliant) add finally conquer all of it in 1942.

[AngrySwan]

Retake of Kerch could be a part of a large 1942 "Caucasus and Volga" (same idea as German Offensives 1941-42 but with large scenarios, Kerch, Voronezh, Drive on Stalingrad and Maikop.)
Not sure about Sevastopol yet - I think we had a map of the whole Crimea with Sevastopol?