American Front 1914 - PO mod progress report

[Silvanski]

Your scenario really came to life Tane.
The US PO has been grouping his formations and is making a good show of it.
I'm in all kinds of trouble along the US-Canadian border. Grinding to a halt on the CS-US front in the Eastern theater, but lots of action in the central plains.

News from Sep.1 1914 in TX.

The US 16th Corps went on the rampage in the Texas panhandle!

They attacked Lubbock and defeated the local CS garrison.
Among the dead was one Confederate Sgt. C.H. Holly... who left a wife, no children.


...and therefor no grandchildren... so that's why there's no musician from Lubbock TX in the rock'n roll hall of fame...
It's alternate history here aye [;)]

[Jeff Norton]

ORIGINAL: Silvanski

ORIGINAL: Felix1By all means, publish a PO version into the public domain. Put your name next to mine, you deserve credit too.

Will do, thanks. Lots of playtesting ahead though.

Dont forget your pet guinnea pig here....!

-Jeff (Turtledove fan since GOTS)

[Silvanski]

ORIGINAL: Jeff NortonDont forget your pet guinnea pig here....!

-Jeff (Turtledove fan since GOTS)

you've got mail!

[Silvanski]

Need to tweak the US PO some more, spotted minor thingies which can do with some adjustments...
After that's taken care of I'm gonna try to go the full distance in this version... maybe I'll post an illustrated AAR.

[will5869]

I was wondering how AF 40 wascoming along? I would like to take a look at it if you would let me. Also the update to AF14.
 

[rhinobones]

ORIGINAL: Silvanski
Need to tweak the US PO some more, spotted minor thingies which can do with some adjustments...

Have been enjoying reading about, and playing, your modifications to the original scenarios. Like you, I also think there is a big crowd of players who like PBM games, but also get into games against a decent AOwPI when Cheyenne opponents are not available.

In the 1914 scenario mod, how much use are you making of the three objective tracks?

In a couple of my scenarios I have had each side start using either track 1, 2 or 3, and then used event probabilities to have the game switch one side, or both, or neither, to the other possible tracks. Makes for a lot of variation when playing against AOwPI.

Regards, RhinoBones

[Silvanski]

ORIGINAL: rhinobones
In the 1914 scenario mod, how much use are you making of the three objective tracks?

In a couple of my scenarios I have had each side start using either track 1, 2 or 3, and then used event probabilities to have the game switch one side, or both, or neither, to the other possible tracks. Makes for a lot of variation when playing against AOwPI.

Regards, RhinoBones

I haven't experimented with the track variations -well worth a try some day- but the large amount of formations (many coming in as reinforcements, by turn or event) and placing of their objectives in AF can see a shift in an axis of attack. It's a long scenario with many variables built in, great job by Tane aka "Felix"

[rhinobones]

ORIGINAL: Silvanski
. . . many coming in as reinforcements, by turn or event . . .

This is exactly where it would be desirable that a unit move along the objective path designed by the scenario author instead of making it's own path directly to the first enemy controlled objective hex.

Wonder where the reinforcement unit would go if there are no enemy controlled objective hexes? Ralph, what does AOwPI do in a case like this?

Regards, RhinoBones

[ralphtricky]

ORIGINAL: rhinobones

ORIGINAL: Silvanski
. . . many coming in as reinforcements, by turn or event . . .

This is exactly where it would be desirable that a unit move along the objective path designed by the scenario author instead of making it's own path directly to the first enemy controlled objective hex.

Wonder where the reinforcement unit would go if there are no enemy controlled objective hexes? Ralph, what does AOwPI do in a case like this?

Regards, RhinoBones

Right now, he goes to the last one, and most likely, spreads out to convert terriroty and get ready for an attack I believe. It depends a bit upon the loss settings, etc. that he has set.

[Silvanski]

I'm redoing the US PO. I'll give the formations their objective tracks more according to their "historical" deployment. (see the map in Tane's excellent scenario notes)
 
Spotted something in the OOB.
The US X Corps and XII Corps (In US 2nd Army-Indiana and 3rd Army-Ohio respectively) seem to be switched around according to what the OOB in the notes says. Their initial deployment confirms that.
 
I renamed them. 

[Silvanski]

Running a POvs PO test with Uberdude to see if the events I added are doing what they're supposed to do.
 the US "1915 offensive"event  which raises the shock level (previous a TO for the human player), set to activate on T33 with turn range of 4 happened on T36. Okidoki.[:)]

[Silvanski]

AAR of my latest test in the AAR section

[Veers]

And it's a goodie.

[Silvanski]

Testing shows I'll have to set up an exclusion zone around Utah, to be lifted when the Mormons rise

[Veers]

Yeah, the computer doesn't follow house rules. Does this mean a restart to your test?

[Silvanski]

ORIGINAL: Veers

Yeah, the computer doesn't follow house rules. Does this mean a restart to your test?

The exclusion zone will also be in effect on 4 cities in just across neigboring states.

I had a small Canadian contingent capturing the city of Butte, which triggers an event of dumping unique artillery pieces in the pool for use by the Mormons (they're supposed to catch those themselves)
A few US formations are programmed to react when Salt Lake City becomes enemy controlled. The zone is to keep them out before that happens, thus forcing them to comply with the houese rule.[;)]

I'm continuing my test (and AAR) of the unedited version cuz I'm well and truly into it. The new measures won't affect other things. Utah is more or less an isolated theater.

Something else... I consider using the eqp editor to rename some stuff... i.e. in Turtledove's story, the Confederate Air Corps uses French Spads, which they call Hawks...

[Veers]

AHA! Really lay on the chrome. And all you'd have to do is rename it, one of that monkeying about with editing anything else about it.

[Silvanski]

life just got a bit easier [;)]

[Silvanski]

Here's some chrome Mr Veers:
 
I used the equipment editor to rename the CSA Spad fighters into license built Hawk aircraft and the USA's "monoplane fighter (primitive)" became the "Wright 15" ... crafty tool that bio-ed [&o] 
 
I also use the Flags BMP's which include the CSA flag... OK they're part of the Entente but the major partner in the theater.

[Silvanski]

Testing the PO as you can see in the AAR section.
Some changes to be made.
-The "sea supply road" hexes have to go.. Elmer cheats [:D] A US formation is trying to bypass the Potomac defenses by going south on the Delaware peninsula and attacking Norfolk via the sea supply road.
If Elmer wants to do that he'll have to launch n amphibious assualt like evryone else, nah!
I'll put supply points on offshore areas.

-Look more into the US PO for the Westcoast.

-Find a solution for reconstitution points for riverine units.
Edit: found one that works