Deluxe AWD

[rjh1971]

Jesse I found out that when selecting japanese aircraft for kamikaze units I don't get any marks on the aircraft, making it kind of hard to really know which ones are kamikaze and which aren't. This is with v1.03 beta, I will install v1.03 when I finish my current pbem game.
Could you please check this out? Thanks

Rafael

[ram300]

Feedback:

Having now completed a few games with Deluxe, and in the process of playing some more, here is some feedback:

- Overall, a nice, fresh take on WaW that's well worth trying.

- I prefer the event system to that in GG, with larger probabilities and fewer "quirky" events (like the handling of Indichina" in GG).

- The new map is a breath of fresh air.

- China is a lot more fun now. Limited, but potentially powerful enough to be a real thorn in Japan's side.

- My biggest gripe is probably that Italian shipping in the med is so pitiful, especially given the new layout of the theatre. Another transport or two would go a long way towards making med-focused strategies that don't involve pushing through Turkey viable (I do like the way Turkey and the Caucasus are handled by events and layout).

Also, the combination of the removal of a Greek DoW on the Axis and the new key position of Crete (as it can totally cut off the Eastern Med) makes a German invasion of Greece rather foolish, unless well positioned to immediately swoop in on Crete. Suggestion: Reduce the number of Mil on the island to one, making a same-turn (pre-reinforcement) para invasion viable.

[Lebatron]

ORIGINAL: rjh1971

Jesse I found out that when selecting japanese aircraft for kamikaze units I don't get any marks on the aircraft, making it kind of hard to really know which ones are kamikaze and which aren't. This is with v1.03 beta, I will install v1.03 when I finish my current pbem game.
Could you please check this out? Thanks

Rafael

Rafael, what I suggest you do when selecting Kamikazes is to uncheck Unit Nation Flags in preferences. Since most players, including myself, are now using this new option it makes the old method of displaying Kamikazes non-functional. This is a problem with all scenarios I believe. Not specific to Deluxe. Brian, if he is willing, would need to make some changes in the program to address this. In the mean time just toggle the option off when you need to, then turn it back on.

[Lebatron]

ORIGINAL: ram300

Feedback:

- My biggest gripe is probably that Italian shipping in the med is so pitiful, especially given the new layout of the theatre. Another transport or two would go a long way towards making med-focused strategies that don't involve pushing through Turkey viable (I do like the way Turkey and the Caucasus are handled by events and layout).

Also, the combination of the removal of a Greek DoW on the Axis and the new key position of Crete (as it can totally cut off the Eastern Med) makes a German invasion of Greece rather foolish, unless well positioned to immediately swoop in on Crete. Suggestion: Reduce the number of Mil on the island to one, making a same-turn (pre-reinforcement) para invasion viable.

Thanks for the overall positive feedback.

The change to Italian shipping was completely intentional. The Med in Deluxe will have a much more historical feel to it. Italy, in previous scenarios of AWD, had it far to easy. In order to win Cairo, Italy will need to invest in transports. If Cairo is not an objective, then shift Italy's production to something else, and make do with the starting transports.

Regarding Crete, you hit it on the head. Yes, Germany should try for Crete the same turn they declare war on Greece. Since Crete put up a stiff fight and never fell, reducing it to one militia would make it fall rather easily every game. At 2 militia it forces the Axis to hit it harder than they did historically in order to win. In order to secure a win Germany must both amphib and para drop on Crete to take it. Both are not hard to do when the proper plans are laid.

[GShock]

When you get to a new game, with this scenario, please hit me up in PM. Let's do a multiplayer. Am fed up of playing vs the AI. [8D]

[ram300]

ORIGINAL: Lebatron
Thanks for the overall positive feedback.

The change to Italian shipping was completely intentional. The Med in Deluxe will have a much more historical feel to it. Italy, in previous scenarios of AWD, had it far to easy. In order to win Cairo, Italy will need to invest in transports. If Cairo is not an objective, then shift Italy's production to something else, and make do with the starting transports.

Regarding Crete, you hit it on the head. Yes, Germany should try for Crete the same turn they declare war on Greece. Since Crete put up a stiff fight and never fell, reducing it to one militia would make it fall rather easily every game. At 2 militia it forces the Axis to hit it harder than they did historically in order to win. In order to secure a win Germany must both amphib and para drop on Crete to take it. Both are not hard to do when the proper plans are laid.

-Transports. I understand and appreciate the attempt to make the Med more historical. Still, I do think that the double whammy of the new layout and the heavily reduced number of transports makes it a tad too hard for Italy to actually try something in the Med, resulting in more predictable games. About one more transport to give a little resilience would probably be an improvement. Or perhaps just a half-built transport in the Italian build queue.

-Crete was a tough fight, but it was won by the Germans, almost exclusively using Paratroops, despite the Allies having reinforced the island.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Crete

Given the game system, a same-turn airborne (or seaborne) invasion originating from Greece isn't really possible. Staging has to come from N Africa, further complicating the already strained logistics of the Italians.

Of course, this point is kind of moot, as the new Greece event makes taking Greece non-essential to the Axis.

[rjh1971]

ORIGINAL: Lebatron

ORIGINAL: rjh1971

Jesse I found out that when selecting japanese aircraft for kamikaze units I don't get any marks on the aircraft, making it kind of hard to really know which ones are kamikaze and which aren't. This is with v1.03 beta, I will install v1.03 when I finish my current pbem game.
Could you please check this out? Thanks

Rafael

Rafael, what I suggest you do when selecting Kamikazes is to uncheck Unit Nation Flags in preferences. Since most players, including myself, are now using this new option it makes the old method of displaying Kamikazes non-functional. This is a problem with all scenarios I believe. Not specific to Deluxe. Brian, if he is willing, would need to make some changes in the program to address this. In the mean time just toggle the option off when you need to, then turn it back on.

Thanks for the tip Jesse.

[Lebatron]

ORIGINAL: ram300

-Transports. I understand and appreciate the attempt to make the Med more historical. Still, I do think that the double whammy of the new layout and the heavily reduced number of transports makes it a tad too hard for Italy to actually try something in the Med, resulting in more predictable games. About one more transport to give a little resilience would probably be an improvement. Or perhaps just a half-built transport in the Italian build queue.

-Crete was a tough fight, but it was won by the Germans, almost exclusively using Paratroops, despite the Allies having reinforced the island.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Crete

Given the game system, a same-turn airborne (or seaborne) invasion originating from Greece isn't really possible. Staging has to come from N Africa, further complicating the already strained logistics of the Italians.

Of course, this point is kind of moot, as the new Greece event makes taking Greece non-essential to the Axis.

I have been on the fence about adding a half built Italian transport. If more feedback comes in asking for this then I will add one. So far, when I have played a strong Axis opponent, the Italians have done fine. In some cases Cairo fell.

Thanks for correcting me about Crete. I did not remember right. What come to mind was that Crete was the death of the German paratroop, and then my memory tricked me.

The changes to Crete and the event work together. I dropped the event requirement that Germany must take Greece or else, and replaced it with a real incentive to take Crete. The real incentive being the strong air position Crete offers the Axis. And yes staging the para in Africa for a same turn takeover of Greece and Crete is necessary. If the Med is going to be an Axis objective, then getting a para to Africa does not really strain the Italian fleet capacity that much, because they should have several transports by then. If Italy is not making transports then Cairo must not be an Axis objective that game. In any case, sparing 5 transport capacity to get a para to Africa for the eventual takeover of Crete does not cripple the Axis position in Africa as long as you do not move the para on a turn in which more important units must come first.

[Razz1]

How do I intall this patch?

Do you have to have 1.04 beta?

I can't find that download either?

[Lebatron]

This should help you out. It is cut right out of the Deluxe readme.

Installing Deluxe AWD
Are you using patch 1.040 or later? If not, get the update first before you continue. It's available for download from Matrix's members section. Register your game to get access to this special area.

Since Deluxe AWD uses a new map it will need to have its own separate install. You have two choices in making your second copy of AWD. The easiest is to copy the folder and rename it to whatever you like, example “Deluxe AWD.” Or you could install right from the CD, but make sure you rename the destination folder or you will just be overwriting the first copy.

Now that you have a fresh copy made patch it, if not already done. Next unzip the download and copy and paste the dat and manual folders right over the old ones. It's that simple. If you did it right, Windows should be asking you if you wish to overwrite. You can confirm a good install by comparison with this readme's pics.
As new patch's come out, it's likely that some data files will get overwritten. You must reapply Deluxe AWD after patching in order for it to function properly. I will follow up with updates to Deluxe AWD when a new patch makes it necessary.

Or more succinctly follow these steps and you can't go wrong.
1. Make a new copy of the game as described above.
2. Patch that copy.
3. Unzip the Deluxe mod.
4. Paste the Deluxe mod dat and manual folders over the old ones.

[ba8858]

Is there any patch later than 1.040?

[Lebatron]

The 1.040 beta from the members section is the latest. Brian may tweak this patch so we may see an official patch sometime soon.  

[rjh1971]

Hi Jesse,

In AWD Deluxe v1.03 your notes say that Vichy France will join Germany if Spain is attacked by the allies, this is just fine. But in one game I'm holding Spain was invaded by Germany after the fall of France and when the WA landed in Spain, allready and allied country, Vichy France joined Germany. Could an exception to this be made .
Imo if Spain is already at war with Germany and allied invasion to free her should not shift Vichy France towards Germany. VF should remain Neutral.

What do you think?

[Lebatron]

I think I can make an exception for this.

[Lebatron]

Here are a few updates I plan on doing for Deluxe 1.04.

Make a tweak to the suppression. I'm reducing the hit points of units to 900% of their durability. Before it was 1000%. As an example this means infantry hit points will drop from 40 to 36, and aircraft will drop from 30 to 27. This change will result in a few more units being damaged from suppression. This will have the most impact on Flak shooting at air.

I may add a strait to the Adriatic Sea.

Still considering whether to remove restriction that Russia be at war with Japan for A-bomb to work. It was an artificial means to deter Japan from attacking Russia, but the Axis double squeeze of Russia is not a super strat in Deluxe, so I believe it could be removed.

I placed a victory table on Greenland for easy reference.

[runyan99]

So, can you fortify Western France as part of the Vichy event?

[Lucky1]

Nice touch with Greenland. Always nice to have the reference info.

As I have mentioned elsewere in the forum, I am in very much in favour of eliminating the Russian war requirement for the A bomb to work. I also support the change to suppression!

[rjh1971]

ORIGINAL: Lebatron

I think I can make an exception for this.

Great [8D]

[Lebatron]

ORIGINAL: runyan99

So, can you fortify Western France as part of the Vichy event?

This new event allows the German player to fortify the defense of Southern France if Spain falls to the Allies and Vichy was still neutral at the time. If the Allies had earlier attacked Morocco, for instance, Vichy would already be fully Axis and this event will have no effect. However it's a nice event for Germany if the Allies ignored North Africa and went strait for the Iberian peninsula as their alternate D-day route.

[Lebatron]

Deluxe AWD has been updated to 1.04

This is a minor update with the changes listed below.

• [font="times new roman, serif"]Tweaked suppression formula so that unit hit points are 900% of durability(from 1000%)[/font]
• [font="times new roman, serif"]The leasing of the Azores will now take place when Spain is in Allied hands or still neutral [/font]
• [font="times new roman, serif"]If Germany attacks Spain while it is still neutral, this cancels the Vichy joins Germany event [/font]
• [font="times new roman, serif"]The Straits of Messina at Sicily now provides both narrows op-fire and straits movement[/font]
• [font="times new roman, serif"]Added a victory table on Greenland for easy reference[/font]
• [font="times new roman, serif"]Arsenal of Democracy will now build more Allied bombers[/font]