Stauffenberg's Scenario Archive

[Panama]

Does anyone know when the last time this page at RD was updated? Most of the scenarios by D. McBride say coming soon. Has he abandoned them? Would be sad if so.

[Andriko]

I heard he pulled them all from circulation, no idea why he would have done that though.

[golden delicious]

See number 60 on the RD news page;

I am delayed in putting my page back up as there are certain issues in TOAW III that I am playtesting to see if I can resolve. Specifically: the enhanced difficulty in knocking entrenched units out of entrenchments; the difficulty in eliminating ants; the increased difficulty in overrunning said ants--all have me examining different values before putting my work back up as previous play-balance achieved in the ACOW scenarios seems to be off. --Stauffenberg
Jun, 30th 2008

Before III came out I believe this particular designer had lost interest in TOAW, and I suspect that this may be the case again. Unless he materialises to contradict me, don't hold your breath.

[Panama]

Thanks. I got my hands on a couple of the previous versions of some of the scenarios. I'm wondering if those concerns he mentioned have been addressed.

[Menschenfresser]

A year or two ago Daniel had a bunch of us playtesting new versions of several of scenarios. Quite out of the blue, he called off all playtesting and the revised scenarios never materialized. IIRC, the issues in the quote above were the exact reasons given for halting the playtests. I believed the issues were most evident in Gotterdammerung im Osten.

[dicke bertha]

ORIGINAL: Panama

...I'm wondering if those concerns he mentioned have been addressed.

I am wondering the same. I had the pleasure of being one of the playtesters, playing GiO with him, a scenario I know well from ACOW, one of the finest scenarios (no longer) available IMO. And I can testify that the very effects GD quote him on were very truly happening in our playtest. I don't know much more what's happened since, and won't speculate about his contacts with the development team in this respect. I find it extremely sad that such a fine developer of TOAW scenarios has withdrawn his works. Maybe someone from the development team knows more about the situation?

Due to a comp crash, I no longer have GiO. If anyone has it, please send to treska55 (at) gmail com. Much appreciated.

[dicke bertha]

ORIGINAL: Menschenfresser

...I believed the issues were most evident in Gotterdammerung im Osten.

Yeah, some scary stuff, battered StuG battallions refusing to yield to massed attacks by more than one mechanised corps late in the turn, open ground and sunshine after the usual red army infantry heroic death in piles. I'd say the signs were already there in ACOW (recon and armoured AT way too reslient), but in TOAW3 really it became too much. Something major off in the engine's battle algorithms. Not only impossible to budge, but the more you put in, the better the odds, the greater the losses.

[golden delicious]

ORIGINAL: dicke bertha

Yeah, some scary stuff, battered StuG battallions refusing to yield to massed attacks by more than one mechanised corps late in the turn, open ground and sunshine after the usual red army infantry heroic death in piles. I'd say the signs were already there in ACOW (recon and armoured AT way too reslient), but in TOAW3 really it became too much. Something major off in the engine's battle algorithms. Not only impossible to budge, but the more you put in, the better the odds, the greater the losses.

As you note, armoured ants were already a problem in COW- especially when they have high unit proficiencies, which as I recall are quite prevalent on the German side in Daniel's scenarios. I don't think the AT combat system was directly changed so until I see some test results from both versions I remain unconvinced.

[golden delicious]

ORIGINAL: dicke bertha

Maybe someone from the development team knows more about the situation?

It was discussed at the time and I think some changes may have been looked at but there has been no patch release since Daniel's comments.

[stauffenberg]

Hi Mensch and all.

I'm back at it, 50+ hours into Berlin GiO playing with ver 3.4.0.115. There have been other updates from Ralph since this but I am staying with this obviously after this much time put into this test. Ralph has included a few ideas of mine I suggested trying and they are working out very well indeed:

--designer event editor adjustment of ZOC costs +/- in enemy ZOCs to get things moving with breakthroughs, slowed down in other adverse situations
--radically reduced ability of units to just dig in overnight
--greatly improved bombardment dynamics with air strikes and artillery on dug in units, artillery in particular. This last item had my previous playtests totally derailed and I stopped them as it was obvious it either had to be corrected or the values in the scenarios changed. I didn't have the time since then to redo the scenarios and suspected a patch might solve this down the road.

I'm still very much a TOAW fan and am currently working on Brauschweig with a completely redone OB, extended map, and a blank field of events

Good to see its still alive in here and sorry for the delay with posting on my page. I simply didn't have anything to do until the program issues were dealt with. Ralph is doing a fine job of it and the ZOC event addition is a dream come true for this scenario designer.

Best,

Daniel

[golden delicious]

That blows all my speculation out of the water...

Anyway, a reassuring sense of familiarity to see you're still aroud in the TOAW world. Thanks for the update.

[L`zard]

LOL!

Just shows that One needs to be careful of what One wishes for!

[8|]

[stauffenberg]

The good news first: it's in the mail.
The bad news: if anyone else wants it they have to email you.

It's a test version in any case although at turn 28 it seems to be going pretty well.

Daniel

[stauffenberg]

That last was for Dicke Bertha--forgot the quote. And hi Ben.

D.

[L`zard]

ORIGINAL: stauffenberg

The good news first: it's in the mail.
The bad news: if anyone else wants it they have to email you.

It's a test version in any case although at turn 28 it seems to be going pretty well.

Daniel

No problem, Big Guy!

[:D]

[dicke bertha]

Many thanks, good to hear this, then we'll just have to hope for the patch to be out soon!

[Menschenfresser]

Mensch stares up into the dark, ominous sky and screams, "It's alive!"

Good to see you're still around and participating. Like Ben says, feels more like home when the old faces pop in for a visit.

[Olorin]

Great news!

I encountered said armoured ant problems in a DnO game against Fungwu and we have made a thread about it in the gamesquad forum. I am very happy that it's going to be resolved with the patch! What else to wish for? Maybe a new DnO version!!!

[stauffenberg]

ORIGINAL: Olorin

Great news!

I encountered said armoured ant problems in a DnO game against Fungwu and we have made a thread about it in the gamesquad forum. I am very happy that it's going to be resolved with the patch! What else to wish for? Maybe a new DnO version!!!

Funny you should mention that. I am currently working on it, basically a large expansion of my Braunschweig effort. The main features:

Drang nach Osten 1942 - The Last Blitzkrieg

5 km/ half-week turn; regiment/division level.
May 17th 1942 to February 1943.
Map from Kursk to Baku, Volga to Crimea. Huge and quite detailed.

Scenario starts with Soviets commited in the Izyum bulge, Manstein moving to Sevastopol after victory at Kerch.
Large range of variables both sides--this is not Plan Blue, although a theatre option will allow a strictly historical model to be played out. Far more wide open than Blue although it is still a southern front offensive for the Germans in '42--no assault on Moscow.
Status:
map done, Axis OB done, Soviet OB over half done with a huge assist from Pavel Voylov, which means a near complete array of accurate Soviet sub-units.
I'm applying many new features that Ralph has put in the program, in particular altering ZOC costs at various junctures.
Initial playtests in a month or two.

I'll be posting updates and information at RD.

D.

[jbunnelle]

Ah, so glad to see the mighty have returned to roost.  LOL  Looking forward to the revamps.