Modding Smaller Scenarios using DaBabes

[JWE]

Well, this is looking to be an exceptionally balanced scenario, all things considered. Just about done, only need some Brasso here and there. Definitely a BigBabes primer.

Transport ships are far and few between. Most of the x models are xAKLs, damn few xAKs and even fewer AKs. Players will have choice between moving supply, moving troops, or invading; there’s enough for one and a fraction.

Because the Allies get the Guad TransRon with a bunch of APs and AKs, and most of them were supposed to withdraw, for which there is no mechanism in the scenario, all Allied units arrive at Fiji, Tonga, or NZ (with no transport), so one must use those assets to go fetch them. That also uses lots of fuel and time, both of which are at a premium.

Japanese get some high value (very high value) AKs, for the October and November convoys, but that’s about it. Lose them and there ain’t jack else coming. Heck, there’s more cruisers in this scenario than AKs and biggish xAKs. So, as the Last Knight said, “one must choose wisely.”

Lots of Babes-type ships in this. YPs, YMSs, YOs, KPM coastals, CalTex TKLs, Gozans, Kujiras, Ku’dais, woof !! A veritable Spring of Don’s Babies extruding forth from the Winter loins of a ‘big ship – big gun’ experience.

There’s also Japanese shipping engineer units, port and anchorage units, all the stuff that a knowledgeable player can use to play Mr barge transport (hopefully better than Oka). Tons of hidden stuff that will reveal itself to a logistically smart player (if anybody got our DEI scen from the site, and got Jeremy’s white paper on it, this follows exactly).

HQs don’t have squat. Poop for Sup, AvSup, NavSup. An HQ is nothing but an Admiral, or a General and their staff. Just think US Federal Govt; they do nothing except consume supply and extend their influence. That is actually quite sufficient. There’s quite a few HQs, but they bring nothing to the party except influence; a good thing. HQs also allow for a creative restriction matrix; also a good thing.

There’s extremely few “real” Base Forces. I personally hate the AI cheats for type = BF, so got rid of the swine. Lots of things ‘called’’ BFs, but aren’t denoted as such in the DB. Thoughtful folks will see it.

Engineers are all over the map. Most Japanese engineers are ‘0’ or ‘4’, with some at ‘9’. Allied engineers are ‘4’ or ‘6’, with many at ‘10’ (and where WiTP gave you 48, Babes gives you 12). So forget everything you ever knew about building airfields. And everybody gets jack-all for AvSup. Your planes will wilt, they will wither, they will schlepp off to the boneyard. You will not have enough; you will not have enough, you will not have enough. Have fun !!

Made this as hard as I possibly could for both sides, given the constraints of the engine. Obviously had to give a teensy push to Japan in certain areas, but I think it’s working out as well as can be expected.

[Alfred]

JWE,

Are you sure this is Guadalcanal? The more you write it up, the more it seems like you are replicating Spartan doctrine and a battle from the Peloponesian War.[:)]

Alfred

[JWE]

Um Hmm. And ain't that just a darling of a scenario? You got Leo, with a bit more Spartans, and no Phocians. and the Athenians, with a bit more winkie and a bit less a$$ running the naval side, and poor ignorant, arrogant, godlike, Xerxes having to deal with Artaphernes and Mardonius? Woof !! But then Themistocles cleaned his clock, and off we go. Aristagorus would like you. Kinda think Memnon the younger would like you too. Hey, just think Xantippus and Tigranes at Mycale (479 BC, a wonderful year for olive oil).

[berto]

Really looking forward to the DaBabes Guadalcanal scenario.

Down the line, hoping against hope to see detailed, well-researched, grognardy DaBabes scenarios for all or any of these "sideshows":

• DEI 1942 [reissued]
• Papua/New Guinea 1942-1944
• Philippines 1942
• Philippines 1944-1945
• Burma 1942
• Burma 1944-1945

What are the prospects?

[dwg]

ORIGINAL: JWE

This is what our Solomons map looks like. Threw in Fauro Island between Pirumeri and Choiseul. The speck in the middle is Ballele. Also stuck Savo Island in there. Scenario will have the regular map and regular bases however.

Nice, I may try something similar, it's quite a subtle change, but adds to the game 'feeling' right. Areas like Guadalcanal and Bougainville, with extended campaigns in geographically quite constricted terrain are awkward for WITP AE's ground scale to map easily and still retain the tactical complexity of the environment.

Think Shortlands group went to Britain in 1899 as part of the Samoa swap thing. Germany kept Bougainville. Mr Wikiwonka has a map from 1911 showing the Shortlands group as part of the British area. Dividing line goes right through the Buin Straight. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map-K ... chipel.png

Seems right, and good catch on the 1911 map, I'd only found the more modern one with the Bougainville article. Weird to actually see Neu Pommern and Neu Mecklenburg on a map!

[JWE]

Couple dinky more bits of errata before this goes up on the site. As everybody knows, game doesn't work subs too well and, in a short scenario like this, sub deployment and withdrawal is simply not possible. So ...

7th SubRon is at Rabaul (5 boats), with Jingei, as it was. Then 3rd SubRon (6 boats), with an AS, is at Kwaj (with orders to support the SN-op). And that's it. SubDivs 1 and 3 from SubRon 8 (with Hie Maru) enter the game as reinforcements in Sept/Oct, and SubDiv 23 joins SubRon 7 in Dec/Jan. A gazillion others flowed in-and-out, but game can't deal with that, so what you get is an abstraction.

Same with Allies. Neither Christie nor English deployed their subs on a long-term basis. Christie had the the only tactical sub unit in SubDiv 201 (5 S-boats), his SubDiv 51 had other fish to fry. English's boats had strategic objectives, but SubDiv 43 was ordered to patrol around Truk and the Marshalls during the Watchtower operation. A gazillion others flowed in-and-out, but game can't deal with that, so what you get is an abstraction.

Japanese have a few more subs than the Allies: but they have more straightened support. Japan has 3 sub bases; Truk, Rabaul, and Kwaj. Those are the places where there's enuf NavSup and an AS to reload/service their SubDivs. Allies have the same hit, but there's some bigger ports in OZ that can do yeoman duty.

A bit o' this, a bit o' that, and life becomes a thought process, yeah?

[JWE]

ORIGINAL: berto
What are the prospects?

Think we might re-release the DEI Scen using the stuff discovered during Guad development. However, that will be a PBEM only, and only for players that understand the BigBabes concept. It is NOT a scenario for the nominal WiTP/AE player. Have a 41/42 PI scenario, but the same caveats apply, only more so.