Autumn Fog Playtesters Thread

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the mini-movie for turns 11 - 20:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the mini-movie for turns 21- 25:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the mini-movie for turns 31 - 40:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the next installment of AARs.  This one is for turns 41 through 45:

http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/12/14 ... 1 - 45.zip

I'm beginning to wonder if anything further can be gained from this playtest.  But I do kind of itch to clear the map of Allied forces.

[sPzAbt653]

Run the Map ! I always think this is kind of the ultimate goal. Then you can withdraw your formations to the Eastern Front and sit back on the defensive in the West while the Allied coalition falls apart ! Zieg Heil !

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the AAR collection of turns from 46 through 50:

http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/12/14 ... 6 - 50.zip

I'm thinking this game might be done with by turn 60 or so. And I'm including some SAL files also.

[sPzAbt653]

I'm thinking this game might be done with by turn 60 or so.

I agree you should go to turn 60 or so, just to withdraw the units you get TO's for to see if anything developes. It might also be interesting to not withdraw the units to the East Front and see if you end up loosing by VP's. You can probably save it at turn 50 so that either one of us could spend the time playing it out either way to see what the result is. [&o]

[larryfulkerson]

Um......I'm already past turn 50.......and here's an interesting bit of Autumn Fog trivia.........I don't remember seeing the news blurb that announced that some Panzers needed to head east.  Well, I did see the news blurb for the 6th Panzer but not for any of the others.  And then the next thing I see is this:

So the next thing I'm thinking is that I've "paid for" the use of the Panzers so unless there's a penalty levied each turn I'm thinking I may as well just keep the Panzers and use them.

[sPzAbt653]

I don't remember seeing the news blurb that announced that some Panzers needed to head east.

You got the news. Because it is all explained in the breifing, I didn't want to waste a lot of space trying to reiterate the situation in the news lines. Instead, I gave a hint.

You are correct that you paid for the use of the panzers, and if you have accumulated enough victory points, you may survive the +10 to the Allied side that will happen each turn for each formation that you keep away from the East Front !

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the last installment of AARs for game 2.  It's for turns 51 thru 60.  I declare this game finished even though there's just one more Allied unit to destroy.  I have no doubt that I'll get him eventually.

http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/12/14 ... 1 - 60.zip

Next stop is game 3 where we playtest the new version ( 7.0 ) of Autumn Fog for the change to the German PO.  Stay tuned for news.

[larryfulkerson]

I had planned on trying to play a PBEM game ( both sides ) and let the GERMAN PO play the german side but NOOoooooo.  The PO mode is disabled for PBEM play evidently.  So I'll have to hot-seat it again.  No biggie.

[larryfulkerson]

I started game 3:  a playtest of the Autumn Fog version 7.0+ changes to the German PO.

Here's the first 5 AARs:

http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/12/14 ... 1 - 5.zip

Here's the mini-map view of the moves for the first 7 turns.

[murphstein]

A final point on the airfield attacks -- Elmer is raiding airfields at night, but only with his night fighters.

The nit about garrison mode AA units is that, for the Rhine bridge-protection units, once they're bombed and "dug out" there's no way to put them back into a defending mode (no digging in or TR option). I suspect that's not something that's easy to fix, given how garrison mode works.

I'm past T50 as the Axis against Elmer and mopping up the far side of the Meuse before going after Patton; but don't know how to withdraw the SS/HG/GD Panzers manually, to send them East... ;-(

Disbanding doesn't seem to be the right choice. Do I have to drive them to an east-edge supply point and do something special? I've got some bridge repair units back there, sitting on supply points and ready to fix bombed Rhine rail crossings, but their right-click menus don't show any useful choices.

The 10VP-per-formation-per-turn "panzer penalties" start with T52, which is also when I get the TOs to withdraw them that way; just curious now, since most of them have been sitting around drawing supplies and drinking beer for several turns around Liege.

[sPzAbt653]

Elmer is raiding airfields at night, but only with his night fighters.

Neat, Elmer is smart after all.

The nit about garrison mode AA units is that, for the Rhine bridge-protection units, once they're bombed and "dug out" there's no way to put them back into a defending mode (no digging in or TR option).

Yes, I've mentioned this in the past. It seems like instead of losing status, they maybe should go into reorg. Just my opinion.

... how to withdraw the SS/HG/GD Panzers manually, ... I get the TOs to withdraw them ...

Um, you pick the TO to withdraw the formation. Either I or you are missing something simple here, lol.

[murphstein]

OK, I get told (like back on T40) that the Panzers are needed in the East. OK, being a good German, I follow my orders.

By T48, I've disengaged them all, have them rested and resupplied, and have them sitting in cities with good rail connections to my east-edge supply points.

I could ORDER them to withdraw during any turn from about 48 to 52, before the TOs becoming active and before I get dinged 100 points for NOT having withdrawn them.

Instead, I leave them swilling beer until the TOs become available, which is AFTER the penalties have been assessed for the first time. OK, so it's only 100 points, no big deal.

But my question is this: Is there a way to "withdraw" units prior to the TOs becoming active? Tiller's ACW games make you move to a map edge on a road and then gives you a new menu option to do this...

I've read that "disbanding" is not at all same thing... and god forbid I should cheat Elmer by putting all those tanks back in my replacements pool...

Plus I suspect if I disbanded those divisions ahead of the TOs, I'd get penalized every turn for NOT having them available to withdraw...

dpm

[sPzAbt653]

I get told (like back on T40) that the Panzers are needed in the East.

Actually on turn 43-47. I feel that before any withdrawal of forces there should be a warning.

By T48, I've disengaged them all, have them rested and resupplied, and have them sitting in cities with good rail connections to my east-edge supply points.

I could ORDER them to withdraw during any turn from about 48 to 52, before the TOs becoming active and before I get dinged 100 points for NOT having withdrawn them.

Instead, I leave them swilling beer until the TOs become available, which is AFTER the penalties have been assessed for the first time. OK, so it's only 100 points, no big deal.

Oh yes, the VP penalties start the same turn that the Theater Options appear. Good catch, I will fix that. But there is no need to disengage, rest, resupply, nor sit in cities on rail lines. I don't know where you get these ideas from.

Is there a way to "withdraw" units prior to the TOs becoming active?

No. But you can certainly move them out of the line before the TO's, as I think most players would. The whole point is to avoid the surprise of VI SS Pz Armee disappearing off the map with no warning.

Tiller's ACW games make you move to a map edge on a road and then gives you a new menu option to do this...

Sorry, but I have to state the obvious here - this isn't Tiller's ACW, and nobody ever said it was.

I've read that "disbanding" is not at all same thing... and god forbid I should cheat Elmer by putting all those tanks back in my replacements pool...

Plus I suspect if I disbanded those divisions ahead of the TOs, I'd get penalized every turn for NOT having them available to withdraw...

I feel that you have overthought the withdrawal aspects in this scenario, but not put enough thought to the option of disbanding the units. If you disband those units they will all go into the reconstitution que, therefore sucking up all of their own disbanded equipment. Their location off map does not preclude them from being withdrawn by the TO's.

A gamey player may consider themselves quite smart by disbanding all those units on turn 51, then withdrawing them by TO on turn 52. I say go for it if it makes you feel good.

[murphstein]

Thanks for the info. Not complaining, and enjoying the solitaire game play immensely. I just figured, in my ignorance, I had missed something fundamental, like a Withdraw Unit menu option somewhere.

[sPzAbt653]

... enjoying the solitaire game play immensely.

Glad to here that, as several of us put a lot of time into making the PO decent. Thanks again for the comments.