TGW v1.8 playtest

[larryfulkerson]

Steve Sill and I have been working on a smaller more simple replacement for FITE and FITE2 based on the old
classic scenario Barbarosa '41. We've been posting our AAR on the beta development forum but I discovered that
I could edit it with 3.4.0.202 so it's doable for the public forum too. So I'll do an AAR about my playtest here instead. Please
feel free to post your observations and questions......I need some fresh eyes sometimes to see the obvious.

Here's the opening screen:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the starting positions for everybody. I'm planning on putting a light screen up around the Leningrad area and concentrating
on the Moscow area and playing it by ear in the south. I've been through the first 40 turns about a dozen times now so it's becoming
second nature for me.

[larryfulkerson]

I was moving a unit just now and it got intercepted by Soviet aircraft so I did a save game and then did an end turn and stopped the
Soviet movement to check the Soviet aircraft and found the greatest majority of them on rest but there were several squadrons
that were set to INT. I didn't change anything, I was just checking.

[larryfulkerson]

By the way Steve and I are looking a a few good playtesters who want to play with this scenario. I've attached it below
in case you wanted to download it and look it over, maybe move some units around. Just rename the file by truncating
the dot txt off the end so it's a zip file.

EDIT: Steve just sent me the change list for v 1.1 ( which is what this copy is ). :

for v1.1:
changed weather from 'moderate' to 'light' precipitation to try and get no mud on the opening turns.
changed some German Artillery units to arrive later [the ones with no tubes until Soviet equipment is captured].
adjusted Soviet Air Shock because plane losses were too light.
Added events for Soviet early loss of key cities. If Leningrad, Moscow or Stalingrad are captured by turn 17, Soviet
replacements are reduced [for each location captured].
Axis suffers mild shock reduction during winter months [lowered Axis Shock each winter from 101 to 99].
Removed early PzJg Abt's, added PzJg 1's to Mot Div's, increased AT Gun replacements.
Removed Volkssturm until later in the scenario.

Along with other assorted minor bug fixes.

[larryfulkerson]

Note to Steve:

Is it possible to have the engineers be the first thing that moves in a formation? Also, can the arty move earlier, say before the INF?
I'd like to have all the ancillary units move before the INF does because the ancillary stuff only does support tasks and the INF is
necessarily put where they need to go, usually the last thing that moves. In my play style at least. I like to move the arty first and
then move the inf to positions where they can be under the arty umbrella. It's not always possible to get the arty into the correct
position and I hate to move INF without an arty umbrella. Also, I've discovered that it's advantageous to have some air cover for
moving units ( AS missions ).

Also, the version of the game engine I'm using ( 3.6.0.88 ) has the intercepters intercepted by enemy
intercepters dropping off-line afterwards. In other words, suppose the Soviet unit starts moving and the Axis fighters flying INT
missions intercept. Then when the Axis fighters launch and intercept the Soviet unit moving sometimes the Soviets launch fighters
to tangle with the Axis fighters and it starts to get complicated but after the furball those Soviet fighters that launched sometimes
end up on rest status. And they have to be manually reset to AS after the furball. So after every unit that moves that was
intercepted I have to look at my fighters and put them back on AS missions.

[sPzAbt653]

I will move the Engineer and Artillery in front of the Inf in the OOB.

This was put together with 3.4.202, so I would suggest using that. However, I think the same Interceptor activity happens in either version. For example, move a unit, or suffer disengagement, or have combats, and some air units may go on rest [with 3.4]. So I always hit the 'A' button on the keyboard to view the air report after hearing the plane noises, just to make sure. It's tedious, but the other choice would be for all air units to not go on rest, which would mean you would have to check and correct even more, I think.

Maybe in the future if there is a graphics/UI change, there might be an Air Report box in one of the margins. [&o]

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Kiev area in T2. I'm getting a handle on the situation and everything is in the green and progress is being made.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Riga area in T2. Movement is to the upper right. I reached Riga with the armour in T1 but there was
a turn burn somewhere and I only got one combat round in T1. D'oh. But I'm recovering from that little set back
and trying to make up the gap in the schedule.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's how the air war is going right now. The carnage started in T1 and hasn't let up yet.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the entire front lines in T2 round 2. I had the good fortune to create a large pocket of Soviet stuff down south. I hope to
create another large pocket as well to the east of there. I'd like to get the Panzers on the east side of the river to block all the
river crossings so I can trap a lot of that Soviet stuff on the west side of the river. That's the goal.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T3 Pskov area. Pushing forward still. Bypassing some Soviet equipment to get a lead on terrain gained.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the front lines in T4.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Kiev area in T5. I'm advancing on the Soviet positions squeezing them against the river and it looks like they are
converging on Kiev itself. I'm hoping I can capture that bad boy to trap all that Soviet stuff on the west side of the river.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a view of the situation to the south of the image above, the Odessa area is this one. I'm pressing the Soviets
and they are backing up and giving way. The units on the west did mop up and now they are to merge to the east
to defeat the Soviet defenders of Kiev.

[larryfulkerson]

Odessa finally fell in T7. Progress is being made.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Kiev area in T8. I'm still mopping up on the west side of the river....now I need to get some troops on the east side
and pursue.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the front lines in T9:

[larryfulkerson]

I finally captured Kiev in T10. Now the race on the east side of the river starts. I've gotten several river crossings and my
troops are pouring across them. I'm trying to trap the Soviets on the east side of the river without having to chase them and
a lot of them are getting away. I'm going to have to start some open field running to try to catch them.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's Leningrad now in T11. Still haven't got the city but the advance is advancing slowly pushing the Soviets back a hex
at a time. I'm thinking some more people would help im-mesureably. Just a hand-ful of divisions could be in the city already.
I'm going to have to see if I can't find some people to send up here.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Kiev area in T11. I'm getting through the gaps in the Soviet line and surrounding and destroying the initial defenders
and now I'm after the second line in several places. The Soviets are being pushed back and are giving way and the advance
is advancing.