Historical Map & ORBAT Mod

[aspqrz02]

I have progressed a great deal in work on the Historical Map Mod plus ORBAT (Order of Battle) Mod and the relevant files can be found at ...

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ksc7wt7neukt ... bnvQa?dl=0

Updated 11:35 AEDST 7 JAN 19

There is a separate file for just the Map Mod and for the Map Mod + ORBAT mod as well as a text file with extensive notes on why things have been changed the way I have.

Note - there are a LOT more units at start for all countries except, I think, the Netherlands, A LOT MORE.

In many cases they are under, and possibly WELL under, full strength ... this may be because, while constituent units were at full strength, not all of the required units were present (so, for example, a LIC with only 2 instead of 3 divisions or a Mechanised Corps likewise) but, in some cases, it is because the understrength units represent pre-mobilisation status.

I haven't done anything with the AI scripts yet, as some of them need to be changed to reflect historical or physical reality.

Nor have I playtested the scenario ... except for Germany vs Poland, which doesn't change ... quick German victory for a marginally competent German player.

I am thinking that I should require an actual Russian invasion of the Baltics rather than an automatic surrender ... and the change in the latest patch to prevent Baltic partisans will go, as long as I can make the Partisans anti-Soviet. Likewise, I am considering forcing the Russians to attack Finland instead of awarding them the borderlands automatically, if I can figure out how to prevent them conquering the whole of the country and force them to stop at the historical border gains.

I am mulling as to whether to have a separate Slovak state in 1939, Axis Allied, as this was the historical state of affairs ...

I am ALSO mulling the possibility of starting WW2 in March 1939 when the Germans occupied rump Czechoslovakia ... at least the the extent of having Czech forces on the map and requiring the Germans to beat up on them AND having France and the UK mobilise for a war footing as a result ... there would be room form possible Russian intervention at this point AND for the Russians to offer some sort of treaty with some of the Balkan states that would act as a trigger for an earlier Russo-German wr and an (even smaller) possibility for some sort of Russo-Polish Pact.

Hey, why should the Germans have all the 'I'm not Hitler, I won't make the same mistakes' moments? Give the Allied player a 'I'm not an Appeaser, I won't make the same mistakes' chance as well!

I'm also very suspicious of the triggers resulting from a possible Allied invasion of Norway *increasing* the chance of Spain going Axis, and even more suspicious of it affecting Portuguese chances ditto.

As another option in the 'I'm not an appeaser, I won't make the same mistakes' I am considering some possible changes in the Iberian peninsula ...

The possibility that the Republic hangs on longer ... maybe they don't undertake the Battle of the Ebro and by March 1939 (in the 'Czechoslovak Rump still exists' trigger) they are still in the field when the Allies declare war ... which forces the Allies to split their attention between the Western Front and the Iberian front!

Anyway, that's how things stand at the moment ... any questions, criticisms or ideas are welcome.

Phil McGregor

[PanzerMike]

Wow, impressive. The number of units is...huge!

[aspqrz02]

All based on the Niehorster OOBs available online ... though the positioning isn't always exactly given.

One of the reasons some of the gamey exploits are possible ... like Sealion, for example, is simply because the Germans are given more at start units at full strength than the Neutrals and Allies, even in comparison to what they actually had.

I think the Germans will still be able to do what they did historically, but, believe me, they'll have to work *hard* for it ... which is as it should be.

Phil McGregor

[gwgardner]

Really interesting mod. I'm thinking about testing it against the AI or even PBEM. Would that be useful, or better to wait till you've made the further changes you're considering?

[gwgardner]

If you prefer this thread not be cluttered with playtest comments, I'll clear out the following posts.

Did I set up the mod correctly?

1) in the mygames/warplan/campaigns folder, made a copy of the 1939 Campaign folder, and renamed it 1939 Orbat Mod.
2) copied the .scn file to the campaigns folder

Seemed to work, although I don't know why, since I didn't copy any new files over to the new folder. I guess the .scn file is used by the game to override the default files?

Anyway, I then started a hotseat game and noted the following supply issues:

[gwgardner]

...

[gwgardner]

German units in East Prussia seem to be in supply. Not sure why they get a notification that they are in 'basic supply,' and in the reports get a 'in port basic supply.' First turn all German units there get that message, turns 2 and 3 only the three units shown get it.

[aspqrz02]

Setup: I presume so. The map file is in the ...

C: Users: YourName: Documents: MyGames: WarPlan: Campaigns

... folder of my computer.

The .scn files are just in the folder itself with all the .scn files. There are, however, two sub folders "1939 Map Only Mod" and "1939 ORBAT Mod" both of which are currently empty ... unlike the other sub folders which have a variety of text files for various things ... I will have to get around to the latter.

I have moved the offending Russian unit NE of Lake Ladoga.

Phil McGregor

[aspqrz02]

It took me a while to work out what the problem with the Shetlands was ... and it was simple ... I hadn't set CONTROL ... it had to be set (of course) to the UK and, voila, all is now good!

Phil McGregor

[aspqrz02]

As long as they're IN supply ... you really shouldn't be attacking with those three Divisions ... they're actually Border Guards ... and so their supply status shouldn't be a problem.

I will upload the changed map files 'real soon now'.

Phil McGregor

[gwgardner]

ORIGINAL: aspqrz02

Setup: I presume so. The map file is in the ...

C: Users: YourName: Documents: MyGames: WarPlan: Campaigns

... folder of my computer.

What is the name of the map file(s)? The download from your dropbox folder has the two .scn files, but no map files. But when I load the scenario there's your map. I obviously don't understand what's going on with these Warplan scenario files. Is the map within the .scn file?

[aspqrz02]

ORIGINAL: gwgardner
What is the name of the map file(s)? The download from your dropbox folder has the two .scn files, but no map files. But when I load the scenario there's your map. I obviously don't understand what's going on with these Warplan scenario files. Is the map within the .scn file?

The .scn file INCLUDES the map and any units placed on it. In a sense it IS the map file ...

Phil McGregor

[IslandInland]

ORIGINAL: aspqrz02

I have progressed a great deal in work on the Historical Map Mod plus ORBAT (Order of Battle) Mod and the relevant files can be found at ...

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ksc7wt7neukt ... bnvQa?dl=0

Updated 11:35 AEDST 7 JAN 19

There is a separate file for just the Map Mod and for the Map Mod + ORBAT mod as well as a text file with extensive notes on why things have been changed the way I have.

Note - there are a LOT more units at start for all countries except, I think, the Netherlands, A LOT MORE.

In many cases they are under, and possibly WELL under, full strength ... this may be because, while constituent units were at full strength, not all of the required units were present (so, for example, a LIC with only 2 instead of 3 divisions or a Mechanised Corps likewise) but, in some cases, it is because the understrength units represent pre-mobilisation status.

I haven't done anything with the AI scripts yet, as some of them need to be changed to reflect historical or physical reality.

Nor have I playtested the scenario ... except for Germany vs Poland, which doesn't change ... quick German victory for a marginally competent German player.

I am thinking that I should require an actual Russian invasion of the Baltics rather than an automatic surrender ... and the change in the latest patch to prevent Baltic partisans will go, as long as I can make the Partisans anti-Soviet. Likewise, I am considering forcing the Russians to attack Finland instead of awarding them the borderlands automatically, if I can figure out how to prevent them conquering the whole of the country and force them to stop at the historical border gains.

I am mulling as to whether to have a separate Slovak state in 1939, Axis Allied, as this was the historical state of affairs ...

I am ALSO mulling the possibility of starting WW2 in March 1939 when the Germans occupied rump Czechoslovakia ... at least the the extent of having Czech forces on the map and requiring the Germans to beat up on them AND having France and the UK mobilise for a war footing as a result ... there would be room form possible Russian intervention at this point AND for the Russians to offer some sort of treaty with some of the Balkan states that would act as a trigger for an earlier Russo-German wr and an (even smaller) possibility for some sort of Russo-Polish Pact.

Hey, why should the Germans have all the 'I'm not Hitler, I won't make the same mistakes' moments? Give the Allied player a 'I'm not an Appeaser, I won't make the same mistakes' chance as well!

I'm also very suspicious of the triggers resulting from a possible Allied invasion of Norway *increasing* the chance of Spain going Axis, and even more suspicious of it affecting Portuguese chances ditto.

As another option in the 'I'm not an appeaser, I won't make the same mistakes' I am considering some possible changes in the Iberian peninsula ...

The possibility that the Republic hangs on longer ... maybe they don't undertake the Battle of the Ebro and by March 1939 (in the 'Czechoslovak Rump still exists' trigger) they are still in the field when the Allies declare war ... which forces the Allies to split their attention between the Western Front and the Iberian front!

Anyway, that's how things stand at the moment ... any questions, criticisms or ideas are welcome.

Phil McGregor

Thanks for the mod. Can you explain where I place the files in the WarPlan folder structure?

[aspqrz02]

Place the .scn files in

C: Users: YourName: Documents: MyGames: WarPlan: Campaigns

... folder of your computer.

They should appear in the Scenario List when you start the game. If they don't you *may* need to create an empty subfolder with the same name for each of them in the above directory (i.e. Campaigns), but I think those are automatically created when you open them for the first time.

The subfolders would normally contain the ai and other instructions, but these haven't been done for these scenarios yet.

Phil McGregor

[Zovs]

When will you update this scenario to correspond to the new 1.05 changes?

Thanks.

[aspqrz02]

Many of them will apply to the scenario because they are part of the overall engine, I believe.

Those that aren't, and which are part of the ai which may (or may not) be in the named scenario folder which, for the moment, is blank in my two scenarios will, well, not be implemented until I get around to working on the ai.

Some of these will NOT be implemented automatically, for example the location of the Persian road/rail hexes to be converted (they were in the wrong place originally, I will have to check and see if they still are) and the Baltic partisan preventing control changes (if they prevent anti-SOVIET partisans, they're wrong, for example ... )

This is a long term (read: SLOW) project that I am working on in my copious free time while writing a fourth book for my Kickstarter project ... I don't have the time (or skills) that Alvaro has!

Phil McGregor

[IslandInland]

ORIGINAL: aspqrz02

Place the .scn files in

C: Users: YourName: Documents: MyGames: WarPlan: Campaigns

... folder of your computer.

They should appear in the Scenario List when you start the game. If they don't you *may* need to create an empty subfolder with the same name for each of them in the above directory (i.e. Campaigns), but I think those are automatically created when you open them for the first time.

The subfolders would normally contain the ai and other instructions, but these haven't been done for these scenarios yet.

Phil McGregor

Thank you.

[Rosseau]

Thanks for this mod. It shows what can be done with the vanilla game if sufficiently motivated! I have tweaked a few things like Partisans and will play Axis vs. the AI to see how the scripts hold up. Again, greatly appreciated.

(I do like how in one vanilla game, the Axis AI overran Spain (and Gibraltar), creating a real problem for the Allies.)

[aspqrz02]

You won't be overrunning Spain or taking Gibraltar in THIS reality ... not unless you forego Barbarossa, and, realistically, probably not even then.

Even the Germans were pretty sure it couldn't be done, realistically - read up on Operation Felix.

Phil McGregor

[Lascar]

Thank you for your efforts in creating this mod. It is an impressive piece of work, looking forward to using it as the standard scenario for playing War Plan.

Adding the additional resource locations is a nice touch too. I noticed that neither
the original scenario or this mod has the Petsamo nickle mine on the map. The Germans
considered it to be an important resource as nickle was a vital alloy for manufacturing high
quality steel. The Germans committed three corps for the defense of northern Finland, both for defending the nickel mine (rare metals) and northern Norway.