Meuse v3.52 for TLD - Released!

[Tejszd]

THE MOD:

On May 10 1940 the Germans attacked in the West. The plan was to pretend to follow the same route as WW1 which the Allies anticipated so they rushed North West but the real attack was coming through the Ardennes forest to cut off those Allied divisions off from the rest of France. After the forest the only natural barrier left was the Meuse river. As the Allies can you hold the Meuse river and as the Germans can you repeat history with a Meuse Crossing?

BACKGROUND:

The original mod team for Meuse Crossing consisted of Luer and Moloch who worked on this CC5 mod from January to May 2001. Luer was responsible for the data changes, with a bit of graphics and historic research, while Moloch handled the rest. The mod was last updated by original mod team in November 2001 with version 2.0 being released.

Both mod makers names have appeared together and individually on other mods; Afrika mod for CC3, Winter War for CC4, Finland Mod for CC3, PanzerJager mod for CC3, Real Romanians for CC3, etc. . Unfortunately the constraints of real life and time maybe taking away some of the enthusiasm for CC have made these two mod makers less active the last couple of years…. To the mod team, thank you for breaking new ground with this mod (the first for CC5) and all the extra hours of game play you added!

As a fan of CC and their mod, I asked them if I could address some of the issues that existed with the last version they did v2.0 and got the okay to keep updating the mod. I have made several releases/updates to the mod for CC5 before working to convert the mod to TLD/WAR.

The conversion to TLD/WAR involved fixing past data/graphic issues that still persisted, taking advantage of the new features and replacing all the original CC5 maps that were used in the mod. This work has now been completed.

A big thanks to Cathartes, Nembo, Mafi and Shrecken for the help, testing and tools. While An extra special thanks to Q.M and Southerland who worked to replace all the CC5 maps previously used by the mod!

Here is a link to a v3.5 AAR; tm.asp?m=3092393&mpage=1&key=�

CHANGES IN v3.52 - Oct. 2020:

1) Added 1 German air supply drop per day (Campaign.txt). Historically neither side did this but the German's with air supiority could have.
2) Added 2eDCR strat BGicon (ScrnGadg.gdg). Note: it is not used in any Battle, Op or Campaign at this time
3) Added leaves around trees on Maubeuge and Namur
4) Added missing trees on Mons (Hyon)
5) Adjusted air/artillery support quantity slightly up for the Germans and down for the French and reduced offboard artillery strength slightly down
6) Changed Montherme map, the military equipment West of town are now small bunkers
7) Changed to TLD v5.50.32 CCResourceDLL.dll to get the new Options Scale Front End, Scale UI, etc. available when running the mod.
8) Changed the strat layer graphics to properly show Vresse and Sugny connecting
9) Converted the CC5 Meuse intro videos from .avi to .wmv so they work on Windows 10/TLD

10) Updated the North Campaign;
- Changed the French supply depot to small and put it on Marbaix instead of Berlaimont
- Changed the Germans from Limited to Full Supply
- Removed 32/gbc518 as it is in the Center Campaign
History: May 12 the Germans 5Pz arrives at Houx and finds the bridges blown. Next day they find a dam to the South that allows them to cross. On May 13 the Germans 7Pz arrives at Dinant and finds the bridge blown. To the North of the city they find a way to cross. On May 17, early in the morning, the 7Pz takes Marbaix and the 5Pz is just NW of Berlaimont.

11) Updated the Center Campaign;
- Added Givet map with the GE 4/32 ID vs FR 62/22 ID
- Changed start date/time to May 13 16:00 Montherme GE 4/6Pz vs FR 82/102d (s/b 42 but its not in the mod)
- Changed French depot to small and weather to Historical
- Removed Berlaimont, Marbaix and Avesnes
History: On May 13 the Germans 6Pz reached Montherme and attacked across the river at 16:00 capturing the town by evening. They could not break out of the area though until the morning of May 15 but then by evening that day they had reached Montcornet. The GE 4/32 ID reached Givet on May 13 late in the day and next morning crossed the river North and South of the city. On the morning of May 15, 1940 Givet was captured by the IR 94/32 ID.

12) Updated the South Campaign;
- Changed Bucy (French supply) map from nuetral to French and weather to Historical
- Changed start date/time to May 13 16:00
History: On May 13 16:00 the Germans attacked North and South of Sedan. By May 17 they had taken positions South West of Sedan to hold the flank of their attack and the sprear head was West of Montcornet. On May 17 the French 4eDCR attacked German supply and support units of the 1Pz and 10Pz reaching Montcornet but without infantry they could not hold the ground gained.



DOWNLOAD:

A BIG THANK YOU to Mooxe for the download sections and forums of CCS!

You can find the TLD Meuse v3.52 in the Downloads / TLD / Mods section here: http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/mo ... t&lid=4199

[Tejszd]

Matrix/Steve have acknowledged an issue for Steam TLD users to start a mod that uses the /D switch. See post 16 in this thread; https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4883551

Steam User Instructions:
Install the Meuse Mod
Click on the attachment in this post to download the updated Launcher.exe.config
Go to your Steam TLD directory and rename Launcher.exe.config to Launcher.exe.config.Org
Open the downloaded zip and copy Launcher.exe.Meuse to the Steam TLD directory/folder
Rename Launcher.exe.Meuse to Launcher.exe.config
Now when you start TLD select Extras and it will run using the mod files

To go back to standard TLD, delete Launcher.exe.config and rename Launcher.exe.config.Org to Launcher.exe.config

[Tejszd]

Based on a TLD Meuse team grand campaign I'm working on a v3.53 update. If anyone else has any feedback please post it.

Here is what I have changed so far for this release;

1) Added German minor supply depot on Pouillon for all Campaigns
2) Added Random weather grand campaign
3) Changed French artillery support adding 3 maps; Florenville, Pouillon and Vresse and removing 9 maps; Aubigny, Beaumont, Brognon, Chimay, Hami, Maubeuge, Rumigny, St Michel, Thuin (StratMap.txt)
4) Changed German air supply at line from 1 to 2 per day-time period from the 13eve to end of the GC. The quantity also changes based difficulty; ex. Recruit available earlier and in greater quantity or Elite available later and decreased quantity (Campaign.txt)
5) Changed sdkfz 6/2 3.7cm flak reducing the # clips to 36 (Vehicles.txt) and clip size from 8 to 6 (Weapons.txt)
6) Changed Pz35 and Pz37 MG37 max range to 600m (Weapons.txt)
7) Changed the Dinant exit to Beauraing to the East bank of the Meuse river (Dinant2.btd). This will give a German BG in Dinant with a blown bridge a way to move.
8) Removed artillery observers for Green so they are only available on Recruit for both sides per the Mod Notes (fpools.txt)
9) German LMG team slight ammo increase, magazines changed from 3 to 5 (soldiers.txt) and shells per mag from 75 to 50 (Weapons.txt)
10) Changed French 50mm and German 5cm mortar setup time from 600 to 500 1/10s (Weapons.txt)
11) Changed French 60mm mortar setup time from 800 to 600 1/10s and min. range from 60m to 75m (Weapons.txt)
12) Changed French 80mm and German 8cm min. range from 80m to 120m (Weapons.txt)
13) Changed French BG's with Light or Med tanks to have a Strat Med tank icon instead of heavy. The original thinking was to confuse German commanders but it didn't as they could always click on a BG to see what tanks they were up against.
14) Changed the Meuse main screen to indicate the version of Close Combat the mod is running on LSA or TLD
15) Changed French movement communication error % from 10% to 7%, 3% (2nd last day only) and 0% (last day)
16) Changed German movement communication error % from 5% to 3%, 1% (2nd last day only) and 0% (last day)
17) Changed the maximum distance from starting map a BG can look for a supply depot to reform on from 3 to 6. This will allow both French and German BG's that are disbanded anywhere on the strat to have at least 1 starting map/supply depot to reform on.
18) Changed French team 13 Eclaireur, a 1 man Scout/Marksman, from Scout to Sniper so a single man team can not capture VL's (like 1 man snipers)
19) Changed French Canon de 105 court mle35, Canon de 105 mle1913 and 75mm mle 1897 L/36.3 front armour plate from 25mm to 20mm and top from 15mm to 8mm
20) Changed French Canon de 105 court mle35 lowered chance that armour protects crew from front 280 to 198 & side 220 to 36 (this aligns with other guns)
21) Changed German 4.7cm PaK36 (t), 7.5cm IG18, 10.5cm leFH 18 and 15cm sIG33 front armour plate from 25mm to 20mm and top from 15mm to 8mm
22) Changed German 4.7cm PaK36 (t) penetration at PB 75 to 85, Close 68 to 80, Med 61 to 69 and Long no change
23) Changed French 47mm SA37 L/53 penetration at PB 80 to 90, Close 73 to 83, Med 64 to 70 and Long no change
24) Changed Bruckenleger IVb hull top armour from 12mm to 24mm (this represents the bridge metal carried on top)
25) Changed Rumigny map breaking up the deep water in the stream to allow soldiers to cross anywhere along it but preventing vehicles.
26) Fixed BG names; 148 101e s/b 84 101e and 84 102e and 148 102e
27) Fixed Rocquigny map VL's to Rumigny (moved from North/top to East/right) and Signy (moved from East/right to North/top)
28) Fixed Campaign text "The Axis are currently winning the campaign, because they control a greater number of crucial victory locations than the Axis" 2nd Axis should be Allies (CCResourceDLL.dll)
29) Split French 4eDCR into 2 BG's; 6th Demi Brigade and 8th Demi Brigade

[mooxe]

Montmedy exit VL in Mouzon needs a fix. Has copyright symbol in the name.

Somewhere else had this too.... may have been Chimay.

[ineffable]

Here's an old issue affecting most mods and CC re-release titles due to the lack of a map coding style guide -

A building on terrain with varying elevations will have gaps in its roof. Map code for a building floor assumes there is a roof 4 meters above. If an adjacent floor element is higher or lower the size of the roof gap between those two elements is the difference in their elevations. This causes LOS/LOF to occur, seemingly, through the roof.

Sketch on the left, below, illustrates the issue. Section of Montherme map on the right exemplifies the issue. Many other map coding issues exist such as no walls between different level bldgs, but thats a thread topic of its own.

[Tejszd]

Thanks for the heads up, is that Montherme?

I have done a few passes looking for various issues; ex. broken walls and elevation under buildings but will do another pass as its easy to miss a map or get tunnel vision for specific issue.

The no walls on building height changes I haven't specifically checked for before....

[ineffable]

Yes, Montherme. Unfortunately that bldg is right in the path of the initial German advance to a French VL that is generally defended. This situation almost guarantees a 'thru the roof' firefight.

Very tedious to edit map elevation in 5cc to avoid bldgs. Almost as much as a QC pass looking for map details that, while having been carefully painted, were overlooked in the terrain coding.

The 'no wall' between different level bldg(s) issue often looks as shown below. However, there seem to be as many diffferent issues of this kind as there are map coders. Again due to lack of a style guide, every map coder seems to have his own (often wrong) way of treating adjacent bldg(s) of different levels at their elements of intersection.



(Wall elements shown above are 2m wide in-game)

[SchnelleMeyer]

Quickest way to correct the issue of roof holes caused by an elevation change in my opinion is to use 5CC to save out the roofs and the HM.
Then take these 2 layers into a graphics editor and use the roofs as selections and eydrop select the desired greyscale from the HM then fill the appropriate roof selections.
Save it out as a new HM and import it back to the map with 5CC and use the auto-code function.

[ineffable]

No need for all that. Simply use 5cc to paint the desired floor elev to flatten the map under a bldg. The tedium is in 'curving' elev contours around bldgs to smooth transitions between them. Otherwise you can wind up with abrupt elev transitions (eg. 17 to 34) right beside a bldg that's had its floor flattened.

This flattening technique can be used to create bldg 'basements' where an L2 or higher floor is lower than its immediately surrounding terrain.

[mooxe]

I think there may also be a coding issue in Saint Michel. The two story house next to the Avesnes exit VL.

Hiding troops in the north west corner made them susceptible to fire from the east, south east and south. It seemed like the north west corner of this house was elevated above the rest. Soid green LOS from those directions.

[Tejszd]

Thanks Mooxe!

Edit: Yup there was an issue. The walls were level 2 but the floor was level 3....