Campaign Series Legion on Twitch

[Jason Petho]

Going live in 30 minutes at 11AM Pacific Time!

[devoncop]

Eagerly awaiting the You Tube upload of the above session. It is already clear from the first stream that dug in concealed VC are a real pain in the ass to clear out so your next area of operations looks like a definite challenge🙂

[Hoplite1963]

I watched this 2nd video yesterday partly in real time and partly afterwards and its really good. I cannot wait to get my hands on this game on 20th January.

It would be interesting to know what the US side gets by way of air support in the very next scenario “Broken Arrow - Operation Silver Bayonet I - Ia Drang” after the Broken Arrow code word was sent over the radio and the location became top priority for air support.

Also pleased to see that PAVN and VC get their own distinctive unit bases.

Kind regards
Ian

[devoncop]

Agree totally Hoplite1963...though it is not the greatest recruitment video for the Air Cavalry given the brutal losses it has incurred around LZ Xray up to the point I have managed to watch so far [:)]

Really useful stream to learn more about the effective use of helicopters in this theatre (and the dangers involved !) so thanks Jason for choosing this scenario.

[Jason Petho]

Playing through two scenarios that deal with Landing Zone X-Ray, the infamous battle portrayed in We Were Soldiers Once and Young book and movie.

Some notes:

1. This is a new playtest on two recently scripted scenarios, and I noticed some things that will require to be edited prior to final release.

For example, the attacks in the first scenario didn't come to fruition due to a incorrect variable in the .lua file. In the second scenario, the attacks happened, but I will need to give the NVA/VC a few tweaks to have more focused attacks and their chosen targets.

2. The released version will play differently than what you saw here in this BETA test, from an NVA point of view. They will be far more challenging.

3. I'll bring on the reinforcement slicks in the second scenario a bit sooner to give the reinforcements a chance to arrive at LZ X-RAY after their walk in the jungle from LZ VICTOR. I will also assign some extra Event Points for getting the reinforcements to LZ X-RAY in time.



Thank you so much for watching, it is appreciated!

FYI, I will be doing a recorded playtest of both of these scenarios so you can see the improvements I made. I will post them to YouTube in the next day or two.

[devoncop]

Excellent news.

Thanks.

[Hoplite1963]

Thanks Jason look forward to seeing these.

[Jason Petho]

It would be interesting to know what the US side gets by way of air support in the very next scenario “Broken Arrow - Operation Silver Bayonet I - Ia Drang” after the Broken Arrow code word was sent over the radio and the location became top priority for air support.

I also added an in game message when the airstrikes come available! Good idea!

[Jason Petho]

A reminder of tonight's Twitch session, I will be continuing Operation Starlite.

[Jason Petho]

Campaign Series YouTube channel

In case you missed the live session!

[devoncop]

Thanks for putting it up on You Tube....watching it now before breakfast in the UK ! Boy those marines are getting a hard time [X(]

Looking forward to seeing something using Allied forces too....ARVN etc or some Civil War or French Indo China action . I am reading the Max Hastings book at present and am still amazed at the shambles that was Dien Bien Phu...[:(]

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: devoncop

Looking forward to seeing something using Allied forces too....ARVN etc or some Civil War or French Indo China action . I am reading the Max Hastings book at present and am still amazed at the shambles that was Dien Bien Phu...[:(]

One thing I believe we achieved with this game is how different it is to play with different nations here.

Playing as US follows the trusted combined arms tactics to a certain level at least, ARVN for instance is a completely different beast. I've had a hoot play testing with ARVN, so vital to have them always maintain their cohesion in the field. Rifle companies neatly together, support arms in close support, no adventuring with isolated units. Then, and if you manage to choose where to do battle and where not, they can be quite effective too.

VM, VC, NVA then is a different matter. Use the terrain, do not engage in traditional battles, overwhelm the enemy at chosen places, assault assault assault, and the mighty French Paras as well as the hardened US Marines can be swept out before you can say vietcong.

Dien Bien Phu is well covered here, from the initial air assault to quickly secure the area, to what became a medieval siege fought under horrific conditions. The final battle is such a slaughter for the remaining French forces.

[devoncop]

That is really good to hear.

It makes combined ARVN and US operations a real challenge as they should be. I assume there are also morale differences between the two nations and hopefully also between different ARVN units as their Special Forces/Rangers were very competent from what I have read whilst the regular Divivions were a very mixed bag.

[Crossroads]

Morale is indeed a key differentiator here. ARVN Civil Guard for instance has a Morale of 3, while IIRC most of ARVN is 5. There are scenarios where there's plenty of ARVN units with better morale, Operation Chopper for instance. And then there are those where they are most fragile indeed. What fun they are to play.

That said, VM/VC/NVA is a complete blast using the tactics they are good at. In night scenarios especially they are such a ferocious force to have.

[devoncop]

Really interesting.

Thanks for that detail it definitely sounds fascinating and as someone who enjoys playing the VC/NVA/VM just as much as the Free World forces it is great to see that the various combatants have been differentiated so well and also that the tactics needed by each are so asynchronous.

What will be vital given the variation in morale levels both between factions and between scenarios is for me to examine at the beginning of the scenario exactly what the different morale and combat efficiency capabilities are of the different units within my command. I will be investing in a good quality notebook I think [:)]

Great stuff.

[Crossroads]

We've tried for certain! One additional detail is the Optional Rules, most French Indochina War scenarios are recommended to be played without the new Enhanced Close Air Support model, so with those, although the French Paras and Foreign Legion units remain capable in so, so many ways, the airstrikes are not quite the precision strikes the US mastered during the Vietnam War.

Of other Optional Rules, Adaptive AI is absolutely recommended to be used as it is the Adaptive AI parameters that make the different factions if you will so different. From night assaults for VC to indeed artillery and air strike precision for US.

[berto]

The AAI is key to the game, and to the force differentiation. One could argue that it should be mandatory, not be optional at all.

[devoncop]

Personally I cant see why anyone would play without AAI switched on.

It's a defining feature of this iteration of the Campaign Series you guys have developed imho.

[Jason Petho]

Something to keep in mind is that most of the scenarios currently only have the Side B (aka VC, VM, NVA) scripted, so the best experience will be playing as Side A.

This will be remedied in the future.

[devoncop]

Ah...okay.

That's a shame but I guess in scenarios like the Dien Bien Phu ones, or others where the VC are attacking that may be less of a problem ?