1941 Operation Munchen v2 video / text AAR (plus something special)

[golden delicious]

OK, as promised on the main forum, I'm starting something up with this scenario, which will take the form of an AAR. I think people appreciated the video AAR I did a while back so I'll record some videos, but because it's difficult for me to get quiet time with all the children around, I'll mix it up with some text and image reports. The scenario is designed to be played with a Soviet PO; for this match I'll control the Soviets myself but not detail the moves in the AAR, while trying to be honest.

Below is the first segment where I introduce the scenario, outline my plan and move a couple of divisions. Apologies for my possibly ponderous delivery and frequent asides!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwb5Und ... b16SfJcK1J

After recording the video I realised that I spotted the first border guard unit during the turn and it was way stronger than I thought (plus its in a fortress hex), so I assigned several more units to the attack to bring the assault ratio up closer to 1.

[golden delicious]

I also realised after recording the whole video that some of the terrain graphics didn't display as I was using the wrong file. Fixed that, but not going to re-record the whole video. Here's what it's supposed to look like (for better or worse):

Turn 1 terrain graphics.jpg (448.13 KiB) Viewed 116 times

[golden delicious]

Here's the outline of the plan I describe in the video using the minimap: two main advances along the two main rail lines meeting at Kishinev, with a subsidiary drive to the special objective at Olonesthy

Outline plan.jpg (269.77 KiB) Viewed 111 times

[golden delicious]

Here's how things look on the north flank. The two divisions here (50th German and 35th Reserve) are positioned quite close together, with a bridge each, and this allows them to be mutually supporting; once we get clear of the river here we should be able to trap some Soviet units between them. Ultimately these two divisions will cross each other's fronts so that the Germans can press down the rail line with the Rumanians on their northern flank. I turned the hex grid off here which makes the graphical style a little clearer.

Turn 1 north flank.jpg (252.19 KiB) Viewed 50 times

[rhinobones]

For those who don’t know, this battle/scenario is being played using an operational based engine that you are developing. I think you deserve a hearty “well done”.

As a comment/suggestion, in the hex side game I think it would be good if bridging units were able to enter the hex side and physically show that bridging equipment exists. Assault units would then enter the hex side to resolve the attack. As desired, bridging units could remain stationed on the river hex side and provide a supply path. Riverine boats would also exist on the hex side, traveling along the hex side and shallow water hexes.

Hex Side.jpg (158.55 KiB) Viewed 43 times

Regards

[golden delicious]

For those who don’t know, this battle/scenario is being played using an operational based engine that you are developing. I think you deserve a hearty “well done”.

Thanks. I wanted to see people's reaction without knowing quite what they are looking at, but hardly anyone seems to be active on this forum anyway.

As a comment/suggestion, in the hex side game I think it would be good if bridging units were able to enter the hex side and physically show that bridging equipment exists. Assault units would then enter the hex side to resolve the attack. As desired, bridging units could remain stationed on the river hex side and provide a supply path. Riverine boats would also exist on the hex side, traveling along the hex side and shallow water hexes.

There's definitely a problem here as, unlike in TOAW, the bridging units don't need to physically enter the hex, and this makes it theoretically trivial for the bridge unit to move along the length of the river, supporting multiple crossing points in one turn (effectively, simultaneously). I've been "honest" in the AAR so far, but in the medium term I'd need a way to limit this. I don't think I want the unit to actually sit on the hexside as this could create some challenges; what hex does it draw supply from? Does it take losses if one of the hexes is attacked? Etc. I was thinking of a solution where the player would have to assign the ferry unit to bridge a particular hexside, which would consume all of the unit's remaining move (similar to engineers repairing a bridge). I consider riverine units a minor feature which I can work out later; they're poorly implemented in TOAW as it is.

The game doesn't currently support bridge attacks, but when these are added one could add an equivalent option to bomb a ferry crossing. This would make crossing a super river without air superiority very difficult.