Matrix Games Forums

OOPs posted the wrong way round, but I think you get the message.

T33 Moscow Front.

T33 Tula - Orel.

T33 Kursk to Kharkov.

T33 Stalino.

T33. Crimean Circus.

T34 losses. Tanks losses still very much in my favour.

T34 Logistics. All 3 Army group commanders go again.

Trey and I feel we have reached the end of the road with this test. It has raised more than enough issues that are being discussed in other threads. For me the main purpose was to see how the blizzard experience differed between AI and PBEM, and it is a shame that the various bugs, replacements issues, leader musical chairs etc., is still not giving a "true" blizzard experience, but at least we found the bugs and have generated enough comparative data to make the next game better. My main fear about the soviet "double attack/double retreat" has almost been put to rest, but it still remains a major concern for Challenging AI games.

I think the AAR shows that generally the game is pretty well balanced. The mistakes Trey made at Leningrad and the Crimea probably gave me a front line 3-4 hexes further East and may have freed up the forces I needed to get Moscow and Rostov.

I have a concern that HQ build up may be overpowered - the GE can risk using it in the turns just before the mud arrives, as the trucks will recover from the damage during the mud, so the last push I did on Moscow could have been done sooner, and my March blizzard recovery would have been really nasty, but I was way over strength in terms of AFVs and Men.

I think the vehicle pools/req'd needs careful examination - since the supply fix that was done after Trey and I's RtM test, the game seems to be flooded with vehicles in all the scenarios - the Typhoon and Case Blue figures have been adjusted, and I know 1943 is being worked on, but both sides have 150k more vehicles compared to the June version Don and I played.

The game was/is fun, but it is clear the "spike" of the Blizzard is straining the engine to its limits and it is still not clear that the correct force balance will be achieved for the 1942 summer campaign season.

Bob, could you post screenshots of your last turn with the railroad overlay on?

I would like to add that playing as the Soviets for the first time is an exceptional experience. The second time you play it, it will not be the same. I would recommend to anyone that hasn't played the Soviets, to try and play your first game against an experienced German player. This way you will make those critical mistakes much like the Soviets did. In my case, leaving that one hex open for the Germans to cross over to the Finnish border around Leningrad and leaving a key hex undefended into the Crimea. Unfortunately for Bob, those same mistakes will not be made again and he will have a harder go next time.

Trey

I would recommend to anyone that hasn't played the Soviets, to try and play your first game against an experienced German player. This way you will make those critical mistakes much like the Soviets did

That's the way it should be tested. [:)]

T34 Railnet North:

T34 railnet Centre:

T34 Railnet South:

Bob, whats your OOB look like?...I here Gorky is beautiful in the summer and will make a great resort for your troops...lol...

T34 OOB. Yes it is a shame we have to stop but there have been too many bugs creating too much distortion.

Your rail lines are looking better than I had expected. AGS area's a mess, though.

I was expecting the Finns to have patched up the rail lines in Karelia by now, but as you can't control HQ construction battalions, they might've focussed on getting the rail lines from Helsinki to beyond Leningrad operational. It does seem odd that there are two damaged rail hexes west of Leningrad, the distance between the hexes seems odd for a partisan attack.

In my previous test I used an FBD for the Finnish front, but this weakened the centre, so for this test I concentrated on the centre to support the drive on Moscow

Huge Bump. Moved from development forums to illustrate how the game was playing in October. I have not edited any of the comments.