Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft

Good points [:)]

As I understand it the Finns only objective was to restore the pre-Winter War border, which they successfully did. That's one reason for leaving them out, how to stop them advancing beyond a certain point? I believe that Events might be able to do it, but again it just adds to the work.

Like I say, if the Germans can't get anywhere near Leningrad I will have to come up with a mechanism to represent Soviet resources being directed against the Finns. It will be abstracted though.

Yeah thats what happened. Finns wanted to restore the pre-winter war borders.

One way to introduce Finnish front, is to use Toms GE / SU garrison code and add some penalties to SU if they fall under it. For example some produce decreases in few towns if there is not large enough Soviet units in Finnish front. Its a good idea to put some random factor at there. So garrison amount is not always the same. There were quite large forces actually. Finland deserved larger attention by Soviets than Romania or Italy.

Yes that's a possible idea. However, as I said I will wait to see whether testing reveals the Leningrad area to be a problem before doing anything.

OK here we go. The new version is available for download at the top of the thread:

tm.asp?m=1767848

I think this is a very playable game now, so I am going to hold off on any development until I at least have played it extensively.

hi.cruft.is this version final?would you mind tell me your plan about future release.is there a full 41-45 campaign?thanks for your great mod.

This version is not final. It is however a fully playable 1941 Campaign.

There may or may not be a full 1941-45 version, depending on whether people start to play this or not. As of right now, the answer would be no.

The reason for this is that a scenario of this complexity and size is never "finished" and needs a lot of playing by many people to make it better.

Ah well this more than any other scenario out there is one that I'm interested in. However I'm currently at about my max in games - the only way that I could playtest this is as a multiplayer game. Would it support that? Or would we have to just split the front and play part of the turn then send it to the next guy?

Bottom line though don't be discouraged if lots of ppl aren't immediately playing this. In my case I have to wait for some other games to end before I can start it. I hope you complete the full war version as I think it's just a classic-looking scenario.

The scenario does not and will not support multi-player. However, as you say there is nothing to stop you doing it manually.

There is plenty of game there in the 0.96 version for people to get their teeth into, and I have changed so much (not just the SFTs, but basically everything) that I am extremely loath to develop it more until it has had some serious play-testing. However long that should take ...

For anyone looking to do a manual multi-player here are the "fronts":-

Axis

AGN
AGC
AGS
Hungarian Exp. Army (small, could be considered part of AGS)
Slovakia Exp. Corps (likewise)
Romania

Allies

North-West Front (Riga)
Leningrad Front (Leningrad)
Volkhov Front (Tikhvin, arrives as mid-game reinforcement)
Central Front (Minsk)
Moscow Front (Moscow)
Kalinin Front (Kalinin, arrives as early reinforcement)
South-West Front (Kiev)
Southern Front (Odessa)
Crimean Front (Sevastopol)
Stalingrad Front (Stalingrad)
North Caucasus Front (Cherkessy)
Don Front (Rostov, arrives as late reinforcement)

By the way - I just loaded up this latest version of the scenario to have a look - it is just - wow - fantastic looking. The level of detail is very exciting.

Yes fantastic looking, or at least I hope. Some of the pictures are a bit ropey if you look at them closely ...

Appearance was not the key driver though. Mainly it was just that the generic masterfile had to go, and I sort of got pulled into expanding on that.

ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft

Yes fantastic looking, or at least I hope. Some of the pictures are a bit ropey if you look at them closely ...

Appearance was not the key driver though. Mainly it was just that the generic masterfile had to go, and I sort of got pulled into expanding on that.

Captain,

Yes, I'm enjoying the "feel" of the unit structure - not sure why since at this scale I feel like the generic types should be fine - but it just feels slightly more immersive with specific unit types.

The real test is in the unit strength balancing between units. I'm not really sure you can test that via a game run - as you have to take into account players abilities, ie how do we use/supply our units.

I thinks folks are going to like your Ostfront project thoough, and I'm thinking about using your masterfile myself for a scenario, if you dont object.

Thanks,
Rick

Captain,
Outstanding work, you are probably aware of this map resource [LINK], but others in this thread may be interested.
regards.
A.S

Absolutely fascinating. Quite obviously a lot of work went in to do this. Thank you for your efforts.

I'd like to see masterfile for Ostfront that will make possible random games against AI (with all those units and specialised factories). Let us build factories - will be cool.

Captain Cruft wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:50 am
This is a fully functional Eastern Front 1941 campaign game, ending on the 7th January 1942. There are many fixes and enhancements to the earlier 0.9 test release, as well as several new units and graphics.

Notes

The scenario does not work with the AI.
The scenario is very large and complex.
The scenario is very different from the standard AT game, and there is more micro-management.
The download file is about 27mb.

I did it!
Updated this old gem.
Is it better now? Of course
Much better and it works with AI!

The main difference between Captain Cruft's 0.96 and Khanti's 0.97 are working AI, ready to use TOE system and fuel is needed for mechanized/air units and production.
It means one can play it solo and it has minimal micromanaging (contrary to old version).

Notes
The scenario works with the AI (AI is not brilliant though).
The scenario is very large and complex (still).
The scenario is very different from the standard AT game, but there is less more micro-management with working TOE.
The download file is about 24mb.

I've uploaded it to scenario bank.

https://www.vrdesigns.net/scenario.php?nr=317

What was changed are said below. You don't need to manually move every piece of equipment from backyard to front line HQ.
There are now hubs (each side has 2) when produced equipment comes and with TOE it can be sent automatically. AI fights as standard ATG AI. Nothing brilliant, but it works. Scenario can be treated as functional Barbarossa game. Probably it can be played longer but no scripted reinforcements will come after 30 turns.


1. Now transfer from capital HQ works on almost all territory (2100 hexes). Command structures cleared (most "Railheads" removed).
2. PP are added by events it is used for construction of new factories (the only way of aquiring PP are automatic events from round 2). Right now the only possible industry to create is basic supply base on SUBURBS terrain. (more will be added in future)
3. New Railheads +1 train all + 2 inf. They are not used for transfer anymore, but can be very helpful during winter and autumn months as supply centres (if you sent to them supply first).
4. Added cadre units for both sides (25% chance) as a base to used them as needed (mod will not allow creation of units the normal way). Maybe not necessary, but can be helpful.
5. A few cities names corrected (spelling, cosmetic stuff).
6. Hex attacked value increased from 100 to 135 to allow 2 full GER inf div to attack frontally. Units in mod uses more stack points than in vanilla game (hex attack was 100, but 66p inf div + 48p pz div = 114 = 120p)
7. Now Factory 21,83 produces HUN Toldi tanks instead of GER Toldi.
8. Jager/mountain units have terrain bonuses in both attack and defence .
9. SL and CR Wagon added.
10. All units have 15% chance kill to became retreat (some had more so still have).
11. TOE enabled. Some units are set up, some still need to be done by player as he wishes.
12. Counters changed.
13. All GER AA should be now Luftwaffe (as there is no city with GER AA production).
14. Distance from HQ when power is 100 changed to 5 (from 3).
15. AI values updated. Not that much though.
16. Anti supply parameters of air planes modified (less and shorter).
17. LANDCAP is provided by staff units. RAILCAP by trains. That means frontline HQ can send troops to units outside rail line.
18. Normal structure of HQs. I mean supreme (north/south) hub and all belowe belonging to them. Easy to spot troops, easy to see supplies. If one attach front to railhead (something that has anything other than NONE as HQ) then structure will revert to former mess
19. Many supply spots added to Soviets between Moskwa and Warszawa. If they start loosing them (as it was) supply will be scarce. Treat "supply"as resources for industry (supply produce fuel which is used in creation of troops). It feeds armies and it will be needed to move mechanized units.
20. AI roles of STFs adjusted.
21. Fuel added. Fuel is produced from supplies. There are none oil fields. All mechanized troops and aircrafts need fuel to move and fight. Industry needs fuel to produce stuff too. I really like this concept. You can now choice of using fuel for fighting or producing. The same fuel.
22. Some terrain graphics were changes. I think is a little prettier now. Nothing of graphics used is mine. Just took it from mods on my disk.
23. Added many river names.
24. Added many woods in Poland (did you hear about partisans in Poland? - woods were home of them).
25. GER don't have enough supply spots to wage war. Soviets nearly has. So GER needs to capture those to feed war. As it was.
26. Wagons no longer climb High Mountains. Use mules instead.
27. SS Pack Mules added to production list.
28. NKVD machineguns and mortars show on production list.
29. Added CV-35 Tankette to Italian production list (cheap recon).


Resume: still no Finland, no ships, no officers. But it plays like good Barbarossa game.
If research gives you some new STFs, still old one is available. You need manually set up production.
There is probably too much fuel on board. Units should consume more, but it needs testing.
Bugs: when reinforcements come, there will be mess in SOV command structure. One just need to re-link those units to frontline HQ.

This sounds very good. I look forwards to seeing it myself