... else it's over. I have quit the game. I wrote to Crossroads:
berto
A heads-up: In my DAR, I am setting the stage for a resignation. Yes, it is that bad. There is little reason to play on any further.
When I play, I think of the larger context. With things going so badly, Col. Qaddafi, or at any rate his military commanders, must consider the consequences of destroying their armed forces, leaving them defenseless against foreign invasion (Egypt etc.), popular uprising, or military coup. If I were commanding the Libyan military, I would be thinking of peace at this point, or a cease fire, or at least a pull-back.
In any event, the battle (scenario) will soon be over most likely.
I will admit my mistakes freely in my post mortem.
How bad is it? Here is the Victory Dialog:
And here (from the Strength Dialog) are the losses thus far:
Even if I could manage to capture any one of the 150 VP Objective hexes -- highly doubtful -- chances are I would destroy most of my forces in the process. The British Lynx alone still have enough ATGMs to kill another 10 or so of my T-72s, I reckon. Then of course there are the Chieftain super tanks. Not to mention Crossroads' Milan ATGMs and other units. No, I know an impossible situation when I see one.
Could another more skillful player have done better, much better even? No doubt. I am skeptical that this scenario is winnable as the Libyans. But a player well versed in the art of modern warfare might make a good fight of it. I am not that player.
So let's recount my mistakes:
[*]Choosing to attack up the middle. With open ground, no real cover, little place to hide. And laying myself wide open to flanking attacks. Much better if I had attacked along the coastal approaches from west and east, for if nothing else I would not have to fear flank attacks from the north. And I would benefit from the LOS obstructing terrain before "Yorkshire" and "Bedfordshire".
[*]Mismanagement of my helos. And indecisiveness. My helos never really got into the fight.
[*]Impatience. I led with my tanks, where better if I had led with my infantry, with tanks just behind in close support. I also brought up my ZSU-23-4 SPAA Guns and AT-3 Sagger ATGMs too slowly.
And others. But maybe my biggest mistake of all:
[*]Heeding Crossroads' advice, I played half way through a practice game of Sirte #3
as the Libyans vs. the British A/I, to get the "feel of things". BUT, there is no helo A/I yet, remember? So in my practice game, the British Lynx were a total non factor. In the practice game, I also attacked up the middle. Things were going pretty well, actually. I was even able to destroy a couple of Chieftains, at the loss of just several of my T-72s. Of course, playing vs. the A/I teaches bad habits, however, and gives one a false sense of confidence. There is no substitute for playing vs. a good, experienced opponent, which Crossroads is in spades. (And he's the scenario designer to boot!) (Crossroads also encouraged me to play a practice game as the British, to better understand what I was up against. But I don't like to "cheat" in that way. I much more enjoy going into a scenario "blind".)
Ah well, a learning experience, a painful learning experience, an embarrassing
if there ever was one.
Until the next time ... [8|]
