Operation Barbarossa - Alpha AAR

[PyleDriver]

Well you must remember 42 and others games are still in testing...As far as the winter of 41/42, you shorten the lines and dig in and wait. It sucks but you just wait. It takes 3 years to beat this giant, so just take your licks in the winter of 41 and move on...

[PyleDriver]

In game balance, hum...Theres been some 20 of us testing for 2 years, and were still working on it. I know this won't be a off the hip quick release by Gary and Joel...We have a great bunch of testers that seem to cover all the areas that seem to get missed in other games...Oh I will add, Pavel (helpless) from the Baltic States did our map (locations, info), other guys did the art, and so much more, he has been a great help...

[SGHunt]

PyleDriver writes "I may post some ss's...Ah maybe not...Only if theres requests..."

You tease - of course we want the ss's! 

Elmo - my thoughts on your current position (vey happy to be told any or all of this won't work!)

AGN: taking Leningrad is a must as soon as you can.   The Finns then take over the security of the Northern lines and it frees up your fast forces to support further South.   Worth heavy caualties, IMO.   Can you get your Inf Divs to take the worst of the assault on Pushkin, whilst the Pz and Mot Divs circle round to the South East to complete the encirclement?
  
Someone mentioned the use of the large calibre artillery battalions against Leningrad on another thread - are these nearby and, if so, how can you make sure they are used against Pushkin?

AGC: Moscow is a no go now it seems.   I wonder if there is any way you can manufacture another big pocket before the blizzards.   Reorganise during the mud, and then a quick thrust when the snow comes, liquidate the pocket and then dig in?  How many weeks of snow before the really bad weather starts?

Good luck!

[Platypus]

ORIGINAL: PyleDriver

In game balance, hum...Theres been some 20 of us testing for 2 years, and were still working on it. I know this won't be a off the hip quick release by Gary and Joel...We have a great bunch of testers that seem to cover all the areas that seem to get missed in other games...Oh I will add, Pavel (helpless) from the Baltic States did our map (locations, info), other guys did the art, and so much more, he has been a great help...

....just gets better and better...

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: von Jaeger 

Elmo - my thoughts on your current position (vey happy to be told any or all of this won't work!)

AGN: taking Leningrad is a must as soon as you can.   ...
 
Someone mentioned the use of the large calibre artillery battalions against Leningrad on another thread - are these nearby and, if so, how can you make sure they are used against Pushkin?

AGC: Moscow is a no go now it seems.   ...

Good luck!

We are certainly going to push for Leningrad. Freeing up the Finns would help. I don't micro manage support units and would not even know where to look for artillery specific units. To do that my AAR would be slowed to a crawl which I'm sure most people don't want.

Moscow is not out of reach. Remember Typhoon didn't even start until about now and we are a lot closer to Moscow than the Germans were back then when it did start. The problem is the bulge. I am considering thinning the line in front of Moscow for now and striking at one or both flanks to try and force the Soviets to pull back or create pockets as Stuart suggested. Decisions, decisions...

Since I'm not really playing this to win an alternative is to just keep pushing along and let you guys see why that is a bad idea when Blizzards come. With random weather it's hard to say how much more mud there will be and when the blizzards will come.

[SGHunt]

ORIGINAL: elmo3

I don't micro manage support units and would not even know where to look for artillery specific units. To do that my AAR would be slowed to a crawl which I'm sure most people don't want.

I certainly don't want you to start doing a lot of that micro-management (I would be miserable without the daily update but to get the big guns working seems appropriate here! I think they are probably lurking with 18th Army anyway

With random weather it's hard to say how much more mud there will be and when the blizzards will come.

[elmo3]

OK I let the AI do a bombing mission against the defenders in Pushkin.  Disappointing results, and maybe we were just unlucky.  I know Gary has been adjusting bombing results for some time now.  Plenty of time for further adjustments if he feels they are needed of course.  Will do turn 16 later today and post the screen shots.

[ComradeP]

That's a lot of AA for 1 hex, no wonder the results of the bombing were less than stellar. With that much AA, you're lucky you lost only 5 bombers, especially as you were also intercepted by MiG's.

Could you post a screenshot showing most of the central part of your front? The northern flank seems to be more dangerous than the southern flank as long as you capture Kaluga and pin the Soviets against the Ugra and Oka rivers.

With random weather, is it possible to have a "warmer" winter, which would mean more mud but less blizzards?

[elmo3]

Also the defenders are dug-in (level 3 fortifications IIRC) in a city so the low results are not out of line.  Especially with no fighter cover and good flak.  Will post a shot in a little while ComradeP.  Gotta eat and get my son on  the school bus.

Edit - It's a level 5 fort in Pushkin.

[SGHunt]

Maybe the 216 (!) x 85 mm AA guns made the Luftwaffe think carefully before getting too close!   

[elmo3]

Two quick shots as requested:

[USSLockwood]

I'm very curious to see if the AI will take advantage of the situation that AGC is apparently in.

[Great_Ajax]

Oh boy. Andy was right! AGC looks like such a juicy target right now. All those line regiments strung out like that. Yummy

Trey

ORIGINAL: doktor

I'm very curious to see if the AI will take advantage of the situation that AGC is apparently in.

[wiking62]

It will be quite a disappointment if the AI does not try to cut-off the bulge created by AGC. Watching this situation with a great deal of interest.

[wiking62]

ORIGINAL: hart2412

Is the distance a routed unit moves limited?

How exactly do the game mechanics work, ie. does a unit have to be disrupted before it routs?

Will the Axis forces suffer attrition during winter turns, especially in 1941?

Any info. on the questions above?
[;)]

[CaptBeefheart]

Elmo: Highly informative AAR for an excellent game which I will be purchasing when released. If I could make one humble suggestion: perhaps you could identify the turn and game date for each post of a new turn (maybe weather too if that makes sense) to make it easier for us to follow.

Thanks,
CC

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: hart2412

Is the distance a routed unit moves limited?

How exactly do the game mechanics work, ie. does a unit have to be disrupted before it routs?

Will the Axis forces suffer attrition during winter turns, especially in 1941?

Not sure about your first question. They won't rout to Siberia if that is what you mean. When a unit is forced to retreat it suffers attrition and then checks to see if any weapons are destroyed, damaged, or captured. Then it checks to see if it shatters or routs. If it routs it suffers further attrition and does a displacement move to it's HQ if possible or nearby town/city if it can't go to it's HQ. There is more to it but that is the general idea.

At one point there was automatic first winter attrition for non-Finnish Axis units but I believe that has been changed to combat modifiers and other effects instead.

Hope that helps.

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: Commander Cody

Elmo: Highly informative AAR for an excellent game which I will be purchasing when released. If I could make one humble suggestion: perhaps you could identify the turn and game date for each post of a new turn (maybe weather too if that makes sense) to make it easier for us to follow.

Thanks,
CC

I have been trying to do that lately but may have missed a turn. Will go back and edit the posts if I get a chance.

[Captain B]

Elmo,

Do you think if the AI re-do (defending cities, etc.) that set you back to mid-August was far enough back? If the AI chose to defend cities early on could you not have surrounded and captured more soviets and therefore they may not be at your flanks ready to cut you off now? Something to think about.

btw, i hope you saved the version where you were ready to roll into red square...go back and have some fun [:D]and capture moscow[:'(]!!! Spend the winter in the capital and go shopping at the GUM department store.

Great job by the way again.

[Captain B]

Elmo, another quick question...


In WIR, there was a formula for how many infantry squads were eliminated per turn based on if they were moving and 10% before the replacement phase or something similar to that (if memory serves me correctly)...what is the formula for WiTE? Is it for all blizzard conditions or only for the 1941 blizzard...or do special rules apply for 1941?

Thanks.