Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a zoom in of the front lines after the first combat round ended.

[sPzAbt653]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

Here's T71 sal file. Same story about taking off the dot txt and unzip it.

Ok, I see what's going on ... the Partisans are triggering things they shouldn't be. Sorry, but I'll have to remove them and use the guerrilla event thingy to simulate them.

[larryfulkerson]

I'm pretty sure that's going to mean a restart. So I'll just discontinue this game and wait for the
new version from you Steve dude.

[FrankieITA]

I'm playing this scenario by myself too, and if you are interested I have one suggestion or two. I'm not an experienced player so take this as merely my two cents.
Playing this scenario with the half week turn seems a little too harsh for me. Since in this scenario the supplies are your big limit during advancing manouvers, I felt that the one day turn wasn't completely wrong. I agree that keeping it would make absolutely un-historical outcome, like conquering brenner pass by november 1944 or something like that, but I wonder if it wouldn't be a good solution a 2 days turn (say 3 turns per week). Playing with one day turn I've experienced a different strategical feeling than the half week turn scenario. Advances with no opposition were realistic, with MOT INF just below 60-70km per day and INF and PAR settling for 30 km or less. Playing with the old version when I was reorganizing and thus not moving, I felt like I was doing it realistically, planning an offensive and all sort of logistical stuff made sense in the scenario, with the new one I feel like I'm losing time and I'm gonna pay for every lost turn late in the scenario.
What do you think of? Maybe is this a Newbie rant?
PS: Sorry for my english, ain't anglophone here!

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: frankieITA
...I felt that the one day turn wasn't completely wrong.

Hey there frankieITA dude. I too felt better with one day turns. I'm not sure it makes any difference to gameplay and I'm not aware of
how many turns there are w/ one-day turns or w/ half-week turns since I've never gotten to the end of the scenario. Maybe it would
get to the winter season faster w/ half-week turns.. One-day turns just felt right.

Thanks for posting and keeping up w/ my adventures in Italy.

[sPzAbt653]

... I wonder if it wouldn't be a good solution a 2 days turn (say 3 turns per week).

Our choices are One Day or Half Week, there is no in between.

I agree with the points both of you make, and that is probably why the original designer chose the One Day turn interval. But going back to the reasons for my decision to modify this scenario, I wasn't interested in playing 672 easy turns (and obviously if somebody wants that they still have the original). I wanted something more of a challenge, and against the PO. Still no success with the PO, but I'll keep at it.

... with the new one I feel like I'm losing time and I'm gonna pay for every lost turn late in the scenario.

We've had 5 or 6 plays and so far we haven't made it into 1945 before quiting because its too easy, so I think you are panicking too quickly. Other than reaching Messina by Aug 16, all other historical advance rates have been crushed to this point. And Messina isn't an impossible one to reach either.

Appreciate the comments and insight, hoepfully I've made some sense in my response.

[FrankieITA]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

I wasn't interested in playing 672 easy turns (and obviously if somebody wants that they still have the original). I wanted something more of a challenge, and against the PO. Still no success with the PO, but I'll keep at it.

I agree with that point, when you find actually waiting 2 months, day by day, preparing an offensive the scenario becomes boring, for gameplay reasons i'd stick with half weeks turns.
As an Italian I'm deluded by the downgrading of Corpo Italiano di Liberazione (Italian Liberation Corps, Allied-sided division sized corps that fought till late '44) to a humble motorized brigade (but maybe I've been unlucky with an event?)...I'm probably campanilistic and I'm sure you have your good motivations, I'd like to see at least one Italian Allied parachute regiment too because they actually made some good things during operation Herring(even if it's late game for this scenario).

[sPzAbt653]

As an Italian I'm deluded by the downgrading of Corpo Italiano di Liberazione

I've found very little on the actual fighting strength of the late Italian units. I had an idea that they contributed to the fighting, but that also part of their strength was used in non-frontline duties. Anything you can contribute is much appreciated.

I'd like to see at least one Italian Allied parachute regiment

I'm a big fan of para ops, so I jumped right on Wiki to find Operation Herring. Very interesting, I'll add them in. [&o]

[larryfulkerson]

OK. I'll just wait for a new version from Steve before I play Sicily to Brenner Pass yet again.

EDIT: OK. Steve has included some Italian paratroopers and has removed most of the partisans so we're ready for another go of
this scenario. For those of you who want to try this scenario I've attached it below. Just take the dot txt off the filename and unzip it.

[larryfulkerson]

These are the options I'm going to use. I'm not sure these are optimal for the scenario so I'd like Steve to give me a shout out if they
aren't wright.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the new start of this scenario again. Notice that I didn't say yet again. I like this scenario. It's fun. And the map is beautiful.
Anyway, here's the starting positions of everybody. I looked around for targets for the bombers but there are precious few of them.
I'll have to move the units into contact to get some targets to pound. Meanwhile the fighters can do some sweeps of the various
fighter bases on the island and the mainland.

I'm going to try to get the various beach toe holds connected so all the beaches will have some supply.

[larryfulkerson]

I just discovered some Axis fighters on the island of Sardinia which is nw of Sicily. And within range. So I'll have to deal w/ them too.
There's four bases on Sardinia and I'm thinking I'll need to do airfield attacks w/ my fighters by doing the dog-pile-on-the-rabbit ploy.
This is where I schedule some regular bombing missions somewhere on the map and then have lots of AS within range to ambush the
enemy fighters when they try to interfere w/ my bombing mission(s). And then after several rounds of that then I can put about three
squadrons of fighters on each of the enemy bases to do sweeps.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what I've done w/ the British. There's three divisions of British in the picture and they are all spread out expanding away from the
beachead. I've found and blocked some German units and I've got recon out looking for more. The rush north has already started.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what I did w/ the Americans. I've pushed them toward the north to get a buffer of territory between the enemy and the beach.
Not too many Germans yet. They usually show up in turns 2 and 3 or so.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the positions at the beginning of T2:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the positions after I've moved everybody. So far so good. The British are about to dispatch the Germans and then the axis of
advance is north.

[larryfulkerson]

This is the condition of the aircraft after the last combat round. We just had the most amazing fur ball.......just about every airplane that
could fly was there, Axis and Allied. Look how many are in reorg now. D'oh. I'll have to take it easy on them for a turn or two.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the beginning of T3. The Germans have broken through my lines on the West side. Good thing I have a reserve to take care of
things like that. This may take a turn or two to recover my lines. And they may need some more boots on the ground.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the positions just before the combat phase is started. I'm hoping I can recover my front lines and then use the aircraft to wear
down the enemy units some before I start the pushing.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's just after the combat phase. I've recovered the front lines on the West side but the Germans might do a phase two and attack
me again. And there's no reserve now. I'm sending the 51st British Division to the West side to act as a reserve.