WitM -Nikmod version 1.0 now available @ Spookys
Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 1:21 pm
FAQ printed below:
WitM – Nikmod version 1.0
Introduction
This is a mod of the standard 1.2+ version of Fremen’s WitM mod. It incorporates both basic NM changes to the OOB structure as well as various corrections/adjustments and a few new features as well. As WitM is an ongoing project, future adjustment/corrections can be expected.
Basic Changes:
1) Standard Nikmod 9.1 changes implemented.
OOB changes –
- All base and aviation regiments (and all LCU’s with AV) have been reduced by 75%.
Purpose: AV support in the WitP game engine is extremely elastic…allowing generous support of aircraft even when in “the red” (AV support below required AV support). A consequence of this aspect, and a consequence of having “full” AV support is that most airgroups can maintain 95 – 100% serviceability even in periods of high intensity operations. RL situations saw most air squadrons maintaining a ratio of serviceable to unserviceable aircraft at nearly all times depending on base conditions, logistics and pace of operations. Because WitP (the engine) tends to produce squadrons with 100% serviceability, air operations are accelerated and 24/7 schedules are easy to maintain. This causes an imbalance where airpower dominates too much. The reduction of AV increases incidents of unserviceable aircraft via wear and tear as well as damage from combat. It also helps to restrict overstack/uberstack situations where large air concentrations at one base can be deployed. This change is still experimental and may require adjustment. It has so far been tested in a small scenario (Guadalcanal) where it dramatically altered the nature of the air war and in a positive way. Larger scenario situations remain to be seen however.
- All port bases between Tripoli and Alexandria reduced to (0)0 (SPS/base size.
Purpose: Historically, Tripoli remained the primary logistical base for the Axis while Alexandria was that for the Allies. This is more a change however to counter the abstracted routines of WitP the engine vs. historical comment. The current engine does not support load/unload restrictions at ports allowing players to dump/load massive quantities of supplies per turn with each ship able to load/unload at the same rate at the same time. Bear in mind that a port size of “0” does not make the hex not a port, it is merely the lowest port value the game allows short of not having a port at all. The slower speed of the size 0 port will help constrain the uber convoy “dump” tactic often seen in WitP as well as invoke the spoilage rule which in this scenario can be seen as representing the tendency for supplies to become “misplaced”, particularly on the Axis side. Tripoli and Alexandria become more important in the process as well and the long supply chain for Rommel is represented somewhat.
- FW200 changed to C variant avail in 42
- reduction in DUR for 1st gen Italian fighters
- scrubbed Exp and Morale values for Axis and Allied LCU’s
- scrubbed Exp values for Italian and British Navies (Night experience emphasized for UK, de-emphasized for Italian)
- scrubbed Exp values for pilots in squadrons and replacements.
- Adjusted pilot replacement rates
- US plane endurance scrub
- Added SAP bomb devices for Ju-87 Stuka. The more limited 1000kg SAP available to the Ju-87D is highly dangerous to all but the most modern UK battleships.
- starting disablements for LCU and LCU reinforcements eliminated.
- Reduced Italian fuel reserve to level @ 1/42. Italian fuel deliveries from Germany set at 1942 level (about 640,000tons per year)
- Crippled Italian and UK BB’s implemented for 1/42
-Malta “Flak City” change: Malta HAA complement greatly augmented.
Purpose: Due to the detail control level and high serviceability rate present in the game engine, Malta is pretty much untendable from day 1 in the mod due to saturation attacks from multiple close proximity Axis bases. To prevent the standard 24/7 6000 foot airfield/port attack tactic, Malta has been deliberately turned into a “flak city”
“Flak city” is a term coined in Nikmod 5.0 after forced or ordered retreat of large #’s of ENG LCU’s into choke points such as Singapore and Manila accumulated unusually large #’s of HAA guns resulting in excessive losses for Japanese aircraft. (the abstracted supply routine creating replacement “devices” (i.e. replacement AA guns) further exacerbated the issue) Resolved in later editions of NM.
Here, a proliferation of HAA is intentional, the purpose being to discourage, quite heavily the temptation to blitz the island fortress at low altitude using the entire Italian and Ger airforces right from the get-go. Such a tactic now will prove quite costly especially when combined with the reduced AV support. Bombing missions, paced and/or at realistic altitudes if attacking during daylight hours are highly recommended.
-Malta Eng corp increased.
Purpose: Increased Engineer and Engineer vehicle complement to assist in keeping the airfields running. Should make Axis job of suppressing the base more challenging.
-UK/US carrier scrub
Map changes –
--In order to attempt to ‘simulate’ the more mobile nature of the desert war, I have greatly expanded the network of “road” terrain in portions of North Africa. This network should create flanking opportunities for players vs. having but a single line of coastal road hexes which under the game engine would encourage static/frontal attack combat along the top row of hexes in NA only. Basically it evens out the movement and supply distribution in as much as a 3 hex width. This should also help prevent WWI siege tactic stackings along the uppermost row of hexes in that area. To view the network, press the “R” key when in game.
- Connected via rail the Balkan bases. (links were broken originally)
-Created small self supply situations in Vichy France.
- scrubbed some primary land devices (ex – Tiger tank, 88mm AT etc)
-M15 changed to M14 Italian tank (M15 deployed 1943, only 80ish examples built) The M-14 was essentially a faster version of the M-13 modified for desert use.
- Italian sub dur reduced 10-20 points
WitM – Nikmod version 1.0
Introduction
This is a mod of the standard 1.2+ version of Fremen’s WitM mod. It incorporates both basic NM changes to the OOB structure as well as various corrections/adjustments and a few new features as well. As WitM is an ongoing project, future adjustment/corrections can be expected.
Basic Changes:
1) Standard Nikmod 9.1 changes implemented.
OOB changes –
- All base and aviation regiments (and all LCU’s with AV) have been reduced by 75%.
Purpose: AV support in the WitP game engine is extremely elastic…allowing generous support of aircraft even when in “the red” (AV support below required AV support). A consequence of this aspect, and a consequence of having “full” AV support is that most airgroups can maintain 95 – 100% serviceability even in periods of high intensity operations. RL situations saw most air squadrons maintaining a ratio of serviceable to unserviceable aircraft at nearly all times depending on base conditions, logistics and pace of operations. Because WitP (the engine) tends to produce squadrons with 100% serviceability, air operations are accelerated and 24/7 schedules are easy to maintain. This causes an imbalance where airpower dominates too much. The reduction of AV increases incidents of unserviceable aircraft via wear and tear as well as damage from combat. It also helps to restrict overstack/uberstack situations where large air concentrations at one base can be deployed. This change is still experimental and may require adjustment. It has so far been tested in a small scenario (Guadalcanal) where it dramatically altered the nature of the air war and in a positive way. Larger scenario situations remain to be seen however.
- All port bases between Tripoli and Alexandria reduced to (0)0 (SPS/base size.
Purpose: Historically, Tripoli remained the primary logistical base for the Axis while Alexandria was that for the Allies. This is more a change however to counter the abstracted routines of WitP the engine vs. historical comment. The current engine does not support load/unload restrictions at ports allowing players to dump/load massive quantities of supplies per turn with each ship able to load/unload at the same rate at the same time. Bear in mind that a port size of “0” does not make the hex not a port, it is merely the lowest port value the game allows short of not having a port at all. The slower speed of the size 0 port will help constrain the uber convoy “dump” tactic often seen in WitP as well as invoke the spoilage rule which in this scenario can be seen as representing the tendency for supplies to become “misplaced”, particularly on the Axis side. Tripoli and Alexandria become more important in the process as well and the long supply chain for Rommel is represented somewhat.
- FW200 changed to C variant avail in 42
- reduction in DUR for 1st gen Italian fighters
- scrubbed Exp and Morale values for Axis and Allied LCU’s
- scrubbed Exp values for Italian and British Navies (Night experience emphasized for UK, de-emphasized for Italian)
- scrubbed Exp values for pilots in squadrons and replacements.
- Adjusted pilot replacement rates
- US plane endurance scrub
- Added SAP bomb devices for Ju-87 Stuka. The more limited 1000kg SAP available to the Ju-87D is highly dangerous to all but the most modern UK battleships.
- starting disablements for LCU and LCU reinforcements eliminated.
- Reduced Italian fuel reserve to level @ 1/42. Italian fuel deliveries from Germany set at 1942 level (about 640,000tons per year)
- Crippled Italian and UK BB’s implemented for 1/42
-Malta “Flak City” change: Malta HAA complement greatly augmented.
Purpose: Due to the detail control level and high serviceability rate present in the game engine, Malta is pretty much untendable from day 1 in the mod due to saturation attacks from multiple close proximity Axis bases. To prevent the standard 24/7 6000 foot airfield/port attack tactic, Malta has been deliberately turned into a “flak city”
“Flak city” is a term coined in Nikmod 5.0 after forced or ordered retreat of large #’s of ENG LCU’s into choke points such as Singapore and Manila accumulated unusually large #’s of HAA guns resulting in excessive losses for Japanese aircraft. (the abstracted supply routine creating replacement “devices” (i.e. replacement AA guns) further exacerbated the issue) Resolved in later editions of NM.
Here, a proliferation of HAA is intentional, the purpose being to discourage, quite heavily the temptation to blitz the island fortress at low altitude using the entire Italian and Ger airforces right from the get-go. Such a tactic now will prove quite costly especially when combined with the reduced AV support. Bombing missions, paced and/or at realistic altitudes if attacking during daylight hours are highly recommended.
-Malta Eng corp increased.
Purpose: Increased Engineer and Engineer vehicle complement to assist in keeping the airfields running. Should make Axis job of suppressing the base more challenging.
-UK/US carrier scrub
Map changes –
--In order to attempt to ‘simulate’ the more mobile nature of the desert war, I have greatly expanded the network of “road” terrain in portions of North Africa. This network should create flanking opportunities for players vs. having but a single line of coastal road hexes which under the game engine would encourage static/frontal attack combat along the top row of hexes in NA only. Basically it evens out the movement and supply distribution in as much as a 3 hex width. This should also help prevent WWI siege tactic stackings along the uppermost row of hexes in that area. To view the network, press the “R” key when in game.
- Connected via rail the Balkan bases. (links were broken originally)
-Created small self supply situations in Vichy France.
- scrubbed some primary land devices (ex – Tiger tank, 88mm AT etc)
-M15 changed to M14 Italian tank (M15 deployed 1943, only 80ish examples built) The M-14 was essentially a faster version of the M-13 modified for desert use.
- Italian sub dur reduced 10-20 points