Matrix Games Forums

I'm currently involved in a generated campaign as the Germans. It seems to me that there is an excessive number of sandstorm battles(4 to 6 visibility).
Every three to four battles, sometimes two in a row. From what i have read about the
North African campaign,there was little or no activity during a Khamsin. And yet,again and again,my infantry have to slog forward at 1 hex per turn. The Mark IIIG's can't carry a full
squad of troops(although the Mark IVD can). I can't afford halftracks for 4 companies of infantry. Even if i could, they would only blindly stumble forward to be dispatched by
close assaulting British troops or hidden Matildas. What i'm asking is: Did sandstorms
really happen this often? Did they actually fight during them? Does the Enhanced version
of SPWAW address this?(i have vanilla SPWAW).

Excuse me,as i get the SAND out of my hair[:'(]


Joe D.

Sandstorms, of varying strengths, occur rather frequently in North Africa. In my studies of the campaign, I have come across a number of reports of attacks being made under cover of these, with visibilities as low as 100 meters.

One problem with the game's random battle generator is that it doesn't match the Turns to the Weather; if you get weather of 4 or 5, you get 15-20 turns to complete the battle. But it takes almost that long to cross half the map, at 1-2 hexes/turn for infantry. So I don't see the problem as one of there being too many sandstorms, but of there not being enough time to finish the battle.

At any rate, the only real solution is to reload your last saved battle and try to get different settings for the new one; I always have 3 Saves for each campaign battle: a Save for Turn 0, after my Setup is done, but before starting; a Save during the battle, which gets overwritten each time, and a Save at the battle's end, which allows me to restart the Repair Phase and the next battle.

with visibilities as low as 100 meters.

I wonder how they could adjust artillery fire if they could not
see the fall of shot. The observer would have to be right on top of the target.

But it takes almost that long to cross half the map, at 1-2 hexes/turn for infantry

That's the issue:the 1 hex crawl. Normally, in european style terrain with low
visibility(fog), i would lead with foot infantry to avoid ambushes, but they could at least move 2 hexes a turn. In a sandstorm, it's 1 hex per turn maximum, unless they are following a road.
Despite this, i have managed to get minor victories anyway. It's just very bloody and
frustrating.



Joe D.