Scenario Design AAR - Demjansk Pocket 42

[bcgames]

The purpose of this thread is to record the significant actions and editor entries for designing and testing a War in the East scenario. Our illustrative case for the game editor will be the Demjansk Pocket, January - May 1942. Please feel free to comment when I go astray; the goal is to get the instructions about right for the WitE Editor Manual. Chip in when you can. Thanks in advance.

v/r

bcgames

[bcgames]

Step 1. Find a historical map of the battle area that includes graphics that illustrate the results of the actual operation. I found the map above on-line. Find geographic reference points that are located on the historical map and the WitE map. Noteworthy points of interest are Lake Ilmen, and the towns of Sol'zy, Valdai, Ostrakov, and Cholm. These points will help us to determine what the boundaries will be for the scenario map.

[delatbabel]

In all of the games I've played, either AI or PBEM, I've never managed as the Soviets to create or seal a pocket in Jan/Feb 42. This will be an interesting scenario.

[bcgames]

delatbabel,

I can't say the scenario will work in anywhere in the vicinity of historical accuracy. In essence, this thread is an AAR for a scenario design attempt. We'll see how it goes. Any coaching to get the ball in the goal will be most appreciated.

v/r

bcgames

[bcgames]

OK, let's get started on our Demjansk Pocket Scenario...


Step 2. Naming and Saving the Scenario:

* Launch WitE.

* Select Editor.

* Select Load Scenario.

* Select 1941-45 Campaign.

* Left click on the "X" in the upper left hand corner of the game screen to Quit and exit to the main menu.

* Left click on the Scenario Name: (1941-45 Campaign)

* In the Enter Scenario Name pop-up window use the backspace key to delete the entry "1941-45 Campaign" and enter "Demjansk Pocket 1942".

* Select the check mark to enter you change.

* Select Save Scenario.


Your screen should now look like this...



Ask if you have any questions thus far...

NEXT: Setting Start and End Dates and Map Coordinates...

[bcgames]

Step 3. Setting Scenario Map Coordinates:

Having studied the map above, I have determined that the upper left hand corner of the game map should be x=72, y=27; and the lower right hand corner of the map should be x=93, y=37. Enter these numbers on the Main tab of the editor by clicking on the numbers to the right of the labels Map NW Limit and Map SE Limit.



NOTE: The northern and southern map boundaries I try to place one hex beyond an existing historical army boundary. For the east or west map boundaries, I try to place them between 3-5 hexes to the rear of the attacking side, and 5-10 hexes beyond the historical objective(s) of the attacking side. You of course are not restricted by this rule-of-thumb; let the historical record for your particular scenario be your best guide.

When you are done entering your data, your scenario game map should look something like this:



NOTE: Compare the locations of Lake Ilmen, and the towns of Sol'zy, Valdai, Ostrakov, and Cholm between our historical map and our scenario map. My intent here (at least initially) is to give more opportunity for the Soviets to go deeper if they so choose, and to bring in more reaction options for the Germans. We'll see how that idea pans out. We can always adjust the map size later.


Feel free to ask if you have any questions thus far...

[bcgames]

Step 4. Setting Scenario Start and End Date:

Historical Situation: The Soviets launched their attack on 8 January 1942. The German attempts to break out of/in to the pocket culminated on 21 April 1942. These dates are the two bookends for this scenario.

To enter these dates...

Left click on the Starting Date label in the editor. Enter the start date of the scenario (month/day/year). Enter the year using four digits (e.g. 1942 not 42) else many errors can occur with your scenario.

Left click on the End at Start of Turn label in the editor. Enter the turn number of the turn you want your scenario to end. The scenario will end at the beginning of this turn. For the Demjansk Pocket scenario, this will be Turn 16 (23 April 1942).

Here's how the screen should look after you have entered this data:



If you have questions, ask them. If you have comments, post them.

[BletchleyGeek]

Thank you for doing this: it'll be an unvaluable resource to learn the ropes on the editor [:)]

More of an observation than a question. This scenario will be an excellent testing ground for the upcoming 1.05 changes regarding air resupply of pocketed units. They'll have to resist for 6 or 7 turns...

[goranw]

Hi!
The German OKH view of the situation 8 jan.
Regards,
Goran

[bcgames]

Sweet! Thanks Goran! [8D]

[Great_Ajax]

We've got a couple of PBEM games testing the 1.05 isolation rules using 'Red Army Resurgent' scenario.

Trey

ORIGINAL: Bletchley_Geek

Thank you for doing this: it'll be an unvaluable resource to learn the ropes on the editor [:)]

More of an observation than a question. This scenario will be an excellent testing ground for the upcoming 1.05 changes regarding air resupply of pocketed units. They'll have to resist for 6 or 7 turns...

[Redmarkus5]

ORIGINAL: delatbabel

In all of the games I've played, either AI or PBEM, I've never managed as the Soviets to create or seal a pocket in Jan/Feb 42. This will be an interesting scenario.

The main reason is probably that neither the AI nor a human player will voluntarily issue a 'stand and fight' order if the formation of a pocket is the likely result.

[Redmarkus5]

It's interesting that the historical map shows a complex and very extensive series of lakes and swamps SE all around Demyansk, with the most concentrated set actually defining the line of the front, while the WiTE map just shows woods and hills. Also, it looks as though a new Soviet rail line has been constructed (see the black choo-choo train). I wish we could spend AP to build new rail lines, upgrade roads, build log roads etc. The operational implications of that capability would be vast.

[goranw]

Hi!
The rail with the choo-choo train is the rail in the game (Ostaschkow -Bologoje).
The rail not in our game is the line Novgorod-Waldai). Although very disrupted.
On most railway maps its only drawn from Waldai to Krestzy.
Goran

[Redmarkus5]

Ah! So you drew the train? Nice

I was actually thinking how interesting that a German staff officer would draw that funny little train on his planning map! LOL

[Redmarkus5]

Imagine if the WiTE version 2 map had a Zoom -1 level that showed real topographical maps of this quality and broke divisions down into regiments.

Roads could be factored in and players could have an option to conduct operations at either Divisional (Zoom 1) or Regimental (Zoom -1) scale...

[goranw]

ORIGINAL: redmarkus4

Ah! So you drew the train? Nice

I was actually thinking how interesting that a German staff officer would draw that funny little train on his planning map! LOL

It was drawn by the German officer![:)]
Many OKH-maps have these "trains"
Goran

[BletchleyGeek]

ORIGINAL: el hefe

We've got a couple of PBEM games testing the 1.05 isolation rules using 'Red Army Resurgent' scenario.

ORIGINAL: Bletchley_Geek

Thank you for doing this: it'll be an unvaluable resource to learn the ropes on the editor [:)]

More of an observation than a question. This scenario will be an excellent testing ground for the upcoming 1.05 changes regarding air resupply of pocketed units. They'll have to resist for 6 or 7 turns...

I completely forgot about 'Red Army Resurgent', will it - and the others you were working on - going to be released with 1.05?

[bcgames]

Step 5. Setting the Victory Condition, Attack Stance, and AI Usage:

O.K. We have named the scenario, set the map parameters, and have established the time frame for the scenario. Now we'll set the Victory Condition, Attack Stance, and AI Usage.



Left click on "Campaign" to change the Victory Condition type to "Short Scenario".



Enter the Attack Stance for each side. This influences how the AI will act during scenario play. To change the default Attack Stance, left click on "Axis 0 Soviet 0" to the right of the Attack Stance Label. A pop-up window will appear so we can enter the appropriate code. Our options are:

0 – Defend
1 – Cautious Attack
2 – Normal attack
3 – Sustained Attack
4 – All out attack



For starters let's set the Axis Attack Stance to 0 (Defend) because the Germans were defending at the start of this scenario, and let's set the Soviet Attack Stance to 3 (Sustained Attack) because they were attacking with the express purpose of creating an encirclement. We can adjust the Soviet Attack Stance up or down (aggression-wise) based on our playtests of the scenario later.

To set the AI Usage, left click on "Axis 0 Soviet 0" to the right of the AI Usage label. A pop-up window will appear. Our options for this setting are as follows:

0 – Use Campaign AI
1 – Use Attack AI Only
2 – Use Defend AI Only

Scenarios where one side is only going to attack or only going to defend, enter the appropriate AI Usage number. This setting will speed up the AI and will lead to slightly improved AI performance. If the AI Usage is set to campaign, then the Attack Stance settings will be ignored. Set the Germans to 2 (Use Defend AI Only) and Soviets to 1 (Use Attack AI Only).



If you have followed these steps, your Main tab should now look like this:



What are your questions, comments, rebuttals...

[Redmarkus5]

Um, so if I understand you correctly, the AI usage settings of 0 actually cancel out the Attack Stance settings you made in the previous step???