Matrix Games Forums

Hello all.
This is my first scenario that I've built totally from scratch to a standard I'm not horribly ashamed of and I humbly ask for the community to give me some feedback.
The points I'm especially looking for feedback on are the following:

1 - Is the slow-down / lag early on in the scenario due to the amount of missiles acceptable or should I try to space them out somewhat?
2 - Are the instructions provided, both on the Briefing screen and Special Message pop-ups detailed enough or are they too long / frequent?
3 - Is the scenario's pacing fine or does too much occur early in the game and therefore I need to add more "late" game substance?
4 - Is the scenario too hard or too easy?

Obviously, I welcome feedback unrelated to the above points too.

The Scenario:
Title - Straits of Blood: Operation SANDSTORM (Beta version 0.3)
Date - 03 Jan 2025.
Location - Persian Gulf.
Sides - Western Coalition Forces and the Middle East Coalition vs Iran.
Premise - With Iran only months, if not weeks, away from becoming a nuclear-armed power, the US, UK and Australia muster their forces for an air and missile strike against Iranian nuclear facilities and other infrastructure.
However, first of all, the coalitions must survival an Iranian onslaught consisting of hundreds of cruise and ballistic missiles against bases and oil facilities throughout the JOA. Using brand-new and experimental UAVs, Fifth Gen platforms and EB-1 / EB-2 aircraft from the secretive High-Technology Aerospace Weapons Centre, AKA Dreamland, it is your mission to stop Iran's nuclear programme dead in its tracks.

Notes:
This scenario is (another) demonstration of "mission creep" - what started off as a game where you defend your airbase has turned into a heavy Iranian missile strike and Coalition counter-attack. I'd love to have included naval play and satellites but I feel this scenario is already on the meatier side. I'd certainly recommend implementing resource saving measures - turning off Range Rings for all but the Selected Unit for example unless your PC is particularly powerful.

You will be heavily penalised for manned aircraft losses, but UAV losses will cost you very little. If the Al Udeid CAOC is destroyed, the game will end (as you'll be dead). Despite my efforts, the game may start with some of your units set to "WEAPONS HOLD". I can guarantee that you'll want to alter this before the shooting starts!
You should play with Special Messages turned on.
---------------------------------------------------------
EDIT

Version 0.4 now available.
Changes:

1 - Map now updated to DB492 Build 1147.38.

2 - Reduced Iranian missiles and spread the strikes out with some happening further into the scenario. There will still be a drop in performance once the missiles start flying but, certainly on my machine, crashes are very rare and it only lasts for 20-30mins.

3 - Removed the CG-21 Cruiser to offset the lower amount of Iranian missiles.

4 - Added an extra CF RQ-180.

5 - Upgraded the 40BS B-52Hs to the latest standard; all armed with the new AGM-158D-XR. Two more B-52Hs added to offset the lost of the CG's RGM-109Zs.

6 - Removed the XQ-222s and replaced with another sqn of X-47s.

7 - Triumph score is now 10000 VP.

8 - Tidied up the Events, Triggers and Conditions somewhat.

9 - Moved the UK Sky Sabre battery and Stormer SAM to Minhad to increase defence in that area.

10 - Tinkered with some of the AC ready times.

Very nice scenario outline!

You asked these questions:
1 - Is the slow-down / lag early on in the scenario due to the amount of missiles acceptable or should I try to space them out somewhat?
2 - Are the instructions provided, both on the Briefing screen and Special Message pop-ups detailed enough or are they too long / frequent?
3 - Is the scenario's pacing fine or does too much occur early in the game and therefore I need to add more "late" game substance?
4 - Is the scenario too hard or too easy?

Let's start with nr.1. When the SSM attack begins the game will slow down to a unplayable speed.
The amount of SSMs and Cruise missiles will be staggering in such a war, but to my opinion your amounts are really high [;)]

In the initial wave this comes at me:
EXPENDITURES:
------------------
Cruise missiles (96 missiles)
96x Soumar [Kh-55 Mod]

MRBM (728 missiles)
32x Ghadr-110 [Conventional, Shahab-3A Mod]
204x Fateh-110/3 A-110B [450kg HE Conventional]
35x Raad-500 MRBM
82x Fateh-313 [450kg HE Conventional]
50x Fateh-313 [450kg HE Conventional] RV
32x Raad-500 MRBM
128x Fateh-110/3 A-110B [450kg HE Conventional] RV

IRBM (442)
90x Shahab-3 [Conventional 1200kg HE]
60x Qiam 1
24x Shahab-2 [Conventional 600kg HE]
32x Musudan-1
18x SS-1c Scud B [8K14-8F44, 985kg HE Conventional]
32x Ghadr-110 RV [Conventional, Shahab-3A Mod]
18x SS-1c Scud B [8K14-8F44, 985kg HE Conventional] RV
22x Shahab-2 [Conventional 600kg HE] RV
75x Shahab-3 [Conventional 1200kg HE] RV
53x Qiam 1 RV
4x Shahab-1 [Conventional 985kg HE]
18x Musudan-1 RV

So, Iran must have 442 big IRBM launcher vehicles, and 728 MRBM launchers (maybe a couple double launched?) and 96 Cruise missile launchers? I suspect the reloading time and amount of launcher vehicles can be something to be looked into. Because if they have this much, what will come at me after the reload! [:o] The same again?


Because of this, I did not came to questions 2,3 and 4.

But the scenario looks very interesting!

PS. - Not even one US Navy carrier on any horizon?
- Not one satellite available to the US and UK? So who spots the SSM launches?
- You talked about a mission creep scenario. But a historic SSM strike within one hour is something else [X(]
- Also a bit more time to execute some ISR missons would be nice, The UK/US/AUS don't jump into Iran without prior
knowledge
- Good that the amount of pre-defined missions is minimal.
- I noticed a bunch of C-130s and C-17s on bases that are all in maintenance? I could not let them take-off to prevent
destruction by the SSMs. Maybe make some of them flyable?
- Some airbases are missing in Saudi, Qatar and UAE have a look at: https://www.scramble.nl/planning/orbats
These are just hints.

A nice start, and please continue!

Mine has gone mad with the first launch. Gonna let it run out later. But I am genuinely curious as to how you managed to make the EB-1 and EB-2

Yes, there are probably too much ballistic missiles modeled. Generally i would only include max about 75% of the ballistic missiles that Iran actually have. It seems that you model all the missiles.

Now that the holidays are over, I'll try to get a 0.4 out before I go back to work next week.
My to-do list will certainly involve reducing the amount of Iranian missiles and maybe to spread a few out more throughout the scenario so the lag isn't so bad.
The Special Messages didn't quite work how I would have hoped so I need to change a few of those.
I also need to alter the scoring slightly - maybe boost the Triumph up to 10000 points.
The addition of satellites is something I would like to implement but only if they don't slow down the game too much.

ORIGINAL: Selchu

Mine has gone mad with the first launch. Gonna let it run out later. But I am genuinely curious as to how you managed to make the EB-1 and EB-2

I used this LUA Script to add datalinks to the EB-1s & EB-2s

local u = SE_GetUnit({guid='H6IC7C-0HM7EL27N5SG0'})
--## Tomahawk Command Datalink 1600 160ch needed for re-attack\post launch control of lrsm etc
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='134'});
--## AIM 120 Command Datalink [two-way offboard] 8 ch? [act like e2-d remote control if unit also cec comms]
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='317'});
--## Standard version of AIM 120 Command Datalink [two-way]
--ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=tostring(myunit.guid),mode='add_comms',dbid='294'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='43'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='168'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='42'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='41'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='126'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='230'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='149'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='140'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='66'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='188'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='141'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='185'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='174'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='44'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='53'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='181'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='215'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='294'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='295'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='307'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='308'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='352'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='353'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='365'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='369'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='4'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='74'});
ScenEdit_UpdateUnit({guid=u.guid,mode='add_comms',dbid='75'});

Then I added weapons and sensors manually. I tend to use the Gripen's Active Countermeasure mount as a base to then add weapons to the jets.
The Vampire Is are B-1Bs while the Vampire IIs are B-1Rs.

Version 0.4 now available.
Changes:

1 - Map now updated to DB492 Build 1147.38.

2 - Reduced Iranian missiles and spread the strikes out with some happening further into the scenario. There will still be a drop in performance once the missiles start flying but, certainly on my machine, crashes are very rare and it only lasts for 20-30mins.

3 - Removed the CG-21 Cruiser to offset the lower amount of Iranian missiles.

4 - Added an extra CF RQ-180.

5 - Upgraded the 40BS B-52Hs to the latest standard; all armed with the new AGM-158D-XR. Two more B-52Hs added to offset the lost of the CG's RGM-109Zs.

6 - Removed the XQ-222s and replaced with another sqn of X-47s.

7 - Triumph score is now 10000 VP.

8 - Tidied up the Events, Triggers and Conditions somewhat.

9 - Moved the UK Sky Sabre battery and Stormer SAM to Minhad to increase defence in that area.

10 - Tinkered with some of the AC ready times.