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I just started playing the Lost Victories megacampaign with 8.2. Up until now i had only played in 7.1 version. I just updated and it seems to me that the infantry casualties while under direct fire are brutal now. In the first scenario of the campaign there are a large number of forts and pillboxes. These will frequently wipe out an entire squad if my guys step in the wrong hex. This may be realistic i guess but it makes assaults a great risk for the attacker.

These amount of casualties were not present in 7.1 i think. I almost spilled my coke over my keyboard the first time one of my squads got completely wiped out that way[:'(]

On the other hand, may the gods help those russians who get in ramge of my MMGs...

Is this a planned thing or is it an inexpected side effect of other changes to the game files?

Can't answer it its planed but 8.2 combat is more deadly in general, watch out for light tanks[;)]

Machine guns have gradually increased in deadliness over the versions. I myself favour this change as I feel it being very realistic. Now, I must use my tanks to support my infantry to supress enemy MG'nests. In the past this was not so important.

This means that fortresses have become real tough cookies to chew.

A few tips.

Always have some artillery ready to lay smoke in front/over fortresses.

Always support your foot sloggers with a tank/vehicle that can fire smoke. (Normally command tanks (Ones with 0 in the id eg E0) with guns over 50mm bore has at least one or two rounds of smoke) Or use your self propelled mortar vehicles.
With direct fire smoke you can pop a smoke puff right in front of the nest's weapons.

Do not move your infantry more than 1 hex at the time when moving in Mg covered hexes. (As if you move more, your troops will become easier targes as they run instead of stalk casually)

Supressing fire is not very effective against fortresses. I try to get infantry quickly around it and start assaulting it from the back - even if the unit has no AP weapons it freaks the bunker crews out and may lead to them abandoning the nest.

If you face multiple layers of fortresses that cover each other, any assault tnds to be too pricey. Artillery and smoke them and work my way around the entire area before attacking from the rear - starting with the rearmost nest.

Dont know if this is any help - But It's what I do..

Ps: The best unit in the world, to my mind, is a Flamethrower Engineer unit in a Halftrack.

Ah well...remember version...6 was it? Infantry combat is kid stuff compared to it [:D]

Voriax

Do not move your infantry more than 1 hex at the time when moving in Mg covered hexes. (As if you move more, your troops will become easier targes as they run instead of stalk casually)

Well i tried that in the first scenario of Lost victories and it did not wirk because i would run out of time to get to the objectives. I eventually won a decisive victory (knowing where those forts where after replaying it helped a lot). It seems i'll have a tuff time with this barbarossa operation the fuher ordered me to be part of...[8|]

Portuguese Mercenary,

The LV mega campaign is certainly a challenge. I'm on my sixth battle and they have all been a challenge!

Rich

I find the campaigns really tough as well - It's like they've been designed to be re-played again and again.

I don't know if they've become harder as the OOB's changed over the years but I've played SPWAW for years and years and many of the campaign missions are harsh. Enemy units ambushing your vehicles etc.. by the side of the road.. And no chance to spot them unless you run with infantry - which you have no time to do - just as you say.

I could of course be a tactical imbicile

I think SPWAW really shines in E-mail play with mates. It would be AWESOME if there one day could be a two-player vs campaign mode.

A few points if I may. I just recently finished both the MCNA (approx a year and a half) and MCWT (6 months) and I just started LV, I think I'm on the 3rd scenario. Other than capturing that school in the 2nd scenario I find it's been pretty much a cake walk.

Anyway, the main point I wanted to make was that the first 3 MC's were made in different versions (NA in 5 and LV and WT in 7) of SPWAW. They will however play normally in 7.1. I tried playing NA in version 8 and although it played, I found that there were too many discrepancies in icons, sounds and graphics. Such as infantry units looking like vehicles and vicesa versa. It bothered me to the point where I went back to 7.1 for the purpose of playing the older MC's. As far as I know no patch has been made or is being considered. But now in the day of 40 Gig and above hard drives it's really not that big a deal to have 2 or 3 versions of SPWAW on your pc, as I do. [;)]

And one little tip I came up with for keeping the MC's playable was to always take the default scenario's the first time through, then a year or so from now when you want to play them again always take the 2nd option, and the 3rd time through always chose the 3rd option. Most scenario's in the MC's have 3-4 options that you can choose from. That way you have years worth of enjoyment to look forward too! [:)]

vulkansanex said:
Ps: The best unit in the world, to my mind, is a Flamethrower Engineer unit in a Halftrack.

Have to agree with this to a point. You figure, if they don't get shot at on the way, they can clear 15+ hexes in 1 move & blast whatever is at the end. When it works, this has to be my favorite way of eliminating pesky Brit 25 lbs, pillboxes or what-have-you.

On the other hand, I've lost more than my share trying it too early & just ending up with a wrecked vehicle, a 4-man, pinned, engineer squad & handing ~50 VPs to the other side.

"Crack Suicide Engineers, advance!"

Bruce "Fire is your friend, friendly fire is your ex-friend" Young

Guys, with 8.2 I'm having a blast (pun intended) with close-quarters infantry combat. The techniques of the tank-infantry team are better represented now, IMHO, so this really improves the quality of play and the need for proper combined-arms tactics. Of course, you can still have fleets of tanks fighting in out on the steppes of Russia or in the open desert of North Africa, but I perversely enjoy the face-to-face infantry slugfests, with bayonets, pistols, carbines, grenades, flamethrowers and such. I suppose this comes from my fascination with ancient warfare, but now the hoplites and legionaires have modern weapons.

Well i'm adapting to these new casualties and it all good. The enemy is having it worse and i'm on my 3rd decisive victory in the LV megacampaign. Their tanks and armoured cars are a joke and my assault guns are scoring tens of kills. The german infantry is very good against their armoured cars too. I just had a scenario were i had to relieve a paradroped platoon in defending a bridge. That was lots of fun as i had to race to the spot before the russians managed to reenforce the position and cream my paratroopers.[8D]