Locarnus Addon 2026-01, for Battlefield Europe, OC, AK, SC and Grand Campaign East

[bondjamesbond]

Throwing foil from an Avro Lancaster aircraft over Hamburg during Operation Gomorrah. This was how the RAF created
interference for German locators. 25 July 1943.

I did not know about them dropping foil to make detection more difficult!
UK was really ahead in the recon, camo and military intelligence aspects.

Love all those pictures and information.

I still have a lot of tricks up my sleeve. Studying military history is, let's say, my hobby in my spare time. Well, how to incorporate different information and implement it in this game is your undisputed forte.

[goose_2]

Here are some thoughts over which units I am bringing to Vilna and future thoughts on each of these units:

Recon bringing both into Vilna, and my goal for both of them to try and get them to at least 1000 kills, not sure if I can get them to 5 stars in 45, but not sure as I see them as difficult to utilize in effective ways to rack up exp or major kills. They are what they are and 4 stars and hope for 3 heroes is the focus.
.Panzer II 5cm 44 r9 ............... i1a2 ... Blast ................... 888 ... 415
.SdKfz 234/2 Puma ................ s1s1 ... DanielS ................ 928 ... 411

Tanks
.Tiger II B r9s8 .................. m1a2 ... Raunosavolainen ..... 1004 ... 501
Rauno is out until the 10 str unit comes out and will be utilized here and there to dominate battlefields, but need to use sparingly as once he gets 3rd hero he is all trained up.
.Jagdpanther .................... a2d2 ... Kapl .................... 1083 ... 356
Kapl is limited to 4 stars and 3rd hero unless the JagdTiger becomes a game changer for him. bringing to Vilna
.Panther BeWg ................... s1a3 ... MichalGolaszewski ... 1239 ... 473
Michal has an opportunity to get to 5 stars and 3 heroes which will mean he is fully trained. bringing to Vilna
.Panther A ....................... d1d3 ... Festival ................ 1042 ... 407 ... ==> Panther G ?
Festival is back benched until I either feel I need him or I get Michal where I want him.
.Tiger I 44 ........................ d2a3 ... Temis .................. 1185 ... 439
Temis is finally going to be exercised in Vilna to get him some kills and some exp, may be able to get him to 5 stars and 3 heroes in 45.
.Tiger P++ s8 .................... m1d2 ... ElBaron ................ 1173 ... 424
El Baron will be stuck at 4 stars but exercise will get him to 3 heroes: not bringing to Vilna
.Elefant s8 ....................... m1d2 ... Gooseboy ............. 1490 ... 388
Gooseboy will be fully trained in my mind once he gets 4 stars and 3 heroes. bringing to Vilna
.StuG III 44+ ..................... i1m1 ... DoktorG ............... 1120 ... 398
DoktorG will work to get him fully trained to 5 stars and 3 heroes: bringing to Vilna
.JagdPz IV/48 .................... m1a2 ... Pierre .................. 834 ... 428
Pierre will shine more as the upgraded JagdPz and hope to get him above 1000 kills before 45: bringing to Vilna
.Nashorn 44 ....................... a1i1 ... ForestLaw ............ 1280 ... 461
ForestLaw will rest for now so I can use Reoguru in the Nashorn spot and may change Forestlaw to some kind of arty to get him to that attainable 5th star of exp.
.KV-85(r) .......................... d2d2 ... Paramecium .......... 1438 ... 358
Paramecium will be fully trained at 4 stars of exp and 3 heroes: bringing to Vilna

Any thoughts about these are always appreciated. I will try and provide more thoughts later.

[Locarnus]

[...]
.Jagdpanther .................... a2d2 ... Kapl .................... 1083 ... 356
Kapl is limited to 4 stars and 3rd hero unless the JagdTiger becomes a game changer for him. bringing to Vilna
.Panther BeWg ................... s1a3 ... MichalGolaszewski ... 1239 ... 473
Michal has an opportunity to get to 5 stars and 3 heroes which will mean he is fully trained. bringing to Vilna

Those two Panther chassis units both could use dedicated experience training, with the Sturmpanther providing the in-family option to do so (at the end of GC 44 East).
Jagdtiger is in the Tiger II family, its availability is a bit unfortunate for GC 44 East scenarios dates. I would still like to see one in action, though only if your double Rommel prestige permits. Maybe something for the final scenarios of 45, since the low rof is also not great for training.
Yep, I agree with recons and leaving Tiger II behind until the full strength version is available at the end of GC 44 East.

ForestLaw will rest for now so I can use Reoguru in the Nashorn spot and may change Forestlaw to some kind of arty to get him to that attainable 5th star of exp.
.KV-85(r) .......................... d2d2 ... Paramecium .......... 1438 ... 358
Paramecium will be fully trained at 4 stars of exp and 3 heroes: bringing to Vilna

Any thoughts about these are always appreciated. I will try and provide more thoughts later.

Imho leaving trained units in reserve but using those unit types to train others is necessary now. A Wurfrahmen would also be nice again, Dneos has been in reserve for so long and no one else using that very potent, mobile artillery for training.

Paramecium is imho a big question mark. Do you want to keep him as a KV-85 until the end?
358 experience is still quite a way from 4 stars.

[Locarnus]

One surrender in each theatre nets us about 250 prestige. Five units counterattacked this turn. It seems like four of them were unfrozen from the Kiev pocket.

Surrender prestige is a real boost for this playthrough, nicely done.
A little sad that the BT-2 near Leningrad was more of a gift than a nuisance. At least the Kiev breakout units were hopefully a bit surprising and annoying for this very rapid advance.

The way to Murmansk now has some protection (iirc I added the village of Kem to represent that rail line) and Arkhangelsk is also buffed. Historically the Germans had trouble with the far North and the Finns were reluctant to commit while Leningrad and Moscow held out.

Turn 7
The French resistance spotted our mining boat…
[...]
No updates on the Finnish situation for awhile because it has been slow. The 14 strength artillery with 4 range really hampers advancement. Our two cruisers have finally made it and will at least help taking the first (B) location.

Will you go for a channel dash in the Winter or keep the German surface units in the West?
Perhaps even going after Torch or a bit more help for the Norway trade protection later on?

Leningrad arty was buffed to simulate that the siege was at least militarily costly for both sides. With the one sided, unimaginable civilian suffering practically being a joint decision from Berlin and Moscow...

I will destroy the eastern fort and leave the western fort for strat bomber and ship training
[...]
Balance comments: Consider minesweeper ships perhaps? They can cost say 500 prestige and have only 2 strength points. Thus, when they clear a minefield they’ll be left with 1 strength and have to repair for 125 prestige (or whatever you deem is reasonable). Currently, bottom mines are too punitive with no real countermeasure.

Ah, yep, training is much more important due to Field Marshal difficulty, the bunker is a nice option.

If I remember correctly, McGuba mainly considered those mines to be a workaround for historical restrictions, which can not really be simulated with the Panzer Corps game engine.
Like the Italian fleet having so little fuel that they were unable to support the Tobruk siege. Taking even more fuel away from the Italian ships would render them useless around Italy itself.
Thus the mines around Tobruk are mainly there for the at this stage unsolveable fuel reasons, and less so as actual sea mines which could be solved by minesweepers.

[goose_2]

[...]
.Jagdpanther .................... a2d2 ... Kapl .................... 1083 ... 356
Kapl is limited to 4 stars and 3rd hero unless the JagdTiger becomes a game changer for him. bringing to Vilna
.Panther BeWg ................... s1a3 ... MichalGolaszewski ... 1239 ... 473
Michal has an opportunity to get to 5 stars and 3 heroes which will mean he is fully trained. bringing to Vilna

Those two Panther chassis units both could use dedicated experience training, with the Sturmpanther providing the in-family option to do so (at the end of GC 44 East).
Jagdtiger is in the Tiger II family, its availability is a bit unfortunate for GC 44 East scenarios dates. I would still like to see one in action, though only if your double Rommel prestige permits. Maybe something for the final scenarios of 45, since the low rof is also not great for training.
Yep, I agree with recons and leaving Tiger II behind until the full strength version is available at the end of GC 44 East.

ForestLaw will rest for now so I can use Reoguru in the Nashorn spot and may change Forestlaw to some kind of arty to get him to that attainable 5th star of exp.
.KV-85(r) .......................... d2d2 ... Paramecium .......... 1438 ... 358
Paramecium will be fully trained at 4 stars of exp and 3 heroes: bringing to Vilna

Any thoughts about these are always appreciated. I will try and provide more thoughts later.

Imho leaving trained units in reserve but using those unit types to train others is necessary now. A Wurfrahmen would also be nice again, Dneos has been in reserve for so long and no one else using that very potent, mobile artillery for training.

Paramecium is imho a big question mark. Do you want to keep him as a KV-85 until the end?
358 experience is still quite a way from 4 stars.

I tried looking up the Sturmpanther, it did not show anything tangible off google, am I missing something or what is the source of this vehicle, will it be in line with Brumbarr, as it seems linked there?

You are right about Paramecium, his heroes only align with tank or at class, so not seeing many other options for him other than KV-85 consistent and persistent use should get him to 4 stars and 3 heroes as a KV, maybe a limited in house upgrade to an IS-2 may expand things for him.

[Locarnus]

I tried looking up the Sturmpanther, it did not show anything tangible off google, am I missing something or what is the source of this vehicle, will it be in line with Brumbarr, as it seems linked there?

You are right about Paramecium, his heroes only align with tank or at class, so not seeing many other options for him other than KV-85 consistent and persistent use should get him to 4 stars and 3 heroes as a KV, maybe a limited in house upgrade to an IS-2 may expand things for him.

Afaik in 1944 they thought about putting a short 15cm gun on the Panther chassis, just like they had done with practically every other chassis up to this point (except for the Tiger, where they wanted an even bigger gun).

They were unsure whether it should be a casemate design as on the Panzer III and IV chassis or it would evolve once more to a turreted design. I implemented the turreted design using the graphics from guille1434. Imho it was the most promising, basically the normal Panther with a short 15cm instead of the long 75cm, simplifying production.
Was not produced historically, since Germany just needed direct fire against enemy tanks much more than indirect fire support from their expensive Panther hulls.


Captured IS-2 would certainly be nice to see. Though I'm hesitant to stray that far, adding another top tier unit for the late war German roster. Imho low production or prototypes at least show something different, while IS-2 are already on the battlefield, just on the other side.

[goose_2]

Here are some more thoughts on some more units:

Towed Arty (All planning on going to Vilna.)
.10.5 GebH .......... Kettenkrad . i1a2 ... Pullig ............... 1015 ... 351
using as arty to get to 4 stars and then planning on switching back, maybe I should consider training to 5 stars but do not think there is enough time. Thoughts?
.10.5 leG 43 ....................... m1d2 ... Artemis .............. 879 ... 401 ... Changing to Jaeger for Vilna to try and start racking up big time kills. (My thoughts on Inantry have changed watching the tremendous killing power of my Grenadiere.
.7.62 FK 288(r) r11 . Sd250/1+ .. d2d2 ... RichardMartin ..... 1014 ... 405
Richard is getting trained to 5 stars and then either changing to 43 Grenadiere or Regular Inf 44.
.15 sFH range3 r8 ..... Sd7 .......... r1 ... Raduku ............... 662 ... 460
Raduku is my big? What to do? He needs kills big time but only has a chance to get there with AA, maybe>
.21 Mrs 18 r5 ........... Sd8 ......... m1 ... Kei .................... 972 ... 441
Kei has been my reliable arty this whole game and this will not change as we reach the home stretch. He will get +3 Attack hero, or else and I will keep exercising him to try and get him that 5th star and 3rd Hero.

Mobile Arty (Bringing all not marked as not going to Vilna, everyone else will go.)
.SU-122(r) ......................... a3a3 ... 7Bowls ................ 1240 ... 380
7Bowls is finally getting close to 4 stars, not sure if I should keep going as SU-122 or try something else at 4 stars, I kind of like using him as the 122, but I have to know, will the 100 be available? Please!?!
.StuH 44+ .......................... m1a2 ... NightPhoenix ........ 1165 ... 402 not going to Vilna
.Hummel 44 r8 ....................... s1 ... Soren ................... 774 ... 351
Soren will change at 4 stars and not 100% sure which way he will go once he gets there.
.Grille r8 ............................. m1 ... PanzerVorwärts ....... 865 ... 404
PanzerVorwarts will become the Pz3 Flamm in Warsaw Uprising, and then after that who knows?
.Wespe ............................ m1d2 ... Goose .................. 1037 ... 407 not going to Vilna
.Brummbär 44 r8 ................... m1 ... Reoguru ................. 711 ... 410
Reoguru is going to be a BA Nashorn all decked out.
.StuG IV+ .............................. r1 ... RayCaster .............. 716 ... 482
RayCaster will be Mobilwagon for quick fast destruction around the Vilna air space, looking forward to see how he shines in new role.
.PzSfl IVb ........................... s1a2 ... Rimski ................. 1230 ... 388
Rimski will change to the 3 vision Pz3J once at 4 stars.
.Semovente 105/25 ................. d2 ... RightSide .............. 854 ... 474
Rightside will become the biggest Italian tank as soon as we get to 5 stars and will work to get him to 3 heroes to finish his training for Berlin.
.Panzerwerfer 42 r12 ............... a3 ... Singer .................. 909 ... 426
Singer and Dneos will both be brought into Vilna and get their kill count above 1000 to prepare for their role in Warsaw.
.Wurfrahmen 43 r8 ................ r1r1 ... Dneos .................. 933 ... 457

[Locarnus]

Here are some more thoughts on some more units:

Towed Arty (All planning on going to Vilna.)
.10.5 GebH .......... Kettenkrad . i1a2 ... Pullig ............... 1015 ... 351
using as arty to get to 4 stars and then planning on switching back, maybe I should consider training to 5 stars but do not think there is enough time. Thoughts?
.10.5 leG 43 ....................... m1d2 ... Artemis .............. 879 ... 401 ... Changing to Jaeger for Vilna to try and start racking up big time kills. (My thoughts on Inantry have changed watching the tremendous killing power of my Grenadiere.
.7.62 FK 288(r) r11 . Sd250/1+ .. d2d2 ... RichardMartin ..... 1014 ... 405
Richard is getting trained to 5 stars and then either changing to 43 Grenadiere or Regular Inf 44.
.21 Mrs 18 r5 ........... Sd8 ......... m1 ... Kei .................... 972 ... 441
Kei has been my reliable arty this whole game and this will not change as we reach the home stretch. He will get +3 Attack hero, or else and I will keep exercising him to try and get him that 5th star and 3rd Hero.

I agree, Pullig should get to 4 stars asap and Richard Martin can continue training since he already has 2 heroes and the r11 of the FK 288 should be used for experience farming as much as possible. Can even use the transport Sd 250 for a bit of kill gathering in between, pretty versatile unit.
Artemis needs kills and you need infantry for the next two scenarios. Jaeger is a good choice for that.
Kei is pretty much set I guess, big arty gave him even faster kills than experience it seems. Perhaps the 17cm leans a bit more towards experience, while the 21cm leans more towards kills?

.15 sFH range3 r8 ..... Sd7 .......... r1 ... Raduku ............... 662 ... 460
Raduku is my big? What to do? He needs kills big time but only has a chance to get there with AA, maybe>
.StuG IV+ .............................. r1 ... RayCaster .............. 716 ... 482
RayCaster will be Mobilwagon for quick fast destruction around the Vilna air space, looking forward to see how he shines in new role.
.Hummel 44 r8 ....................... s1 ... Soren ................... 774 ... 351
Soren will change at 4 stars and not 100% sure which way he will go once he gets there.
.PzSfl IVb ........................... s1a2 ... Rimski ................. 1230 ... 388
Rimski will change to the 3 vision Pz3J once at 4 stars.

RayCaster and Raduku both have range heroes and need kills.
Though Raduku needs to use the Hummel to get out of his upgrade family, while RayCaster has many directly available options without in-between steps.
Perhaps Soren could switch to PzSfl IVb for faster training and to free up the Hummel.
While Rimski could switch to Wespe to complete his training to 4 stars and then take over the recon Panzer II from Blast.
Which would free up Blast to use his ini hero for something else, while the spotting hero from Rimski would work well for the recon.

Those changes would be beneficial for Blast, Rimski, Soren and Raduku. No hurry for Raduku to get to Hummel, but Soren would benefit a lot from the higher rof of the PzSfl IVb. And the Wespe is equally good for training for Rimski anyway, whilst Goose takes a break from using it.

.SU-122(r) ......................... a3a3 ... 7Bowls ................ 1240 ... 380
7Bowls is finally getting close to 4 stars, not sure if I should keep going as SU-122 or try something else at 4 stars, I kind of like using him as the 122, but I have to know, will the 100 be available? Please!?!

Yep, SU-100 is available from the first scenario of GC 45 East. Stats are all around lower than the Jagdpanther, but it is also not as big, so it retains the camo trait.

[bondjamesbond]

The main thing to do in your mod add-on is to make sure that it is not easy to capture giant cities.



Air defence work on the ship - Sevastopol
(in 1921–1943 - Paris Commune) - a legendary dreadnought battleship of the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Empire and the Red Navy, the lead ship of its type. It participated in World War I and the Russian Civil War. In 1929, it was transferred to the Black Sea Fleet, where it became a key part of the defence of Sevastopol during the Great Patriotic War.

[goose_2]

More thoughts:

Non-hero bonus SE units (These units have been occupying a lot of thought as there is so much versatility and flexibility that allows me to play around with what I can do. Thank you!)

.Std 42M Toldi IIa ............... a3s1 ... Brodrick ............. 1645 ... 386
Brodrick will become a 15cm sIG to get him quickly to 4 stars and maybe beyond, for at least Vilna and Warsaw. After that either back to the Toldi or maybe to Cavalry to have another infantry unit?
.Std Blue Division 44 ........... d1d2 ... PatrickLee .......... 1332 ... 384
PatrickLee's heroes has me wanting to keep him the Blue Infantry unit. He should shine and get to 4 stars by the end of 44.
.Std P26/40(i) ................... i1d2 ... Dimitri ............... 1189 ... 400 ... ==> Pz III M+ or M4(r) Sherman/Emcha
Dimitri is going to try out as Sherman for a while to try and garner quick kills, but once they lose their OS I may change to infantry unit as seeing Soren's playthrough that might be the way to go.
.Std Marder III M ............... m1a2 ... PaulWilde ........... 1083 ... 368 ... ==> Hetzer r9
Paul will be a Hetzer until morale improves, meaning I want him to kill kill kill and get that elusive 3rd hero and 4th star. After that who knows.
.Std Brückenpio 44 ......... m1a3a3 ... Makorin .............. 1659 ... 432
Makorin is my Nimrod and I do not see that changing as he is doing well in that role.
.Std 15cm sIG33 r8 ... Horse .... a3 ... Eskuche ............... 339 ... 403 ... ==> Nimrod+ r11 for AA?
Eskuche will become a Panzer 3M+ but may change to Infantry unit like Dimitri once he loses his OS.
.Std 7.5 FK 16 nA r11 . Horse .... ?? ... Thejf .................. 122 ... 215
Thejf will continue all of the rest of 44 into 45 as an arty to get him to at least 4 stars before I switch him to a killer tank or, recon, or Infantry. I may try and get him to 5 stars, but definitely 4 stars before AI switch him away from artillery.
plus 1 non-hero bonus SE units for 45 grand campaign


Infantry
.Grenadiere 44 .... Sd251/1+ . m1a2 ... Gigiduru ............. 1145 ... 422
Gigi is rocking no changes foreseen.
.Pioniere 44 ........ Blitz+ ..... m1a3 ... Soljaism ............. 1114 ... 405
Soljaism same as Gigi
.Kradschützen 44 ................ a1a2 ... PeteMitchell ........ 1220 ... 373 ... ==> Kz 8 GrWrf r11 ==> 10.5 leG 43 arty
Pete is going to be the new mobile Panzer Aufklärer he is close enough to 4 stars to keep using him as intended.
.Sahariana 44 ..................... s1a2 ... Kostia ................ 1126 ... 353
Kostia will change to 75mm arty to garner at least 4 stars of exp, but may go straight for 5 stars before switching back to Sahariana

Anti-Air
.8.8cm Flak 41 ........ Sd7 .... m1m1 ... Jemhadar ............. 1145 ... 378
Jem will continue to rock as a Flak until he reaches 4 stars of exp, and then he will continue on as an 88 PAK
.Cannone 90/53 r8 ... TP40 .... m1a2 ... Zyavoo ................ 1033 ... 361
Zyavoo will stay as Italian 88 as he is doing well in that role and I am fine with where he is at.
.Möbelwagen r12 ................. a2a2 ... Locarnus ............... 987 ... 413
Locarnus has options with his heroes and his kill count, may change him back to arty to get him to 5 stars, but for now will rest.
.SdKfz 7/2+ r11 ................... a3a1 ... MalcolmRichardson . 1085 ... 398
Malcolm is rocking and cheap he will continue to shine as very effective AA shred boy.


Locarnus is the only one I am not bringing to Vilna, so all will get exercise and kills to get serious chance for hopefully 5 or 6 heroes in Vilna alone.

Last post will share thoughts about air development.

[goose_2]

Thoughts about air force, which we have the greatest disagreement

Single engine Fighters & Fighter Bomber (I want kills for my Fighters to try and get as many to 2 stars as most are at 4 stars and the ones at 5 stars are doing well.)
.Bf 109 G-6/U2 GP .................. d3 ... vonThüringen ....... 882 ... 410
von Thuringen is going to Vilna to get him to a 2nd hero so I can rest him until 45
.Bf 109 G-14 ......................... d3 ... CouchOffiziell ....... 586 ... 351
Couch same as von
.Fw 190 A-8/R ....................... d1 ... Richard .............. 568 ... 500 ... ==> Fw 190 A-8+ or /R+ not going to Vilna
.Fw 190 F-8 ....................... a1d2 ... AI181 ................. 784 ... 510 not going to Vilnat going to Vilna
.G.55 + ............................... a2 ... BlackVulture ......... 947 ... 413
Black is going for same as von and couch
+ 2x bonus SE hero fighters in 1945
Multi engine Fighter / Tac Bomber
.Me 410 B-2/U4 r9 ............... d1d2 ... FighterAce .......... 1051 ... 385
Multi engine Fighter / Strat Bomber
.He 111 NJ ........................... a1 ...
Going to try and get 4th starRMA901 ............... 574 ... 506
.He 111 H-20 ........................ a2 ... MafujKhan ............ 870 ... 404
De not going to Vilnadicated Tac Bomber
.Hs 129 B-2 BK .................... a3a1 ... AratoBela ......
Mafuj going to try and get to 2nd hero and 5th star he is a dedicated strat until at least 5th star..... 1260 ... 401 ... ==> Hs 129 B-3 r8 in 44e10
.Ju 87 D-5 ......................... a1d3 ... cmbbfan ............. 1132 ... 400
T not going to Vilnaac Bomber / Strat Bomber
.Ju 188 A-2 .......................... d2 ... Alvarez .. not going to Vilna.............. 507 ... 407
.Ju 188 E-1 ........................ i1i1 ... Slender1870 ........... 872 ... 454

Alvarez and Slender are working to ge that elusive 5th star, but for Slender I may get close and it might be good enough to try him as the jet fighter Me262

Thoughts?

I know you will probably tear me a new one.

[Locarnus]

The main thing to do in your mod add-on is to make sure that it is not easy to capture giant cities.

Agreed, those key battles and focal points keep the scenario interesting.
Leningrad was already significantly improved (imho), Moscow is tougher as well.
Stalingrad and Sevastopol could also use some work.

Turn 8

Troop deployment shows clear priority towards Moscow, all those Panzer II Flamm and heavy artillery being brought in to help.
AGS looks thinner, perhaps also due to the focus on fighters when selecting the 6 starting core units.

Winter is coming. I checked the scenario editor for one thing (what the winter effect is). It’s a 28 hex radius already Tula (south of Moscow), so basically everywhere to the Romanian border and western Pripyats will lose 3 strength points over three turns. This is rough on FM Rommel. Who can stay? I plan to remove the most advanced panzers to winter quarters as well as any other units > 400 prestige, including transports, and > 1 star. Everyone else is cheap and inexperienced enough to take normal replacements. I moved the Hungarians back, but with only 5 train transports, I’m not sure if straight up losing them would’ve just been an okay alternative. In AGS, units that were closer to the Romanian border are being moved back, and aircraft will give one last hurrah at paring down the VVS before winter.

I like that the winter poses a bigger dilemma on FM Rommel. Even with the precise knowledge of that winter effect. Withdrawing costs considerable turns/progress, but staying is very expensive in terms of experience and prestige. And the low number of available trains makes it harder to rotate the units. While many upgrades will only be available in 42 to make use of the units being pulled back.

2342 prestige in turn 9 is quite comfortable, especially when avoiding that winter effect with expensive units anyway.
Will you push for oil fields in 42 to deal with the fighter experience loss?

.Sahariana 44 ..................... s1a2 ... Kostia ................ 1126 ... 353
Kostia will change to 75mm arty to garner at least 4 stars of exp, but may go straight for 5 stars before switching back to Sahariana

Anti-Air
.8.8cm Flak 41 ........ Sd7 .... m1m1 ... Jemhadar ............. 1145 ... 378
Jem will continue to rock as a Flak until he reaches 4 stars of exp, and then he will continue on as an 88 PAK
.Cannone 90/53 r8 ... TP40 .... m1a2 ... Zyavoo ................ 1033 ... 361
Zyavoo will stay as Italian 88 as he is doing well in that role and I am fine with where he is at.

Imho both Kostia and Zyavoo should switch to arties for training. Kostia to that italian mortar, Zyavoo to the 75 Obice.
361 experience is a long way from 4 stars and looking back, those big AA are not great for experience gain.

.Ju 188 E-1 ........................ i1i1 ... Slender1870 ........... 872 ... 454

Alvarez and Slender are working to ge that elusive 5th star, but for Slender I may get close and it might be good enough to try him as the jet fighter Me262

Thoughts?

I know you will probably tear me a new one.

Imho converting Slender1870 to a Me 262 before he reaches 5 stars or is very close to that (eg 495 experience) is a giant waste. Imho your reluctance to actually reach those experience thresholds in training costs you dearly.
361 experience is not better than 301. 454 experience is the same as 404 for combat. Acceptable for ground units with all that arty support. But very costly for fighters. The Me 262 costs 1200+ prestige.
It is well worth the time to get it right, instead of converting a half-measure 454 experience unit, which is then left at home for several scenarios anyway so that others can train as well...
You currently don't need the Me 262. So imho better make sure you have it with the right stats, when you actually need it later on.

[goose_2]

Imho converting Slender1870 to a Me 262 before he reaches 5 stars or is very close to that (eg 495 experience) is a giant waste. Imho your reluctance to actually reach those experience thresholds in training costs you dearly.
361 experience is not better than 301. 454 experience is the same as 404 for combat. Acceptable for ground units with all that arty support. But very costly for fighters. The Me 262 costs 1200+ prestige.
It is well worth the time to get it right, instead of converting a half-measure 454 experience unit, which is then left at home for several scenarios anyway so that others can train as well...
You currently don't need the Me 262. So imho better make sure you have it with the right stats, when you actually need it later on.

Yeah Slender will keep getting trained in Vilna and Warsaw, to try and get as close to 5 stars for the last 44 scenario, we will talk then if he is close enough to make the switch.

I want to use Zyavo as AA in Vilna, I think he will do well and I am pleased with where he is at this point.
Kostia is changing to arty for at least the 4 star threshold and possibly the 5th star threshold.

[eskuche]

2342 prestige in turn 9 is quite comfortable, especially when avoiding that winter effect with expensive units anyway.
Will you push for oil fields in 42 to deal with the fighter experience loss?

Fighter experience loss?! Oh my. Like I said, I haven't played past turn 20 in a long time so am almost playing blind. The good news is that experience gain AND loss are also both halved in FM so...

Can you clarify what the reward for actually taking Moscow/Leningrad are besides a one-time prestige boost and (lesser) reduction in reinforcements?

I am not sure if explicitly written somewhere -- I may have missed it -- but the massive spotting bonus of the SAS in the desert has really ruined a recent turn. I ended up toggling FOW to see exactly what was going on. I think bypassing vision limitations is fine IF if it's fully disclosed. The spawn point can even be random within the desert area. But the player should know that there are these massive spotting hereos so if playing fairly/for the first time it isn't just a headscratching situation, thinking the AI is bypassing the rules of the base game

[Locarnus]

Fighter experience loss?! Oh my. Like I said, I haven't played past turn 20 in a long time so am almost playing blind. The good news is that experience gain AND loss are also both halved in FM so...

Can you clarify what the reward for actually taking Moscow/Leningrad are besides a one-time prestige boost and (lesser) reduction in reinforcements?

I am not sure if explicitly written somewhere -- I may have missed it -- but the massive spotting bonus of the SAS in the desert has really ruined a recent turn. I ended up toggling FOW to see exactly what was going on. I think bypassing vision limitations is fine IF if it's fully disclosed. The spawn point can even be random within the desert area. But the player should know that there are these massive spotting hereos so if playing fairly/for the first time it isn't just a headscratching situation, thinking the AI is bypassing the rules of the base game

The script for fighter (or all aircraft, not sure) experience loss was in BE 2.3 before I started the Addon mod, to simulate fuel shortages for training, iirc. Even with FM making it less powerful, it can make the difference if there is no prestige for elite reinforcements either.

Moscow and Leningrad capture give mainly extra prestige beyond the normal victory hex capture amounts, and reduces reinforcements (less so with Addon mod).
Leningrad capture also yields an understrength KV unit, which can be normally upgraded as well. Since unit gifts are not affected by Rommel setting, it is a lot more valuable than the 500 extra prestige (250 with Rommel).
Moscow gives 1000 extra prestige (500 with Rommel), but if I remember correctly, it has a significantly bigger effect on Soviet reinforcements than Leningrad.


I agree that the player should be informed about those special spotters. I will amend the message about the player getting vision on Gibraltar, to include that the AI can have similar advantages. At least if I can find that Gibraltar message, the editor UI was really not built for hundreds of scripts.

[bondjamesbond]

The main thing to do in your mod add-on is to make sure that it is not easy to capture giant cities.

Agreed, those key battles and focal points keep the scenario interesting.
Leningrad was already significantly improved (imho), Moscow is tougher as well.
Stalingrad and Sevastopol could also use some work.

I was right about you! And let's not forget about all kinds of annexations and joyful annexations to the Reich and its allies )))




Ansaldo 35M and Toldi 38M tankettes in Târgu Secuiesc after the annexation of Hungary, 1940.


Residents of the Romanian city of Sfântu Gheorghe welcome Hungarian troops after the city's annexation by Hungary.


Rare and interesting footage of repair work on a Pz.IV during the Battle of Kursk in 1943.

[Locarnus]

Yep, Trianon treaty was still recent at that point.

Turn 10 (MUD RAIN)

I agree that the spotting unit is unfair. Yet the results seem to support McGuba's decision to put it there.
The Italian fleet can operate so far away despite their historical fuel shortage, but that spotter makes it costly for the player to do so. Without that spotter and those bottom mines around Tobruk the Italian fleet was very overpowered compared to its historical abilities.
Still trying to locate that Gibraltar script in the editor, to at least warn the player about such vision exploits applying to the AI as well.

Upgrades/Purchases: Repairs ~300 prestige, including 10 points on Mediterranean aircraft. A very weakened KG 51 with 3 SP is headed for the Bf109 exchange. This will be favorable if indeed the trigger counts just total level bombers groups lost for the double replacement.

Speaking of exchange program, did the Do17 strat to fighter conversion trigger?
I now remember that I tried to add a safety mechanism to one of the conversion mechanics, though not sure if it was this one. Basically trying to prevent the double script runs on the wrong unit, which were a problem in earlier BE playthroughs. If I remember correctly, there might be a wait turn between two of the same conversions, so that they can not happen right after another or something like that.

Your Recon south of Moscow is how hero units are made. I wish the game would record such results in the unit history.

Turn 11 (CLOUDY MUD)
The Matilda will be an undefeatable menace if we don’t take it out in the only clear turn in the foreseeable future. 2 artillery hits are needed ot move the Stuart, unfortunately, so we must sacrifice more ship strength to the BB in order to suppress the Matilda…with success!

Moscow and Tobruk, the two focal points of late 1941. Tobruk is also an upgrade city as indicated by the double chevrons. In case you want (and can) afford new units for Africa. But more importantly for upgrades of your existing units including the Panzer III and those Italians.

Turn 12 (SNOW)
Turn 11 end prestige: 2633
Balance comments: Siege artillery are losing 1 SP to winter, which is not as advertised. I will repair them with cheat codes The lack of experience on all units is getting quite…unfun, since the vast majority units were supposed to start at 100 or 200 experience. With any non-elite replacements, even the 200 → 100 in FM experience units lose their only star. Perhaps the correct way to play this is 150-200% enemy experience (?). As it is, there is little incentive to try to keep anyone experienced. Considering a restart here, since FM is disabling a lot of strategic options, which I didn’t envision as being the case.

Did all siege artillery lose a strength point or just some of them (if some, which ones)?

The experience issue on FM is imho ok, but Rommel difficulty makes it so much worse.
When goose_2 did his FM playthrough of BE 2.3 he was able to spend on elites.
While here on FM Rommel that is practically impossible except for very rare occasions.

It is rather different from the existing playthroughs in that respect, but imho also in terms of tension and challenge.
With the Italian fleet usage presenting a trade-off, instead of the ahistorical "I win North-East Africa" tool from earlier playthroughs.
With the experience difference making it a challenge to take Moscow in time, instead of the "solved puzzle" from earlier playthroughs.
With the War in the West hopefully feeling more like an actually meaningful theater, rather than the "place fighter traps here and wait for them to suicide" approach.
Imho FM + Rommel and some of the Addon changes are not perfect, but it seems to bring back some challenge to an otherwise rather "solved" singleplayer scenario?

More importantly, I captured Moscow without any trigger??!! Do I need the last airfield too? It would be nice to know/have documented…very demoralizing

The Moscow message and prestige script indeed checks that there are no Allied flags in and around the city, thus including the two airfields.

Any updates on Leningrad and the Finns?

[bondjamesbond]

Yep, Trianon treaty was still recent at that point.

Of course, it's up to you, but if we think about it, not much time had passed at that point after the signing of the Soviet-German mutual non-aggression pact with all its secret protocols.


Newsreel footage from various locations during the Battle of France in 1940


The final hours of the Battle of Berlin

[eskuche]

I didn't retry the Do, will try again.

I am thinking of a restart with to mitigate some frustrations. Mainly, it seems that I'm not playing the actual map as intended because of the massive handicaps, e.g., no navy replacements, unit replacements just aren't useable. I'm thinking the solution to increase difficulty without changing mechanics is by toughening the AI up rather than weakening the player, similar to Sonja_89's campaign philosophy.

I am considering perhaps some combination of 150-200% AI experience (base + gain); 50-75% player prestige; not touching player experience; and giving AI +1 or 2 strength. Thoughts on this?

[Locarnus]

I didn't retry the Do, will try again.

I am thinking of a restart with to mitigate some frustrations. Mainly, it seems that I'm not playing the actual map as intended because of the massive handicaps, e.g., no navy replacements, unit replacements just aren't useable. I'm thinking the solution to increase difficulty without changing mechanics is by toughening the AI up rather than weakening the player, similar to Sonja_89's campaign philosophy.

I am considering perhaps some combination of 150-200% AI experience (base + gain); 50-75% player prestige; not touching player experience; and giving AI +1 or 2 strength. Thoughts on this?

I agree that it plays rather different.
Though imho the major difference is relative to how we are used to play the BE map, while in many aspects it seems to be closer to how it actually was historically.

Eg extremely limited navy replacements seems pretty historical, but we were used to have so much prestige that we could spend lavishly on that in previous BE playthroughs.
Similar for unit experience. From normal PzC campaigns we are used to always increasing unit experience. In BE we were used to having enough prestige to always increase unit experience for fighters and many many other units.
But historically only a handful units could barely maintain experience levels when faced with those tremendous losses on the eastern front.

I'm certain there is a better way to make it more challenging than FM Rommel, while being closer to those mechanics we grew to expect from Panzer Corps. And I'm pretty sure your suggestion of increasing AI strength, reducing player prestige and so on is the right path towards this.
I just do not know what the values should be and more importantly, what unintended consequences that will have either.
Imho all difficulty adjustments bring balancing problems. Increasing strength (like Manstein in normal PzC) tends to frontload the difficulty. +2 enemy strength is a lot harder to overcome when your own units have little experience, but much easier when your own units have lots of experience.
Enemy experience buff by percentages can also be problematic. 100% enemy experience bonus is useless on 40 experience units, but makes enemy 200 experience units into totally different beasts. I wish it was possible to give the enemy a flat experience boost of eg 100, instead of the percentages...

My concern is, that we are too focused on how we are used to play BE (and PzC). Same for me when discussing the core from goose_2, my attempt to optimize training details can get in the way.
In your playthrough, aside from the unit experience, both the map situations and frustrations seem to be surprisingly close to the historical background. Certainly much closer than previous playthroughs of BE that I know of?
Your FM Rommel playthrough breaks new ground and pushes the boundary for single player. Imho it is well worth it to push forward and see where it goes, after getting more used to it being different. But that is easy for me to say, when you are the one playing.

If you really want to restart, either now or after going further, perhaps a combination of smaller steps, but from more factors?
Like +1 or +2 enemy strength, 70% player experience, 70% player prestige, 150% enemy experience setting.
Though as I stated above, every change brings balancing challenges. No guarantee that this restart manages to combine the feel from previous BE runs with the desired increase in challenge (at least not with the instruments available to us with the existing PzC engine).