Thermopylae 480BC - Scenario (version 1.0, 5 Jan 10)

[Solaristics]

This small scenario (7 Greek units vs lots of cyber-Persians) reproduces the final stages of the Battle of Thermopylae.

The massively outnumbered Greeks have successfully prevented Emperor Xerxes' Persians from progressing to Athens for two days by holding them at the narrow pass at Thermopylae. But the Persians are now also coming down the hidden mountain path that goes around the pass, revealed to them by the traitor Ephialtes. The Spartan king Leonidas, about to be outflanked, dismisses most of his Greek allies and makes his final stand with his bodyguard of 300 and some Thespian hoplites.

(Routing the Persian army is victory in this scenario for the Greeks only in so far as it represents the defeat of the Persian's first wave of attackers.)

http://www.mediafire.com/file/gd0yanion ... opylae.zip

Please let me know any thoughts or comments you might have to help me improve it.

Release notes

0.6

- Original version

0.71

- Edited map and Persian starting positions to make it easier for AI to coordinate attack
- Buffed Persian units, especially flankers (may be overpowered now ... let me know). Flankers now regularly attempt rear area attacks.
- AI still mills around at times, but this seems to be due to (passible, although not optimal) attempts at coordinating attack between main force and flankers

0.75

- Continued to tweak Persian's numbers, starting positions, experience, training and weapons to improve balance
- Adjusted terrain to avoid some unhistorical tactics by Greeks
- Improved historical accuracy by adding Thespian allies, additional leaders and "last stand" hillock

0.8

- Changed the armaments of a lot of Persian units to make them more historical
- Increased Persian numbers by a few units
- Widened pass to make it harder for Greeks to avoid encirclement if they venture too far forward
- Adjusted terrain to make it easier for AI to understand what is going on

1.0 (final version unless anyone finds any issues)

- Some more tweaking of terrain to improve game balance and help the AI
- This should be very difficult, but not impossible, to win as the Greeks. Some tactics are better than others, but even what I consider the best tactics should produce a very tightly fought game.


Molon labe!

[MARVIN_THE_ARVN]

Those spartans are tough, thanks for creating the senario.

[Solaristics]

Thanks. I've spent today working out how to best buff the Persians, and also make them attack more decisively: I think the position of the flanking force, along with the impassible terrain, is confusing the AI, and the flankers are not going as hard at the Spartans as I would like. Also, even with impetuous leaders the Persians seem reluctant to attack, most likely because of the disparity in unit strengths. I should have an improved version out in a day or so if I can solve these problems.

[jomni]

So you mean the AI is smart enough not to blindly charge weak troops against elite troops?

[Solaristics]

So you mean the AI is smart enough not to blindly charge weak troops against elite troops?

That's certainly one theory I'm working on to explain the AI's behaviour. Sometimes they just mill around rather than moving forward. Sometimes it looks like they are waiting for the main body of troops to get into position before they attack, but sometimes it looks like they are just confused as they move backwards sometimes. Not sure. Sometimes they have a clear shot at the Spartan rear, while the Spartan's are engaged with the main body to the front already, but don't take it. I've upped the Persians to superior experience and drilled but it doesn't seem to effect this type of behaviour much, but it does make the game tougher for the Spartans.

I'm guessing having this group of troops start off on the "wrong" side of the map and having impassible terrain where it is may be the problem. Not sure, as I'm still testing.

[pomakli]

Hi!

I played with the Spartans and pulled back till the area where they can defend themselves easily!

They were attacked by the flanking force and then on the other side from the main force.

After defeating the flanking forces it was an easy game!

Thanks for the scenario again!

Ques: Entering the terrain "gully" means for the units total destruction or?

Pomakli

[Solaristics]

Hi!

I played with the Spartans and pulled back till the area where they can defend themselves easily!

To help me with designing the next version, where did you pull back to? The decision I'm trying to force is the one Leonidas had to make: stay back where the pass is narrow to defend against the main assault, but get hit in the rear by the force coming down the mountain path, or press forward to where the pass is wider and risk getting surrounded by the main force, but try and route the main force before the flankers arrive.

After defeating the flanking forces it was an easy game!

I've buffed the flanking force to 100 rather than 50 men per unit for the next version, and made them superior and drilled. I've tried adding more units to both Persian forces, but the narrow confines of the pass mean greater numbers have little impact, and even hurt the Persians, as routers cause a change reaction of morale checks through healthy units (which is as it should be, as the purpose of holding the pass was supposed to have nullified the advantage of Persian numbers to some degree).

Ques: Entering the terrain "gully" means for the units total destruction or?

The gully in this scenario should act exactly like water: units shouldn't be able to move into it voluntarily, and routers with no other route should be destroyed (I think that's how water works at least).

[pomakli]

Hi!

I would send you an e-mail with a print of the game because I don't know how to add a picture here!



Pomakli

[MARVIN_THE_ARVN]

When I played I just charged my brave spartans up the map and smashed the persians before they had time to even get the flanking force around the corner. The AI tended to dither about abit and didnt take the option to try and envelope me with forces behind the front line.

[Solaristics]

The AI tended to dither about abit and didnt take the option to try and envelope me with forces behind the front line.

I've tried lots of different ways to solve this (including different map configurations), but if the Spartans move up the map the flankers dither. I may replace them with even sturdier troops than my current version (unreleased) to see if that makes any difference.

[Solaristics]

I've just uploaded a new version: 0_71. See OP for details.

[MARVIN_THE_ARVN]

Thanks and keep up the good work!!!

[Solaristics]

Thanks again for your support. New version 0_75 up. See OP for details.

[Solaristics]

Version 0_8 is up. See OP for details. The version after this will be the final one.

[Brigz]

Can't seem to run this scenario. I get a "not valid" message when I try to run this. I have the files set up correctly because other user made scenarios will work. Any ideas. I'm using the latest version of FoG 1.03. And version 0_8 of your scenario.

[Solaristics]

Hi Brigz, at what point do you get the invald message? I just checked the file again and I don't get any errors.

Just to check we are both following the same process (1) I copy the zip file to the folder "FieldofGlory Scenarios", then I extract it into that folder by double clicking it and following the instructions (2) I then double click on the extracted folder "Thermopylae 0_8" and another folder of the same name appears which I also double click on (3) I copy the "data" folder that appears, move up one directory level in explorer and paste the folder (4) I delete the second "Thermopylae 0_8" folder. This should leave the folder "FieldofGlory Scenarios" containing the "Thermopylae 0_8" folder, and that folder should only contain the "data" folder.

Wow, it sounds incredibly convoluted when I write it out in full: I'll sort it out for the final version.

Let me know if this is the cause of your problems.

P.S. I know "invalid scenario" messages can appear if you change the name of the folder (e.g. "Thermopylae 0_8" to "Thermopylae", for instance), but that's the only case I know about.

[Brigz]

Constans,

Thanks for the reply. I got it to work. I didn't include "0_8" in the folder name. Now I can play your scenario.

Thanks for the reply.

[keithmartinsmith]

Can the author of this scenario email me, keith@hexwar.com, to discuss this scenario and including it in a patch so every one can play it.
Thanks
Keith