Hunters in the Atlantic (First Generation Custom Scenario)

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Sun May 15, 2011 2:48 am

Playing testing is under way.

OmegaMan1 · Post by **OmegaMan1** » Sun May 15, 2011 5:26 am

One word: AWESOME.

wino · Post by **wino** » Sun May 15, 2011 8:49 am

Scenario objectives like "must survive" or "must reach" gives a lot of new possibility in scenario design (especially in naval scenarios). Good !!

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Sun May 15, 2011 7:33 pm

I mostly made this map as a 'technical demo' of what Panzer Corps is being designed to be able to handle. Scenario design that goes above and beyond the abilities of previous Panzer General titles. I also intend to make more 'conventional' custom maps for multiplayer, but this is the first one I've made so far.

I call this battle:
Hunters in the Atlantic
or
Battle for the Atlantic

Special rules for the scenario have been set up through game trigger mechanics:

British Objective: Land at least 5 Convoy units on the British Mainland.
OR
Sink the German Battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz.

German objective:
Sink enough Convoy transports to prevent Allied Victory.
AND
The Bismarck or Tirpitz must survive.

Pictures were not resized, so they have not been imbedded.
Screenshots of the map and game play:
German starting fleet. (I renamed all German ships except Destroyers. Bismarck, Tirpitz, Scharnhost, Emden, Admiral Hipper, et cetera)
http://imageshack.us/m/191/6161/hagermanfleet.jpg

British aircraft searching for the German fleet East of Iceland with aircraft:
http://imageshack.us/m/31/9216/hasearching.jpg

HMS Hood searching an area Southwest of Iceland:
http://imageshack.us/m/836/2096/hahmshood.jpg

U-boats shadowing the target convoy:
http://imageshack.us/m/16/7077/haconvoyshadow.jpg

Tirpitz and escorts engage Britsh fleet lead by King George V:
http://imageshack.us/m/845/2638/hatirpitzvskgv.jpg

While Bismarck makes an end run and prepares to devastate the convoy:
http://imageshack.us/m/33/6750/habismarckendrun.jpg

Hope you like this idea of 'custom scenarios' that go beyond the traditional game play based on victory hexes and time limits.

wino · Post by **wino** » Sun May 15, 2011 7:51 pm

Does PanzerCorps got reconnaissance air craft ? While PzC air movement rules (no reveling hexes along aircraft path) are almost good idea, in sea combat air reconnaissance was very important. It would be very good if such new class will exist.

As of normal aircraft movement - it should be probability that unit will be spotted during the air travel.

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Sun May 15, 2011 8:12 pm

I considered recon aircraft, but if you consider the size of the map (Britain is only 12 hexes tall) how much of the Atlantic do you really want one aircraft to reveal? I think aircraft that only see the hex they are in, and all surrounding hexes, actually fits really well into the map. This vision is also reduced to a single hex during frequent Atlantic squalls. Intelligence and recon is of the utmost important on this map (Location of Tirpitz, Bismarck, and the Convoy) and if we make spotting too easy, the scenario loses it's flexibility and mystery.

wino · Post by **wino** » Sun May 15, 2011 9:09 pm

Kerensky wrote:I considered recon aircraft, but if you consider the size of the map (Britain is only 12 hexes tall) how much of the Atlantic do you really want one aircraft to reveal?

This makes battleships to have fire range 5/12 * 700 KM = 291 KM assuming Britain is 700 km along N-S axis.

Did you consider Pacific General solution for this - per scenario ship range ? This is very powerful feature.

Kerensky wrote: I think aircraft that only see the hex they are in, and all surrounding hexes, actually fits really well into the map. This vision is also reduced to a single hex during frequent Atlantic squalls. Intelligence and recon is of the utmost important on this map (Location of Tirpitz, Bismarck, and the Convoy) and if we make spotting too easy, the scenario loses it's flexibility and mystery.

This recon plane got 200 km/h cruise speed and range 4000 km
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_PBY_Catalina

So maybe reveal not full spotting range but exact tack of the plane (maybe with some probability)+ spotting range at the end.

I fully agree with "flexibility and mystery" since it must be fun to play, but some common sense must be present.

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Sun May 15, 2011 9:56 pm

Hmm, that's a good point. The scenario is being designed to compensate against this, but eventually it may be nice to be able to adjust range on a scenario by scenario basis.
For the moment though, the extremely limited sight range of naval vessels prevents too much 700 kilometer attack encounters.