Campaign '39 difficulty Colonel, all rules.
For testing purposes I do no save/reload cheating, even if I do something dumb, get bad dices rolls, lose a core unit or fail to achieve victory. Should losing a scenario result in end of the campaign, I restart the whole scenario.
I made an excel spreadsheet detailing my force composition and it progress over the campaign. Hope it's of any use.
Unit Log.xls
http://www.mediafire.com/?dzqe1zgzsglz42a
I realize you guys have a lot to read, so I try to be brief with my AAR's and only describing events I think are notable and replicable during the scenarios.
My thoughts about the experience cap. First I didn't liked it, wouldn't it be better instead to have a very low experience gain from destroying units and etc.?
But then it occurred to me you can't always afford elite replacements.
Sometimes you do very well and have plenty of prestige then again you struggle. If you would go with a lower experience gain taking normal replacements could destroy accumulated experience gained over several scenarios.
When I think about the entire war my personal exp cap preference would be, at the start of Barbarossa a max of 3 stars, till Stalingrad 4 and from 1943 on drop the cap entirely. It may not be realistic but I don't like to be overpowered too soon and also that way I have a feeling of advancement if still keep gaining experience later on.
If the mechanics allows it I would like to see starting from fall 1944 a cap of 4 and 1945 down to 3 again. But and that is important, when I take elite replacements it should preserve the experience level over the cap. So that my elite units can stay elite as long I can afford the prestige, but new units or if I'm short on prestige start to suffer from the decaying Wehrmacht. To simulate the lack of manpower and prewar trained soldiers towards the end.
The mission briefings are nicely written and as other have already mentioned especially the new objectives. This breakaway from the usual routine brings much needed variety. I must admit I found it always a bit silly to put a time limit on a time limit.
So far I'm positively surprised to see so much innovation like in this DLC. I honestly didn't expect that and instead thought I would just see the regularly series of battles. Considering there well be at end over 80-100 battles covering the war, I think it's also very important to keep this up as it prevent the boredom and feeling of constant repetition. I'm excited to see what other surprises the future will bring.
Pozan 14 Turns (14 core slots)
Starting Prestige: 850
(DV turn 14, all objectives , all enemies)
Danzig Corridor 14 Turns (15 core slots)
Prestige: 1035
1 SE Infantry assigned
(DV turn 13, all objectives, all enemies)
Noticed some units are now properly defending victory hexes. The old exploit luring city defenders out using trucks to attack even over river hexes with arty defending doesn't work anymore in all cases.
Lodz 13 Turns (15 core slots)
Prestige: 1456
1 SE Infantry assigned
(DV turn 11, all VC hexes, 4 auxiliary units survived, Kutno & Airfield (16,3) remained under polish control)
I didn't bother attacking the stronghold SW of Lodz. I used recons to take hexes abjected and move out the same turn.
On this map I could again exploit the AI. The objective north of Lodz, Piatek (17,7) was defended by a 37 AT gun.
The AT unit abandoned the city hex to attack a truck. SE Inf took 3 damage. Next turn I destroyed the AT gun quickly in the open without further loses. Allowing me to move all my armored forces across the river to attack Lowicz from behind. Safely destroying arty and air defense. Without the exploit I would have to wait 1 more turn for arty/inf moving up.
While the infantry was assaulting Lowicz my tanks started to attack the rail transports to the north. Lucky for me the AI convoy protection detail was very passive. I didn't know prior to attacking the whole extend of the polish convoy north. Had it counter attacked with all his units available I would lost at least 1 recon and 2 core tanks for sure. Fortune favors fools. :p
Piatek 20 Turns (16 core slots)
Prestige: 2141
1 SE Gebirgsjäger assigned
(DV turn 20, all VC hexes, 3 non VC-hex and 1 airfield north remained in polish control)
I noticed the bridge victory hexes proved to be AI death traps.
Often the AI would "retreat" damaged units to these bridge hexes where next turn I destroyed them with my defenders on the other side of the river. This keeps continuing until the entire wave got destroyed. I used my recon units to recapture these hexes and then pull back same turn. Seems to me an other lure exploit for the AI.
I was never even close to be in danger. The lowest a defender ever got was 8 and this only once, mostly 9. I never had to rotate defenders.
Scenario was too easy but I had a great time anyway. I mean a blood bath, who wouldn't want to come?
Defenses are one of the rarest mission type you had in all panzer general games so I thank form the deep of my hearth for this one.
I think it's not the force composition but rather an AI problem. For example at the end the AI even drove a truck mounted arty piece right next to Piatek which was defended by Str 12 pioneers and arty. This was the only time I saw a polish artillery and I wasn't impressed. Money well spent.
Kampinsoka Forest 16 Turns (16 core slots)
Prestige 1880
(DV turn 11, all VC hexes, all train transport, Modin remained in polish hands but the outskirts of Warsaw were occupied)
Nothing special to say except it was very easy but that was expected considering it was more a mobbing up scenario. The fortress of Modin was so intimidating that I didn't even tried to attack it. I only faced real resistance when assault Warsaw outskirts.
Modin 17 Turns (17 core slots)
Prestige 1828
(DV turn 12, all objectives, all enemies)
I liked the special units defending Modin. Nicely done. Also after the two very easy scenarios I got reckless. The Modin fortress suppressed one of my tanks and subsequent attacks reduced it to strenght 1. Ouch.
Warsaw South 22 Turns (17 core slots)
Prestige 2292
(DV turn 12, all objectives, all enemies)
Nice briefing and thanks for the tip off about the artillery pieces! I really like how creative the scenarios have become so far.
About Warsaw, I would like to see some additional AT-gun defenses scattered around the city. Maybe protecting the airfields?
Spoils of War 21 Turns (17 core slots)
Prestige 3366
(DV turn 12, all VC hexes)
Haha, nice teasing in the briefing: "In some areas, your German forces have advanced well into regions decreed to be Soviet controlled, and in many, many more places, out Russian troops have occupied areas we had expected you to control."
Like I read already mention in other threads the Russians units are very passive. Only a few participate in the initial rush. There where 5 Russian light tanks and 1 KV-2 at the final objective and 2 fighters plus one bomber. Until the end only 2 tanks actually moved or fought back not to mention all the infantry and arty pieces where just sitting there. Something seems to be really broken. Beside the problems I like this fictional scenario and would even see it extended.
Oslo 14 Turns (17 core slots)
Presitge 3144
