Desert Rats 1940-42 beta testing

[GabeKnight]

So what do you think? Should I go ahead and do the forensics bit on the new scenarios even though I might inadvertently repeat something that you said earlier?

You mean the newly added scens, right? Sure, why not? You're doing a great job! I'm just cleaning a bit afterwards... And as you can see, it's only really minor stuff that's left trigger-wise...

PS: "Sonnenblume" updated in the earlier post.

[GabeKnight]

"6Battleaxe", DRv2.0

- If you want to keep all the air CP (>30), you should add at least 2-3 additional air deployment hexes
- Sidi Azeiz and the airport, as well as Bardia should have static defence garrison units, preferably inf. or heavy inf.. As it is now, it's too easy to take these towns and encircle the German part of the enemy army. Additionally, with the loss of the airport, the enemy airforce was under-supplied and lost efficiency. If you want to leave the defenses as they are, at least give the Axis the "off-map-air-supply" option.

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- The mission started off seemingly easy, but with them German airforce arriving, the slugfest began...

Nice, everything worked just fine. Thanks for a good time.

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[Erik2]

Battleaxe:
You can always deploy some air units inside hangars.
Added off-map air supply to Axis.
Added AA to Axis airfields.
Added garrisons to Axis primary objectives.

[GabeKnight]

You can always deploy some air units inside hangars.

Right, forgot about that. Of course there's no problem deploying them on the next turn.... but I tend to forget such things in the heat of the battle and thus try to deploy every CP on the very first turn.

[Erik2]

So you are adhering to the old military slogan 'Get there firstest with the mostest'

[GabeKnight]

So you are adhering to the old military slogan 'Get there firstest with the mostest'

Yeah, not the smartest tactic I know, but usually enough for the AI
There was a movie quote I've never forgot: "My daddy used to say: don't use the scalpel if you can use a hammer"

[WarHomer]

I dl and started playing this this weekend, but was too overwhelmed by the size of mission 1 and no choice in purchasing.

This might be intentionally from a historic point of view, but too much/big and too fixed for my taste.

[GabeKnight]

"7Crusader", DRv2.0

- The "link up Tobruk with" prim. obj. could use two markers on the respective towns
- There should be some popups about the arriving reinforcements, esp. the naval-CP around turn 7.
- The German StuKa's only attacked close targets approaching Gazala. Maybe check the AI team settings?
- Maybe you could move the German atry a bit so that the Tobruk airfield's not in range. That makes it impossible to refuel & repair.

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- This is the most difficult mission so far in this campaign. The enemy push on Tobruk is unbelievable. Maybe some explicit warning in the briefing would be nice. All enemy airforces with heavy arty and inf. support attacked Tobruk exclusively. After I've noticed my deployment error, I had to restart. But it went quite smoothly after that.
- At least for me, either you'd have to allow naval deployment near Tobruk, or scratch it altogether. The ships never arrived in time to take place in any major action.
- The "New Orders" popup appeared after taking all 3 VP, effectively one turn before the end of the scen - and the "Link up Tobrul" prim. obj. was active from the start. You should recheck that, esp. if it makes sense at all. I mean, I don't think anybody's gonna capture the three prim. VP without linking up both armies first.

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Everything else seemed to work as intended. The rest of the triggers fired okay.

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[GabeKnight]

"8Gubi", DRv2.0

- sweet small, fast and very nice...
- with the "War Economy" specs I could use two more land-deployment-hexes. Also, the nothernmost one's not accessible with mechanized units (=> can't move out)

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- The "Capture Bir el Gubi" prim. obj. is only triggering at scenario end. Why not make it a regular capture event?
- Someone else mentioned this already: there are not enough enemy tanks to destroy
- I think you could add at least two more tanks/tankettes and maybe even an enemy dogfighter (a weak Italian one)

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[Erik2]

Crusader:
Added map markers and golden flag for Tobruk-Barrani link.
All objectives are now active from start.
Air now spawn at Buq Buq with a message.
THe Hobart arrives outside Tobruk port. Added message to naval reinforcements.
Allied naval deployment should be possible to do in Tobruk port if you are prepared for the Stuka onslaughts.
The Axis bombers are ordered to 'air seek & destroy' and pick their own targets. And they're pretty good about it from the reports.
Axis artillery moved a bit further from Tobruk.
Added 8 more turns.
Changed mines from neutral to British.

[GabeKnight]

Added map markers and golden flag for Tobruk-Barrani link.

Erik, please use caution here: when adding a new golden flag, you could mess up the primary objectives (VP count)!

The Axis bombers are ordered to 'air seek & destroy' and pick their own targets. And they're pretty good about it from the reports.

Usually yes, but does it work for you on these large maps? They didn't attack Tobruk once (Italian strat bombers yes, German tactical no), only after I went for the Gaza airport itself. It seemed more like the "defend hex" order to me...

[GabeKnight]

"9Bardia", DRv2.0

Nice, now that's again the map sizes I really like and that made the Germany Grand Campaign really "grand" in my opinion. Like small pieces taken out of the rather "compressed" larger scale operations that were used in the official DLC campaigns. Concentrating on separate battles in more detail. I really wish you'd do more of these.

- you should add some initial deploment hexes at scen. start IMO. I mean, why not?
- You introduced naval units (DD) from New Zealand into my CORE in this mission. You sure about that? You remember what adding the Italian faction did to the GGC?
- With the reinforcement Valentine MkII tank, my forces are undersupplied "-2". Yeah, I can use my ships, but still....why?
- I think the AB41 sitting on that hill may be set to "idle"

- Too easy as it is. The Italians need more units. They just can't be that incompetent ...or...I'd say like two DD and two strat bombers less for me. And still some Italians more...
- Everything else worked just fine.

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[GabeKnight]

"10Gazala", DRv2.0

Okay, large map again. If it's really not necessary for some reason, why aren't you putting any air/land deployment hexes/areas in the scenarios anymore? I have over 100 land CP and 36 air CP, and nowhere to place my units. They'd need too long to reach the action if I'd wanted to deploy all (or most of) my units at the beginning - which is only possible around towns at the moment. Granted, there's an airfield near Gazala, but it'd be nice to have a wider field of deployment options. I think most players don't like just moving many units around for multiple turns until they finally reach the frontlines...
So why not allow some direct action. Or at least allow deployment somewhere NEAR the front...

(And there's even hidden mines on some of my available deployment hexes)

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[Erik2]

I may crop some of the larger maps at some point. When I created the scenarios the cropping didn't work properly. It is a procedure that sometimes is a bit iffy.
That said, some of this scenarios were large & epic, especially the later ones leading up to and of course including El Alamein.

Crusader:
Changed the gold flag at Sidi Barrani back to normal.
Redeployed spawning Axis air units and specified bomber targets to persuade them to attack the Tobruk area.

(Second) Bardia:
This was primarily a South African operation. I have added a few deployment hexes on the northern part of the map.
Fixed NZ core naval units.
Some specialisation will add command points and this may cause an undersupplied map. I have added a bit more British supply.
Replaced neutral mines with German ones, don't know if this will help the AI...
The AB41 is part of a 'defend location' formation. Lazy bastards?
Increased Axis fortification levels.
Added more minefields.
Added a bunker.
Bardia garrison is now static.

Gazala:
The British deployment zones are historical and is maybe neccessary to allow for a proper Axis offensive. But I have added village terrain to the flag locations and moved mines on possible deployment locations.
Replaced neutral mines with British.

[GabeKnight]

This was primarily a South African operation. I have added a few deployment hexes on the northern part of the map.
Fixed NZ core naval units.
Some specialisation will add command points and this may cause an undersupplied map. I have added a bit more British supply.

Maybe it'd be better to reduce the German land-CP then?

And regarding the specialisations: It's a campaign and you're even awarding spec points for almost every sec. objective. There's nothing else to spend them on so you'll have to assume, that EVERYBODY's gonna take the "War Economy" and "Female Factory Labor" with combined +4 land and +2 air-CP very early in the campaign.

[GabeKnight]

"10Gazala", DRv2.0 (continued)

First of all, thanks for this scenario. It was a great, massive battle, and by far the best mission of this campaign yet IMO. This time, with the huge Axis offensive, the wast deserts of this large map really payed out for many different tactics and approaches on the enemy advance. It was fun, just great!

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But I've got a TON of RPs (from the Crusader mission I think). It's just too much. Can't buy anything anyways. Even could upgrade THREE of my Wellingtons from MkII to MkIII for something like 140RP each (for a lousy one more point air defense or something similar silly). And you're still giving me new core units each mission. I know I'm repeating myself, but please make them aux. units instead, otherwise they remain unused. My core unit roster is growing and becoming confusing. I'm seriously considering disbanding many of them just so that they're not in the way anymore - and I hate doing that, what a waste...
The only core losses I've had so far were some outdated fighters, which I actually used as bait to save up on my high star, fully upgraded "true" core dogfighters. I mean, why should I use the new units when I can use my experienced veterans instead?
On the bright side, I'm going to treat myself with a King George class battleship now. Heck, I can't deploy it, but at least I can say that I owned one, even if it stays in drydock.

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- there are many arty batteries behind enemy lines that have static/defend-hex order only. Intended?
- there's some minor left-over no-mans-land on the map, probably mines (near Gazala, south). I don't know how you decide the ownership of the mines anyways...I think that either the player or the enemy should be aware of them.
- you could really resize the map this time. Everything east of Tobruk wasn't needed. The rest, I'd keep...
- you should rephrase the sec. obj. to "capture or hold all sec. objectives" - although I don't think it's possible to hold Gazala and Bir Hachiem with no deployment areas nearby.
- how about some early victory trigger, as I was done (Tabula Rasa) at turn 20-ish. Or reduce the turn limit to 25.
(and I'm still convinced that some deployment areas would do no harm. Even as it was now, the weak forward units managed to stall the enemy offensive long enough for my units to arrive from the rear. The Axis never got past the Gazala line, so to speak)

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[Erik2]

Gazala:
There are no AI formations that have static orders, most have move or search & destroy. A couple of reserve groups have local defense orders.
I have increased aggression from the default 50 to 75.
Increased Italian experience from 2 to 3 (similar to Allies aux units).
There are some intended neutral hexes along the frontline.
Mines were changed to British-owned in the last update.
All secondary objectives are specific, there is no 'capture or hold' (?).
I believe reducing te number of turns will only help the Allies since they are on the defense.
Moved some aux Allies away from flagged villages to make room for more British forward deployment.

[Erik2]

Campaign update to v3.1

All scenarios added.
Reduced campaign specs from 2 to 1 inbetween scenarios.
Removed extra at start resources in scenarios, that is more than 500 resources gone...
Fixed a few errors and made a few changes in some scenarios.

Note that I have not have time to actually play through the whole campaign, so I am dependent on player feedback to fix any issues.

Thanks
Erik

[GabeKnight]

"11Alam", DRv2.0

Again a great battle. Was quite the fun.

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- The Axis forces are undersupplied from the start
- There's a gunboat "leftover" near El Hammam
- the prim. obj. trigger isn't triggering, probably missing the usual "scenario end" / "turn start" setting
- turn limit's okay, but I think even 25 will do it. Tabula Rasa at turn 18-ish.

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Nothing else to add here, everything else worked. Thanks for this.

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[Erik2]

Alam Halfa

Added more Axis supply. That's what you get when testers ask for more Italian AA units.
Removed the gunboat.
Changed neutral mines to British.
Fixed objective.

Updated campaign to v3.2