conboy's scenarios

[conboy]

All, below is the link to the updated scenario. I have incorporated all Bru's recommendations and the scenario is ready for play! Please provide feedback.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/sp8m6wbey ... 1.zip/file

Good luck and thanks in advance!

conboy

[GabeKnight]

Of course it will work because Scenario start = Turn 1. Scenario Start and Turn Condition = 2 does not work.

OK, wasn't sure if the deployment phase counts as the first turn. Good to know, no harm done.

Thanks conboy for another scen; I'm sure to give it a go, soon.

[Mascarenhas]

Congrats, Conboy for the very good design on this scenario. I got a draw at the first attempt, mostly due to not being able to achieve both the tasks comprised at the 20th round. Being such a big map, your scen underlines one of the most annoying (IMHO) features of this game: the unusefulness of roads. It´s very weird seeing a unit moving at the same "speed" either in open terrain or roads. In the other hand, when one needs to use trucks or apcs to get to a distant point in the map, there´s no advantage at all.

Of course its not your fault, since it seems to be an embeded featrure. I say it "seems " because I suspect it may be modified. Other point is that It´s not plausible the complete absence of an airfield in such a big area. I´d provide one, for instance in the vicinity of Strasbourg.

Best whishes and thanks for the great job.

[Erik2]

Yes, this scenario harshly points out the inadequate handling of roads in OOB.
I have asked several times since the game was launched (well, since the original beta) for a better road system.
All together now; "A road is a road is a road"

[Mascarenhas]

I am very well aware of your efforts and of other to convince the devs, Erik. It may not be so difficult in the end of the day. I will not mention the name of that banned modder; but on his works, one of the finest tunings was indeed the road/terrain feature.

[conboy]

Mascarenhas,
Thanks for playing the scenario and commenting. It's good to (finally) get some feedback. I am doing another playthrough now and sometimes I hit the Phase I objectives at 17 and sometimes at 20 -- Etival is just a little too far. I wonder if I should get rid of the infantry protecting it. It was undefended when 3d Division moved into it. That's why I gave a secondary objective incentive for the two northernmost objectives to get the players to press to Etival first. Also, I'm glad you made it through the scenario -- I was worried that there was something terribly off-putting about the start of it. Maybe map size or the trapped battalion slowing down the AI -- I haven't figured that out why that particular event slows down the AI so terribly, but it does. Also, I'll see if I can locate an airfield somewhere in the middle. Did you notice the airstrip that arrived with XV Corps and the VI Corps construction battalion? You can get the airstrip pretty far north if you track the P38 turns remaining and deploy 3 turns before it ends. Anyway, I take your comments to heart and still have a little bit to go before I post it on the von Paulus page so thanks for your comments! Keep'em comen, hombre!

Erik/Mascarenhas: Roads are a real problem on this scale because trucked battalions can move a long way tactically (40 miles) on a good day (unopposed of course), and administratively they can move even much further. So trying to match the combat tempo to the real timeline super-complicates the scenarios I'm working on. It's especially frustrating when you're trying to replicate the timeline of a breakout, such as this scenario and the Anzio breakout.

Again, thanks for your comments and taking the time to play --

conboy

[Mascarenhas]

Great, I´ll wait for the next version. Agree about your insights.

[conboy]

Bru, et al.,
I have posted the Low Vosges to Strasbourg scenario on the von Paulus page and updated the conboy scenarios list page. When you get a break in the action, request you port this thread over to the Conboy Scenarios thread.
Thanks very much!

conboy

p.s., all: I changed the final objectives a bit since v0.1 -- the second half will play a little differently. I have not received much player feedback on this scenario so I'd appreciate any comments.

[Mascarenhas]

I´m going for it

[terminator]

Where is the download link for v0.1 ?

[Erik2]

A few comments after the first 10 turns.

Player should be advised about the upcoming effort to take Hill 645. Not about the possible repercussions, of course. An alternative could be to let the player capture it in due time and then spawn the German counter-attack.
There are a lot of detailed, important orders in the scenario briefing. Maybe copy this to a txt file in the folder. There is no way the average gamer (that’s me) will remember all these during play.
Roads across mountians are no good. Maybe change these hexes to ’Difficult’.
Maybe vary the regular forests with some ’Dense Forest’, not on roads of course.
A possible solution to the inability to move troops on roads through woods as fast as historically; replace woods with clear terrain along roads (and sprinkle with forest decorations).
’French Clear South’ message lacks graphic.
US resource income is a bit low, especially if you need to repair air units. The other factions were ok.
Maybe add unit exp for this late-war scenario? I think the combat dynamics will be different (better?).

[bru888]

Where is the download link for v0.1 ?

He's got it in the opening post of his "conboy's scenarios" thread which is the proper procedure. Per his usual request, this thread will be merged with that one but I will leave it here for a few days in order that you may notice your question being answered and to attract a bit of publicity on its own.

[conboy]

Terminator:

Where is the download link for v0.1 ?

The up-to-date link is v1.0, on the opening page of conboy's scenarios. v0.1 is the one it replaced, which was updated for better victory conditions in the end.

Do you want me to send you a copy of v0.1? I can't imagine why you'd want one that needed some changes. I don't want it posted to keep it from proliferating.

conboy

[Mascarenhas]

Too far, again

I got there by the 19th turn, not before, even with the help of the French.I´ll try again.

[conboy]

Erik, thanks very much for the comments! I hope you enjoyed it, which is the main thing! Here ya go, hombre --

Player should be advised about the upcoming effort to take Hill 645. Not about the possible repercussions, of course. An alternative could be to let the player capture it in due time and then spawn the German counter-attack.

36th is ordered to attack through hill 645 from the start. If they delay, that's their business. And I can't delay the counterattack -- Not without having the Germans pop up out of nowhere – that’s now a no-go in my scenarios. Nobody else uses them either, as far as I can tell. But I will include a text file for all of my scenarios from now on. I must say that this is one of my major major major GRIPES about OoB -- you can't review briefings (orders) or popups during the game. It should not be that hard to add a feature to call up text files during the game.

There are a lot of detailed, important orders in the scenario briefing. Maybe copy this to a txt file in the folder. There is no way the average gamer (that’s me) will remember all these during play.
There are Regiment/Division route markers, objectives, and timelines marked clearly on the map. I did a careful check -- the only thing in the brief that is not covered by these map artifacts is the “Wait till XV Corps starts attack to attack St Die.” I can’t figure out how to do that – maybe in the popup instructions, but I can’t even make myself wait that long in my playthroughs. Tactically, this doesn’t matter. I think it plays okay like this. AND let me make a point – I take pains to point out the way for inexperienced players to beat the scenario, and to try to mimic the pace and course of the actual battle. If players want to make their own way, that is of course their prerogative, but if one follows the route markers and timelines, one should be able to beat it if playing in the middle difficulties. Experienced players can “roll their own” but I put those markers in there for a reason: to give inexperienced players a clear path to beat the scenario and also to replicate the course and pace of the battle.

Roads across mountians are no good. Maybe change these hexes to ’Difficult’.
Only if the player wants to ignore orders and go around the mountains. Some roads are blocked intentionally.

Maybe vary the regular forests with some ’Dense Forest’, not on roads of course. A possible solution to the inability to move troops on roads through woods as fast as historically; replace woods with clear terrain along roads (and sprinkle with forest decorations).
Hooold awn there, hombre! It’s the open roads that cause the timeline to lag – not the ones in the mountains. This was a slow slog to the Meurthe and I had to put the roads in just to move the battle along.

’French Clear South’ message lacks graphic.
Thank you, my error! I moved the grafix around a little after the last playthrough and botched that one.


US resource income is a bit low, especially if you need to repair air units. The other factions were ok.
I think you have a point here. I got low on them a couple of times when some arty units got whacked. Let’s see if someone else says so.

Maybe add unit exp for this late-war scenario? I think the combat dynamics will be different (better?).
I think their experience levels cancel out each other at this stage. Some of the German units were very experienced, some of the US units were quite green.

Thanks again for the comments! Hope you made it through and had a good time! Maybe some other players will comment on the battle orders, roads, RPeez, and experience.

conboy

[conboy]

Mascarenhas,
Please send me a replay of this playthrough if you don't make it. I must have made some sort of mistake in the instructions or the design if you can't push straight to it.

Advance with the whole 15th regiment and about half the 30th straight to Etival. Good luck!
Now I'm concerned about this! thanks for your patience and persistence!
conboy

[Mascarenhas]

Ok, I´ll try and see if I get to it. Afterwards, I´ll send you the records.

[conboy]

Check your PM. I sent you a link to my replay of v0.1. Please let me know if it matches your concept of the orders for the player.

conboy

[Erik2]

The Dutch units have 3-star exp while the rest have zero. Intended...?

[conboy]

Yes. The "Dutch" units are sister VI Corps elements (US 36th and 45th Infantry). They are Regiments, not battalions like the 3d division, so have 5-star experience. I think they're all 5-star, at least they start out that way. Later on, when the XV Corps shows up, they also bear the Dutch red/white/blue emblem but some of them are battalions or troops (e.g., 106th cavalry). Others XV Corps are infantry divisions, in which they are Regiments (5-star).

I don't want the players to have too many units to worry about, and that's the way I represent sister infantry divisions -- 3 5-star regiments with a 5-star artillery.

I hope it doesn't foul up the whole scenario.

conboy