Erik's campaigns, mods and multiplayer scenarios

[jeannot le lapin]

I have collected 18 pages of ColonelY feedback so far...
I plan to release and update of Desert Rats after a certain official game update.

And it’s just Volume I of ColonelY feedback...

[Erik2]

I have collected 18 pages of ColonelY feedback so far...
I plan to release and update of Desert Rats after a certain official game update.

And it’s just Volume I of ColonelY feedback...

No wonder we name his writings Volumes...
Kidding aside, he was the key figure in kick-starting a Free French campaign.

[jeannot le lapin]

I have collected 18 pages of ColonelY feedback so far...
I plan to release and update of Desert Rats after a certain official game update.

And it’s just Volume I of ColonelY feedback...

No wonder we name his writings Volumes...
Kidding aside, he was the key figure in kick-starting a Free French campaign.

His advice is always wise.

[ColonelY]

*******
Desert Rats, 13Crusader:

-> Names on map: "Bir Hachiem" or rather "Bir Hacheim" & 2nd AF near Buq Buq named "Bug Bug-2"?!
(And, according to the txt.file, you've 2 "units", the hangars actually, named the same way, namely "unit_341 = Bug Bug" & "unit_385 = Bug Bug-2" )

-> Perhaps add one air deploy hex in the South, for some recon plane there to help the South African and Zew Zealander columns.

-> Briefing's clear but really short... So, what about adding a little more text, like few words about the "Polish Armed Forces in the West"? As the player may indeed be surprised to see some Polish forces defending Tobruk.

-> About pri obj "Link up Tobruk with Sidi Barrani":
1a. Considering the "New Orders" event ("After securing the original objectives, you orders are now to open up a supply line from Sidi Barrani to Tobruk."), why is this pri obj right now enabled and visible from start?
1b. Or, if you wish to keep it that way (I mean, visible from start - which is in itself perfectly fine as well, especially with your briefing about attacking to "link-up", etc.), then it's this event that has to be modified like perhaps "Next Phasis" (as title) and "After securing the original objectives, it's now time to really open up a supply line from Sidi Barrani to Tobruk."
2. Now this pri obj can only be counted as either completed or open... but not failed yet. As it's a pri obj, that's something to add. (Conditions: At scen end, if still open, then failed!)

-> Possibility to add another pri obj: "Hold Tobruk for at least XYZ turns", while chosing the XYZ value in order to make it manageable but challenging... Hopefully we can lose this place and retake it later without losing the scenario as it's really difficult (and costly ) to defend. If Germans and Italians take control of this location for a while, then they'll catch some spoils of war... Therefore, holding it long enough may prevent it. Why? Because these ressources may be evacuated and, thus, gained! Precisely!

I've got a Major Victory at the 27th turn out of 35 (normal lvl III as usual), therefore it's maybe a little too easy right now.
So, I've taken a look at the AI setup teams, to find that you've room to add more enemy units: Look, the AI teams 10, 13, 27 and 30 (respectively the XXI Corps, Bologna, 21 Pz and Afrika) have NO unit assigned to them from start and you DON'T spawn any to them later either. ( )
By comparing with what's already on map, with the "8.Pz Regt" unit counting (in principle * ) in the 8 Pz, it means at least adding 1 German tank unit for the 21 Pz, etc.
So, several land enemy units to add here! And please double-check about this, because of these 4 different teams, 2 of them don't receive a modification in their AI setup (like seek & destroy later, or something)...
(* Yeah, I've found as well something strange: this "8.Pz Regt" unit has AI team 24, whereas the AI team 25 wears the name "8 Pz"... But it doesn't change anything, actually, because these teams 24 and 25 work basically the same thing: on local defense from start and then, at the same time, put on seek & destroy. So, yeah, we can forget about this particular detail. )


Et voilà !

[Erik2]

Re names.
I've often seen 2-3 variations on north Africa location names, depending on the source.

I usually name the hangars to be able to locate air units inide the hangars more easily in the editor.akes it easier to put the units on-map if I mind.

[ColonelY]

Still, "Bug Bug" may sound almost like an easter egg...
*******

14Gubi:

-> Briefing: Perhaps mention here as well the Italian 132nd "Ariete" and, anyway, add a final point at its end.

-> Possibility to add 1 air deploy hex for one of our recon planes (from the +1ACP of the War Economy spec).

-> No possibility of Major Victory right now, because there is right now no secondary objective at all... a little something to add or to rework here!

-> Add somewhere one or two land redeployment hexes (near the edges of the map and on road, perhaps).

-> I strongly advise, at some point, to change the 3rd team AI setup... from the actual "Move to Hex" (now during the entire scenario) to perhaps a "Seek & Destroy". Otherwise, units like the Italian recon one won't be of much use for the AI.


Et voilà !

[ColonelY]

15Dash:

-> Add some sec obj to enable a Major Victory.
Which sec objs? Well:
1. 'Could use the briefing, so "Capture Bardia and Sollum, as well as their surroundings" (with obj descry to "No more enemy unit at (perhaps?) three hexes away from these two towns.")
2. "Never lose Tobruk!" (with some sort of reward)
3. Destroy at least XYZ enemy units of this or that kind, etc.

-> Check quickly the defeat/victory textes ("Diaster", "victroy", "not a ..." without a first capital letter)

-> Yet no ports on this map? Even if not really used (or even not used at all ), it would still be nice as decoration (and closer to other maps already seen within this campaign).

-> Suggestions about Tobruk's defenses:
1. Add two British minefields between our bunkers, on the main roads...
Otherwise, the enemy will be able to move really fast in the theoretically well-defended sector and as well to directly and severely hit our poor AF with our new core dogfighter unit...
2. Add a 2nd Polish unit somewhere...
To strenghten our defenses but above all to make a wink to a previous scenario where we have much more Polish units than Australian units to defend this area.

-> About pri obj "Capture and hold 3 objectives" (with descry: "El Duda, Belhammed and Sidi Rezegh")... Well, I suggest precising that they are to be held at scenario end!
Otherwise the player is likely to try defending the single obj already under control, namely Sidi Rezegh, and to take a beating there as it's difficult to hold there at scenario start, with many enemy units nearby and the great risk of being outsupplied quickly... So, please let the player know here that he or she has the opportunity to step back a little to better bounce back on the charge! (You've understood, I advise the player NOT to defend Sidi Rezegh from start. But anyone's free to choose! )

-> Add air exit hexes, so that once air superiority has been granted most of our core fighters can be replaced by bombers.

-> About Axis forces:
1. Add some defenders in the yet undefended sector of Bardia (perhaps related to a new sec obj as well ),
2. Give them some AA-capability,
3. Put some name on the bulk of German forces in the center (the tanks and heavies) - it would look better!
*******
-> About the SUPPLY DUMPS... we expect something hard and strong, as it's explained within the briefing that "During Operation Crusader Rommel undertakes a daring move trying to destroy 8th Army's supply dumps." Cool! But I haven't seen any real attack nor even threat against my supply dumps...

Indeed, after a first short try, I've decided NOT to try defending Sidi Rezegh at all but instead to put a good amount of my troops near Gabr Saleh, with several tanks, artillery units, AT-units and infantry units... And the thing is that the Panzer group and the Italian Ariete division put a good fight but were quickly repulsed. And the Trieste group shows up lately (and only the 2 inf units, the artillery units being left somewhere back), once the two other groups have already been defeated... So, in this case, your "Assembly trigger" has not/never been triggered and, thus, there was no offensive/threat against my supply dumps... which should have been a crucial part of this scenario.

So, here are already few suggestions:
1. Deploy the Trieste group/division directly more eastwards, and their artillery (even slower to move) even few hexes more eastwards than the infantry units...
1bis. Use this opportunity to rename this artillery unit from "21 REg Trieste" to "21 Reg Trieste"...

2. I'm wary of increasing the strength of the Panzer, Trieste and Ariete groups (though, just a little bit? ), as this could make the scenario quite difficult depending on how the player deploys his troops (and how many he loses around Sidi Rezegh ).
2bis. At least, put all Italians units from Ariete and Trieste groups at 1,5 stars of XP...

Of course, I haven't seen either the event about British tanks captured (near supply dump 3), with an unit of Crusader spawning under German flag... The thing is that this offensive wasn't triggered in my case. Anyway, having looked in the triggers, this third supply dump would be the last one to be threatened/targeted... therefore, these tanks could only be spawned anyway towards scenario end and won't thus be able to do much...

So, about this I would suggest:

3. Leave the "main" offensive as it is now (in terms of triggers)... it's easier like this and should work really well anyway, depending on how the player has deployed his (or her) forces.

4. Add a new offensive group (including an Italian Sahariana unit? ), moving from the west to attack directly the 3rd supply dump (then, from there, moving against the others)...
Even if being perhaps pseudo-historical, it would be in the overall Rommel's plan, it would increase the challenge, put some pressure there in the South as well, and then increase much the probability of the Crusader event to happen/be triggered... thus increasing the challenge as well with a new unit (linked in terms of AI setup to this new group).

5. Rommel wanted to capture or to destroy these supply dumps?
If it's about destroying them, then it's perfectly possible to add a "bridge" blowing explosion effect and to use "Change Supply Output" from 50 to perhaps 10 or even 5... so, even if the player retake them, he will suffer a penalty for this temporary loss.
Or triggering this destroying effect once the player recapture this supply dump, as a last gift from the Axis? (So, don't destroy it directly, but only if it can't be kept by the Axis forces. That sounds plausible. )
Anyway, the briefing says that "During Operation Crusader Rommel undertakes a daring move trying to destroy 8th Army's supply dumps." to DESTROY...
This can come together with another nice event and, perhaps, one could consider as well the possibility to allow the player to take them back before scen end without failing these pri obj?
*******
I've got a Victory (not a Major, 'cause no sec obj rght now) at the 9th turn out of 18... so, too easy!

And I've left some troops as garrison to defend the supply dumps, just in case, while some armored recon troops (aux & core) where scouting the desert... basically for nothing! ( )

Just 2 Italian infantry units found (from the Trieste group), several units moved southwards to destroy them, and that was it...

By the way, an auxiliary Australian recon unit of LRDG could be nice here as well.
*******
Little detail: How about putting a little dot instead of a space in the name of our new core units: "2 Yeomanry" -> "2.Yeomanry"; same thing for "4 Yeomanry", "3 Yeomanry", "3 Royal Tank" and "5 Royal Tank", so that we keep on overall the same convention everywhere?


Et voilà !

[GabeKnight]

SeaLion 4.2

For the core import to work properly, you have to change to name to "Germany West 1939-40"

And speaking of "commander rewards"...

Screenshot 280.jpg (982.43 KiB) Viewed 1577 times

[ColonelY]

16SecOff:

Well, this was certainly a standalone scenario before having been put into this campaign, and certainly as well a rather "old" scenario... This one requires some additional work, I think.

-> No sec obj, it means no possible Major Victory... something to adapt, please. Some sec obj to be found, added.

-> Nicely done, about this new orders stuff but then it would imply that these are actually (to nowadays standards ) primary objectives... which involves changing all these silver spear flags into golden star flags as well. ( )
( And double-check the triggers, because some of them depend on the amount of sec obj under control... this may be modified as well accordingly!)

-> Some cleaning's required, as we would receive very too many new core units within this scenario... and all without (historical) names!
We already have a decent to really good core army that we're managing and those units are gaining experience... we don't need at all all these extra units (without name nor XP).
So, 'should remove: 5 tank units (3 Stuart & 2 Crusader), 2 dogfghters (Hurricane), 2 heavy inf, 4 regular inf, 2 AT (QF 2) and 1 arty (QF 25)... (Disbanding all these units mean that the player now gains a little more than 200 RPs.)
I suggest to keep just one unit, the "BL 6 inch Howitzer", as it's a new artillery unit kind within this campaign. But then, please add some (even pseudo-) historical name to it and some British trucks as transport mean for it!

-> No picture for events (Reinforcements & New orders)...
***
-> The system of supply pts and of given RPs should be rethought here!

1. Based on a relatively "complex" system of triggers, we'll receive many, many RPs that can't be used because we've not enough supply pts to deploy more of our core units!
2. To simply give a boost to the player, 'could perhaps simply add a supply ship in the port of Gazala! (We'll talk about this a little later as well! )

Furthermore, this scenario is on overall too easy right now: at the middle of the scenario, only the German garrison of El Agheila was left, except several enemy units outsupplied and already severely beaten... and giving a little more supply pts would mean more of our units on the battlefield and then making it even easier... More power for the Axis forces is thus required as well!
***
-> About supply ship... we've several core ships at disposal. Why can't we deploy few of them (like a cruiser and a destroyer, or something)?
(In the triggers, you named some picture "cruiser"... as reinf. )

-> About event txt "Reinforcements": "The Axis have captured Gazala and Bir Hacheim. HQ releases more units from the reserve." Wrong! Gazala is in the top NE of the map and always stays under British control. We can't have lost Gazala without having been entirely whiped out from this map! (And Bir Hacheim is in a safe spot as well...)

-> Event title "New Orcders"...

-> The Major Victory text begins now with "Excellent result!. [...]"

-> A little surprise could then be added:
Once Benghazi has been captured by the player's forces (then an event & few more NCPs for the British, perhaps ), a German submarine could be spawned near the Gazala port, just to launch a torpedo set at our supply ship (then almost useless - well, still the time for our flag to be risen over Benghazi!)... few turns later, this sub could either vanish in the seas or stay nearby, targetting some of our (core) ships.
That would not be expected by the player, being the very first sub to appear within this campaign!
(And this could mean adding another sec obj once torpedos have hit, together with an event: deal at least XYZ damages to enemy submarine. )


Et voilà !

[Erik2]

Sea Lion & commanders.
Yep, this was the old way of assigning commanders. Will be changed whenever I get around to update this campaign.

[ObiRynDenobi]

I'm new to this game and have been downloading and installing your campaigns, (They look really good!) when I came across a problem; the "US Naval Campaign 1941-46 v3.2 18-9-2019" campaign is listed by Dropbox as: "This item was deleted."

I haven't gone through all 73 pages of this thread yet, so I may have missed it if you already address this. I just wanted to bring it to your attention.

[Erik2]

I'm new to this game and have been downloading and installing your campaigns, (They look really good!) when I came across a problem; the "US Naval Campaign 1941-46 v3.2 18-9-2019" campaign is listed by Dropbox as: "This item was deleted."

I haven't gone through all 73 pages of this thread yet, so I may have missed it if you already address this. I just wanted to bring it to your attention.

There's an updated modded version available for test.
Check this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=264&t=102854

[Arkain]

Hallo Erik,

sorry for my question, but i haven´t found an information and the thread is a bit long to read through.

What DLC do I need to play all the campaigns?

[Erik2]

Hallo Erik,

sorry for my question, but i haven´t found an information and the thread is a bit long to read through.

What DLC do I need to play all the campaigns?

I think you only need one DLC to unlock the additional functionality including multiplayer and the editor.

[Arkain]

Thank you. So if i haven´t bought the japan dlc, i can play the japan camapaign with all units without errors or missing unit?
First i will play singleplayer. Maybe later multiplayer.

[Erik2]

Download and just try.

[Arkain]

Ok, i will try it.
Ok, after i deplayed the units and ended the turn i got the information to buy the required dlc.

[ColonelY]

17SecondBardia:

A nice, little and easy scenario.

I've got a Major Victory at the 11th turns out of 16... 'So slightly too easy to handle, timewise! (*)

So, here's what I've seen or what I suggest:

1. (Based on (*)) Perhaps add some (German & Italian) MG-foxholes here and there!

2. The Italian AT-gun unit has no AI setup at all...

3. I've only received 3 of the 4 DDs that should be spawned. Maybe because you target always the very same hex and because this one is near an edge of the map?
It's one of the DD J-Class, the Gurkha, that I haven't got. => Perhaps target another hex for this one?

4. A little more AA capability for the Axis forces?

5. As we've to capture the port as well, what about adding some naval minefields (2 perhaps) randomly placed? (But NOT inside the port itself, of course! )


Et voilà !

[ColonelY]

18Gazala:

How was my playthrough?
1. Well, I've decided to resist in the North, and to walk back a little in the South (to try saving some of the Frenchies while moving away from most of the enemy artillery)...
2. Then, I've broken through in the North while containing the enemy in the South (as some points it was a little tricky )...
3. Then I've used some fast-moving tank unit in the north to directly capture the Axis supply output near their air exit hexes (there is no garrison in the way!) => this was the key move directly outsupplying the entire Axis forces! ('Happened at turn 9, effect from the 10th turn, as the Axis play its turn first in this scenario.)
4. Few turns more to ensure a complete dizorganisation of the enemy forces, then some free XP for my own troops and all was said!
5. At the 18th turn, all map cleared: all land forces destroyed, all air forces either destroyed or back for refuelling (and never showing up again)...
6. Then, letting turns pass, replenishing troops, and that's all!

So, first things first:

-> The Axis supply system should be modified a little:
Indeed, instead of 2x a supply output of 150 pts (1 in the Top North, 1 in the NW near air exit hexes - but capturing this last one means in principle that we own all territory from Gazala to this point, thus isolating as well the Axis northern supply output from their armies, i.e. a direct loss of 300 supply points for the Axis forces!), perhaps put 3x a supply output of 100 pts.
So same amount in total, two of them at the same locations than now, a third added somewhere in the SW, along the roads where most of the enemy forces are concentrated during the deployment.

-> No tank nor AT-capability for the Axis in the North? This should be added to make this front slightly stronger. (We've many tank units that we can deploy them where we want...)

-> Add some German or Italian garrison units in both Ras el-Eleba and Timimi...

(So, basically, these first points are directly related to the tactic I used against Axis forces. You should make it more difficult to achieve and less efficient... "just in case", because it's really a game changing move! )

-> We don't have enough supply points to use all our LCPs... but this will change when we lose some auxiliary units...
Anyway, it's coherent with the briefing, saying that "Both sides dug-in and waited for reinforcements and supplies before resuming the offensive."... Waiting for supplies? So, okay, it's fine like this.

-> I don't really like seeing frontline units, even auxiliary, starting at half-strenght... Especially when the AI plays first!
But that's fine as well, that's part of the scenario, as for example some Free French units were at that time not counting really much guys compared to other units on the battlefield...

-> BUT these Frenchies are still too exposed right now! ( )
It's written within the briefing that "Both sides dug-in [...]"... yeah, dug-in...so our frontline units should at least have some sort of entrenchement!
By the way, it's partly because the Frenchies were prepared and well-entrenchend (and more on a rocky soil than on a "simple" sandy desert) that they managed to achieve their brilliant success at Bir Hacheim.
Our frontline units, the South African units but more importantly (from an historical point-of-view) the Free French units, must start being entrenched, and perhaps even fully entrenched!
(This will be lost if the player move then, but then it's his, or her, choice... And because the Axis forces move first, then...)

(And we don't care at all about Axis force starting dug-in too, i.e. entrenched, as they'll start moving first anyway, thus losing any entrenchement they could have.)

-> Then, we know that the Free French troops were protected as well by some minefields (see the Free France topic, there are nice pictures, or plans, of the Bir Hacheim situation at that time) => so, what about adding some minefields here and there (some being purely "Free French")?

-> Speaking about minefields, why are the minefields between Tobruk and Gazala (South of Acroma, that is) neutral? Is it a trap for our units!? Why not having them being under the British flag?

-> The German teams 20 and 23 are always kept on "Local Defense"... okay, they are reserve troops, but still, they should move on at some point or switch to an offensive stance or something. Otherwise, they are pretty... useless.

-> Enemy fighters haven't been seen to come back after leaving to refuel (despite the correct "Allow Redeploy" having been checked)... so, perhaps spawn few of them at some point (near turn 20?), to "compensate" this effect?

-> Perhaps add one or two air exit hexes for the player in the East, to allow us to exchange some fighters against some bombers once air superiority has been won.

-> No ship at all in this scenario?

-> 'Should allow an early Major Victory! (I've had to let more than 20 turns pass... that wasn't the funniest part! )
When? Perhaps triggered when the Axis force have less than 3 land units left.
And, to warn the player about it, when the Axis forces have just maybe 10 land units left, then add an event (with some nice and immersive picture ) and a text perhaps like: "Excellent, we're winning this battle. Chase the enemy down, as we could trigger an early Victory this way."

-> Ski on the desert!? An Italian "Alpini" unit and one French "Chasseurs alpins" unit?!
For example, a solid regular French Infantry unit can do the trick as "Foreign Legion", can't it?

-> Briefing: "the seige of Tobruk" or rather the "the siege of Tobruk"?

-> Names of Frenchies units:
"1 Bn d'infanterie de Marin" => "1 Bn d'Infanterie de Marine"
& "2 Bn de marche lOubangui" => "2 Bn de Marche de l'Oubangui"


Et voilà !

[ColonelY]

Oh, and a last idea, perhaps, related to this scenario:

It would be nice to start with few RPs for both the South African and Free French troops!
(So, basically, the two factions holding the frontline.)

Why? Well, the AI plays first, then some income will be received after the first turn (where we have right now no RP at all for these factions), then the AI plays again...
So, the AI plays TWO times before we get the opportunity the replenish any single unit... And most of them start already at half-strenght. That's why!