Free France Campaign

[bru888]

I love the Bir Hakeim map, smaller and allowing action on a company level. Not that the past two scenarios were all that bad, but I think we will find Bir Hakeim to be a pleasant break.

It's shaping up to be a purely defensive battle, a self-sacrificing "hold your position for X turns to buy the limeys the time they need" kind of thing. Do YOU have what it takes to hold off Rommel and his Panzerarmee Afrika for 28 turns?

"What? It's only Turn 19? Shriek! How am I going to hold this together for another 9 turns?!?"

Free_French_Foreign_Legionnaires.png (192.82 KiB) Viewed 2143 times

That pic, or this one with the guy and his pipe?

a8b46f795ae232fca0eb33fadedb886e.jpg (30.84 KiB) Viewed 2143 times

[bru888]

I am always on the lookout for heroines, and I have found one in Bir Hakeim. She will be featured, for sure. She was Brigadier General Marie-Pierre Koenig's driver (and lover, according to Wikipedia - I'll check that out if I can ).

Susan Mary Gillian Travers (23 September 1909 – 18 December 2003) was an Englishwoman who served in the French Red Cross as a nurse and ambulance driver during the Second World War. She later became the only woman to be matriculated in the French Foreign Legion, having also served in French Indochina, during the First Indochina War.

Susan_travers_tisk.jpg (12.42 KiB) Viewed 2141 times

[ColonelY]

[...] That pic, or this one with the guy and his pipe? [...]

Well, well, perhaps both may appear at some point.

And very nice, I had never heard about Susan Travers.

[bru888]

A while back, I mentioned how my favorite terrain for designing was farmland. No more. Now I love desert: Cover the map with desert, work in some rough desert and beach for variability, a few roads, a village or two, and done! Hardly any trees (only around oases) and few other decorations are needed. All future scenarios, including Falaise and Paris, will take place in desert terrain! (Just kidding.)

Here is the fortification at Bir Hakeim during the Deployment Phase. The fortification has been designed to force Panzers to enter using roads. Rough terrain represents barriers to them otherwise. Axis infantry may cross rough terrain but escarpments bar them except at several points (covered by FF foxholes). About 40 Allied land units versus, what, 60 - 80 German and Italian units? (That is the key question. We will see.)

[ColonelY]

Great!

Some thoughts:

-> Minefields to be added now in the surroundings.
( http://www.france-libre.net/site/wp-con ... m3-grd.jpg & http://www.france-libre.net/site/wp-con ... im-grd.jpg )

-> Definitely more land enemy units than defenders... as attacks in several waves/phasis (first the Italians!).
(Again this one: http://www.france-libre.net/site/wp-con ... im-grd.jpg )

-> Rommel's ultimatum (rejected of course), a cool event to be made: http://www.france-libre.net/site/wp-con ... l-grd1.jpg

-> Marianne, symbole de la France (another cool event once the battle increases in intensity!)... https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=htt ... 6192818223 ... as the whole France (and the world thanks to newspapers) has the eyes upon Bir Hakeim!

-> Historically, finally an evacuation to be planned (perhaps half of the initial Free French land troops, or something)...

[Erik2]

Paris-Dakar rally

The AA-rewards never saw any action. Maybe replace them with a couple of art w/trucks?

All pri objs met at the very last turn.

This is quite an opening of the campaign. Not for fresh OOB-players, but very rewarding for us old-timers.

A major victory is very difficult to achieve due to the sec objs often localized near the map edges.
Maybe reduce the number to at least 12 of 15?

I still think at least a few FF units should have been core.
Maybe the unit rewards?

vic.jpg (92.23 KiB) Viewed 2064 times

[Erik2]

The campaign map is post-WW2 (East/West-Germany).
Should we look for a more colonial-type?
Maybe something like this 1939-map?

[bru888]

The campaign map is post-WW2 (East/West-Germany).
Should we look for a more colonial-type?
Maybe something like this 1939-map?

My heart leapt at that map. Unfortunately, though, it cuts off Gabon in the south. Also, it might be a trifle busy when displayed in the game, especially on a laptop. I chose this one ("chose" being an arbitrary term, because it's the only one that I found) because it is clear and displays all regions of activity in this campaign. It is intended only to orient the player as to where in the world we are going next.

[bru888]

Colonel, I have been using your maps throughout but as to the triangular shapes of the minefields, I will demur. Experience has shown us that if the designer packs in mines too densely, the AI will merely stop and sit in its tracks. This despite being provided with engineers for clearing them! Too much work, I guess. There will be plenty of mines sprinkled about, but not thickly and not in patterns.

Yes, I already had the attack waves planned. Bir Hakeim is currently 32 turns; two days per turn. This makes the scenario roughly coincide with the historical span of 16 days that the 1st Free French Brigade held out under ferocious attacks.

My thinking is to have 4 waves: the initial one, another at Turn 8, another at Turn 16, and another at Turn 24. Right now, my plan is to have 20 Axis units per wave versus 42 Allied units in the fortress. That doesn't sound like much until you realize that the remnants of the previous wave will still be attacking when the next wave appears.

As far as the direction of the attacks, I am thinking that I will spread them around; artistic license, if you will, despite knowing that Axis forces were swinging around and attacking from the southeast at first. My reasoning there is that I want the pressure to be coming from all around and there are only a certain amount of entry points into the fortress: roads and gaps in the walls here and there.

The really difficult task in this one is to make it balanced so that it is not too hard or too easy. I will need you guys to help in that assessment.

Rommel's Ultimatum is already in there, thanks to your earlier suggestion. Also, I did use both of those photos above, clever me.

Sorry, but I am going to punt on an actual evacuation. This is hard enough to design without needing to build that into it. Rather, if the player lasts for 32 turns (or eliminates all attackers which would not be a good sign as to balance), he will be rewarded with a popup message about the order to evacuate along with this photo of battle survivors:

Sortie_bir_hakeim.png (159.61 KiB) Viewed 2039 times

About Marianne; it's time for her to make an appearance. So I will use this cartoon that you provided. It's ideal.

Marianne.png (283.28 KiB) Viewed 2039 times

[bru888]

About Marianne; it's time for her to make an appearance. So I will use this cartoon that you provided. It's ideal.

Here is how I did it. Perhaps the scantily-clad figure of Liberty will be the final straw resulting in my banishment from these forums, but what a glorious way to go!

Screenshot 1.jpg (366.55 KiB) Viewed 2028 times

Screenshot 2.jpg (364.88 KiB) Viewed 2028 times

[Erik2]

Gabon

Vichy air is quite stronger than FF, both in the north and the south. With only aux FF air units they are soon forced off-map.
These scenario could well use the AA-units from the first scenario.

The Allied naval forces have only one useful ship to try and eliminate the coastal guns. The gunboats are no better than rubber ducks. More RN ships are needed as the Fairey Battles will quickly be shot out of the sky.

Finally, the Vichy land battles are as as strong as the FF, with more than parity in armored vehicles. The old axiom of 3-1 in attack looks more like 1-2.
When the Vichy armored column S appeared with 4 more vehicles I gave up... The odds are simply too bad.

I'm sorry, but I think it is a mistake not to use core units whenever possible. Players like to nurture their units and see the experience increase. It would also give the players options to purchase varied units within the FF limits.

[ColonelY]

Gabon

[...] The old axiom of 3-1 in attack looks more like 1-2. [...]

Well, well, the Free French had to deliver quite a fight several times, as they were often outnumbered... hence also the appeal of their epic! And a good challenge for the player as well.

I'm sorry, but I think it is a mistake not to use core units whenever possible. Players like to nurture their units and see the experience increase. It would also give the players options to purchase varied units within the FF limits.

No worries.

Well, not using core units within this campaign? Two big main reasons for this:

1. Being historically accurate means naming units... But which of them has fought all the battles? Not much of them, for sure. So, difficult to keep core units throughout all this campaign. Then they've somehow evolved during the war, as some have been merged, as others have changed their names, etc. A real jigsaw puzzle! Only auxiliary units fix this: you take what you need, when you need it, and that's it. (And maximal flexibility for scenarios as one single unit can represent for example either a compagny or a regiment.)

2. Purchase or upgrade units? Nice concept in itself, but the "FF limits" you mentioned are here actually really restrictive... Really! Taking a look at http://mfendek.byethost16.com/?i=3 and selecting free_france as faction will make it obvious: you've basically nothing except Partisans and all versions of regular Infantry (well, except the '43?!). One French Truck model, one model of bomber. And that's it. So, each new year you can upgrade your regular infantry, but that won't bring much anyway. And if you receive some core units (tanks, colonial infantry, heavy infantry, ATs, arty, etc.), they may be either too weak towards the end of the campaign (as outdated) or to powerful (if given too early to the player). To correct this, then what: giving more and more units, to finish with a full list of units (mostly outdated towards the end) that won't anyway be deployed? Nah, not optimal either. Or back to aux units...

No core unit, it's a choice, but I think it's a reasonable choice in this case. So yes, from this perspective the Free France campaign is different than many other campaigns. Anyway, being somewhat unusual doesn't of course make it unpleasant at all. Thus it should be perfectly fine like this.

[ColonelY]

Just in case, here are few more pics:

During the battle (perhaps when a new wave is coming?): https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=htt ... egUIARC3AQ

At the end of the battle (they didn't have time to shave (nor the water to do so) ): https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=htt ... egUIARC5AQ

Rommel, incomprehension and surprise in front of the "fait accompli" - a few Frenchies blocking his whole lead, his whole plan: http://notabenemovies.com/wp-content/up ... _aides.jpg

[ColonelY]

Gabon

[...] When the Vichy armored column S appeared with 4 more vehicles [...]

If I remember correctly, some parts of this battle are to be played defensively for a while...

[bru888]

Erik, thanks for your feedback, which I am compiling. Remember, though, I learned from you that a scenario which is too easy is no fun at all.

Also, I had covered the reasons for not providing for core units (and specialisations) early in this thread but the Colonel recaps them well. Basically, the FF faction is too limited to allow for either.

[bru888]

Just in case, here are few more pics:

The explosions in that first photo,

9422406_orig.jpg (164.16 KiB) Viewed 1998 times

reminded me of the ones in these models. It looks like the designer may have used carved styrofoam. Or steel wool? Not a bad effect:

Bir-Hakeim-1.jpg (229.11 KiB) Viewed 1998 times

Bir-Hakeim-3.jpg (160.76 KiB) Viewed 1998 times

https://testofbattle.com/phpBB2/viewtop ... c3895074ff

[ColonelY]

Nice!

Gabon

[...] as the Fairey Battles will quickly be shot out of the sky. [...]

Well, not if you bring them back first, the time to use your fighters and cruisers to deal with most of enemy fighters.

[Erik2]

Nice!

Gabon

[...] as the Fairey Battles will quickly be shot out of the sky. [...]

Well, not if you bring them back first, the time to use your fighters and cruisers to deal with most of enemy fighters.

Yes, but this is the kind of a puzzle that you have to know before you deploy and embark on what is supposed to be an offensive...
I've noted some players arguing that a few official campaigns 'suffered' from the puzzle-syndrome, and they disliked it.

As for the cores, I'll probably make my own version of the campaign when it is finished. Naming of units should not be an obstacle. Official campaigns does not usually deal with named units anyway.
Cores are an important part of a campaign IMO, there are plenty of posts dealing with how players nurture their cores.

[bru888]

As for the cores, I'll probably make my own version of the campaign when it is finished.

Erik, when I began this campaign, the amount of Free French units was even more limited than it is today. Just in version 8.6.5 did they introduce the two boxed units:

Screenshot 1.jpg (118.95 KiB) Viewed 1958 times

Before, they only had French Infantry '40, '44, and '45. They are still missing '43. They have no Heavy Infantry (and the regular French still only have the '40 version, which I will need to work around by awarding them extra experience if I use them as Free French later), no armor, no artillery, and one bomber.

When you play a faction as your core, when you go to the Purchase screen for upgrades or new units, this is the array that you see. This is how you want to play? That's fine, but not for me. As it is, I feel like a magician, borrowing units from other factions and placing them as FF but this can be done only as auxiliary units.

Regarding making your own version of the campaign, feel free. That is always the premise of us custom designers; we put stuff out there for free with the assumption that players will either play them as is or make their own adjustments.

However, were you to publish your own version of Free France 1940-1945, that would be another matter. I am unsure if that is what you meant - I hope not - but if so, it would be reprehensible to use all the other materials - maps, images, text, triggers - designed by somebody else and call it your own "New and Improved Free France." Yet nothing would stop you as there are no official rules concerning custom designing. It's all in the public domain.

At any rate, you do not seem to be enjoying this campaign as it is being designed. I will understand if you wish to cease testing it in favor of redesigning the finished product to your own tastes.

[bru888]

Yes, but this is the kind of a puzzle that you have to know before you deploy and embark on what is supposed to be an offensive...
I've noted some players arguing that a few official campaigns 'suffered' from the puzzle-syndrome, and they disliked it.

And, to answer this, I will use your objection to being surprised at Rufisque when you moved west toward Dakar without covering your flanks. A real commander would never land and charge in one direction without doing proper reconnaissance to secure his flanks, or at least leave a unit or two behind to guard Rufisque, considering he has little knowledge of what lurks in the jungles north and east of his position.

So yes, I built this surprise in there, called "Backdoor to Rufisque?" which provides for that easternmost Cie D Patrouille Côtière to advance and retake the town if it is insufficently defended:

Screenshot 2.jpg (446.75 KiB) Viewed 1944 times

If it is undefended, they have no trouble doing so, of course. If just one or two of your units are left behind, then these will hold off Cie D Patrouille Côtière while you rush some support back to deal with the matter. This is, of course, in lieu of sending a patrol eastward and finding Cie D Patrouille Côtière in the first place.

And this is not entirely "out of the clear blue." One of the primary objectives is to "Pacify outlying villages." This means your forces should be fanning out in all directions. Basically, you have your choice: Take Dakar first, then pacify villages, or vice versa. If you do choose to march on Dakar first, then of course it would make sense to guard your rear as the implication is that the enemy is lurking out there in the countryside.

I prefer such subtleties. I also prefer checks on good generalship. You seem to prefer the bull charge method instead; move straight to the objectives, immediately. Enemy always in front of you, doing the predictable. To me, that is boring. Ultimately, we must all custom design to our own preferences.

So again, perhaps wait until this is finished - heaven knows when that will be, but the pace is quicker at least for now - and then pick it apart to your heart's content, saving yourself some indigestion.