Free France Campaign

[ColonelY]

[...] Thank you for continuing to respect my "editor in chief" status, my co-author.
[...]

Oh, you're welcome. To me it's perfectly normal. You've officially recognized the importance of my help (and I'm really pleased and honored ), but it has precisely to remain an help from me.

[ColonelY]

Very nice event, but this French title bothers me a bit...

I would rather say "Femmes Résistantes" (this one with the adjective granted) or "Femmes dans la Résistance" or "Femmes de la Résistance" (with the name and something in between). These three forms do exist in French (probably with a few others as well)... Which one do you pick?

(They could be translated, respectivaly, like "Women Resistants", "Women in the Resistance" and "Women of the Resistance".)

[bru888]

Very nice event, but this French title bothers me a bit...

I would rather say "Femmes Résistantes" (this one with the adjective granted) or "Femmes dans la Résistance" or "Femmes de la Résistance" (with the name and something in between). These three forms do exist in French (probably with a few others as well)... Which one do you pick?

(They could be translated, respectivaly, like "Women Resistants", "Women in the Resistance" and "Women of the Resistance".)

Well, I knew the "dans" version would not fit, so I tried truncating that phrase. That's apparently jarring to French-speakers but even merely translated, "Women Resistants" is jarring to English-speakers. Fortunately, this version, "Women of the Resistance," just barely fits!

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[bru888]

Ahhh, est-elle une chose de beauté, ou pas?

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[ColonelY]

Oh yes, she is.

[bru888]

Added two PzKw. 39H 735(f) and one Jagdpanther:

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Lots of reading in this one! Some players will be thrilled and some will be outraged.

Final German unit count: 88, in honour of the many (well, seven in total) 88-millimeter anti-tank guns guarding Paris.

It may not be absolutely historical, but there is a significant tank battle shaping up in the outskirts of the city, which should please some folks.

[ColonelY]

Nice!

[bru888]

Free France 1940-1945 v0.49 has been uploaded. It includes the new Liberation of Paris scenario.

Free France 1940-1945 (eighteen scenarios)

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Here is the preview:

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The scenario map is based on this template, although my Paris does not sprawl so much as shown here:

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The placement of the Allies on the four roads leading from the southwest is based on this map:

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The French are on the three most westerly roads. The Americans are on the fourth road near the bottom, and they are the logical units to take the fifth road into Paris from the southeast. If all goes well, everyone meets up in Paris.

[terminator]

PARIS

Fleuve la Seine = impassable river ?

[bru888]

I'm not sure what you mean. On the map, it's a river with bridges over it here and there. Nothing is supposed to be sailing up or down the river.

As far as the word "fleuve," I chose to follow what these fellows said here:

In French, what is the difference between "fleuve" and "rivière"?

A “fleuve” empties into the sea, while a “rivière” flows into another one, or into a lake. Technically the Rhône is thus a “rivière” first, since it discharges into Lake Geneva, and then a “fleuve” between Geneva and the Camargue…

But also, size matters. The Saone river, a mere “rivière” since it merges into the Rhône in Lyon, is big, long, and navigable. Calling it a “rivière” belittles it a bit.

As ... [others] have pointed out, a fleuve is generally larger than a river and it empties into a sea/ocean.

In common speech a fleuve it is usually understood to be a large rivière. A more technical definition is that a fleuve is the main stem of a river that meets a sea or an ocean.

Now, perhaps I should just label the river "La Seine" since it is so famous that "Fleuve" is unnecessary?

[ColonelY]

18LiberationOfParis:

Very good scenario but easier than I would have thought at first (as long as we sometimes refrain from launching our tanks against positions covered by German anti-tank guns, that is, and as long as the formations remain grouped because we don't really know when the enemy tanks will appear)

Major Victory during the 25th turn (validated at start of the 26th)… out of 48 turns. We’ve too much turns available there. It should be reduced to maximum 36 turns, I would say.
Lost only 8 partisans units (8/16)… ‘should be reduced. To 10?

I don't think there can be any discomfort from players in connection with the tank battle, because the Germans start relatively scattered on the map...

On the campaign map, we don’t see any flags nor arrows yet!
But the 2 pins for land XP are there as they should… I’ve seen something strange, that I don’t understand: despite the presence of these pins, my Free French guys start at 4-star XP only (instead of 5), so exactly as the US troops. So no bonus validated!
I’ve checked the triggers, they seem perfectly correct to me.
Perhaps it’s just because the layout isn’t completed yet (flags & arrows)?

Events:
Jagdpanther -> should target/focus the corresponding unit!
Conclave -> should appear several turns later… perhaps at turn 18 or 20 (at turn 12, we're still in the outskirts, fighting German tanks), thus letting for later as well the lady…

Not a single (support) AT unit for the US infantry division?

In the triggers:
-> “Western Defense” & “Eastern Defense” -> I suggest reducing the distance when they’ll contribute to defend Paris (now at 10 hexes away), so that they may actually go more inside the city…
-> For the “Key Sites Liberate”, what about adding a check: it is still open? If it has been failed by using artillery against the bunkers, there may be the risk that it could then switch from failed to achieved (once all are taken)…

Names, labels:
“Fleuve La Seine -> well, I like this label… I'm not sure I understand the concern here
“Orly Aerodrome” -> “Aérodrome d’Orly”
“Paris” -> “PARIS” (as there are many flags)

[bru888]

Free France 1940-1945 v0.50 has been uploaded.

Free France 1940-1945 (eighteen scenarios)

This version includes these changes to the Liberation of Paris scenario:
• Added another secondary objective: "Destroy at least 50 German army units":

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• Notice the note about this not including the Gestapo and Carlingue, whereas the "Liberate Paris: Enemy Units" primary objective does include them. Clarified that objective descriptions as shown here:

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• Upgraded German engineer units from 1943 to 1944, same as I did for U.S./French engineers. (Never did understand why engineer availability dates are so late in each year. For example, 1944 engineers are officially available in November while 1945 engineers appear ... in December when the war is over! To my knowledge, no one has ever complained about this.)

Colonel, I was just posting this when you posted your latest review! So please hold off on any replay that you may wish to make based on this version 0.50. A new version, 0.51, will be posted shortly.

[ColonelY]

Okay, it works.

[bru888]

Free France 1940-1945 v0.51 has been uploaded.

Free France 1940-1945 (eighteen scenarios)

This version includes these changes to the Liberation of Paris scenario:
• Reduced the number of turns to 36.
• Reduced the maximum partisan casualties to 12.
• Placed location ring, flags, and arrows on campaign map.
• Jagdpanther message linked to the unit itself.
• "Literary Conclave" and "Femmes de la Résistance" messages delayed from Turns 12/18 to Turns 18/20.
• Replaced two (of three) 4th Division howitzers with a couple of interesting units, both switchable: M5 3-inch gun (AT/Artillery) and M2 90 mm gun (AT/AA).
• Reduced Defend Hex radius from 10 to 5 for Western and Eastern Defense teams "so that they may actually go more inside the city" when called upon.
• Added a check to see if the "Liberate Paris: Key Sites" objective is still open to allow for completing it with 14 key sites "liberated" because we certainly do not want to reward the player if he already goofed by firing on them with artillery (very good catch, Colonel).
• “Orly Aerodrome” -> “Aérodrome d’Orly” and “Paris” -> “PARIS” (the latter as it should be, for other reasons as well! )

Additional notes:
• Yes, this is going to be easier than some other scenarios because, to be honest, it really wasn't much of a land battle. Until the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Nordwind, the Germans were largely in retreat at this stage and didn't devote much force to holding Paris.
• I double-checked the land experience variable triggers as well, and found nothing wrong. I doubt that the performance of these triggers is related to whether the location ring, flags, and arrows are placed on the campaign map. What may be the issue is that in the course of playing and replaying individual scenarios, you may have "lost the variable thread," that is, the record of having achieved those bonuses. In any event, if there is something wrong, it will be beyond us to fix it if everything appears to be correct in the editors.
• Your playing these scenarios once for testing purposes is appreciated. When I said "please hold off on any replay that you may wish to make," I did not presume to ask or seem to require you to play it again. Your willingness to do so is even more appreciated but not assumed. Thanks.

[ColonelY]

18LiberationOfParis:
(2nd test, v0.51, lvl III as usual)

Major Victory again during the 25th turn.
This time, only 4 Partisans have died (it depends much as well, of course, on where they do spawn)...

The two delayed events are now perfectly timed, I think.

I still think the "Western" group isn't enough active... they still tend to cover the two flags back there and thus to stay partly out of action... Perhaps increasing their aggressivity level once they're supposed to start defending the inner Paris?

What could perhaps be added:
1. Two or three German Zündapp Motorcycle units near the center of Paris (on the same AI team than the Gestapo units).

2. A last sec obj enabled (and starting as completed too) once the very first Key Site is liberated: "Don't let Germans destroy any Key Site."
-> We can use these bunkers to shoot at enemy units, but they can be targetted as well... This is perfectly coherent, by the way, as we can for example have some guys shooting from windows once the building has been captured.
-> Now, we could talk about giving some XP as well to all these Free French concrete bunkers... how could they have some XP already? On another hand, why should they be the single units without XP on this battlefield? The guys going inside to handle them could have some XP themselves, even if the building is "new"...
-> This new obj would be coherent on overall as well: we don't want to damage them too much (no artillery allowed!) but Germans may intend to destroy the city including of course these Key Sites (thus the mining, the event "Is Paris Burning?")...
-> What has given me this idea? Well, the Germans have this time managed to destroy the "Arc de Triomphe"... "de Triomphe", precisely! ( )


Well, about XP, I may have "lost the variable thread", as you've written... Despite various reloads, some just before playing this scenario itself, others during the last phasis of the previous scenario to start again from there... doesn't matter what I load or do, all Allied land units begin with 4 stars of XP in this scenario. (And I didn't have this issue with previous scenarios, I've reloaded some of them just to check this.) But I DO have the two pins on the campaign map... so I don't see either how I could have perhaps "lost the variable thread" while at the same time having these pins informing me that these two +1/2 extra stars of XP have been won... I don't get it.

[terminator]

Liberation of Paris :

If this scenario is too easy, maybe add a secondary objective with time condition "Finish the scenario in x turns", Paris could burn if we don’t do it fast enough?

[ColonelY]

Yes, this is also a good idea. But, while this scenario is easier than the others, overall, it's not too simple either, thankfully.

In addition, at this point, there is only room for one new secondary objective...

[ColonelY]

18LiberationOfParis:
[...] What could perhaps be added:
[...] 2. A last sec obj enabled (and starting as completed too) once the very first Key Site is liberated: "Don't let Germans destroy any Key Site."
-> We can use these bunkers to shoot at enemy units, but they can be targetted as well... This is perfectly coherent, by the way, as we can for example have some guys shooting from windows once the building has been captured.
-> Now, we could talk about giving some XP as well to all these Free French concrete bunkers... how could they have some XP already? On another hand, why should they be the single units without XP on this battlefield? The guys going inside to handle them could have some XP themselves, even if the building is "new"...
-> This new obj would be coherent on overall as well: we don't want to damage them too much (no artillery allowed!) but Germans may intend to destroy the city including of course these Key Sites (thus the mining, the event "Is Paris Burning?")...
-> What has given me this idea? Well, the Germans have this time managed to destroy the "Arc de Triomphe"... "de Triomphe", precisely! ( )
[...]

This should slow down assaults a bit, sometimes (but only sometimes, so it shouldn't be uncomfortable either!), in favor of a sometimes more subtle approach: how many hexes are there just behind this bunker?, maybe it's better to just weaken it, the time to explore what's behind it... to avoid several enemy units concentrating on it for one or two turns, which could be very damaging to the building you're trying to save (hence the avoidance of using artillery, for example). So a slightly different approach as well, which should increase the thinking and, therefore, also the challenge.

[bru888]

18LiberationOfParis:
(2nd test, v0.51, lvl III as usual)

Major Victory again during the 25th turn.
This time, only 4 Partisans have died (it depends much as well, of course, on where they do spawn)...Still, I will leave the turns and quota as they are for now.
The two delayed events are now perfectly timed, I think. Good.

I still think the "Western" group isn't enough active... they still tend to cover the two flags back there and thus to stay partly out of action... Perhaps increasing their aggressivity level once they're supposed to start defending the inner Paris? I will make both groups move aggressively to the center of Paris, then go on seek & destroy when they get there.

What could perhaps be added:
1. Two or three German Zündapp Motorcycle units near the center of Paris (on the same AI team than the Gestapo units). Yes, will do. That should increase the partisan casualty rate. (Just kidding, in real life.)

2. A last sec obj enabled (and starting as completed too) once the very first Key Site is liberated: "Don't let Germans destroy any Key Site."
-> We can use these bunkers to shoot at enemy units, but they can be targetted as well... This is perfectly coherent, by the way, as we can for example have some guys shooting from windows once the building has been captured.
-> Now, we could talk about giving some XP as well to all these Free French concrete bunkers... how could they have some XP already? On another hand, why should they be the single units without XP on this battlefield? The guys going inside to handle them could have some XP themselves, even if the building is "new"...
-> This new obj would be coherent on overall as well: we don't want to damage them too much (no artillery allowed!) but Germans may intend to destroy the city including of course these Key Sites (thus the mining, the event "Is Paris Burning?")...
-> What has given me this idea? Well, the Germans have this time managed to destroy the "Arc de Triomphe"... "de Triomphe", precisely! ( )
At first I said no. The first thing that comes to mind is the added complexity to program but then an easy solution came to mind. So, yes, look for a final secondary objective in the next version later today.

Well, about XP, I may have "lost the variable thread", as you've written... Despite various reloads, some just before playing this scenario itself, others during the last phasis of the previous scenario to start again from there... doesn't matter what I load or do, all Allied land units begin with 4 stars of XP in this scenario. (And I didn't have this issue with previous scenarios, I've reloaded some of them just to check this.) But I DO have the two pins on the campaign map... so I don't see either how I could have perhaps "lost the variable thread" while at the same time having these pins informing me that these two +1/2 extra stars of XP have been won... I don't get it.
Well, as I said earlier, if neither of us can find anything wrong with the triggers, then its something that probably cannot be fixed by us. Bear in mind something else, though: At a couple of points, I have rearranged the order of the scenarios. Maybe that had something to do with it. I would hope that a fresh playthrough may resolve the matter (but don't do it! )

By the way, I assume you are seeing those four Victory Messages at the end ("German Surrender," "Joy of Freedom," "Triumphant Generals," and "Paris is Free"), just before the Major Victory screen.

[ColonelY]

18LiberationOfParis:
[...] [...] I would hope that a fresh playthrough may resolve the matter (but don't do it! )

By the way, I assume you are seeing those four Victory Messages at the end ("German Surrender," "Joy of Freedom," "Triumphant Generals," and "Paris is Free"), just before the Major Victory screen.

Oh, but I will certainly do it! But I intend to wait for this until all the scenarios have been built up. This will be like a final overview/check from me, with maybe one last volley of various suggestions here and there...

Yes, indeed, I've seen correctly the 4 Victory Messages! So that's perfectly fine!