I have uploaded a new version of the Bay of Pigs historical scenario (DOWNLOAD LINK:
https://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewto ... 70#p608612). In this version I attempt to address the following outstanding pet peeves regarding gameplay “realism”:
Lack of terrain type for hamlet-size settlements. Many of the engagements in the Bay of Pigs area were associated with small settlements that are not well represented by the City terrain type. In this update, I modified the Bocage terrain type, which is not used in the scenario, to create a Hamlet close terrain type with a base entrenchment of 1 and an initiative cap of 6.
- sc2.jpg (129.17 KiB) Viewed 7679 times
Suicidal use of mounted units by the AI. The AI has a nonsensical tendency (even when set at level 2), especially during simulated “nighttime” (rain) turns, of repeatedly careening mounted units (infantry and AA units most notably) into the front lines of the opposing forces to be slaughtered. Under fog-of-war playing conditions, the AI is just not smart enough to know better when enemy units are not visible to it. I have tackled this issue in two ways which drastically reduce the problem:
(1) I have created HUMINT/Covert Spotter units (virtually indestructible) with a spotting range of 3 and placed them in strategically, impenetrable (“Deep Swamp”) hexes so as to allow the AI to spot opposing units blocking beachhead entry positions;
- HUMINT unit.jpg (167.28 KiB) Viewed 7679 times
(2) As the above workaround is not effective during simulated “nighttime” (rain) turns (because of the reduced spotting range of the HUMINT units), during night turns the following unit actions are implemented on specific AI-controlled units: (a) all infantry units in and around the causeway beachhead access routes lose their truck transport, (b) active AA units anywhere on the map are immobilized by setting their fuel level to 0. Both of these actions are reversed during the first subsequent “daylight” (dry) turn.
Although making AI gameplay more realistic, the end result is that the resulting scenario is not balanced (as with its historical counterpart) and may prove unwinnable unless the invading forces are given large prestige and/or experience advantages using the Custom Difficulty game option. I’m fine with this end result as my goal is to get as close to accurate “what-iffing” (modeling) as possible within the limitations of the game engine.
For further “what-iffing” probing, I have created an additional operation-as-planned scenario (downloadable from the link below) encompassing the following three key plan elements missing from the historical operation:
(1) Total control of the sky by the invading force;
(2) Coastal support fire from two modified invasion force LCIs (treated as of “River Boat” class);
(3) Operation of two special-unit B-26 aircraft from the short-landing airfield at Playa Girón (with the rest of the B-26s operating from Nicaragua).
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Historically, as it was recognized that the runway at the Girón airfield was of insufficient length for standard B-26 landings, two invasion air force pilots received especial short–landing (SL) training to enable two bombers to operate from there. To recreate the resulting limitations on operations from this airfield it is not represented in the scenario by the Airfield terrain type (which would allow any B-26 to refuel/rearm there). Instead, special SL B-26 units are introduced which are assigned their maximum (through Unit Action scripts) fuel/ammo/strength values immediately upon “landing” within a 1-hex radius of the “SL Ops AF” hex. However, the player needs to keep a close eye on the fuel levels for these special B-26 units as the marking of hexes with “no return” red dots will not be accurate for them with respect to the SL Ops AF.
More information is provided in the README file.
PLEASE NOTE: The scenario is designed to be played with the human player controlling the Brigade 2506 (Allied) side against the computer in single-player mode. It is not configured for play in the reverse single-player mode.
Download link for “Bay of Pigs Invasion – Planned” (ver. 2.6 as of 22.02.23 with minor change to order of battle) mod files :
https://bit.ly/4n7qfT5. Please note that only the scenario pzscn and pzloc files for this alternate history scenario are different from the other mod files for the "Bay of Pigs - Historical scenario," thus the two scenarios can be played interchangeably.
. The historically-based mod is extremely difficult to win given that (1) the invading force is increasingly vastly outnumbered as the game progresses, (2) the enemy fighters control the air and (3) ammunition is limited between turns 14 and 24. Still, playing at the "Colonel with AI at 2" Custom Setting I can generally win at least 50% of the time by using the following overall strategies:
