Normandy UK Campaign beta-test

[bru888]

Bru,

Nuked it an got no crash this time, but that empty map you also found.
Waiting anxiously your fix for the campaign.
Congrats

Thanks for the response. The new campaign file should be ready for tomorrow but Erik has to release it. I'll make sure it works before I send it to him.

[Mascarenhas]

Fine! And I´ll be more than glad in testing this great campaign from yours!

[bru888]

The job is done. The campaign file has been recreated and it works, judging by my nuking my way through it to the end:

Screenshot 3.jpg (328.45 KiB) Viewed 2296 times

Erik, please see the details in our studio thread. When you have approved of the changes and are ready, please issue version 1.2 of this campaign.

Note: This version should now include 30Bonfait (Les Grands Bonfaits) which I have upgraded as we agreed. It is now in the campaign tree, as the revised image in the first post of this thread indicates.

[Erik2]

I had some problems with the campaign file at one point.
I was unable to save it.
So I redid it from scratch (that's the version in the current build).
The campaign editor is unfortunately slightly buggy. Hopefully it is something 'trivial' like the bomber stream spec or something.

[Erik2]

Bruce fixed the corrupt campaign and I have updated the link in the first post.
I believe the never-resting head of CSI also may have added an enhanced version of a scenario that was initially left out.

[bru888]

I believe the never-resting head of CSI also may have added an enhanced version of a scenario that was initially left out.

Yes, that would be Les Grands Bonfaits, the partner to Le Bèny-Bocage in one branch of the campaign tree. Erik uses templates from other games for some of his work and Bonfaits in that other environment was too small and too short for OOB standards. We improved it accordingly.

So, it's important that people testing this campaign download version 1.2 for that reason and of course to be able to advance from one scenario to another. Your impressions will be appreciated; for example, do you think the beach scenarios are too tough or just right? Remember, D-Day itself was tough!

By the way, please don't bother uploading replays. As one of us found out to his chagrin, replays are not absolutely accurate at times. They are not videotapes of the action, but reconstructions, and the process is faulty.

[Mascarenhas]

Still Juno 1.1

I decided to keep playing the old version in order to check for playability conditions in this map, just as I did for Gold. I met practically the same results. I believe that within mission specs as they are set for now it is impossible to reach a different result from draw or defeat. You´ve establishd the goals under a fair reconstitution of the real outcome of D Day and of course I know that it was tough. Even so, I dont´´t believe that the goals are achievable in June 6th under the restraints imposed by design. My suggestions would be to alter the time frame, say, to 35 turns or more, provide more resources and cps following the beach phase and a bit more engineer units.

Now, I´ll take the new version starting from Sword beach.

Take care and cheers for the great design both of you achieved.

[warbear2017]

Hello developers, many greetings. Right, I started the campaign on Mac, after the 1st scenario finishing there is a blank screen. And no more...quite disappointing

[Zekedia222]

Worked fine for me on windows. Seems to me to be an operator issue.

[Erik2]

If you think any specific scenario could use more turns it would be nice if you could enter the cheat #overtime XX with the Xs being extra turns.
That way you'll see approx how many more turns are needed.

[bru888]

Warbear, make sure you have version 1.2.

[Mascarenhas]

If you think any specific scenario could use more turns it would be nice if you could enter the cheat #overtime XX with the Xs being extra turns.
That way you'll see approx how many more turns are needed.

This is precisely what I have done, friend. in Gold, Juno and probably as it is going, Sword too. My suggestion is based on personal trying, but I may not be as good a player as some of you, of course.

Anyway, my point, based on pertinent literature ( Beevour, Brighton, Ryan, e.g.), is that the accomplishments obtained by the actual invasion force on D Day are not at player´s reach at this game pace map design and logistics availbility. So, I´d suggest more turns, more resources and either more engineers or less minefields.

BTW, may I ask why it´s only possible to deploy land units on turn 1 - and not in the deployment phase as usual in the game - and also why the main support naval artillery become available only after the first landings? I think these settings contribute to delaying the operation and are not ver ymuch in line with both game features and plain logic. No offense intended here, I´m just trying to pay a proper tribute to you outstanding work.

[Mascarenhas]

Sword 1.2

Overall, conditions are just the same we´ve discussed above. Hardly more than a draw in perspective. A new problem arises: RAF support is only available for 1 flight cycle. After that, player is unable to reset the flyboys back to fight. It adds a considerably new difficulty to the game. I think I´ll send Ike a message to call back the Tommies and wait for a better moment...

[bru888]

Please keep going. Erik, in addition to map design, is the expert on units, forces, and gameplay balance. (I'm the scripting guy - objectives, triggers, and texts.) The more feedback he gets, the better this campaign will be. Consider the replay value you are building! Thanks for your input so far.

[Bobster66]

I'm so excited by this campaign!

So I gave Juno a couple of shots, even knowing what to expect the on the second play through the results were the same, only 2 of the 7 objectives reached. Definitely needs some more turns, maybe as many as ten? It takes until the 4th turn just to get a single engineer on the beach and it is a really big map. Perhaps the deployment hexes could be moved to just three hexes away from the coast to speed things up. The amount of RPs is ok, but I did find it odd that there were 4 extra British CP's available to purchase something but not enough Canadian CP's to deploy all of the provided units. This was a lot of fun, just could use some more turns. Oh, I also noticed that the secondary objective was marked as completed at the end of the scenario even though I never even spotted the trucks.

Juno D+1 - The Air Unit exit hex does not work. My planes had the red fuel warning on the first turn, so I stopped playing awaiting for an update.

Sword - Also gave this a couple of tries. The first time I had all my units surrounding the exit hexes but could not get them off the map fast enough. With 11 units required to exit you basically need to have won the scenario by Turn 19, that's pretty tough. On my second attempt, I actually got my first unit there on turn 19 and had 9 units off the map at the start of turn 24 but then it didn't count the units awaiting to exit on the last turn! Ugh. I also noticed that the air units were no longer able to redeploy in the second half of the scenario. Another excellent scenario that just needs a tweak or two.

[Mascarenhas]

Sword 1.2 end

As expected, I reached 24th turn short of 1 secondary objective and a bit far from both exits, which gave me a draw. I then extended an overtime of 11 turns, since it´s necessary at least 6 turns to withdraw 11 units from the map. After completing all secodary objectives taking Morris area, the game become almost just a rush for the exit hexes. I made it at the 35th winning a major victory.

Pls take a look at the air units deplyment issue. I landed one os my floatplanes on BC Warspite and coul not retrieve it either.

[bru888]

Erik, I am leaving to you such questions and suggestions as "more turns, more resources and either more engineers or less minefields" and "why it´s only possible to deploy land units on turn 1 - and not in the deployment phase as usual in the game - and also why the main support naval artillery become available only after the first landings?"

In Sword 1.2, "RAF support is only available for 1 flight cycle" could be allowing deployment only during the Deployment Phase ("Available 0-0") because the "Off-map Air Supply Source" is definitely set for the Allies, so that's not the problem.

Same for "Juno D+1 - The Air Unit exit hex does not work. My planes had the red fuel warning on the first turn, so I stopped playing awaiting for an update." In this case, it appears that the air exit hex is indeed not working; the core Spitfire is in immediate trouble.

Regarding this in Juno: "Oh, I also noticed that the secondary objective was marked as completed at the end of the scenario even though I never even spotted the trucks." We are got our signals crossed or I goofed up (most likely the latter). I remember we talked about how to identify the divisional staff vehicles and we got away from using cargo trucks but they are still the vehicles being targeted by the trigger:

Screenshot 1.jpg (221.75 KiB) Viewed 2154 times

The vehicle of choice is now SdKfz 222, so this trigger should be set for that Unit Type. The divisional staff vehicles are the only ones that are SdKfz 222 so this should work. As it is now, the trigger is sensing no cargo trucks alive in the scenario, so it is awarding the objective immediately.

[Bobster66]

Bruce, Erik,

In regards to Sword and the air unit redeployment, my Typhoons and Mustang did refuel and return to action the first time, would that be turn 9? But by the time the non core planes ran out of fuel then no more air units would redeploy. Pretty sure that occurred after the notice to exit the 11 units off the map, could that be a factor?

[bru888]

We'll let Erik look into that when he has a chance. It's not easily apparent if an exit hex is properly configured; most likely he will just make another one. The other two issues above are easy to fix. I will continue to try to assist on these matters so he can get to the other stuff affecting gameplay.

[Erik2]

.....

BTW, may I ask why it´s only possible to deploy land units on turn 1 - and not in the deployment phase as usual in the game - and also why the main support naval artillery become available only after the first landings? I think these settings contribute to delaying the operation and are not ver ymuch in line with both game features and plain logic. No offense intended here, I´m just trying to pay a proper tribute to you outstanding work.

The deployment phase is used for the commandoes which may be deployed directly on the beaches.
These deployment locations are free from land mines.
Also, there are support ships in-place for removing naval mines. Players should move war ships carefully taking care to move them next to another ship to avoid bumping into mines. Note that supply ships are unable to detect naval mines.

Turn-1 is for 'normal' deployment. I think the briefings suggests deploying all available engineer units first.

We may move the naval support closer to the beaches. Naval vessels in OOB have slower movement rates than vessels in other games...

Keep the comments coming. I'm adding them all to my list.