Battlefield Europe v1.9 – month by month

[PeteMitchell]

Where can I buy this game ?

Slitherine sells it http://www.slitherine.com/products/prod ... atformID=1 or ya can pick it up on STEAM

...and here is also the link to the mod: http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtop ... 47&t=47985

[Skylar27]

Thanks Pete ... I forgot that part

[Erasermarek]

What a great AAR and amazing gameplay... I read every day report. Total Victory, but in 1942/43 there were enough problems - Soviet counterattack, Torch, British, air raids, Partisans .... How long did the entire campaign last?

[PeteMitchell]

What a great AAR and amazing gameplay... I read every day report. Total Victory, but in 1942/43 there were enough problems - Soviet counterattack, Torch, British, air raids, Partisans .... How long did the entire campaign last?

Thanks Erasermarek!

I just checked my files, I played the four (easy) pre-scenarios Poland, Norway, France and Mediterranean in three days. Then I tried various different things for the Barbarossa scenario for about three weeks, including real restarts... while I had played the full Barbarossa scenario once before already, a few month earlier but just casually.

So the actual Barbarossa scenario shown in this AAR I played then in a bit more than two weeks... so all in all around six weeks playing the mod, not really full time but still several hours a day (plus around two weeks preparing the AAR afterwards)...

[MrKite]

Very helpful walk thru.
I just made my first attempt. I struggled to close the Uman pocket and then my attack on Moscow crumbled.
In the desert I captured Tobruk but was unprepared for the counter attack.
I tried this on 'no supply'- big mistake! Soviet bombers camped over Berlin and British fighters were flying all the way to the Eastern front!

[PeteMitchell]

Thanks, glad you found it helpful!

It has to be noted that this AAR was based on version 1.9 of McGuba's BE mod and some elements may have changed by now.

In addition, for several situations, there are actually better solutions possible (e.g. North Africa) but I hope this AAR still somehow served as inspiration / orientation / entertainment for some players.

Also, the multiplayer version of the BE mod is different in some ways (e.g. in setup but also in terms of required play style), so many things shown here may not be applicable in multiplayer.

I may still do an AAR for multiplayer though...

[MrKite]

Yes, I'm a bit rusty so playing the moderate version.
The fuel situation has a big impact on the game. Even when you finally capture the oil wells you've still got 12 turns before they're working.
Also western Allied units seem a bit OP, they all seem to start with 200 experience points. Meaning my veteran fighters and grenadiers returning from the eastern front get there asses kicked- by units that haven't seen combat yet.

[PeteMitchell]

Also western Allied units seem a bit OP, they all seem to start with 200 experience points. Meaning my veteran fighters and grenadiers returning from the eastern front get there asses kicked- by units that haven't seen combat yet.

This could be a question for McGuba - my guess is it could be like that to reflect the overall level of available training, equipment, resources, etc.

e.g. German fighter pilot experience drops at some point due to the lack of fuel for training/practice flights.

I might be wrong, just my thoughts on this topic...

[MrKite]

You're right about the fighter and oil. I'd probably prioritize the Caucasus a bit more if I played it again.
Even so, a FW190 with 175 exp getting totally smashed by a brand spanking new thunderbolt is a bit annoying.
My only real complaint about an otherwise epic game.

[goose_2]

North Africa:
British forces started to attack the Halfaya Pass while the Afrika Korps is still positioning its limited troops. However, a first British bomber could be trapped…
BE_Turn_02_014_Halfaya Pass.jpg


Malta:
First ships of the Italian Regia Marina reached Malta and are starting the important naval gunfire support to capture the small but critical island with its airstrip.
BE_Turn_02_015_Malta.jpg


Western Europe:
German forces are hiding in the forests around Bourges as British planes are dominating the skies of France. Axis fighter support is requested from the Ostfront but hasn’t arrived yet.
BE_Turn_02_016_Bourges.jpg

I am catching this and not looking ahead as I do not want spoilers only comparing to my latest post for my blindthrough…




I would love to compare hear and thoughts on what I am doing versus what you did, and any noticeable differences between version 1.9 and 2.0..

Thanks for your input...

and if I am forgetting how to embed a youtube clip remind me how to do it.

[PeteMitchell]

I think the main change between versions 2.0 and 1.9 is that it is only possible to upgrade Axis ground units in major German or other cities... plus maybe the oilfield limitations and the movement limitations of the Finnish units... and some other of course...

From the readme.txt file:

Changes in v2.0

- Ground unit upgrages and purchases are now only possible in certain cities in the "realistic" and "realistic+" versions of the mod. These are the victory objective cities in Germany (marked on the map with the "+") and a few other important cities and ports marked with the unit upgrade icon (a double "^"). Therefore, for example it is no longer possible to purchase (or upgrade to) a brand new Panther tank in an isolated island or in a small town in the middle of the desert or the Russian steppe. It can only be done in Germany or in a few major port cities and units waiting for an upgrade have to be transported there from the frontline. However, this change does not affect air units, which can still be upgraded at any friendly airfield.

- Weather is now semi-random: 1941 weather is pre-set, the beginning and end of each winter is pre-set, but there are 2-3 rainy turns in each year and the exact date of these can vary in each replay. As a consequence, Allied bombing of German cities do not result in a prestige penalty during rainy turns (as it sometimes happened in the previous versions) or when the ground is covered with snow.

- The number of oil field hexes is now doubled: the Allies have 8 of these with half of them being at Baku. So Baku is more important now, but also better defended. Also it is harder to cross the Black Sea to use it as a short cut to reach the Caucasus. But the Axis gets more naval units as reinforcements there in 1942-43, as historically (mostly small vessels though).

- Since the Allies disable the oil fields before retreating, the Axis side has to wait 6 or even 12 months (in the hardest "realistic+" version) to repair each oil field to get the extra prestige and to negate the effects of the oil crises. Note that historically the Wehrmacht did capture the Maikop oilfield near the Caucasus but since it was completely destroyed by the retreating Red Army and the Germans were unable to fix it and get any oil from it before they had to withdraw 6 months later. But then again, refining and delivering the oil to the troops would have caused further logistical problems and hence the long waiting time.

- Additionally, in the absence of more oil fields, the air units of the Luftwaffe will start to suffer an experience penalty from 1943 to simulate the less and less effective training due to the limited fuel available for the training units. In 1943 they lose only 1 experience point per turn which is hardly noticable, but in 1944 and 45 it is 3 and 5 experience points in each turn respectively, which is getting more and more significant by the end of the war. The Axis has to capture and repair at least two oil fields from the Allies to stop it.

- Shallow Sea hex type added to the map: this is an area where water depth is less than 100 meters (appr. 300 feet). Although submarines can still dive deep in these areas, they cannot move when doing so. It simulates that the submarine lands on the bottom of the sea. Shallow seas also affect the manual deployment of naval mines.

- Now there are two naval mine types: bottom and moored mines.
Moored (surface or near surface) mines are the same as the previous generic naval mines (passive attack, once discovered they stay on the map, cannot harm submerged submarines). As they are cheaper than other anti-ship weapons they can be deployed in large numbers, making them useful area denial or channelizing weapons.

- The new bottom mines are more deadly but less numerous: as the name suggests, they are dropped to the bottom of the sea by a ship or by a plane and can detect nearby vessels passing ahead by magnetic (or later water pressure) sensors. In the mod they can attack nearby naval units, including submerged submarines actively (that's why PzC v1.31 update is required) and they disappear from the map if there are no enemy units nearby. They are harder to detect and sweep, and can carry a much larger warhead than a moored mine and thus can cause more damage.

- Pre-placed moored mines can be either in shallow or deep sea, but bottom mines can only be encountered in shallow sea as their effectiveness is limited by water depth. (Its victim has to be close enough to be detected and to be harmed by the explosion.)

- Both types can be deployed manually from special minelayer ships or bombers in limited numbers. These are of course mulitpurpose units, but once the naval mine unit is deployed it cannot be switched back to the carrier unit and it stays where it is for the rest of the war (unless they are disbanded by their owner).

- Note that naval mines can only be deployed manually in shallow sea and it is not possible to deploy them in straits or ports, even though their carrier units may be able to enter these hexes. So for example the Strait of Kerch in the Crimea cannot be closed down with naval mines to stop ground units from crossing it.

- Countryside terrain gets 1 base entrenchment so now it provides a bit more protection than clear terrain (originally these two terrains were in effect the same so now I try to make a difference between them).

- Romanian army unit icons reworked: although earlier I was using the a different colour pattern for the Romanians it looks like in reality most Romanian ground equipment were olive green, including their R-2 tanks. So I recoloured most of their units accordingly.

- Finnish ground units cannot be moved by sea, air or rail transports. This will mostly confine them to the northern front as historically they would only fight for the defense of their homeland and never officially joined the alliance of the Axis nations.

- Some key parts of the map (most notably the Crimea, the Gulf of Finland, parts of Great Britain) are reworked for improved geographical accuracy and gameplay reasons.

- The defenders of Leningrad lose strength faster making the blockade of the city more worthwile. On the other hand, Leningrad is better defended with the addition of the naval fort of Kronstadt, which is essentially an artillery unit that can provide defensive fire to the nearby Krasnaya Gorka fort.

- Many new or modified units added, including more recon planes to both sides, more land transports, several new naval units, etc. Some recon planes have very high air defense to simulate the historical fact that these flew very high and fast and it was nearly impossible to intercept them. In some cases though, these are completely unarmed, e.g. the photo recon versions of the Spitfire or P-38 Lightning. In general, all recon air units have higher air and ground defense as these avoided battle and flew either very high or very low.

- Axis air units (except for the Finns, who are technically not Axis) can make use of fast redeployment: first air units have to move over an unoccupied friendly airfield, then switch to "landed" mode and then embark to an air unit transport (Ju 52) with high movement but weak defense. This air unit can be moved to another unoccupied friendly airfield where the air unit transport can "land" and disembark. The use of the Ju 52 simulates the transfer of the ground crew and the equipment of the air unit.

- Some air units now have a version of naval movement - these are maritime reconnaissance planes that can only move over sea and strait terrain, but can also enter ports and airfields. Players need to watch out for their fuel usage as they have to fly around ground hexes and the game does not take it into count when it calculates their remaining range.

- Some air units now have "tropicalized" versions (with extra sand filters added and other small modifications) for use over desert terrain. It is recommended to upgrade normal air units to these otherwise they will lose movement points (and use extra fuel) when being used over desert and dunes terrains. When being moved back to normal continental terrain these should be upgraded once again to the normal version to avoid losing movement points, this time over clear and countryside terrains. Note that some parts of Africa and the Near East have mainly continental terrain types so for example air units operating over Tunisia may not need this upgrade.

- All air units move a bit slower over high mountain terrain.

- The Axis can get much more unit replacements, as calculated by historical production figures, and some more free units. It happens mainly in 1944 when German arms production peaked, and mainly for players on the losing path, but if losses are high replacement tanks, bombers etc. can appear earlier as well occasionally, which allows a more agressive advance.

- Maximum firing range of capital ships is now limited to 3 hex. Also they are a bit less effective against ground units.

- Submarines are now faster in all modes and they have recon move in submerged modes for better survivability. It is because the camo trait does not work in PzC with submarine class and I want to improve their chances for escape when spotted and encircled by destroyers. So now they might be able to escape when surrounded by destroyers or sneak through minefields. On the other hand, submarines have lower initiative so now they are less effective against destroyers and will lose 1 ammo in each turn while on the convoy routes to simulate that they are actively hunting enemy shipping (however, they also gain some experience in the process). Some destroyers are also somewhat faster. Also, the Axis side gets a few more U-boat units from 1943.

- Coastal battery units added: these are in the artillery class so they can be repaired unlike structures (bunkers or fortifications). It will possibly make amphibious landings harder at some places.

- More subclasses are added to the Bf 109 and Fw 190. Some air unit stats are rebalanced (like early Bf 109 vs. Spitfire).

- Most air units have reduced max fuel (range). Nevertheless, in most cases they still have a higher range than their actual combat range should be based on the scale of the map. Players now have to keep an eye on the remaining fuel as some air units can run out of fuel more easily. Most notably early war units with no drop tank like the early Bf 109 versions but some Allied fighters are also affected by this change.

- The pre-Barbarossa scenarios also got some changes, mostly cosmetic though. This version is not compatible with the earlier ones so these have to be played again, or the Barbarossa scenario has to be started as a new campaign or scenario. Save games made with the previous versions of the mod cannot be used.

- The hard attack value of most artillery units has been reduced by 30-40% so that now it is harder to fully suppress enemy armoured units and then force surrender them.

[PeteMitchell]

I am catching this and not looking ahead as I do not want spoilers only comparing to my latest post for my blindthrough…

I would love to compare hear and thoughts on what I am doing versus what you did, and any noticeable differences between version 1.9 and 2.0..

Thanks for your input...

and if I am forgetting how to embed a youtube clip remind me how to do it.

I am very happy to discuss any thoughts... Besides others, my North Africa approach can be improved!

What is your question regarding the mines, do you mean land or sea mines by the way? I answered on youtube to this as well.

I had put a link to your video to the main Battlefield Europe thread and there I had the same problems on embedding youtube videos, I am not sure what has changed though...

viewtopic.php?f=147&t=47985&start=2780#p873514

[goose_2]

I am catching this and not looking ahead as I do not want spoilers only comparing to my latest post for my blindthrough…

I would love to compare hear and thoughts on what I am doing versus what you did, and any noticeable differences between version 1.9 and 2.0..

Thanks for your input...

and if I am forgetting how to embed a youtube clip remind me how to do it.

I am very happy to discuss any thoughts... Besides others, my North Africa approach can be improved!

What is your question regarding the mines, do you mean land or sea mines by the way? I answered on youtube to this as well.

I had put a link to your video to the main Battlefield Europe thread and there I had the same problems on embedding youtube videos, I am not sure what has changed though...

viewtopic.php?f=147&t=47985&start=2780#p873514

Specifically the sea mines around Malta. They can attack you? I have never seen mines attack ships before. What is the best way to get rid of them? Any help on how to assault Malta?

[PeteMitchell]

Yes, some of the hidden sea mines can attack. Best approach IMHO is to avoid them altogether...

Malta: well, different approaches and different timing...

- Approach, strat bombing and maybe heavy ship artillery plus tactical bombing plus Rudel, then airborne invasion from Sicily... likely the most common option, other options are only variations from this... but look out for the British ships in the Med

- Timing, some people go after it right away and some only after the first winter but most before end of 1942 I think. If you go for Malta later, you can use the airforce more against the Soviet Union in the beginning, if you go for Malta later you will have more British trouble in the Med early...

By the way, some people focus on either SU or Western Allies in their first playthrough... focus is anyhow very important in this mod...

There are also some other people that have played BE on youtube, just fyi... maybe worth comparing, too

[goose_2]

Yes, some of the hidden sea mines can attack. Best approach IMHO is to avoid them altogether...

Malta: well, different approaches and different timing...

- Approach, strat bombing and maybe heavy ship artillery plus tactical bombing plus Rudel, then airborne invasion from Sicily... likely the most common option, other options are only variations from this... but look out for the British ships in the Med

- Timing, some people go after it right away and some only after the first winter but most before end of 1942 I think. If you go for Malta later, you can use the airforce more against the Soviet Union in the beginning, if you go for Malta later you will have more British trouble in the Med early...

By the way, some people focus on either SU or Western Allies in their first playthrough... focus is anyhow very important in this mod...

There are also some other people that have played BE on youtube, just fyi... maybe worth comparing, too

so you can't really destroy those mines?

Just avoid?

That stinks

[PeteMitchell]

I think you can, try tac bombers and destroyers. Not sure it is worth the cost though

[goose_2]

Gibraltar:
Our ship watching positions in Tangier and Ceuta report ship movements eastwards, including the HMS Ark Royal, a British aircraft carrier expected to be on its way to Malta. We might have to block the Strait of Sicily with subs.
BE_Turn_04_029_Gibraltar.jpg


Western Europe:
Le Havre in Normandy has been bombed out by British bombers already. The Luftwaffe is now concentrating AA units and decided on a defensive “continent only policy”, i.e. German fighters won’t cross the Channel for the time being, the risk seems just too high. Operation Sea Lion requires some diligent preparation but indefinite postponement won’t win the war either…
BE_Turn_04_030_Le Havre.jpg


North Sea:
The Baltic fleet anchored in the North Sea North of Amsterdam and is waiting for further orders to cross the Channel towards the Atlantic. How long will this still be possible with all the naval mines?
BE_Turn_05_031_Amsterdam.jpg

I have replayed Turn 4 based on feedback from everyone. I am abandoning Malta and concentrating everything I have on Tobruk and press forward from there.

In looking where you are at I see that I am very similar in most areas just you have some map knowledge that I just don't have that has helped your planning and execution.

I will enjoy watching how this breaks down in comparison, because I am not trying anything outrageous. I am trying to destroy stuff in the sea but that is not easy and seems very easy for them to do.

I have lost 1 artillery unit so far and I think 3 ships. By the end of turn 4

[PeteMitchell]

Sounds very good!

By the way, one reason why the AI is better in this mod is its vision... of course there are scripts etc. but keep this thing with the vision in mind as you proceed...

[goose_2]

Sounds very good!

By the way, one reason why the AI is better in this mod is its vision... of course there are scripts etc. but keep this thing with the vision in mind as you proceed...

How did McGuba program the ai to retreat injured units instead of just buying replacements?

I have never seen that kind of advanced thinking from the ai before

[PeteMitchell]

I don't know, maybe they are retreating anyhow, regardless if injured or not...

Maybe best to ask this question here:
viewtopic.php?f=147&t=47985