Free France Campaign

[bru888]

By the way, I am thinking of putting out a trial campaign of just two scenarios, Dakar and Gabon, because they are "close by" and will share common FF core units. Just a preview, with a link in this thread. Interested in playing or rather wait for the complete package?

[rafdobrowolski]

By the way, I am thinking of putting out a trial campaign of just two scenarios, Dakar and Gabon, because they are "close by" and will share common FF core units. Just a preview, with a link in this thread. Interested in playing or rather wait for the complete package?

Definitely interested!

[Zekedia222]

By the way, I am thinking of putting out a trial campaign of just two scenarios, Dakar and Gabon, because they are "close by" and will share common FF core units. Just a preview, with a link in this thread. Interested in playing or rather wait for the complete package?

Definitely interested!

As am I!

[Mascarenhas]

By the way, I am thinking of putting out a trial campaign of just two scenarios, Dakar and Gabon, because they are "close by" and will share common FF core units. Just a preview, with a link in this thread. Interested in playing or rather wait for the complete package?

Me too! I can't wait!

[bru888]

Very good. Thanks for your interest. Gabon will take several more days; keep an eye on this thread. Remember, it's only the first two scenarios but they seem like a package. After those two, the campaign will move to North Africa, then East Africa, with new core units.

[ColonelY]

[... ] Excellent. I will use these where appropriate. Any more?

About these quotes, I don't know, but I'd say rather not. There are other famous quotes from Charles de Gaulle, of course, but in my opinion more difficult to insert into this campaign... More difficult in terms of content, but also sometimes in terms of pure length.

As for the other great generals, we should see... What should at least be mentioned, of course, is the infamous Koufra oath (with Leclerc! )!

[ColonelY]

And a quote from General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, which may come in handy much later in the campaign (during Operation Dragoon or another scenario close-by in terms of timing ):

Frapper l'ennemi, c'est bien. Frapper l'imagination, c'est mieux.
Hitting the enemy is good. Striking the imagination is better.

[ColonelY]

Here's another quote from Tassigny, probably harder to place in the campaign, but pretty cool:

Un optimiste, c'est un homme qui plante deux glands et qui s'achète un hamac.
An optimist is a man who plants two acorns and buys himself a hammock.

[bru888]

Gabon is mostly savannas, from what I remember in 7th Grade geography, so maybe mostly open terrain with tree decorations, probably with jungles on the border with Congo.

Well, not quite actually. The savannahs are into the east and south only (so out of the main theater of action for us) .

Map: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... uselang=fr

In fact, Gabon is said to be more than 80% covered by forest.

As a result, the Gabonese soil is hardly used for agriculture and breeding, so Gabon is largely dependent on imports for its food.

As far as the forest is concerned, there is traditionally a distinction between the Okoumé forest (coastal basin & Crystal Mountains) - which occupies, by the way, the western 2/3 of the territory - and the forest without Okoumé. Economic distinction, because Okoumé is the most important species in the wood economy (2nd economic sector of the country after the petrol). Okoumé is a soft wood, easily unrollable and floatable, which was an advantage in a country where the routes for heavy transport have long remained riverine (you can see on the first map I made available on Gabon that there are indeed many rivers ) .

In fact, it is even said that Gabon has the highest rate of forest area per capita in Africa... which allows it to maintain a remarkable fauna and flora , but that's another story!

My thanks to you two for this conversation. I'm still "thinning out the forest" of Gabon but I was wondering why everything on the terrain map was so green!

[bru888]

GABON – PART1 SCENARIO… Again!

Addition of an historical event: “Not many but much!” (on the 31st October 1940, on the corresponding time during the scenario, so around the middle of this scenario)

“After three months and three weeks, the Battle of Britain just comes to an end this 31st October 1940 by Allied victory!

Almost 1’700 airplanes have been lost to achieve this, whereas about 2’000 German airplanes have been destroyed. The Luftwaffe and the Corpo Aereo Italiano have been unable to take the edge over the Royal Air Force, the Royal Canadian Air Force and their reinforcements of “Non-British personnel”.

Indeed, on the Allied side, about 20% of the pilots were from non-British countries. There were many Polish and Czech pilots, but there was as well (amongst others) Belgians and… some Free French!

Oh yes, we’ve helped them there as well!

In fact, thirteen French men have been recognized in the Battle of Britain Roll of Honor.”

Maybe with some picture of a non-British pilot or of the planes used, or something similar…

I used your suggestion.

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[ColonelY]

Just great!

[bru888]

This post is related to this other one. Vichy had a submarine present at Libreville but unfortunately, I'm afraid I am going to need to leave it out.

I cannot find any evidence that British destroyers were present, only a cruiser and a sloop (gunboat). The size of the naval conflict is small; the French have four gunboats (I am pushing the envelope historically). Vichy is competitively sized and constituted. If I bring in British destroyers to deal with the Vichy sub, that's no contest at all because the player is going to use the destroyers to wipe out the Vichy surface fleet.

And, as I tested, proved, and commented in that other thread, airplanes are useless against subs - cannot even spot them when surfaced - and can only bomb if a player's surface ship is right next to the surfaced enemy sub. Which happens how often?

I'll keep my thinking cap on; perhaps there is something I can do to at least replicate what happened to the Poncelet at Libreville.

[bru888]

I'll keep my thinking cap on; perhaps there is something I can do to at least replicate what happened to the Poncelet at Libreville.

Heh, I've got it. The player gets a break, thanks to this idea that I have, a little research, and a great photo that I just found. I'll post test results later, perhaps.

[bru888]

I'll keep my thinking cap on; perhaps there is something I can do to at least replicate what happened to the Poncelet at Libreville.

Heh, I've got it. The player gets a break, thanks to this idea that I have, a little research, and a great photo that I just found. I'll post test results later, perhaps.

Around turn 12 or so, depending on whether I give the sub 2 or 3 torpedo cycles to wreak damage, this message pops up:

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At the same time, this objective is enabled and the timer starts:

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The player has 10 turns to locate and destroy the sub, which has been removed from the map and spawned in one of three random locations: either of two beach hexes or in a port. If he does it, then the objective is awarded. If not, the objective is failed and the sub resumes its marauding.

[The objective timing and number of turns allowed may get tweaked a bit upon further testing.]

Not a great workaround, but the Poncelet is represented and history is served (up to a point. )

[GabeKnight]

Not a great workaround, but the Poncelet is represented and history is served (up to a point. )

Your solution sounds good to me.

[bru888]

. . . history is served (up to a point. )

Thanks, Gabe. In case you are interested, the part about the Walrus damaging the Vichy sub is true, according to Wikipedia. However, the story continues thusly: "[The sub] was then scuttled off Port-Gentil, with the captain resolving to sink with his vessel." I prefer my alternate ending!

[ColonelY]

Me too, good job!

[bru888]

Not a great workaround, but the Poncelet is represented and history is served (up to a point. )

Your solution sounds good to me.

Sometimes the war gaming gods are merciful. Such as in this case, where I was condemning players to an excruciating search of a long coastline, hex by hex (because subs cannot be spotted except by adjacent ships and only when surfaced). Gods, that would have been boring and probably fruitless. That is, subless.

Instead, I hit upon this brainstorm. It works perfectly and levels the playing field (gunboats are technically destroyers but have no sonar). Patent pending.

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"Target Unit" in the last image is the Poncelet.

[bru888]

Details of that "Flight Delay" episode, which the Colonel mentioned in one of his posts, came from this book which I found on Google Books. Having thumbed through the contents, I've just purchased it from Rakuten Kobo. So much to read and do and so little time!

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This was alright, but I have to be honest; it is a long book. A long book. Unless you are really into Charles de Gaulle and French politics, you would be better off reading the Wikipedia article which is itself almost book-length!

So, when I finished the part of the book that dealt with the Liberation of Paris (which was very well done; the writing, not the liberating), I had reached the end of its usefulness to me in terms of this Free France campaign . . . and I was, according to my e-reader, only 33.6% percent through the book! Ahead of me stretched hundreds of pages dealing with decades of French politics.

I put the book down at this point. This is worrisome; this is two books in a row that I did not fully enjoy or finish! ( )

Regardless, like the other one, it served its purpose.

[bru888]

I promised earlier that I would release a two-scenario "preview" of Free France after "several days." That has turned into a matter of weeks. [Snip: A bit of self-pitying prose has been removed. The forum moderator advises the custom designer to either put up or shut up. ]