Slitherine

It's very funny as I dive deeper and deeper into the campaing (playing, editing) I find more and more little parts to develop further.
Some examples:
- Air unit types for Commonwealth forces changed in North Africa to historical availability - that means no Spitfires and more. Until the Alexandria scn, where to Brits go into panic, realising the danger of loosing the whole NA and sending their best exuipment to stop The Generale (type IX).
- Icons of Rep and Nat Spain air units changed for newer, higher quality ones. Also changed the skins of the Rep armored forces as they were in pink color, I don't know why.
- All naval units gets the imported icons from OOB - Battlefield.

Just some feedback, counterattacks that have no notice with invisible units are not really fun or interactive. I (and I believe most people) will just reload and plan appropriately, even if we try to play otherwise with no save scumming.

Thank you for your response! Which scenarios do you mean?

eskuche wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 7:50 pm Just some feedback, counterattacks that have no notice with invisible units are not really fun or interactive. I (and I believe most people) will just reload and plan appropriately, even if we try to play otherwise with no save scumming.

When I created the IC, I imported and slightly modified the North African desert scenarios from DMP's DAK campaing. I did not have that time the knowledge about the availability of Allied unit types in this theatre. Now, when I have much wider knowledge - partially from McGuba, thx! - I wanted to make the battles more historical also in that way. Therefore I started to make plans for changing the Allied units.
The only problem was, that many times, there are no units, which have the same characteristics as the existing ones in these scenarios. Of course, with long and many testing, probably a new balance could have created with new units. But honestly, for that I have nor the time, nor the mood. Therefore I invented other tricks: partially the new North African units have heroes, which will add the need values comparable to the earlier units. This could cause some funny situations, for example 7x Def +6 Matila II's in the El-Agheila'42 scenario. Still I thought, it is better to see historical authentic units in the given theatre with some funny heroes as the existing ones, which were not deployed historically here.

I forgot to respond! I was talking about the Spanish Civil War mission. The subsequent balkans one at least has one turn warning.

No problemo! Well, because of the small maps, counter-attacking units cannot be shown on the map, because they would be immediately attacked and also the suprise would be gone. But I understand your concerns. I could delay the counter-attack by one turn at Malaga, but IMHO than it could be much easier defended which would off-balance the anyway relative easy scn.
Or what do you suggest?

eskuche wrote: ↑Fri May 20, 2022 3:35 pm I forgot to respond! I was talking about the Spanish Civil War mission. The subsequent balkans one at least has one turn warning.

Hmm, I have an idea: maybe I can transform the message about the counter-attack so, that it appears earlier, so the player can prepare for a counter-attack, if he capture Malaga.

Uhu wrote: ↑Fri May 20, 2022 4:47 pm No problemo! Well, because of the small maps, counter-attacking units cannot be shown on the map, because they would be immediately attacked and also the suprise would be gone. But I understand your concerns. I could delay the counter-attack by one turn at Malaga, but IMHO than it could be much easier defended which would off-balance the anyway relative easy scn.
Or what do you suggest?

eskuche wrote: ↑Fri May 20, 2022 3:35 pm I forgot to respond! I was talking about the Spanish Civil War mission. The subsequent balkans one at least has one turn warning.

Is this mod fully completed or is it still getting worked on?

Yes, it's long time completed and fully playable. The new versions add always some extra - visually, or contentually.
I would therefore advice you to be patient for a few weeks as the next update is just before the door.

Thunderhog wrote: ↑Sat May 21, 2022 9:20 pm Is this mod fully completed or is it still getting worked on?

Uhu wrote: ↑Sun May 22, 2022 7:32 pm Yes, it's long time completed and fully playable. The new versions add always some extra - visually, or contentually.
I would therefore advice you to be patient for a few weeks as the next update is just before the door.

Thunderhog wrote: ↑Sat May 21, 2022 9:20 pm Is this mod fully completed or is it still getting worked on?

Very nice thanks for the answer, is it compatible with PAK Mod?

Thanks for interesting!
No, it has an independent unit roster and stats. Partly based on McGuba's BE unit statistics, but not always and not fully.

Thunderhog wrote: ↑Mon May 23, 2022 2:28 am

Uhu wrote: ↑Sun May 22, 2022 7:32 pm Yes, it's long time completed and fully playable. The new versions add always some extra - visually, or contentually.
I would therefore advice you to be patient for a few weeks as the next update is just before the door.

Thunderhog wrote: ↑Sat May 21, 2022 9:20 pm Is this mod fully completed or is it still getting worked on?

Very nice thanks for the answer, is it compatible with PAK Mod?

Bonguorno Generales,
Here is the list of updates for v1.99!

- A tons of - mostly cosmetic - updates!
- New shallow sea hex type graphics
- Desert skins for both sides (with a few exception of units) - it gives no extra benefits, but makes a more historical look
- Italian mnt 65mm arty has now move 2, but it is also more expensive
- Italian L6/40 light tank moved to recon units for a better purpose
- New ship skins were imported from BE (which was imported from OOB)
- Instead of East Africa for the 2nd time, which would have been totally unrealistic (no teleport system at the time), Tug Argan was changed to the Western desert - Siwa Oasis
- I changed units which were not present (in meaningful numbers) in the given region, given time to units which were actually histortically present. Even, if it had to modify their stats with heroes, sometimes with high skill points.
I thought, it is still more historical. (For example changing Chruchills in the Western desert to Matilda II's with heroes of +6 defense.)
- At Albania/extra and Bessarabia the Bulgarians and the Romanians have much less motorised units, instead they were given horse transport for a more realistic approach
- The Transport bug still couldn't be fixed, so many units have unallowed tranports available, therefore there is a TRANSPORTS list in the LIBRARY menu of the game. The list shows the allowed transports for every unit.
For game balance purposes it is highly advised to use it and purchase tranport for the given unit as given in the list!
- For unknown reason, when the objectives needed to captured in a 25 turn battle 5 turns earlier before the end of the battle, it means, you need to capture it in the 21th turn at the latest - and not in the 20th turn. Just for remembering.

Uhu wrote: ↑Thu Jul 07, 2022 11:56 am Bonguorno Generales,
Here is the list of updates for v1.99!

- A tons of - mostly cosmetic - updates!
- Desert skins for both sides (with a few exception of units) - it gives no extra benefits, but makes a more historical look
- Italian mnt 65mm arty has now move 2, but it is also more expensive
- Italian L6/40 light tank moved to recon units for a better purpose
- New ship skins were imported from BE (which was imported from OOB)
- Instead of East Africa for the 2nd time, which would have been totally unrealistic (no teleport system at the time), Tug Argan was changed to the Western desert - Siwa Oasis
- New shallow sea hex type graphics
- At Albania/extra and Bessarabia the Bulgarians and the Romanians have much less motorised units, instead they were given horse transport for a more realistic approach
- The Transport bug still couldn't be fixed, so many units have unallowed tranports available, therefore there is a TRANSPORTS list in the LIBRARY menu of the game. The list shows the allowed transports for every unit.
For game balance purposes it is highly advised to use it and purchase tranport for the given unit as given in the list!

So looking forward to this. I am taking a bit of a vacation from posting as will be away with family this weekend, but hoping I can return with a nice vid of this updated campaign.

The Italian Campaign can bring a lot of challenges, especially for the first time playing the scns.
Here are some thoughts and advices which can help you:

- If you play it on General difficulty, there will be probably no problems to make DV's and the Winner path.
- I played on Rommel, this brings a lot more challenge, but it can be done.
- I do not suggest to play on double Rommel (25%) prestige, because I don't know, if I even myself could win it. (I'm trying right now.)

- I really suggest to read the informations, given in the Library: unit availability, upgrade families, ROF, which trasport should be used for the given unit, etc.
- Reading this source, you have more information to decide, if a given buy, or upgrade is useful, or a waste of hard earned prestige, or maybe later a better non-family upgrade is better for our prestige situation.
- It is also advisable to take a look time to time on the Campaign path images (Campaign history 01, 02, 03). You see there, when a DV is needed for a gift units, or for an extra scn.
- The way of survival is the smart management of our core units. Many times, it is useful to sell several core units, even the gift/extra units (selling: press "D" between the two scenarios screen).
- It is also useful many times to buy some temporally core units in the battle, which can be used with less caution and can get replacement for free before the nexts scn and sold to get prestige.
- AB 40, 41 can be quite useful for this role as they are relative cheap, have a soft attack 3, are very movable and can be used for encircling units for forced surrender.
- Artillery is a major power and a major part of our army as with it, many fights can be done without casualties and also force surrenders are easier to be done. So try to buy a lot of. Later some of them can be upgraded to the potent Semovente 75/18 assault gun.
- Try not to use reinforcements during the battle (except on lower difficulties) - between scns you can reinforce for free, or elite replacement for a lower price as in the battle.
- Last but not least: try to collect as much kills with your core units as possible! With low level stat units, the only hope is to get several lovely extra skill points.
- There is a bug, which I could not iron out: many units have more transport vehicles shown, as intended. Therefore please look at the Transport file in the Library to purchase/use transport vehicles as intended.


Some personal recommendation:
- I sell my reg inf as fast as possible (only 1 motorised inf left until Albania, where I also sell it before the battle). The two - later motorised - Alpini and the gift-Besaglieri inf's are enough as infantry force. Later it can useful to buy a mine clearing unit for temporal action at El-Alamein, but it is not a must - and that's all. Or maybe buying a Bridge Eng, at a given point in the campaign is a possibility, but not sure, if it is really that useful as just another potent fighting unit.
- I use my gift T-26, but all other gift units will be sold. Maybe the Char1b can be used later too, but it is so expensive (500), that every casualty replacement, if not elite, is a great pain.
- I gave always elite replacement to my tanks, fighters and AA. Later, when the prestige level allowed it, I gave elite replacement to units which were near, or over 200 xp.
- I recommend for arty the 105mm version with Lancia transport, but maybe the 65mm mountain arty can be also useful in mountain scns with the move 2 - the only problem that it cost later a lot of prestige to upgrade as in the wast distances of the desert it is not useful with the move 3 pack horses
- As I see, it us useful to buy some AA, because they can weaken the strong Allied fighters and avoid too much own fighter casualties. Even the 20mm AA can be quite useful with 200-300 xp and maybe some extra hero point.

V1.99 published, it is downloadable - look for the first entry, first page!
I hope, no bugs were left.
Have a lot of fun and please write here your experiences!

Thanks Uhu! It's been a while since Italian 2.0, but looking forward to renewed experience =)

How do I know if I applied the mod correctly? Is there anything to check on the 1st scenario that lets me know it is version 1.99?

You see it on the main screen with v1.99 nummering
Also you can see a different BR-20 bomber icon already in the first scn, as the Lancia 3RO for the arty is different as earlier.

UPDATE: file uploaded, hopefully everything has been now fixed.

Sorry guys, because of some file mixing the mod is not yet playable, I hope, still today I can upload the good version.

Uhu wrote: ↑Thu Jul 07, 2022 4:53 pm You see it on the main screen with v1.99 nummering

no...because of whatever update they did ...the Gold version...most front screens do not show up...I would ask McGuba what e did or Locarnus what he did so it showsup as the first screen because as of today what comes up is the generic Panzer Corps screen