Italian Campaign 2.0 (v.1.99b on 31st of May, 2023.)

[nikivdd]

I think b/w bigunit pics are a good alternative, esp. when you're using units from several souces, some with big versions included, some not. Looking forward to what you come up with

I'm also satisfied with the pics, it is something different for a change. I'm also happy with the possible demo, it will give a first glance of what we made of it.
There are not so many scenario's left to script. It has been a challenge for sure especially when you compare italian equipment to what the allies had on the field.

[bebro]

Sounds good

About the equipment, I think that will probably make a good deal of this campaign's charm. Because it is something different than the usual late-war Tiger/Panther/Jagdpanther overkill, and I'd guess it makes the player a bit more connected if he gets a bit of the weaker units to elite status. At least that would be my take.

[Uhu]

Exactly! You have to be smart to use the right units for the given task + organize a good co-operation between the several unit types. You will feel yourself very lucky, when you get the P26/40 in mid 1943...which has about the same stats as a PzIVH.

I whisper a secret: the best friends on the ground will be the artillery - later assault guns too - and the 90/43 AA gun (with multipurpose, as the Flak 88... ).

Sounds good

About the equipment, I think that will probably make a good deal of this campaign's charm. Because it is something different than the usual late-war Tiger/Panther/Jagdpanther overkill, and I'd guess it makes the player a bit more connected if he gets a bit of the weaker units to elite status. At least that would be my take.

[Uhu]

Developer diary 10 - Releasing the demo!:

Ladies and Gentleman!
We are so far: I announce the demo of the Italian Campaign 2.0!
Who played the original Italian Campaign from Nikivdd, these three scenarios will be looking familiar - but with many new features, units, briefings (and all those things, which it was written here in the topic) and modified gameplay! Don't forget to check the new minimap function on the map too - I have worked much with them!
I plan it so, when the full campaign comes out, you can continue your saved game from the demo. Hopefully nothing will be standing in that way.

The campaign was tested/played in different difficulty levels: Nikivdd played on Colonel level, I played on Rommel level. If you prefer the harder ones, expect really hard and challenging battles! This means, that you have to focus all of the time for all of the units, plus the aux units too, because the DV could depend on it, how much you handle them. I wanted to create a campaign, where you have to play mostly the scenarios more than once, because they are so hard. This gives more immersion and more happiness, when you win at least on that given *damn* hard scenario!! It is not always imperative to make a DV to be on the best campaing-way, but it always worth. Many times it depends also much, how you are "trading" with core units: sometimes it is useful to buy some 'temporally' core units, at the second half of a scenario to assist you on the success, than sell them on the next deployement phase and patch your other core units back to battle-ready level. Of course, if you feel the IC 2.0 too hard, you can try it on an easier level.

So, nothing more to say: Good luck all of you Generale's!
...and don't forget to report back!

Attention: you need to use the GME mod manager for playing the demo (look for the "How to install the Generic Mod Enabler" topic): http://slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=147&t=27158

Download link 1: http://www.gamefront.com/files/21684566 ... ngs%29.zip
Download link 2: https://rapidshare.com/files/3100227846 ... fings_.zip

[VPaulus]

Thanks.

[bebro]

Oh yes. Thanks for this campaign

But right now gamefront doesn't like me I'll try later again.

[Uhu]

Another download link added.

Oh yes. Thanks for this campaign

But right now gamefront doesn't like me I'll try later again.

[bebro]

Thanks a bunch - I'm downloading right now

[Uhu]

You are welcome! I made the changes in Nikivdd's IC original for me but I will be very happy, if other players get the same enjoyment (plus fury, when you again couldn't make a DV, or you almost made one, but suddenly lost a core unit, etc. ), as I.

[nikivdd]

The fruits of our labour for everybody to taste
Enjoy the demo!

[Wildthing]

Well, i played the demo yesterday and I was very happy to see the italian forces not so useless as their role as support-units in PG and PC. In Mission 3, Albania, i had the problem, that i did not read the Briefing ? I had to retake the objectives, my Ally Bulgaria conquered ? Was not easy to find out for myself.

But in the end, the 3 missions are well balanced on colonel and i am sure, that i will have al lot of fun playing the italian campaign.
Thx for it!

[nikivdd]

Well, i played the demo yesterday and I was very happy to see the italian forces not so useless as their role as support-units in PG and PC. In Mission 3, Albania, i had the problem, that i did not read the Briefing ? I had to retake the objectives, my Ally Bulgaria conquered ? Was not easy to find out for myself.

But in the end, the 3 missions are well balanced on colonel and i am sure, that i will have al lot of fun playing the italian campaign.
Thx for it!

Thanks for trying the demo. I'm very pleased to hear that you liked it and that the scenario's are well balanced.
As you point out, the main role lays in the hands of the Italians. In PG and PC you could use the italian units as cannon fodder, in our campaign you do not have this luxury.
We did our best to let the player realise that core unit survival is essential if you want to make it through the later scenario's. And by achieving decisive victories you might receive extra's .
Cheers.

[Uhu]

Thanks for the response. I'm happy, that you like the IC 2.0!
I don't exactly understand with the issue with the Albania scn. The objective is to take all Victory Points (and of course it is worth to take the other cities too) as fast as possible. You can aid the Bulgarians by taking the towns in the eastern part of the map, if you see that they need it.
Or it was something in the briefing, what was not understandable?

In Mission 3, Albania, i had the problem, that i did not read the Briefing ? I had to retake the objectives, my Ally Bulgaria conquered ? Was not easy to find out for myself.

[Wildthing]

Hi!
@ uhu:
I won the map only if I "retook" the VictoryHexes, that bulgarians had taken before. Means, that I had to move Italians into all the Victory-Citys. If Bulgarians are owner of some Victory-Citys at the and of the szenario, the map was lost.

[nikivdd]

Hi!
@ uhu:
I won the map only if I "retook" the VictoryHexes, that bulgarians had taken before. Means, that I had to move Italians into all the Victory-Citys. If Bulgarians are owner of some Victory-Citys at the and of the szenario, the map was lost.

I'll check it out tonight. Thanks for the info.

[Uhu]

Oh, I understand it. I looked my saves and many VPs were captured by Bulgarians (DV) - but the problem is not at you.
I think, the cause is, that I took out in the meantime the Bulgarians from the "Axis" list. I will try this out and inform you. It should happen not in that way - the scenario is hard enough without such "extra challenges".

Hi!
@ uhu:
I won the map only if I "retook" the VictoryHexes, that bulgarians had taken before. Means, that I had to move Italians into all the Victory-Citys. If Bulgarians are owner of some Victory-Citys at the and of the szenario, the map was lost.

[Wildthing]

Thanks Uhu.
I was lucky, because I had a mid-rounds savegame, enough time to send out some Italians on holiday to the bulgarian VH.From the past we know Duces plans to handle enemies, who were kocked down by others

[nikivdd]

Oh, I understand it. I looked my saves and many VPs were captured by Bulgarians (DV) - but the problem is not at you.
I think, the cause is, that I took out in the meantime the Bulgarians from the "Axis" list. I will try this out and inform you. It should happen not in that way - the scenario is hard enough without such "extra challenges".

That should be it. There was no problem to play the Bulgarians as by default they are axis.

[Uhu]

New demo version with corrected briefings + corrected minor gameplay issue at Albania/Albania_extra scenarios:

Download link 1: http://www.gamefront.com/files/21684566 ... ngs%29.zip
Download link 2: https://rapidshare.com/files/3100227846 ... fings_.zip

[bebro]

Just played the first scn of the corrected version (third difficulty), got a DV at 11/16.

Found it a very nice intro scn, not too big, but not a total pushover as I had to be careful against those Imp Guard guys...overall it leaves a good impression, I also like the bw big unit pics and the victory screen.

I think it would be nicer to incorporate the "overview" map (that is when you click the strongpoint) into the briefings instead, but it is a matter of taste rather, and changing it would also mean quite some work, so I fully understand why it's made like this now.

I have another suggestion though: could future downloads be cleared of all those vanilla gfx that are unneeded, since the game can just use the originals in these cases? I mean esp. the stock units - when I first checked the units folder it said 640 units

It seems the dl contains all stock units - these could be removed, unless they were changed. I had lotsa vanilla stuff in the first USMC dl as well, but got a request to remove the unneeded files since they just blow up the dl. I thought it's generally a good point.

I know these days with fast internet it isn't such a huge prob anymore, but esp. when you have the dl at some filehosters that limit bandwith for *free* dls it could make a difference, and for modders who want to look through the files to see if there's something they could use it can be a tad confusing with all those original files. Just a thought