Free France Campaign

[bru888]

Sound interesting?

In my mind, I hear "Certainly! Yes! Bravo!"

Two refinements: Not French, but British for the Lysanders. I don't want to give the impression that these planes are flying out of Bir Hakeim with French pilots.

Also, about radio silence. The fortress would still be in contact by radio with the British Eighth Army up north, in code perhaps. So it's not a matter that nobody can use the radio. Just the dingos.

I will work in a mention that the Italian attack was so sudden that these seven land mine crews were out in the desert when it happened. The last radio communication to them contained instructions for them to maintain radio silence for fear that they would give away their positions via direction finding. The technology was certainly available then and the Axis forces are positioned on the map to easily accomplish the necessary "triangulation."

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It will be nice to find a use for the Westland Lysander which has a very odd and distinctive wing shape:

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[bru888]

It will be nice to find a use for the Westland Lysander which has a very odd and distinctive wing shape:

I hate when I find a great picture of an aircraft or vehicle in question . . . and it has the wrong number of aircraft or vehicles in it! I wanted only three in the scenario and this photo has four. I might have tried my hand at photoshopping it but the third and fourth planes are too close together.

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Hmmm. Besides, that's not really desert down there.

[ColonelY]

[...] Sound interesting?

Oh yeah!

Sound interesting?

In my mind, I hear "Certainly! Yes! Bravo!"
[...]

Sorry for the delay of reaction.

[jeannot le lapin]

Squadron Lysanders

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[ColonelY]

[...] As I mentioned, you guys may want to try this module by itself for the first 7 turns to see if it works, out of curiosity. (Ignore the land activity.) If so, I'd like to know; not about narrowly losing or winning the module for that is the point, but whether it is still too difficult or, worse, now too easy. [...]

Done!


Result:

L'Adour has been sunk, the Vichy French BB as well as target of opportunity (2 torpedo attacks + the Skua for the kill)...
1 Swordfish lost, 1 Hurricane lost, the Skua almost down and several (no all!) planes units damaged...
The Vichy French have lost one plane unit and the three others, damaged, have retreated to the nearby airfield.
The Skua has taken shots from AA when it was put on the side to attract enemy fighters (these fighters were cleverly going after the Sworfish instead - and against my fighters too).

Well, I was thinking that the Skua counts as fighter as it was a fighter-bomber, but yet it's counted as a bomber... Anyway, a nice and useful addition and a complementary striking unit to help the torpedo planes!

So pretty good result, but I knew I had to avoid enemy AA and I've taken some extra casualties from naval AA while using torpedos against the French BB.

[...]Should be exciting. [...]

It definitely is!

[...] Now the scenario starts thusly: [...]

Yes, but this can be enhanced by putting sooner the focus on this part!

At this point two suggestions:
1. Replace one Sea Hurricane by one Fulmar to increase a little bit more the challenge (as we aren't supposed to sink already the BB and take thus some extra casualties doing so to still win this part). => So two units of each of these models!
2. I know your event is triggered once the single Fulmar is moved... but with 2 Fulmar it may complicate a little this part... Except if you put this event (about planes) as the last event before starting the scenario (I mean, as "setup", after the presentation of the different historical forts and so one)! So, we'll really begin on this great "By Jove!"

[ColonelY]

By the way, it seems to me that you've added some variety as well in the British squadron from Iraq which now contains planes from two different models. That's a nice touch!

I've another idea: We can still make one Sea Gladiator appear, yes, yes, we can! ( )
On the Free French aerial component, let's replace one Gloster Gladiator unit by one Sea (Gloster) Gladiator!
(In the two different trigger sets, depending on XP boost or not, of course! )

Arguments?
1. Again a little more variability...
2. 'Coherent with the idea that they've used several old planes collected here and there... so, why any strict uniformity in there?
3. We've already some carrier planes, or sea version of planes, on this battlefield, so it shouldn't be too shocking either...

So...

[ColonelY]

The Vichy French DD "Le Chevalier Paul" isn't moving together with the supply ship!

And even once the L'Adour has been attacked, this DD stays idle...

Instead of its actual AI setup, maybe it's possible to put it on patrol and selecting several hexes, moving around but (very) close to the (trajectory of) L'Adour...
It may be a little annoying implementing this, but a "Naval Capture Hex" as well or a "Move to Hex" may be problematic if this DD is faster than the supply ship. We can't order this unit to go "at two thirds" or something...

Let me guess: it was done on purpose to check if we were doing our tests well before posting comments! ( )

[bru888]

Squadron Lysanders

Nice try . . . especially with the required three planes! But, the terrain is no good. So thanks but I'll keep looking.

[ColonelY]

Still about OE, another element I've noticed during this test:

You've chosen 4 enemy fighters to go after our 803rd Squadron. All other fighters are focusing on ground targets. This is indeed working.

[...] The Swordfish will be low on fuel by the time they encounter L'Adour, and they must get past the AA guns and destroyers at Beirut as well as four fighters now in a separate Damour Fighters task group, assigned to hunt and destroy the 803 Navy Squadron. [...]

The point is now that there is no longer a real aerial battle in the NE over Palmyra, as the enemy fighters are (mostly) ignoring our own fighters if we send them there to help dealing with the different bombers...

Even if it may sound a little artificial ("triggerwise"), all the enemy fighters on the NE part of the map should be on their usual "seek & destroy" AI setup, perhaps as being put as well (and that's where it may sound artificial!) under this "Damour Fighters task group" as well.

Let us have a real aerial battle as well over Palmyra!

[ColonelY]

[...] I did this, only I also give the British another with the NE group: 3rd and 6th Royal Horse Artillery. Now 4 AA guns total for Allies. Penalty: Two more Vichy French tanks.

Nice.

And I like this kind of penalty if it's enhance the challenge. (By the way, at that time, the Vichy French had much more tanks anyway that the Allies, so... )

Two units of French tanks?! Well, well... it gives me an idea, as there are two models of French tanks that we haven't seen yet within this campaign... Have you put one unit of Somua S35 and one unit of Char B1?
(Those are two stronger models of tanks than the Renault or Hotchkiss tanks. )

I've just taken a look at the overall battlefield and I haven't found yet any track left by any one of these two particlar tank units.

I will come back to this one last time, if not insist on it:
To be able to represent them on this battlefield, on this great theatre of operations, would be great for variability, of course, but I see another argument as well: In any case, this would be the only time these two units could be represented in this campaign. Before, no. Afterwards, neither, because there would be no more Vichy French to fight and later it would be American equipment, American tanks that would equip the Free French forces.

So, basically, it's there or never! That's why I allow myself to insist a little bit.

And remember, the Vichy French battleship is already a "fancy" unit, so one or two others shouldn't be any real problem at all.

[ColonelY]

In any case, this scenario is definitely being well improved and shall soon be finished for good.

I'll wait for the next update to play it again entirely, seeking any last idea or very little detail here and there, looking for small typos, checking the fine tuning in terms of amount of available turns, etc.

[ColonelY]

[...] Personally, I like a good defensive battle once in a while.
[...]

Me too, as it's - amongst others! - a good change in pace.

[ColonelY]

It will be nice to find a use for the Westland Lysander which has a very odd and distinctive wing shape:

I hate when I find a great picture of an aircraft or vehicle in question . . . and it has the wrong number of aircraft or vehicles in it! I wanted only three in the scenario and this photo has four. I might have tried my hand at photoshopping it but the third and fourth planes are too close together.


Westland_Lysander_-_Madagascar_WWII.jpg


Hmmm. Besides, that's not really desert down there.

Well, well, "the third and fourth are too close together"... Well, yes! But what about zooming a little, to keep only these 3 planes: the 2nd, 3rd & 4th. And that way it won't be as obvious as now that it's not exactly over a desert that they're flying.

[ColonelY]

Or this picture may be even easier to re-work, probably:

https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=htt ... egUIARCLAQ

[ColonelY]

[...] By far, the hardest part of scenario designing is when you deviate from "There's the Victory Point with the flag waving over it. Go straight ahead and take it." Any dummy can design something like that and be done in a day or so. Doing something more intricate means fiddling with gameplay balance and trying to get the AI to do what you want it to do, and ONLY what you want it to do.

Absolutely agree!

[bru888]

Colonel,

Yes: "Replace one Sea Hurricane by one Fulmar to increase a little bit more the challenge," based on your results. But if I hear somebody else (not Masca) say "It's too tough, I couldn't meet this challenge, so I gave up on Turn 7," I'm blaming you!

No: "put this event (about planes) as the last event before starting the scenario" because I want the player to be thinking about those castles after the introduction and I don't want there to be too many introductory messages at once unless they are related. So this is fine as it is, except that I changed the text a bit:

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Yes: "We can still make one Sea Gladiator appear, yes, yes, we can!" I was juuuuusssst barely swayed by that last argument: "Coherent with the idea that they've used several old planes collected here and there... so, why any strict uniformity in there?" Else I was going to reject it as implausible that the RAF and RN would both have old Gladiators available and both would be willing to loan them to Free French volunteer pilots. But, maybe . . . yes, it could have happened that way . . .:

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Yes: "The Vichy French DD "Le Chevalier Paul" isn't moving together with the supply ship!" I see what you mean. Allow me to don a very old hat and mildly express my disappointment (how's that for putting it lightly?) over the failings in this game. In this editor, specifically. There are so many features that DO NOT DO what they are supposed to do but go unaddressed, year after year. Such as this:

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Why provide a feature to guard a unit when it doesn't work? I could start a thread of such stuff but why bother? Unless one of the guest designers notices it and is inconvenienced, it will get ignored. So yes, I fixed this, doing it another way. Although when I tested it as shown above, it did work but maybe it doesn't save well, who knows? This is why I keep everything as simple as I can. Too bad about that, though. Well, rant over. Not bad, eh? Let's put that hat back in the attic trunk.

No: "all the enemy fighters on the NE part of the map should be on their usual 'seek & destroy' AI setup." Now that we have made the torpedo planes module more challenging again, I am taking no chances with the nearby Homs fighters joining in the fray. Besides, it seems when you attack enemy fighters, they fire back.

No: "Have you put one unit of Somua S35 and one unit of Char B1?" I have seen no evidence of either tank in Syria and Lebanon. Besides, do you realize how strong a tank the Char B1 was/is? Again, I don't want people saying "This was tough enough, then a Char B1 appeared and I had only a crappy Renault/Hotchkiss 35 and a couple of weak AT guns to deal with it, so I gave up after Turn X." You will see both the Somua S35 and Char B1 tanks in Tunisia (well, Char D1's to be technical but we'll throw in a couple of B1's instead anyway).

Yes: "In any case, this scenario is . . . finished for good."

[bru888]

Or this picture may be even easier to re-work, probably:

https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=htt ... egUIARCLAQ

That's the pup! A little crop here, a little crop there, and all of those nasty, unsightly trees are gone, leaving a wonderfully arid desert appearance. Thanks.

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[terminator]

We will see the French Resistance, by the way, in 14OperationJedburgh and probably 18LiberationOfParis but they will be supporting cast at best.

Essential for the liberation of Paris: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey_7JeK--u8

[bru888]

We will see the French Resistance, by the way, in 14OperationJedburgh and probably 18LiberationOfParis but they will be supporting cast at best.

Essential for the liberation of Paris: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey_7JeK--u8

It certainly sets the right tone. Please remind me when we get there. It has occurred to me that this campaign may span approximately the same amount of development time as the events that it attempts to portray!

[jeannot le lapin]

Or this picture may be even easier to re-work, probably:

https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=htt ... egUIARCLAQ

That's the pup! A little crop here, a little crop there, and all of those nasty, unsightly trees are gone, leaving a wonderfully arid desert appearance. Thanks.

flight_of_lysanders.png (142.58 KiB) Viewed 1614 times

Three Lysander Mark Is, L4721, L4728 and L4715, of No. 208 Squadron RAF, based at Heliopolis, Egypt, entering a starboard turn after flying over the Suez Canal.