Continuation War 1941 Beta Test

[ColonelY]

Okay, so we forget about importing some of the remaining RPs...

And yeah, of course, any single campaign should be balance (it's definitely better! ) and of course winnable (otherwise very frustrating for the very least! )...

[ColonelY]

Looking back, I'm more and more convinced that we must keep this alternative resource reward for this campaign...

I will probably test again this whole campaign a little later, once all the initial suggestions already made have been addressed or studied. (Let's go step by step.)

[bru888]

Ideally a single campaign should be balanced and winnable.

That's what I think should rule.

[bru888]

Status: Yesterday, I edited WW40 for exit triggers to evaluate on Turn Start instead of Move Event; sufficient supply for airfield guards (+5 for each AA gun, just in case AI supply was marginal); and restored RP bonuses from 50 to 100.

Also yesterday, I went back over the first six scenarios of CW41 to restore RP bonuses from 50 to 100 and to tidy up the early scenario ending triggers and "unlock commander or RP bonus" modules.

Today, I resume with 07Olonets with an eye on finishing CW41 in the next day or two, whereupon I turn it back to Erik for official release.

[bru888]

07Olonets

- converted "Capture all 4 objectives" to "Scenario turn limit" evaluation.
- created an "Early scenario ending" trigger that allows the player to finish all secondary objectives before ending the scenario (and serves as a reverse incentive to take care of the shungite mine mission).
- moved the bonus for "Destroy the shungite mine" objective from 50 to 100 RPs.
- created an "unlock commander or RP bonus" module for "Eliminate all Soviet units" objective.
- added an AA gun guarding the AI airfield to discourage skullduggery.
- "Gun barrels down!" for the Landsverk II Prototypes.
- removed both Soviet T-34 tanks and replaced only one with a BT-7 (see note below).
- added 8 turns, from 20 to 28, and adjusted deployment hexes accordingly.
- added the suggested stipulation as follows: "High Command wants to evaluate the use of the Landsverk II in ground combat. Only damage inflicted on land units counts. If BOTH guns pass the test, AND one survives the battle, you get to keep a Landsverk II as a core unit." This is the sequence now, if the player achieves the damage objectives but then loses both prototypes (the statement in the second image now reads "[If so, the unit will be available in the next scenario.]":

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Note: Funny how the mind glosses over things (especially when there are many things to gloss over). Yes, I have been noticing that Finnish tanks are slow to repair and for the first time, I have focused on "slowRepair" in units.csv. It makes sense, of course - captured tanks would need uncaptured spare parts. So, one-on-one in battle, Finnish tanks are handicapped; something that I will keep in mind for the rest of this campaign.

[bru888]

08Rukajarvi

- moved the AI airfield into the forest (off a busy road and out of the way) and provided for its defence to discourage undue adventurism.
- converted "Take the town of Rukajärvi" to "Scenario turn limit" evaluation.
- created an "Early scenario ending" trigger that allows the player to finish all secondary objectives before ending the scenario.
- increased bonus for "Destroy the remaining Soviet lake fleet" objective from 50 to 100 RPs.
- created an "unlock commander or RP bonus" module for "Occupy all 8 secondary objective points" objective.
- increased AI air aggression from 75 to 99.
- increased Finnish air CPs from 15 to 18.
- removed the Soviet guard ship "Bureya."*
- "Air Support" instead of "Air Supp0rt" (hard to see the difference in the editor).
- added 8 turns, from 24 to 32, and adjusted deployment hexes accordingly.
- fixed the "Destroy Soviet fleet" counter issue. Once again, I overlooked the fact that when the captured Soviet ships are removed, they are technically merely undeployed and therefore still "Alive." Changed the condition to "Deployed = 0." Thanks for the catch.

*Note: This violates my rule of thumb of adjusting the player's units and CPs rather than removing AI units. In this case, however, adding another Soviet ship to be hijacked would have upset that commando battle which seems very finely balanced and choreographed.

[ColonelY]

Like this, about these Landsverk II, it looks really awesome! Thanks

I have to admit that I really prefer these rewards being at 100 RPs instead of 50... for me at least, it's more "meaningful", if I may say (or write ) so!

08Rukajarvi

[...] commando battle which seems very finely balanced and choreographed.

Oh yes, it is perfectly done, I confirm. So, it's indeed better to change nothing directly related to this.

[bru888]

09Litsa:

-> For once, let's begin with a very little detail: In the text for the "Litsa River" event, the second time that "Murmansk" is written, it appears as "Mermansk"...

This gives me an idea for an Easter egg.

Based on a certain event, maybe a secondary objective, either the "Merman of Litsa" will make an appearance:

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or Ethel Merman will make a surprise appearance, singing in a concert during a truce for the occasion agreed to by both sides:

Merman (singer).JPG (38.4 KiB) Viewed 1957 times

Fantastic surprises equal in entertainment and likelihood! What do you think? This should have been a poll. ( )

[ColonelY]

Cool!

This could indeed be the most beautiful effect. Now, what to choose?

Well, I believe I would prefer the "Merman of Litsa" (especially for its fantastic side), BUT it should then be made to appear in such a way that this event can remain plausible from a historical point of view...

But both ideas may be nice to develop...

[bru888]

Heh, I doubt there is anything plausible about either idea.

Incidentally, one more thing for 08Rukajarvi:

-added +1 air CP from the beginning to allow for aerial reconnaissance. That should also help make for a better play balance.

[ColonelY]

Well, yes and no.
If there's maybe a more-or-less-known legend or something about our merman, it could be mentioned... (As the famous Finnish Maiden, for example, who has made an apparition within these Finnish campaigns )
And great singers sent near the front, it has happened - but for a real truce to be concluded to that end, that's another matter.

But in any case, if something like this is implemented, it must remain at least historically plausible.

So, if there's a way to add something fun, splendid! If not, too bad. Anyway, it's always nice to have some variety in the topics of conversation.


Nice. Air recon are always useful.

[bru888]

-> Counter issue: "Do not lose any air unit"... well, we do "only" have aux planes available in a hangar on our airfield (namely 3 bombers and 2 fighters) -> as soon as two bombers have taken off, this objective has been considered as failed!? (With the fighters, no issue. With a single bomber, no issue. With two airborne... )

You've got me on this one, Colonel. I cannot find anything wrong. Can you please try again (with a 0.92 or earlier version of Litsa) and show screenprints?

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[bru888]

Oh, wait a minute. It's that damned "destroyed core unit" business again. Sorry. Never mind.

[ColonelY]

No worries.

[bru888]

Oh, wait a minute. It's that damned "destroyed core unit" business again. Sorry. Never mind.

Concerning this, any "Do not lose X units" objective is suspicious in this campaign because, even though the matter is now addressed in WW40 (version 1.3 - see the studio thread), it must be assumed (because I don't know any better) that destroyed core units may be imported from that campaign into this one and affect even the "Do not lose more than 2 Waffen SS units" in the very first scenario, 01Salla.

Well, maybe we are alright in fact with that one because Waffen SS was not in WW39 or WW40. Even so, I am going to have to go back over previous scenarios in this campaign and decide what to do about such objectives starting with 02Kuolajarvi. The good news is, I am building up a repertoire of all sorts of things to watch out for in a campaign.

So from now on, you will not see any "Do not lose X units" objectives in stuff that I am working on unless such objectives are talking about specific units already on the map to which the triggers can be directly linked.

As an example, in 01Salla, German army units can be purchased and become part of the core. Any of them that are destroyed will remain in the core and be counted in the 02Kuolajarvi objective to "Do not lose any Wehrmacht units." Now, what to do with this objective? I'll figure it out.

[bru888]

Here are the changes needed for this latest kerfuffle:

- 02Kuolajarvi, replaced "Do not lose any Wehrmacht units" with "Destroy at least 8 infantry units." Same awards of Wehrmacht specialisation point and commander.

And . . . that's it! I feel like I won the lottery.

No other "Do not lose" objectives other than the "Do not lose any Finnish Coastal Jaeger units" objective in 03Bengtskar but that is based on Finnish/German paratroopers which are not spawned as core, could not be previously purchased for the Finnish core, and do not appear again in CW41.

Of course, there is the 09Litsa Luftwaffe situation which started all this and which I think is related to 11Kirkenes which has Luftwaffe in it and is actually the fourth scenario.

Although, those were aux planes. So . . . ?

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Well whatever. I'm starting to get battle fatigue, I guess. I know the principle is sound and we can be sure that it will not be an issue now in WW40 or CW41.

Back on schedule. Or, let's say at least this cost me only an hour or so.

[bru888]

09Litsa

- the "Merman" of Litsa and Ethel "Merman" have been consigned to oblivion, where they belong. Murmansk rules.
- changed the objective to "Exit at least 10 Axis land units" (instead of just "German") and selected Turn Start for its trigger instead of Move Event for better tracking.
- replaced the trigger for the "Do not lose any air units" objective with a series of triggers tied to specific Luftwaffe planes that are on the map. Seems to be working:

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- converted the "Capture five primary objectives" to "Scenario turn limit" evaluation.
- created an "Early scenario ending" trigger that allows the player to finish all secondary objectives before ending the scenario.
- moved up the bonus RP awards for the "Destroy at least 1 enemy air unit" objective form 50 to 100 for all factions.
- moved the AI airfield into the forest (off a busy road and out of the way) and provided for its defence to discourage buccaneering.
- increased AI air aggression from 75 to 99.
- added 6 turns, from 24 to 30, and adjusted deployment hexes accordingly.
- chose another German general for the briefing.

[bru888]

At this point, I uploaded version 0.93.

[Erik2]

'Do not lose x units' objectives.

We had a discussion awhile back abiut using the 'Check Unit Count' conditions with core units.
The conclusion at that time was to use the 'Kills & Causlties' conditions instead. This trigger will not take into account previously killed core units.

kills.jpg (27.92 KiB) Viewed 1845 times

[bru888]

I'm not sure if I even trust that at this point. Was it verified that it applies only to the current scenario?