Help on a new campaign?

[conboy]

I have finished a beta version of the US 3d Armored Division in WWII, from Normandy to the Elbe.
I'd like to get some help from reviewers/players on it so I can finish up based on comments from y'all.
I am most concerned about the fun quotient and the RPs.
I think you will enjoy it if you liked the 3d Infantry Division campaign last year.
I picked this division because I wanted to do an armored division and I found a book about the 3d AD with all the battle maps.

To keep configuration control and to ensure premature versions of this don't proliferate, request it in response to this post and I'll send you the link.

thanks!

conboy

[Brenmusik]

I'll give it a go, who knows, I might win a battle or two

[terminator]

What book ?

[conboy]

here ya go...
Spearhead in the West

https://www.mediafire.com/file/rlkju7oq ... t.pdf/file

there are other sources in the Center for Military History for different battles and campaigns but this one focuses on 3d AD.

conboy

[Brenmusik]

Amazing looking book, going to spend Sunday reading it.

[terminator]

Thanks for the link. The battle maps don’t seem very detailed, it must have taken a lot of work!

[conboy]

It was the only book about an armored division that I could find with battle maps. They're good enough to work with if you use other sources and Google Earth along with it. The S-3 supplement helps a lot but after a while they quit putting the German units on the map.

conboy

[Erik2]

I'll give it a spin.

[Navman2854]

I'll test it out

[jeffoot77]

thxs for the link too,

here is my review for the first mission in Normandy : ( sorry for my school english) :

(- the explanations of the beginning on the functioning of a division are clear and interesting, I pass quickly on this point-)

So for the first mission, it is rather easy, even in rushing , I succeeded with the first try. And the problem is precisely this rush side that bothers me a bit, it's only my opinion but it seems that you are forcing the player to go blind to take the full brunt of the bunkers, mines or antitanks. It's funny once, but two or three times, it had the effect of "hey, take that in your face the rusher !" . Except that 10 rounds is fast and how do you do otherwise? so in my humble opinion, I know that the others will not agree it is that so that the player can have other choices than to rush while praying that there is not an antitank behind is to go up at 15 turns to let the player surround a unit or at least send some infantry make some scouting.

Other observations: why not add other secondary objectives? like "destroy an enemy plane" or destroy all enemy units", it is largely doable (with the reward of just the glory of having crushed your enemy, no need for a reward.)
And finally a display bug/oversight in the event of a major win; "outcome 2-4 title" is displayed at the end with the correct image but therefore no title.

to conclude, a good little mission that looks like an aperitif and which shows American strength well, I had fun in the end because even with the antitanks or well-placed mines, we still win! we feel that we cannot lose.

[conboy]

Thanks, jeffoot,
I'll see what the other reviewers think about the 10-turn limit. As you note, it's a pretty easy scenario anyway...
Thanks, and keep commenting, please!

conboy

[stevefprice]

Happy to give it a go if you need more testers Conboy

[jeffoot77]

Hello everybody,

for the first mission i just give you an idea for "hidden" antitanks : why not place them in the "Normandy bocage" ? , for example, a 3 hex line of forests = hedgerow with a hidden antitank. The player would thus know that the antitanks would only be in the lines of the drills and he would not play lotto less and would be less stressed.

[Erik2]

I would have made the campaign map darker. Currently the contrast to the background could be easier on the eyes. Maybe a different map with less info on, you can alsways add the location names relevant to the campaign.
The panzerfaust is too dominating (it would be nice if the devs came up with a made-in-the US bazooka...)

The specialisations screen looks a bit odd. The time frame is 1944-45 with just about everything in a long single line. Apart from the Brit Pacific Fleet wich should be removed. I think it would be better to set the dates 1939-1945 (Dec) to get a proper spec tree.
You could also consider giving old specs as freebies or as a lump of spec points available at start.
Currently the US start at scratch.

I like the introduction scenario, nice idea.
Makes for a nice introduction campaign for players new to OOB (if the rest of the campaign is not very difficult, that is).

The Sister Units graphic would be better looking without the frames (and maybe without the 1th Infantry Div header as well).

Added:
The briefing(s) contains detailed suggested strategies regarding movement. Remember that this info can only be read once by the player (the 'Allo 'Allo syndrome).
And there's no easy way for the player to copy the briefing. So I will probably disobey detailed orders simply because I can't remember them...

[Erik2]

There are 2 extra LCPs and 1 ACP in the first scenario, but it looks like unit purchase has been blocked. This also means no unit updates. So, what is the intended use of the CPs? Or are these the result of certain specs being checked by default?

Do the CCx Supply/Ordnance/Signal hardtrack have any specific function?
If not, I'd rather lose those.

I had to restart the campaign since I forgot to set the difficulty to Captain (I like 10-strength enemy units). Much to my surprise the aforementioned units and a number of combat units as well were gone.
Is this correct? The screenshot displays all units before any has been deployed.

deploy.jpg (99.2 KiB) Viewed 2223 times

[Erik2]

I took a quick peek at the campign in the editor.
Looks like specialisations does not come into play at all, no spec pr scenario set up. I think they add to the enjoyment of a campaign.
Granted the US does not have a lot of interesting land specs yet, by the general air specs are good.
I usually give the AI the suitable specs in each scenario as well (along with AI commanders). The AI (and other human factions than the US) appreciates a bit of the same help that a US player may benefit from
If you really want to do away with the specs, simply remove the check marks. Currently a player may wonder why he can't purchase any from the spec screen.
You can safely disable the Naval unit categories.

[conboy]

Erik,

I had to restart the campaign since I forgot to set the difficulty to Captain (I like 10-strength enemy units). Much to my surprise the aforementioned units and a number of combat units as well were gone.
Is this correct? The screenshot displays all units before any has been deployed.

I have no idea, I haven't seen that effect at all! The units weren't in the reserve box when you started? what the heck!

I did not set the campaign up for specializations. Only the US Air has specializations. But I will fix the spec screen, as you point out.

I think I will go back and put in US and German Commanders. I didn't do it intentionally but I think it adds to the game so I will put them in.

I don't know how, but the CPs for the first scenario are off, so I will fix. Strange, must be just this new version I posted.

The main function of the MP/Signal and Ordnance halftracks is to provide the players a method of keeping the CCs linked up without using combat units. I'll keep them, but thanks for the comment.

jeffoot,
I'm thinking about your comment on the placement of the German anti-tank guns. I'll see if anybody else brings it up.

thanks, all!

conboy

[Erik2]

OK, if I am unable to get those units back I'll wait for your next version.

[Brenmusik]

Falaise Gap Scenario.

A draw seems a little unkind

Falaise Gap.jpg (202.79 KiB) Viewed 2169 times

As you can see RPs are quite high, (I'm using Elite) .. if only other designers were as generous

[conboy]

Bren,
Maybe I should add a couple of turns if you couldn't make it, I know you're a very good player. And I'll get the RPs under control -- thanks for the screen shot! Please restart the scenario, nuke it, and continue.

Erik,
Maybe restart the scenario? I cannot figure out why units would have left the scenario just because you changed the difficulty. I am clueless!

thanks, all!

conboy