Slitherine

In this topic I'll explain the purpose of the mods I've added to BA and why are they implemented in that way. I would appreciate your opinion and suggestions. The basic actions are described in the document https://dl.dropbox.com/u/36194263/Actions.pdf, here I'd explain why these and why not others.

I like BA like it is, let's say this first, and many mods I added where taken from ideas, and code, by Merr.

I know BA it's not a simulation, but if we need to classify it I feel it is a tactical WWII game.
A turn should represent no more than 5-10 minutes, and a tile about 100 meters.
All my mods are designed following these parameters, so, the purpose is to add realism.

Smoke
This was very frequently used in WWII, mortars and vehicles that can make indirect fire were able to fire smoke.
Other units, as engineers, where also equipped with smoke, but they may carry a limited amount.
Some SP and tanks may also carry a limited smoke discharges used as protective smoke for itself.

Hedgerow
A hedgerow cut be easily cut or removed by a Rhino or an engineer squad in 5-10 minutes

Push
Some artillery and heavy MG can be pushed a tile.

Tank traps
There were different tank traps some made by cement, and iron, other by holes, etc.
A squad will be able to remove or, at least make a passable area in 20 - 40 minutes.
Placing a tank trap will take longer that the scenario length so I did not added this.

Pontoon
Pontoon is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge support the bridge deck, so in 4 turns will be possible to cover a 100 m tile. A stream or a small river (two tiles) will take 40 - 80 minutes, seems possible.

Immobilizing tracked vehicles
This was real, even an AP fire that can't penetrate the vehicle may break the tracks.
In some cases, the crew may repair the track I added this in an abstract mode 15% at the turn begins.
I was thinking about the possibility to make the crew go out of the vehicle and to be exposed to fire while trying to repair, but I though it was to much complicated.

Tanks as a transport
This also was usual, infantry squad may easily mount a tank and use as transport.

Leaders
They make a main role in tactical combat, so adding them was a must for me.
Also, I ever "hate" the magical bonus offered by BA, in the middle of the battle, alone, several tiles away from any other unit, a man is revived, or a squad is rallied or promoted.
So I removed these bonus from my scenarios, and give the leaders these functions.
I understand the possibility to "revive a man" more as "on your feet soldier" than a miraculous health. Also this not happens always there is only 1/6 possibilities when rallying a squad.
Promotion gives a morale plus, not always work, but a leader must try it.
Also, leaders like scouts have the ability to see a little more that a normal squad.

Off-board support
I always felt this could be improved, now, as BA offers, is to much destructive, precise, and frequent.
I added the radio control system, this makes more difficult, and with more random factors, to get the barrage.
Probably the perfection will be that a barrage may only be placed on a spotted tile. (maybe in the future)
The procedure was, in real life, once radio contact was stablished, to give the coordinates to the battery, the battery then fires a test shell, and the spotter adjust it, and then the real barrage comes. So a spotter was fundamental.

Swap or bypass
This has been added by BA in the latest version it solves some situations but still lacks something: if you have a scout (3 men) in the middle of the street, with no more AP, you are blocking the street to such halftrack, trucks, tanks... with full of APs.
This will be put in my list of mods to do (if possible).

Wire
Wire is an obstacle for the foot and wheeled units.
Also, units on the wire are most exposed to enemy fire.

Mines
Mines have no side, so they may explode when a unit enter the minefield.
Mines are not seen by neither side, usually minefields are indicates with some warning signals.
Mines are revelated when explode or when engineers enter a minefield tile.

Suggestions?
Please tell me what could be added and we can discuss how to implement.

Hello,

I'd suggest to add that heavy machine guns, light at guns and mortar crews can move at least a single tile per turn. I think the way they are simulated now is more a restriction and if they could move at least a single tile per turn this would add a lot of game depth.
My god, I hope for this so much in BA2!

Greetings...

dickesKind wrote:Hello,

I'd suggest to add that heavy machine guns, light at guns and mortar crews can move at least a single tile per turn. I think the way they are simulated now is more a restriction and if they could move at least a single tile per turn this would add a lot of game depth.
My god, I hope for this so much in BA2!

Greetings...

Mortars already move one tile per turn in all my scenarios this was my first mod.
Light guns, which ones have you in mind?, I think 75 or 88 can't be moved in 10 minutes a 100 meters.
HMG probably can I'll look at it.

Sorry, did not know about the mortars. I paused for a while and I am still not that experienced with your scenarios.
"Light guns": What I mean is that at least anything up to calibre 50mm should be movable without transport. I am shure this would make the game much more dynamic.

Hi enric,
great mods and very much enjoy your scenarios.
I'm planning to use your squads.csv file for some of my scenarios I hope to make.
Is this ok? And is it OK for me to tweak them further into JB squad files?
I had one technical question. It seems to me with your squad file, infantry gets suppressed less when in cover.
Is this possible the case? Or am I imagining things. For example, a Tiger tank fires twice from 2 hex away into woods at infantry, and morale goes from 100 down to 82. seems it would be more, if standard BA prevails. Thanks,

jcb989 wrote:Hi enric,
great mods and very much enjoy your scenarios.
I'm planning to use your squads.csv file for some of my scenarios I hope to make.
Is this ok? And is it OK for me to tweak them further into JB squad files?
I had one technical question. It seems to me with your squad file, infantry gets suppressed less when in cover.
Is this possible the case? Or am I imagining things. For example, a Tiger tank fires twice from 2 hex away into woods at infantry, and morale goes from 100 down to 82. seems it would be more, if standard BA prevails. Thanks,

Thanks jcb
You can use anything, all I'm doing is open source.
I did not changed anything on the infantry behavior, the standard BA prevails.
Notice that the squad.csv file is not always the same, in each scenario it may change. And notice also, that many new features are created dynamically when the game starts, see INIT.BSF.

Okay thank you

dickesKind wrote:Sorry, did not know about the mortars. I paused for a while and I am still not that experienced with your scenarios.
"Light guns": What I mean is that at least anything up to calibre 50mm should be movable without transport. I am shure this would make the game much more dynamic.

If dynamic game play is preferred, than moving "light" guns without transport is a good thing.

If realism is important then consider that 4 or 5 guys can move a light anti-tank gun (that's actually still pretty heavy) a short distance on smooth, flat ground and they can maneuver it around in a parking lot... but they are not going to be able to pull it up or down hill, or through snow, sand, mud, or high grass etc. Even if they could.... who carries all the heavy boxes of ammo? or the removable optical sights etc? or all the other gear? Do they make multiple trips?

Oh btw, 81mm 3.5inch mortars are the same way. Now 60mm mortars are totally different animal and actually are man portable.

My personal preference is for fun. It would be cool to be able to play either way. I think mods can give you that choice.

I agree with Ranger.

I also want to add (if my opinion would matter ) that I believe that smoke is too effective in games generally. Smoke grenades for infantry wasn't that common, especially not smoke covering an entire tile (100 meters).

The other mods looks really good. I especially like the leader one.

I finished a new mod: PUSH, that allow to push some AT and heavy MG one tile, and doing this, spends all actions for this turn.
I added this capability to:
2PDR
6PDR
37MM
57mm
british_vickers_mg
US_50cal
german_mg42

The heavier guns and AT are not modified.

This will be added to all scenarios non released yet as official download.

I think you should also add it to the german 50mm-Pak-38 if you added it to the 6PDR and 57mm.

dickesKind wrote:I think you should also add it to the german 50mm-Pak-38 if you added it to the 6PDR and 57mm.

You're right, I'll add it.

Added WIRE

Added MINES

Very cool!

Hi Enric. Have you ever thought of adding trenches to your mods? Like Tim's Trenches in the WW1 Mod they could be very effective but in the Western Front Trenches were often small and long, leading to an Infantry slugfest with Pillboxes covering behind them (also can pillboxes be an actual unit? I was thinking it would have tank scripts so lobbing satchel charges and getting a tank to hit it should destroy it quick)

As for your Push mod I thinking push should be for AT Guns instead. LMGs should be "Pick Up" and they can travel 2 tiles a turn. The only LMG that was pushed was the Soviet Maxim 1910 LMGs. This also applies to Mortars as well.

LandMarine47 wrote:Hi Enric. Have you ever thought of adding trenches to your mods? Like Tim's Trenches in the WW1 Mod they could be very effective but in the Western Front Trenches were often small and long, leading to an Infantry slugfest with Pillboxes covering behind them (also can pillboxes be an actual unit? I was thinking it would have tank scripts so lobbing satchel charges and getting a tank to hit it should destroy it quick)

As for your Push mod I thinking push should be for AT Guns instead. LMGs should be "Pick Up" and they can travel 2 tiles a turn. The only LMG that was pushed was the Soviet Maxim 1910 LMGs. This also applies to Mortars as well.

Uhmmm, trenches I'll put on my list.
About push, the LMG are considered Artillery by BA, changing it it's possible but if not necessary I try to change the less.

Hi Enric,

Look like great mods. Are your scenarios only MP? Kinda of new to BA and was not sure.

thanks,

dcoffin

dcoffin wrote:Hi Enric,

Look like great mods. Are your scenarios only MP? Kinda of new to BA and was not sure.

thanks,

dcoffin

Thank you Dcoffin, and yes my scenarios are only MP.
But these mods can be used in SP scenarios, I did not design SP scenarios, I think the AI should be improved a lot, and this is a hard task out of my scope at present.

Hello Enric. Since you like MP games how would you respond to making pillboxes a living unit? Like I said before they will be stationary, and can only be destroyed with Charges or Tanks. They have a very deadly fire rate against infantry and, when combined with Trenches, you can make a mini Westwall/Siegefried Line!