Allied: Border Raids

[uran21]

Please post here your comments about this scenario.

[billmv44]

General Level - Starting Prestige 0, ending 300. Decisive victory on turn 10.

A pretty simple scenario. Destroy the trucks which come rolling in regularly. I decided to see what happened if I destroyed the supply dump. A 100 point prestige bonus was nice (I was hoping for a prototype Tiger ). No issues with game play noted.

[omegabet]

The message for "eliminating italian supply dump" is appearing inconsistent, sometimes past 1 move with the other units, sometimes after 2 but never direct after destruction. It does appear correctly after next turn, if i don't move other units.

[nikivdd]

No problems encountered with download and install.
Started the campaign on Colonel. Got all the italian trucks by turn 6. Most of them fell into ambush due to their poor range of visibility. I received one message after destroying the supply dump that i was awarded 100PP.
DV 6/12, 300PP

[ThvN]

Border Raids

General, Triumph on turn 7/12

Prestige on last turn/incl. victory bonus: 300/955

Very easy of course. Destroyed the Italian camp, received 100 prestige + message. Ambushing the trucks is a good way to learn it.

[Ballacraine]

A nice simple introductory scenario.

The closing text after a 'Triumph' ( nice to get this variation from a DV ) on this scenario reads: '.......The poor fellows don't seem to be quite keen.'

This would read better as '........The poor fellows don't seem to be very keen.'

Balla

[zappel]

Beta1 - Col level:

Very nice and funny scenario which makes appetite for more. This is really a nice beginning, I like it.

[eumcclan]

see the image

[karlto]

I thought you may have overdone the "Britishness" of the initial briefing, almost becoming a parody. The later texts are OK. Overall, scenario is a nice intro, but maybe on the easy side unless you want this to be an introduction to PC for new players. The first Polish scenario in DLC '39 was not so easy...

[Tarrak]

The message for "eliminating italian supply dump" is appearing inconsistent, sometimes past 1 move with the other units, sometimes after 2 but never direct after destruction. It does appear correctly after next turn, if i don't move other units.

There is any message about a supply dump at all? I finished the mission with a triumph and never seen any. Must repeat it and explore the map. More comments incoming soon.

Edit: Ah you mean after destroying it. Never mind then i thought there should be a pop message informing you to look for the depot.

[Tarrak]

Scenario: Border Raids
Difficulty level: General
Outcome: Triumph on turn 8/12
Prestige: 955 (inc. victory reward)

Very easy mission. Destroying the trucks is obviously an easy task. Maybe some pop-up window explaining ZoC and how to slow the trucks down using it here would be useful. I would maybe to spice the mission up a bit add a little escort to the last wave of the trucks. Some lonely Italian recon at 5 points strength as escort should not pose any real threat but could be a nice change in pace of the scenario. The Depot is a nice little bonus if you happen to stumble upon it.

While i am not a native English speaker and due to this a bit reluctant "Until higher HQ can organize ..." sentence sounds a bit strange to me ... higher HQ ? Is that correct?

[Ballacraine]

I thought you may have overdone the "Britishness" of the initial briefing, almost becoming a parody. The later texts are OK. Overall, scenario is a nice intro, but maybe on the easy side unless you want this to be an introduction to PC for new players. The first Polish scenario in DLC '39 was not so easy...

Actually, it was not overdone.

A lot of Officers, especially senior ones were like that. You have to remember it was a different era.

I might suggest changing 'fellows' for 'chaps' though.

Balla.

[Ballacraine]

While i am not a native English speaker and due to this a bit reluctant "Until higher HQ can organize ..." sentence sounds a bit strange to me ... higher HQ ? Is that correct?

I think you are right to question that.

'Higher' could be dropped. 'HQ' is sufficient in itself.

Balla.

[omegabet]

see the image

See the list of changes: viewtopic.php?f=148&t=42325

Overstrength is not limited by the number of stars

This is probably the most controversial change, but I wanted to give it a try. With overstrength lost in upgrades, it becomes a strategic decision when to apply it and to which units. But in early game overstrength does not play a major role, because the units do not have much experience on them. It kicks in later, when the units are already very powerful, with better equipment, more experience and 2-3 heroes on each unit.

So, I decided to try to disconnect overstrength mechanics from experience. In 1.20 beta1 it can be applied to any unit, up to 5 points, from the very beginning of the campaign. Of course, all the rest rules still apply: you cannot overstrenth using free green replacements, and you cannot quickly restore overstrength in the course of the battle - it still comes one point at a time.

Let us know how this change affects your play. Do we want to keep it, or revert to the old way?

[Kamerer]

1) Border Raids – beta 1

Level: Field Marshal
Prestige - Begin: 200. End: 300. Net: +100
Result: Triumph 7/12

Core changes: None


Problems:

• • As mentioned, I also noted the splash notifying about the dump was inconsistent (played scenario 2x).

General impressions/comments:

• • Briefing was thorough and clear, looked good.
  • Tactically, it seemed rather simplistic.
  • Conceptually, it seems weird to start a war a year into it – feels weird to have nothing to do with France at all.
  • Stylistically, “Triumph” vs. DV feels catchy. I’d side with keeping the same victory terms. “Decisive Victory” has a meaningful tactical/strategic denotation vs. “Triumph,” which doesn’t have a strict military meaning. Just a thought.

[karlto]

Actually, it was not overdone.

A lot of Officers, especially senior ones were like that. You have to remember it was a different era.

I might suggest changing 'fellows' for 'chaps' though.

Balla.

Jolly good!

[Longasc]

Border Raids

Level: General
Start Prestige: -
End Prestige: 300
Result: Triumph, Turn 6

I think this is a very nice tutorial and telling people how to use ambush and zone of control mechanics in a very elegant way!
Minor complaint, desert terrain is very blank and boring. I guess it's too late to add some fancy yet still plain desert tiles.

* the name of the Italian supply dump is "1st Supply Dump" in the scenario, how about just "Supply Dump".
* "Your orders are to cross the border and undertake a harassing attack aimed at disrupting their communications and deployment." Border Raids.pzloc
-> I suggest to put this part of the briefing in BOLD letters
* "For eliminating Italian supply dump you have been awarded with 100 prestige." Border Raids.pzloc
-> make it "the Italian supply dump"
* "The poor fellows don’t seem to be quite keen" BorderRaidsB_triumph.pzbrf
-> erm? Dunno, a native speaker should decide if this is proper English or if it makes sense.

[Ballacraine]

I already passed comment on that sentence earlier in the thread.
Having thought some more, it would read better as 'Those poor chaps don't seem very keen!'

Balla.

[Ballacraine]

While i am not a native English speaker and due to this a bit reluctant "Until higher HQ can organize ..." sentence sounds a bit strange to me ... higher HQ ? Is that correct?

I think you are right to question that.

'Higher' could be dropped. 'HQ' is sufficient in itself.

Balla.

Having thought further.

The next step up from HQ would be GHQ

General Head Quarters.

Balla

[uran21]

Thanks to all for the feedback so far. In beta 1 there is only one campaign entry point and it starts with this scenario. In complete game several more entry points are planed. This is of course start of tutorial to facilitate entry in the game to those who never played nothing from the series and also to those who never played wargame in their whole life. I hope it fulfils its role very well.

Now something about the changes based on your feedback. I found suggestion to add one understrength recon escort very intreguing so decided to do some testing with it.
Now it is added somewhere bettwen second and third convoy. It is at strength 5 and has some prestige for replacements if the AI decides to give it. Player will need to spend several more rounds of ammo and he will need to divert more than one vehicle to destroy it while trucks are still moving so it is really spicy. Some changes in custom names and wording of a message were also added.

Whenever some message appears "instantly" it has that one action lag because conditions are checked after every (control) action. So if you destroy the dump, select some unit and deselect it, message will appear after such an action. Yes, it is little weird.