Slitherine

All,
I need a hand with some feedback on a new scenario. Vosges mountains, US 3d Infantry Division.
I have played it through several times and think it plays about right.
If you want to help out with a playthrough and some feedback (please), respond to this and I'll PM you a link to the scenario.
I don't want it proliferating until I get some feedback and then run it through Bru, if he's got time.
My playtime is about 2.5-3.0 hours.

thanks in advance,

conboy

I'll test it.

I join this beta test.

Erik, I PM'd you twice but neither are in my outbox. Let me know if you didn't get my last with the link. If you did, I'll delete this post.

thanks, I know you're very busy so thanks in advance!

I think Terminator downloaded twice because the counter shows two downloads? any way thanks for your time -- you too, Terminator. I watched the Colmar vid -- powerful stuff!

conboy

I'll have a crack it at if you send me the link..

Okay mate, a very enjoyable scen, I've just finished it in one 3- hour sitting (it was like reading a good book which you can't put down) but even though my flag was flying in all the objectives at the end, the computer only gave me a draw, so you definitely need to fix that.
Also the 'Sieze Phase 1 objectives before turn 11' thing didn't work properly because I was still one obj short until turn 14, yet the endscreen gave me a green tick.
I can prove my case with a bunch of screenshots as evidence but I won't post them here with any sage comments or it'll spoil the fun for others.

The hvy inf of the 36th div is missing the unit name.
The French replacements are also not named.
You got specific names on just about every other Allied unit.

There are large differences in unit exp, some have none and others 10, intended?

You have used German mines rather than neutral, intended?

You need to fix the road/river snag just north of Noir Gueux.
South of Vagney there are a couple of similar road/river snags.

Maybe add a garrison to St Ame?

You are probably aware that roads on mountains (and dense forest) does nothing for vehicles.

Sec objs lack map markers and should clear when the last one is captured (when the message arrives).

Good and quite difficult scenario. I like the way you set these kind of scenarios with specific orders and follow-ups when fulfilled. I probably wandered off the ordered path from time to time though as opportunities presented themselves.
Something was wrong with the objs though. I captured all objectives (on the last turn), but still only got a draw.

Replay added

Spike, Erik;
Thanks for the playthrough, map critique, and the compliments. Getting the objectives correct is always the hardest -- I thought I had them thoroughly tested but I added some turns to it and that probably messed it up. But it seems that you enjoyed and if you did that puts my main objective in the completed column, now I just have to troubleshoot and fix the mistakes.

Terminator - Did you ever get the link? I ask because I sent it over my telephone and some posts that I sent over my phone are missing from the forum.

thanks again!

conboy

Conboy, another thing I should mention is that I ordered my Sherman to rush across a bridge and it blew up in his face but he still got across without a scratch, so you need to check the bridge-blowing trigger, maybe by making it blow when an Allied unit gets to within 1, 2 or 3 hexes of it, so that by the time they arrive at the bridge its already blown.

conboy wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2019 6:30 pm Terminator - Did you ever get the link? I ask because I sent it over my telephone and some posts that I sent over my phone are missing from the forum.

I am busy with betas and it is a bit complicated during the week because I am travelling.

Mapdesign :

Roads & rivers :


I’m having a little trouble understanding your supply system :

- Why St Ame gives no supply but the adjacent hexagon gives supply :


- Le Tholy gives 75 supply points but Le Creux & Tendon give no supply :

Thank you Terminator --
Safe travels! I have a day or two more of fixing things that Spike and Erik found if you want to try a playthrough. If you get a chance, I would very much like a .rec if you have time to play -- Erik's was extremely helpful in seeing the scenario through others' eyes. Thank you for your comments on supply! I will fix those notes in the final. I had several different battle maps I was working with and sometimes I moved the town hexes but not the supply hex apparently, so thanks very much for the critique. I'll hold off till Sunday evening to send through Bru to give you a chance. It's not like I have a deadline and Bru is probably busy anyway.

Spike -- I'll check that hex. Don't understand how a tank can cross a blown bridge. If you saved a .rec file, I'd really appreciate it.

Erik -- thanks again for the playthrough .rec and comments. Notes to your comments:

The hvy inf of the 36th div is missing the unit name.-- Thank you.
The French replacements are also not named.-- I better look up who they were. I don't think my sources identified them, otherwise I'd have put them in.

There are large differences in unit exp, some have none and others 10, intended? 36th is an infantry division just like the 3d -- so the 5-star tokens are regiments, not battalions. I should make that clearer, but not enough space in the brief to explain. the scenario is part of a campaign but I want it to stand alone.

You have used German mines rather than neutral, intended?-- Is that bad? I want the Germans to know where the mines are but not the allies.

You need to fix the road/river snag just north of Noir Gueux. South of Vagney there are a couple of similar road/river snags. --Thank you. I wanted bridges there but think I know how to fix.

Maybe add a garrison to St Ame? Thank you.

You are probably aware that roads on mountains (and dense forest) does nothing for vehicles.-- Yes, I am aware.


Sec objs lack map markers and should clear when the last one is captured (when the message arrives).-- uh-oh, will fix.


thanks again, all
conoby

conboy wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2019 8:21 pmSpike -- I'll check that hex. Don't understand how a tank can cross a blown bridge. If you saved a .rec file, I'd really appreciate it.

I haven't got a rec file, what are they?
I could set up the bridge-crossing in the editor and film it with Fraps and send you the Fraps video, but even quicker set it up yourself in the editor, just place the Sherman on the road a couple of hexes west of the bridge and give it a move order to a couple of hexes across the bridge and see what happens..

Spike: When you finish the scenario the game gives you an option to save a replay. It is saved in the Replay folder

Conboy: Re German mines. This will allow the German units to move through the mine fields. It may be useful and will certainly help the AI.
Players may react though

Erik2 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 21, 2019 9:03 am Spike: When you finish the scenario the game gives you an option to save a replay. It is saved in the Replay folder

Does it save the whole long game?
What if the bit we want to save is only a few seconds long?

Spike, You can only save the whole game. The files are very small - I don't know how they can convey so much information in a tiny file. I was asking for a replay not to check out the blown bridge, but to see how you played the scenario.

thanks again --

conboy

Erik,

Re German mines. This will allow the German units to move through the mine fields. It may be useful and will certainly help the AI.
Players may react though

In principle, if the Germans laid the mines, then the info will be passed on by the commander to concerned German units for them to avoid those minefields. Correct?

conboy

Spike,
I just found out through experimentation that even though the bridge blows, the triggering unit can cross it. Not one after it though. So I fixed it with a minor change to the map.
Also, I had a town that was erroneously marked as a primary objective in the briefing/objectives window. I found that out thanks to your note.

So I got all of Spike's, Erik's, and Terminator's comments in version 0.2. (Except the French unit identifiers, I'll give myself till Sunday to figure that one out before I submit the scenario to Bru.)

ALL: Terminator is still trying to find time to play it, so if anybody else wants to give it a shot, the offer still stands -- just pm me and I'll send you the 0.2 version to play so I can get your opinion/comments.

thanks again --
conboy

conboy wrote: ↑Wed Aug 21, 2019 10:51 pm..if anybody else wants to give it a shot, the offer still stands -- just pm me and I'll send you the 0.2 version

Yes send 0.2 to me mate, and if it's not too late here are a few suggestions-

1- Give the Germans a fighter-bomber just to add a little more depth to the game, it'll keep the Allies on their toes a bit, and give the Allies a couple of mobile AA units.
2- Give jerry a couple of flak units so the Allied planes don't get an easy ride.
3- The navy Kingfisher looks completely out of place in Europe so replace it with an Allied fighter, it'll be able to tackle the jerry fighter-bomber and also do recon work.
4- Throw out some Allied armour and replace them with Shermans, because historically Shermans were everywhere. The weaker northern group of five French units especially could do with a Sherman.
5- Give jerry a couple of AT-guns and tanks to stop the Shermans getting too cocky.

conboy wrote: ↑Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:50 pm Erik,

Re German mines. This will allow the German units to move through the mine fields. It may be useful and will certainly help the AI.
Players may react though

In principle, if the Germans laid the mines, then the info will be passed on by the commander to concerned German units for them to avoid those minefields. Correct?

conboy

Yes.
I think the best solution would be to use faction-mines, but not give the faction units the possibility to move through these mines as they were not present.
The mines should only be visible to the units.

conboy wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2019 8:21 pm
You have used German mines rather than neutral, intended?-- Is that bad? I want the Germans to know where the mines are but not the allies.

Mines should always be Neutral (No Man's Land) and their positions revealed for a faction at the beginning of the scenario as is the case in the original DLCs. Walk through a minefield is not logical especially if you know where the minefield is.