Slitherine

Comrades,
I have completed a 95% draft of my campaign depicting the US 3rd Infantry Division in WWII. It goes all the way from Casablanca to Obersalzburg -- I had no idea what I was getting in to! The US 3d ID had the most combat casualties of any US Division in the war and had the most consecutive days of combat of any US Division. I didn't know that when I picked it...

I would not ask for help evaluating this campaign if I didn't think it was ready. It needs a few pictures and some decorations, and the RP awards are on the heavy side -- but I really need some feedback.

If you are interested in helping out by being a Beta Tester on this campaign, please zap me via PM and I will provide you with the link for download. I want to do it this way so it doesn't proliferate as an incomplete, un-vetted product.

I will ask you to post your comments on this thread to pass on info that might be of interest to other scenario/campaign developers.

I will be embarrassed by some comments, but as I said, I think it's ready for peer review. I especially want to get an inexperienced player and an experienced player, and others in between.

Bru, you are welcome to CSI this now but I maybe we should wait for comments back from evaluators. Up to you, hombre. Evaluators, again, I wouldn't ask you to review this if I weren't confident that you would enjoy it.

It's a 95 Meg download...

Thanks in advance!

Scenarios are:
Intro to WW II US Infantry Division Order of Battle (how appropriate!)
Casablanca
Sicily: Licata to Palermo
Sicily: San Fratello and Brolo
Sicily: Messina
Italy: Salerno to the Volturno River
Italy: Volturno to the Barbara Line
Italy: Barabara Line to Winter Line
Italy: Anzio Landings
Italy: Anzio Siege
Italy: Anzio Breakout to Rome
France: Operation Dragoon
France: Dragoon II (to Vesoul)
France: Vosges to Le Tholy
France: Vosges to Strasbourg
France: Kaysersberg
France: Colmar Pocket
Germany: Siegfried Line to Rhine
Germany: Rhine to Nuremberg
Germany: Nuremberg to Munich
Austria: Salzburg and Berchtesgaden (Obersalzberg)

Wow, huge campaign. Looks interesting!

I'd really like to help conboy, but to be honest, I don't know when I'll have time for that. I'm playing RedSteel right now with a bit of BrucErik's WinterWar on the side. After that maybe, but I can't tell you when....sorry.

'Looks interesting, indeed.

You can count me in if you wish. PM sent.

Sounds interesting
PM sent

PM sent

You need to set the specialisation start year in the campaign editor to something else than the (useless) 1900...

0 OoB:
I really like the idea of an introduction scenario.
You may want to avoid expressions like RP, CP, QM and MP in the briefing. Some new players may not be familiar with these expressions.
Maybe change the pri obj txt to something like 'click the end turn until the scenario is finished' ?

PM sent!

1 Casa:

At this point in the war the US should have the Landing_Craft_Infantry spec.
The initial invasion would look more historical.

I think the deployment hexes should be active beyond the deployment phase.
Sometimes you like to wait a bit with the support units.

Looks like one of the location names were misplaced. Also, rough desert/road is a bad combo since vehicles may not enter the terrain anyway.
I think it would be better to deploy a Vichy inf rather than art in Casablanca itself.
Nice and fairly easy start of the campaign. All objectives were captured by turn 16.
(I created a really large and detailed Torch scenario for TOAW back in the day.
As far as I know there were no light cruisers at Casablanca. But, in addition to the battleship Jean Bart (under repair), there were a few destroyers: Primaquet, Albatros and Milan. There were also a large number (12?) of subs in port, Amazone was one of them if you like to add a little surprise for the US.
If you want to name the supporting US destroyers, here are a few candidates: Edison, Bristol, Wolsey and Rowan.
The Ranger carried the 41 Fighter and the 41 Torpedo sqds.
The Suwanee carried the 27 Fighter and 27 Torpedo sqds.
There were 2 Vichy air units present, one sqd of Tiger Moths (Gladiator is pretty close) and the other had a mix Moths and D520s.
There were no Vichy armor around Casablanca, but Rabat to the NE had a couple of battalions with a mix of R35/H35/H38s)

Thanks, Erik.

I will keep all the comments and address them when the players are done. I have a great response so far, as you might see by glancing at the responders. Still want more, though!

You are right, the Infantry Landing Craft was available starting Jun 1941 per the specialty .csv file. I did not check it, so thanks for the heads-up. Also for the other tips (Naval and armor comments).

conboy

Casablanca

Core name ? Strange flag not round ?


Enemy ? Date ?

I've played the introduction and the two first scenarios!

On level 3 (as usual). This campaign is already awesome, with some nice mechanics. I would say it's more of medium difficulty, but it's well balanced so far.

So, here are my first feedbacks:
*******
Well, as Erik already mentioned it, the spec tree looks rather strange at this point.

Besides, it doesn't seem that we gain spec pts at all - which may not be a problem anyway because there would not be that much to "buy" anyway and because you've unlocked the specs that are needed for each one of the scenarios, apparently.
*******
0 OoB:
Nice idea to have this scenario as intro. And well made too, but I agree with Erik: it would be a little easier to directly precise within the text(s) about ending turns...
*******
1 Casa:
-> Very little detail: in the briefing, maybe writes "Division-Level" instead of "Divsion-Level" (a "i" seems to be missing)...

-> Sec. obj.:
1. The text does mention a coastal gun AND a fortress... but I see no fortress at all, we have TWO coastal guns... So, probably a good idea to modify the text accordingly.
2. No red arrows over these two spots? (Well, it's not really required anyway...)
3. Watch out: destroying only these two coastal guns was not enough for me to have this obj validated... The two hexes had to be actually taken (the color on the map, I mean)! So, an unit must move on or through each one of these two hexes.

-> It seems that the Frenchies were completely unable to replenish their units? What about granting them a little income, thus increasing as well a little the difficulty of this scenario?

-> Could potentially add a flag over the airfield, but it's more cosmetic than anything else...

-> Enemy naval forces:
1. As Erik already mentionned it, the Jean Bart was indeed a battleship and not a light cruiser... So, maybe take a battleship from another nation and just change its flag (because France has no battleship in OoB). It shouldn't unbalance the scenario anyway, as our destroyers do have torpedos... and anyway, there is always the possibility that this battleship appear, let's say, almost at full-strenght (using this fact that it was at that time being repaired).
2. In his Casablanca scenario (in the US Corps 42-43 campaign), Erik has indeed added a German submarine, one U-Boot Type IX (not named!)... Yes, it may be a good idea to add one German sub in the NE of Casablanca's harbor. I do like the name "Amazone"...
3. If I'm not mistaken, Erik, you've let a French light cruiser in your scenario... But it actually doesn't shock me at all to see some of these ships in a Casablanca scenario.
*******
Campaign event, just after the Casablanca's scenario:
"Now they land as part of the US xx Corps as part of Operation Husky [...]" I think it's better to use capital letters there: "US XX Corps"
*******
2 Lica:
-> Nice to see the famous (Free French) Morroccan Goums!
But as it was actually a specialized mountain infantry (see for example this picture: https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=htt ... 0340596990 or this one: https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=htt ... 0340599664 ), I think that this unit would be better represented in OoB as the Gurkhas instead of the US Marine...

-> Pri. obj. "Capture Palermo (etc.)"... Well, first it may be nice to add a red arrow over this city. Then, why bothering about precising "before turn 27" when there is 27 turns within this scenario? Just "Capture Palermo" would be fine (and optimal with a red arrow as well ).

-> Even if it's not necessary, it could be nice to add counters, in order to immediately see how many of the objectives have been taken (especially for the sec obj!)...

-> It was a bit annoying, once my dogfighters have been removed (by triggers) to see the only remaining enemy plane, an only one-strenght left Bf 109 G, continuing to harass one of my supply ships... while I couldn't do anything about it at all (no more fighters and you've written to NOT involve our AA) But that was not a big deal anyway, as it lasted only few turns before this enemy plane, out of fuel, crashes into the water.

-> Nice resistance between Castro Nuova and San Stefano, with many arty and so on - including a well-placed Lancia! Great.

When meeting this, I was a little worried, because with maybe several pockets like this still between us and Palermo, it may indeed become really difficult to respect the timing of this mission.

But then there was this great event, the "Surrenders!"... This mechanic, rather unexpected, was great and, I'm sure, actually respecting the history, and the combination of those two elements, I found it just awesome!


Congratulations! Keep up the good work.

Casablanca

Indeed, maybe a reward of 50 (to 100) RPs for this sec obj on Casablanca's scenario?

Well, this artillery piece is visible thanks to our dogfighters, yes...

I am not sure that’s a good idea to place two artillery units so close, no AA support ?

Terminator, ColonelY

Thank you both for playing and commenting. Your comments are quite illuminating and I will get them in on the next go-round. I played all these scenarios many times but the comments you are providing show the value of multiple sets of eyes!

ColonelY,
I intended this campaign to be played at Level III without too much angst. So, your comments are reassuring. Also, sometimes I think I'm getting too fancy/complex with some things, so if you don't think that 2 Licata was too contrived, that's a big relief. Also, the Gurkhas probably are a better fit for the Goums -- never occurred to me. Thanks!

thanks again,
conboy

You're welcome.

And no, I don't think at all that 2 Licata is too contrived. No worries

Looks VERY interesting but, right now I'm trying to cope with WW 41 and there's a scenario to try before I have time to test this one. But I'm pretty sure that on a next beta version I'll be catching up, with pleasure. Congratulations!

GabeKnight, Mascarenhas;
You guys are ok by me, having helped so much in the past.
Erik, Terminator, and ColonelY are keeping me straight this time. Navman has also agreed to participate.
Your comments and encouragement have always been greatly appreciated, so if you want to catch up, just let me know and I'll be blissed-out to have your input.

thanks, mates,

conboy

The night may bring advices, that's at least what's said.

ColonelY wrote: ↑Sun May 24, 2020 9:53 pm You're welcome.

And no, I don't think at all that 2 Licata is too contrived. No worries

So, some thoughts about this:

1. Well, first of all, you've chosen a way to transfer historical elements on "how it was", which adds flavor and is perfectly fine. So that's good for sure.

2. Then, the rest is a little up to the player: does he (or she) want to stick exactly to the given instructions or play it in a somehow more casual way by trying simply to stick "on overall" to the given instructions? (And, with the latter, thus avoiding some pressure whether, for example, some unit of this or that regiment isn't properly following the path it should have taken according to an historical point of view, etc.) Besides, historically there was anyway from time to time initiatives that have been taken...

So, definitely, for me it's not too "contrived" at all.

2 Lica:

The Operation Husky campaign message title needs to be shortened a bit.
Did you forget to add specialisation points in the campaign editor?

Did you use Arid for this scenario? If not, I think it would suit Sicily well.

I did not get the reason for not upgrading hvy inf to 43-model.
So. following in Patton's foot-steps I decide to disobey orders...

The Axis air units try to escape to the east when their strength get low. There are no air exits there so they are easily hunted down and destroyed.

Capturing Palermo was a bit of an anti-climax with the Italians surrendering all over the place. But, historically correct.
Missed the sec obj Roccamena by 1 turn.

All in all a fine, medium difficulty scenario.