Sunday 16 September 2012
Release date: 8th November, 2012
Release date: 8th November, 2012
(Night of Thursday the 8th AEST)
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the launch of Operation 'Torch'
(Night of Thursday the 8th AEST)
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the launch of Operation 'Torch'
Monday 14 May 2012
OPERATION 'COBRA'
What a disastrous start to a major operation! It was a tragedy all around with Bradley losing his good friend (and the proponent of the US armored warfare tank destroyer doctrine) Lt.Gen. Lesley McNair - one of 4 of the highest ranking US deaths in WW2. 111 other US soldiers killed and 490 wounded by inaccurate bombing by the Eighth AF. Those pilots and crew must have felt horrible when they found out! One of those tragedies that wars involve. I feel for them and the families of those who died.
Nonetheless, the Panzer Lehr division was devasted by the concentrated carpet bombing that came their way. Estimates vary but something like 70% of equipment lost and 1000 men killed are mentioned. In any case, it was not long after that that they were deemed incapable of combat. Still, they were able to make a credible defense after a couple of days and, together with 17SS PG and 2SS Pz on their flank, held the American onslaught back - for a few days!
The capture of Avranches unhinged the whole German defense in Normandy but Hitler, fresh from his own bombing incident of 20th July, was also unhinged. He decided the best form of defense is attack and if you can't die gloriously in a hopelessly lost cause you should attack! Operation 'Luttich' was folly from inception and disaster in execution. It's worth reading about for its military craziness and left me thinking perhaps Hitler was the best commander the Allies had. :)
It failed miserably but where is the fun of that in a game? So, I made the 4 German divisions stronger than they were in real life and the US air force and RAF weaker. That way the attack, when it comes, seems intimidating but remember, the AI is your friend and it will not mount a coordinated attack. 'Luttich' is fairly easy to contain as Brittany is made open to the oncoming 3rd Army.
This sets the scene for the German disaster of the Falais Pocket...
What a disastrous start to a major operation! It was a tragedy all around with Bradley losing his good friend (and the proponent of the US armored warfare tank destroyer doctrine) Lt.Gen. Lesley McNair - one of 4 of the highest ranking US deaths in WW2. 111 other US soldiers killed and 490 wounded by inaccurate bombing by the Eighth AF. Those pilots and crew must have felt horrible when they found out! One of those tragedies that wars involve. I feel for them and the families of those who died.
Nonetheless, the Panzer Lehr division was devasted by the concentrated carpet bombing that came their way. Estimates vary but something like 70% of equipment lost and 1000 men killed are mentioned. In any case, it was not long after that that they were deemed incapable of combat. Still, they were able to make a credible defense after a couple of days and, together with 17SS PG and 2SS Pz on their flank, held the American onslaught back - for a few days!
The capture of Avranches unhinged the whole German defense in Normandy but Hitler, fresh from his own bombing incident of 20th July, was also unhinged. He decided the best form of defense is attack and if you can't die gloriously in a hopelessly lost cause you should attack! Operation 'Luttich' was folly from inception and disaster in execution. It's worth reading about for its military craziness and left me thinking perhaps Hitler was the best commander the Allies had. :)
It failed miserably but where is the fun of that in a game? So, I made the 4 German divisions stronger than they were in real life and the US air force and RAF weaker. That way the attack, when it comes, seems intimidating but remember, the AI is your friend and it will not mount a coordinated attack. 'Luttich' is fairly easy to contain as Brittany is made open to the oncoming 3rd Army.
This sets the scene for the German disaster of the Falais Pocket...
Sunday 13 May 2012
CHERBOURG
A difficult scenario to make interesting because the Germans were so weak. The main interest in this scenario is the Fort du Roule, which was a multi-level beast of a structure. The US soldiers were able to take out the top level but took ages to get to the big guns on the lower levels. Due to its position on a hill commanding most of Cherbourg it continued to be an issue for a long time after it was initially attacked. This can't easily be replicated in PzC so I created a custom unit for the fort and made it fairly tough. Engineers will still be able to knock it out more easily than in reality.
The city and port of Cherbourg are done on a large scale with prestige bonuses for the hospital (rescuing US POWs) and finding the German commander huddled in a cellar!
Some naval action comes later with the arrival of USSs Nevada, Texas and Arkansas.
A fairly easy scenario with the time limit the only real problem for a DV.
A difficult scenario to make interesting because the Germans were so weak. The main interest in this scenario is the Fort du Roule, which was a multi-level beast of a structure. The US soldiers were able to take out the top level but took ages to get to the big guns on the lower levels. Due to its position on a hill commanding most of Cherbourg it continued to be an issue for a long time after it was initially attacked. This can't easily be replicated in PzC so I created a custom unit for the fort and made it fairly tough. Engineers will still be able to knock it out more easily than in reality.
The city and port of Cherbourg are done on a large scale with prestige bonuses for the hospital (rescuing US POWs) and finding the German commander huddled in a cellar!
Some naval action comes later with the arrival of USSs Nevada, Texas and Arkansas.
A fairly easy scenario with the time limit the only real problem for a DV.
ARGENTAN/FALAISE POCKET
This scenario focuses on the closing of the Falaise Gap by the Canadians and Poles. Because it is a US campaign, I have taken an a-historical approach with their involvement. By the time the scenario starts the US XV Corps and others were in striking distance of closing the Pocket but Bradley chose to halt them around Argentan - partly due to supply reasons but also to avoid friendly fire incidents as the British advanced from the north. This allowed a huge number of Germans to escape that would go on to reform in Belgium and German in coming months.
To make the US player's involvement more significant I have assumed Bradley will give Patton his head with the XV Corps and continue to attack. This makes it much more interesting!
I had no idea so many SS divisions were involved in this battle - 1SS LSSAH, 12SS Hitlerjugend and 10SS Frundsberg were all in danger of being trapped; while 2SS Das Reich and 9SS Hohenstaufen mounted a counter attack from outside the pocket to keep the gap open. It was a huge catastrophe for the Germans and largely due to Hitler's insistence on mounting the Mortain Offensive 'Luttich' earlier. I am beginning to believe Hitler was the Allies' best general! :)
Eisenhower's words about what he witnessed on a tour of the battlefield two days later are sobering.
Scenario design
This scenario made me more frustrated with the AI than any other but I did learn a lot about it (just in time for it to change when AK comes out!) I wanted there to be a general, phased retreat but it's not simple to set that up. I tested and tested what the AI would do with AI triggers (Default, Defender, Attacker, Hold Position) and individual settings. It's fascinating and frustrating at the same time.
For example, I set the 9SS and 2SS to launch their counterattacks but I wanted them to not be on the map until certain conditions had been met. I could get that to work AOK but I couldn't get them to go anywhere! Set them to Attacker or anything and they just stayed put. And then I noticed something - they were 'circling the wagons' around the AA and artillery units they had. What if I take away the AA and artillery, I thought to myself. Sure enough, without the comfort blanket of these the SS divisions began to do what they were supposed to do - attack! Good lesson to learn.
So I wanted one of the victory conditions to be dependent on how many German units escaped. How to do that without exposing them to US fire at the map edge? I constructed the map to have an area in the east clustered around a number of objectives set just off the map edge. The German units set to Defender marched toward them. To prevent the player being able to attack these escapees I created a very tough unit without an icon and placed them along a straight line - so as far as the player is concerned they have a force field in front of them!
The escaping units are weak - 2 strength each - and can be attacked and destroyed easily before they reach the escape hexes. However, doing so will use ammo, of course, and may also distract the player from the coming SS counter attack. It's up to the player...
This scenario focuses on the closing of the Falaise Gap by the Canadians and Poles. Because it is a US campaign, I have taken an a-historical approach with their involvement. By the time the scenario starts the US XV Corps and others were in striking distance of closing the Pocket but Bradley chose to halt them around Argentan - partly due to supply reasons but also to avoid friendly fire incidents as the British advanced from the north. This allowed a huge number of Germans to escape that would go on to reform in Belgium and German in coming months.
To make the US player's involvement more significant I have assumed Bradley will give Patton his head with the XV Corps and continue to attack. This makes it much more interesting!
I had no idea so many SS divisions were involved in this battle - 1SS LSSAH, 12SS Hitlerjugend and 10SS Frundsberg were all in danger of being trapped; while 2SS Das Reich and 9SS Hohenstaufen mounted a counter attack from outside the pocket to keep the gap open. It was a huge catastrophe for the Germans and largely due to Hitler's insistence on mounting the Mortain Offensive 'Luttich' earlier. I am beginning to believe Hitler was the Allies' best general! :)
Eisenhower's words about what he witnessed on a tour of the battlefield two days later are sobering.
Scenario design
This scenario made me more frustrated with the AI than any other but I did learn a lot about it (just in time for it to change when AK comes out!) I wanted there to be a general, phased retreat but it's not simple to set that up. I tested and tested what the AI would do with AI triggers (Default, Defender, Attacker, Hold Position) and individual settings. It's fascinating and frustrating at the same time.
For example, I set the 9SS and 2SS to launch their counterattacks but I wanted them to not be on the map until certain conditions had been met. I could get that to work AOK but I couldn't get them to go anywhere! Set them to Attacker or anything and they just stayed put. And then I noticed something - they were 'circling the wagons' around the AA and artillery units they had. What if I take away the AA and artillery, I thought to myself. Sure enough, without the comfort blanket of these the SS divisions began to do what they were supposed to do - attack! Good lesson to learn.
So I wanted one of the victory conditions to be dependent on how many German units escaped. How to do that without exposing them to US fire at the map edge? I constructed the map to have an area in the east clustered around a number of objectives set just off the map edge. The German units set to Defender marched toward them. To prevent the player being able to attack these escapees I created a very tough unit without an icon and placed them along a straight line - so as far as the player is concerned they have a force field in front of them!
The escaping units are weak - 2 strength each - and can be attacked and destroyed easily before they reach the escape hexes. However, doing so will use ammo, of course, and may also distract the player from the coming SS counter attack. It's up to the player...
D-DAY
I really hope I have captured some of the atmosphere of this battle. Highlights (if that is the right word) that I wanted to include:
The 17SS PG counterattack is fearsome but manageable. The 101 and 82 do a creditable job behind the lines but will suffer losses. The rangers are just brilliant taking out the big guns! Considering how they suffered enormous casualties at Anzio they deserve some kudos! Besides, they are the unit in SPR.
In a slightly unhistorical twist, the landings at Utah are much harder than in reality. It will not be easy to get off the beach there and the German gun emplacements tend to rain hell down until taken out.
I really hope I have captured some of the atmosphere of this battle. Highlights (if that is the right word) that I wanted to include:
- the carnage of Omaha Beach
- the raid of the Rangers on the cliffs to the west of Omaha
- the counter attack of the 17SS Panzergrenadiers at Carentan
- the dangerous airborne landings
- Hedgehogs on the beaches
- concrete bunkers - think SPR
- airborne transports with a MV of zero. that way they drop in different locations each time the scenario is played and can't be used to go too far inland by the player, which would be totally unhistorical!
- beach tiles
The 17SS PG counterattack is fearsome but manageable. The 101 and 82 do a creditable job behind the lines but will suffer losses. The rangers are just brilliant taking out the big guns! Considering how they suffered enormous casualties at Anzio they deserve some kudos! Besides, they are the unit in SPR.
In a slightly unhistorical twist, the landings at Utah are much harder than in reality. It will not be easy to get off the beach there and the German gun emplacements tend to rain hell down until taken out.
METZ
This is a hard scenario to make challenging for the player because the US had overwhelming material superiority, an almost inexhaustible supply of men (some of whom were not experienced, however), command of the air, and the Allies' most audacious general in Patton.
What they didn't have command of were the elements. The roads turned to mud, the supplies were harder to get through and the Moselle River threatened to flood the whole valley and in places did break its banks. Snow flurries were beginning to fall.
So, for this scenario, I chose to use the elements to slow the US player down a bit - oh, and the 17SS Panzergrenadier Division, which was in the area. The Moselle is now a major river requiring bridging engineers to cross, the weather has a decent chance of rain and mud and the enemy is well dug in. The fortresses around Metz are tough but not nearly as tough as in real life. I watched the following video on Youtube and Fort Dinant and For Jean d'Arc were much tougher than in this scenario but I didn't want them to be the focus.
Battle of Metz (Parts 1-3) on Youtube
The 17SS PG has become the player's nemesis in the campaign - they were at Carentan in the D-Day scenario, adjacent to the 2SS Das Reich at Cobra, and now forming the major enemy at Metz. They'll appear again around Nuremberg in the final Germany scenario, too. Tough mudders!
This is a hard scenario to make challenging for the player because the US had overwhelming material superiority, an almost inexhaustible supply of men (some of whom were not experienced, however), command of the air, and the Allies' most audacious general in Patton.
What they didn't have command of were the elements. The roads turned to mud, the supplies were harder to get through and the Moselle River threatened to flood the whole valley and in places did break its banks. Snow flurries were beginning to fall.
So, for this scenario, I chose to use the elements to slow the US player down a bit - oh, and the 17SS Panzergrenadier Division, which was in the area. The Moselle is now a major river requiring bridging engineers to cross, the weather has a decent chance of rain and mud and the enemy is well dug in. The fortresses around Metz are tough but not nearly as tough as in real life. I watched the following video on Youtube and Fort Dinant and For Jean d'Arc were much tougher than in this scenario but I didn't want them to be the focus.
Battle of Metz (Parts 1-3) on Youtube
The 17SS PG has become the player's nemesis in the campaign - they were at Carentan in the D-Day scenario, adjacent to the 2SS Das Reich at Cobra, and now forming the major enemy at Metz. They'll appear again around Nuremberg in the final Germany scenario, too. Tough mudders!
BRIEFINGS
There is now a map of the combat area relative to the strategic position of the US at the time. The following is a composite image taken from the Avalanche intro briefing.
There are 5 sections to each briefing. Sometimes a 6th is added for even more specific information.
There is now a map of the combat area relative to the strategic position of the US at the time. The following is a composite image taken from the Avalanche intro briefing.
- Title: scenario name, date (dd-mm-yyyy)
- Strategic map
- Historical context for the battle
- Introduction - the standard "Come in, general..." sort of thing
- Specific information: victory conditions, things to look out for, warnings, potential captured equipment etc.
CAMPAIGN TREE
The campaign was originally going to be in two parts - Africa, using the DMP tiles and unit camouflage that they generously permitted, and Europe, using the standard tiles and units. With the imminent release of PzC AK I have decided to hold off on the NA scenarios until I can create them in the AK expansion. So now, the campaign is still split in 2 but they are Africa and Europe together and Red Dawn as a separate campaign.
This also better because it separates out the historical campaign from the hypothetical Red Dawn.
Campaign tree
SCENARIO PROGRESS REPORT:
North Africa
These will be done when the Afrika Korps expansion is released. Until then I will only do some preliminary historical research and maps.
Italy
The Italian campaign is complete apart from some tweaking or changes that may need to be done once the Afrika Korps expansion, with its AI changes, is released.
Red Dawn will be created as a separate campaign linked using the campaign linking technique used in the DLCs. It will only be available as a choice if the player gets a DV at Germany or Italy.
The campaign was originally going to be in two parts - Africa, using the DMP tiles and unit camouflage that they generously permitted, and Europe, using the standard tiles and units. With the imminent release of PzC AK I have decided to hold off on the NA scenarios until I can create them in the AK expansion. So now, the campaign is still split in 2 but they are Africa and Europe together and Red Dawn as a separate campaign.
This also better because it separates out the historical campaign from the hypothetical Red Dawn.
Campaign tree
SCENARIO PROGRESS REPORT:
North Africa
These will be done when the Afrika Korps expansion is released. Until then I will only do some preliminary historical research and maps.
- Torch - done
- Kasserine - done
- Tunisia - done
- Sicily - done
Italy
The Italian campaign is complete apart from some tweaking or changes that may need to be done once the Afrika Korps expansion, with its AI changes, is released.
- Avalanche (Salerno) - Done
- Anzio - Done
- Anzio Breakout ('Diadem') - Done
- Gothic Line - Done
- Italy - Done
- Dragoon/Anvil - Done
- D-Day - Done
- Cherbourg - Done
- Cobra - Done
- Argentan/Falaise - Done
- Metz - Done
- Nordwind - done
- Bulge - done
- Germany - 90% final testing
Red Dawn will be created as a separate campaign linked using the campaign linking technique used in the DLCs. It will only be available as a choice if the player gets a DV at Germany or Italy.
- Jail Break - 70% (review)
- Unleash the Bear - 70% (review)
- Hungary - 70% (review)
- Warsaw - 70% (review)
- Kiev (MV) - 70% (review)
- Kiev (DV) - 70% (review)
- France - 70% (review)
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