New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

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bru888
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by bru888 »

ColonelY wrote: Thu Jun 25, 2020 10:04 am 1. Sec obj “Destroy 12 pillboxes with flamethrowers” -> text: “[…]Get 50 specialisation points each for U.S. Army and Marines.” :shock:
Nope, that’s of course 50 RPs each! :wink:
(According to the triggers as well where it’s about “Add Ressources” instead of “Add Specialisation Point”. By the way, otherwise it would be too much…)
Fixed. I'll say it would be too much! One of the challenges of a short campaign like this one is how to allocate and distribute specialisations and specialisation points across the span of the campaign. I think the way I have it suffices but certainly, throwing 50 more specialisation points into the mix would gum up the works! It was the text that was wrong; the trigger does award resource points.

By the way - new page. There are a bunch of response posts at the end of the previous page; please don't overlook them.
- Bru
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by bru888 »

ColonelY wrote: Thu Jun 25, 2020 10:04 am 2. During deployment phase, I don’t know why but I can see (despite the fog of war!) the 4 Infantry units of the “Highland forces”:? and since they are not all side by side, we know that there are (most likely) other units with them... :wink: That may be problematic because it may spoil a little the nice mission to recon the Highland, if the player takes a look at the map before or while deploying troops. :(
Well, I'll be darned. This could be one of these moments when I sigh and ask myself, "Why do I spend so much time with this godforsaken game?!?" :( :x ( :wink: )

Sure enough; no matter where the 12 units of the Highland Forces randomly appear (at one of four sectors), these four Banzai Infantry units appear in the fog of war, giving away their location. Only them, not the other eight units. What is it about them that is different?

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I am running out of time just at the moment; I may upload the next version without this issue being resolved until I can investigate it further . . .
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by bru888 »

bru888 wrote: Thu Jun 25, 2020 4:29 pm I am running out of time just at the moment; I may upload the next version without this issue being resolved until I can investigate it further . . .
Bah. This is one of those mysteries of OOB that will remain forever undecipherable. There is no discernible difference between Banzai Marines, which remain hidden in FOW (wrong - see below), and Banzai Infantry which apparently do not:

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Rather than hitting my head against the proverbial brick wall, I merely swapped out the Banzai Infantry units for regular infantry. Now, blissful obscurity has returned:

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Here they are, in this instance, at Sector 2 with FOW lifted:

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So, yes, I have uploaded version 0.92 with this change.
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by bru888 »

Crap. I was wrong in what I just said about Banzai Marines. They, too, are visible from the start despite FOW. I will have to fix this, too. It must be something to do with the "Banzai" trait.

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This will have to wait until version 0.93, however. Husband duties must be performed at this time. No, it's not what just popped into your naughty minds; rather, doctor visit accompaniment, followed by brief shopping forays with masks in place. See you guys later.
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ColonelY
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by ColonelY »

bru888 wrote: Thu Jun 25, 2020 3:29 pm [...] By the way, did you catch the extra supply ship, "Chartreuse Auxiliary," which can be used to support either beach? :)
Yeah, I did catch it. :D And from that name, I think this ship may be a Frenchie ship... :wink:
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by ColonelY »

bru888 wrote: Thu Jun 25, 2020 4:56 pm Crap. [...] about Banzai Marines. They, too, are visible from the start despite FOW. I will have to fix this, too. It must be something to do with the "Banzai" trait. [...]
:idea: Well, maybe spawning them JUST AFTER the deployment may solve this issue? :wink:
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by bru888 »

ColonelY wrote: Thu Jun 25, 2020 8:37 pm
bru888 wrote: Thu Jun 25, 2020 4:56 pm Crap. [...] about Banzai Marines. They, too, are visible from the start despite FOW. I will have to fix this, too. It must be something to do with the "Banzai" trait. [...]
:idea: Well, maybe spawning them JUST AFTER the deployment may solve this issue? :wink:
No, they should work as designed and, as we both discovered, the Banzai versions of marines and infantry defy the laws of FOW. For whatever the reason is, at least both of us seeing this confirms that it's not our game installations or computers; it's a fluke. The reason I am saying this is because I just looked ahead at Jacquinot Bay which also has Banzai Marines in it and those are hidden in the FOW whether in jungle or in open terrain! Jacquinot Bay is a brand new scenario whereas the others have been redeveloped from scenarios that Erik created long ago. Who knows? (Wrong assumption; it does happen in Jacquinot Bay - see below.)

The answer will be to remove all Banzai units from this campaign (they're still in Cape Gloucester and Jacquinot Bay) just to be sure. Using the Banzai versions doesn't really matter in any of the scenarios, so using regular infantry (and marines for jungle locations) will work just fine.

I will get to that tomorrow, in version 0.93. Also, Erik, I wanted to review and respond to what you said about initial deployment and supply in Jacquinot Bay. I designed it so that the player would bring in his forces in waves (first three turns, I believe) and would need to conquer a nearby supply point or two as he did so but perhaps I cut it too finely? Rather than bringing in another supply ship, I would raise the supply in the one village that the Australians own in the beginning because the bay gets a bit crowded at one point. We'll see.
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by bru888 »

bru888 wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 12:20 amThe reason I am saying this is because I just looked ahead at Jacquinot Bay which also has Banzai Marines in it and those are hidden in the FOW whether in jungle or in open terrain! Jacquinot Bay is a brand new scenario whereas the others have been redeveloped from scenarios that Erik created long ago. Who knows?
Here is a quick test. Regular Japanese infantry east and west, Banzai units north and south:

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Either way, it does not matter. No Japanese unit is visible in the FOW:

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The problem shows up only in the Deployment Phase as these images from Cape Gloucester show:

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And it happens in Jacquinot Bay, contrary to what I said earlier. It's not as noticeable because in that scenario, the player moves first as opposed to the other three scenarios, but they do "flash" by during the Deployment Phase. When I flipped the turn order in a test, here they are although they are hard to see in this image:

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No matter. I will fix it all tomorrow when I am fresh. As I said before, all Banzai units will be replaced with regular units with no loss of quality to the scenarios. Whether it is something generic, having to do with the Banzai trait and the Deployment Phase, will remain moot.
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by bru888 »

bru888 wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 12:45 amWhether it is something generic, having to do with the Banzai trait and the Deployment Phase, will remain moot.
Unless, of course, someone in authority happens to stumble across these posts and cares to take a look. For, here is that same test but this time with a Deployment Phase included. The regular Japanese units remain hidden but the Banzai units are now exposed during the Deployment Phase (look closely):

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Banzai Units FOW Deployment Phase Test
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by Navman2854 »

ARAWE: Good scenario, pretty intense, not a walk in the park for sure. Tried multiple times to save the Arawe East transport, no can do. Any of the testers able to? Sure would like to know how. Got a minor victory, there was a last unit somewhere :? All pillboxes killed by engineers so no snipers should have been spawned. I spent a few extra turns looking for that last unit, never did find it.
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

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Navman2854 wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 1:30 pm ARAWE: Good scenario, pretty intense, not a walk in the park for sure. Tried multiple times to save the Arawe East transport, no can do. Any of the testers able to? Sure would like to know how. Got a minor victory, there was a last unit somewhere :? All pillboxes killed by engineers so no snipers should have been spawned. I spent a few extra turns looking for that last unit, never did find it.
Just for interest's sake, reload your last auto save and do a #orbitalcommand if you want to alleviate your curiosity.
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by bru888 »

Version 0.93 has been uploaded.

- All Banzai units have been removed and replaced with regular infantry and marines as applicable in every scenario.
- In Talasea, the 40th Division announcement message has been edited slightly and an arrival message has been included as follows:

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- In Jacquinot Bay, it is intended that the player cannot deploy all of his forces in the first turn. Initial deployment hexes persist through turn 3. However, there may not have been sufficient supply, so Cutarp, the village within the Australian beachhead, has been increased from 25 to 60 (it is a supply base after all, as opposed to villages). This still means the player must take the two nearby supply hexes to allow for full deployment, however:

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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by Mascarenhas »

Here we go again!
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

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Mascarenhas wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:40 pm Here we go again!
ATTAAACCKK! Or, DEEEFFENNDD! as the case may be. :)
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by Mascarenhas »

Well, Arawe, second attempt, everything fine, no problems, except those inherent of the game, i.e, to beat the Japs. Now, to Gloucester Cape!
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by ColonelY »

04JacquinotBay: 8)

Another excellent scenario with great content (including several kamikaze actions!) and immersive events! Wonderful! :D


Time for another feedback, right?

First, I'm going to bounce back on what's been written:
Erik2 wrote: Wed Jun 24, 2020 5:35 pm First impressions. [...]

Just curious, did you test the Australian Commando unit type before you selected the Gurkhas? Or the Marine Scouts before settling on the Partisans?

There are some core and some non-core scouts with identical unit names. Any specific purpose?

Jungle Lurker, that is a good one.

The engineer message appear after every purchase. Maybe restrict it to the first one if possible? [...]
All right, then, in order:

1. About units, I would vote for not to change them. Indeed, Gurkhas can at least capture some ground (and are excellent units too for this kind of terrain with jungles/moutains). And Marine Scouts can't take a single shot, if I'm not mistaken, whereas Partisans can help cleaning some depleted Japs here and there... :wink:

2. Yes, there are "duplicates"... :o It comes from the fact that all Partisans during the previous scenario have been put as core. This should indeed be changed! :wink:
As "proof", we find in our reserve the famous "AIB Contact" and the 8 different Scouts... (In this scenario, there are 6 "AIB Scouts" units!)

3. Agreed about the Jungle Lurker :D and about the engineer message :? .


Then, some other points:

1. We don't need the US RPs anymore... :idea: So, one could remove all of them (a "#warbonds -1000", or the equivalent in terms of triggers, shall do the trick! :wink: ), transfer about 20% from the US to the Australians (to still reward us for being thrifty), maybe together with an event at the commencement (an event similar to the campaign event "Handover", or something, but saying few words about this RP affair).

2. Our "Supply Ship" is already experienced? :o Not sure at all whether it's useful or not... (later, I've sent this supply ship as "bait" together with the destroyer :lol: )

3. I've had a little issue with (only) one of the "AIB Scouts" refusing to exit the map... Well, this unit has moved a little, participated a little as well in some fights... I guess any one of these 6 units can exit through any one of these 6 exit points, so I don't understand this but it may be some sort of OoB mystery... As "safety", in case it appears again later for some reason, what about changing this obj to exit maybe at least 4 or 5 to these units instead of all 6? :idea: Like this, as well, one could keep a little extra unit with us OR allow us to lose one in unlucky fights or unwise exploration moves. :wink:


:arrow: This campaign is excellent, although it is "short" in terms of number of scenarios, it is certainly not "short" in terms of depth of content or number of turns, and these maps are rather large overall! :D

Great work, thanks, keep up the good work! :D
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by bru888 »

ColonelY wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2020 12:40 pm 1. About units, I would vote for not to change them. Indeed, Gurkhas can at least capture some ground (and are excellent units too for this kind of terrain with jungles/moutains). And Marine Scouts can't take a single shot, if I'm not mistaken, whereas Partisans can help cleaning some depleted Japs here and there... :wink:
The Gurkhas will remain. One of the reasons I chose them, beside their guerrilla trait (impervious to jungle) is that their hats resemble what Australian soldiers wore!
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by Navman2854 »

Quick question. For Cape Gloucester scen, do I have to deploy all land forces at sea before Turn 1 or can I hold some back?
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by ColonelY »

Well, first don't forget that some of your forces must defend the sector Arawe and its airfield... mainly those from the 112th Cavalry RCT. :wink:

About the other forces, the point is that if you don't deploy all the remaining forces directly at sea, you may (I'm not completely sure!) have to wait until you've taken some villages and until the flags have changed (several turns to raise flags!) to be able to deploy them on land. And what if you do need these units on the battlefield? You don't exactly know what to expect, apart of course a bunch of Japs. :lol:

Let's consider the other option: if the sea deploy hexes remain for several turns... they are quite far from the coast, actually (it's normal, having seen the incoming action). So if, when you want/need them, they have to travel all the way to the coast(s)... that's again several turns "lost" for this purpose! :|


So, yes, you can hold some back if you (really) will.

:arrow: In my opinion, therefore, it is not obligatory to deploy all from start, but rather advisable (anyway, you can, so why not?)... 8)

I think it's better to try keeping some margin of maneuver, some tactical flexibility... and that's by having the troops not too far away, i.e. at your immediate disposal (or almost)... even if some are kept a few hexes (only) farther, maybe still at sea... :wink:
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Re: New Britain 1943-45 Beta Test

Post by bru888 »

Erik2 wrote: Wed Jun 24, 2020 5:35 pm There are some core and some non-core scouts with identical unit names. Any specific purpose?
ColonelY wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2020 12:40 pm 2. Yes, there are "duplicates"... :o It comes from the fact that all Partisans during the previous scenario have been put as core. This should indeed be changed! :wink:
As "proof", we find in our reserve the famous "AIB Contact" and the 8 different Scouts... (In this scenario, there are 6 "AIB Scouts" units!)
Actually, these duplicate scouts go back to Cape Gloucester. I was wondering, why did I make them core units? Aux units can also be deployed when allowed. Then I remembered: I did not want the player to deploy them; if they are core, then 0 command points prevent them from being deployed until the scenario trigger does it for him.

So then I remembered what I did to remove U.S. core units going into Jacquinot Bay. That was the first time that I ever understood, and used, the "Remove Unit/Remove" effect. This is the second time, in Talasea, to remove those core AIB scout units:

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