Campaign 1939

Steelslayer · Post by **Steelslayer** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:39 pm

Poland:
Difficulty: Normal
Purchased: SP Arty, Pioneer, Pz38ta

The survivability and toughness of units at times, on both sides was impressive. I was able to take some measured risks and they paid off. Once you get the hang of the game engine, one can really fly through the turns towards meeting objectives the ease and similiarity to PZGen certainly helps. I would like to see supply numbers put in red as they get low, as I was caught a number of times with either no fuel or no ammo. This of course was my fault in managing, but it would be a nice addition as a helpful reminder. The replacements system and prestige is very good, it allows a real element of aggression to be put in place as in most cases, replacing losses with even elite replacements does not drain prestige to ridiculously low levels as in PZGen-this coupled wwith my point about survivability is excellent, as losing core units is an awful situation.

I anticipate a more difficult path ahead, but i will comment on the merits of this game for what it is. This will appeal to a wider audience of more casual wargamers, and if this is the intent, which I think it is, then this is shaping up very well. At this point in my life, and for a number of people I know who also have families, kids and would sit down for smaller periods of time to play a campaign and see progression without getting a micromanagement headache etc this should be popular. Also what are the in supply/out of supply effects-or do they exist? [/b]

Steelslayer · Post by **Steelslayer** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:40 pm

Sorry

Outcome of this first scenario in the campaign:

Decisive Victory

No Lost Units

uran21 · Post by **uran21** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:34 pm

Steelslayer wrote:Also what are the in supply/out of supply effects-or do they exist?

Enemy units adjacent to yours will disrupt supply with exception if being in city than it takes tree enemy units to disrupt supply totally.

Steelslayer · Post by **Steelslayer** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:09 pm

Does any enemy unit disrupt supply (ie Arm and Inf)? If a unit or group of units is encircled, and are not in a city, are they completely cut off and cannot be resupplied? Does this have any effect on combat results or morale towards being suppressed etc?

uran21 · Post by **uran21** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:19 pm

Supply lines are not included in game rules. So you do not have real encirclements and cutting of supply.
So there are effects on supply but rules are simplified compared to having supply lines.

Steelslayer · Post by **Steelslayer** » Mon May 02, 2011 11:54 pm

away for the weekend, so I just Finished Norway monday night. Very tough, just like PZ gen, key is to get a Naval Bomber. I just used the rail movement for the first time in this scenario--nice addition I am sure with larger maps and moving large numbers of troops this will be an important element. Still have only good things to say.

Would like to see that INF that shows whether it has transport on a unit icon, or the unit menu
Again red numbers for low ammo, low fuel
indicate also that 'unit has fired'

Steelslayer · Post by **Steelslayer** » Tue May 03, 2011 7:17 pm

Finished the Sedan map

Took the very classic german attack route at Sedan, broke through and moved to quickly capture undefended key objectives while turning north to the channel ports. Liege fell last.

Decisive victory

Once I broke through at sedan, the map "got very small" as I moved very quickly across the french countryside in 2 -3 turns and reach all coastal objectives.

It really has helped me that I was playing the original Pz Gen game before i started this. I must say that in some ways the resemblance is maybe too much. I love the game, but sometimes it seems like i am playing a retooled, prettier version

Question:

Is the capacity going to be in place to delete a core unit and put the prestige back into the force pool, also freeing up that spot. I have the strategic /naval bomber (used in Norway) and would love to get rid of it here in france

Steelslayer · Post by **Steelslayer** » Wed May 04, 2011 3:37 pm

Finished off France 2 (Paris)

Decisive Victory

Allies seem to run out of units and prestige. Last 3-4 objectives captured as empty cities. Last one captured was by a major rail movement. Perhaps this option should not be allowed if the city is not under friendly control--?

On to Sealion

Steelslayer · Post by **Steelslayer** » Thu May 05, 2011 12:25 pm

Sea Lion

Squeeked out a marginal victory on the last turn.

Weather seemed to be the biggest enemy here. Is the weather random or historical? If anything I would hope that it could be random to give each play a different look.

Steelslayer · Post by **Steelslayer** » Fri May 06, 2011 2:19 am

is anyone contributing to this forum?

oh well.....

will start against the russian hordes and barbarossa tomorrow

game is still playing well if anyone is out there

Post by **IainMcNeil** » Fri May 06, 2011 8:45 am

The new batch of testers has not really taken off so far. We're going to add in a bunch more next Tuesday to hopefully liven things up!

Steelslayer · Post by **Steelslayer** » Fri May 06, 2011 12:40 pm

That's great...

i have enjoyed the opportunity and hope that I have helped in some ways.

Steelslayer · Post by **Steelslayer** » Fri May 06, 2011 3:40 pm

Finished barbarrossa with Decisive vic

chose the kiev cauldron gambit over early moscow.

Colours need to be brighter, especially on strategic map

also, units that are chosen, and highlighted with the white square/box need to be centered on the screen

sullafelix · Post by **sullafelix** » Fri May 06, 2011 4:56 pm

I'm not sure exactly what is wanted from us new beta testers.

The game is so much like PG that it's pretty much if you loved PG you'll love this one. There really doesn't seem to be that much different at all.

Granted it is faster a bit prettier and it runs on newer OSs. But beyond that not much.

I have all three of the originals and fired the first one up after I played some of PC and I was a bit taken aback that besides the above it is the same game.

It's a bit like the Combat Mission series if you liked it before you will buy CM Normandy and if you didn't like it you'll stay away.

The really good thing about this game is it might just do what PG did and bring a lot of new meat into the wargaming niche. Many people have told me they cut their teeth on PG.

Steelslayer · Post by **Steelslayer** » Fri May 06, 2011 5:37 pm

I agree with what you are saying Antony. In many ways, i was hoping for some new maps, perhaps more maps in Poland, or france. There are marked improvements over the original series, but again is this supposed to be a prettier version of PZ General?

tonywkim · Post by **tonywkim** » Sat May 07, 2011 6:01 am

Steelslayer wrote:Finished off France 2 (Paris)

Decisive Victory

Allies seem to run out of units and prestige. Last 3-4 objectives captured as empty cities. Last one captured was by a major rail movement. Perhaps this option should not be allowed if the city is not under friendly control--?

On to Sealion

Wow. I tried France three times. Lost. France seems to have a TON of aircraft. Also what are the objectives? Where can I find out what the victory conditions are?

Steelslayer · Post by **Steelslayer** » Sat May 07, 2011 12:31 pm

tonywkim wrote:
Steelslayer wrote:Finished off France 2 (Paris)

Wow. I tried France three times. Lost. France seems to have a TON of aircraft. Also what are the objectives? Where can I find out what the victory conditions are?

If there is one thing about PZ Gen and this game---you must maintain air superiority at all costs. Upgrade Me109e's to f's for increased range, and never use normal replacements. If you lose air supr, probably by spending too much on ground forces, those ground forces that you paid dearly for, will be decimated by enemy air power. At the beginning of a scen, keep artillery and mounted INF behind your main axis of advance until you have achieved AirS, position fighters over them and try to group those vulnerable ground forces around the fighter as they will benefit from the fighter's air cover in the adjacent hexes.

regarding Vic Cond==right now in beta there is no indication of what turn you must capture all primary obj, the rule of thumb---the quicker, the better always. During periods where your forces might be bottle-necked due to a heavily entrenched enemy or a road, bridge/river crossing, resupply so that all your forces are relatively equally replenished. The reason for this is that you need all of them to be able to shoot and destroy the units around an objective. In other words, if you attack an objective and you have your "overwhelming" forces ready to hit them, it is no good if half of them are out of ammo or cannot move due to fuel shortage, then the ememy will be able to resupply/replace losses

Steelslayer · Post by **Steelslayer** » Sat May 07, 2011 12:39 pm

Some other observations for developers:

please indicate with a different colour non-core units

I have two camps running now:

camp A running the Kiev gambit--achieved a dec vic, which has brought me to moscow

Camp B running the early moscow (choice taken instead of Kiev)

I will probably run both at the same time, but may just lean on the kiev one. Regarding that scen--its a fun one. All my units have great experience and cut through the map quickly and efficiently.

Forces: All tanks are Mark VF's, 3 pionere, 1 bridge, 1mtn, 2 HW., 2 K15 arty, 1 rkt arty, 1 strmpnzr self prop, 4 fighters, 1 dual purpose, 3 stuka R's

sullafelix · Post by **sullafelix** » Sat May 07, 2011 8:57 pm

So Allied airpower in 1939-1941 when it was useless against land units is just as powerful as the Luftwaffe during that period?

So the " gamey " elements of PG are also here in spades.

That is not a deal breaker for most people but I was looking for more of a historical PG.

Steelslayer · Post by **Steelslayer** » Sat May 07, 2011 10:19 pm

i think you have to remember two important elements.

Firstly, that Allied air power during the French Campaign was comparable, perhaps even numerically superior to the luftwaffe-the difference is they did not use it as effectively. For example, French airpower was largely 'held back' to defend against strategic bombing of French cities. The german air campaigns (largely in the realm of terror bombing against poland put real fear into the french high command, or more importantly its civilian government. In France however, they did not do this, instead the Germans used excellent, and heavy CAP missions, and then also co-ordinated with ground based luftwaffe officers travelling close to the front with the german advance to ensure that other ground based 'difficult' targets were attacked to ensure a rapid advance-the true beginnings of Combined Arms.

Secondly, the scenarios will, for the most part be 'what if scenarios'. In order to Sealion to occur, the Germans needed Air Sup above the channel and their landing zones, i think the developers have assummed that it was achieved The truth in "some much owed by some many to so few" is largely a myth. The British were indeeed not as undermanned agianst the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain thanx to a great logistics and organizational feat pulled of by RAF command starting after 1935. The Germans did not have the necessary fighter range, and did not continue as they should have with continued attacks against logistics and org of the RAF, rather switching to civilian targets at the precise moment that the RAF was possibly 'on their knees' giving them time to recover and ensure victory. The Germans rather stupidly decided to strategic bomb with planes that were smaller tactical bombers, even using Stukas to do missions that they were not designed to do. Consider by a visual check of the differences in the bombers that the germans used against britain in 1940 and those used by the Allies from 1943-45 as they are much larger, can fly farther and carry much bigger payloads.