AK: Arabia

[VPaulus]

Please post here your comments about this scenario.

[dthomas561]

I LOVED this scenario!!! Basically a search and destroy in the best tank country possible. No city objectives, just run and gun. This has quickly become one of my all time favorites as I have never played a game/scenario that was just destory the army, no city objectives and you're not slogging your way through jungle and muck. GREAT JOB!!!

[karlto]

A real slugfest! The British tanks are really a handful in this scenario. Unlike the previous scenarios, definitively tough enough. Lost a few units in this one...

[Kamerer]

Beta 2 - Arabia

FM level played; DV at 13/22
Prestige Start: 6,500. End: 7,000. Net: +500
Elite replacement to 10, except one or two inexperienced fallshirmjagers.

Tough defensive line up front. Good air game at start, but quickly faded after a few turns; remaining opponent fighters and JaBo’s withdrew and never re-appeared? If they had stayed to fight, it would have made what turned into a route a little bit more even.

Also, the map in this one is plain – but so is the desert! However, Arabia does have a few escarpements that could be inserted to define operational zones and give a little more flavor. it would be nice to see a few of those escarpments inserted to make it slightly more accurate and challenging. These could probably be added easily if it’s not too late. Also they'd give the defenders some unflankable features to make them slightly tougher.

[billmv44]

General level. Beta 3. Starting Prestige 8145, ending 2399. Elite replacements for all units. Upgraded Pz IV Hs to Panther As for the larger fuel capacity. Added an Hs-129.

A tough fight at first, the British had a strong defensive line. It took several turns to break through. Once through, it was a search and destroy mission. The British tanks rarely made any advances. The infantry fled to the south once their supporting units were lost. I'm not sure why the AI did that, infantry in open country is much easier to kill than that in a town. Maybe they are just supposed to survive and not hold ground?

[Kamerer]

Added an Hs-129.

WHAT!?! I kept looking for that the whole campaign; I had seen it in the screen capture released a few weeks ago and posted in the regular forum. Was it not in Beta 2 or was I seriously asleep at the wheel? (I was finishing India as Beta 3 came out so didn't look at that!).

Oh, now I see why I missed it. All my tactical air was SE from awards. And they aren't upgradeable like normal units. So when I looked, I was always looking at the SE panel. I REALLY think SE air units should be able to follow a normal upgrade path if you are going to offer them.

[Razz1]

Beta 3
Colonel
End prestige 404
DV 21/22

[monkspider]

Arabia
General level
DV 16/22
No losses
Ending prestige 156

I really enjoyed this one! It was nice to have a Prokhorovka of the desert type scenario. Like Billmv, I found the intial defensive line to be tough to break through, but after that it was search and destroy. I upgraded my Italian tanks to P-40s, it was nice to finally be kicking butt with my Italian units again. I hated the scenarios in the main game that made you wipe the map of enemy units, it seemed like bad design and seemed unrealistic. Despite my initial bias against this type of scenario though, I really found this one to be a blast.

My one major recommendation is that you give the player a certain amount of prestige per turn since there are so few cities to restore your prestige with and mine was down to super critical levels during most of this battle. I know I just posted in Deducter's thread a while back that per-turn prestige in non-defensive scenarios is usually a bad idea but it makes sense for this one.

-Edit Oh, one other suggestion would be to include more Arabian cities. You have Abu Dhabi and Jeddah but maybe one or two more of the significant ones like Riyadh or Mecca and Medina. Riyadh admittedly was pretty small in these days though.

[uran21]

In Beta 4 no drastic changes only some in timing of movement for enemy force.

[ThvN]

Sorry for my late addition, I got lost in the desert. There is an odd-looking harbour hex at (14,28), see attachment. This scenario works really well, you have to manage your mobile forces well and watch your fuel, airfields are sparse which is nicely frustrating. A bit light on prestige to be earned.

[LostAgain]

Haven't played the scenario yet but noticed that the briefing states that "...enveloping the canal from the Arabia Peninsula..." instead of Arabian Peninsula.

[zappel]

RC2: I was surprised that no gold hex was on this map but because of this objective (destroy all units) they are not necassary. Made fun, I like it. Hit the first time by sandstorms, are they new? Supply during a sandstorm was a waste of time, even less ammo/fuel than during rain.