The Desert War - Preview and development thread

[Boco]

Originally posted by techumseh
Boco, I honestly hadn't considered that. I assume all Brit units are event created, rather than built in cities. Do you think it could change the way the AI uses the Brit units?

Judging from what Eivind says about Allies moving west from Cairo, I'd guess that a combination of MoveUnit commands and a collection of cities in Cyrenaica encourage the migration. Culling some cities shouldn't change that, but wholesale razings might. With my limited knowledge, I'd need to test.

Originally posted by Eivind
Sorry, but what does "burgs" mean?

It's a silly way to say cities (Hamburg, Gettysburg, Viborg, Edinburgh, Edmontonburg).

[fairline]

Edinburg?!

[Boco]

Excuse me...EDinburra. Eivind, dinnae listen to the ned, wi his fancy extra syllabulbuls!

[curtsibling]

Only in Glasgow will you find the true ned...!

Edinburger is too soft to produce them!

[Eivind IV]

Bumping for playtesters. Last chance before I decide the faith of this scenario...

I see 37 downlaods of this beta version, but only 1 single person giving constructive feedback? Why download if you do not intend to help? I'm not demanding help, but if you want scenarios to still appear in 2006 and onwards, then please give feedback.

@Fairline:
Also, Gareth, I hate to nag, but I reckon you've forgotten about my humble request for a 2-pdr, a CV.35 and an Italian para (I'll be cheeky enough to add an italian generic artillery to the wish list as well), as you hinted you'd help with 'in a month', on page 3. According to my calculations that would have been in late September 2005...

I've waited 6 months now, so I can wait more if you're still interested in helping. If not, please tell me so I can do some improvisations myself. No sweat!

[jim panse]

Since I am also guilty of downloading it without having played it for more than a couple of turns I will do so tonight, I promise. And you can take that to the bank, Eivind

[jim panse]

* Maschinengewehr unit - armed with MP38/40;

* Some unit names could be edited;

1st Turn Observations:

* Italian units are crap, most useful for occupying, not combat;

* Mersa Brega, Agedabia (whose garrison has been bombed) re-taken;

* The DAK and the mot. elements of the Italian Army concentrate in Agedabia, the rest of the Italians

is on the road between Agedabia and Mersa Brega;

* a massive Allied counter-attack on Agedabia has been fought off with only 3 PzKw IIIs lost;

* I do not know if having the Bersaglieri treating all terrains as roads is a good idea, consider

their total movement of 12 fields;

From here we go ...

* Artillery on hills are quite hard to knock out with infantry ...;

* Beda Fromm, Soluch, Benghasi, Msus fall on turn 2;

* The main thrust of the Axis attack will advance using inland roads (Msus);

* Forward elements take Mechili, Barce (turn 3) and are in sight of Cyrene;

* Substantial German reinforcements arrive while the DAK takes Tmimi, coming to a halt after three

months of lightning warfare;

* Cyrene has been taken (turn 4), Derna will fall next turn;

---EVENTS CHANGE---

More later

[fairline]

Originally posted by Eivind IV
@Fairline:
Also, Gareth, I hate to nag, but I reckon you've forgotten about my humble request for a 2-pdr, a CV.35 and an Italian para (I'll be cheeky enough to add an italian generic artillery to the wish list as well), as you hinted you'd help with 'in a month', on page 3. According to my calculations that would have been in late September 2005...

I've waited 6 months now, so I can wait more if you're still interested in helping. If not, please tell me so I can do some improvisations myself. No sweat!

Oops, I had completely forgotten. Or maybe a month is a long time in civ...

I'm making Mongols and Chinese at the moment, but I can have a go, er, within a month Keep pestering me to make sure I do!

[Boco]

No catapults at Tobruk!

[jim panse]

* Derna fell to the Axis (turn 5) while German and Italian troops prepare to advance around the

British minefields at Gazala;

* First British air strike against an Italian tank battalion outside Tmimi, Tobruk has been bombed;

* There was no substantial British resistance so far save turn 1;

* In September 1941 the above-mentioned British Wellington squadron was destroyed on the ground in

Gazala while Bir Hakeim fell to the DAK, forward elements of the DAK advance on Gazala;

* All the time new reinforcements for the British enter the theatre - only shame is I did not meet

them yet;

* October 1941, enemy forces strike hard at Gazala but are not able to take the city; a counter-attack

is carried out, an Allied commander has been taken prisoner (the Monty unit has been killed); Axis

forces close in on Sidi Rezegh;

* Btw, you should turn pollution off ;-)

* Sidi Rezegh is now under my control (December 1941), substantial enemy forces have been obliterated;

* Forget what I said about puny enemy resistance, here near Tobruk I am fighting really hard; Sidi

Rezegh has been razed;

---EVENTS CHANGE---

More tomorrow

[jim panse]

Next game ...

The general plan is to advance as fast as possible with the German units to Gazala and break through

to Tobruk near the coast. The Italian units will be used to secure the coast of the Cyrenaika;

General Ideas:

* The mot. Bersaglieri are damn fine recon units;

* Pollution should be turned off;

OPSUM, turn 1.

* Mersa Brega, Agedabia, Beda Fromm, Soluch liberated;

* The DAK is concentrated south of Agedabia to counter any possible counter-attack;

* Enemy reinforcements arrive in Benghazi and start to march South;

OPSUM, turn 2.

* Msus taken, enemies spotted south-east of the city, preparing a counter-attack;

* The enemy counter-attack took place south of Benghazi and was stopped in its tracks;

OPSUM, turn 3.

* The Italian Army secured Benghazi routing all its defending forces save one infantry battalion;

* Italian bombers route a platoon of Matilda tanks south of Msus, clearing the path for the further

advance of the DAK on Mechili;

OPSUM, turn 4.

* Tmimi has been secured, now the vanguard will have to wait until the artillery came along ...;

--- EVENTS CHANGE ---

OPSUM, turn 5.

* Funny enough, some British turned up outside Mersa Brega ... bad timing for last turn I recieved

some artillery pieces;

* Anyhow, after clearing the minefields Axis troops secure Gazala while in the southern sector minor

Axis elements close in on Bir Hakeim. Also, the north-western corner of the fortified area around

Tobruk has been breached allowing German forces to secure the fortress;

* Furthermore, Italian units take Cyrene and Derna, thus eliminating the remaining British strongholds

West of Tobruk;

* A small British counter-attack on Tobruk resulted in the loss of one PzKw IV battalion. Dammit;

OPSUM, turn 6.

* Bir Hakeim was taken, Bersaglieri scout the terrain ahead. In the meantime German units raided a

field airbase in Gambut destroying some grounded RAF planes (why Gambut has no city walls?);

* forward elements take Sidi Rezegh and advance on Fort Capuzzo while reinforcements are en route to

the fighting zones;

OPSUM, turn 7.

* Bardia, Sollum were taken, the advance on Egypt continues;

* As sidekicks, Jarabub and Fort Maddalena have been secured by the Italians;

* A major British counter-attack on Sollum has been stopped in its tracks, their CO (the Monty unit

was killed) has been taken captive. After the initial tank clashes followed by German infantry units

attacking more enemies;

* The tanks have been withdrawn to Sollum to undergo repairs;

OPSUM, turn 8.

* After repairing my units in Sollum Sidi Barrani was attacked facing the bulk of the 8th Army. Damn

them Grants;

* Reinforcements are en route to the fighting area;

--- EVENTS CHANGE ---

OPSUM, turn 9.

* Exhausted and damaged units are withdrawn from the ouskirts of Sidi Barrani to repair at Sollum;

* Gambut finally was again at size 2 and was taken;

--- END OF TEST ---

* Global warming appeared, I had no real chance to oust the British from Sidi Barrani ...

* So far, so good;

All in all the plan was quite useful - until I run into Sidi Barrani - and then this global warming thing ...

[Eivind IV]

Brilliant game report, Steph! Thanks a millions!

I'll definately deal with the global warming thing!

[Eivind IV]

I'd like to hear if anyone actually managed to reach Alexandria. I failed miserably in my try. I came as far as Mersa Matruh, before I realised I needed more supplies. So I made a tactical retreat to Fort Capuzzo, which is on Heights and defend +50%, to wait for reinforcements. This worked well for 2 months, as every unit they threw at me was repelled my my 88s and pz iv's. But now the 7th Armoured came, supported by artillery and countless multinational troops, and busted the defenses open. I had to retreat further back to wait for my promised forces from the Führer.

To sum it up, they chased me all the way back to my starting position, and by December 1942 I lost every single unit I had. Not even Ramckes luftwaffe troops could save my shattered army.

Maybe the AI is too strong? More feedback would be helpful at this point.

[jim panse]

My army is at Sidi Barrani at the moment and I am recuperating and preparing the advance on Marsa Matruh ... I shall tell you what happened after I found it out

[jim panse]

Well, I reached El-Daba 2 turns later. It was a really hard battle to get from Sidi Barrani to Mersa Matruh

I have about 20 units left, a mix of German tanks and Italian paras ...

It is sad that global warming occured.

Anyway, I shall try to get through this last obstacle too