Fritz comes marching!

[McMonkey]

I would like to chip in and agree with Agricola. The scenario is very realistic and imposing a house rules does not seem necessary. Whats the point of making a historical game if you can't change it a little. The rest of the game works very well without house rules so I think you could forget this one. Game play is the key!

My third attempt was going very well. I had adopted the river defence line and scorched earth policy. That was until I lost Frederick in a stupid raid against French artillery west of Hanover. The frustrating thing was that the strategy was working, I just got a bit carried away in the heat of battle!

Tomorrow I will try Plan 4

[Kugelregen]

I was playing with the first fix posted but then ran into the Brit units not being spawned. Next, I started playing with the second fix posted. I didn't get a chance to check if the Brit units spawned, because the Austrians started bribing my units. Anyone else have this problem? Also, the Imperial Generals can be bribed by the Prussian player. I'm assuming this was not intentional? Great scenario otherwise...Warlords and this are the two most intense scenarios I've played in a long time.

[techumseh]

@AGGRICOLA and Werd 100. I'm prepared to modify the rule a little, but not eliminate it, for the reasons I gave above.

In order to protect the remaining Hanoverian cities, and thus future reinforcements, some sort of counter-offensive is needed, which is what these units were provided for historically. However, I take the point that the current restrictions may not allow enough manouvering room. So perhaps the line could be moved east as far as Magdeburg for all British, Hanoverian and Hessian units.

I certainly am not "suggesting that spawned Brit and Hanoverian units stage a really large-scale Charge of the Light Brigade against the fortress and other French units behind the city walls in Hanover?" City walls only handicap attacking cavalry in this scenario, but the fortress unit can be a bit of a problem.

In my game, I moved a couple of light units south from Brunswick into the woods and hills there, and moved the rest NW to link up with the units spawned in Bremen. I sent a howitzer and a couple of grenadiers as reinforcements from Prussia. I then rush built a siege battery in Magdeburg and retook Hanover.

I repeated this at Minden with my next batch of reinforcements and by mid-summer of 1760, had retaken all of the Hanoverian cities. The same feat was accomplished historically by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, so I don't think the scenario is far off the mark.

@Kugelregen - In the first version, I gave the Austrians spy units. Since they bribed cities which included entire armies and the king, I took them away from all AI civs. Since then there is the occasional bribing of unstacked combat units by the AI, which apparently does not need a spy unit. The Imperial General is an oversite. I'll check the bribability of all units. Thanks.

If there are any other errors or oversights people come across in the next week, let me know, and I'll post a final fix next weekend.

ps. Attached is a great 'disorder' graphic I found in Henrik Lohmander's great scenario 'de Historibus Europae' v. 2.2. I neglected to replace the ugly ToT 'fist' graphic when finishing the scenario.

[AGRICOLA]

Originally posted by techumseh
So perhaps the line could be moved east as far as Magdeburg for all British, Hanoverian and Hessian units.

Sounds good. It would allow spawned units to move to Magdeburg, Schwerin and Hamburg. That should be enough choice for everyone. Also, there would be a common demarcation line for units of all three non-Prussian nationalities.

[McMonkey]

Makes sense to me. Look forward to trying it out in Plan 4 tonight. Last time I got Frederick killed on the turn the British reinforcements were due to arrive. Can't remember the last time I was up until the early hours playing a game, takes me back to my Civ glory-days

[Patine]

I just got around to starting my second game. First game me and and the Brits were wiped out after a protracted but steadily failing struggle. This time I'll try a different tactic. BTW, where's the Russian cities; I can't find them on the map. And, I just noticed, incidentally, the lack of naval units. I know the SYW had little naval component (except in the Caribbean), but it just occured to me suddenly; its not jarring, just when something obvious suddenly hiits you.

[techumseh]

Originally posted by Patine
BTW, where's the Russian cities; I can't find them on the map.

Russian cities? There are no Russian cities.

And, I just noticed, incidentally, the lack of naval units.

The Swedish and Russian navies controlled the Baltic, but limited themselves to troop supply and blockade of Prussian trade. The British stayed out of the Baltic, despite Frederick's request that they send a squadron. I decided nothing would be added to the scenario by including naval units.

[AGRICOLA]

QUESTION:

Patine:
BTW, where's the Russian cities; I can't find them on the map.

ANSWER #1:

techumseh:
Russian cities? There are no Russian cities.

ANSWER #2:

Yours truly:
Seek and ye shall find.

[McMonkey]

Just in the middle of my fourth attempt. I am doing a little better this time. I hold all the objectives bar Konigsberg. Prince Henry and Ferdinand (?) are both dead after foolish raids on French artillery. The French are my biggest headache but I should hold out for a while. Hope there are some more reinforcements coming

This is one TOUGH scenario. You have done an excellent job Techumseh.

[McMonkey]

Lost...AGAIN!

I loved the British reinforcements. They really spiced up the game.

The reason I lost this time is the death of Frederick and the loss of Konigsberg which I abandoned early on. One tiny gripe from the point of view of an average player is the vulnerability of Frederick when attacked by Siege Artillery. I try and attack any Siege guns within sight with cavalry but some get through and with one puff of smoke it is game over. This is a bit of a pain as I was trying very hard to keep Freddy out of harms way. He was behind city walls and there was a Fortress in the city (Breslau). I suppose I could go all out and try and liberate Konigsberg but I am not sure how successful I will be.

One thing I would like to see are engineers. I pillaged most of the roads into Prussia but it would be good to rebuild them for counter attacks plus a few strategic forts!

Still a great game, just a bit too tough for me

[AGRICOLA]

@Werd100
Sorry about Freddy.


Here is the Christmas card that Freddy sent to all the courts in Europe in December 1760.

[McMonkey]

Ok maybe Techumseh could make two versions.

1. Normal People version

2. AGRICOLA version



Maybe I will get it right in game 5. Everything was going great in Game 4 until I got Mr F killed!

[EZRhino]

Originally posted by Werd100
One tiny gripe from the point of view of an average player is the vulnerability of Frederick when attacked by Siege Artillery. I try and attack any Siege guns within sight with cavalry but some get through and with one puff of smoke it is game over.

Some playtester I am I've only had time to play the first version (and the first update).

I have the same problem with the siege guns, but I enjoy the unpredictable aspect this lends to the game, wherin most scenarios the warfare is generally a slow parabolic rise to victory, not unopposed, but usually never truly threatened...

My strategy was to take the Imperial Hamburg salient out early, then Torgau and the southern passes. I sent hussars behind the lines to pillage roads, but they were mostly wiped out in the first year of the war.

My eventual offensive against Olmutz failed, and left the southern front in only limply anemic Prussian control. And unexpectedly fierce assault of Austrian(?) Siege guns killed two of my Generals and seized Neisse and Kosel in one turn. My army massed in Dresden for an attack on Prague, had to be diverted to retake the lost cities. Which was costly enough that there was nothing left to hold the eastern cities against the Russians...

I most likely could have stayed in the game longer if I had sold improvements more ruthlessly to rushbuy units...

[biru biru]

Sounds like I am having the same basic direction of play as you guys here, just gave up on game three.

At first glance the board seems a bit 'gritty'. Of course the units and cities are off the hook, and I love the RISK feel.

Is the basic theory on reinforcements that Prussia gets them the first two years, and there after trys to hold out against waves of French, Russian, Austrian reinforcements without any major additional units? (I noticed a NON general for Russia appear where Konnigsberg used to be, after I abandoned, melted down for gold, and left barren for the Russians, some time in 1758, but no more of those nice waves).

Is there any hope for more if I hold out long enough?

[biru biru]

Oh wikipedia, the great equalizer. So I'm going to continue playing defense, and enjoying the bonus armies that come with liberating British cities after letting the French take them, then wait for a miracle of the house of Brandenburg when then death of an empress relieves me?

Battle of Hohenfriedberg turns into Blitzkreig@‚ rsyears later. ‚¨‚à‚µ‚ë‚¢I