Nemo, RedFront 1.4 Just ain't cool

[DarthVeda]

Hmmm, too many units. This is an error of unsufferable proportions, especially considering that the CPU has free reign over unit production and I get the shaft.

This was especially aparrent in my last game where I would miss out on 30+ new units every turn from August to December. It might not be so bad, but when I miss nearly 5 months of T-34 production out of Stalingrad, it hurts real bad. Couple that with other productions, and It's easy to see how I am understrength not because of tactics, but because of RF 1.4's faults.

The AI is no more challenging with all these new units, and I see little to no purpose in pushing the numbers to the limit, other than to bring up a frustrating spam message.

The only possible purpose these units could serve is to beef up the lower game (ie non-diety)

What really annoys me with 1.4 is that the Germans are capable of crossing the Volga when Stalingrad and lower Volga industrial region gets the shaft from Too many unit errors.

Also, It's impossible for the Germans to take Sevestapol with the new emplacements (Not that it ever happened to me in the first few versions)

I don't want to hear anything about "you didn't retreat... blah blah, killed to many German units." I practically gave the first 3000km of territory to them.

At the moment, I'm enjoying myself 10x less than 1.2... AI cheating has gone past liveable, overshot rediculous, and gone straight through ludicrous.

While Rostov has fallen, and that is historically accurate, what I'm *****ing about is that had I not gotten the shaft from a GLITCH, there would have been no such opportunity for the Germans. What makes it worse is that I'm certainly going to be railroaded when the next summer comes around, because I have somewhere around 2-3 T-34s in March thanks to the !$!%#'ng glitch!

Another point is that the Germans still don't even try to go for Moscow. I have movements toward Tula and Kallin (sp?) but never anything at Moscow. It's silly actually.

[DarthVeda]

Let me simplify:

I don't like losing the the Game Engine.

I don't mind losing to the AI.

[Captain Nemo]

Sorry... I am taking notes for future improvements.

[DarthVeda]

I appreciate the effort and new units, but something ain't right with losing to the game engine.

I did have something like 100 refugees come winter though... is that abnormal?

[PolarisGL]

Personally, I am enjoying this scenario.

[Captain Nemo]

You built 100 refugees!!
I am usually feeling really good if I have 30 or 40...

How did you do on killing the Germans in the first months of winter? Usually I slaughter a bunch outside Moscow, Leningrad and Rostov and that frees up room for building units...

The fortifications at Sevastopol vanish when Kerch is conquered so taking Sevastopol is actually not impossible... I just tried to delay it (With the fortified batteries) until 1942 to match history dates.

I am receiving a lot of suggestions as people are playing version 1.4 and I am considering doing another revision. Overall you have been the only one complaining about the units, but if I go forward I will address it by proportionally decreasing the units on both sides so the game starts with less than 1,000.

I don't think the massive number of units is a necessity but it occured little by little as I got feedback that the Germans missed this or that city or lacked aggressiveness here or there... Each time I added another event and added and moved troops to this or that spot. The culprits are the massive numbers of created German units in 1941 to make sure they take all the towns they are supposed to take...

If and/or when version 1.941 is created it will feature:
A new map with higher geographic accuracy
Better placement and sizing of cities
Some revised terrain graphics with the possible reintroduction of "hill" terrain
Less units (In quantity diversity will remain the same or increase)
Stronger German units so they can accomplish the same with less.
Some additional events and twists for the key battles (Stalingrad, Moscow, Berlin)

[DarthVeda]

Actually I think the exact number was about 94. I had every low production city producing them no matter where the city was. (Except in some areas where I needed cannon fodder). Then I had them all go and form or join cities in December. I figure on replacing their ranks with Labor brigades, which work faster.

I like the idea of cutting both side's number of units. Not only does that make the game faster, but puts more emphasis on the strategic situation and the importance of the individual unit.

I also think the roads look cool in winter.

I think my strategy had something to do with the massive spawn of German units. I pulled back and waited around key cities before I slaughtered tens and hundreds of german units.

A few things I'd like to note on the technical side of things:

• The T-28s become T-34/85s. That isn't quite accurate. Perhaps they could just become Guards units until a time frame where 85mm's would make more sense?
• I like the change of heavy artillery to movement of 2. Gives it a purpose.
• The La-5 didn't begin production until July of 1942. You should probably change the I-16 transformation until later that spring.
• What happened to the Convoy system wonder? Or do I get it later? (I played till March 1942)
• The Il-2 appeared before the Yak-9 in combat. The Il-2 was available at the beginning of the invasion (249 aircraft to be exact). The Il-2m3 appeared sometime later, in August of 1942. I suggest having the player able to build these from the start, but it's not until December of 1942 with the cross-over that the plane becomes fighter-like instead of bomber-like to represent the addition of anti-fighter elements (which would make it less of a fodder to enemy planes).
• To ensure the fall of Sevestapol, you could change the terrain in the surrounding area to wipe away minefields. A message of something like "German soldiers finally make their way through the outer layers of Fortification around Sevestapol" ?
• Russia was able to recapture 1/6 of the lost territory during the Winter months of 1941-42 around Moscow with a large counter-attack. Is this possible in Red Front? Maybe a few carefully placed Tank Guards and Red Guards?
• Karl is kind of rediculous around the 1943+ era. Were they actually employed in a major action after that point?
• It would be kind of cool if you had a winterish sound effect to play when winter arrived and maybe a bird tweeting or something when spring arrived.
• I've also noticed the bug where I can't read wonder text in 1092x720 or whatever resolution that is.

Also, if you are planning on doing a ToT conversion, give me a jingle.
[This message has been edited by DarthVeda (edited April 06, 2000).]

[DarthVeda]

Well if they do miss cities, I've always said they were just bypassing it till later, which is usually the case. Besides, it's usually nothing important. I've seen them Miss Orel by December, but they'll always pick it up, it doesn't have to be 100% accurate in history with the taking because Civ2 is meant to be random.

I'll get cities poorly defended that last 2-4 turns way behind enemy lines until they are met with by an aircraft or StuG then blown up.

BTW: Does Sermafavich (or whatever the city is above Stalingrad is) have Anti-tank defenses? Either the AI tore them up or they never had them to begin with.


ToT would be great to introduce this scenario to, because the remove events file works with ToT saves (I checked). For example, one great thing that could be done is that if the player doesn't occupy the Germans at Kiev, Moscow will get overrun earlier.

[Captain Nemo]

My plan:

1. Finish ongoing work with John Petroski for the first phase of Austieg. First unit graphics are 90% complete at this time.

2. Rework Red Front in FW format to improve map accuracy and playability.

3. Make new scenario... at this time I will look into ToT versus FW.

I may swap 2 and 3 because I have a case of serious RF burn-out right now. I am certainly not up to re-working Red Front into a ToT format at this time, just too much else to do.

[PolarisGL]

Captain Nemo, may I suggest a scenario in ToT about possibily WW1, the Civil War (loved your FW version), or possibly the American Revolution?

[klesh]

Gee, I think it's pretty cool

------------------
I am the Ukrainian Anti-Pope!

[Captain Nemo]

If/when I make a new scenario it will definitely be another WWII era... Sorry.

Designing those units for Austieg, 2194 days of war and Red Front is so time consuming that I need to use them multiple times.

Besides, I have only 2 subjects I am really well informed about WWII and the American Civil War... Not WWI or the American Revolution. I will leave those to others.

[PolarisGL]

Nemo, fine with me.

What were you thinking, out of curiosity? A Pacific theatre wouldn't be too bad.

[Mao]

Too many problems with all the naval units and stuff, the AI doesn't quite use them the way most designers want. I'd just be happy with another gigantic land battle

[The ANZAC]

North African campaign during WWII might be neat. Also, I think I have an abnormality in Red Front: I have never had the "Too many units" warning. Also, I've had 53 laborers, so you can get a lot of those little suckers.