Playtesters wanted for modern scenario

[Case]

I've completed a beta version of my scenario 'Raging Dragon'. It covers a Chinese invasion of the CIS in the not too distant future, makes extensive use of events and uses the same map as the latest version of Harlan Thompson’s Mongols scenario.

Whilst the scenario is definitely playable, I think I need other peoples opinions before I release it. If you're interested in testing this scenario, either e-mail me at: nick_dowling@hotmail.com or post your contact details below.

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If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error
-John Kenneth Galbraith
[This message has been edited by Case (edited May 11, 2001).]

[Jimmywax]

If you send it to me I would play it for ya'.

[Grothgar]

yeah ill give it a go. email Grothgar_1999@yahoo.com

[WarVoid]

Sounds cool.

I like modern scenarios, don't see too many of em.

Send it my way to warvoid@aol.com

[Mao]

I wanna try it, ChapMan85@aol.com

[Pap1723]

I'd love to playtest, sounds cool, send it my way...

pap1723@aol.com

[Case]

Thanks guys. I just sent out the scenario, so check your email. If its not there let me know.

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If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error
-John Kenneth Galbraith

[Grothgar]

First of all i must say that im offering my first impressions as ive only played 5 turns of this scenario.

1. Level of Difficulty:

I am playing this scenario on prince because i think that properly shows the scenario balance/unbalance because no side has a disadvantage. Anyway on first impressions i must say that this scenario is a bit on the easy side. Its turn 5 and i have already taken Chelyabinsk with "Army Group North" and Mary with "Army Group South". However the fact that NATO entered the game when i took Novabrinsk was a complete surprise and is probably why i havent taken more of russia because i had to take some of my planes and use them to bolster my naval fleet because they took a right pounding. So this was a decent challenge. You might want to disable negotiations between the Arabs and the chinese because i asked them to declare war on Russia and they did for little cost and they distracted quite a lot of russias hardware making it a lot easier for me to push forward.

2. Do the events make sense:

Most of the events that i have encountered have been well done and make sense although i dont think NATO would declare war on china until they got a lot closer to their border or you attacked one of their units. But as i have said it does make it harder to defeat russia by giving them time to reorganize after the pounding they take. So although i dont think it would happen i think you should keep it in there for the challenge. Also china gets a lot of hardware each turn and at the start this makes it a bit easy because you dont have that far to go and it also helps in getting rid of the NATO forces in Taiwan so i think you should curtail some of the units or at least downgrade some of the units they get.

3. City Placement and names:

Mostly all are concurrent whith their placings and names that i can see but moscow to me seems totally out of place. St Petersburg is north west of moscow but on this moscow is totally south of St Petersburg. Moving Moscow by two spaces to the right would solve this and not upset anything because there is a lot of space near moscow. Apart from this i havent found any more errors

4. The Readme File:

Very informative and very likely we could be facing this situation that is described. The only gripe i have with it is a minor one and that is that you say the leader of the CIS is Alexander Putin in the readme but in the game it is (correctly) Vladimir Putin. So not much.

5. General Sense of Completeness

As i have said the units could need polishing not because they are bad but because there are more suitable ones out there. The T-90 tank isnt that good and im sure i have sent you a better tank than that in my units file. Also the BMP-2 unit is a bit dull and the unit i have sent is much better (compliments of Jimmywax for that ). I dont think the Type 85 tank is as good as you have made it but if you dont have it that good the chinese dont stand a chance. However i think the T-80 is better than the Type 85 and this should be reflected in the stats. Also the b-2 bomber is bloody hard! defense of 8 and *100% bonus against air units makes it almost immune even to the J-12. this should be rectified. Also its hitpoints should be dropped by 1. The Badger bomber is a lame unit and it isnt even worth having in there. The Su-27 and J-12 are much better alternatives. The badger should have a better attack because although it is really old it can carry more bombs and missiles than the other two and it needs an extra point of HP because it gets decimated by the CIS infantry!!!.

Sorry to seem critical im not that far in but i have seen that this is a sterling piece of work but there is a few things that need addressing (maybe more as i get further in ) and if these are done this will truly be a great scenario.

Theres my feedback. hope it helps also hope the units helped.
Gary


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I am the LORD OF STRONDAR

[Grothgar]

Also just to add playing as china is really cool and it should be done more often Its great playing the Underdogs(?) and then beating the big and nasty good guys Not many scenarios let you play as china (and have a chance as well!!!) so well done!

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I am the LORD OF STRONDAR

[Grothgar]

Also just to add playing as china is really cool and it should be done more often Its great playing the Underdogs(?) and then beating the big and nasty good guys Not many scenarios let you play as china (and have a chance as well!!!) so well done!

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I am the LORD OF STRONDAR

[Eternal]

How much of this is based on Bear and the Dragon?

[Grothgar]

Um i think i have found 2 major bugs in this game. And Case i think we have a problem.
I was quite happily pushing the russians back and had just taken the cities of Cherblyinsk and the other one north of that. However i was a bit confused because sometimes when my units tried to move there was a zone of control (ZOC) on the square i was trying to move to. I went around with a plane and couldnt see anything but still the game wouldnt let me move. Ok i thought so i ended the turn. It was then that i saw some T-80 and BMP-2 units moving into the forest and literally dissapearin it even made the graphics go funny completely annialating a cities from view which in my next turn came back. So i noted where these units had dissapeared and i decided to investigate. so i sent a plane to check and it had nothing and then i sent a tank and it couldnt get past again. I dont know whats going on but it gets worse
I was on august 2000 or 2001 cant remember and i ended my turn but after NATO had given my units a pouinding and ended their turn the game crashed!! so i treid it again and it crashed again and again and again. I tried it nine times so no mistake the game crashes on the turn after august 2001. and again i dont know why but i think that these two may be related and that the units dissapearing is causing the crash.
But apart from that its pretty good. however i would like to finnish it
Gary

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I am the LORD OF STRONDAR

[Case]

quote: Originally posted by Eternal on 05-15-2001 03:48 PM How much of this is based on Bear and the Dragon?

None of it. I haven't read 'The Bear and the Dragon' becuase of the shocking reviews it got and the general lameness of Clancy's last few efforts (that guy REALLY needs a good editor)

Grothgar, firstly thanks for those great unit's you sent me! I have already replaced the lame home-made BMP-2 and Badger graphics.

As for the game crashing, I've got to admit I haven't played that far, but what I suspect is happening is that too many units have been created. Could you please go into cheat mode and tell me how many units there are? (reveal the whole map, delete one unit, create a new one and note the number assigned to that unit in view mode). I may need to tone down the units in existance at the start of the game and the minor powers productive capability.

As for the Stealth bomber- I purposely designed it too be almost impossible for the Chinese to kill in order to simulate the American's far superior air force, however I may tune down its stats in future releases.




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If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error
-John Kenneth Galbraith

[Grothgar]

did what you asked me and it came up as unit 960. well thats what it said. it could be that your creating too many units. By the way do NATO ever run out of AEGIS Cruisers? everytime i kill one it seems to create another one in a different square. Is this intentional because it sure is annoying lol.
Your welcome to the units, i think i have another lot that i could send you. ill have to do some checking on my hard drive because i wanted to send it to you with the others but i couldnt find it. It has some nice planes in it that you might be able to use
Ok i accept that reasoning for the US B-2 Bomber but it is really annoying because NATO has hundreds of them just bombing my territory. Luckily i was able to capture Tapei and make peace with NATO maybe you should take this out of the game? Just to make it more challenging.
Anyway if you want any more units just let me know and i will see what i can find on my hard drive lol Hope you find this helpful
Gary

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I am the LORD OF STRONDAR

[master on high]

You need the Tu-16/H-6 cos it's the mainstay of the PRC's nuclear strike forces...