CMBS Rolling thunder do is difficult.

[George MC]

15 hours ago, IanL said:

Like here?: http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/tsd3/cm-black-sea/cm-black-sea-add-ons/rdm-rolling-thunder_v1/

Just to confirm, as I'm the original author, this is not the original scenario. To reiterate the demo version is Rolling Thunder (which is what the OP is discussing), the (my) original version of that, which I could have sworn was on the original scenario depot, is Rolling Thunder_v1. The one you have lined to @IanL is 'a' version someone else has done, based on my orginal, and is NOT the one the OP is discussing.

I'll upload the (my) original as used for the demo to TSDIII on Thursday (I'm away from my PC just now) as a standalone scenario.

Cheery!

EDIT to add

It is on the FGM site http://www.theblitz.org/scenarios/combat-mission-black-sea/rolling-thunder/b-15.htm?action=scenario&id=11869 This is the ORIGINAL as used in the CMBS demo.

For background, my original thread re the scenario (note the dropbox and repository links no longer work)

From this thread, it was originally uploaded to the repository but does not appear to have migrated over to TSDIII, which, as I said I'll fix tomorrow (Thursday)

Edited September 19, 2018 by George MC

[Combatintman]

16 minutes ago, George MC said:

Just to confirm, as I'm the original author, this is not the original scenario. To reiterate the demo version is Rolling Thunder (which is what the OP is discussing), the (my) original version of that, which I could have sworn was on the original scenario depot, is Rolling Thunder_v1. The one you have lined to @IanL is 'a' version someone else has done, based on my orginal, and is NOT the one the OP is discussing.

I'll upload the (my) original as used for the demo to TSDIII on Thursday (I'm away from my PC just now) as a standalone scenario.

Cheery!

EDIT to add

It is on the FGM site http://www.theblitz.org/scenarios/combat-mission-black-sea/rolling-thunder/b-15.htm?action=scenario&id=11869 This is the ORIGINAL as used in the CMBS demo.

For background, my original thread re the scenario (note the dropbox and repository links no longer work)

From this thread, it was originally uploaded to the repository but does not appear to have migrated over to TSDIII, which, as I said I'll fix tomorrow (Thursday)

Not that it matters too much and of course nowt to do with you mate but it does seem strange that the demo scenario didn't ship with the game. Anyway - all fixed now.

[George MC]

Just now, Combatintman said:

Not that it matters too much and of course nowt to do with you mate but it does seem strange that the demo scenario didn't ship with the game. Anyway - all fixed now.

The plan had been for it to ship with the game but it was one of these wee things that dropped off at the final stage. As they say, **** happens

[Michael Emrys]

12 hours ago, domfluff said:

The alternate version is actually missing some things - you don't have air cover, for a start, and you're missing some artillery and drone assets.

Er, the one I DLed at TFGM has helos, arty, and drones.

Michael

[domfluff]

Interesting, the one I got from the Scenario depot didn't. Perhaps they're on variable reinforcement timers, and I just kept getting unlucky? In any case, what you start the mission with didn't match the briefing. Doesn't matter, really.

[George MC]

Here ya go - the original demo scenario for CMBS Rolling Thunder as on the demo.

Now on TSDIII 

Nice wee opportunity to thank @Bootie's fine efforts in running and maintaining this facility.

Grand the ORIGINAL and ONLY Rolling Thunder as played on the demo.

http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/tsd3/uncategorized/cmbs-rolling-thunder/

 

[Bootie]

Thanks @George MC glad you worked your way around uploading as the process has changed with Wordpress upgrades... buggers.

Ive added a featured image as you forgot to do that and also dropped the Uncategorized category you had selected. 

Great effort though.

Also here is the video walk through for uploading.

Bootie

[George MC]

Ah cheers @Bootie  I'm pleased to see I didn't totally **** it up! I thought it was a wee bit more awkward than I remember...

I'll check out the video how to ta. Thanks for clearing up my errors, yer a star. Next time I'm over in Aberdoom I'll buy you a wee sherbert or twa!

Cheery!

[peter thomas]

I also just finished playing this through and it was a really absorbing 3 hours or so worth of gameplay. Really enjoyed it.

***SPOILER ALERT***

I got a total vic, as US, but only by using saves 3 times to roll back atrocious errors. If I'd left the errors in then I would have been down to 3 squads from 6, more or less, and then it would have been much harder at the end, perhaps. As it was I lost 2 tanks and a couple of Bradleys. But it's true that the US has incredible firepower in all those Bradleys, plus very heavy artillery support, which, combined with the ravens, makes it relatively easy to decimate the Russian armour and AT threat. I spent all of the first hour hardly moving, just using the ravens and the arty, then there was still plenty of time left to take the villages etc. Very few kills were down to my infantry arms, most credited to the Bradleys.Thanks George MC. Great scenario. I see why they chose it as the demo.

Edited September 21, 2018 by peter thomas

[George MC]

Cheers @peter thomas - good effort   Glad you enjoyed it. From your AAR looks like you played it straight down the line. That's the trick good recon at the start to ID and take out all the anti-armour assets.

I've played it myself using the charge and all guns blazing approach. That's good fun as well, albeit in a very different way!

[Michael Emrys]

I want to say one more thing about the map. I really hope it can be made available as a QB map, not just in BS but in some of the WW II titles as well. Can you imagine playing "The Hornet's Nest" on this map? Man oh man!

Michael

[Michael Emrys]

Ask and it shall be given. While looking through the list of QB maps, my eye fell on one labelled...guess what?...CMBS Demo. Yep, there it was hiding in plain sight. I must have overlooked or disregarded it before. If you are interested, set the selector for LARGE and it will be the third title on the list.

Michael

PS: I still think it should be suitably modified for the time span and included in Red Thunder at some point.

[George MC]

15 hours ago, Michael Emrys said:

PS: I still think it should be suitably modified for the time span and included in Red Thunder at some point.

 

Actually, it started out life as a WWII map - albeit part of a huge WWII CMRT map - and was updated accordingly.

[Michael Emrys]

One thing I noticed, the map in the QB folder is hillier than the ones employed in either version of Rolling Thunder. The countryside in the Rolling Thunder map is gently rolling whereas the QB map has hills, especially those immediately in front of the US positions, that are both higher and steeper.

Michael

[stikkypixie]

I found a video AAR of this battle on youtube:

 

*** Spoilers ***

Do you guys also encounter this <LASER WARNING> - <SMOKE CYCLE>? In my playthroughs I found that I have no choice but to brute force my way through. All avenues of approach are being covered by heavy weapons it seems.

 

[George MC]

1 hour ago, stikkypixie said:

I found a video AAR of this battle on youtube:

 

*** Spoilers ***

Do you guys also encounter this <LASER WARNING> - <SMOKE CYCLE>? In my playthroughs I found that I have no choice but to brute force my way through. All avenues of approach are being covered by heavy weapons it seems.

 

Other options are available...

[stikkypixie]

The only other option is see is leading with infantry to clear out potential AT positions. But that's extremely risky. Russian IFV can make short work of anyone caught in their sights. UAV are a non option because of the heavy anti air presence.

What difficulty level do you guys play?

[JulianJ]

First time through I sorta stormed the main village all guns blazing.  Then I ran out of steam.  The infantry let me down.  By being dead.

The second time I mostly hid for at least an hour of game time, sent my recon forward. Killed every tank and IFV, some with Javs (one squad got 3 kills with 4 javs before being slotted) some with PGMs from Arty.  I bombarded everywhere, especially the far back ATGM positions.  When I thought I'd neutralised all AA defences the Apaches came out to play.  With about 10 mins of the game left I sent tanks and Brads to capture the last few objectives.

It did seem a bit grindy though.  Still took more infantry casualties than I'd like. I  did lose a Bradley that had been hiding in some woods for the whole game.  I moved it out of cover then a turn later it was a smoking wreck.  I couldn't work out what had hit it - I think it may have been friendly fire from the Apaches as there weren't any enemies nearby I could find.