SeaMonkey

Only suggestion I have is you could reduce the size of Greenland and Iceland. Makes for more water!

In agreement with Gronq and Jon. Its awfully tough to reduce supply with one bomber strike. On the other hand, this powerlessness motivates the players to research heavy bombers.

How about this Al, put the USA west coast on the top map, the Atlantic is so big, with loops to the bottom map which begins with Hawaii on the eastern edge. That ought to expand the Pacific sufficiently.

Is that LL to USSR time sensative or activated by German DoW? I haven't seen anything to October 41 and the USSR is crumbling. No Siberians either, but that part doesn't bother me, they'll be coming soon enough and then the backdoor will be unlocked. Kuwait is a great jumping off place for the Persian and Saudi oil fields also (after US entry), but I would much rather see the UK have to go in with an HQ (supply 5).

Back in the days of the pre-double strike fighter feature, I would agree with you CSS. Now with some decent Advanced Air tech its more costly to the operator of the TAC mission, having to escort every strike or face a lot of strength loss and the accompanying experience reduction. So examine the numbers, one defensive fighter can neutralize two TACs and their 2 escorts, one unit vs 4, and the owning player is investing into two techs vs one. In the MPP game I like those odds for the long run.

First of all flying through/around inclement weather is a lot easier than taking off or landing in it, you just don't have any flexibility if you have to land back at the same airfield. I would be in favor of limited air operations during some weather conditions, obviously they would be hampered by some degree, storms would ground everything. Now I know its alot of work cause I did it in my one mod, but perhaps we could get Hubert to give us an unpredictable pattern in the editor. What I mean is, you take small patches of tiles edited with different weather conditions to simulate localized differences. At sea you get storms that fleets can duck into and out of. On land, localized areas are socked in from fog, rain, snow etc., but not whole areas, there are breaks here and there. Believe me, it works real well, just like in real life, where weather is unpredictable. Sure, you can make an educated guess as far as the season norms are, but there are those small locals that are different. Doubt me, just load up some satellite imagery and take a look, check out your own local radar from time to time.........see what I mean?

I've finished 2 years of warfare and diplomacy from both sides, trying different branches(strategy) and decision events. I must say this is....OK..I've said it before, so anyone that hasn't heard it needs to try this most excellent mod. Condensed conclusion, this campaign offers the most room for maneuver and selection of different avenues to approach your WW2 conquest. So far Nup, these are my findings; for some reason the French Indochina surrender didn't happen when the Japanese took Nanning, they eventually DoWed the place. What's up with Kuwait, completely cut off but has 10 supply. Taken for granted that the early Barbarossa is planned for, USSR needs some lendlease, either from UK or USA. My suggestion would be convoys from UK to Murmansk and another through Vladivostok from USA. Let the UK handle how much LL they want to give from the portion the USA is sending them and since USA is the last to enter the conflict, this will make the Allied player consider tough decisions with regards to the USA build up. Now China needs some help also, there's just too many possibilities for the Japanese to keep them off balance and the Chinese can't redeploy fast enough to handle all the different approaches the IJA can unleash. My suggestion is a convoy from USA into Nanning through Haiphong/Hanoi, another LL possibility, making the Chinese defend the area and the Japanese motivated to reduce the port and subsequently pressure the FIC to cooperate, like it was historically. You could tie these Japanese "strong arm" tactics to increased belligerency for the USA as the Japanese move into the SRA through Indochina, just like it actually happened culminating with a large boost as Saigon capitulates to Japanese occupation. That's about it for the initial game start and thanks for such a great scenario.

Good one Al. The N.Atlantic is awesome, so much room. The S.Atlantic, check! Indian, nice. Pacific looks a little short, I know its at condensed scale. How about doing away with that Eastern Pacific, handling the area between West Coast and Hawaii with a couple of loops and expanding the Central, Western Pac, preference to the West? Just thinking,....hmmm... what about breaking the Pacific up? Very reduced Western & Northern Pac, a central Pac with Hawaii(150 longitude west to perhaps 150 east, north of the Equator), maybe squeezing the Carolines and Marianas in. Now reduce Australia, NZ, enlarging the Solomons and New Guinea, then the rest (Western Pac) make as large as possible. All connected by loops. Since you would have to traverse the Central Pac islands to get west, it would make them more important as that outer defensive spotting layer as it would tend to funnel naval movements through the area. You could go the Southern route by loop but it would take a couple to three turns to come out around New Zealand. Still, overall, best map yet, IMO.

Actually Big Al you have incorporated a mechanism that could be expanded upon in SC3, the use of the "evasion%". I know there are some members out there that don't like the way subs instantly relocate themselves when they dive from enemy combat actions, but I think a similar feature applied when two naval combatants come into contact with each other could serve the purpose. Sure it needs to be discussed and refined, probably some different "right click" menu modes for the naval units would be appropriate and then the interaction concluded by an algorithm. Results could be combat, or possibly a "friction" loss and then there is always the possibility of the relocation, a fleeting moment that we saw "something", but now it has disappeared, "El Capitan"!

Does that mean that a cruiser never fired a torpedo at a BB in WW2 or was incapable of?

Damn.... you must really like this one Hubert, I've never garnished a comment like this! If accepted, would it qualify me as a Beta for SC3?:cool:

Damn it! That's "The Map", do that one. As far as China, you could make upgraded techs only worth 0.5 like Nupremal's does for the minors. You've only got 6 majors, that has to be UK, USSR, USA, Germany, and Japan, there's only one "wildcard" and it has to be either China or Italy. My vote goes for Italy, make the Chinese subservient to USA at the 0.5 per level increase. Actually, the Chinese were equipped and trained by USA later in the war and were becoming competent at combat operations if they just could have gotten around the politics of Chiang, he was very uncooperative with his eye on the Commies more than the Japs.

This brings me to an idea I've been thinking about, but I know it needs refinement, so help me out here forum. I've discussed the communication/logistical layer in the past as something active, how about it remains "as is", passive and every place has supply until interdicted. Now let's keep the interdiction medium passive also(like spotting), dependent upon deployments, like it is on land with units exerting a ZoC. So now our SC naval units will exert a ZoC of interdiction just by their deployment, perhaps a couple of tiles and a mode in the right click menu, "patrol or blockade". Now air units, subject to negation by fighters, will have an area of interdiction as supply can come in by that type of transport also. So let's say there is an island, if you think about the Earth, all lands are islands, but some are so large as they can sustain themselves and are impossible to interdict, but areas can be "isolated". On one of these islands is a port, supply 5, and you want to reduce it. You could actively bomb, or bombard, or by deploying a naval or air unit in proximity so that its/their ZoC(s) of interdiction overlap the port then this serves to passively reduce the port's supply/efficiency. Every overlap not neutralized by a stationed/garrisoning unit reduces the port/town by one per turn, always subject to the normal SC recovery of one per turn and an inland resource connection greater than the port's/city's diminished supply/efficiency. You could isolate the area, by deployments in proximity to inland connections that are reduced by your(air units) interdicting ZoCs and/or bomb them actively with said units, but now you have two ways to isolate/interdict an area. In essence your interdicting units(naval & air) perform two fuctions every turn, by deployment, a passive action of supply interruption and of course the normal usage of active functions as directed by the controlling player in the current SC scheme.

I haven't been wargaming for 40 years not to know when I've been playing a "classic". SC..........gotta luv it!:cool:

You know....I think I like 2, but its a tough choice, whatever fits your agenda, this is your creation and owing to your past accomplishments we know it will be good.

Sorry Rocko, it was there before, search the forum for the post on it and perhaps contact the author for the scenario. I still have it in my campaigns folder at home so worst comes to worst I can send it to you. I haven't run it in a while so not sure it will work on the newest patch.

Did you remember that IJN cruisers were fitted with tubes to fire long lance torpedoes and were quite adept at night surface engagements?

Alright, after a quick scan and refamiliarization, here's my suggestions. By the way, I see what you mean about width, but really, its not an issue. Personally, I like big oceans so put the USA East coast on the top map and the west coast on the bottom map. Shorten the eastern Pacific from west coast to Hawaii with impassable tiles connected with loops. Now enlarge the central and western Pacific and the Atlantic. You could also dispatch much of the territory of the USSR, east of the line from Archangel to the eastern Caspian Sea. Since the naval game is most awesome, let's have a few more convoy routes for interdiction and protection. That's about it off the top of my head, once we get into testing, I'll have a lot more opinions, otherwise, the map is good.

There's already a sort of version of this called "WW3 Even Start, V1". Its not exactly a contemporary setting, but assumes a future configuration of power. More like a chess game with 3 active participants per side.

Haven't really thought about it that way. Tell you what, when I get home I'll check it again......with a critical eye. I believe I may have some notes about your scenario too, but I might be getting them mixed up with Nupremal's mod since that's the one I've been testing. You know....when I reflect upon your campaign, I've kind of gotten used to Nupremal's larger map, although I prefer your format, with the unused historical areas blanked out. Perhaps you should go bigger with emphasis on maneuver, it adds a nice element to the campaigns and gives them operational flavor not to mention the additional strategic alternatives for meaningful deployments. Remember when making the new map, sprinkles of resources(MPPs) make the otherwise unimportant areas more attractive for combat options.

I like your present Map, does that means d, for #1? #2 is 26©, secondarily (d) 21. #3 is b., 2 per counter, except for CVLs which should be combined into how many planes they can carry. Let's say you use the "Essex" class as the baseline, so 2 of those at 10 strength carry about 200 planes, maybe 180. Now, however many CVs + CVLs its takes to make that carrier capacity in other nationalities is one counter. Maybe BBs should be by tonnage, with the Yamato / Musachi as the baseline. #4 = a. #5 = b. #6 = b. Let me know when you're ready for playtesting.

That's what I'm saying, essentially its a wash, no additional Barbarossa MPPs nullifies the winter weather effects. Who said anything about better equipment equating with less preparations?:confused:

Great ideas!

Actually it was Hitler that wanted to go in the Autumn of 40, what with the early culmination of the French campaign. Had he insisted there would probably have been a mass mutiny of the OKH resulting in his disposition, most likely by assassination. Still, with the proper planning and diplomacy, I'm of the opinion at this point, the Reds will be more than hard pressed, expotentially more than the Summer kickoff, to stop the Germans. That is why I have shared the strategy with the rest of the forum so that we hopefully can test this as perhaps a "game breaker".

OK kalkwerk, I agree, since the event is for a surprise attack then it should fire the turn that Germany DoWs the Soviets and not be limited to the June 22, 1941 actual invasion date. Now for the second part, I can see your point, but as the Germans knew of the cold winters in the USSR and the original planning was that the campaign would be essentially over by winter, I'm still sitting on the fence. Actually the cold weather gear was ready to be shipped to the eastern Wehrmacht deployments but were pre-empted for the combat supplies of Operation Typhoon. Now in an early Autumn Barbarossa surely the OKH would have had enough foresight to know they would be fighting in Winter conditions, and besides, I'm running this show, not the High Command and I'm winterizing my armies.