snake_eye

Ok "Die Amis kommen !" is done, uploaded and available on the repository, since August 3rd . I hope that you will enjoy playing it on the German side against the US A.I, or on either side on H2H. Cheers

:cool:Thanks for having waited a bit longer than expected. I hope the result will be worth the delay. I had done that scenario originally with a view of playing it only on the German side. However, I have thought that people might like to play it on the American side. Since it was not practical to have a German A.I, I have incorporated a H2H for the American and the German. Why I did not make a German A.I ? for the simple reason that if you set an ambush, the unit involved, will stay on its ground till the end, unless you trigger a time for it to fall back and then it will not be at the moment you would like it to happen. To be more precise, if BF could find a way to have the clock start, once the unit is committed in its attack and or defence, we, designer could have a unit leave the fight after a determined time, the count down beginning at the start of the engagement. That way units won’t pull back before it is wished. For the rest the game length was made for 3 hours and a bit more, as I had found that 150 minutes were just on the edge of what I wanted. You will find advices for the Germans and the Americans in the designer’s notes. Have a good time and let me know what you think of it. Cheers

« Die amis kommen ! » They are coming for sure, despite the fact that I have been pretty busy these last days. I have done the briefing for the Germans against the A.I, since that is the primary objective of the scenario and decided also to do it briefly for the US forces knowing that it will be only for a H2H. The set up areas of the US have be done in such a way that their departure line will be within their limit, but you will be able to switch the units at will at least for most of them. The reinforcement time and the units strength have not been changed. The set up of the Germans forces in the H2H remains the same that against the A.I. But it affords numerous possibilities. The scenario runs smoothly on my laptop with Vista, playing Elite Real time. But I advice people playing it to close their computer and start again. That way the memories will start fresh and have no restrain. All the non permanent things will be dumped. Time to play it comes short, Cheers

Of some interest that map with the latest intelligence about the German units and their known positions just prior D-Day. That map is a good complement to the previous one drawn from later AAR and intelligence reports. You will notice that the 352nd Div was thought to be in the St Lo, Vire and Balleroy areas instead that on the 716 Div coast positions; that made a costly surprise for the troops on Omaha beach Cheers

Thank you very much for your sound explanation. So, let it be "Die Amis kommen !", I shall keep that title from now on. Cheers

hi Boche, here is the map showing the German forces as they were really on D-Day. That map has been done later from obtained German sources by the US army; Forces defending the Cherbourg areas are not shown. Cheers

Well, having not learned German at school, I decided, few weeks ago, to name the scenario, "Amis kommen !" remembering the most famous book about the D-Day written from the German side, which title was "Sie kommen!". "Amis kommen!" is a cry, or rather a warning being cried. Am I wrong to use it that way ? :cool:

I shall do it tomorrow. Either by posting a mail to you or in that post.

Just 3 shots from the upcoming scenario « Amis Kommen » showing the tactical and operational map as well as a US and German unit patch presentation. All testing has been done, remains only the briefing text and designer notes to be done. The scenario will be played from the axis side, against the US A.I and it will be possible to be played H2H. I think that playing H2H will be quite interesting and surprising. Sorry for the delay for uploading the file, but I have been quite busy. However, it should be ready this week. Cheers

To Mjkerner Thanks, with your permission, I shall list your mods that could be used with the scenario. To Lookeylou Here is the map To Desavage The map intentionally has names being found in the areas of the Normandy bocage battles. However, the names of the real battles areas have not been used, since these areas are widely dispersed at regiment and even battalion level to be of some interest in B-N. To render the tactical problem encountered by the 90th Division , I had to recreate areas permitting to deploy the Germans the way they fought. Naturally, the map is made, taking in account the bocage and the ground features that are found in the real area are there.. Without these features, the attack and the defence tactics that can be used would not be realistic; that is my personal point of view. I know; that almost all is needed in the map is there, very simply since I live in the area and that I can look at it and at the map in a minute time. The Germans have an Infantry Company, reinforced with 75mm and 50 mm AT, 2 StuG III and 2 StuH42, mortars and a Nebelwerfers 215 mm battery coming late. Reinforcements are 2 PZ IV and 1 Panther, coming like the cavalry to the rescue and elements of a PZ grenadiers company mounted in Sd Kfz 251/1 (with 2 Hummels for close support) to attempt a counter attack or to prevent the front collapse. That depending the way the player will play during the 150 minutes of the scenario. I let you guess the US Forces brought into that attack ! Cheers

Last one Cheers

More.... The excellent waff12th mod can be used; great thanks to its designer

Just a few shots of the bloody fight to get through the bocage, between the US forces, attacking and the Germans defending it. These shots are taken from a map of 1040 X 1520meters depicting the offensive done from the 9th to the 13th June by the 90th US Division in order to cut the Cherbourg peninsula on the axis Utah beach to Saint Sauveur le Vicomte. It was the fierciest fight encountered from the landing. One of its regiment lost an average of 150 men each day, during these attacks. Their small ground gain, almost led to a stalemate. The High command had to releave the General commandind the 90th and its subordinates commanding its three regiments. It was the first time that US forces discovered the adverse effect of the Bocage. New tactics were tried and then widely diffused to other Divisions. The 90th did well later on. The 150 minutes, scenario being played on the German side is taking in account the tactics used by the Germans, greatly outnumbered physically, mechanically and in weapons. The final testing has been done and besides a subtle balance of points that has to be finalized, it should be uploaded in a week time. I won’t tell you how must US forces there are, but believe me, to slow them down and to bring their attack with infantry and accompanying armor to a halt is going to be a real challenge. Cheers NCO is threatening at gun point a soldier surrendering. (actually he is shooting and will surrender in a few seconds)

Last shots :

Next shots

Here are some shots from a battle fougt on a 1040 X 1520 meters map, coming shortly. The scenario in which Germans are in defence against the US Army will be first released for the German side to be played. The next one will let you try your hand with the US Army attacking the Germans. Believe me, I have never found an A.I moving and fighting the way it does in B-N. I have been very frankly surprised of its above average level compare to CMSF. The battle will engage infantry and armor and has been made taking in account the tactics deployed by the Germans in the Normandy bocage and in the fights following its breakthrough. Which side is going to be caught out of balance ? difficult to say, it will depend of the tactics used.

German mortars in defence usually fired in battery, on pre registered coordinates. It might be that the A.I takes that in account and simulates it with a high degree of efficiency ? I had a squad nearly annihilated behind a hedgerow by such a pounding ! Anyway the germans had most of the time 81 mm right behind their line and even 120 mm. The later were mostly Russians mortars captured and then copied, right after the Eastern front first months battles.

I think you are right. I have just finished playing "Close the pocket" in RL US side. Got a draw, no tanks lost. just the halftrack, on the German side 2 tanks 6 armored destroyed. Around 60KIA and 40WIA on either side. It seems that the ? icons are staying low. The soldiers, armored cars, tanks .... are displayed higher depending on the foliage and trees being around. It is still not that easy to make a relation between the icon and the pixel trooper you want to move; In one instance I had to remove all trees to finally be able to see a lone trooper. The icons seems to behave the same way with US and or German troops. I guess it needs from us some plays to get accustomed to the difference of color and of the related position (Icon -troops). Anyway, as I wrote it the Alt +T key is one of the answer when the foliage is too thick to see the troops in it. I moved an M4 75mm with a camera view at ground level under trees to get it in ambush. I managed to do it without too much difficulty. I moved it slowly while checking the LOS and stopped it just at the edge of the treeline. That was good, because the A.I, later, got a flank shot into a Panther destroying it . God, I had not even seen that, looking elsewhere. So finally my viewing difficulties in 2 plays are decreasing steadily. That is good news. Think it should be the same for other gamers too.

Hi Steve, I played Real Time and I don't want to be a 100% sure for the German Icons, but many times it seems that they were partly hidden by foliages. These with a soldier displayed, were floating a bit higher and farther than the real location (that is the same with the green icons). Some of them with an interrogation point are subdued, nearly transparent. I noticed them, when an M4 shot at a place, where I was not seeing the Icon at first look. I am posting shots showing these, but unfortunately, I have not taken a shot showing a grey icon with a soldier on it To be more precise, if I move the camera closer to the ground I am using the stumps (Alt-T) function to remove some foliage, since it is somehow as thick as real foliage found in the bocage thus impairing the view. That function is indispensable to be able to see something. Without it it would be nearly impossible to play in forest, the situation awareness being completely lost. Bravo to all of the BF team and designers, very frankly for having done such a game. CMBO was fantastic on its days. B-N is even more fantastic. Cheers

Area from utah beaches toward Cherbourg, Valognes, Montebourg and St Mere l’eglise. Zoom on the 7 kilometers road fromMontebourg, St mere l’eglise to blosville. On the right Utah beaches exit causeways Area of Carentan with main road leading to Periers and there to St Lo with the RN 800. The breakthrough took place broadly between the Mesnil Vigot and Hebecrevon, with the main axis on La Chapelle en Juger toward Marigny

Will do the first Normandy A4 scan of the map tomorrow morning. It is a map dating from march 1934 20.000 edited. Scale 1/200.000 makes 1 centimeter for 2 kilometers

Ok, back home took me an hour at the most to download with success the file. already played a scenario. Amazing. However some difficulties seeing the GI's and Germans through the trees and the hedgerow foliages. The grey icons are not too visible. besides these small details Thanks to B-F for putting down such a game. It is CMBO 2000 fame with the technologies available in 2011. What a difference. Don't dare think what it could be in 10 years from now.

I have played Busting the bocage and been also surprised by the impossibility of the GI’s to cross, more or less low hedgerows. My first impression, was being stunned to see the guys running in the wrong direction to attempt to cross the hedgerow opening left in the middle of the field. BTW a pretty good place to get the guys mowed down by a MG-42. Once I realized it, I froze their move and I used the breaching team to do an opening. Later, I used the Sherman with its hedges cutter device to go through it. It works pretty well. You might however, get into trouble your Sherman if a Panzershreck is hidden in the next hedgerow, but it is worth trying it if you are in a hurry. To get back to the hedgerow, if no opening is made into it, even a small, one, you will definitively have to use the breaching team and or the Cullins device on the Sherman if it is fitted. Thinking a bit more of that hedgerow problem, I can tell you that even the ones of a 1.00 meter height are very difficult to get through. I am leaving in the Normandy bocage, so I know what it is. When hunting, dogs don’t go through them, sometimes one tries to get over it while chasing a prey and get stuck on top of it. He ends up wounded. If the hedgerow is taller, you can sometimes try to crawl, if it has fewer branches at the bottom. Once you try that, it is very difficult to crawl backward, if you can’t get through. You have also difficulties with your rifle which is cumbersome. In all, the hedgerows of the bocage are more effective to hamper your move than barbed wire. In that way, the game is close to the difficulty of movement found advancing in it. Not the topic, but I had difficulties in seeing the grey icons with all that foliage. I used however the new facility removing at close range most of the trees foliage but the stump, since I was unable to control the movement of the squads of the platoon. For a first try, I have been very much impressed by the game. It runs smoothly and I did not have the slow frame rate that I feared. I got a draw ,5 KIA, 18 WIA against 24 KIA, 9 WIA for the Germans, no tanks destroyed and or damaged. Got on phase line blue hedge, on the right and passed phase line green on the left. I really thought that it could have been worse. Frankly, I did expect more losses, since I was attacking. I did not use the artillery, just 60 mm mortars. I have found the pre registered markers at the end of the game, that explain. I am impatient to make a scenario once I get the game. The engagement distances are going to be smaller than with CMSF with the infantry and the foliages are going to be considered with the hedgerows differently To wait for that game was really worth it. My thanks to B-F and the scenario designers

Well, I shall try when I get home to download the file, it doesn't work either with Gamershell. Might be the downlink from where i am ?

I see what comes out with the other sites and or Torrent Thanks Moon