CMBS Russian Campaign: The Mountains of Allah:Operation Scepter

[dragonwynn]

(I am looking for a few play testers to give this campaign a try and to offer suggestions or find bugs. For anyone interested PM me and I will send you the link.)

The Mountains of Allah: Operation Scepter is a CMBS Campaign depicting a hypothetical incursion into Chechnya by Russian military forces to find and locate a Islamic Warlord named Abukhan Zakayen and his militant forces that have been launching attacks into the Russian homeland. In the campaign you are in command of elements of 58th Army stationed in the North Caucasus District. Your force consists of:

1 Bn 20th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade (Core Unit)
2 Bn 20th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade (Core Unit)
22nd Spetsnaz Brigade (Core Unit)
1 Bn 108th Guards AA SLT Regiment (Airborne VDV) (Core Unit)
2 Bn 108th Guards AA SLT Regiment (Airborne VDV) (Core Unit)

Other Units Featured During the Campaign:

19th Motor Rifle Brigade
33rd Mountain Recon Brigade

The Enemy Forces:

The Wolves of Islam: Commander Abukhan Zakayen
The Lecha (Falcon) Brigade
The Makkahl (Black Kite) Brigade
The Azyru (Eagle) Brigade

The campaign consists of 9 battles and features offensive, defensive and special operations missions. It takes place in January 2017 and features the excellent Winter Modification Mod designed by the WMT for CMRT but that works seemlessly in CMBS. I have included my own additional modifications of winter effects for all vehicles and troops in the campaign for immersiveness.

The Chechens are featured using Blimy's excellent Seperatists Mod under the Ukranian Digital Cammo slot to give them a militant feel. I added some winter effects to them also for immersiveness.

The maps are all my creations with the exception of two heavily modified quick battle maps. Some are based on actual places and some are fictional.

The actions depicted here are all hypothetical, though they are based on some real world data.

In Chechen society many names and titles are based on their respect for nature and its wildlife. Thats why I used actual Chechen Muslim names for the miltary formations used in this campaign.

Be sure to read the Designer Notes at the Campaign beginning to understand the background that leads to the conflict. Its a bit lengthy but has some interesting real world data that leads into the storyline.

Once I get it tested by a few players I will release to everyone.

Regards

Michael (dragonwynn)
 

[grunt_GI]

Heh...fascinating concept...and looks like a good opportunity to highlight some excellent Mods from both CMRT and CMBS....

As usual, your creativity and attention to detail will make this an excellent campaign no doubt...although I'm not really a team Russia player for the most part...

[VladimirTarasov]

Looking forward to this campaign, Sounds very interesting!

[TJT]

Well, I can only respond with this meme

 

Very much looking forward to this even with "pseudo" VDV

 

[Chudacabra]

Count me in for playtesting!

[Kinophile]

I'm caught up in some heavy work,  I'll have a review by mid weekend. 

[dragonwynn]

14 minutes ago, kinophile said:

I'm caught up in some heavy work,  I'll have a review by mid weekend. 

No worries and thanks again. 

[grunt_GI]

Screenshots please!

[dragonwynn]

10 hours ago, grunt_GI said:

Screenshots please!

Here are a couple of quickies showing the Chechen's in action. I'll post a few more when i get time.

 

Michael (dragonwynn)

[dragonwynn]

And another showing the Russians in action.

[CPC922]

I'd love to get in on this action if possible!  

[grunt_GI]

12 hours ago, dragonwynn said:

Here are a couple of quickies showing the Chechen's in action. I'll post a few more when i get time.

 

Michael (dragonwynn)

Very cool...might make me want to join Putin's army...or is it playable from both sides?

Edited April 22, 2016 by grunt_GI

[Rebby]

23 hours ago, grunt_GI said:

Very cool...might make me want to join Putin's army...or is it playable from both sides?

It appears to be only playable from the Russian point of view. 

[grunt_GI]

1 minute ago, Rebby said:

It appears to be only playable from the Russian point of view. 

Oh, yea duh...it's a campaign....awesome screenshots of the Chechens though...should be outstanding...

[Abbasid111]

Campaigns are one side only...in this case the Russian player.

 

[VladimirTarasov]

I was in Putin's army I might as well go in again  When's this scenario coming out? Although from a military view, I see only one problem so far. I don't think T-90AMs would be deployed against a rebellion, Those would be kept for a war with NATO. T-72B3s are more likely guys, Other than that, it looks pretty cool.

[dragonwynn]

Thanks Vladimir. This campaign is set in early 2017 and when you read the back story it will make more sense. Based on Russian previous Chechnya experiences they didn't want to pull any punches so that's why you will see some high end gear.  It's fictional of course.

Waiting on some play testing to be done and it will be released. 

Edited April 23, 2016 by dragonwynn

[grunt_GI]

On 4/23/2016 at 3:46 PM, dragonwynn said:

Thanks Vladimir. This campaign is set in early 2017 and when you read the back story it will make more sense. Based on Russian previous Chechnya experiences they didn't want to pull any punches so that's why you will see some high end gear.  It's fictional of course.

Waiting on some play testing to be done and it will be released. 

[TAKODA]

This looks like it's going to be amazing, those screenshots are awesome.

[Erwin]

Yes,  Very good Campaign concept.  Looking forward to it.

[Kinophile]

Its certainly a very interesting concept. I do appreciate the variety and difference of this battle. Its very nice to play in a hilly, forested environment for a change, and you've put a LOT of effort into the map. The defensive positions are well placed, mutually supportive and form a coherent network. Its very nice play against a realistic, thought out in-depth defense.

BUT.

Im still in the first battle and going to drop out because:

1) It's WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY too big for a first battle

2) It's killing my frame rate (once the vehicle mounted reinfs arrive) because the map is huge and covered in so many trees

3) It's a very large amount of troops over far, far too big an area.

4) Your OOB is unrealistic and frustrating.

------------------------------------------------

1. No campaign starts off with such a huge commitment in terms of player time. Ease us in. Hook us with a hard short battle, don't dump us with a huge, slugging mosh pit of fight. Now, I love big battles (I rarely play anything below battalion). But this map is way too big an intro. A fight for the village alone, or two hills, would be a great short, sharp intro that reveals what kind of terrain and defense we're up against. Get that done, let us think it over as we progress to the next battle. Let us get a feel for the game.

2. Frame rate: The Trees! The Trees! There's so many!!! If the rest of the campaign maps are this heavily forested, and this big, than its gonna be unplayable for me. 

3. Especially, and I don't know if you've tried it, especially in Real Time (which is all I play v. AI). I waste so much time trying to simply get to the other side of the map trying to see whats going on (which isn't helped by the game's fochoctha camera controls) that it becomes pointless. Instead, I fight one hill top at a time. This means the game takes for evvvvveeerrrr.

4. It feels daft to start off with such a strong infantry assault, Spetsnaz included, and then make them completely redundant with the vehicular reinforcements. What's the point? Wait for the IFVs and tanks, shell, then assault. It takes the infantry so long to get to a successful flanking position with kinda-useful fire positions for the MGs, that by the time I'm in position the reinforcements arrive...sooo whats the point of all that leg work?

As it is, its so hard to assault a fortified, hilltop position (itself support by other hill top FBs), without arty support (more later >>:[ ), well, why bother? I mean, I can do it,. and I had two of the hills captured, but..why bother?

Why waste all that infantry, with no organic or off-map support, against entrenched, all round, prepared and waiting enemy units? Especially when there are far more capable and maneuverable units coming down the road?

This makes the first, infantry only phase, feel completely pointless. I should set the game going, watch TV for a bit, wait for the reinforcements, then attack. Even then, why use all those dismounts? The tanks and BMPS alone are well able for each hill top in turn. 

Finally, and for me is a deal breaker, it's pretty unrealistic to have that many men and no mortar section...yet give me AT-13 ATGMs!?  Why would I waste those precious missiles on infantry buried in foxholes? Seriously, you give advanced anti-vehicle guided munitions as heavy support to a night-time, uphill, infantry v. infantry assault through dense forests - yet no mortars? Of all those men, not one of them is able to carry a mortar yet we have expensive, one shot missiles for taking out tanks from 2Km away? Seriously? Again, whats the point? 

This could be a great battle but needs several things:

1. Make this first battle smaller. Ease in to the campaign.

2. Cut down the trees, or the map. Something...

3. If you're doing an infantry assault, at least give them organic mortars. ATGMs is just...silly.. and immensely frustrating. 

4. Rethink the nature of the fight - is it infantry only (very interesting in its own way), or is it mech/mixed? There is absolutely no point in an infantry assault that is literally overtaken by mechanised reinforcements.

I do want to play the campaign, but I don't want to be frustrated by illogical conditions. Now, the true military types here might say Suck It Up, Thats How Bananas It Can Be, but...still. Its a great concept, but your Rus OOB in particular needs serious rethinking.

 

 

Edited April 29, 2016 by kinophile

[dragonwynn]

Thanks for the input. Your input is valuable and you bring good points to the table that will all be considered. 

[Kinophile]

Sometimes I can over-articulate my opinion...

but I do like the campaign concept. I guess it was frustrating because I do want to play it but the first battle felt too awkward. Ill give it another (4th) shot.

[dragonwynn]

It's all good kinophile. That's why I want you guys to give it a test run. 

Let me clarify the first mission a bit. It was designed for the airborne and special ops to obtain their objectives so the route would be open for the mech force to move through. The mech force wasn't meant to be reinforcements but simply to move through after the objectives were secure. Their role starts in the second mission. 

As for the mortar crews that was a screw up on my part. They were ment  to be there I just forgot to add them back when I was setting the Russian side up. That's the reason I didn't add artillery assets. The ATGM crews were included simply because we'll if you are gonna drop my butt into a hot zone I want to be prepared for anything line of thought even though in this mission they don't really have a major role. 

Yes the map is big. I tried to model that part of the world as accurate as possible. I completely understand the frame rate hit and I may can thin out some of the trees to help with that issue or maybe readjust the map somewhat. 

I have a beefy system so have no trouble running these types of missions but I do understand your frustration. 

So I will probably eliminate the mech force even showing up, get the mortars where they should be and try and reduce the frame rate hit. 

Once again your input is valuable so let me know on additional issues. 

Michael

[Kinophile]

21 hours ago, dragonwynn said:

The ATGM crews were included simply because we'll if you are gonna drop my butt into a hot zone I want to be prepared for anything line of thought even though in this mission they don't really have a major role.

Its a reasonable idea, but in this battle it becomes yet another unit to move, and would be extra frustrating if no enemy vehicles turned up at all.