Jump to content

Mission to Maas Version 2 Scenario


Recommended Posts

Mission to Maas V2.btt

416437783_MissiontoMaasV2.jpg.b6126be94c24544add1dba975a777d61.jpg

Updated huge scenario Axis KG Peiper versus Allies.

Semi Historical based on the actions over 4 days around La Gleize and Stoumont, condensed into a 4 hour period.

4 hours, gives plenty of time. But need to balance force preservation with speed to secure objectives, avoiding enemy artillery and fighting off counter attacks.

Controlling 700 troops and over 50 vehicles is not for the feint hearted :)

Improvements over Version 1

  • Improved road layout near Coo and through La Gleize, so game engine doesn't re-route units behind buildings :(.
  • Ground conditions now allow for more off-road manoeuvre with minimal risk of breakdown, although beware of mines.
  • Some building layouts have been improved.
  • Found Grilles! and added some German recon.
  • German TRP setup is now at the front of the Spitze rather than inconveniently hidden in the woods!
  • 5 action plans, with variable arrival time for USA reinforcements give more replay ability.

Start time is 08:30am which provides darkness and poor visibility for the first 15-30 minutes.

Why go large? 

  • Operational type decisions on
    • when and where to attack / defend with which company
    • optional march routes
    • route security, flank recon, patrols, early warning 
    • creation of mobile reserve to respond to threats etc
    • command challenges, do I move to counter that threat or temporarily withdraw to fight again?
  • Deeper understanding of your own force strengths, weakness, mobility, firepower, combined arms
  • Visual. Attack and counter attack over the same ground lets you fight past burnt out vehicles and damaged buildings, that are reset if occurring in a campaign
  • Not many scenarios produced on this scale, probably for good reason

Many thanks to the guys who commented on version 1,  much appreciated, hope you find this an improved experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I have made a few changes to improve this impressive map further. @theforger gave me the go-ahead to post it here.

Previously, the edges of forests seemed a bit artificial, because it was pretty obvious they had been painted with a tool in an editor. So what I did was to work over all the terrain edges and break up their outlines. I did it with respect for the original map, so there should be no real gameplay difference and it should not break any AI plans or player tactics. But hopefully you will also find it easier on the eyes.

Before

9WK77BO.png

 

After

Y76Ec6B.png

 

Unfortunately I can't upload the file, because the forum only allows me to upload 1.22 MB and the file is 1.45 MB ....

Edited by Bulletpoint
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since I posted the previous version, I also went over the entire map and broke up the borders of the many big blocks of trees were there were two trees per tile.. they should blend together better now, and it saves your computer from calculating several thousand trees. Especially in the large forest areas to the west of your starting positions, where now fighting take place anyway.

Edited by Bulletpoint
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Bulletpoint said:

I have made a few changes to improve this impressive map further. @theforger gave me the go-ahead to post it here.

Previously, the edges of forests seemed a bit artificial, because it was pretty obvious they had been painted with a tool in an editor. So what I did was to work over all the terrain edges and break up their outlines. I did it with respect for the original map, so there should be no real gameplay difference and it should not break any AI plans or player tactics. But hopefully you will also find it easier on the eyes.

+1.  Making a good map even better.  Nice! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice work.  I very much enjoyed your scenario and thought it could be one of the great ones.  The battles for La Gleize were excellent.  However, I was blindsided when the reinforcing engineers arrived with no demo charges.  If that is deliberate, perhaps mention that in the briefing as one can easily use up the initial engineers and their demo charges in Le Gleize thinking that more are coming.

I stopped halfway through the scenario as I thought some aspects elsewhere were not working as you expected.  Is there any chance you might make any other small improvements?

For example:

 

****** POSSIBLE SPOILERS *******

 

One can send everything including the KT's down the southern route with no bogging/immobilizations and only one small ambush that was too easily overcome.  It was then easy to take the road North again and bypass the large multi-floor building (that exhibited no enemy units) to safely reach Stoumont outskirts in under 90 minutes with no opposition other than some fire from the southern objective town which was easily overcome.  

It would be an improvement if it's more dangerous/impossible to send all one's forces (including the KT's) down the southern route and cross the river there.  That would provide more motivation to go through the woods to the west of La Gleize.  Maybe make the road worse so that bogging becomes a problem, and add another ambush or two?

However... when (out of curiousity) I did eventually send recon along the main road west of La Gleize to Stoumont, I was surprised/disappointed that there didn't seem to be any ambushes or opposition in the dense woods.  I stopped playing just before reaching the multifloor large building. - so there may have been something there.  It would add to the fun to have at least one ambush in there someplace.

I hope this is helpful as I very much enjoyed the scenario and would like to replay it.  

Edited by Erwin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Chaps, I had fun making the scenario and genuinely appreciate your comments. I may make a V3 but at the moment I'm 4 of 11 scenarios built into a new Peiper campaign unofficially called "Rollbahn D" that I want to complete.

Re Erwin's comment about the engineers, I was unaware of the demo charge issue. For the Axis forces in Maas I'd imported the units from the game supplied Peiper Campaign. 

 

SPOILERS *****

Regarding the lack of ambushes in the woods... I was trying to represent the sometimes false information about strength of opposition the commanders had to contend with and also give the player a sense of anticipation and caution, without losing the fighting capability of the KG.

My ambition was for the player to reach Stoumont and Cheneux and then be hit with the task of clearing the towns, made more challenging by USA counter attacks. Over a map of that scale with that many forces arriving from multiple directions it was quite tricky to anticipate when a player would be hit by those counter attacks and the effect. 

 

Re the new campaign I've created my own Axis force, but will double check pioneer equipment, it may have been the result of an unfortunate unit selection. Some of the scenarios will be relatively easy and lack organised opposition as I'm trying to be historically accurate and incorporate the majority of landmarks/towns on the route.

I'm building the Bullingen map at the moment. I'm toying with the idea of if major victories have been achieved, giving the branch option for Peiper to thrust North/NW rather than continuing SW back onto Rollbahn D, thereby attempting to release the 12th SS Division.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, theforger said:

Regarding the lack of ambushes in the woods... I was trying to represent the sometimes false information about strength of opposition the commanders had to contend with and also give the player a sense of anticipation and caution, without losing the fighting capability of the KG.

I get the idea.  But, one feels let down from a fun perspective if one recons slowly and carefully along these long wooded and scary-looking roads for 25-30 minutes and absolutely nothing happens. 

52 minutes ago, theforger said:

My ambition was for the player to reach Stoumont and Cheneux and then be hit with the task of clearing the towns, made more challenging by USA counter attacks.

My experience was that I reached Cheneux in less than an hour using the southern road and river bridge route moving very carefully with only one small and ineffective ambush to slow the Panzers down.  Just moving all those units along that route was a lot of work - and hardly any fighting to relieve the clickfest monotony.  Felt more like "CM:Traffic Controller".

After easily stopping the enemy fire covering the road east of Cheneux, it was easy to reach Stoumont with no further ambushes at all in 90 minutes from scenario start.  If that speed is what you intended, and the battles for Cheneux and Stoumont are intended to be the where majority of the scenario takes place, that's fine.  I just wanted to give feedback that a very aggressive (foolhardy?) player could simply drive straight through and probably get significant forces to Cheneux in 30-40 minutes and get to Stoumont in under an hour.  That leaves 3+ hours for the rest of the scenario.

(Am making the assumption that reaching Cheneux and Stoumont with significant forces should be harder and slower.)

It's a very good scenario.  A few small changes would make it one of the outstanding ones.  But, am excited to hear about "Rollbahn D" campaign!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Erwin said:
17 hours ago, theforger said:

Regarding the lack of ambushes in the woods... I was trying to represent the sometimes false information about strength of opposition the commanders had to contend with and also give the player a sense of anticipation and caution, without losing the fighting capability of the KG.

I get the idea.  But, one feels let down from a fun perspective if one recons slowly and carefully along these long wooded and scary-looking roads for 25-30 minutes and absolutely nothing happens.

I understand where you're coming from with this, but at the same time, that is the nature of recon after all. Finding out where the enemy isn't is as important as finding out where he is...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do appreciate your point.  The see-saw battles for La Gleize are excellently planned and surprised me at how well the AI acted.  It was like there was a real brain behind the attacks and they destroyed most of my engineers and tanks that had been allocated to the town.  (Hence my dismay when the reinforcing engineers turned up without demo charges.)

So, there was a lot of fun going on in La Gleize that partially compensated for the lack of action while moving units down the roads towards Cheneux and Stoumont. 

However, am certain that no one likes moving large numbers of units along lengthy winding roads and over bridges for 30 turns. Currently, that is an awful clickfest, and additional ambush action is really needed just to break the monotony. 

Disclaimer: I admit that I care more about playability and fun rather than strict historical reality.  Reality is usually boring.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/19/2020 at 4:36 PM, Erwin said:

@theforger did a great job programming the US attack(s) as if he could read my mind and see what the Germans were doing.  The timing and execution was exquisite - like playing H2H.

That's the mark of a great designer. And I'm saying that as someone who has some experience with designing scenarios.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...