AAR - Andreas Biermann's "The Dirt Road"

[Paul AU]

"... And yet I opt for riskier, more daring tactics, which again results in needless casualties."

Yes, me too.

Although I think that the more boring a scenario is, the more likely one is to be... 'Adventurous'.

[Krautman]

Thank you for the feedback.

Well, i'm sorry i could not crown the AAR with a glorious total victory. Maybe General Krautman is just too cautious with the digital lives that he is responsible of.

I have some comments left:

I never used that much artillery to provide smoke. Usually, i see it as a waste to not drop HE on the evil enemy, the suppression might keep them from firing at my soldiers just as the smoke cloud did, and i could advance the infantry while the enemy is pinned. But 75&81mm suppresion isn't that effective, so i decided on the smoke. But i've never run tests or so to try the effectivity of smoke.

I think when laying a smoke screen, you have to consider three parameters: Density, size and durability. My smoke screen was effective in the way that it allowed the infantry to advance, but there were gaps in it that the enemy could fire through. Shifting the fire from one place to the other increased durability and size, but made the screen less dense.

About the force mix: It was the realistic choice of units that drew me to the scenario, besides its early war setting. That doesn't mean i do not like blasting PzII's with KV-2s, but, occasionally, i need a scenario that gives you this feeling of "this is what it could have been like".

This is a nicely designed scenario of considerable difficulty, but i guess with some practice, one could take at least one small flag (southern hill, close to wheatfield), and the large one. A nice scenario for players that demand a challenge. The strange turn number - 37 instead of maybe 35+ or 40 - indicates that Andreas did quite a bit of playtesting. Well done, Mr Biermann.

Now if you'll excuse me, i'll design myself a nice little scenario for recreation that depicts an attack by General Krautmanov with an elite smg company, some 122mm spotters and a KV-2 platoon on a depleted german rifle company in mid-41. That'll be fun.

[Andreas]

Originally posted by Krautman:

Well, i'm sorry i could not crown the AAR with a glorious total victory. Maybe General Krautman is just too cautious with the digital lives that he is responsible of.

OTOH - if you think about the feeling the German commander would have had at the end of your battle in real life, losing 19 KIA (all those letters to write, and you knew all of them because they had been in your unit for the last two years and survived Poland and France), 65 WIA, all for capturing a pointless crossing defended by some fanatical dead-enders in a fight nobody gives a flying monkey's about because they are too busy drooling at the thought of deep envelopments conducted by Panzertruppen.

Getting an unexpected cease-fire may have come close to producing a similar level of frustration in you. Amazing what level of simulation CM reaches, isn't it?

[Runyan99]

What building mod are you using? I like those.

[Patrick Brazil]

I think those are EDS_SMALL_BUILDINGS. They're at CMMODS.

[Krautman]

Originally posted by Patrick Brazil:

I think those are EDS_SMALL_BUILDINGS. They're at CMMODS.

Yes, that's correct. You might also want to check out the OSF large wooden buildings.

Andreas: That's a slight degree of simulation more than i demand! At least their lives ARE only digital, and their parents and wives are not even binary-coded. They should be happy to sacrifice their virtual existence on the altar of General Krautman's everlasting glory.

Maybe writing letters to parents and wives will be included in the next CM game, together with Kommißbrot and Machorka.

Edit: And, of course, Karlgerät on-map artillery!

[ June 17, 2005, 12:27 AM: Message edited by: Krautman ]

[Andreas]

This scenario can now be downloaded again from the 'Der Kessel' link in my sig.

All the best

Andreas

[Other Means]

An AAR like this reminds me why I fell in love with this game.

[vincere]

Another who enjoyed your AAR, thanks.