Playtest requested - Dynamic Flags battle

[Michael Dorosh]

I haven't noticed too many scenarios out there with dynamic flags so I decided to make one of my own.

I used Operation Varsity from Squad Leader as a basis for the conversion. A lot of people aren't wild about SL conversions, but this one converted well.

I have done an intial playtest against a human opponent; dalem and I played through to a conclusion and the game was close. Scattered American airborne platoons go up against 2nd line German troops. The Germans set up over the entire map, and there are four victory flags spread out over the map - but only one is worth victory points, and only the American knows which one (he also gets to pick the flag).

German reinforcements arrive throughout the game - the dynamic flags mean that the challenge for the Germans is in determining the American intentions, and co-ordinating his far flung troops (or, he can decide to set up centrally, if he prefers, and attack outwards) as well as his reinforcements which arrive on different corners of the map at different times.

The American challenge is not only to seize his assembly point, but to try and mask his intentions from the Germans, lest they concentrate against him too rapidly.

The one playtest I did was a 64-36 match with the action going right to the last turn.

I have some additional tweaks to make based on the playtest, but would love for some others to try it out before I send it off to the Scenario Depot.

Anyone interested email me at madorosh@shaw.ca - persons interested in both AI and PBEM/TCP play are invited to test it.

If anyone else can indicate some good dynamic flags battles for me to play, I would be interested in seeing some others.

[Louie the Toad]

Michael,

In light of your Dynamic Flags scenario,

I would appreciate your thoughts on this. I have quoted myself from another thread ---

It just occured to me that part of the 'uncertainty' of Operations is that your objectives and the enemy's may not be directly opposed to each other. For example, maybe my objective and therefore my Victory, is to take the bridge. Maybe my opponent's objective and his Victory is to minimize his casualties. While I get points for taking the bridge, he gets points for conserving his force (in order to fight another day).

Victory Conditions could be used to simulate Operational Orders under which both players operate secretly from each other. Once again, maybe my orders -- Victory Conditions -- are to inflict as many casualties upon the enemy as possible, without regard to my own. Whereas my opponent is to hold onto the crossroads until the end of the game.

Yes, there would be some scenarios where the battle would be like ships passing in the night, but that would happen with an Operational Overlay too.

Using a list of say six to ten Operational Orders the AI could assign each commander an Order that the other commander would only be able to figure out by the actions of his opponent. So now a player would have to determine what the enemy was up to and try to prevent it, PLUS attain his own Victory Conditions. Victory Points for following the Order would be enough to determine the outcome of the game.

[WWB]

Mike:

I did a dynamic flags battle, although I would not really call it all that good. It is at the depot and goes by the name of Midwinter Nightmare. Works pretty well single player, might be a bit unbalanced 2 player.

WWB