Battle for Russia 2 now at cmmods.com

[Kuniworth]

I've decided to update the battle for Russia Human vs Human scenario for version 1.5. You can get it at cmmods.com

VERSION 2 CHANGES – Special thanks to Rannug.

-Berezina river added, this is a famous natural obstacle familiar to those with knowledge of Napoleon’s russian campaign.

-New supply event, in case of the fall of Moscow, supply goes down to 5-6 in all russian cities to simulate the blow to communications and infrastructure.

-Fixed the flag-problem with the mirrored unit-3D bitmap.

-Finland now also starts with the Heinrichs HQ. This has been included to simulate the creation of “the Army of Karelia” on june 29th, 1941 which consisted of 6th and 7th Corps plus “Group 0”. The addition of Henrichs HQ plus Group 0 should now make it easier for the finns to capture Karelia and Petrozavodsk. This also mean Finland now got a hard build limit of 2 HQ and 6 corps.

-Finnish fortifications deleted.

-56th Panzer Corps start with strength 11 to reflect that it only had 1 panzer-division at the start of the invasion.

-7th Russian Army at Leningrad moved to Sortavala on the northern shores of Ladoga. This is the correct starting position for this unit.

-Velikaya-river extended to cover entrance to Pskov.

-Engineer-units renamed “construction force” to represent mass-mobilization to construct fortified areas. Soviet unions construction force symbolize the “people’s militia” of volonteers and drafted labour that emerged in late june and early july of 1941. This unit appear on june 29. German engineer-unit(construction) arrives on october 1, 1943. This to simulate the start of construction of the “festungs” or strongholds the german command created in 1944-45.

-Reworked the swampy areas around Leningrad to be more historical.

-Deleted some swampy terrain of the pripet marsches and replaced it with forrest to make it more historical.

-Cities and capitals now have an air-defence value of 2(like the 1.4 patch). Bomber defence still at 1.

-Capitals now got a maximum-entrench level of 8(Rannug).

-Cost for russian armies are now 175 and russian corps 150(Rannug).

-Lots of renaming in the Localization file.

-Russian industrial modifier changed from 100 to 105 (Rannug).

-Oil value changed from 3 to 4(Rannug).

-Bombers now start with strategic bombing value of 3(earlier 5) and the airfleets also have been reduced from 2 to 1(Rannug)

-All HQ:s now got 1 in Airdefence(Rannug).

-Red Army max level in Heavy tanks changed to 4(Rannug).

-Cost for AA research is 750 instead of 1000 for all sides(Rannug).

-Max assignable chits in each cathegory is 1 for all sides(Rannug).

-Russian cruisers now incorporated into the battleship-groups. This to ease the unrealistic bombardment of the finnish forces in the gulf of Finland. Battleships now referred to as “Task forces”, meaning they include a capital ship and some cruisers. Russia therefore can’t build cruiser-groups, so Maxim Gorkiy and Kirov of the baltic fleet and Molotov and Voroshilov of the black sea fleet deleted. Germany on the other hand still get heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen in 1944. Soviet hard build limit is 2 sub fleets, 0 cruiser groups and 3 task forces. Germany’s hard build limit is 1 sub fleet, 1 cruiser group and 0 task forces.

-Romanian elite force, the “Munte corps” starts with experience 1.

-Changed unit costs for ships. A Battleship cost 1000, a cruiser 800 and a sub 500. This may sound high but the players should remember that each naval unit represent a battlegroup.

-Maximum IT-tech levels for both sides are now 3. Russian IT increase is 20% , Italian 10% and German 15%(Rannug).

-Reserve field armies 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th and 43rd have changed arrival date from july 15, 1941 to july 13. All though they were formed historically on july 15 the nearest game turn is on july 13, so to give the russian player a chance to use them as close to history as possible. The only effect of this is that the russian armies now will be able to move on july 20 instead of july 27 which were the case in version 1.03. So in this sense this change is more historical.

-Changed Danzig-port to Gotenhafen.

-Deleted Partisans in the Baltic States but added Polish Partisans in Lublin, Krakow, Lodz and Warsaw. That is all polish cities on the map except Danzig. The chance of a supply reduction in Poland is rather low – 10%.

-Reworked tank armies representing of russian Mech Corps;

-1st & 10th Mech corps still renamed 1st Tank Army numbering 1500 tanks together.

-3rd & 12th Mech Corps renamed 3rd Tank Army numbering 1400 Tanks.

-17th, 20th(none of those had almost no tanks on june 22nd 1941) together with 11th, 13th and 14th Mech Corps merged into 10th Tank Army, of the western front numbering around 1400 tanks.

-6th Mech corps of the west front reformed to 6th Tank Army. Reason that this formation was not merged together with other Mech corps is that it consisted of 1000+ tanks on june 22nd 1941.

-2nd and 18th Mech Corps of Odessa district still renamed into 2nd Tank Army numbering 800 tanks.

-5th Mech Corps moved to Kiev district from Orel(this is historically correct) and merged with 19th and 24th into 5th Tank Army numbering 1600 tanks.

-8th Mech Corps merged with 16th Mech Corps to form 8 tank Army just south of Lvov numbering 1300 Tanks.

-4th and 15th Mech Corps merged into 4th Tank Army numbering 1700 tanks. Located just west of Tarnopol.

-22nd and 9th Mech Corps merged into 9th Tank Army numbering 100 Tanks.

-7th, 21st, 23rd Mech Corps near Orel and Moscow merged and renamed into 7th Tank Army.

-26th and 28th Mech Corps in Caucasus forged into 11th Tank Army in Baku.

[Cordell]

Great job

But i have a problem, when i try to charge the campaign i get

"Failed:(on_the_menu_command):segmentation violation"

Then CTD

I play with french version 1.05a

I tried with clean installation,

I am frustrated!!!

Somebody know what i should do maybee?

[fantomas]

same problem

[Kuniworth]

Hey guys,

something is obviously wrong. Very strange...

[Desert Dave]

... something is obviously wrong. Very strange...

Gee... Lookee!

Loki!

Musta had a hand in this particular difficulty?

Again?

I told you,

Skando Mondo,

You gotta keep 'im locked in the trunk!

Yer

Golden Hawk Studebaker trunk!

The one you tool around in,

Seeking lewdless pulchritude?

LOL!

Well,

Keep on trying,

You've made a helluva MOD :cool:

Which is more than I can say for me!

So far, anyhow.

But... coming soon!

To a Euro-Theatre near you!

_________________________________________

**[LOKI... was the scion of a Giant, and was a trickster god who deceived Balder, and therefore killed him. He was bound in a forgotten cave by the other gods, but was finally freed on Rognarok. He was the father of Fenrir and too, the Midgrad Serpent.]

[Hubert Cater]

As posted in the Tech Support Thread:

Kuniworth, looks like the issue has to do with your inclusion of the entire localization.txt in your Campaign subfolder.

Since the French, or German versions are localized differently for folder items such as 'Campagnes' etc., by including the entire English localization.txt it causes problems when attempting to load files. For example, once you click on a campaign to be played, if it is customized and if the customization text does not match up logically, i.e. in your case it then starts to look for files in the 'Campaign' directory not 'Campagnes' and thus causes the problem.

Easiest solution is to simply cut out any unchanged text, i.e. only include the text you changed in the 'localiztion.txt' file like unit type names etc. in your Campaign subfolder and this should resolve the issue.

Hope this helps,

Hubert

[Kuniworth]

Ok Ive done this and posted a new version on the cmmods website.

[Kuniworth]

Originally posted by Desert Dave:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />... something is obviously wrong. Very strange...

Gee... Lookee!

Loki!

Musta had a hand in this particular difficulty?

Again?

I told you,

Skando Mondo,

You gotta keep 'im locked in the trunk!

Yer

Golden Hawk Studebaker trunk!

The one you tool around in,

Seeking lewdless pulchritude?

LOL!

Well,

Keep on trying,

You've made a helluva MOD :cool:

Which is more than I can say for me!

So far, anyhow.

But... coming soon!

To a Euro-Theatre near you!

</font>

[Blashy]

That is some excellent work Kuniworth.

Kudos to you and I guess Rannug as well.

[fantomas]

Originally posted by Cordell:

Great job

But i have a problem, when i try to charge the campaign i get

"Failed:(on_the_menu_command):segmentation violation"

Then CTD

I play with french version 1.05a

I tried with clean installation,

I am frustrated!!!

Somebody know what i should do maybee?

_____________________________________________

Cordell : fouded solution for you (see please french forum Anuman)

Non d'un d'nom : deux français (*) qui s'causent inglish sur un forum us pour un pb de françouilles

(*):pardon : un et demi

[fantomas]

I tested new version of the mod :

Without using my tip : it doesn't work with french version

If using the tip, the scenario works perfect ! Thanks for this mod : great

Perhaps, i will add roads in this mod in the future, for my personal use. I can give you the tip if you want to do it.

[Cordell]

Thanks Fantomas, but Kuniworth made an international release who work without problems...

But it s usefull cause there is plenty of mods who do not work...

This mod battle for russia is really fantastic... great job thank Kuniworth

I just need to find an opponent now!

[Kuniworth]

Originally posted by fantomas:

I tested new version of the mod :

Without using my tip : it doesn't work with french version

If using the tip, the scenario works perfect ! Thanks for this mod : great

Perhaps, i will add roads in this mod in the future, for my personal use. I can give you the tip if you want to do it.

better yet send me your city and road bitmaps from the falkland mod to me

kuniworth@hotmail.com

[ November 26, 2006, 07:42 AM: Message edited by: Kuniworth ]

[Kuniworth]

Oh and don't forget the tip you said you could give me

[fantomas]

I post here in bmp format one file (to use for terrain_sprites and light_terrain sprites).You can get it with "right clik" and register as bmp (not png)

Roads replace "depression terrain". You have just to past-copy the content of these files in your files with "paint" (universal little programm in all PC).

Then, you have to calibrate your scenario movement cost and your localization file :

Original forest = what you want, by sample : mountains and forest

Original Moutains=what you want , by sample, swamp and marsh

Original swamp= obligatory "green plain without road" (perhaps, you will have to recalibrate the position of my grass icons)

Original depression = roads

So, you will have road that produce effects on supply and movement and you can calibrate the scenario as it :

Roads(original depression) = supplementary movement cost = 0

green Plain without road (original swamp)= supplementary movement cost of 1

Others terrains : as you want : +2,+3 or +4supplementary cost movement.

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

Concerning the "tip" for problem between french and us version :

The tip for modders is to not include the totality of LOCALIZATION file in mod, but only changed mentions

But if the modder has that forgotten, the tip for european players is to rename the scenarios directory, change the name "campagnes" in "campaigns" and replace the french localization file by the us 1.05a localization file.

[fantomas]

Villages are here, in bitmap format

[fantomas]

If you prefer roads without crossroad

[Kuniworth]

Arrgh too bad not so much terrain is allowed, those would be perfect for my waterloo scenario but with ridges, trees, fields and marsches Im in trouble

[Kuniworth]

Originally posted by Cordell:

This mod battle for russia is really fantastic... great job thank Kuniworth

I just need to find an opponent now!

Well thank you. However there remain a serious balancing issue; german experience. I've urged Hubert for a long time now to implement a flexible max level on experience so you can alter it from 5 stars to 2. Problem is that german units keep getting stronger and stronger when it infact should be the opposite.

[Desert Dave]

Hey Man, what are you cooking?

Well Skando Mod Man,

Just tonight it'll be... Bueno

Brand... red-chile TURKEY enchiladas,

As, that 20# Thanksgiving bird

Just... will... NOT go away!

Maybe we oughta join forces and do a scenario together some day.

Thanks for the invite.

Sounds like a plan.

Gotta get my own MOD done first,

And,

Then we see... personally,

I wouldn't mind trying

Para Air Assault on Crete, though,

I thought? I heard tell

Somebody is already planning that one?

Either that, OR... War of the Roses?

Knights and their pages, and

Bishops with idol dreams,

Lancers and Jesters

And impregnable Castles

And... near impregnable Queens!

It'd be a one for - all ages! :cool:

[Honch]

Kuni:

Try the village bitmpas from Hubert's D-Day scenario for SC2. They are awesome. I like Fantomas as well but Hubert's have churches etc. Really cool.

[John DiFool the 2nd]

Alright, just played a game vs. myself, here are some observations...

1941 went very historical-if anything Germany was a

little short of the historical early Decemeber front.

Russia managed to horde its tanks for the most part.

When General Winter hit both sides stood down-I tried

an abortive offensive after Axis supply got porked,

but the damage done was not worth it so I called it

off.

Major sitzkrieg until May '42. At that time the

Russian army was huge-I had bought back all tanks,

and gotten the air units back up to ten strength.

The Axis? Spent most of their time adding Elite

Reinforcements...

However it was at this point that things started

to diverge. That huge Russian army? A shambles

four months later-completely decimated when the

game ended with a total Axis victory in September

when Leningrad fell. Oddly I didn't do much in

the way of encirclements-just full out head on

frontal assaults which chewed through Russian units

like a pit bull through a warehouse full of Spam.

Observations:

1. Tech played a minor role-only one hit for each

side despite maxing out both sides in March '42.

Axis got level 2 tanks but Russia got level 1 AT-

didn't help.

2. Fortifications didn't slow down the Germans

much. Both Moscow and Stalingrad were heavily

fortified, but in two months of Axis offenses

those fortifications were toast as the cities'

defenses crumbled.

3. Air. Spending points on rebuilding Russian

air was a colossal waste of time and MPPs, as any

interceptions cost them c. 5 points while doing

maybe one to the Axis air units.

4. Supply. I think up to the Odessa/Kiev/Smolensk/

Novogrod line Axis supply worked fine. My contention

is that past that supply should be permanently

lower, but I have no idea how to do that with the

current game engine (persistent events which pork

supply in the easternmost Axis-occupied cities?).

Their logistical tail simply wasn't long enough

to support deep penetrations past that line.

5. Axis experience. Yes as you've discussed

Kuni this is Game Balance Killer #1. The high

experience of both the Axis units AND their HQs

is unstoppable. Usually attrition isn't enough

to knock strength (and hence experience) down to

1-3 (or kill the unit outright). Not sure how to

handle this.

6. MPPs. Game Balance Killer #2. By the historical

line Russia was only outproducing Germany by c.

725-590. I think Russia is hurt far too much by

the loss of her central cities, and Germany gains

too much (when in reality she got very little in

terms of war goods out of captured Russian cities).

Introduce an event or three which better replicates

the vast eastern holdings of the Russian Empire-

I think by late '41 they should be getting around

1000 a turn (before Lend-Lease).

How I should have played the Russians? First, even

at the cost of some badly-needed rebuilds, put a

chit into Industrial Tech ASAP. If that sucker

pays off it will help to redress the MPP situation

a bit, and then keep putting a chit in there at

every opportunity. Russia can't win without high

IT.

Two, I babied the Russian tanks too much. Russia

absolutely has to knock down (or out) the German

armor, hence porking their experience AND making

it costly (in MPPs AND time) for the Germans to

rebuild them. To do that Russia must mass ALL her

tanks behind the front where most of the German

tanks are operating, and then hit them as hard as

possible at the right moment (probably when Russian

Winter hits). Even if Russia then loses most of her

tanks to German air/infantry counterattacks, the

experience imbalance will have been remedied AND

Russia will have bought some time to fortify and

rebuild. Massing her air at the same location

probably couldn't hurt either.

Otherwise I don't know how to win as the Russians

as the scenario is currently constituted. It's a

hellacious effort it's just too bad the basic game

system favors the Germans.

[Kuniworth]

Originally posted by John DiFool the 2nd:

Alright, just played a game vs. myself, here are some observations...

1941 went very historical-if anything Germany was a

little short of the historical early Decemeber front.

Russia managed to horde its tanks for the most part.

When General Winter hit both sides stood down-I tried

an abortive offensive after Axis supply got porked,

but the damage done was not worth it so I called it

off.

Major sitzkrieg until May '42. At that time the

Russian army was huge-I had bought back all tanks,

and gotten the air units back up to ten strength.

The Axis? Spent most of their time adding Elite

Reinforcements...

However it was at this point that things started

to diverge. That huge Russian army? A shambles

four months later-completely decimated when the

game ended with a total Axis victory in September

when Leningrad fell. Oddly I didn't do much in

the way of encirclements-just full out head on

frontal assaults which chewed through Russian units

like a pit bull through a warehouse full of Spam.

Observations:

1. Tech played a minor role-only one hit for each

side despite maxing out both sides in March '42.

Axis got level 2 tanks but Russia got level 1 AT-

didn't help.

2. Fortifications didn't slow down the Germans

much. Both Moscow and Stalingrad were heavily

fortified, but in two months of Axis offenses

those fortifications were toast as the cities'

defenses crumbled.

3. Air. Spending points on rebuilding Russian

air was a colossal waste of time and MPPs, as any

interceptions cost them c. 5 points while doing

maybe one to the Axis air units.

4. Supply. I think up to the Odessa/Kiev/Smolensk/

Novogrod line Axis supply worked fine. My contention

is that past that supply should be permanently

lower, but I have no idea how to do that with the

current game engine (persistent events which pork

supply in the easternmost Axis-occupied cities?).

Their logistical tail simply wasn't long enough

to support deep penetrations past that line.

5. Axis experience. Yes as you've discussed

Kuni this is Game Balance Killer #1. The high

experience of both the Axis units AND their HQs

is unstoppable. Usually attrition isn't enough

to knock strength (and hence experience) down to

1-3 (or kill the unit outright). Not sure how to

handle this.

6. MPPs. Game Balance Killer #2. By the historical

line Russia was only outproducing Germany by c.

725-590. I think Russia is hurt far too much by

the loss of her central cities, and Germany gains

too much (when in reality she got very little in

terms of war goods out of captured Russian cities).

Introduce an event or three which better replicates

the vast eastern holdings of the Russian Empire-

I think by late '41 they should be getting around

1000 a turn (before Lend-Lease).

How I should have played the Russians? First, even

at the cost of some badly-needed rebuilds, put a

chit into Industrial Tech ASAP. If that sucker

pays off it will help to redress the MPP situation

a bit, and then keep putting a chit in there at

every opportunity. Russia can't win without high

IT.

Two, I babied the Russian tanks too much. Russia

absolutely has to knock down (or out) the German

armor, hence porking their experience AND making

it costly (in MPPs AND time) for the Germans to

rebuild them. To do that Russia must mass ALL her

tanks behind the front where most of the German

tanks are operating, and then hit them as hard as

possible at the right moment (probably when Russian

Winter hits). Even if Russia then loses most of her

tanks to German air/infantry counterattacks, the

experience imbalance will have been remedied AND

Russia will have bought some time to fortify and

rebuild. Massing her air at the same location

probably couldn't hurt either.

Otherwise I don't know how to win as the Russians

as the scenario is currently constituted. It's a

hellacious effort it's just too bad the basic game

system favors the Germans.

John Di Fool; as always you are very helpful.

I like to comment a bit on your observations;

1. Tech

Sounds like this is working, advances takes longer time now which is really good.

2. Fortifications

Works like itended, they never were the real problem.

3. Soviet air

Agreed, this is a problem thx to experience of the axis units.

4. Supply

Yes axis supply is a bit high, but making it lower means the whole axis army can't move! To adjust that you need more HQ:s which means that the whole partisan thing goes out of whack. So this is unfortunately not working.

5.Axis experience

Yes this is the game-killer, which we found through a lot of balancing. For a long time I thought the problem was Russia possibility to quickly shift forces around but the real problem always was this. Until experience can be changed from max 5 to say max 2 THIS SCENARIO WILL HAVE A MAJOR FLAW.

6. Russian MMP.

Yes maybe more resource events should be introduced on the eastern edge map.