Big Al's historical Mod v1.2 is in CMODs

[John DiFool the 2nd]

One more request big guy. The turns are all the same length-except for winter, which is double length. That means that I as the Japs pretty much have to declare war in March, and (if playing a human) my opponent will prepare for that eventuality. Plus it is too Eurocentric.

The Italian navy had ships which were extremely short-legged. The Germans were running around down there with pocket battleships, which could travel almost halfway around the world without refueling (hmm is that moddable? Ship range I mean).

Is there a possibility for a Pearl Harbor naval garrison? When I tried to launch a Pearl Harbor attack they weren't in base, but sailing around near Guam and the Marshalls (I sunk them anyway). If they move you get penalized (this assumes the AI will obey the garrison order).

And while I'm on the subject could you make the Manchurian garrison requirements have a 1 space radius? I temporarily moved off one of the spaces (text markings mucho appreciated), and the SSSR went nuts and DoWed me (I was about to attack them anyway).

[Big Al]

Newest version is up. I hope I didnt miss anything from the feedback.

[Big Al]

The AI moved the BBs off of Pearl with fog of war? That seems odd. It has never done that with me? The only time the AI has done that is if I go right up to their noses and sit there a turn before surprise attacking which to me is fine. Pearl Harbor was a complete surprise attack where everything went perfect. Now as the Japs you can make this happen vs the AI simply by staying far enough away where they dont see you or react. Move then strike Pearl Harbor. Also by then you should have long range A/C. Now if USA intel picks you up, well thats part of the game.

German ships I believe can use the Africa loops BTW.

You problem is not that you moved off the hexes and wala war is declared, its because you moved too many units to Manchuria. If the Japs move too many units to Manchuria Siberia activation goes up as long as they are there. This is so the Japs dont build up this massive army and execute a perfect attack plan on the "dee dee dee" Russians who can't see the build up. Call it pre-emptive war.

[John DiFool the 2nd]

Okay that's what I did-I didn't want to hang around the islands after the airstrikes for fear that I would be subjected to a counterrattack, so I wanted to bomb and boogie back west.

Alright, the text I saw just seemed to imply that by moving a unit off the "spot" that war readiness went up, not that I was building up my forces (which I was).

Found another bug-if a German unit goes too far east into E Poland, it will get "trapped" behind Russian lanes, unable to get back when the Poles surrender. In all of Hubert's 1939 scenarios (and in 1940 if something is in Vichy when the French surrender) the unit(s) in question merely get moved back into friendly territory. Perhaps if I violated the secret prewar German/Russian border agreement I deserve that, but the Axis AI probably can't understand such subtleties.

[Big Al]

Pearl: I got ya. I will look into adding some garrison script for USA and Pearl pre-war.

Manchuria: I'll check the scripts again, perhaps there is an error

Poland: I took the script right off of 1939 Storm of Steel so it should work Ill check that out too. Hubert any input here????

[John DiFool the 2nd]

Unless this is a pre-patch/post-patch issue, the scenario now has a critical error somewhere in the scripts. European USSR declared war in March 1940 and I for the life of me cannot determine why. I had all 4 border garrisons occupied by corps, with a fifth one which I was bringing up to replace a more experienced unit with, and the rest of my forces along the Low Countries border. In Manchuria (if that made a difference) I had brought up a couple of green corps to replace 2 of the more experienced armies, and had just shipped one of the armies out the turn before the DoW. No German ships were having pleasure cruises in the Baltic. A definite WTF moment.

And while I'm on the subject could you rename Asian Russia with another name? It is confusing to have two countries with the exact same moniker.

[John DiFool the 2nd]

May have found the problem. In a script which is meant to increase Russian activation in 1943 if the Axis still hasn't DoWed them, the activation date is *1940*, not 1943:

; Event for increased USSR Activation (~Jan 43 100%):

{

#NAME= Event for increased USSR Activation (~Jan 43 = 100%)

#POPUP=

#IMAGE=

#SOUND=

#FLAG= 1

#TYPE= 2

#AI= 0

#GV= 1[1,100]

#LINK= 0[0]

#LEVEL= 0

#COUNTRY_ID= 4

#TRIGGER= 65

#DATE= 1940/01/01 <----Oops.

;100% activation increase towards Allies

#ACTIVATION= [0,2] [2]

;Set variable conditions:

;1st Line - germany aligned and not surrendered

#VARIABLE_CONDITION= 5 [1] [100] [0]

[Big Al]

that script is right. its their incremental activation of 65% chance of giving 0-2 per turn. They should come in on average Jan of 1943.

New version is up. I also corrected a graphics error for Japanese. Now their experience shows the right flag.

[Nupremal]

call it Siberia - my suggestion.

[Big Al]

I split it into USSR Europe, USSR Siberia

[John DiFool the 2nd]

Was the problem then with the other script? The one labeled "Event for increased USSR AI Activation" meant to compensate for missing Russian garrison units? BTW the Russians in my latest game put their last guy in the garrisons on their first 1940 turn, so perhaps they don't need this extra script. That's a 15-20 point jump, which does not deactivate after the first time it is triggered I believe, thus explaining why I was seeing them declare war in March.

[Big Al]

march of 1940? Something is not making sense I have played the game 4 times and never were they even close to DOW. Are you sure you have the German Garrisons in the right spot? The formula is 65% chance per turn for a 0-2% increase or .65 per turn average By the very end of 1942 they should hit 100 on average. Ahh I think I see the problem. If the German's take out Poland too late then they start moving too late. I fixed that by removing the variable condition poland surrenders. Its the 1st script so I think no matter what happens this take priority.

German Garrison positions

213,26 Konigsberg

214,28

213,29 Warsaw

215,31

I changed the AI increase from 1940 to Sept 1941. The problem is sometimes the garrisons are their 1st turn sometimes they are not there tll summer 1940 which greatly affects their production and entrance into the war. I put the units as close as I can.

[John DiFool the 2nd]

Yep, like I said I had all 4 corps right where they were supposed to be as of the second-to-last 1939 turn, and boom during the first 1940 AI turn up the war readiness went by 16 points, and kept going up 15-20 points (as per the event I mentioned in my previous post, which is an ongoing script not a one-time one) until they entered the war. Poland was killed on the 3rd German turn (Sept. 28-29 or thereabouts), with the rest of my forces immediately going west. You hinted that you may be running it on the new patch (which I assumed Hubert gave you pre- the general public release), so perhaps it has something to do with that.

Since CM Mods is acting up (again), you might want to upload it on Battlefront's new file database.

[John DiFool the 2nd]

Yep, this has to be the culprit:

; Event for AI increased USSR Activation

; This was done because the AI is really slow to garrison the borders

; and kept falling behind in activation sometimes 20 points.

; this ensures they get proper activation

{

#NAME= Event for increased USSR AI Activation

#POPUP=

#IMAGE=

#SOUND=

#FLAG= 1

#TYPE= 2 <----THIS NEEDS TO BE TYPE= 1

#AI= 2

#GV= 1[1,100]

#LINK= 0[0]

#LEVEL= 0

#COUNTRY_ID= 4

#TRIGGER= 100

#DATE= 1940/01/01 <----YOU CHANGED THIS TO SEPT 41 I BELIEVE

;100% activation increase towards Axis

#ACTIVATION= [15,20] [2]

;Set variable conditions:

;1st Line - germany aligned and not surrendered

#VARIABLE_CONDITION= 5 [1] [100] [0]

With TYPE= 2, the check keeps happening turn after turn until Euro USSR enters the war, which exactly matches what I was seeing, as per the date as well as the points per turn (15-20). I altered this event to January '41 and it didn't happen anymore. You may have altered it after you uploaded the most recent public version. I'd like Samichlaus to chime in with what he has been getting to confirm.

[Big Al]

Oops. I removed that script and changed how USSR approaches the garrison.

I am not able to upload to the repository. It says no permission. I use the login above... incorrect, I try to register... where do I register?!?!

My forum name is Big Al but it wont take that either.

[Big Al]

Ahh found the register, wait Im already registered... But I havent yet?!?!

Ok register another email, nope that email is registered too. But I never gave it out?!?!

So Im apparently registered twice even though I never registered or was able to register and it wont send me my password because my account is not registered, yet it is twice.

Big Al dont work. Im uploading to CMMODS. I know 100% Im registered there

[John DiFool the 2nd]

IIRC you need a separate login for the Repository, the same one you use to buy games with and login to the main BF splash page (not the forums).

Here is some food for thought, related to a longstanding pet peeve I've had about the SC series:

http://www.wargamer.com/forums/tm.aspx?m=317698&mpage=1#318071

Now, changing movement rates for ground infantry can have some far-reaching effects: how effectively they can move through rough terrain, through ZoCs, across rivers, when in low supply, and all combinations thereof, not to mention the strategic ramifications, like Germany's Barbarossa timetable. And then you have to consider the Motorization tech (and motorized infantry), and differences between countries (Britain and the US got fully motorized by the end of the war, something the rest of the world could only dream of). To motorize Germany's infantry divisions in your scenario in 1940 would cost c. 300 MPPs, which may or may not be worth it. And how much faster can you make a tank unit when even in 1940 the Panzers that Germany was using were already pretty speedy? Tank tech speed is indirectly discussed in post #5 in my link.

Just some things to think about, as currently your scenario works pretty well.

[John DiFool the 2nd]

I'd contact an admin about that Al (your last post).

[Samichlaus]

I'd like Samichlaus to chime in with what he has been getting to confirm.

Confirmed. I tried twice and Russia DOWed me around feb or march 1940...although I thought I garrisoned right...

[Big Al]

I fixed it the Russian issue. The new version is in CMODS

As for John's comment I tried to take all you said into consideration. Interesting you came up with the motorization issue. I thought if Germany completely motorized they couldnt have enough for a 1941 barb. Now as for scale and the pacific. I thought about reducing movement for Japs and Chinese. Americans island hop so abstractly their movement is not relative. The problem I ran into is from 3 to 2 action points REALLY hampers all units. Maybe I change it. I'll put it on my list.

I forgot to add new weather zones, sorry guys. I will do that next update for asia

[Moon]

Ahh found the register, wait Im already registered... But I havent yet?!?!

Ok register another email, nope that email is registered too. But I never gave it out?!?!

So Im apparently registered twice even though I never registered or was able to register and it wont send me my password because my account is not registered, yet it is twice.

Big Al dont work. Im uploading to CMMODS. I know 100% Im registered there

A customer account is created for you automatically when you purchase something. The account has your email address as Username (25 letters max), and you can retrieve your password at www.battlefront.com/lostpw

Your order info, including your license key and download link, are saved in that account, so you don't need to remember them for each game individually, but only have to remember how to get into your account.

The store/main site account and the forum account are independent of each other and - usually - completely different.

[John DiFool the 2nd]

Too bad CMMods is down (again). Guess I'll have to try again tonite.

Like I said I keep flip-flopping on whether 2 spaces/turn is playable for the European powers (and the US when on Euro soil), even if realistic. The article discusses movement rates when behind your own lines and away from the action vs. movement when the enemy is nearby, and SC models that fairly well with the ZoC penalty, but just one of those restrictions means infantry can only move 1 space-and two of them means they can't move at all (c.f. the Chinese army which cannot cross a contested river in a ZoC even in good weather-which is a good design decision-for the Chinese). Then again it might make (faux) bridgeheads more important than they are now, where rivers aren't much of an obstacle to a 3 movement unit, and might make the front lines a little less "fluid" than they are in vanilla (what front line?), forcing you to inflict casualties to move forward with the infantry, and giving tanks the job of grabbing territory, which is what they actually did. The main ramifications are in Russia where most of the major ground combat will take place, which boils down to adjustments in the weather (more clear May & Sept. turns) to compensate for the slower pace. But then you have to think about all those Pacific jungles and how it might affect the Japanese pace as they expand (Japanese supply when trying to take garrisoned islands is a total bitch, even if you managed to capture a port), and so on and on.

I've playtested (about a year ago) a modded SC2 vanilla scenario that I crafted which had 2 infantry movement for the nonmotorized powers, and my recollection is that it didn't work out too badly, but that was against the AI. The tanks swooped ahead and the poor bloody infantry had to keep trying to catch up before the weather turned to crap. Lemme see if I can find the thread...

[John DiFool the 2nd]

Found it:

http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=259

Didn't get much feedback, and it was more of a design study than a full-fledged scenario, but it fixed a lot of the issues I have with the series.

[John DiFool the 2nd]

I just remembered another reason why I preferred 2 movement for infantry-to cut down on the "shoot the gap" syndrome which you have with squares (vs. hexes). With 3 movement virtually any infantry unit can slice across the diagonal and get behind the enemy lines; with 2 movement that is more problematic and better models how things worked back when we had hexes.

[Big Al]

the shoot the gap statment is a very good point. I hate that because of square tiles ypu often miss holes. Tanks ahead of infantry was a nice point also.

And the river statement is a good point too. But make all inf types 2 AP or keep corps at 3 AP. I think all at 2 and shift the weather like you suggested.

Got the rep account working now it hates my file, lol.