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Russian Steel 1.4 Now Available at Tankhead's!! - 9/26/2002 5:44:31 AM   
darroch

 

Posts: 210
Joined: 3/13/2001
From: US
Status: offline 		6 more battles!!!!

Tankhead just posted these new battles.

Rick, thanks for the quick turnaround and continued support!


We are now up to Battle 31 - only 2 more left of the original set of 33! The last two will be out in a few weeks plus a few extras.

Snapshots of these latest 6 are:

27: Serafimovich Assault: breakthrough the Romanian trenches and drive deep! You are the spearhead for Operation Saturn.

28: Kalach 1: seize the bridge at Kalach and seal the fate of 6th Army

29: Kalach 2: easier version of 28

30: Tsjir bridgehead: 11th Panzer is cleansing the western bank of the Don of Soviet forces - you must save the bridgeheads.

31: Myshkovka bridgehead: Ever closer to Rostov, you now face a Panzer fist composed of elements of 56th Panzercorps - we need this bridgehead, comrade - stand and defend. To the last man if necessary....


In RS 1.5:

32: Donets River crossing - support a Rifle battalion in grabbing a foothold across the Donets

33: Rostov - Hasty: your success has created a chance to seize Rostov from the march and cut off 1st Pz Army's escape from the Caucasus - move out now before the enemy digs in...

34: Rostov - Hard: the nemey has dug in - you'll face bunkers and minefields and deadly 88s - STAVKA has sent the 2nd Air Army to support you but this will get nasty....

35: Kuma pursuit: you have been transferred to the Caucasus to chase the Germans back to the Crimea - move out!! The Germans are reported to have strange new tanks with large cannon - be wary....


Cheers!

As always I will be happy to try and help any way I can.

Brad
Post #: 1
- 9/26/2002 6:09:12 AM   
Supervisor

 

Posts: 5166
Joined: 3/2/2004
Status: offline 		I didn't get a chance to take on 1.3 yet. Not enough hours in my day:D

_____________________________


(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 2
- 9/26/2002 1:16:35 PM   
Tankhead

 

Posts: 1352
Joined: 6/21/2000
From: Yukon Territory Canada
Status: offline 		My pleasure Brad :D
I am honored to host this great Masterpeice ;)
Keep up the good work.

_____________________________

Tankhead


(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 3
- 9/26/2002 5:37:16 PM   
Jim1954

 

Posts: 1393
Joined: 5/15/2002
From: Dallas
Status: offline 		Brad, when you drag these files across should the campaign name change to 1.4 like it did when you go from 1.2 to 1.3? Mine didn't. Did I leave a step out?

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 4
- 9/26/2002 7:02:42 PM   
darroch

 

Posts: 210
Joined: 3/13/2001
From: US
Status: offline 		Jim1954:


The title is stuck on Russian Steel 1.3 due to an oversight.

The Quality Control staff here at Russian Steel Inc. have all been sacked and replaced with earnest and sincere staff who promise to do better in the future.


I tend to get overeager in releasing the new batch of battles and miss some details...sorry about the confusion.


I'll clear this up with RS 1.5's release in a week or two.


Thanks for checking RS 1.4 out.


And, GMENFAN: Russian Steel is very patient - it waits for you....

;)

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 5
- 9/26/2002 7:23:37 PM   
Jim1954

 

Posts: 1393
Joined: 5/15/2002
From: Dallas
Status: offline 		I think that I too, have gmenfan's problem. I know I won't even get into 1.4 before you let out 1.5. Question then, since these addtitional upgrades seem to deal with the latter end of the campaign, is it necessary to restart the campaign after each update or will what I already have going just carry forward?

Guess I'm too used to megacampaigns.

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 6
- 9/28/2002 6:08:27 AM   
darroch

 

Posts: 210
Joined: 3/13/2001
From: US
Status: offline 		Jim,

these games simply add on to your ongoing campaign...

As long as you have saved the second-to-last turn for the last battle, you will be able to add more battles....

Once you reach the black screen with the battle summary, the game has already advanced the next battle into position...

So just get in the habit of saving late in the game and you can just add these battles as they come out...


I plan to make a save game file that will allow player's to start later in the war but that is unecessary if you already have played through battles..

Brad

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 7
- 9/30/2002 12:50:57 AM   
Unknown_Enemy

 

Posts: 277
Joined: 9/10/2001
From: France, Paris
Status: offline 		GASP !!!

I still have to play 1.3.....

***cough***cough****

Why is that there is only 24h in a day ????
Why must I have to waste 8h a day to sleep ????

_____________________________

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wagh'nagl fhtagn.
Yaah ! Yaah ! Cthulhu fhtagn ! Cthulhu fhtagn !

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 8
- 9/30/2002 2:16:04 AM   
Frank W.

 

Posts: 1958
Joined: 10/18/2001
From: Siegen + Essen / W. Germany
Status: offline 		you are designing faster than i can play :mad:

i think the days are much too short....

anyway much thanks for this good camp.

:D

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 9
- 9/30/2002 9:53:11 AM   
darroch

 

Posts: 210
Joined: 3/13/2001
From: US
Status: offline 		Frank/Unknown:

Things will slow down....

These latest battles were completed quite awhile ago - most by Penetrator - he is a very capable designer and his battles playtest quickly and cleanly...

Hence the high output...

Plus, MATRIX sets a high standard for productivity....

Remember when they were cranking out SPWAW editions left and right....?

I still have 2.0 on my disk somewhere...MCNA was 5.0..

We're playing at 7.1 at the moment...

Big shoes to fill!!:D


With luck I can keep a few battles ahead of you guys...see you at Kursk!

B

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 10
take your time! - 9/30/2002 11:39:46 AM   
Behemoth


Posts: 91
Joined: 8/9/2000
From: boston, MA, usa
Status: offline 		darroch,
Rest assured, I and others I'm sure, will wait as long as is needed. If I should even come close to the end I'll just chalk it up as a little Rest & Reorginazation. Again take your time, it's a hobby after all. Thx for the hard work, you and all others!
-b
ps I posted earlier as a new topic Doh!... Hmmm let's see here how can I delete the previous one...hmmm...

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 11
- 9/30/2002 11:06:59 PM   
Frank W.

 

Posts: 1958
Joined: 10/18/2001
From: Siegen + Essen / W. Germany
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by darroch
[B]Frank/Unknown:

With luck I can keep a few battles ahead of you guys...see you at Kursk!

B [/B][/QUOTE]

KURSK!

the grave of the german panzer weapon.......

after this battle the german tankers were not
anymore that sharp sword like before..

hitler wasted his weapons and sacrificed his
soldiers for his mad ideas.

what a tragic battle this was.

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 12
- 10/2/2002 9:47:54 AM   
darroch

 

Posts: 210
Joined: 3/13/2001
From: US
Status: offline 		Frank W:

Having read David Glantz's book on Kursk, I absolutely agree that Kursk was madness and sacrifice....on a scale almost unbelievable....for both sides...

I am finding in playtesting 1943 scenarios that the German Panzers are awesomely powerful in terms of firepower at long range....

I used to wonder how so few Panzers could hold back so many Soviets but these 1943 battles make it quite clear how devastating the Panzers were when they were employed properly....

But Hilter's insistence on hold-at-all-costs and other key errors enabled the Soviets to wear down the Panzers steadily...

once they were gone...

The other thing that is clear is how powerful Russian armor/mech forces are when faced by just infantry without significant armored support of their own...

and in both cases, a well deployed combined arms defense is a deadly thing to try and crack...

We'll try hard to do the Soviet perspective of Kursk justice while giving the Panzers their due respect....

Let us know how we do!

Cheers,

B

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 13
- 10/2/2002 10:46:57 PM   
Frank W.

 

Posts: 1958
Joined: 10/18/2001
From: Siegen + Essen / W. Germany
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by darroch
[B]Frank W:

Having read David Glantz's book on Kursk, I absolutely agree that Kursk was madness and sacrifice....on a scale almost unbelievable....for both sides...

I am finding in playtesting 1943 scenarios that the German Panzers are awesomely powerful in terms of firepower at long range....

I used to wonder how so few Panzers could hold back so many Soviets but these 1943 battles make it quite clear how devastating the Panzers were when they were employed properly....

But Hilter's insistence on hold-at-all-costs and other key errors enabled the Soviets to wear down the Panzers steadily...

once they were gone...

The other thing that is clear is how powerful Russian armor/mech forces are when faced by just infantry without significant armored support of their own...

and in both cases, a well deployed combined arms defense is a deadly thing to try and crack...

We'll try hard to do the Soviet perspective of Kursk justice while giving the Panzers their due respect....

Let us know how we do!

Cheers,

B [/B][/QUOTE]

hello

the russians know almost all details of the german plans.
because of a spy in the german high command (name??)

soon the more capable german generals figured out that
the ruski is preparing with heavy defenses in the whole
kursk area and they oposed the plan from hitler.....
but as mostly of course hitler didn´t want to hear from
them who know it better.

same thing like stalingrad or the ardennes offensive.
in the last case most germans wanted the forces on the
eastern front that participated in the ardennes to halt
the russian steamroller......and there the partly very
good tank units could have made a big impact. that´s my
opinion. but kingtiger and jagdpanther´s on the narrow roads
in the ardennes wasted their strenghts....as one roadblock halted german advance for long time, because in the woods there was no way to bypass them.

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 14
- 10/2/2002 10:53:03 PM   
Frank W.

 

Posts: 1958
Joined: 10/18/2001
From: Siegen + Essen / W. Germany
Status: offline 		another remark: at kursk the best german panzer like tiger1 and panther´s were in mechanical not very good state. because they were rushed in production and sent to the front without defining them and train the crews proper for the new tanks.

and the ferdinants were sent to battle without self defense weapon (mg) against inf.

all this tactical errors made kursk a catastrophe for the germans even with russian higher losses, but they could replace them.

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 15
- 10/3/2002 4:58:44 PM   
Unknown_Enemy

 

Posts: 277
Joined: 9/10/2001
From: France, Paris
Status: offline 		All that has been written by Frank W is right, but Kursk became a legend because it proved to the world that the Panzers were not invincible after all.

I am eager to play it on the soviet side : it would be a first time....

But yet I am just beginning the 1.3 battles.....

BTW Penetrator is really missing in the art of wargaming forums. But when I look at this particular forum, I can't say I blame him for withdrawing.

_____________________________

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wagh'nagl fhtagn.
Yaah ! Yaah ! Cthulhu fhtagn ! Cthulhu fhtagn !

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 16
- 10/4/2002 9:04:47 AM   
darroch

 

Posts: 210
Joined: 3/13/2001
From: US
Status: offline 		FrankW:

There are lots of interesting aspects of Kursk...

First combat use of SU-85s and SU-152s...

One Tiger company was credited with destroying 111 Soviet tanks....

But I wonder if not attacking would have done the Germans any good in the long run....

All those Russians would have assaulted prepared German defense lines - but the Russians would have had the initiative and their command structure and the abilities of their armored troops had increased enormously (see von Mellenthin)....

I don't know if even Manstein could have kept them in check...

It would be a fascinating what-if to play out on an operational level (e.g. regiment/brigade) - I wonder if there are any good computer games at this scale for the Eastern Front?

Brad

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 17
- 10/4/2002 6:09:20 PM   
Jim1954

 

Posts: 1393
Joined: 5/15/2002
From: Dallas
Status: offline 		Brad there is an excellent divisional , regimental level game out on this subject, it's Russo-German War 41-44. Covers the Eastern Front from invasion to mid 1944. This simulation is huge with over 860 victory cities and a map that covers an un-godly amount of territory. Here is a link:

http://www.ghg.net/schwerpt/index.htm

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 18
WHAT is the deal... - 10/5/2002 7:58:19 AM   
SittingDuck

 

Posts: 1166
Joined: 9/1/2002
Status: offline 		.. in A_B's 1st battle of the RS campaign, the KV2 and T-28s (both auxilary) are actually FOOT units. They march, have foot mp's, cannot change arc after finishing moving. Then, after about 5 turns the KVs turned into actual armored units. The T-28s won't last long enough to see if they turn into armored units, though.

Now I am of the mind that is a bug. I don't see any type of benefit to it at all nor do I see what it could be simulating. Except to let the panzers just wank on my T-28's. And I should think that FOURTEEN sorties should do that fair enough, wouldn't ya think?

So, Brad, you say later battles have been scaled down? I hope so. This is painful just to get through with this many units. My preference, I know...

Anyhow, I am happy to have the campaign - thanks!

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 19
Sorry, Brad - 10/5/2002 8:17:34 AM   
SittingDuck

 

Posts: 1166
Joined: 9/1/2002
Status: offline 		I didn't mean for that to sound negative. Was just a report on something I was seeing.

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 20
- 10/5/2002 9:07:47 AM   
darroch

 

Posts: 210
Joined: 3/13/2001
From: US
Status: offline 		Jim1954:

Thanks! I'll check it out. Heaven knows when I'll have time but Christmas is coming!!!

Sitting Duck:

Let me know what version of SPWAW you are playing. These battles are set up for 7.1. If you have an earlier version there may be considerable differences....I cannot figure out what might be going wrong with your KV-2s....

I'll be happy to help but I will need some information - let me know version and settings please. As for sorties there should be about 6 aircraft by my recollection (it has been awhile since I played Battle 1)...some of them may come back for a second run...


Battle 1 can be very frustrating - the Germans are powerful and the Soviets are nearly ineffective due to poor experience and morale...consider it a victory if you preserve your core force more or less intact so they can gain experience....

Anytime a lot of units are packed near a tank or truck it is bad news - aircraft go for trucks and tanks and the bombs simply erase infantry and crews nearby....

It is good insurance to disperse your forces and avoid staying near trucks if at all possible...

Battle 1 (and most of the first 30) are very big and busy - the new battles will be smaller and shorter. Fortunately, the raids in the first set are sized about right to my tastes so they are not all massive slugfests...

Believe it or not, I scaled Battle 1 back about 33% and A_B (the original designer) removed the largest bombs from the Stukas....

All I can say is that Russian Steel began as the Campaign Collective with a vast scope that proved to be impossible to execute....

The original set of forces totalled 400 units - the player's core force was well over 100 units alone!!!

This proved to be impossible to execute with volunteer designers and testers....we scaled back as much as possible.

In hindsight, I might have set a 30 unit limit to the core, small maps, battles of 18 turns or less, and small amounts of AUX units....

But we didn't discover this until we had half the battles already designed...the decision was to press forward and complete what we had and then rethink any new battles.

I appreciate your constructive feedback because at the moment I am the only designer for RS...I'd like to make battles people enjoy so let me know what doesn't work. Penetrator has shown some interest in doing the Kursk battles and that is good news...

Finally, we never intended this to be a romp for the Russian - you can use the game's Long Campaign generator for that.

RS should provide some insight into the historical situation while retaining some entertainment value....

Until late 1943 the Luftwaffe was devastating - wherever they showed up in strength, the Russians faltered...

1941 Soviet tank losses were so severe they simply disbanded the surviving tank divisions (few survived) and produced only tank brigades (of 40-60 tanks or so) until things got a little better...

So, we felt we needed to make 1941 and 1942 tough with the focus on building your force's experience for the 1943 campaigns where you will need elite crews to triumph over Tigers and Panthers...

Let me know how things go.

Brad

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 21
- 10/5/2002 10:38:22 AM   
SittingDuck

 

Posts: 1166
Joined: 9/1/2002
Status: offline 		Playing v7.1, pref all ON w/ limited ammo.

I had one turn where over 10 planes (no joke) took strafing runs. I hit F9 and counted the planes - 6 Bf110's and 8 Stukas. I have no clue on the KVs & T28s. I think I'll delete the Pref file and start over again.

Too bad on the sizing thing. In retrospect (yeah, how easy, eh?) it should have been geared to the size you are shooting for from the get-go. Not easy to do when you have guys who have that megalomanical need to control every footsoldier in Stalin's or Hitler's army, and then they start producing scenarios.

My concern would be that at later stages as you gear down the core force not only does it have the huge experience factor (well, you can comp with the German exp), but it also becomes a numerical monster force. Unless you scale down rebuild points sharply, in which case guys just lose units for good. I don't have any answers. I guess you've got this figured out.

Keep up the good work!

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 22
- 10/5/2002 12:49:46 PM   
SittingDuck

 

Posts: 1166
Joined: 9/1/2002
Status: offline 		OK, I deleted the steel.prf file and it works fine (or whatever that file is called).

When in doubt, throw that thing out.

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 23
Maybe not - 10/5/2002 10:35:45 PM   
SittingDuck

 

Posts: 1166
Joined: 9/1/2002
Status: offline 		Well, starting with a fresh preferences file makes the KV2s work properly.

However, the T28s still come on as infantry. And it doesn't matter that I've deleted my pref file (right after they appear). They stay infantry. This can't just be me.

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 24
Projected Endpoint of Campaign? - 10/7/2002 7:47:40 PM   
SittingDuck

 

Posts: 1166
Joined: 9/1/2002
Status: offline 		Brad,

What is the area and projected end-point of the campaign? Basically time and location.

Thanks,
SD

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 25
- 10/12/2002 6:23:39 AM   
darroch

 

Posts: 210
Joined: 3/13/2001
From: US
Status: offline 		Sitting Duck:

Thanks for calling my attention to battle 1. There are way too many planes there. I was sure I'd reduced them to 6 or so. My apologies.

Since the T28s are misbehaving I will check the battle once again and re-issue it with RS 1.5 in a week or three.

If you'd like a re-issue of Battle 1 before then let me know and I'll expedite it to you.

As far as battle size, by the time we realized that the battles were scoped too big, we had over a dozen built. The designers had built and left so it was a matter of rebuilding from scratch or using what we had.

As far as experience - the main problem occurs if the player takes more than 55 core units....playtesting of all RS battles was with a core force of 59 units to ensure that crews appeared when tanks were damaged (if too many units then no crews..)

So, yes, if a player has 65 or more units and upgrades them, then by 1942 the campaign will have lost its sense of challenge and most battles will be a romp...

But, I have noticed that in 1943, the German gunnery has become so deadly that a combined arms attack is usually the only way to avoid horrendous casualties...

Elite crews are actually no protection against 75s and 88s...

In playtesting the Kuma battle, I made a small change (added 2 AGs and subtracted 2 Strumoviks) and my core force got creamed - 75% losses and objective not attained....these are elite and veteran crews and I know where the Germans are hiding...!!!

So, if the player adheres to the 55 unit limit, their core force's experience will be necessary and will not enable a walkover....

As far as when does the campaign end....

with RS 1.4 , it ends at Battle 32 in December 1942...

RS 1.5 will take you to Battle 42 and February 1943

RS 1.6 should take you to Battle 45 and late March 1943...

RS 1.7 will cover four battles from Kursk....

There is no planned end to these things - I will just get tired or distracted and they will stop getting released...

We spoke grandiosely about getting to Berlin and I'm crazy enough to try...if I get that far, we will have to do some what-if battles and assume the war drags on just so we can see some elite JS-3s go up against a company of Maus tanks (mice?)

Anyways, these are primarily for enjoyment and entertainment and to see just how far I can push things....

Cheers,

Brad

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 26
- 10/12/2002 10:04:41 AM   
SittingDuck

 

Posts: 1166
Joined: 9/1/2002
Status: offline 		Well, to me it's awesome. You are doing a great job.

I am going to do Battle One like it is - I think I can work things out. Regardless of the outcome you go to the same battle with the same points. It's just a matter of not getting your core creamed.

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 27
- 10/13/2002 5:19:51 AM   
SittingDuck

 

Posts: 1166
Joined: 9/1/2002
Status: offline 		Odd. I restarted the game with a different core and they worked.

Hmmm. Wait, I had done something odd to my Soviet OOB... (eep!)

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 28
- 10/16/2002 7:16:08 AM   
darroch

 

Posts: 210
Joined: 3/13/2001
From: US
Status: offline 		Sitting Duck:


1) I have found that trucks attract the Luftwaffe like horse manure attracts flies....

two observations:

- Avoid being near trucks if at all possible when the Luftwaffe is around

- Hide tanks and leave trucks in the open (maybe with some AA nearby in woods)...

2) Glad to hear that the T-28 thing might be a custom OOB effect - let me know - I'll be looking over Bat 1 this weekend....


The actual objective of Battle 1 is to keep your core alive and gain experience....

Cheers,

B
:D

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 29
- 10/17/2002 3:50:59 AM   
SittingDuck

 

Posts: 1166
Joined: 9/1/2002
Status: offline 		The t28 thing was for sure on my end. The game is fine. I played it with the OEM OOB and it was good.

Wagons - I tell ya, circle the wagons and the Stukas just go crazy. Not real sporting, I should say. But effective. I won the game with a 2-1 VP ratio.

(in reply to darroch)
Post #: 30
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