"Campaign Name TBD" - Campaign Creation Walkthrough

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"Campaign Name TBD" - Campaign Creation Walkt... - 5/3/2016 7:42:54 PM

DoubleDeuce

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As mentioned in another post I am starting this new thread to document the trials, tribulations steps and decisions on my attempt at creating a TotH Campaign. The "Campaign Name TBD" in the thread title is just a placeholder that I plan to replace once I come up with something. It will initially be designed to be played from the Soviet side only but as I work on balance issues, I will try to make it playable from both sides.

At this point, I have little information set in stone such as how long it will be or how large it may grow before I am done. One thing I have settled on is it will involve at least one battalion of the 310th Rifle Regiment of the Soviet 8th Rifle Division in the early days of 'Operation Barbarossa' sometime around Jun 23-25. The location will be in the Kolno area, probably around Stawiski and they will be engaged with elements of the German 87th Infantry Division. It will be very infantry heavy as neither unit had immediate access to any armor although for variety, I am open to adding a few to each side. Maybe an AC and Light Tank or 2 for the Russians and the same for the Germans. Perhaps a StuG supporting any German Engineers.

Comments, suggestions and since I am looking for as accurate information as possible, and within reason, any links to supporting information would be greatly appreciated.

< Message edited by Double Deuce -- 5/3/2016 9:21:30 PM >

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RE: "Campaign Name TBD" - Campaign Creation W... - 5/3/2016 8:09:08 PM

DoubleDeuce

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Here is the map I plan to use although a few minor changes might still be made like adding a bridge across the river to the northern center of the map.

The top of the map is NORTH, with the Germans advancing from the West. There will be a small NKVD detachment (from whats left of the 87th NKVD Railroad Infantry Regiment) deployed near the western edge trying to delay the Germans until the 310th can arrive from the east.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by Double Deuce -- 5/3/2016 8:57:44 PM >

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Time Scale Issues - 5/3/2016 8:37:34 PM

DoubleDeuce

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One problem I have with TotH campaigns is how the time scale is handled. In TotH scenarios each turn equals 2 minutes but in a campaigns there are 12 turns per day (8 daytime turns and 4 nighttime turns). That make them about 2 hours per turn. To give the campaign date/time references I am going to arbitrarily assign each turn to a 2 hour time block. This will be necessary for building out a detailed operation order/briefing that will give the player a time frame of when they can expect certain things to happen.

For example, if the campaign starts at 5AM (Turn 1 - Day), the next game turn will be referenced as 7AM (Turn 2 - Day) and so on. This means the night turns for each day will be 9PM, 11PM, 1AM and 3AM (turns 9-12, 21-24 and so on). I really feel this is needed to set some benchmarks in the briefing and orientation for the player.

So, if the briefing information tells the player that 2nd and 3nd Companies of 1st Battalion, 310th Rifle Regiment should arrive to the east of the village of Stawiski sometime around midnight on the 24th of June, the player will have a general idea of when that will be in TotH game turns. The alternative is to say in the briefing this will happen on Turn 11 which, imho, ruins the immersion of the player in the campaigns story.

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Back to the MAP - 5/3/2016 8:52:25 PM

DoubleDeuce

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Back to the map now . . . . Once my research gives me an idea of where the campaign takes place and who might be involved I need to find a real location that I can use to simulate the engagement area and then find ASL (VASL) maps to try and duplicate that area. Be advised it will never be exact as you only have a select number of ASL maps to use.

BUT why use VASL maps for this you ask and not build a more exact map manually using the TotH Editor? Because, I want to have a tactical map to provide to the player (like the one in Post #2 of this thread) and would rather not takes 30-40 screenshots and stitch them together, possibly redoing it each time I make major revisions. With VASL, I can edit may reference map and generate the updated tactical map in one screenshot. In VASL, I can easily add text and other things to help 'orient' the player.

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RE: "Campaign Name TBD" - Campaign Creation W... - 5/3/2016 9:52:28 PM

DoubleDeuce

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For simplicity sake, we will say that the 310th Rifle Regiment was held in reserve and thrown in to plug gaps the second day of Barbarossa but in reality there is little documentation to be found. I did find that by the 23rd, the 8th RD was already overrun and by the 27th, all contact was lost with the division as well as most of the Russian 10th Army. There were stragglers still around as portions of the 8th RD were allegedly caught in the Minsk pocket in the early July but by the end of the first week of July, all those were gone too.

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The DRAFT Russian OOB - 5/3/2016 9:55:32 PM

DoubleDeuce

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The Draft Russian OOB >

Elements of 87th NKVD Railroad Infantry Regiment (these will be small groups scattered around and popping up on the map with mixtures of the following)

?x SQUAD: 1st Line SMG
?x SQUAD: Conscript
?x HALF-SQUAD: 1st Line SMG
?x HALF-SQUAD: Conscript
w/assorted SW: and LEADER:

1st Battalion/310th Rifle Regiment, 8th Rifle Division (1 Btn/310 Rgt/8 RD)

HQ Co
2x LEADER: w/RADIO (Btn CO and and then an Artillery Officer who is attached from Rgt)
8x CREW
6x 8.2cm BM 37 MTR
2x 45mm PTP 32 AT
(divided into 1x Mortar Platoon and 1x Anti-Tank Gun Platoon)

3x Rifle Co
2x LEADER:
12x SQUAD: 1st Line
1x SW: LIGHT MG
3x CREW
2x SW: MEDIUM MG
1x SW: LIGHT MTR
(in 3x Platoons)

MMG Co
12x CREW
12x SW: MEDIUM MG
(divided into 3x Platoons)

< Message edited by Double Deuce -- 5/4/2016 1:58:12 PM >

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RE: The DRAFT Russian OOB - 5/4/2016 2:05:16 AM

okiefire1

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That's some serious stuff, DD. I look forward to watching this progress and playing it later on. I've thought a little about making a Red Barricades map and CG, but it just boggles my mind with the differences between ASL and TotH and how to reconcile those. Carry on, sir!

Monte

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RE: "Campaign Name TBD" - Campaign Creation W... - 5/4/2016 2:49:15 AM

DoubleDeuce

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Since TotH does not have transport capability. I will have to get creative on how to 'advance' the Mortars and ATGs into the main defensive area. Testing reveals these can be manhandled/pushed about 3 hexes per turn (if double-timing) but ORDINANCE cannot move in the Advance Phase. Pushing them 45+ hexes would take 15+ turns or over a full day from the eastern map edge to the village of Stawiski.

To allow the player to deploy the entire Btn as they arrive, troops will be deployed in column along different road networks. This way the player can move/deploy them as they desire into preferred defensive areas. You just better hope the NKVD screen holds up the Germans long enough so you are not caught out in the open. ;-)

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More on Transport - 5/4/2016 3:07:43 AM

DoubleDeuce

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To explain the lack of transport, all wagons, trucks, etc, are considered to have been destroyed over the previous day by the Luftwaffe which is pretty much what happened anyway. This results in the guns and other heavy equipment having to be dragged and/or pushed down the roads to get where they are needed.

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Post #: 9

Tools of the Trade - 5/4/2016 1:50:18 PM

DoubleDeuce

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For anyone interested, as far as some of the 'tools' I am using to help with the building/designing of this (I use the same tools for custom scenarios) besides doing research on the units and actual map locations I use the following;

* ASL Rulebook - 2nd Edition
* VASL (Virtual Advanced Squad Leader)
* SASL (Solitaire Advanced Squad Leader)
* Scenario Designer�s Handbook
* Advanced Squad Leader Scenario Designers Guide

And TotH obviously. ;-)

NOTE: There are other tools but probably not needing to be mentioned such as imaging editing software, word processing software and so on.

< Message edited by Double Deuce -- 5/4/2016 2:01:02 PM >

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RE: Tools of the Trade - 5/4/2016 2:31:57 PM

Peter Fisla

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8 turns for the day part + 4 turn for the night part is = 12 turns per day. I think this is a pretty good average per day - I don't want to change this. The total number of turns is currently set to 504 which equals to 42 days of combat. I can double the number of turns in the Update2 if needed. Keep in mind that the turns for the day part and turns for night part just represent the actual fighting time not the whole day or whole night parts of the full day.

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RE: Tools of the Trade - 5/4/2016 4:46:12 PM

DoubleDeuce

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Peter Fisla

8 turns for the day part + 4 turn for the night part is = 12 turns per day. I think this is a pretty good average per day - I don't want to change this. The total number of turns is currently set to 504 which equals to 42 days of combat. I can double the number of turns in the Update2 if needed. Keep in mind that the turns for the day part and turns for night part just represent the actual fighting time not the whole day or whole night parts of the full day.

The turn setup is fine for me as is so no need to change it. The 2 hour reference per turn will be an abstract timing mechanism for my own personal use to allow me to add time references into the briefing information so that players have a timetable of when certain things might happen. This way I can us the briefing text to tell them things like "the battalion mortar platoon should be arriving in your area at around 3PM" or "3rd platoon will arrive just after midnight" and so on as opposed to saying it as "the battalion mortar platoon should be arriving in your area at around Turn 4".

< Message edited by Double Deuce -- 5/4/2016 4:49:27 PM >

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RE: The DRAFT Russian OOB - 5/4/2016 7:41:22 PM

DoubleDeuce

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quote:

ORIGINAL: okiefire_ssl

That's some serious stuff, DD. I look forward to watching this progress and playing it later on. I've thought a little about making a Red Barricades map and CG, but it just boggles my mind with the differences between ASL and TotH and how to reconcile those. Carry on, sir!

It does cause headaches here and there. I don't know how many times I have rewritten stuff, re-arranged VPO hexes and their points but I think I have passed some major hurdles. Now I am tweaking the OOB's and comparing force points.

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RE: "Campaign Name TBD" - Campaign Creation W... - 5/9/2016 10:18:07 AM

DoubleDeuce

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I may need to create 2 separate campaigns, one for playing from each side. The main reason being that the Russian 82mm MTR and 45mm ATG do not seem to get 'moved' by the AI as they arrive onto the battlefield. With the player controlling the Russians, he can manually move them to the desired positions even though only at about 2 hexes per turn.

The other option is to just focus on the Russian side as the player vs the German AI.

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RE: "Campaign Name TBD" - Campaign Creation W... - 5/9/2016 12:01:28 PM

UP844

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I'm looking forward to use those 82mm mortars. No chance of a nice 120mm?

In the "100 men" scenario, the Germans have a 81mm MTR entering as a reinforcement, and it moved (straight in the sights of a U.S. MMG, but this is another story

).

In the scenario I am working on, conversely, I added a 81mm MTR to the German OOB: it never moves (and seldom fires); this is also valid for a couple AT guns. I think that ordnance moves are dictated by the settings (hold/attack), but I have not yet checked this hypothesis opening the above scenario in the Editor.

P.S. As regards to AI unit placement, I noticed that the AI always deploys its units in the terrain having the highest TEM and without adverse effects (e.g. immobilization chance for AFVs). In the above scenario, I set up two deployment areas, each one of them including a vast area:
- Deployment area #1 includes stone buildings and rubble, woods, shellholes, orchard and brush terrain; AI units consist of infantry only, and they always set up in stone buildings.
- Deployment area #2 includes stone buildings and rubble, woods, shellholes, orchard, brush and open terrain. AI infantry units always set up in stone buildings, ordnance sets up in woods and AFVs set up in open ground/brush.

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RE: "Campaign Name TBD" - Campaign Creation W... - 5/10/2016 6:51:02 AM

DoubleDeuce

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The Russians should get 2x OBA, just not sure yet if it will be 1x 120mm MTR and 1x 70mm ART (76.2mm) or 2x 70mm ART (76.2mm). Decisions, decisions . . . . .

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RE: "Campaign Name TBD" - Campaign Creation W... - 6/7/2016 3:04:36 PM

fuselex

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just wondering if it is finished ? and maybe a link to the download , looks like a nice map :)

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RE: "Campaign Name TBD" - Campaign Creation W... - 6/7/2016 3:42:25 PM

DoubleDeuce