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The Almighty Turtle -> Maps Needed for Campaign! (9/23/2007 1:20:02 AM)
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Given my prior disasters trying to design a map, I have decided to reach out for help from those far better than myself on the issue.
I am trying to create a campaign for the game I love, based off of a few principles:
First, I cannot help but notice how unused the Greeks are. Historically, they fought on most of the European fronts from Mussolini's invasion onwards. However, in game, there are very few scenarios with them. And 9/10 times, the scenarios that DO show them have you shooting them. Now, no offense to Das Reich, but that seems a little bit unfair.
Second, though I am a diehard European Theater-player, I have been
fascinated by how the Allies in the Pacific would deal with Japanese strongholds on Islands many could not find on a map. So, I was wondering if I could take that bit of that island-hopping and apply it to Europe.
Third, it seems like there are very VERY few Campaigns coming out. Now, I understand that these cannot be easy to create, but that does little to remove the frustration.
So, I decided to combine the response to these three issues myself.
And that is this idea:
Coming Home
Western Allies (Primarily Greece) VS Axis (Primarily Italy)
Timeline: Mid/Late May 1943-????
Description: With the final and complete defeat of the Germans in North Africa in the Tunisian Campaign, the Western Allies face the prospect of attempting to force a breach onto Adolph Hitler's Festung Europa.
The problems are numerous: The losses in manpower and material the Axis sustained in the hard-fought Desert Campaign would have ruined lesser nations, but the tyrannical Fuher has more than enough men and machines to soak up such losses. Worse is the fact that the plans to invade France that the Americans and Free French are pushing for are not ready, as more forces have to arrive in Southern England before that distant dream can hope to become reality.
The British and Commonwealth push forth the idea of a campaign in the Balkans and Italy aimed at finally undoing the already-unpopular German puppet regime of Benito Mussolini's Italian Fascists. This plan would involve an invasion of Sicily followed up by an invasion of the Italian boot itself.
This plan is almost entirely rejected by the Franco-American bloc save for the Invasion of Sicily. However, like the ideas of an invasion of France, the attired Allied forces on-hand are not sufficient to hope to launch an invasion of Sicily that will succeed.
Greece, on the other hand, is ruled out due to large numbers of German forces engaged in never-ending Anti-Partisan operations in the Balkans. However, it quickly becomes obvious that Hitler believes that the most likely places for the Western Allies to land would be in either Italy or France, and has taken measures to reinforce his forces guarding those areas. Due to German numerical superiority over the Western Allies, this would negate the possibility of invading either for an unacceptably long period of time. Hence, they begin a disinformation campaign painting the picture of Western Allied forces poised to strike at Greece and/or Scandinavia.
However, there is doubt that the Germans do not believe the fabricated evidence they are being fed, and thus, many in the ranks of commanders believe that more must be done to dupe the Reich's generals. A demonstration must be made. And the target they propose is the last vestige of the crumbling Italian Colonial Empire.
The Greek-majority Dodecanese Islands have been Italian territory since Italy's war with Turkey in 1911, where they destroyed the Ottoman garrison there and annexed the islands. The Greek populace was, in the years of the Constitutional Monarchy, quite happy with their rulers for their eviction of the hated Turks. However, since the Fascists have overthrown the Constitutional Monarchy and sidelined the rightful government, the Greeks grew increasingly discontent with the forced Italianization and dictatorial rule from Rome. This loathing reached new highs during and after Mussolini's invasion of Greece, but the peoples of the Dodecanese lack the strength to defeat their occupiers alone.
However, the islands are becoming more favorable for that liberation, as the Eastern Mediterranean now sees the Allied naval power go almost unchallenged by the horrifically and throughly mauled Regia Marina, and the Regia Aeronautica is suffering irreparable damage in men and machines at rates that the Axis cannot replace, with German replacements still far away if coming at all.
Under such passionate lobbying, and seeing the necessity of keeping Hitler from regrouping and reinforcing his French and Italian defenses, the Combined Chiefs of Staff approve the operations to target the Dodecanese with the aim of weakening the strategic position of Crete and neutralizing the Axis base on Rhodes through either its conquest or by "Rabauling" it.
And thanks to heavy lobbying by the Greek Government in Exile and the belief that Greek forces would be the most dedicated for the job, a joint task force of Greek troops have been assembled in Cyprus to commence Operation Achilles. For the first time in almost a full year, Greek soldiers will step foot on Greek soil.
However, only time will reveal if they will be victorious.
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Interesting at all?
Anyway, I am looking for someone who can design the maps of the Dodecanese for this campaign, which will be of moderate-long length (depending on the player's choices and performance) and for playtesters for once they are done. However, first thing is first, I need to make the maps to make the scenarios, and I request anyone at all to help me out here. I will upload more details as people respond.
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