TOAW IV BETA AAR - Part I (Full Version)

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Daniele -> TOAW IV BETA AAR - Part I (6/23/2017 7:40:53 AM)

The Operational Art of War IV – BETA AAR

By Larry


My Directive 21 Game - Part I



As of June 22, 1941

Here's what the map looks like zoomed all the way out at game start from the Axis point of view.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/01_T1_front_lines.jpg[/image]

Here's the game options I'm using.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/02_advanced_game_options.jpg[/image]

I notice that the proficiency of the German fighters is exemplory and higher than I expected. I'd like to keep track of this air unit to see if the proficiency gets any higher as the game goes on. The Axis air shock is 140 and the Soviet air shock is 28 or so and I'm thinking that the situation calls for some airfield attacks to punish the Soviet air power a bit. Cut down on the numbers I'll have to fight when the shock levels normalize.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/03_typical_me-109.jpg[/image]

I did a save game and then executed the airfield attacks as a sandbox exercise and I saw lot of evaporating Soviet air units and those that survived the attacks are in poor shape but I don't expect Elmer to pull them back to safety ro rest. Let's see if he does.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/04_soviet_air_report_sandbox.jpg[/image]

Here's what the front lines look like at game start. Nothing special in my strategy...goal is Riga and Pskov eventually.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/05_north_front_lines.jpg[/image]

I've formed some bulges in the Soviet front line and I'm trying to push some Panzers through. They are heading out in the north but the south is still unaavoidably blocked. Maybe it's time to drop the paratroops.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/06_bulges.jpg[/image]

This is what the bulge had developed into in the north after I've moved about 100 units. I'm moving the Panzers as far as they will go and shoring up the walls of the bulge so as to allow more troops yet to pass through there.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/07_bulge1.jpg[/image]

Here's some of the round one attacks pending.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/08_t1r1attacks.jpg[/image]

Here's what's happening in the middle of the front lines. The Soviet lines have collapsed and the Axis forces are rushing in. I'm thinking of dropping the paratroopers where the Soviet forces will attempt to escape from the envelopment movement.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/09_front_lines_middle.jpg[/image]

Here's the round 2 front lines in the north. I've developed some bulges and there's plenty of Soviet gaps. I've moved just about everybody as far as they can go.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/10_front_lines_round_2.jpg[/image]

Here's what's happening down south. I seem to have a nack for surrounding the enemy units before they get killed. More of the enemy equipment gets destroyed that way.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/11_south_front_lines.jpg[/image]

Here's the pending battles for T1 round 2 and there's a lot of them. I expect to eliminate a lot of Soviet equipment this time.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/12_round_2_pending_battles.jpg[/image]

Here's the round 3 front lines in the north. I've surrounded and destroyed a bunch of Soviet units so now the path is clear to Riga and points north.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/13_front_lines_round_3.jpg[/image]

Here's what it looks like in the south right now. Progress is being made as Soviet units are destroyed and pushed aside.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/14_south_front_lines_round_3.jpg[/image]

In Round 3 the number of attacks is waining and targets are further apart. Most of the units have expended their movement points and there's only a few still active, moving or shooting.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/15_round_3_pending_battles.jpg[/image]

There's only these few attacks left to do besides the last round units that are pending attack setups.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/16_round_4_pending_battles.jpg[/image]

Here's what the front lines look like at the beginning of T1 round 5.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/17_front_lines_round_5.jpg[/image]

Round five has about half of the turn left and this is the round where I attack with everybody reguardless of MP's left. I'm hoping to break lose those log-jams that exist on the roads.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/18round_5_pending_battles.jpg[/image]

Now here in round 6 the attacks really are just a few.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/19_round_6_pending_battles.jpg[/image]

And one more in round 7.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/20_round_7_pending_battles.jpg[/image]

Here's how the air war is going. Lots of airfield strikes has caused a lot of losses to the Axis, especially the long- range bombers. I'll post a picture to show what I mean.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/21_T1_air_losses.jpg[/image]

Here's what I mean about the losses of the medium bombers. You can see that losses have been moderate and not exactly light but around what's expected for the operational tempo.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/22_ju-88_losses.jpg[/image]

Here's the movement of the units during T1. I dropped some paratroopers to the east of the front lines in the middle of the map to prevent the Soviets from escaping my trap. I want to destroy as many of them as possible.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/23.jpg[/image]

Here's the T2 front lines before I've moved anybody. It's panel 1 of the movement movie I'm going to make for this turn.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/24.jpg[/image]

I've been moving units and the T2 front lines are changing. I've got my recon units out in front and everybody is moving in a gigantic tidal wave, mostly moving to the east.

[image]http://www.matrixgames.com//amazon/Screenshots/TOAOW4/AAR_1/25_moving_units_in_T2.jpg[/image]

STAY TUNED FOR PART II!



actaris -> RE: TOAW IV BETA AAR - Part I (6/23/2017 8:16:30 AM)

Amazing! I can't wait to put hands on TOAW IV!



serumph -> RE: TOAW IV BETA AAR - Part I (6/23/2017 11:25:36 AM)

Larry, thanks for posting. As a dedicated D21 player, I have to say you are looking good. But could you comment on the changes in the game? Are the mostly graphic?



larryfulkerson -> RE: TOAW IV BETA AAR - Part I (6/23/2017 12:35:57 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Gerry Leb
Larry, thanks for posting. As a dedicated D21 player, I have to say you are looking good. But could you comment on the changes in the game? Are the mostly graphic?

Hey Gerry dude: Ummmmm.....changes in the game: From what I understand Steve Sill and Rick K. did a
version 1.04 of D21 and left it at that. That's what I'm playing. I'm not aware of what
changes there were from the original version, almost 8 years old now I think. I've found an
expected reinforcement, a coastal gun battery, that spawns out in the deep water hex instead of on
a coastal hex, things like that, but the scenario is pretty much finished as it is. I would like to
lobby for more airfields, especially out east near the mountains. As I remember the airfields are
sparse out there.

EDIT: Since I wrote the above paragraph it has been pointed out to me that what I wrote isn't accurate at all.
There's a version 4.0, a newer version that I should have used for this AAR instead. The newer version corrects
mistakes and revamps the graphics and so on and would have been much better as a vehicle for this AAR than
the version I used. My bad. Steve and Rick put in a lot of long hours perfecting this scenario and they deserved
the use of the newer version. I'm thinking of starting over with the newer version..........what d ' ya ' think?

I've been playing this game of D21 for a while now and I'm up to T63 already. I don't know it for a
fact but I'm thinking that there are going to be people who want to see more of this contest ( AAR ).
I'll see what I can do.

EDIT: The image below isn't part of TOAW. It's an html web page that I wrote as an index to the html documents I've
been keeping for this AAR. Not all the turns exist. It's a work in progress.
[image]local://upfiles/16287/9F4E488709764E3DA3E888F2D28963AA.jpg[/image]



TDefender -> RE: TOAW IV BETA AAR - Part I (6/23/2017 6:44:33 PM)

Very interesting!

"The Combat Report now makes it clear how each combat consumed rounds. It is better organized so that players can tell more easily which units participated and how long. There will be optional combat graphics to show participating units and their equipment as they are employed. And, if the player-turn ends after the combat phase there is a report that details why it ended."

When are we going to have to look to that?



Ranger33 -> RE: TOAW IV BETA AAR - Part I (6/23/2017 9:29:12 PM)

Larry, I think what Gerry was asking (and what I want to know as well) is what are some of the differences between TOAW 3 and 4? Is it easier to manage all these units, is the UI better, and that sort of thing? What would make an owner of 3 want to buy this new version?

Thanks for doing this AAR, I look forward to seeing more of it.



r6kunz -> RE: TOAW IV BETA AAR - Part I (6/24/2017 8:55:41 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Ranger33

Larry, I think what Gerry was asking (and what I want to know as well) is what are some of the differences between TOAW 3 and 4? Is it easier to manage all these units, is the UI better, and that sort of thing? What would make an owner of 3 want to buy this new version?

Thanks for doing this AAR, I look forward to seeing more of it.

Hi Ranger, Gerry el al

Re: TOAW IV vs. III. IV makes it a LOT easier to manage combat rounds in Planned Combats as shown in Larry's excellent AAR. No more Ring of Stars. Ditto with the resulting Combat Results. And when a turn ends a report is generated stating why it ended.
The new naval warfare package adds a whole new dimension. The addition of Overextension will take some getting use to.

I hope this answers some of the questions and looking forward others from the development team to chime in.
Cheers



Fred98 -> RE: TOAW IV BETA AAR - Part I (6/25/2017 3:05:51 AM)

What is "D21"?
.



larryfulkerson -> RE: TOAW IV BETA AAR - Part I (6/25/2017 3:30:53 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Joe 98
What is "D21"?

It's a scenario written for those people who wanted to play FITE against a Soviet PO. The newest version is 4.0 and it's
probably going to be released with TOAW IV. I've got a copy and I've looked it over and it looks like a winner. Steve S. and
Rick K. have put lots of man-hours into this scenario through several versions. My AAR was unfortunately played with an earlier
version of the scenario so the graphics were different. D21 stands for Directive 21 which was the document that set the
Barbarosa adventure in motion.



Tamas -> RE: TOAW IV BETA AAR - Part I (6/26/2017 9:13:48 AM)

D21 stands for "Directive 21" and as Larry said it is a single player version of a massive secnario covering the entire length (in space and time!) of the Eastern Front, called Fire in the East. FITE is "PBEM only" due to the complexities in the mechanics the designers introduced within the scenario.

I am going to rename "D21" to Directive 21 in the title now so it becomes clearer. :)



rico21 -> RE: TOAW IV BETA AAR - Part I (6/26/2017 4:02:40 PM)

Very impressive, maybe one day I will present you Directive Rico21 [:)]



larryfulkerson -> RE: TOAW IV BETA AAR - Part I (6/26/2017 6:00:59 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: rico21
Very impressive, maybe one day I will present you Directive Rico21 [:)]

By all means, do an AAR about it. I'd like to follow your game. Pictures and details, lots of pictures and
details. Mostly why you did what you did, like I'm watching over your shoulder. Please.



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