Dartmoor Frenzy

[Skybird03]

http://www.steelbeasts.com/Downloads/p13_sectionid/268/p13_fileid/1773

All thoughts welcomed.

This is just my second upload to the scenario database. The first is long ago and was a auto-running demonstration only.

Two versions. The complete readme on the why and how:

The original Dartmoor terrain theme has been replaced with a corrected EU woodland scheme, to tackle problems with those small

movement-blocking rocks in the woods, and the sight-blocking vegetation that the AI nevertheless can see and shoot through.

The mission comes in two designs. Both are identical regarding OPFOR.

The original version, 1.0, was set up with Spanish Blue forces. But I then got reminded of the HE-lasing-issues the Spanish tank has,

and that proved to be hazardous due to some of the targets in the mission. Also, the Centauro is planned to be turned into a crewable,

but at the time this design was done, it was not.

My advise is put this mission aside until these two things have changed. Nevertheless, the Spanish version is playable.

I replaced the Spanish Blue force with one made of Swedish vehicles, making it scenario version 1.1

Note that there are more platoons with less vehicles in each of them. The other vehicles beside the MBTs and IFVs have been

changed, too.

I do not claim any realism, for that I simply lack experience. I think the battle ground is choosen too huge for forces of these sizes.

I designed the mission to match my favourite way of playing SBP, that is acting with caution, having bigger forces, and doing SP. I love

playing with a priority on force preservation. I always do that, that takes me much longer, but often I win without one tank lost.

For this reason I always edit foreign scenarios to have no time limits anymore. I hate time limits.

In principle, I play chess when playing SBP. That may not be realistic, but it is how I enjoy it.

However, it also is not realistic that one single commander should micromanage all single vehicles in a 2-company force. Also, the

AI sometimes gets deadlocked in some stupid thing it does, like firing at an enemy well hidden - and always firing into the wall of dirt

shielding him, that way emptying it's complete ammo supply in one rush. I consider it to be helping realism, actually, when freeing the

player from needing to micromanage such things, and immediately react to all and everything happening somewhere, manually. It leads

to work overload and that again leads to losses that in reality probably would not take place in such stupid ways and manners.

This is the explanation why I have given all Blue forces unlimited ammo supplies. I tend to play small SP missions with limited ammo,

but bigger scenarios with more than one company under my command with unlimited ammo. By experience I must say that it really

pays off.

For comparable reasons i tend to limit Red's artillery in missions. Even more so currently, with the "Defend"-BP condition confirmed to

be broken currently, leaving you the only choice of "Guard" and "Hold", both of which are extremes you may not want.

I have not implemented any scoring formula, I simply suck with that thing. I tried it, and tried often before, and never got what I wanted,

but instead got what I could not imagine how it was calculated in result. Consider the mission a victory if you get the radio message that

you wiped out the enemy HQ, and consider it to be the more decisive the more enemy fighting vehicles you have destroyed. Also,

consider own losses as penalties on your score.

Consider the mission a loss, always, if you miss more than 25% of your MBTs and IFVs.

Consider the possible maximum value of enemy vehicle losses as equivalent to the penalty score for you loosing just 24% of your forces.

that means if you kill the enemy HQ, loose just a bit less than the 25% of your tanks that would make you loose, and as compensation

kill all enemy tanks and IFV and combat vehicles, you would have just won by the positive score of the HQ gotten killed. If you kill all enemy

vehicles on the map, and the HQ, but loose 25% of your own combat vehicles, you nevertheless have lost.

Depending on your playing style, this mission can last LONG. That's how I like it, but maybe that is just me.

I recommend a cautious way of play, and to make force preservation a top priority. Different to many scenarios, the enemy here

has the latest tanks (T80s instead mof T72s) and ATGMs, not just cannon fodder and c-class equipement. He is modern, and he has

thermal sights and long range missiles outclassing your own. His tanks' reach is long, and lethal.

OPFOR, however, has no unlimited ammo supply. Every missile he shot, is lost to him. Must I say more?

Keep your losses low, or you cannot win. With every fourth tank/IFV gone, you cannot win anymore even if acchieving the objective.

I even considered to lower the treshhold from 25 to 20%.