Mission for 3/2 Posted

[Volcano]

Providing we have enough people present, we will play the attached scenario this TGIF. If we do not have a large turn out (at least 12) then we will play something else.

Scenario info:

• Classic Cold War regimental attack T-72 and BMP-2 (spawns in waves, led by CRP, FP, FSE, AGMB) on a BLUEFOR multinational battalion (US, Brit and German) M1A1 and M2, Challenger and Warrior (Piz), Leo2A4 and Marder, which may get reinforced.
  
• OPFOR is trying to breakthrough blue positions to the west, BLUEFOR is trying to deplete the OPFOR until the attack is called off (or time expires).
  

At least one side is password protected, so you must open the scenario in Network Session and create your .pln file. Red will likely be co'd by myself unless someone is dying to do it. Ideally OPFOR needs one overall CO with three battalion commanders and BLUEFOR needs one overall CO, with three company commanders.

EDIT:

***ATTACHED SCENARIO UPDATED TO VERSION 2***

Edited March 4, 2012 by Volcano

[Brun]

Looks like a good one. I'll Co Blue.

[Volcano]

Looks like a good one. I'll Co Blue.

OK, excellent. Good luck!

[Panzer_Leader]

Providing we have enough people present, we will play the attached scenario this TGIF. If we do not have a large turn out (at least 12) then we will play something else.

Scenario info:

• Classic Cold War regimental attack T-72 and BMP-2 (spawns in waves, led by CRP, FP, FSE, AGMB) on a BLUEFOR multinational battalion (US, Brit and German) M1A1 and M2, Challenger and Warrior (Piz), Leo2A4 and Marder, which may get reinforced.
  
• OPFOR is trying to breakthrough blue positions to the west, BLUEFOR is trying to deplete the OPFOR until the attack is called off (or time expires).
  

At least one side is password protected, so you must open the scenario in Network Session and create your .pln file. Red will likely be co'd by myself unless someone is dying to do it. Ideally OPFOR needs one overall CO with three battalion commanders and BLUEFOR needs one overall CO, with three company commanders.

Everyone keep in mind that this is a new scenario and a lot of work went into it. The force ratios are good, and hopefully all the events are scoring work, but as everyone should know by now: "you never know until you play it". :eek:

This scenario sounds amazing. If you can, please provide some after action feedback for those of us not able to attend.

[Volcano]

Thanks all for playing. Obviously the scenario was a bit too large -- I will have to do some heavy duty editing of it to cut down the size, time, and terrain (not any time soon). Maybe a year from now we can try it again.

This scenario sounds amazing. If you can, please provide some after action feedback for those of us not able to attend.

Well, in a nut shell, the scenario was rolling along great at first -- OPFOR was pushing through the forward recon in a tough fight about 7km into BLUEFOR's line. Then the follow on forces came in too far back (my mistake) and it was basically a 45 minute lull in the fighting. The third wave then spawned too soon after that and from then on it was basically complete overload for the limited numbers on Red, and for SB in general. That is not to detract from BLUEFOR's defense, they defended well. Anyway, I have to edit it heavily as mentioned above, and the waves are supposed to be spaced out enough that it doesn't overload the users nor the mission too heavily -- THEN maybe it will be something playable for TGIF. But, as they say, you never know until you try.

In the end BLUEFOR won with a 3.6:1 kill ratio on OPFOR, we made it 4km shy of the breakthrough line and lost too much strength to continue.

[SeanPatrick]

Tried to post the AAR, but got a message that there's a problem with my security certificate... Maybe the zip is just too big. :confused:

BTW, I had a blast. Thanks all.

[Brun]

Here are some screen shots of the battle.

First pic is the blue plan.

Second pic is first contact.

Third pic is Red attacking our recon units and making contact with the US Company.

Fourth pic is a chopper battle.

Fifth pic is reds first attack bogging down and the lead elements of Reds reinforcements heading to the Front.

Final pic is the end game screen shot. 2H 38Min:shocked:

[Gibsonm]

Sorry I couldn't make it.

Sounds like it went well.

I've downloaded it anyway.

Should be back for next Saturday after my "busman's holiday" teaching recently posted in Tactics Instructors how to use SB to assess Trainee's plans.

[Kingtiger]

Was a great battle! had tons of fun! thank god I got the quiet sector down south!

I need to go and learn gunnery on the CR2.... :Crash:

[Fuby]

Final pic is the end game screen shot. 2H 38Min:shocked:

My goodness that looked complicated.. I got to make it to one of these someday.. What was meant that it bogged down the SB and needs to be fixed? Lag? How many units are actually on the battlefield when this happens?

This was 12 players? I downloded the scenario just to see it more closely.. I would assume this is the top end of SB online play?

I like the AAR you guys do after these friday nite battles.. sounds like fun.

[Kingtiger]

well we use to be more then 12 players, this scenario was to big for 12 players, we could need like 20 for this scenario, if not more.

[Brun]

My goodness that looked complicated.. I got to make it to one of these someday.. What was meant that it bogged down the SB and needs to be fixed? Lag? How many units are actually on the battlefield when this happens?

This was 12 players? I downloded the scenario just to see it more closely.. I would assume this is the top end of SB online play?

By bogged down I ment that Red lost to many units for their first attack to continue. I think what Volcano means by fixing it is cutting down the size a bit and editing it a bit to make the action happen a bit quicker. There was some lag for some of us making gunnery a challenge but it was playable. I think one member from the Red side left due to unplayable lag but no one dropped AFAIK.

[Panzer_Leader]

Here are some screen shots of the battle.

First pic is the blue plan.

Second pic is first contact.

Third pic is Red attacking our recon units and making contact with the US Company.

Fourth pic is a chopper battle.

Fifth pic is reds first attack bogging down and the lead elements of Reds reinforcements heading to the Front.

Final pic is the end game screen shot. 2H 38Min:shocked:

Thanks for sharing; a true MP epic by the look of it. In the third screenshot it seems the RED attack has a bit of momentum but BLUE clearly did its job and wore it down.

When the modified scenario comes up for TGIF please communicate it as I may need to negotiate some time out on the home front to join in (family commitments are the main obstacle to me joining TGIF).

[Volcano]

My goodness that looked complicated.. I got to make it to one of these someday.. What was meant that it bogged down the SB and needs to be fixed? Lag? How many units are actually on the battlefield when this happens?

This was 12 players? I downloded the scenario just to see it more closely.. I would assume this is the top end of SB online play?

I like the AAR you guys do after these friday nite battles.. sounds like fun.

Brun is correct, I meant that I had the follow on Red forces spawn too quickly in relation to each other and too far back behind the FEBA; they should have been spaced further apart (time wise) and spawned just behind the FEBA since that would have been where they would arrive according to H-hour time intervals. My mistake resulted in far too much down time in the middle of the scenario, and Red getting overloaded with too many units moving down rear area roads with lots of bridges. Basically, as cold as it sounds, if I get the timing of the waves to be correct according to Soviet doctrine, the waves in the regiment are supposed to be such where the previous wave is nearly completely dead or spent when the next one arrives, which cuts down on the overload on the network and on the players.

When I say it "needs to be fixed" I was referring to me fixing the scenario, not bugs. Frankly, I am surprised that we could even play it given my mistakes with the spawn timing (ie. the number of units that were involved). I mean, as mentioned, there were cases of lag in the end after the avalanche of poorly timed spawns took effect, but we played through to the end for the most part. It certainly goes to show one of the main strengths of SB.

[Volcano]

I suppose I should post a couple of OPFOR images then...

The first is an image of OPFOR's forces...

The second is OPFOR's plan, which was (basically) a feint/decoy/fixing attack in the south with the main attack in the north, which happened to be right into BLUEFOR's minefields. :shocked:

[Gibsonm]

This was 12 players? I downloded the scenario just to see it more closely.. I would assume this is the top end of SB online play?

No you can have more players (esp. if the scenario is simpler in terms of numbers of units spawning concurrently).

If you are in a classroom / LAN then the number of supportable players can be far higher (think we have had 60+).

[12Alfa]

No you can have more players (esp. if the scenario is simpler in terms of numbers of units spawning concurrently).

If you are in a classroom / LAN then the number of supportable players can be far higher (think we have had 60+).

Rge, I have run a Tank Regt:sonic:. with over 60 plus a OPFOR:decu: of 20 in a number of classrooms over two days.

Confusion on a grand scale!!:Crash:

[Volcano]

With all the work that went into the original scenario and the amount of posts here, I couldn't just let the scenario die, so I have updated the attached scenario in the first post of this thread to version 2.

If anyone cares, the changes are:

• Stream lined the scenario, removed some excess units from both sides (mainly extra support vehicles on both sides that were redundant / not needed).
  
• Corrected Red's score so that they will no longer win no matter the outcome (sorry Red).
  
• Corrected the spawn location of Red's follow on forces to be just behind the FEBA instead of at the right edge of the map (because H-hour arrival times are based on when they cross the FEBA).
  
• Corrected the annoying "Route Moscow" on Red that had tanks driving into the river at a bridge.
  
• Corrected the spawn time intervals of Red's follow on forces to be a longer gap between 2nd and 3rd echelon.
  
• Reduced the terrain elevation on the map by 1/3 so that the scenario plays much more mobile and rapid pace than before.
  
• Changed the co/UK tank from M1A1 to Challenger 2.
  

All of those changes should help make it less of an overburden and, as it should be, a constant high intensity battle without the long lull in the middle of the fight. It should also make the scenario be much shorter too, since the outcome for either side would likely be decided before the now corrected time limit.

Anyway, don't worry, we won't play it any time soon, maybe we can try it again in six months from now or more lol (I lost a year off my life CO'ing Red, not looking forward to that again for a while). :cul:

Edited March 4, 2012 by Volcano

[Fuby]

When I say it "needs to be fixed" I was referring to me fixing the scenario, not bugs. Frankly, I am surprised that we could even play it given my mistakes with the spawn timing (ie. the number of units that were involved). I mean, as mentioned, there were cases of lag in the end after the avalanche of poorly timed spawns took effect, but we played through to the end for the most part. It certainly goes to show one of the main strengths of SB.

Ahhh rgr..thanks for the update..I was wondering actually how this all works over the internet(not classroom) as in size and limits...

No you can have more players (esp. if the scenario is simpler in terms of numbers of units spawning concurrently).

If you are in a classroom / LAN then the number of supportable players can be far higher (think we have had 60+).

Unfortunate for me..I don't have a classroom connected to a lan.. so I was looking at what the limits on the internet may be.. what's the average size of games before lag appears etc.. I wasn't on a "witch hunt" just wondering how well it performed. I have yet to play with more than 6 guys online and for the games I have played all seemd fine, but they have been limited to size of equipment and players.