Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Nevada theater

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Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-28 14:09:22

The following thread describes my current playtest of the Red Flag "The Battle for Fulda" scenario for the Nevada campaign.

Information for the scenario can be found in the thread discussing the campaign creation, which includes the current ground order of battle. The air order of battle is in constant revision.

I am still actively working on a companion manual to accompany the scenario. However, a portion of the manual is provided below to give some insight into the how/why of the scenario, what my goals are, etc. I lose formatting when cutting and pasting from word, but it will at least give you an idea of what I'm doing.

The Playtest will be in an AAR format. Keep in mind though that while I'm playing to win, I'm also looking for bugs, looking for balance, and trying to figure out how the campaign "fun factor" is.

Finally, I have already run the campaign once with no input from the player, and the Warsaw Pact will win a major victory around midnight of the 3rd day. My first goal, then, is to see if the player can prevent an OPFOR victory by flying missions within the campaign.

I welcome your comments and criticisms.

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-28 14:22:19

Partial manual.

Refer to scenario thread for full ground OOB.

Nevada Theater

Red Flag Scenarios Based Upon the Nevada Theater by
PMC Tactical



Scenario 1: The Attack on Fulda Gap

The Road to War
The year is 1989. After decades of struggle, the economies of the countries of the Warsaw Pact are in rapid decline. Among the leaders within the Russian Politburo, a sharp divide has developed between the left wing proponents of glasnost, and the right wing proponents of seizing what has heretofore been denied.

Perhaps war could have been avoided if fate had chosen another. Or, perhaps, it wasn’t fate at all, but a clever plot hatched by the KGB. Except for some omni-prescient being, or a handful of those deep within the underground intelligence field, we will never know. What we do know is that late on a weekday night in August, a sudden heart attack claimed the life of a senior party member who stood staunchly on the left side. Skillful maneuvering by the now dominant right wing of the Politburo gave the hawks a significant majority; enough so that war with the west became not only possible, but probable.

Of course, these events did not go unnoticed by the west. Intelligence agencies from West Berlin to Washington D.C. diligently reported the death of the left-wing Party member, and his subsequent replacement by the “war” party. But, in hindsight, they clearly didn’t appreciate the gravity of the economic situation faced by the east, nor did they appreciate the significant shift in the balance of power within the Politburo the new Party member brought with him. The world had suddenly become a much more dangerous place.

Preparations
The leaders at the highest levels of Soviet planning had long ago settled on three possible scenarios for an attack on the west- meaning, an attack through West Germany into Central Europe.

Strategic Strike

[blah blah]

Tactical Strike

[blah blah]

Extended Buildup

[blah blah]

Tactical Strike: The Attack
At 0900L, 5 August 1989, the armies of the Warsaw Pact launched an all out attack on the armies of NATO. The brunt of the attack fell on the Central European front, and among that front, the area in the vicinity of Fulda Gap was a key focal point. The Fulda Gap falls in an area where the Rhine bulges east, and the East German border bulges west. Thus, the area of West Germany to be traversed is minimized here. Additionally, a significant gap in the terrain exists in the area around Fulda, allowing greater maneuverability for Warsaw Pact armored and mechanized units.

NATO leaders were not oblivious to this fact. The Gap was held by the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment of the U.S. V (Fifth) Corps. Their mission was to act as a tripwire for the heavy forces of NATO, as well as to fight a delaying action to allow the main armored NATO forces to fully mobilize.

Across the Gap, the 11th ACR faced the bulk of the Soviet 8th Guards Army, backed by units from the East German 1st Army and portions of the 11th Guards Airborne Regiment. These two antagonists looked across the wooded terrain at each other like two wary boxers. One was light and quick, with a sharp jab. The other was a heavy bruiser, capable of a knockout blow with a single good punch in the right place. These two stared at each other, hoping that they would not meet in combat, but tirelessly training for it nonetheless.

Red Flag [idea, this would be cool if I/we could build a movie where this is the script and a video or powerpoint presentation could show the scenario, force dispositions, etc...something to think about down the line]
Gentlemen! Welcome to Red Flag! For the next week, you will fly in the most realistic combat training to be found in the world. You will be challenged. You will fly hard and fight hard. You will learn. And by the end, you will be among those that have experienced as close to a wartime environment as can be provided short of actual war.
I will turn you over to your instructors at this point. Remember, train like you fight; fight like you train!

The Scenario
The scenario for this Red Flag represents a Warsaw Pact attack against NATO in the region of the Fulda Gap in Central Europe, using the Tactical Strike level of preparedness. A ground force of OPFOR armored, mechanized and infantry represents elements of the Soviet 8th Guards Army. Their attack will fall primarily along the….[insert maps and road directions].

The OPFOR forces are opposed by BLUEFOR ground forces representing units of the 11th ACR. WHITEFOR ground forces will represent units of the West German Territorial Guard, and are allied with BLUEFOR for this exercise.

Victory Conditions
The exercise is 5 days long. The victory conditions for the scenario are as follows:

OPFOR Overwhelming Victory: OPFOR captures Boulder City, Twentynine Palms, and Las Vegas.

OPFOR Major Victory: OPFOR captures Boulder City and Twentynine Palms.

OPFOR Marginal Victory: OPFOR captures any one city among Boulder City, Twentynine Palms, or Las Vegas.

BLUEFOR Major Victory: OPFOR does not capture any city among Boulder City, Twentynine Palms, or Las Vegas.

BLUEFOR Overwhelming Victory: OPFOR does not capture any city among Boulder City, Twentynine Palms, or Las Vegas; and BLUEFOR achieves air superiority.

Order of Battle

[See other thread for ground OOB.]

Current Air OOB:

BLUEFOR
Nellis: 1xF-16CG, 1xF-15C
Desert Rock: 1xF-15C, 1xCF-18
Searchlight: 1xF-16CG, 1xTornado IDS
Overton Muni: 1xTornado IDS, 1xF-111F, 1xF-18D (USMC)
McCarren: 1xA-10
Needles: 1xF-18D, 1xF-111F
Twentynine Palms: 1xF-4F (W. German) [currently not flyable], 1xF-18D
Hurricane Mesa: 2xE-3, 1xEF-111

OPFOR
Baker: 2xF-5E
Barstow Dagget: 1xF-16B, 2xKfir, 1xA-4E
Death Valley: 1xF-16AGR [not flyable], 1xF-15A, 1xF-18C
Beatty: 1xF-18C, 1xF-16C+, 1xA-4H-IAF (homemade aggressor skin), 1xA-4E
Yucca Valley: 1xF-5E, 1xF-16CJ
Big Bear City: 1xF-16C+, 1xF-16B, 1xF-14A
China Lake: 1xF-14A, 1xKfir
Lemoore: 3xA-50

OPFOR (Helicopters)
Baker: 2xMi-24, 2xMi-8
Barstow Dagget: 1xMi-24
China Lake: 1xMi-24, 1xMi-8
Edwards: 1xMi-8
Mojave: 1xMi-8, 2xMi-24
Yucca Valley: 1xMi-24, 1xMi-8
Beatty: 1xMi-26

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-28 14:26:31

Setup
Force Levels:
Air forces: center
Air defenses: center
Ground: All the way LEFT (favors OPFOR)
Naval: All the way LEFT (no naval forces present)

Air skill: ACE
SAM skill: ACE

Sim: FREEFALCON 4 (NOT FF5)

Add ons: Multiple aggressor skins (bugs still exist...working it), Aeyes F-15 pit, Aeyes F-18 pit (the old one, not the FF5 widescreen)

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-28 14:32:40

Mission 1: Nellis
4xF-15C Sweep. Load: 6xAIM120C5, T/O: 1030

I let the combat autopilot fly the mission. My flight engaged an OPFOR strike of F-16C+, F-15A, and A-4H along with a flight of BLUEFOR CF-18.
What a furball! There were jets everywhere. Since I had the AI engaged, I shot a few pics.

BLUEFOR F-16 over the furball.
Image

Image

My guy landed ok, however the BLUEFOR got a bit savaged.

Results: OPFOR 2xF-16C+ KIA, 1xA-4H KIA, BLUEFOR 4xCF-18 KIA, 2xF-15C KIA
PARTIAL FAILURE

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-28 14:37:48

Mission 2: Nellis
2xF-15C BARCAP. Load: 6xAIM120C5, 2xAIM9x, 2 Drops.
T/O: 1150

We got engaged pretty much right after takeoff. While I was still sorting the confused air picture with radar and AWACS, my wingman scored a BVR kill on an F-18C (where was that guy!?).

I got into it with an F-16C+, and we exchanged AIM9 shots for no hits.

Image

Then the world caved in with 4xAIM120B shot at me- one of which got me.

Result: OPFOR 1xF-18C KIA, BLUEFOR 1xF-15C KIA (me)
IN PROGRESS (no result)

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-28 14:41:36

Mission 3: Nellis
Searchlight is being heavily engaged by OPFOR ground forces.
4xF-15C DCA over Searchlight. Load: 6xAIM120C5, 2xAIM9X.
T/O: 1230

We get enroute to Searchlight and get into it with a flight of F-16B and F-16C+. As I'm sorting the picture, I merge with an F-16. I go over the top, and get shot in the face by an AIM9. Eject!

Result: OPFOR 3xF-16 KIA, BLUEFOR 2xF-15C KIA
PARTIAL FAILURE

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-28 15:01:35

Mission 4: Nellis
4xF-15C Sweep. Load: 6xAIM120C5, 2xAIM9X.
T/O: 1320

This mission completely highlights why it is so vital to get all the bad guys painted up in aggressor colors, and how much this scenario is fought visually- despite fire-and-forget AIM120s.

As is becoming common, my flight gets engaged with an OPFOR strike package of F-16C+ and Kfir. There was also an OPFOR flight of F-15A in the vicinity that AWACS was calling out, and this is what confused me somewhat.

I got into a furball-ish fight, with enemies all over. I was getting spiked by the OPFOR F-15A flight and was trying to sort them, but the strike was passing me to the right 90. I pulled into the strike and then got bugged by an OPFOR flight of F-14s!

So, I'm dodging and weaving, getting a few missile warnings, going beam and then re-engaging.

Eventually, I get a flight of 2 F-15s in front. Are they friendly or enemy? I'm trying to declare, but the radios are clogged and I'm totally overwhelmed.

Image

I'm trying really hard to make out who this guy is. Unfortunately, my F-15A aggressor skin either isn't installed, or is installed improperly (wrong dds numbers), so I can't visually identify this guy and his buddy. However, you can see how a good skin would make a huge difference.

Image

No buddy spike call, so I let fly with an AIM120....and frat kill my element lead. Crap.

Shortly thereafter, I pick up the Kfirs and get off 2xAIM120, plus 3 more AIM120 at the F-16C+'s. I'm unclear of the results because I'm now being engaged by the F-16C+ flight I just shot at, plus a flight of F-14s.

The RWR picture was a bit crazy.

Image

I re-engage and pick up a Kfir visually. AIM9 kill on the Kfir.

Image

The fight has essentially moved over top of Nellis, so I do a combat landing (500 kts inbound, short break, boards, gear, flaps out, max braking. Whew!)

Result: OPFOR [2xF-16C+ KIA, 1xKfir KIA my kills]; 1xKfir KIA [wingman] BLUEFOR 3xF-15C KIA [one frat kill].
Shot at me: 3xAIM54, 2xAIM120, 2xAIM7 Wow!
Land: 1340 PARTIAL FAILURE (but at least I brought a jet home this time).

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-28 15:13:53

Mission 5: Searchlight

OPFOR is rapidly overtaking Searchlight. A screenshot of the ground picture is available here (too big to embed): http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii12 ... ab_032.jpg

2xF-16CG CAS. Truth time, I flew this mission twice. It just wasn't really possible to win. The field was being overrun, and the takeoff just led to too much action too quickly. Perhaps I could have extended out and came back to strike, but I was too impatient.

Load: 8xCBU58.
T/O: 1356

A BLUEFOR Tornado flight took off right before us and was also getting engaged on takeoff. I saw them getting off some bombs (literally from the runway- I should have taken a screenshot), and I truly felt a sense of desperation to blunt the attack. I selected master arm on, ground mode, CCIP, pair drop before I even started takeoff roll.

Image

As you can see, we're essentially rolling into a SAM field. I get off deck successfully...and see the brunt of the Warsaw Pact 8th Guards Army rolling through to Fulda Gap.
I think you can see the tracers shooting in this shot (I think these two shots are from the two different tries at this mission).

Image

Image

I should have extended out, but things are looking so grim, I roll right in.

Image

I take an SA-13 or SA-7 in the tail (had 3 shot at me). My last view from the jet is of an armored column overrunning my airfield. Looks like I'm going to be spending the rest of the war as a POW.

Image

Result: OPFOR 1xSA-13 KIA (wingman) BLUEFOR 1xF-16CG (me)
PARTIAL SUCCESS (?) woohoo!

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-28 15:28:28

At 1423, Searchlight Airfield is captured.

Mission 6: Overton Muni

2xF-18D BARCAP, hijacked to a S&D mission. Load: 2xAIM120, 2xAIM9M, 10xCBU59
T/O: 1506

Image

I spend alot of time editing waypoints, altitudes, etc. to bring me and my wingman into the target at treetop level. For some reason, I find myself always fighting the AG radar modes in FreeFalcon. I can never seem to figure out what combination of keystrokes gets AG Snowplow to work properly.

Anyway, my target is the northernmost armored unit out of Searchlight, enroute to Boulder City. I'm hoping to thin them out some. AWACS is calling out bogeys very close to the enemy unit, about 10 miles south of the target at 30k. Shit.

Like I said, I'm having trouble with the radar (we can pretend that the radar has broken in flight- my reading indicates that this does happen sometimes), so I pop up to about 3,000 to search visually. Then AWACS starts calling out F-16s around 10k and 10 miles near me.

A note about this scenario in general: I've come to the conclusion that this scenario absolutely requires the player to keep his head out of the cockpit. I'm not sure I used the 2D cockpit hardly at all for the last few missions. You have to be looking around all the time. In Korea, the fights seem to be more spread out. Here, it really is like a knifefight in a goldfish bowl.

So, I'm looking all over for the enemy fighters, and it turns out their CAP'ing the enemy armor unit! Thanks for solving my radar problem!

Image

I have my avionics set up to switch from A-A with AIM9 to AG CCIP with the override switch, so I'm going in and out of AA and AG as the fight develops.

I'm looking for the OPFOR jet, give wingman weapons free. I can't see the F-16, and I'm over the armor, so I go ahead and drop on them.

Image

As I come off target, I see a jet (friendly? enemy?). I roll on him, I'm looking closely for ID and I pick up a single vert stab, so I'm calling it OPFOR. As I'm rolling onto his 6 at about 1.5 miles, I see him split S. I roll inverted and pull through on him...and watch him impact the ground! Cool! But, now I've got my own problems pulling out of this dive. Throttle to idle, pull!

Image

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-28 15:45:14

Mission 6 Continued:

I pull out of the dive at, literally, about 100 feet. I get back some alt, roll over, and drop again. My priority is to thin out this armor- at all costs.

Image

AWACS is calling out the second bogey very close, about 3 miles. I'm looking everywhere. My wingman is dead. I catch a glimpse of the F-16 high 12, so I pull up into him with full burner. I'm fighting the G, and can't reach my jettison switch to unload the CBUs.

The move this guy pulls is beautiful. He totally ropes me. I pull and try to follow him vert, but he bleeds me out over the top.

Image

I fall through and go nose low. I'm in such a world of hurt now. The F-16 falls through above me and gets a gun hit on me as he falls through my extended 6. Check out this picture. I'm essentially stalled out in freefall, the F-16 has just fallen through as well and is overshooting me going straight down. Unfortunately, once again, it looks like one of my aggressor skins isn't installed properly- or this would have been an absolutely insane screenshot.

Image

I know I'm hurt, but I don't know how bad yet. I check inside and it looks like I've lost my left engine and some avionics. My HUD works, and I'm picking up speed from the dive. I have one chance- kill this guy and bug out or ride the silk.

I re-engage with the speed I have from my dive, and we are both knife-fighting, but I just don't have the engine to outfly this guy.

Image

I lose him after this, get low, get a heading from AWACS for homeplate. Just as I'm thinking maybe the OPFOR jet lost me in the ground clutter, I hear the 30 mil shredding what's left of my jet. Gun kill on the low F-18D egressing north.

Image

Result: OPFOR 4xT-72, 1xBMP KIA, 1xF-16C+ KIA (wingman), 1xF-16C+ KIA (maneuver kill- too cool) BLUEFOR 2xF-18D KIA
PARTIAL FAILURE (scored as a BARCAP still).

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-29 00:05:48

Mission 7: Overton Muni
4xF-18D Sweep over Las Vegas. Load: 6xAIM120B, 4xAIM9M, centerline drop
T/O: 1718

I don't know about you guys, but I never get tired of seeing friendly planes taxiing out to take care of business.

Image

Our AWACS is down for this mission, so it turns into a fiasco almost immediately. I take the flight up to about 25k and we pick up some targets 40nm out. I have the F-111 strike heading outbound on radar close aboard, and I don't know who is escorting them, so I can't assume I have OPFOR on radar.

As we head out, we pick up some F-18 spikes and some F-14 spikes. I keep hoping for AWACS to come up, but no joy. I'm checking IFF over and over and then, I realize that the IFF has ID'd my bogey as an F-14! I didn't know it could do that! So, since the only Tomkittys up right now are OPFOR, I give em a face full of AIM120 along with my wingman. I let 3xAIM120 go at the BVR groups, but then get a missile launch on me and go evasive. I come out after beaming the missiles, roll back on heading and pick up a target off the nose that looks like an OPFOR F-18. I give him an AIM120 to say hello and he gives me a pair of AIM9s in return. Mutual assured destruction ensues.

I thought I got a pic of the F-14 I damaged, but the picture didn't save. Sorry. But, I did figure out the problem with my aggressor skins. I installed my Aeyes F-18 pit after I built the Nevada OBJ folder, and the Aeyes pit overwrites some of the OBJ files. So, I had changed the TDF folder to look at the Korea OBJ folder, and lost my skins. Fixing the TDF and then recopying the overwritten files in the Nevada OBJ folder did the trick.

Anway, I did get this shot of one on of the OPFOR F-18s egressing. I really think this is a sharp looking paint job considering it's my first. (and is just a repaint, not an original work).

Image

Result: OPFOR 1xF-14 KIA, 1xF-14 WIA, 1xF-18C KIA (me), wingman 1xF-18C KIA; BLUEFOR 1xF-18D KIA (Just me- RS), 1xAIM7, 2xAIM9M shot at me.
PARTIAL FAILURE
Last edited by toonces on 2009-04-29 00:17:21, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-29 00:08:31

And guess who showed up at about 1800? The 1st Brigade of the 3rd Armored Division that I set to show up at D+12 hours. Sweet! Thanks Sherlock! Looks like the 8x acceleration was the key after all.

Image

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-29 00:15:05

Mission 8: Overton Muni
2xF-18D BARCAP over Las Vegas. Load: 6xAIM120B, 4xAIM9M, centerline drop.
T/O: 2040

Image

Image

Again, no AWACS. I pick up a huge gaggle of contacts heading away from Las Vegas going 270. Could be friendly, could be OPFOR. I chase them for a while, bugging them intermittently with my radar and IFF'ing them like crazy with no joy. Finally, we agree that they are OPFOR and my wingman and I let loose a wave of AIM120s. I shoot 5 at max range for two kills; wingman shoots 2 for 2 kills. I just know I'm getting dragged into a trap, but it's important to thin these strikes out. Suddenly I get multiple missile warnings on RWR. I break away and down, pick up a quick contact and pickle a snapshot at the bogey, then keep breaking down with chaff. No joy, hit by two AIM120s by the OPFOR F-16CJ CAP.

Result: OPFOR 2xA-4E KIA (me), 2xA-4E KIA (wingman) BLUEFOR 2xF-18D KIA (bummer, those AIM120s are deadly if they're shot in range.)

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by ccc » 2009-04-29 02:08:09

sorry for interrupting your AARs.. just wonder if the reinforcement units can show up at 16x.. IIRC 16x is the maximal value for realistic calculation...need a test later.

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-29 04:05:01

I'll try testing next iteration. Shouldn't be too hard to test.

Since we're interrupting, I tested this campaign in FF5 by copying the "save2" file into the Nevada theater installed plain jane into FF5 (using Multifalcon). It seems to work more or less, the the air OOB will need a few tweaks. For example, the F-4F ICE causes a crash if you select it, which makes sense since FF5 has a number of German F-4s to choose from now. Also, the F-5E on OPFOR didn't seem to generate missions. However, testing a few other jets like the F-16C+, F-16CG, F-16D, etc seemed to work just fine.

It might be a simple matter of just adjusting the OOB a bit and this theater should translate well. After I finish this playtest, I'll start testing FF5. I can't do OOB edits in FF5, so I have to do everything in FF4...plus all my Aeyes pits work in FF4 and so on...

Sorry for grammar: too much Jack Daniels tonight looking at youtube videos for the "Nevada Preview" movie. LOL.

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-29 14:27:22

Campaign end

I was all hyped up for some more A-A action this morning, but unfortunately OPFOR had shut down most of my airfields. I briefly had a chance to take up an F-15C from Needles, but before takeoff time, that field was also shut down. The only field that seemed to remain untouched was Overton Muni, but the only squadrons that still had jets were the F-111s and Tornados.

So, I let the campaign run at 16x and then 64x for a while.

A few interesting things happened. First, my 3rd Armored Division Brigade arrived as reinforcements at Dry Lake (I think) and their tasking was totally worthless. They were all heading north to garrison some fields well out of the fight. Around 0400-0600, as Las Vegas began to be threatened by OPFOR ground, their tasking changed and the entire brigade, which was fairly scattered, all changed their tasking to Defend Las Vegas. So, that was really gratifying to see the campaign engine use its own initiative to move the units somewhere sensible.

A pretty good fight developed around Las Vegas. On BLUEFOR, I couldn't see all of the OPFOR ground units involved in the siege, just the ones in contact with my forces. Unfortunately, OPFOR had complete air superiority and were interdicting the heck out of my ground units defending Las Vegas.

At 0900, an OPFOR mechanized infantry unit broke through the lines and at 0946 captured Las Vegas city, ending the campaign.

Image

In addition, Searchlight, Boulder City, and I don't even know how many other places to the south were captured. As I mentioned somewhere else, Twentynine Palms is uncapturable due to a broken road network- we'll work on that next, and I'll post relevant info in the bugs thread.

So, what are my thoughts? Well, first, the campaign is ALOT of fun. There is so much good air to air action to be had. However, the campaign as is, is clearly overbalanced to OPFOR. What I would love to do, but can't do, is alter the database so that OPFOR only as access to AIM7 and AIM9, not AMRAAM and AIM54. I can't do that, so I'm not sure how to address the issue. I can look at adjusting the OPFOR air OOB so that they only have planes that don't carry fire and forget AAMs, but then I'm going to lose alot of good skins.
Alternatively, I could add more squadrons to BLUEFOR, or add them to arrive as reinforcements to fields behind the FLOT that haven't been destroyed yet. I need to think about it, and see what I have to work with. Of course, I welcome ideas from the crowd as well. Molnibalage would have useful input I'm sure.

With respect to the ground forces, there's alot that can be done now that reinforcement seem to work. I only put in one brigade of the 3rd Armored Div. I can beef that up a lot. And, I want to add OPFOR reinforcements as well. There's alot that can still be done on the ground, I just don't want to kill what works right now.

I have to write the trigger file still, but I know I can get plenty of help with that.

Well, I guess that's it for now. I hate that this ended so abruptly after I spent so much time putting together the AAR; they are really time consuming to write, but such is life. I knew this wasn't going to be the final version when I started it :)

See ya,
Toonces

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by ccc » 2009-04-29 14:59:24

Great job :D

you just proved a working Nevada campaign is doable. it opens a lot of possibilities.. and the dev work enters new stage!

for monitoring the progress of ground war, you may save campaign at given intervals as red units approaching LV, in different save filenames.
then re-enter campaign as Red side, watch what happen in last few hours.

say, zip the edited files and send to SM.. he may use them once there's a campaign slot left. :wink:

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by Snake Man » 2009-04-29 15:43:34

toonces wrote:Around 0400-0600, as Las Vegas began to be threatened by OPFOR ground, their tasking changed and the entire brigade, which was fairly scattered, all changed their tasking to Defend Las Vegas. So, that was really gratifying to see the campaign engine use its own initiative to move the units somewhere sensible.
A pretty good fight developed around Las Vegas. On BLUEFOR, I couldn't see all of the OPFOR ground units involved in the siege, just the ones in contact with my forces.
So am I reading this correctly that you can now do enjoyable ground campaign already when you acknowledge the choke points in the road network which must be fixed?

So the guys who yell and scream in the forums "THEATERZ ARE BR0KEN!!1" are ... well... :roll:
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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by ccc » 2009-04-29 16:31:23

So am I reading this correctly that you can now do enjoyable ground campaign already when you acknowledge the choke points in the road network which must be fixed?
imho Toonces defined the main combat route(s) and placed ground units along it, so the war rolling. if the broken choke points are not on main combat route, they may not affect the war and its ending.

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by Sherlock » 2009-04-29 18:07:57

toonces wrote:Campaign end...

...However, the campaign as is, is clearly overbalanced to OPFOR. What I would love to do, but can't do, is alter the database so that OPFOR only as access to AIM7 and AIM9, not AMRAAM and AIM54. I can't do that, so I'm not sure how to address the issue. I can look at adjusting the OPFOR air OOB so that they only have planes that don't carry fire and forget AAMs, but then I'm going to lose alot of good skins.

...

See ya,
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Yes you can edit the database. I showed people how to in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=21871

It is not hard at all.
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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by toonces » 2009-04-29 19:30:07

@ SM, what ccc said is exactly right. There is a broken road between, well I don't have my map handy, but to the west of Twentynine Palms. So no units move along that axis. Also, there are several roads that are broken between the starting position of the red units and Las Vegas. But, that main route going south and then through Searchlight, and then north into Vegas works. Before I started working on the campaign, I studied the ground movement and figured out where the roads worked and then went from there.

So, yes, we can create a "working" ground war right now (albeit a very limited ground war) with Nevada as is. Fixing a few roads will open up more possibilities.

I want to learn to do this. I've read the wiki and it's overwhelming, but to make real forward progress on these theaters we have to have a working road network. So, I might as well invest the time and figure it out so I can contribute to these theaters in a meaningful way.

@ Sherlock, thanks for the link. I'm thinking more along the lines of FF5, with its locked database. I won't be able to edit that. Nobody but me and maybe ccc is going to fly this campaign in FF4, so I have to work with FF5's limitations in mind.

I have some ideas how to fix the air war. I just need to sit and do it. Maybe I'll do it right now actually.

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Re: Red Flag Scenario: The Battle for Fulda- Playtest #1

Post by ccc » 2009-04-30 01:21:23

@ SM, what ccc said is exactly right... I studied the ground movement and figured out where the roads worked and then went from there.
means you detour the broken choking points :mrgreen:
I have some ideas how to fix the air war. I just need to sit and do it. Maybe I'll do it right now actually.
yeah..this is POSITIVE move heheh.. sit down and do it :mrgreen:

seriously, before you do it, i'd like to know where're the broken points. please post a pic.. and mark them.

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