GoldFSR Graphics issue

[Marquo]

Hi trauth116,

Please make sure you are using the FSRGold files. This project was an obsessive compulsion for 12 months. I read everything I could about this campaign; I scanned every map in "From the Don to the Dnepr" and blew them up so I could make out disposition of all the units. I read and reread, "The Last Victory in Russia" to make sure I did not miss anything. The author's account of the TotenKopf as a band of untrained thugs who boarded trains in Paris and derailed west of Kharkov, still in need of training with their new weapons is why the morale of this unit is "B" compared to the 2 other ss PzDs. I tore my hair out reading how many friggin' tigers and Stgs were available and when to each major formation; how the Luftewaffe effectively filled in the gaps in the Axis lines, and virtually decimated the 3rd Tank Army (so no whinning if you are the Soviet player and the Luftwaffe butchers your proud T-34s...this what happened); I have detailed notes as to how few tanks were available when the Wiking entered the fray; I could go on and on, but you get the point.

1. Unit Values. I created this scenario several years ago, and found that I had to create new units that were not in other games. Not really having an educated opinion, I went to the parameters offered with the Talonsoft EastFront series and The Operational Art of War and tried to balance out values for the new units I wanted to include. This did include new Soviet AT guns, Katyuskas, motorized infantry, ski units, Heavy Weapon Inf units, etc; also Axis Marders, PF2 tanks, tigers, and period air units. The values were balanced between the earlier stock Kharkov campaign and the Bulge campaign (the Kursk disk was not out when I did FSRGold) values. At some point I took the smaller AT units (there were many of them) out of the OOB and gave the Axis infantry "organic" AT values because otherwise they were getting slaughtered.

I struggled for hours with all sorts of image editing programs to the point of exhaustion to no avail. Finally I simply asked John Tiller's permission to import the images from the Bulge into the FSRGold package and he was gracious enough to allow me; also Volcano Man answered countless questions and let me use some of his images.

2. Another point: I wrestled with the HQ values range values. This was the first campaign where the Soviets actually used radio communication between tank units (especially Popov), and that is why the Soviets have some decent HQ ranges. And given the highly coordinated fluid mobile defense demonstrated by the Axis, it's HQs have exceptional ranges.

3. "SS Pioneer Co units-in the OOB files they are listed as motorized, but the unit attribute reads something like SS Pioneer Co (HT) A." This is because I wanted to motorize the engineer units which accompagnied the Panzer Divisions and simply imported the name from the Bulge OOB. I really can't say which is correct for the time period; if you find out please let me know. I am sure that there are probably other similar issues - let me know.

4. If you go to Glenn's website you will find several really good files which will recolor roads, railroads, bridges and rivers - IMHO these files are mandatory for all of the PzC games; they really help to understand the map.

5. This campaign is very fluid and not for the faint hearted. Unlike many other PzC campaigns, there is no way to stretch a line across the entire map. Each player must reconnoiter effectively, and find out where the opponent is. Your flanks will be hanging in the breeze, and there will be very nasty surprises. It is like 2 ships bumping and colliding on a misty ocean.

I interested in your feedback, and improvements.

Thanks,

Marquo :)