Battle for Moscow- AAR

[Currahee]

The "scenario dump" is a text file that allows you to see what the designer has done; it includes the scenario briefing, all the events, lists both sides' supply sources (even if unrevealed at the start of the game), and gives the full order of battle of each side. To extract it, open the editor, load the scenario you're interested in, and then from the "File" dropdown menu, select "Dump Scenario As"....you can drop the text file into the folder of your choice. It's usually too long to print, and can run hundreds of pages; but the most useful part is the front part, which runs through the events, and the list of victory hexes, and supply sources; if you print only that part, it's quite doable. From the list of events, you can piece together what causes what, and when. We don't consider it cheating to look at that, most designers try to explain the major events anyway, and it really is necessary to know where the supply sources are, to play the game competently. In a well-designed, well-documented scenario, you don't learn anything from the scenario dump that you didn't already know from the designer notes or the scenario briefing. So it's really just a way to check up on a sloppy scenario briefing. As you know, from the game screen while you're playing, you can "hide units", toggle the supply icon to show supply sources, and see both friendly and enemy supply sources; however, if there's a friendly supply source in a hex currently controlled by the enemy, it won't be shown, and this is a big issue; not in Battle for Moscow, but in certain scenarios; for example, you can't launch an amphibious assault, unless you know you'll be supplied once on the beach; so either the designer has to tell you where you'll find friendly supply sources; or, you have to check the scenario dump. Another way to tell from the editor, without using the scenario dump, is to use the "edit" menu, pick "deployment", then with the "view" menu, pick "hide units", and you can see all the supply sources for both sides, whether or not the hex is currently under control. If a hex has a supply source for each side, the dot will be all white. The only time this will not work, is if a supply source is brought into existence by the event engine itself, later in the game (as in Holland- A Bridge Too Far, with the drop zone and landing zone supply sources).

There's an even easier way to tell when you're subject to "shock effect" (assuming the designer hasn't informed you in some way, in the scenario notes, or in the recent news); in the "situation briefing", there's information on current supply levels. For example, if force supply level is 10, and if supply enhancement due to force transport asset sharing is 5, and if enemy interdiction reduces supply by zero, you should expect your effective supply capability to be 15. If it is 12, you know you are at 80% shock, because you're experienced and unexplained reduction of 20% in effective supply. That reduces your force supply level directly, and then terrain, supply radius, etc, cause further reductions on the map. The only thing that reduces supply that way is shock; each 1% of shock causes a corresponding 1% reduction in your effective supply capability.

Yes, auto rail repair is the repair the computer does for you each turn, without your having to use your rail repair units. In Battle for Moscow, rail damage % for the German is 20; that means whenever the German seizes a rail hex, there's a 20% chance it'll be damaged; but German auto rail repair is 20, which means 20 rail hexes will automatically repair each turn. I don't know if the designer intended this, but the effect is, all damaged rail auto-repairs each turn. Only exceptions are hexes under enemy control; and hexes where a bridge has been blown; that will have to be repaired by engineers.

The rail repair units may still be helpful, however: because they can repair the damaged rail hex that same turn, and you can use it immediately to move by rail; if you wait on the auto repair, it's not going to be usable until next turn.

We should probably get together a "tip sheet". It might be most helpful if it's not too detailed, but simply lists some high points, sort of like "what mental checklist does a veteran player go through when he makes a turn". I'll try to come up with one, and anyone else can as well, and we can then consolidate them.