!Normandy44 Beta Testing

[Dan Caviness]

Hello everyone:

Von Luck and I, Turn 46 or so, are now locked in bitter conflict and contesting Carentan, Bayeaux, Bretteville, and of course, Caen.

I never thought I would say this, and JB may certainly disagree, but at Turn 46 I believe the Allies may be running out of units. Von Luck has proven quite masterful at working this map's potential, and every hex seems to cost me bodies to negotiate.

Final tweaks are still being negotiated.

Rather than post up any map images at this time I thought I'd just make a quick post to let all the testors know I'm still here, still working on this, and still appreciate all of your efforts.

I see now that we have at least one completed test game and my comments below regard to the H2H critique supplied by Ed and Montana, and of course their partners, who I believe were Reddog and Kernel t.

I tried to add the below as a comment to the critique section of the H2H area but didn't seem to have any luck with that so for now I'll just put them here.





Ed/Montana:

I thank you very much for your work and your excellent comments. As you have noted, some of your comments and suggestions are being implemented already. The point about unit commanders and consistent commander naming nomenclature is well taken. I will admit to exhaustion during some of the OOB creation and I will straighten those out. I also agree it is a pain to deal with several thousand unloaded LSTs when you are arrowing through "next available unit"s with the hot key function. I have resorted to aligning them in long columns so I can rapidly arrow through them as I make my moves. It is possible I have developed carpal tunnel and I notice a twitch in my right wrist of late. Those near the map edge can be exited of course.

I have been able to relocate my heavy artillery inland playing in my test game against Von Luck. It was not evident in some cases, but there were passable hexsides, and I tried to mark them with unpaved road on the beach cliff area hexsides. Those are all behind high wall that needs to be demolished to make them passable, but they are marked by the dirt roads that stand out against the sand hexes of the beach. I should make that clearer, or make more roads. The Naval guns do run out of range before you run out of map, but that is historical and by design.

I would not recommend playing this scenario with the computer as Allied. It is difficult for the computer to even handle the Axis as second side, and as you note, it makes a complete hash of it as the Allied player. This scenario is most definitely designed for Human vs Human, PBEM. I do appreciate your running it though and I owe you a beer for that sacrifice. Sorry.

While this map is bocage and a difficult map to negotiate, I will add more traversable roads to help players get their heavy artillery inland when we have finished our test game.
Any players currently stuck on this please email me and I'll go through the roadways.
I can't remember the hex coordinates at this time and can't go in game but I can get them for you. The key hexes all involve blowing high walls to allow access into a "two level" traverse of what was previously impassable hexsides due to the elevation shift involved. Again, my apologies. It shouldn't be that hard. While I enjoy these mazes, I sometimes forget that other's aren't mind readers. My mistake. I should have noted that in the "read me" and pointed to it in the scenario introduction.

Ed, I know you lost a ton of guys on the beach, and I have the move files you sent as witness. All I can say is, that is the crux of it. The difference between getting hammered on the beaches and getting slaughtered to infinity on those beaches is about 6 turns at best. I know I used almost all of the Allied 230 some smokes to get up Sword and Gold Beaches.

My highest regards to you guys and the others playing with you....I believe Reddog...and kernel t was it?

You guys are the greatest, and this type of honest feedback is what designers can really use.

Rest assured your boys didn't suffer in vain, and my thanks.

Dan