"Thunder in the North" Mirror Tournament - During / After Action Reports

[Crossroads]

Everyone,

I've now put my LWM 1.1a out for open testing. Among continuing to enhance the Finnish OOBs, the Modification now introduces the US, the UK and France to EF2. Pls see the Hosted Modifications forum for download and installation instructions. What seems to work for me, is adding it on top of Vanilla EF with JSGME utility, and now I am playing stock EF and new LWM scenarios just like they all would be a part of the standard install.

I've also released a scenario pack, including five scenarios. They are:

** Across River Vuoksi LWM 1.1a2 - (Hist.) Soviet 98th Corps forcing their way over a grand river. July 1944
** Bitter Kuuterselka LWM 1.1a - (Hist.) Soviet 109th Corps forcing their way through a strong defense line. June 1944
** Crusaders At Hango LWM 1.1a - (Hypth.) German 120.D attempting to secure the vital Hango port. August 1944
** Delaying Action At Ylimaa LWM 1.1a - (Hist.) Elements of Finnish Jgr Bde encircling German 218th Mtn Rgt. October 1944
** Enforcing The Line LWM 1.1a - (What-if) The Anglo-French Expeditionary force making their way into D.Bevard 'Cracking The Line' scenario. Feb 1940.

I would not like to add any scenarios to Dbase before they are properly tested. And what a better way to test than having fun while doing it?

I propose a Mirror tournament for going through the scenarios in an alphabetical order. Depending on how many players we get, it can either be everyone playing everyone, or a group stage with ranking determined by a play-off. Winners would be determined by comparing Victory Points from the mirrored scenario.

For ladder purposes, I would propose after each scenario has been played, we create a consensus for proper victory levels (plus possible enhancemments) to the particular scenario just played. I would then add the enhanced, balanced versions to Dbase, and given LWM has been given a Ladder status the games could be then logged in based on the new, agreed victory levels, albeit with scores every one got.

Other way is of course to use the generic EF placeholders for reporting a game not in the Ladders.

Which ever way, it does not really matter if a scenario turns to be a bit unbalanced first, as the pairs play a mirror game with each having a chance to plays as Axis and as Allied. All the battles balance themselves in this manner.

To quote Mr KK: a Win-Win-Win?

- The tournament players win by having a fun tournament,
- The LW Mod wins by getting its scenarios thoroughly tested, and finally
- The community wins by getting new, balanced scenarios to Dbase.

Meanwhile, go have a look at the scenarios, if you have any doubts about the initial setup do make a comment to a thread dedicated for that scenario, and once we have the players ready we can start.

=> I will come up with tournament badges, one for the Winner (and there will be only one), one for the Runner-ups (2-4), and a participant medal for rest of the good folks who took part in this.

This would, of course, be just Round One. With the three major western forces now available to EF, I am sure we will get new What-if and other types of LWM EF scenarios to be tested once we are done with this one.

What do you think?

Please join in!

Comments and suggestions for as how to set up the tournament welcomed as always.