Bolt 5.0

[Aaron]

Gonna update Bolt out of the Blue to 1.02 with some changes, any ideas or issues nows the time. Gonna try to be done by next weekend.

I posted some info in the Mod threads above.

Aaron

Hi and thanks again for your amazing mod. Some observations from playing it several times on either side:

Predictability
I realize this may be rather a reach, since the scenario already imagines the near-impossibility of strategic Warsaw Pact surprise, but as a game freshener it would be great if the pre-game included a set of strategic options for where the Pact would weight its attack and then a set-up of forces based on the Pact player's strategic choice (e.g. north, center, south or balanced). It need not involve a wholesale redistribution, but rather be like the current Berlin options, which involve where to place a division. Having several Pact starting divisions line up in different places would add an air of uncertainty to the early game for NATO.

Helicopters
I like the increased vulnerability of helicopters, but I am wondering if it shortchanges them too much. You may want to slightly tweak the defense values of the more heavily armored or agile models. I also still wonder why some of the Pact and NATO members didn't have combat helicopters, e.g. the Poles, Netherlands, the Danes, the Belgians, the Austrians, the Italians. Was it really only the US, Soviets, West and East Germans and the Czechs who had them?

I havnt tweak defense but i raised movement to between 30-40 from 24-28. This should help to get it in and take the shot and get out a safe distance. Thats the theory anyways. Ive also eliminated all recon helos from the game so there are less. Belgium, Dutch and such had very few helos, the ones they had were mostly outdated and only for observation or liaison. The poles, chechs and egermans do have a few and there at armie level. Thats all they had, the soviets didnt trust any Pact members with the hind so they only had a couple dozen each.

The Austrians were not even allowed to have ATGMs, helos would have machine guns only. I dont think there air force got there first AAM sidewinders intill the wall came down. Old school jets with guns. No SAMs either

edit.( i can see buffing up the defenses of the attack helos 2 points) it helps a little but not alot. I still think the movement is key if you use them right, if you keep them hovering on the front they wont last long

As far as more surprise like you said its already push at limits if not past. If given time to set initial units it would have meant even more troop movements before the attack which in turn would have raised alerts in nato. The reinforcements are set up so you can concentrate divisions coming in to push your attack where ever you want.

Nato tank values have gone down, the big loss is anything with the 105mm gun, the 105mm round could not penetrate the front arc of a t72 and up intill 1989 when a new round was introduced that most tanks couldnt use except the original M1. Along with defense going down on most of these same tanks its gonna help that initial push. Your Leo1s and M-60s and such took a hit

Aaron