Updated Normandy'44_Alt (third time, 13 AUG)

[Volcano Man]

Hello everyone,

All the talk about N44 has pushed me to finish the N44_Alt update. It was going on two years (off and on) and, well, its done now. Head over to volcanomods.com and get it. :)

If you are have a game in progress then it shouldn't hurt to update it. These changes are better for balance too I think.

Changes:

v.XXIV

--Instituted "McNamara 3.1 db". With the new changes to the rules for ranged fire, the Range Mod value (in the PDT) has been changed from 3 to 1.5 and all vehicle and AT gun hard attack values have been decreased by about 25% (75% of previous values). This tones down the tank on tank / AT gun on tank combat a bit, while at the same time making ranged fire (particularly at a range of 2 hexes) more effective.

-Updated PDT file movement data so that the precise relationship between Tracked, Halftrack, Armored Car and Motorized units is now more logical. Basically, in cross country mobility, it is now scaled so that Tracked > Haltrack > Armored Car > Motorized (and Motorcycle & Bicycle).

-In #30-Campaign-1x_Alt scenario, cleared German supply depots off roads in Caen area to allow better road movement through the city.

-Implemented the Ranged Modifier at the now standard 1.5 value. This allows for more effective ranged combat.

-Specified a standard 60% Night Movement Disruption value. Now, if you conduct non strategic movement at night, then there is a 60% chance that the moving unit will be disrupted in each hex it moves into (subject to unit quality modifiers).

-Corrected an error with an Allied supply variation in the campaign. There is now a lower chance that allied supply level will drop by -5% periodically. This decreases the likelyhood that the supply will drop rather than rise, since there is a higher chance it will raise by 5% periodically. Naturally a bit of luck is involved, but the idea is that there are complicated issues at play beyond the allied side's control which decide the changing supply levels (German U-boat activity, weather, cross channel movement, etc).

[FM WarB]

Thanks Ed; I prefer this version of the DB/oob-pdt. Been playing N '44 lately.

[dragonslayer2001]

I've got a question. I've downloaded the scenarios of Mortain and the Faliase Gap, Cobra; that others have done. Is there any way to modify them to work using your OOBs? What all would have to change in the oobs?

thanks,

don

Hello everyone,

All the talk about N44 has pushed me to finish the N44_Alt update. It was going on two years (off and on) and, well, its done now. Head over to volcanomods.com and get it. :)

If you are have a game in progress then it shouldn't hurt to update it. These changes are better for balance too I think.

Changes:

v.XXIV

--Instituted "McNamara 3.1 db". With the new changes to the rules for ranged fire, the Range Mod value (in the PDT) has been changed from 3 to 1.5 and all vehicle and AT gun hard attack values have been decreased by about 25% (75% of previous values). This tones down the tank on tank / AT gun on tank combat a bit, while at the same time making ranged fire (particularly at a range of 2 hexes) more effective.

-Updated PDT file movement data so that the precise relationship between Tracked, Halftrack, Armored Car and Motorized units is now more logical. Basically, in cross country mobility, it is now scaled so that Tracked > Haltrack > Armored Car > Motorized (and Motorcycle & Bicycle).

-In #30-Campaign-1x_Alt scenario, cleared German supply depots off roads in Caen area to allow better road movement through the city.

-Implemented the Ranged Modifier at the now standard 1.5 value. This allows for more effective ranged combat.

-Specified a standard 60% Night Movement Disruption value. Now, if you conduct non strategic movement at night, then there is a 60% chance that the moving unit will be disrupted in each hex it moves into (subject to unit quality modifiers).

-Corrected an error with an Allied supply variation in the campaign. There is now a lower chance that allied supply level will drop by -5% periodically. This decreases the likelyhood that the supply will drop rather than rise, since there is a higher chance it will raise by 5% periodically. Naturally a bit of luck is involved, but the idea is that there are complicated issues at play beyond the allied side's control which decide the changing supply levels (German U-boat activity, weather, cross channel movement, etc).

---

I've got a question. I've downloaded the scenarios of Mortain and the Faliase Gap, Cobra; that others have done. Is there any way to modify them to work using your OOBs? What all would have to change in the oobs?

thanks,

don

ALSO, I am assuming "strategic movement" means movement along roads at night in Tmode? and if so, does this apply to all roads/tracks?

Hello everyone,

All the talk about N44 has pushed me to finish the N44_Alt update. It was going on two years (off and on) and, well, its done now. Head over to volcanomods.com and get it. :)

If you are have a game in progress then it shouldn't hurt to update it. These changes are better for balance too I think.

Changes:

v.XXIV

--Instituted "McNamara 3.1 db". With the new changes to the rules for ranged fire, the Range Mod value (in the PDT) has been changed from 3 to 1.5 and all vehicle and AT gun hard attack values have been decreased by about 25% (75% of previous values). This tones down the tank on tank / AT gun on tank combat a bit, while at the same time making ranged fire (particularly at a range of 2 hexes) more effective.

-Updated PDT file movement data so that the precise relationship between Tracked, Halftrack, Armored Car and Motorized units is now more logical. Basically, in cross country mobility, it is now scaled so that Tracked > Haltrack > Armored Car > Motorized (and Motorcycle & Bicycle).

-In #30-Campaign-1x_Alt scenario, cleared German supply depots off roads in Caen area to allow better road movement through the city.

-Implemented the Ranged Modifier at the now standard 1.5 value. This allows for more effective ranged combat.

-Specified a standard 60% Night Movement Disruption value. Now, if you conduct non strategic movement at night, then there is a 60% chance that the moving unit will be disrupted in each hex it moves into (subject to unit quality modifiers).

-Corrected an error with an Allied supply variation in the campaign. There is now a lower chance that allied supply level will drop by -5% periodically. This decreases the likelyhood that the supply will drop rather than rise, since there is a higher chance it will raise by 5% periodically. Naturally a bit of luck is involved, but the idea is that there are complicated issues at play beyond the allied side's control which decide the changing supply levels (German U-boat activity, weather, cross channel movement, etc).

[Liquid_Sky]

It kind of bothers me to see that the allied supply level is so low. It is similar to the German level when totally surrounded at Stalingrad (and being supplied only by air). It is less then the Germans in the dead of winter at Moscow '42.

I would give them a minimum of 50 supply at the beaches...you can drop it during he storm, although that would be pointless as there is no fighting anyways then. Then raise it (non randomly) at certain intervals to about 80 for Cobra.

You can keep the very low level for the paratroopers to stress the importance of linking up to the beach, and to stop them from running amok on the first day.

The night disruption will not be too bad on the Germans, since most of their stuff moves up along roads...and once you are near the front, a lot of units can only move one hex anyways. It will mostly be an annoyance for the Allies which, I suppose, is a good thing in the beginning.

I will have to give this one a try. I really enjoyed the last Normandy campaign I played.

[Liquid_Sky]

Okay..I made a quick check on other campaigns:

Stalingrad. The two airfields bring in 50 supply (each) so just one of those airfields can supply more then any allied beach.

Anzio. Allies get 85 on their beach.

Salerno. Allies get 50 in one port.

Korsun. Germans get 70. Probably a stockpile of some kind, but doesn't imply ammunition/fuel shortages at all.

Kharkov 42. Russians get 55 or 30, but that value will drop to by 25 later. Having played this one as the Russians, I know that once you have 5% supply, your artillery turns off, and you are assault bait as you are on low ammo all the time.

Okay..I downloaded the new alt. Supply for the allies is :

June 6th: 20.
June 9th 30.
June 15th 40.
June 20th 20.
June 23rd 50.

June 10th:
With a 2% chance per turn of it dropping by 5. per turn
With a 5% chance per turn of raising by 5. per turn

over the 170 turns to June 23rd you would expect the Allied supply to have dropped by 5, and gone up by 30.

So the supply should be okay. But god help the allies (and your long term game) if they suffer an early drop of 5 (or 10) supply.

[Volcano Man]

Well the idea was that supply is (and was) very tight in the early landings. I cannot speak for the other amphibious type PzC campaigns as I haven't edited the Alt extensively enough in those, mainly because I thought N44 suffered the most in the stock game by the initially high supply levels on landing (it made it way too easy for them IMO). So, yes, supply should be low early on, then rise afterwards. This also helps keep them from making any early breakout, because the campaign should be all about just establishing a linked bridgehead first, then pushing outward, but with high supply in the stock campaign it was easy to just go-for-broke and try to break through somewhere early on. In other words, I want it to be historical in that the Allied situation should be a combination of pushing forward, linking, solidifying and defending until consolidation and more reinforcements, then transition to the offense.

Now that said, the stock game starts with the beaches at 25% supply, so it isn't much difference. So, I didn't make any extensive changes there. What I changed was the variations, which I think actually are better towards the Allies here. I can certainly delay the 2% chance of -5% supply drop to say, the 20th (when the storms started) though. This would give them no chance of a supply drop until that point, which probably makes sense, especially how fragile the situation is. But you said yourself the problem isn't with the initial landings, it was later on. The odds of a daily check @ 2% happening in consecutive days is well, almost a miracle. Still though, I think I will completely remove the -5% supply drop actually, it seems to be too much of a wild card, and the Allies don't really need to be punished any more than they are.

Still, I am up for changes and improvements. I have already put together a small patch/update because I noticed a typo on one hard attack value of one of those pesky German mixed AT gun units (only 4 of these in the OOB), so it isn't a huge mistake, but I fixed that for a "patch". So, for this patch I am thinking of changing:

***Correct the HA type on the 4 mixed German AT gun units (mentioned above)

***Increase Allied air interdiction from 35% to 40% or 45% (I am still experimenting with that). I just think the 35% is a little too low and I want it a little more likely to happen in order to better hinder German strategic movement (at least to make them not so careless). It isn't like this air interdiction is devastating anymore anyway, except for those small number of vehicle half-track units everywhere, so making it more frequent is a good thing I think.

***Remove the persistent -5% supply variation, as this is probably too much of a penalty for them to constantly be at risk to (they already have low enough supply levels)

Anyone with N44_Alt campaign experience have any other suggestions before I put it all together? :)

[jonnymacbrown]

Do the Allies ever break through/out? My guess is: no.
Ergo; what about, for the sake of playabilty, more supply? jonny

[Volcano Man]

Do the Allies ever break through/out? My guess is: no.
Ergo; what about, for the sake of playabilty, more supply? jonny

Well, if you are talking about the 250 turn campaign then the Allies should not breakout (unless it is by some miracle), because Operation Cobra happened after that campaign. If you are talking about the 750 turn monster, well, who said they never breakout? If you play it to the time of Operation Cobra, then the allies get hordes of B-17 and B-24 carpet bombers, which would, eh, help quite a bit in that endeavor. My guess is that no one has ever actually played the 750 turn monster to completion though.

Keep in mind that I did remove the persistent -5% supply drop for the allies which had a 2% chance of happening each day. This means that there are no longer any "possible" persistent negative drops, only positive ones. So, theoretically, in the _Alt by turn 200 or so, the supply should certainly be 70 to 80%, now at least after the changes.

That said, I think it would be beneficial to add another +10% to the change that happens on the 15th of June, which is when the Mulberry Harbors were in full swing IIRC. That will put them at a natural 50% by then, with the persistent +5% changes likely to put them at 60% or more at that point, and possibly 80% by the end of the 250 turn campaign. I will also add a few more (two) +10% increases just before Operation Cobra in the 750 turn campaign, so that the supply level will be a natural 70% with the 5% increases likely putting it at 90% by then.

[Volcano Man]

As the thread title says, I updated N44_Alt again just now with a patch.

Changes:

v.XXIVa

-Corrected an error with the HA rating of the German combined 50mm and 75mm AT gun units (now HA 20 instead of previous HA 13).

-Raised Allied air interdiction probability from 35% to 45% as it was felt that it was too low to be much of an annoyance to the Germans (it did not prevent them from being careless).

-Removed the persistent Allied -5% supply variation from the campaign scenario as it was felt that this was felt that they are already penalized enough by the supply level.

-Changed the Allied 15th July supply level increase from a +10 change to a +20 change, to better reflect the use of the Mulberry Harbors at that point.

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That should do it for a while. Thanks for all the feedback everyone. :)

[FM WarB]

I notice that German Infantry have a Soft attack factor of 6, same as the Brits, with the Americans 7.
I believe German Infantry soft attack factor should be 8.

Tough for the Allies to break out with all their infantry Foot class. By the time of Cobra American Infantry should be Motorized, as should at least some Brit infantry. (And Motor Bns in Armoured Bdes had American Halftracks and Bren carriers to ride in so should be HT class.)