World At War Mod-Map: "Fortress In The Swamp"

[Arnold]

Hi Misurata,

thanks for your comments.

Regarding the things you pointed out I'll give some overall information.

Location
The location of the map is neither the city of Newel nor the city of Welikije Luki. Both places are not on the map. The map represents the landstrip between these two points in the vast swampy terrain with its huge forests.

The gameplay
The mission in general is quite of long duration and it's a mixture of defensive tasks (which are fullfilled after clearing attacked areas in combination with a timer) and offensive actions or special player tasks like bringing supplies to a place or abandon it. The latter ones are also controlled by the script in combination of a timer and the presence or absence of defined units in one or more locations. These last actions offer the player one essential advantage: time! But this will also allow the player to do what he ever want on the map, because in most instances further progress will depend on the completion of the orders the player has got at last. So, you can, for example, move your howitzers or other units across the whole map and annihilate enemies in their ready positions. You may feel like a genius and script will also endure this, but I think you won't achieve anyhing, but a bit of confusion in the structure of this mission. To top this player can also identify the gates for resurrection, place its forces there and prevent enemy from reaching the targeting areas.
You will get the best and most realisitc results when following the orders which were given respectively. This means: Concentrate your forces at the defined strongpoints when you got the order in doing so and act offensively only within the areas you got orders for. That's it! When following this rule, the mission may be partly challenging, but all in all it will be playable without too many problems.

The frozen river
When testing the winter sheme I also tested several options for frozen water. In the past I choosed the water and put some white objects or roads over it. But the effect was, that explosions on the water were absorbed by it without any shrapnel effect, which is exactly the opposite of the real effect of explosions on frozen ice. So I decided to take the normal ground and simulate the ice with some white objects. I think when taking a look on the tactical map it should be possible to identify what I mean.

I've noted the other small issues like the lack of mobility of the flak or the mortar and also some wrong words. I think these wouldn't have a great impact on the game and I would agree you comment: Small thing. If it would occur, that I'll open the editor of the mission again, maybe I'll correct the words.

Kind regards

[misurata]

Arnold!
Of course thanks for "overal information".
But, I asked a specific question: "Where a frozen lake?"
Do you remember I asked you to add a map - scheme? It is desirable to identify, at least approximately where the city of Nevel?, where the Welikije Luki?, where the main point? I understand, that cities ARE NOT PRESENT on a map. BUT to show WHERE they are located on a map it is possible?

and MOST IMPOTANTLY question: WHERE frozen lake? The LAKE and not a RIVER!
where the river I realized - I got a position. And I kept them!
And now I got a message of "concentrate troops and move them across the frozen lake"
Two questions: WHERE is the lake? and WHERE to lead the troops?
You did not want to understand that the mission is. NOTHING happens.
At one o'clock, two forward events. By the way nothing else I test !! I am waiting for the event, and they are not.
And yes, comments on the anti-aircraft guns and mortars which can not be moved and heavily charged - UNCRITICALLY.

[Arnold]

Hi Misurata,

I first had some problems to identify, what you meant, because I couldn't remember an order with a frozen lake. Now I've found it under the phrases in the script. Indeed, this is a word error: I must be: "frozen river". The position, which is meant by this order, is the forward right position, which has already be contested by the enemy. If your mission stucks at this point I understand: The script will go on, after this area has been cleared from player-units.

The term lake was still in my mind, because there is a small lake on the map: It's an area on the more left side of the river, where the latter one is significant expanded (with a small island and also an agents biplane parking on the ice). This lake has no meaning in the current mission. In my very first scripting, the first target should be an anti partisan sweep towards this river, but I soon abandoned this idea. You will see, the partisans are still there and you may attack them, but they have virtually no impact on the mission and its progress.

Sorry, I needed some time to understand, because I didn't placed this order with the lake; that was the reason for my confusion.

Kind regards

[misurata]

Arnold! Greetings!
I crossed the frozen river.
I have destroyed all enemy units that come across my path.
And in a small village, which is located a little north of the bridge ...
... And in the forest, near the village, which I took from Russian, peat plant near ...
There is no longer the enemy units in the forest in an area that is on my Pic.3
What's next? No continuation ... sorry.

[Arnold]

What was the last order you've got in the mission?

If it was the one that tasked you to retreat from the forward right position at the river crossing you must abandon this whole strongpoint (north and south of river). After number of units player in this location is zero, script will continue.

After this you will endure some smaller attacks and a new order to take the ridge on the right hand of the map.

Kind regards

[misurata]

What was the last order you've got in the mission?

You read what I write? I wrote back on March 6: "And now I got a message of "concentrate troops and move them across the frozen lake"
From that moment on, I did the following (my Message for March : " 1)I crossed the frozen river.
2) I have destroyed all enemy units that come across my path.
And in a small village, which is located a little north of the bridge ...
... And in the forest, near the village, which I took from Russian, peat plant near ...
There is no longer the enemy units in the forest in an area that is on my Pic.3"

After the order for the concentration of troops and crossing the "frozen lake" of other orders were not!
I go in different directions, knocks enemies everywhere. Rather already knocked out.
Let me tell you a little bit different. I'm just take a walk at the map today.
Enemies do not.
Sorry.

[Arnold]

Hi Misurata

Thanks for your comments and advices. Apart from the obvious requirement to express some orders more precisely, which I'll do in my revision of the map for finalizing it, I think that one major problem, you will face in the ongoing mission is, that you have already done many offensive tasks like annihilating all enemy troops in their ready positions, that were originally planned for later actions. But in general, this won't hamper the script.

If I have understood it right, you still stuck after getting the order to retreat from "frozen lake which is a river". After this order script will go on, after you have left the whole position not only on the northern bank of the river but the whole strongpoint on your pic 3. When all other three positions (main station, artillery battery and the strongpoint along the railway) are freed from enemy troops and the smaller strongpoint east around the frozen river is completely abandoned (units of player north and south of the river 0!) you will get further orders. The location with the peat power plant will be unimportant for future tasks.

Again you will get a defensive order to hold the remaining ground. If your last order (what would be the next) has been, to capture the small ridge with the road, coming from eastern direction (where you have already annihilated all troops, some tanks and artillery), you must clear the ridge from the enemy and occupy and defend this position against smaller counterattacks. Script in this phase mainly depends (again and again on the precondition, that the three major zones are cleared from all enemy units) on the requirement, that the ridge is cleared from enemy and more than one player in this zone is located on the ridge. Last requirement will be changed in my revision because when playing the mission again for myself I felt that this will hamper the gameplay a bit.

If your last order (what would be the next) has been to capture the small village with the enemy staff position (which you have already annihilted my Terminator), the condition is again to clear this position from all enemies and be there with one or more player units in this location. After fullfilling this task (three remaining major areas free from enemy, ridge free from enemy and with one or more players, village with staff position free from enemy and with more than a player in this location) script will start the last phase of the mission.

This phase will be a last major and coordinated offensive against your core positions. It will be very difficult to defend enemy completely so probably you will be forced to counterattack. During this phase you will get permission to abandon the forward position at the railway too, after some remaining elements from Welikije Luki have arrived from the north). This is an option you can use, if your forces suffered too many losses during actions before, but it is not necessary. The major goal will be the successful defence of the railway station south-east and your battery position. After several attack waves have stopped and you have recaptured your own ground there, you'll have broken enemies offensive potential and mission will end.

I've now played mission two times and got no problems with the script. I still suppose, that your mission stucks at the point, where you have to leave the position at the river completely.

Crossing fingers that Information will help.

Kind regards

[misurata]

Thank you and you, Arnold, for their patience.
Promise that you will give me the texts of dispatches, orders. I they are adapted, accurately translated. OK?

[Arnold]

In the attachment of the first post, I've published a revised version of the mission with some minor corrections, changes in units and also wordings.
I haven't tested it, but I hope, it will run properly.

[misurata]

Once I remove all your units from an area which is now called "the picture 3")) went on a mission.
The radiogram I pointed out the place where the reinforcements of the Red Army and ordered to seize and hold the ridge.
What do you advise? I check out the old version, or start all over again?

[Arnold]

You can continue, but next steps will be a bit curious, because of the lack of enemies you have already terminated. So next step with the ridge will be to put some players on it and keep it free from enemies. It will be similar with the village, where you have also already blowed away all opposition. There will be counteractions, but in a different way. At the end, the major offensive will start without difference to your current situation, so you may continue.

If you decide to restart; I'll recommend to chose the revised version, which I've published in the forum yesterday. Several things you have mentioned are fixed in the map.

Kind regards

[misurata]

Oh, Arnold ... why you took my Marder !?
How am I now without them?

[Arnold]

I felt it was necessary to keep the balance.

[Sherman]

passing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_8uOX-rRsU