Soviet Grand Campaign (DLC 42 v1.00)(28/03/24)

[rubyjuno]

Wow, thanks nikivdd, an unexpected gift!

[imp44791]

After a very long time, i finally found some time to work on this campaign. Here is the update:

Firstly, the dead download link for DLC 37-41 has been renewed.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/7syasd

Secondly, i have finalised DLC 42.


01.Gorky (vs Germany)
02. Demyansk42 (vs Germany)
03. Izyum (vs Germany/Hungary)
04. Rzhev-Vyazma (vs Germany)
05. Fredericus (vs Germany/Hungary)
06. Pinsk (vs Germany)
07. Voronezh (vs Germany/Hungary)
08. Stavropol (vs Germany/Romania)
09. Maykop (vs Germany/Romania)
10. Ordzhonikidze (vs Germany)
11. Uranus South (vs Germany/Romania)
12. Winter Storm (vs Germany/Romania)
13. Little Saturn (vs Germany/Italy)
14. Tatsinskaya (vs Germany/Romania)

https://www.sendspace.com/file/mtvoco

In this version the most important change beside the three final scenarios, is that the campaign path splits after Ordzhonikidze.
The download for both DLC combined in one campaign file will follow later.
Sofar there are 30 scenario's, against a variety of opponents.

Wow! Welcome back, friend! This is a wonderful gift.

I will try to dig out an old save at the end of Uranus South and playtest.

[imp44791]

Hah, I only found one at the end of Pinsk, I'll try that. Won't hurt to replay.

Are you planning to do a Uranus North path (via Kalach, Serafimovich and Stalingrad itself) as the original intent, or are you abandoning that idea?

It's a wonderful campaign overall, such a great mix of challenges.

[imp44791]

Whoa, Voronezh is a fun scenario. I remember the Germans had a tendency to go up the centre and get mauled at the city itself, but now they really probe the flanks well. Nothing that a good player with a decent core can't handle, but a fun scrap.

[imp44791]

OK, I brought this at the fork at the end of Ordzonikidze (a wonderful tough scenario, great fun to play again). Now I have the fork, presumably Saturn-Tatskinskaya vs Uranus S-Winter Storm. I think I'll go with Saturn, even though a lovely Kat gift is included in the Uranus path. I'll report back on the playtest of the new scenarios.

[imp44791]

First impressions Saturn. It's nice to go to the offensive after the frantic defending since Voronezh. Attacking Italians with a nasty, experienced core with two range-movement hero arty and a triple-movement hero KV (I am a lucky bastard!) is a fun turkey shoot. I now have got to the German reserves, let's see whether they make me pay for the rapid advance. Only oddity so far is 5 straight clear turns since the start, which obviously favour the attacker. I don't know if it's worth upping the snow chance a little; it's like the Kashira scenario where the clear turns are a bit too persistent (for a scenario taking place in the famous 1941 blizzard period). Otherwise everything is perfect.

[imp44791]

Finished Saturn. As I wrote above, a nice change of pace from the frantic firefighting of the defensive scenarios. Really gives you the feeling that the tide has turned - very winter 1942.

What is NOT very winter any date, is the relentless sunshine. Now, I know that the RNG in Panzer Corps I is not the greatest ever devised, but I got 2 snow and 1 overcast turns out of 18 (I won early).

Also I ended up with the Kat gift in this scenario as well (not that it could do anything as the frontline had raced ahead and like any Kat unit it trundled inefficiently in the snow), but I can't remember what I did to be gifted it. I didn't notice something in the briefing, but I admit that I skim through those so I may have missed it.

Now I will tackle Tatsinskaya, which I expect to be fun and see-saw like if it's like the historical battle. Then I will do the other sub-fork (Uranus-Winter Storm) and revert.

It really has been a wonderful and unexpected treat to see this campaign continued. It really is quite superb. I have no idea whether Nico intends to continue it to 1943 where there are some crackers to model (and not just Prokhorovka), but one can always hope.

[nikivdd]

Thanks for all the feedback and comments.

The weather can be unpredictable. To be 100% sure of snow fall, i have to set the parameter for snowfall to 100%. I have done this only once and that is during the Winter storm scenario. When the percentage of probability is less than 100, one play can have turns with snowfall and in another play there won't be snow at all.

There are no further plans to add more scenario's to '42. I think it is enough. In the GC42 for example there are 15 scenarios and contains a couple of path choices.

In the first two DLC of the Soviet campaign there are plenty of scenarios in which "the enemy" starts first. This type of scenario is the most difficult to make. The tools available in PzC2 provide better means to guide "the enemy". In PzC1 there are less options to make "the enemy" move as the scenario creator envisions it. On and off i continue to play PzC2 and i am still stuck in the Spanish campaign.

DLC 43 is in the works. The first scenarios are Ostrogozhsk (vs Hungary/Italy) - the campaign opener -, Voronezh43 (vs Germany/Hungary) and Belgorod43 ( vs Germany).

[imp44791]

DLC 43 is in the works. The first scenarios are Ostrogozhsk (vs Hungary/Italy) - the campaign opener -, Voronezh43 (vs Germany/Hungary) and Belgorod43 ( vs Germany).

Thanks for the background. I think it makes sense to stick with the scenarios you have and not make Serafimovich etc. As you say, there are plenty already. Do bear in mind though that the mission briefing still mentions a northern path with a decision that only works if you go via Caucasus.

Regarding DLC43, you are going the Southern route via Kharkov, Belgorof & Kursk? Obviously I'm excited to learn that you are continuing the work, but I had a small hope that you would switch to the Army Group Centre section instead - some very little known battles.

Thanks for the fabulous work. I'll be here to playtest when you have things ready.

[imp44791]

Incidentally, I never could get into PzC2. I find its voracious resource demands absurd, and all that for visuals that are well below par. It's funny because back in the day I like PzG2, though I still thought it to be a step down from the original.

[imp44791]

And that's Tatsinskaya. Lovely attacking scenario, again not too bad for an experience player with a good core. Lots of sunshine again, but I get your point. A tiny bit disappointed that the reward for taking the airfields is only prestige, I sort of hoping for a capturable (being a greedy bugger . Perhaps you can put in a timer to get all the airfields quickly, otherwise the plane (say an SE FW190A) gets away. But I'm known to be a greedy guy.

I don't think I will have time to run Uranus-Winter Storm before Tuesday at the earliest, as I am busy with work until then. But I'll get back with comments for sure.