1945 scenario beta version build 91

Strategic War in Europe is a grand strategy game where you command one or more of the 25 countries in the game. War, diplomacy, technological progress, recruitment, conquest – this is all in your hands. There are no restrictions to the actions you can perform during your turn: unit movement, purchase, attack, technology investment, reinforcement, all of those can be done at any moment during the turn.

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1945 scenario beta version build 91

Post by doomtrader »


The new beta (build 91) version of 1945 scenario is available to download:
http://www2.wastelands-interactive.com/ ... 45_b91.zip

You have to unzip it to the:
Strategic War in Europe\data\scenarios\
folder.

Please remember that you need 1.06 patch to play it.


Known issues:
Can't play as Allies in Quick Start mode (possible with 1.07 patch).
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RE: 1945 scenario beta version build 91

Post by doomtrader »

As always, feedback is appreciated
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1945 Scenario Comments build 90

Post by Omnius »

doomtrader,
I'll try out the build 91 as soon as I can, I'm glad I waited to play all countries until now. I have some comments regarding the previous build to share, using this thread since the build 90 thread has been locked. This is the scenario I wished would have been done for Time of Fury when I saw the 31/12/48 ending dates of all the scenarios. (hint hint)

The Dummy country (77) needs to be deactivated or eliminated so those frustrating DBG warnings stop.

The USA's Infantry starting research level needs to be corrected to level 4 instead of level 5, that makes the 180 starting cost and the two lightbulbs make sense.

There are too many USA atom bombs. It reminded me of the late, great heavyweight champ Joe Louis and his "Bum of the Month Club". I played against the Soviet AI and conquered the USSR in about 26 turns and had about 11 nukes left that I never bothered to use. I suggest that the research be rest to finish later, maybe make the starting nuke research level as 650-700. Maybe 3 or 4 nukes total would be more than sufficient so the game doesn't degenerate into the USA nuking the USSR too much. don't want the game to be too easy for the Allies.

The USA AI does not use nukes, this needs to be corrected so that the USA AI does use nukes when it has them. Actually any country that would get nukes should know how to use them.
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More Feedback

Post by Omnius »

doomtrader,
Ever heard the saying "be careful what you wish for for you may get it"? Well since you asked for some feedback on this new 1945 scenario I've got some suggestions.

In the Info file please make the following corrections to make the English sound better and to correct a few spelling errors. Corrections are in quotes.

DescriptionLine1 ...two remaining powers are "standing" one "against the" other .... defend the Free World "from" Soviet Hordes.

Countries file

Make Dummy country #77 "inactive" by replacing the 1 with a zero in column B I think that was.

Make "Artillery" tech level for the USA "4" instead of 5.

Make "Artillery" tech investment "2" instead of zero. My bad as I suggested getting rid of the two lightbulbs before I really had a handle on how things were set up for other countries. Correcting the USA tech level to 4 is the correct fix that works well with the research progress and investment numbers originally used. It's how I now fix the first turn saved game file for my next game with build 91 after noticing the lightbulbs were gone in my first venture into build 91.

Why is it Artillery tech level when it's really Infantry?

I'll be delving into playing the 1945 scenario again as all countries with this new build 91, probably will be a day or two before I finish and see if anything is different with the nukes which I found to be too numerous.
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Uncle Joe

Post by Omnius »

Oh, cute picture of Uncle Joe for the scenario cover, really humanizes him. Just love the propaganda machines.
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RE: Uncle Joe

Post by doomtrader »

DescriptionLine1 ...two remaining powers are "standing" one "against the" other .... defend the Free World "from" Soviet Hordes.
Done, thanks.
Make "Artillery" tech level for the USA "4" instead of 5.

Make "Artillery" tech investment "2" instead of zero. My bad as I suggested getting rid of the two lightbulbs before I really had a handle on how things were set up for other countries. Correcting the USA tech level to 4 is the correct fix that works well with the research progress and investment numbers originally used. It's how I now fix the first turn saved game file for my next game with build 91 after noticing the lightbulbs were gone in my first venture into build 91.
Anything to tell my why you think this setting will be better?
Why is it Artillery tech level when it's really Infantry?
No particular reason, I didn't wanted to change this in the code.
see if anything is different with the nukes which I found to be too numerous.
Yep, actually there is one each month, we are planning to reduce this number before the final release.
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RE: Uncle Joe

Post by doomtrader »

Just love the propaganda machines.
Propaganda posters are just awesome!
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USA Artillery Research Level

Post by Omnius »

When I first made my suggestion I was just focusing on the two lightbulbs that never went away during the whole game. Once I really thought about it I realized that the error was that the USA starting "Artillery" level should be "4" instead of "5" because that way the "10" progress and the "180" cost to buy another bulb made total sense. When I made that change in the first turn and then looked at the USA research screen it all made perfect sense. Make the changes I suggested by restoring the two research level and reducing the 5 to a 4 and when you look at the research screen it really will make sense to you, you'll realize that was what you intended all along.

I'm glad you're reducing the number of atom bombs as the amount now really dictates who will win the game. I also hope you reduce the progress to around 650 so that the a-bombs don't make a big infl;uence too early. Starting in August 1945 is a tad early but I understand you wanted to give us as many turns as possible. Bear in mind those two nukes would have been used to end the war with Japan as per history. That left the USA with no nukes right after the war ended so to give the USA nukes so early is wrong. Plus considering the unbelievable power of the a-bombs it's like a nuclear attack isn't one a-bomb but more like 20 or 30. That's why I would really limit the nuimber of a-bombs to one and make them appear much later.

I'll be enjoying this new build with my suggested changes to see how that plays out. I'll give you a report after I finish. I'll be playing every country to make it more competitive for me.
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More Build 91 Observations

Post by Omnius »

I've been playing the 1945 scenario both as all countries and then back as the Allies with the new build 91. Here are some observations.

Making the Dummy Country "inactive" cures all DBG warnings, so nice not to have that annoyance when trying to start a saved game. In the Countries file change the "1" to "0" in row 80 column B.

I changed the USA "Artillery" research to show "2" progress lightbulbs and a starting level of "4" instead of "5". Once research was finished for "Artillery" the game shows no lightbulbs nor any progress or remaining cost.

I changed the progress on atomic bomb research for the USA from 790 to 700, takes almost a year before the USA gets nukes. Much better for play balance. Hopefully the number of nukes gets severely reduced. Maybe USSR should have nuke research progress of 3 lightbulbs and about a 700 progress level to start.

I think the play balance favors the Allies too much. I didn't even use nukes in either game and the Allies have too big an advantage in air power. I question Great Britain having Fleet Carriers, the British never had any carrier like the Essex class so shouldn't have 2 fleet carriers plus a regular carrier. I'd get rid of the 2 fleet carriers if I were making this scenario. In between the carriers and ground air forces the Allies have much too large an advantage in the air, the Soviet fighters don't last long. While that tends to seem historically realistic I wonder where are the Soviet Hordes?

While watching the AI's play tends to favor the Soviets rolling through Western Europe that's only because the Allied AI is too stupid making too many meaningless amphibious invasions that are poorly executed and supported. Less foolish amphibious invasions and more concentration on the main front of Europe should improve the Allied AI.

As the Allies my first turn plan is to move my carriers from every country possible into the Baltic where I start bombarding that northern most big tank army thus saving the Canadiens. Without that first turn bombardment the Soviet AI will do a nice job of trashing the two Canadien units and moving forward. When I trash that big tank unit and other units near it the Soviet AI pulls back trying to be sneaky waiting for British units to move forward and get wiped out in traps. When the British don't make premature advances the Allies can grind down the forward Soviet front.

When will the American AI be programmed to use nukes? That certainly should help make the Allied AI's perform better as long as the American AI chooses good targets.
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RE: More Build 91 Observations

Post by doomtrader »

Omnius, did you started new game or loaded the old one?
The Dummy must be active. There was an error with countries IDs. Event Country PBEM and Dummy have the same ID and this is what has coused an error.
When will the American AI be programmed to use nukes? That certainly should help make the Allied AI's perform better as long as the American AI chooses good targets.
Working on that at this moment.
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RE: More Build 91 Observations

Post by doomtrader »

We are planning to give 1 nuke every 4 months for the US.
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No Dummies

Post by Omnius »

doomtrader,
I started a new game and then went in and changed the Dummy country to "inactive" Instead of editing scenario files I change the saved game files. I finished a 33 turn game as the Allies in the new 1.06 version with build 91. I got no DBG warnings which was nice. I was wondering about that Event Country PBEM, it showed up at the end in my victory points list at the very bottom. I'll be glad when you fix the Dummy country problem so I don't have to make this edit.
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Results from Latest Game

Post by Omnius »

doomtrader,
I'm thinking a nuke every 4 months is going to be too much, unless this scenario is meant to be none competitive and just a game for enjoying as the Allies a-bombing the USSR and early Warsaw Pact back to the Stone Age. Perhaps every 6 months would be better for play balance between human players.

I played my latest game with build 91 as the Allies, all the active ones, against the AI. I conquered the USSR on turn 33, taking the last stronghold of Erevan. I did not use a single nuke just to test game balance. I could have finished off the USSR AI sooner, as in my earlier game, had I used nukes.

There does seem to be too many UK fleet carriers, if it were up to me I'd delete those two UK fleet carriers for game balance. I also wonder if France really had a functional carrier after the war ended, I'd get rid of that one too. I find that having so many carriers from 3 countries that I can totally control the Baltic coast. After Turkey enters those carriers can then dominate the Black Sea coast. The Soviet/WP AI's had no chance keeping fighters alive.

I find that the blast destruction zone of atomic bombs is way too big. The manual says that units in adjacent hexes get damaged but in all of my nuke attacks every unit in every adjacent hex was eliminated. That's a lethal blast diameter of 300 miles. How many nukes with a blast diameter of 6 miles would it take to cover that much ground?

Can you fix the program so nukes only damage units in adjacent hexes? Or just limit damage to the a-bombed hex? I imagine if this is a problem in SWiE it's a problem in Time of Fury. Even at ToF mapscale I think damage to adjacent hexes is overkill.

Otherwise I really, really like that you made a 1945 scenario for SWiE. I just wish there would be a similar 1945 scenario for Time of Fury, now that would be a gas.
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RE: Results from Latest Game

Post by doomtrader »

Those two UK fleets are deleted. Also the nukes range is only limited to the hex where it has been dropped.

I'll try to mprove the balance a little bit.
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Great!

Post by Omnius »

ORIGINAL: doomtrader

Those two UK fleets are deleted. Also the nukes range is only limited to the hex where it has been dropped.

I'll try to mprove the balance a little bit.

doomtrader,
Great news on deleting the UK fleet carriers, they just gave too much advantage in the Baltic. Excellent that you dropped the effective blast range on the nukes. Now that only the blast hex unit gets wiped out that makes the nukes much less powerful as a unit killing tool.

I hope you took my advice on setting the USA "artillery" research level to 4, instead of 5.

It will be interesting to see build 92.
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RE: Great!

Post by doomtrader »

Actually the new version is included into 1.07 patch.
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Most Excellent!

Post by Omnius »

ORIGINAL: doomtrader

Actually the new version is included into 1.07 patch.

doomtrader,
Most excellent that the new version of SWiE includes the offical updated 1945 scenario. After reading some of your posts yesterday about the new version I hoped that it would.
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