A look at Barbarossa. (AAR)

Post descriptions of your brilliant successes and unfortunate demises.

Moderator: Shannon V. OKeets

User avatar
Red Prince
Posts: 3686
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2011 11:39 am
Location: Bangor, Maine, USA

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Red Prince »

ORIGINAL: Villain

I really enjoyed reading this thread and look forward to more AAR's!
If you didn't have to take pictures (and edit them in some cases) how long would this entire sceanario have taken from start to finish?

I don't suppose there's a time limit (similar to a chess clock) for each side to complete it's turn? (or whether that would be required/nice to have in head to head play)

It's actually kind of difficult to answer this question. Björn lives 6 hours ahead of me, so there is some time lag there, plus we both have been spending time working on other projects for MWiF, some of them very time-consuming. And, while I have been able to put in a lot of hours, Björn has to work, too, and based on the time he puts into this project, I'm guessing he doesn't sleep. [:)]

The short answer, though, is only a guess. Minus images and a few of the bugs that gave us trouble, I'm guessing you could play the whole scenario in a day or two. That assumes that you dedicate 10-12 hours each day to do it. That's just my opinion, though.

-Aaron
Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it!
-Lazarus Long, RAH
User avatar
warspite1
Posts: 41896
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:06 pm
Location: England

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by warspite1 »

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

ORIGINAL: Villain

I really enjoyed reading this thread and look forward to more AAR's!
If you didn't have to take pictures (and edit them in some cases) how long would this entire sceanario have taken from start to finish?

I don't suppose there's a time limit (similar to a chess clock) for each side to complete it's turn? (or whether that would be required/nice to have in head to head play)

...... and based on the time he puts into this project, I'm guessing he doesn't sleep. [:)]
Warspite1

Quite right too - we don't want either of you two slacking with little things like sleep; there's a game to be got out [;)]

Seriously though - this was a really useful exercise; thanks for the time taken to make these posts [:)]
Now Maitland, now's your time!

Duke of Wellington to 1st Guards Brigade - Waterloo 18 June 1815
User avatar
composer99
Posts: 2931
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2005 8:00 am
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Contact:

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by composer99 »

I'm setting up a solo Global War game to keep myself amused now that we've been on a long hiatus from tabletop WiF.

Since I'm not an MWiF beta tester, the game will be played using the Cyberboard PBEM module.

I'm not sure how much value it would be given the map scale for everywhere outside Europe won't be the same, but if people think it would be valuable I could set up screenshots & captions on another thread here.
~ Composer99
User avatar
Red Prince
Posts: 3686
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2011 11:39 am
Location: Bangor, Maine, USA

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Red Prince »

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

ORIGINAL: Villain

I really enjoyed reading this thread and look forward to more AAR's!
If you didn't have to take pictures (and edit them in some cases) how long would this entire sceanario have taken from start to finish?

I don't suppose there's a time limit (similar to a chess clock) for each side to complete it's turn? (or whether that would be required/nice to have in head to head play)

...... and based on the time he puts into this project, I'm guessing he doesn't sleep. [:)]
Warspite1

Quite right too - we don't want either of you two slacking with little things like sleep; there's a game to be got out [;)]

Seriously though - this was a really useful exercise; thanks for the time taken to make these posts [:)]
You're one to talk about sleep! Flooding my email day and night, day and night! [;)] Actually, I just re-sent the file I got today to Steve for the next patch. [:)]

I'd love to do a Global War AAR, but I just don't think that's possible. The file size on screenshots is way too limiting, and there would end up being 20+ images each impulse . . . hell, some of these impulses had 10 or more pictures. I am actually running a Hot-Seat Global War right now (by myself), and I've been taking snapshots of each Initiative, Weather, Attack, Victory Totals, and Destroyed Pools form each time they come up. It would make a lousy AAR, particularly since the way I'm documenting it is designed for bug-hunting, but as I get deeper in, I might post some of the over-the-long run pictures (composites) somewhere.

-Aaron
Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it!
-Lazarus Long, RAH
User avatar
Red Prince
Posts: 3686
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2011 11:39 am
Location: Bangor, Maine, USA

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Red Prince »

Probably not that interesting, but this is the image I've edited from the Victory Totals forms for the first 4 turns of the Global War I've been playing. The original jpg is about 1.8 MB, so the quality is pretty degraded.
-----
Edit: Nearly forgot to mention that the pink background for city names is something I added and is not part of MWiF. It just shows which cities changed hands.
Image
Attachments
Turns14.jpg
Turns14.jpg (497.36 KiB) Viewed 86 times
Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it!
-Lazarus Long, RAH
User avatar
composer99
Posts: 2931
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2005 8:00 am
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Contact:

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by composer99 »

Riyadh goes to USSR when neutral now?
~ Composer99
User avatar
Red Prince
Posts: 3686
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2011 11:39 am
Location: Bangor, Maine, USA

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Red Prince »

ORIGINAL: composer99

Riyadh goes to USSR when neutral now?
I haven't actually counted it out, but I think Moscow is the closest capital on the MWiF-scaled maps. I'll count it out in a few minutes.
Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it!
-Lazarus Long, RAH
User avatar
Orm
Posts: 27767
Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 7:53 pm
Location: Sweden

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Orm »

ORIGINAL: composer99

Riyadh goes to USSR when neutral now?
Nicely spotted.

It looks like the program is not counting Delhi.
Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb -- they're often students, for heaven's sake. - Terry Pratchett
Shannon V. OKeets
Posts: 22135
Joined: Wed May 18, 2005 11:51 pm
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Contact:

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Shannon V. OKeets »

Asterisked cities are not actually controlled by the major power, but instead are 'awarded' to them because their capital is closest to the objective hex.
Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.
Shannon V. OKeets
Posts: 22135
Joined: Wed May 18, 2005 11:51 pm
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Contact:

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Shannon V. OKeets »

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: composer99

Riyadh goes to USSR when neutral now?
Nicely spotted.

It looks like the program is not counting Delhi.
47 to Moscow, 33 to Delhi. I'll investigate.
Steve

Perfection is an elusive goal.
User avatar
Red Prince
Posts: 3686
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2011 11:39 am
Location: Bangor, Maine, USA

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Red Prince »

Here is the fixed version, with the start of the 5th turn added. This is extremely degraded in quality in order to fit the 500 kb limit.

You will probably notice that Buenos Aires is now a CW Victory city, instead of USA. That's because the unified scale actually makes South Africa closer than the United States. I've asked about this in the development forum.

I won't be posting any more of these. It's just too big a file. Sorry.

Image
Attachments
Turns15.jpg
Turns15.jpg (493.5 KiB) Viewed 94 times
Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it!
-Lazarus Long, RAH
User avatar
Joseignacio
Posts: 2798
Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 11:25 am
Location: Madrid, Spain

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Joseignacio »

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

Okay, folks. I'm back online (for the time being), so here's what happened with my attacks:

Minsk, defended by a single out-of-supply CAV, folded to my awe-inspiringly dominating forces!!! Oops, got carried away, there [:D]


I was re-reading this AAR and I realized the part in bold is a bug or an error of the poster. There cannot be unsupplied units inside a USSR city.
User avatar
Orm
Posts: 27767
Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 7:53 pm
Location: Sweden

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Orm »

ORIGINAL: Joseignacio

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

Okay, folks. I'm back online (for the time being), so here's what happened with my attacks:

Minsk, defended by a single out-of-supply CAV, folded to my awe-inspiringly dominating forces!!! Oops, got carried away, there [:D]


I was re-reading this AAR and I realized the part in bold is a bug or an error of the poster. There cannot be unsupplied units inside a USSR city.
Error of the poster. The cav was disorganized. I guess that he misread the status indicator.

I am glad that you find it worth the time rereading this AAR. Especially since I was crushed. [:)]
Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb -- they're often students, for heaven's sake. - Terry Pratchett
User avatar
Joseignacio
Posts: 2798
Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 11:25 am
Location: Madrid, Spain

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Joseignacio »

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

It took me a loooooooong time to figure out how to reposition my troops. More on that later. For now, "say goodbye to my little friend!" 36:2 Blitz here (Automatic). No other attacks for the time being.

Image
Picture taken during Axis Combat Declaration, impulse #1, Jul/Aug 1941 (Turn 2 of 5)


[X(] He could have killed that unit with just the two infs (11:1), and let the other units attack KIev maybe?.

User avatar
Joseignacio
Posts: 2798
Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 11:25 am
Location: Madrid, Spain

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Joseignacio »

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: Joseignacio

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

Okay, folks. I'm back online (for the time being), so here's what happened with my attacks:

Minsk, defended by a single out-of-supply CAV, folded to my awe-inspiringly dominating forces!!! Oops, got carried away, there [:D]


I was re-reading this AAR and I realized the part in bold is a bug or an error of the poster. There cannot be unsupplied units inside a USSR city.
Error of the poster. The cav was disorganized. I guess that he misread the status indicator.

I am glad that you find it worth the time rereading this AAR. Especially since I was crushed. [:)]

I started reading it long time ago but I din't have much time and left it some days later.

In fact, your last comment has been kind of a spoiler. [:@][:)][;)]
User avatar
Orm
Posts: 27767
Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 7:53 pm
Location: Sweden

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Orm »

Not that much of a spoiler that USSR gets crushed during Barbarossa. [:)]

But in regards of victory points it was fairly close who won. A few attacks the other way during winter could have changed things.[:)] Or maybe not. [:D]
Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb -- they're often students, for heaven's sake. - Terry Pratchett
User avatar
Orm
Posts: 27767
Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 7:53 pm
Location: Sweden

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Orm »

ORIGINAL: Joseignacio
ORIGINAL: Red Prince

It took me a loooooooong time to figure out how to reposition my troops. More on that later. For now, "say goodbye to my little friend!" 36:2 Blitz here (Automatic). No other attacks for the time being.

Image
Picture taken during Axis Combat Declaration, impulse #1, Jul/Aug 1941 (Turn 2 of 5)


[X(] He could have killed that unit with just the two infs (11:1), and let the other units attack KIev maybe?.

He couldn't really get much of attack on Kiev. The empty hex next to Kiev was out of reach due to ZOC and the artillery blocking the way. The ART served its purpose although it was crushed by doing so. I suppose a few medals were in order for that valiant effort.

I suspect that he did the overkill mostly for fun and to safeguard against defensive air support.

Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb -- they're often students, for heaven's sake. - Terry Pratchett
User avatar
Joseignacio
Posts: 2798
Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 11:25 am
Location: Madrid, Spain

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Joseignacio »

Ok, I didn't calculate the odds on Kiev because I was a bit tired of scrolling up and down along like 11 pages today to zoom in and out of the map, but I guess he could have had at least a 4:1, probably more, plus IIRW one unit was disrupted inside...

I could be wrong if some of those units wouldn't have been able to reach or if possible defensive ground support wasn't prevented.
User avatar
Orm
Posts: 27767
Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 7:53 pm
Location: Sweden

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Orm »

If the odds were 4-1+1 for attacking Kiev then there would have been a 60% risk that the attacking force would become disrupted after the attack. I was wrong to say that it wasn't much of an attack but to me that is still a risky attack to do if you can get more impulses during the current turn.
Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb -- they're often students, for heaven's sake. - Terry Pratchett
User avatar
Joseignacio
Posts: 2798
Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 11:25 am
Location: Madrid, Spain

RE: A look at Barbarossa.

Post by Joseignacio »

Sure. Not fan of 4:1 attacks here (btw I was only speculating about the ratio) but there was also a disorganized unit, so equivalent to 5:1 ... apart from other good/bad modifiers HQ, city, factories, engineer.

There are usually (I believe) two strategies for Poland:

1 Go with 2/3 of the Wehrmacht and most of the planes and destroy them in two impulses, then rush towards Yugoslavia or Holland

2 Go with only 1/3 and kill them along the turn, hoping that they will note last more than 1 turn and thus receive some reinforcements as well as (maybe) disturb resource liberation for GE. With another 1/3 go for Yugoslavia or Holland.

The rest would be at Sigfried Line and some reserve that could help Holland attack if needed.

I usually prefer the first one, specially since my latest USSR opponent goes with Finnish Borderlands in impulse 1, or 2, and I need to have free units for Peacekeepers, which is difficult if I am already engulfed in two wars opposite sides.

If you select the first one, it's not so terriby bad if you get like 6 units flipped, since v Rundstedt (I think) can restore like 4 and you still have two more HQs to play in the West or South along with all the units except for 2 (mil or div?) not restored. Or 4, it's the same.

Maybe I should try the second one, hmmm.
Post Reply

Return to “After Action Report”