Alan Arvold's "Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars" work-in progress

The Campaign Series: Middle East 1948-1985 is a new turn-based, tactical wargame that focuses on conflicts in the Middle East.

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Crossroads
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Alan Arvold's "Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars" work-in progress

Post by Crossroads »

It's been a bit quiet here in the forums, at least outside the AAR subforum, but that doesn't mean it is quiet otherwise. One of the positives especially for us boardgame geeks is that Alan Arvold is working converting the Arab-Israeli Wars situations he did for Divided Ground game a good few years ago to CS Middle East. Now how exciting is that! [:)]

Here's more information on this from his supplemental design notes.


SUPPLEMENTAL DESIGN NOTES FOR ARAB-ISRAELI WARS By Alan R. Arvold

These notes are additional notes for the conversion of the Arab-Israeli Wars scenarios from Divided Ground to Middle East. The original notes for the conversion of Arab-Israeli Wars scenarios to Divided Ground are still applicable here with a couple of exceptions, thus they will not be duplicated here.

1. Scenarios will be done in the Middle East format, especially in the scenario description. Since Arab-Israeli Wars scenarios are basically caricatures of the real battles, they will be listed for the most part as [HISB], with the few hypothetical scenarios listed as [FIC].

2. No Optional Rules will be listed nor will the statement that none of them will be used either. Players are free to use what ever optional rules they want or none of them as they please.

3. No files will be made for the adoptive AI system for any of these scenarios. If players want to make their own for these scenarios, go ahead. (Frankly I am still not familiar with this system and while it is obviously a great asset to an historical scenario, I do not feel it would be right for scenarios that are caricatures of history.)

4. The Order of Battle files will be based on the old ones from Divided Ground. Yes I know that the new Order of Battles in Middle East are more accurate, but I am not making historical scenarios with Arab-Israeli Wars, I am making caricatures. In order to keep the flavor of the times when both Arab-Israeli Wars and Divided Ground were respectively designed I am using what was known then, not now. I will use some of the new units though from Middle East that weren't in Divided Ground, which I had to provide substitutes for in the old scenarios. I will also provide substitutes for units from Divided Ground that are no longer available in Middle East (i.e. those Arab 1973 three-point armored infantry and engineer units that really represented the equivalent six-point regular rifle and engineer units). I will take advantage of the one strength transport point to two infantry points transport ratio (i.e. instead of a six-point halftrack unit carrying a six-point infantry unit in Divided Ground, a three-point halftrack unit carrying a six-point infantry unit in Middle East).

5. In keeping with rule established in Arab-Israeli Wars and continued on in Divided Ground, infantry and commando units, and any other units normally assigned to their line companies according to the standard Order of
Battle, will have a Morale Level one step lower than their nation's given morale level in the scenario (i.e. Morale 7 becomes Morale 6). This does not apply to leaders, non-infantry units in weapons or support companies, or to non-infantry units attached to the line companies for the particular scenario.

6. Contrary to Matrix Games policy of not naming leaders or giving them ranks out of a fear of lawsuits, I will continue to give my leaders names and ranks. I will use historical names and ranks if possible and if it is not possible then I will use generic names from the Divided Ground leader files and ranks equal to the command level.

7. Some scenarios will have changes in the force structures, namely the total number of tanks each side has, compared to the number of total tanks they would have according the same scenarios in Arab-Israeli Wars. (Originally I left out the command tanks in a few the AIW scenarios I made for Divided Ground, but I eventually found that that short-changed one side or the other. Now I am correcting for that error, not only in Middle East but in Divided Ground as well.)

8. The numerical designations of the units in the orders of battle will be based on information from the times when the original games were created. In some cases I may make changes such as giving a numerical designation to a unit that previously did not have one or change a named designation of a unit to a numerical one. These will be based on various sources.

9. There will be some changes in the numbering of the scenarios. For example, Scenario #7 in Divided Ground was Kerama, a scenario that I created. This was because the real #7, Irbid, was not possible to do in Divided Ground because it was an Arab versus Arab scenario. Now in Middle East such scenarios are possible so Irbid has been restored to its rightful spot in the list. Kerama will be presented later on in the list. Also there are five scenarios occurring in Lebanon in 1982 that were published in the General Magazine #21-6 that could not be done in Divided Ground. Now they can be done in Middle East and so they will, to be listed later.



Meanwhile, I will need to prepare some Night graphics for the AIW Terrain Mod I did. Also, I only created the Nations that were in the original boardgame, so I will need to add a few more AIW inspired 2D unit tiles into the set. While at it, I will remove my quick hacks of AIW situations from the package, as they were just a teaser and a test bed.

Give us a few weeks to finish this. Should be nice!
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RE: Alan Arvold's "Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars" work-in progress

Post by Crossroads »

ORIGINAL: Crossroads



9. There will be some changes in the numbering of the scenarios. For example, Scenario #7 in Divided Ground was Kerama, a scenario that I created. This was because the real #7, Irbid, was not possible to do in Divided Ground because it was an Arab versus Arab scenario. Now in Middle East such scenarios are possible so Irbid has been restored to its rightful spot in the list. Kerama will be presented later on in the list. Also there are five scenarios occurring in Lebanon in 1982 that were published in the General Magazine #21-6 that could not be done in Divided Ground. Now they can be done in Middle East and so they will, to be listed later.



Yes!
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RE: Alan Arvold's "Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars" work-in progress

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[:)]

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RE: Alan Arvold's "Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars" work-in progress

Post by berto »


Is it so that all AIW scenarios are, in CSME terms, Complexity ~3 scenarios or less? IMO, we can never have too many smallish, quick-to-play scenarios.

Really excited about what Alan and you are doing! [&o]
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RE: Alan Arvold's "Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars" work-in progress

Post by Big Ivan »

ORIGINAL: berto


Is it so that all AIW scenarios are, in CSME terms, Complexity ~3 scenarios or less? IMO, we can never have too many smallish, quick-to-play scenarios.

Really excited about what Alan and you are doing! [&o]


+1
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RE: Alan Arvold's "Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars" work-in progress

Post by Jafele »

Excellent! [&o]
Las batallas contra las mujeres son las únicas que se ganan huyendo.

NAPOLEÓN BONAPARTE


Cuando el necio oye la verdad se carcajea, porque si no lo hiciera la verdad no sería la verdad.

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RE: Alan Arvold's "Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars" work-in progress

Post by pzgndr »

+1 [&o]

Really looking forward to v1.02 release and this AIW mod. Well played!

Looking back, it would be really nice to see a comparable map & counters update for the old JTCS PL/PB mods but I guess we'll have to wait until this new game engine gets back around to WWII? Something to look forward to I guess.

Maybe I'm just getting really crusty but I still fondly remember all of my old boardgames like PL/AIW. I appreciate being able to finally! play those old scenarios on the computer versus a decent AI whenever I want to, as computer wargaming was meant to be. Recently the Tigers On The Hunt release has brought back the old Squad Leader gaming. Most excellent! KISS. Just give us the old boardgames updated to the PC with clean graphics and decent AI and playable pbem/NetPlay capability and quit chasing after a gazillion bells and whistles to throw onto these games that just cause endless bugs and delays and heartaches. Grrrr. CONSARNIT! And get off of my lawn... [:D]
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RE: Alan Arvold's "Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars" work-in progress

Post by Jafele »

ORIGINAL: pzgndr

Maybe I'm just getting really crusty but I still fondly remember all of my old boardgames like PL/AIW. I appreciate being able to finally! play those old scenarios on the computer versus a decent AI whenever I want to, as computer wargaming was meant to be. Recently the Tigers On The Hunt release has brought back the old Squad Leader gaming. Most excellent! KISS. Just give us the old boardgames updated to the PC with clean graphics and decent AI and playable pbem/NetPlay capability and quit chasing after a gazillion bells and whistles to throw onto these games that just cause endless bugs and delays and heartaches. Grrrr. CONSARNIT! And get off of my lawn... [:D]

Yeah, we´re lucky to see AI enhancements for wargames in the last times: Campaign series, Tigers on the hunt, DC: Barbarrosa, FCRS, etc. Definitely things are changing. [;)]
Las batallas contra las mujeres son las únicas que se ganan huyendo.

NAPOLEÓN BONAPARTE


Cuando el necio oye la verdad se carcajea, porque si no lo hiciera la verdad no sería la verdad.

LAO TSE
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RE: Alan Arvold's "Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars" work-in progress

Post by berto »

ORIGINAL: Jafele

Yeah, we´re lucky to see AI enhancements for wargames in the last times: Campaign series, Tigers on the hunt, DC: Barbarrosa, FCRS, etc. Definitely things are changing. [;)]
Later this year, I will start focusing on the CS AI big time. For ME, VN, etc. (Including any new next generation WWII games. But excluding the old JTCS. v2.02 is the end of the line for the old Series. Legacy JTCS will not be updated.)

That's The Plan.
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RE: Alan Arvold's "Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars" work-in progress

Post by berto »

ORIGINAL: pzgndr

Really looking forward to v1.02 release and this AIW mod. Well played!
We're hoping to release v1.02 Official sometime in April. (With an enhancement or two specifically aimed at supporting the AIW mod.) If all goes well.
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RE: Alan Arvold's "Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars" work-in progress

Post by Jafele »

Great news! [:D] Thanks for your efforts Berto. I will purchase every game you make, even though modern war is not my favourite background . Quality is very important to me.
Las batallas contra las mujeres son las únicas que se ganan huyendo.

NAPOLEÓN BONAPARTE


Cuando el necio oye la verdad se carcajea, porque si no lo hiciera la verdad no sería la verdad.

LAO TSE
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RE: Alan Arvold's "Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars" work-in progress

Post by berto »


Thank you for your kind words, and support.
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