653 Mod

Fury Games has now signed with Matrix Games, and we are working together on the next Strategic Command. Will use the Slitherine PBEM++ server for asynchronous multi-player.

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GenSlack
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653 Mod

Post by GenSlack »

Been following Paradogs Gamer's Let's Play videos for the 653 Mod scenario. I am impressed with the designer's ability to be the first scenario creator to come up with anything approaching a realistic Eastern Front feel and AI. PG is able to encircle vast numbers of Soviets only to encounter fresh continuous lines a few hexes to the east. In every other scenario, once you break the AI's "outer shell" on offense or defense you never again bump up against anything more than ad hoc clumps in front of cities. Here you always see the AI make long lines of units connecting the clumps. Neat. Granted, it was a 1942 Barbarossa so I don't know what a 1941 attack would look like.
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sPzAbt653
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RE: 653 Mod

Post by sPzAbt653 »

Thanks for pointing this out, I was unaware that PG had done videos of this mod. It would take a long time to watch all those videos, though!
gwgardner
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RE: 653 Mod

Post by gwgardner »

I made a similar comment as Drew, concerning the 653N mod, which I've played a couple of times, albeit from the Allied side. A tense and historically balanced Eastern Front.

GenSlack
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RE: 653 Mod

Post by GenSlack »

sPzAbt653,
What adjustments did you make to the AI to make it do things that you just don't see in other scenarios?
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sPzAbt653
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RE: 653 Mod

Post by sPzAbt653 »

Nothing to the East Front AI, that is all the work of Hubert and Bill. [&o]

I think the difference we see between the stock campaign and 653H and 653N is the number and type of units. Historically the Soviets were able to defeat the Axis by pulling them further eastwards into an extended front and then piling up corps against that extended front and then exploiting its weaknesses. In any game, a human or AI playing the Soviet side needs to be able to do the same thing. Nothing the Germans did historically could prevent the Soviets from tapping into their huge manpower reserves and manufacturing capabilities located east of the battle area [and east of the Urals].

The 653 Mods focus on Historical OOB's, so the Soviets are able to build the 180 Rifle Corps that they fielded historically. The Axis must constantly eliminate as many Soviet corps as possible each turn, otherwise they will eventually lose. If you play the Soviet side you should be able to see this clearly, as you struggle to rebuild corps, build new ones, and upgrade them as soon as feasible, all while trying to limit the initial Axis advances as much as possible so that you have some maneuver room.

I guess I could write a couple pages about the whole thing, but hopefully that gives you an answer to your question.
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nnason
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RE: 653 Mod

Post by nnason »

Are saying that you made no changes to the AI. The difference is the AI has option for more smaller units which it then uses to set up a better defense?
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GenSlack
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RE: 653 Mod

Post by GenSlack »

That sounds like it, nnason. I had thought maybe the designer added some clever scripts that others overlooked. It seems like the quest to make the game more "playable" (i.e. fewest units on map and fewest turns possible) actually makes the game less than its true potential! Interesting.

I do think if designers use historical OBs that they must then adjust the turns, because the base game utterly depends on dispersed unit density to have any possibility to keeping to historical timetables.
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