Contre les viets: Dien Bien Phu

[bcgames]

The Contre les viets: Dien Bien Phu scenarios use a ground scale of 200 meters per hex. Ground assets represent ranged small arms and tank fires. Techniques validated/embraced in these scenarios will be employed in Stalingrad: Nightmare on the Volga.

Contre les viets - Chants de la Legion etrangere (Songs of the French foreign legion)

https://youtu.be/2FdVNi1_q-Q

[bcgames]

French Union Forces Ground Assets:

[jmlima]

Is it going to be just DBP or Indochine in general?

[bcgames]

The Valley is the start. We'll see how it goes from there.

[bcgames]

The first scenario will use the Desert War game engine. The subject will encompass the first two days/nights of the seige--the Viet Minh attacks on strongpoints Beatrice and Gabrielle.

[bcgames]

Viet Minh Ground Assets:

[bcgames]

The map-work begins...

[Blond_Knight]

Once youve created a map with tiles how do you covert it into a more attractive and smoothed image?

[bcgames]

That's a good question. Let me see if I can break it down in one post.

First, you need to learn how to operate a capable image editing program like GIMP or Paint.net.

GIMP
https://www.gimp.org/

Paint.net:
https://www.getpaint.net/index.html

Both of these programs are free and have a ton of support on YouTube. I use a decades-old version of PhotoShop. Though very powerful, I don't recommend it for the part-time user; it has a rather expensive subscription program...way too much for me. If I didn't have PhotoShop, I'd probably use GIMP.

Second, learn how to use Layers within your photo-editing program. These allow you to break up the pieces that make-up a nice user-created scenario map. Top Layer...the Desert War hex grid. Bottom layer...the exported tile map from Desert War (do this using the editor). The in-between layers?...hex based artwork for clear, woods, rough terrain, etc....a layer for each terrain type in your scenario. The contents in the Layer sandwich--between the Top and Bottom layers--is where the artwork begins...

Third, use the Top Layer to select individual hexes for a particular terrain type from the Bottom Layer using the selection tools of your photo-editing program...then use terrain textures to fill in your selections.

Fourth, use the eraser tool, the blending tool, the duplication tool, the feathering tool, etc., to get your various terrain Layers blended together in a "GoogleEarth-like" appearance--GOVERNED BY--an understanding that each hex must easily convey similar-looking terrain information to The Player.

Fifth, when done, substitute the image-based map for the tile-based map. There's a tool in the editor to import the image-based map.

Bottom-line: Going from Tile-based to Image-based maps requires a photo-editing program and the skills to use it.

[bcgames]

Dien Bien Phu Trailer (Unofficial)

[Okayrun3254]

My assessment of the battle from reading the Dien Bien Phu book leads me to the conclusion that the French and her allies suffered from not building strong enough fortifications to protect them from the Vietminh artillery that was a surprise to the French. Is there a way to model this in the game? How about the scale. This battle seems like one that fits the platoon level scale.

[bcgames]

On field fortifications, there are three levels: Dug-in, Entrenchment, and Fortification. Only Dug-in is a level that can be changed in-game. Entrenchments and Fortifications must be added by the scenario designer; they can't be created in-game.

The scale I'm starting with is company/platoon. We'll see how that plays.

[bcgames]

Operation Castor

[jmlima]

ORIGINAL: bcgames

Operation Castor

It's like a great hits parade, giles, bigeard, castries, 6th bccp...

[bcgames]

French Air Assets:

[bcgames]

French Navy Airplanes In Indochina (1954)

The PB4Y Privateer was used extensively in the role of interdiction of Viet Minh supply during the siege of Dien Bien Phu

[bcgames]

DIEN BIEN PHU : Attaque du piton 781 par le 1er BEP

https://youtu.be/T6vR4ANEbQ4

[bcgames]

On hold but not forgotten...back to working on Stalingrad. In these times--Got to pay the rent.

[Alan Sharif]

Whatever you are working on promises to be of great interest, and doubtless result in a great game.

[bcgames]

What? A new boardgame on Dien Bien Phu? My order IS IN with White Dog Games!

http://www.whitedoggames.com/dienbienphu