The Soviet Winter 41 scenario is fantastic

[sveint]

Just have to say, with this scenario WarPlan has - for me - become the very best WW2 wargame ever.
No longer can the Axis just roll over the Soviets on a broad front, they actually have to look for weak points, penetrate and surround.

I've had the tense moments on both sides fighting out the war on the eastern front in this scenario.
Some will disagree, but for me Germany is still slightly too powerful.

The only thing wrong is actually that the name of the scenario is too long. Rename to something like "Europe 1939 Competitive" or "Europe 1939 Challenge"?

As an added bonus, I think this is a nice scenario for those who only play against the AI (playing Axis vs Allied AI).

Big thumbs up to Alvaro.

[AlvaroSousa]

So the winter is working out nicely then?

[CHINCHIN]

It works halfway, Russia makes attacks, but does not get much progress and the losses are similar for both sides, despite promoting units with the winter attribute, plus the Siberians, it is not enough to push the axis back significantly. Also the axis places Finnish units on weak points and it is even more difficult.

I am Sveint's rival in the "Winter 1941" scenario, we played mirror games, in 41 we both resisted well with the Russians, but in 42 Sveint has crushed me in the east, although Russia still has potential, it will start September, and with 4 turns of good weather ahead, Sveint is going to cut off the routes to Leningrad-Murmansk, and the routes to the Caucasus. Impossible to resist.
I haven't been very good with Germany, and Sveint resisted the Russians quite well in '42, although he lost Moscow and Baku.

I would remove this scenario, and put harsher weather in the east generally for all scenarios. It cannot be that in September there is 100% clear weather, and in October 95%, in the Arctic Circle area.
In Moscow it practically rains or snows 3 days out of 4, and in Saint Petersburg every sunny day is a national holiday. In the game there is better weather in the arctic circle zone, than in the arctic zone, in the arctic circle zone there are 6 months (5 months 100% and 1 month 95% of good weather) It is not possible, you have to worsen the weather in these two areas.

Another thing that I see as exaggerated is that the armored units move 9 and 10, I would lower them to 8 and 9. The axis surrounds the Russians very easily, when the good weather started in 42 my Russian lines seemed impenetrable, 2 rows of force units 11, 10, 9... But Sveint concentrated armor and aviation in 2 points, and entered like a knife in butter. Another good thing would be to limit the armored units, and mechanized, Sveint has about 12 armored in Russia. Maybe you could use the shipyards for this, change the Shipyards icon and name to Steel, and limit with steel, the production of ships, tanks, and planes.

[sveint]

I wouldn't use myself as a reference point, so far I haven't lost a game as the Axis since I started playing again. CHINCHIN, as the Soviets in 1942 you spread your armor out, making you a sitting duck. You have to concentrate the armor so that the Axis are concerned about counter-attacks and have to proceed more slowly.

I do see players struggling with the scenario as Axis though, when they are used to just easily overrun Russia in 1941. Not being able to bulldoze with no tactical considerations is apparently controversial.

A minor side note, as someone who grew up in the far north, October is never ever a good month. Something must translate poorly from weather reports/statistics to game terms.

[sveint]

I like the winter, it really stops and weakens the Germans. Perhaps not as much as historically, but still far better than most games with random weather.

[stjeand]

Seems I need to start playing again...

Been away to long.

[sveint]

Seems I need to start playing again...

Been away to long.

Mirror games?

[CHINCHIN]

This is the weather in the Arctic Circle area, rain or heavy rain is not contemplated at all, in September 100%, and in October 95%, with a chance of good weather.

Zone 9 Weather.jpg (94.13 KiB) Viewed 420 times

[sveint]

That weather is just wrong. Even May and September. The weather in the Arctic is just nothing like the weather further south. Even in "mid summer" the weather is never as good as continental Europe.

This is Tromsø yesterday (not an extreme example):

a.jpg (123.99 KiB) Viewed 403 times

[ncc1701e]

This is the weather in the Arctic Circle area, rain or heavy rain is not contemplated at all, in September 100%, and in October 95%, with a chance of good weather.
Zone 9 Weather.jpg

This does not take into account the events changing the weather.

[CHINCHIN]

What events are you referring to? To the events of the Winter 1941 scenario, that force the Blizzard from December 1941 to March 1942?

[stjeand]

Mirror games?

Sure...

But may take me a few games to get back into the swing.
Been playing Pacific alot so my naval abilities are very different.

I don't think I have played Europe in over a year.

[ncc1701e]

What events are you referring to? To the events of the Winter 1941 scenario, that force the Blizzard from December 1941 to March 1942?

Yes, I don't think the table is taking them into account.

[CHINCHIN]

Yes, but the event only occurs in this scenario, and from December 1941 to March 1942. I complain about the weather in September and October in the area of the Arctic circle.

[ncc1701e]

Oh I see.

[ncc1701e]

This is the weather in the Arctic Circle area, rain or heavy rain is not contemplated at all, in September 100%, and in October 95%, with a chance of good weather.
Zone 9 Weather.jpg

I think there is something missing in the game engine. A distinction must be made between the state of the ground (dry, muddy, snowy, ...) and the weather (clear, overcast, light rain, heavy rain, snow, blizzard, ...).

A dry ground will become muddy after several turns of rain. And a muddy ground will become dry after several turns of hot clear weather.

What is important is not if the weather is good on top of the ground. What is important is the state of the ground.

[ncc1701e]

Well, to precise. The state of the sky is important for planes, the state of the ground is important for land units.

Bombers can perfectly do their mission if the weather is clear on top of their muddy / snowy objective.

However, land units must have difficulties to advance on a muddy / snowy land even if the sky is clear.

[AlvaroSousa]

It's a 2 week game turn. I won't get that detailed into weather.