Triumph Scenario Released

[icym]

The triumph of the Reich scenario is now available on the VR Designs site.

The final version incorporates bugs fixes plus numerous refinements and additions including TO&E. The scenario has been play-tested by both experienced and new players who have generously donated their time and provided invaluable assistance. Full acknowledgements are given in the scenario brief.

The game is for human only play* and is intended to be accessible to anyone familiar with the basic mechanics of ATGold. Players will find the subformation types, research screen and most location types familiar, allowing players of all experience levels to try the scenario.

*With minimal scenario editing it is possible to set up the scenario to be played with just your favourite Regime(s) active, allowing you check the game out without playing competitively. This is easy to do (even if you have never used the editor before) and is explained in the Players Guide.


For readers who missed the original posting in October 2015, the following provides an overview.

A detailed map of 151 x 126 hexes. Land scale is 25 miles per hex.

Large starting forces: recreating the feel of commanding the massive armies on the eastern front.

Playable Regimes: Britain, US, France, the Commonwealth, Germany, SS, Italy, Axis Minors, Finland, Russia. Norway is conquered but can become active if their territory recaptured. Spain and Turkey become active only if attacked by Germany.

The game is recommended for 2-5 players.

Vichy French colonies are modelled in detail.

Play commences in May 1941 with the first turn reserved for setting production. Regimes cannot move units in May, apart from Germany which can reposition their forces in preparation for the invasion of Russia.

The stats of quite a few subformations have been tweaked. There are also a few new unit types: air recon, combat engineers, convoys, etc.

Air and naval subformations have extended movement to correspond to the scale of the map.

Research costs and dependencies have been reworked. High level technologies are achievable for major powers, but restrictions prevent them being researched too early.

Scientists will occasionally become available for your Regime. They are the principal method – other than by conquest – by which Regimes can increase their PP income. Scientists can be stationed in existing research centres to yield PPs each turn, or they can build new research laboratories and upgrade those laboratories for greater PP output. They can also be used to gift instant PPs to their own or an allied Regime.

Military production is less city-centric. In addition to the standard factories, new location types include recruitment and enlistment centres (for infantry), industrial centres (all non-infantry units except for ships) transportation centres (non-armoured vehicles) as well as Supply bases, Recycling centres (resources) and Synthetic oil plants (Germany). Ships can only be built in shipyards.

Germany can assign submarines to intercept oil and ore being sent from the US to Britain and the Allies can counter this by assigning destroyers to engage in anti-submarine warfare. The results are calculated automatically each month and a summary of resource and naval unit losses is provided to the regimes involved.

Britain, the US, Germany and Italy can lay naval sea mines. An on map display reminds Regimes where their current minefields are located. (You can’t see the location of enemy minefields.) Naval mines are laid and cleared by minelayer ships (a new SFT).

For the greatest chance of success, the Allies must pre-plan large invasions like Normandy, a process that takes several months to complete.

Partisans can appear in France, Russia and Yugoslavia. Partisans can capture ungarrisoned locations, blow bridges and destroy rail lines.

Factories built outside of industrialised countries will be populated by colonial people and will be less productive and their units will fight poorly.

Russia has the ability to employ a scorched earth policy if retreating before a German advance. All countries can disband unwanted factories for a partial refund of their build cost.

Britain and the US can overfly Axis territory with strategic bombers, targeting the rail network.

There is a ton of additional content in the scenario that is not mentioned here. Hopefully it will provide players with a rich and enjoyable gaming experience.

Potential players should be aware that the level of detail and size of the forces in play can result in a major regime taking several hours to play.

I will be available to provide support and respond to any questions or suggestions.

Detailed information about the scenario has been compiled into a Player’s Guide which provides an easy to read introduction and is recommended as an information source. The guide will be included as part of the scenario download. A link to the guide is also available on the VR Designs home page, see Vic's post of September 1.

A selection of screenshots is shown below.

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The Map:






Mini-maps are included for the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

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Action cards are an integral part of the game:

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Action cards are mostly self-explanatory; if you misplay one you will receive an error message and the card and your PPs will be refunded:

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Bad weather with a storm in the English Channel. The bottom left hexes are hedgerows.

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The Russian front, July 1941:

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Battle for Rostov:

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New toe units receiving reinforcements:

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Pages from the Player’s Guide:

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German industrial area:

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During the German turn Germany is given land access to 2 Swedish ore resources, allowing them to improve the mines:

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This scenario has now been uploaded to the VR Designs scenario bank.

[Vic]

My sincere compliments in completing what can only be described as a game within the game. Even coming with its own manual. Very impressive.

With only a 2-3 player minimum requirement I hope to see some game starts and hopefully an AAR.

Best wishes,
Vic

[icym]

Thank you for the encouragement and compliments.

It would certainly be nice to see the scenario get some play.

An AAR would be an ambitious project, time will tell.

Thanks again for the help you provided along the way.

[FirstPappy]

I downloaded it last night and printed the manual at work today. I plan to really give it a closer look on this three day weekend - especially when Hermine comes through.
What I've seen so far looks superb. Maybe Matrix should hire you 👍

[icym]

I hope you find play of the scenario engaging. Stay dry in the storm and if you have any questions or feedback I will be happy to respond.

[lion_of_judah]

was curious if NATO symbols were going to be used, thanks

[ernieschwitz]

You can use the TO&E editor, so it will allow NATO symbols that way, if you want them...

[Twotribes]

The scenario is NOT using TO&E to build units from scratch. When I create units to build and assign them a TO&E the next turn the blanks are gone.

[icym]

Problem acknowledged.

This was working correctly in earlier versions, clearly a bug has developed along the way.

Also if you create a new (non-TOE) unit and put no sub-formations into it, that unit also is gone from the map in the next turn.

Will investigate further and update when the issue is resolved.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention.