DarkNite has provided a scenario for which he would like some testing and feedback. Its for the EC2003 GIUK battleset and requires HCDB-080326.

 

The Finns get the stuffing beaten out of them pretty quick and the Swedes have their work cut out for them. I don't think Blue can do much about hitting the Russian airbases without using the Taurus standoff weapon loadout for the Gripens (looks like though this weapon is cleared for carriage on the JAS-39 it's only been acquired by Spain with Germany still pondering). No SEAD load outs means good luck against SA-10 defended Russian facilities. There are three discrete theaters - southern Baltic, Gulf of Finland and the northern Gulf of Bothnia, which can make battle management a challenge at times.

That means Blue has to keep Russian air and sea power from the Alands while defending their own resources from attack. One issue might be just keeping enough Blue ships afloat to put on station to achieve victory!

 

Please take DarkNite's scenario for a spin and let me know if you have problems, issues, thoughts, opinions, whatever.

 

The scenario is NOT ready for release, so please do not distribute it.

 

Baltic_Fury.zip

OK, took it for a spin. While I'm not goint to write up a full AAR, I will point out some of the good and bad things I found:

 

First the things that don't seem complete:

 

1. Surface Group ZMS, the amphibious group is not moving through-out the scenario. Either it has no course and speed entered, or it has run aground and stopped.

 

2. A severe lack of attacks on my bases from the red forces. I completely ignored the northern red bases for the duration of the scenario.

 

3. There is a blue SAM unit in the middle of nowhere that seems to be protecting nothing. Placing a TEL anti-shipping unit here would give that SAM group a real reason to exist, and give the player another option to engage the amphibious group.

 

 

Now the Good:

 

1. Lots of enemy AAW patrols. These kept me busy.

 

2. Starting with enemy units in range is good in that it ensures that I will be forced to engage. Although its also bad because you are under fire from the first second and don't even get a chance to look over the map.

 

3. The AI has plenty of AEW and EW assets, which makes it more agressive by default. When the AI can see as well as it can with this scenario, then it will intercept much more agressively.

 

Comments:

 

1. In the North, I would utilize those red airfields to base Backfires and Blackjacks to attack blue bases. This will force me to pay attention to it and actively defend my own bases.

 

2. Red units need coastal TELs just like Blue should have a few.

 

3. Need to fix it so that AI units do not start too close to a coastline, if they run aground they stop moving.

I´m going to test it in the next days. Stay tuned.

 

Regards,

Ralf

Hi,

 

I´m on my way testing it. The action is fast and furious. So far I have achieved ac kill ratios about 3:1 and I hope to keep it. Have sunk two red flotillas.

 

Looks nice, I´ll finish it tomorrow, I think.

 

Regards,

Ralf

Strange, this one crashed, too.

 

While I was used to it in "Worst Case", I hadn´t expected so in this much scmaller scen. Got the message "Main Executable does not respond" - game over.

 

Game Engine: 2008.031

HCDB 080406

MS Vista Home Premium

Strange, this one crashed, too.

 

While I was used to it in "Worst Case", I hadn´t expected so in this much scmaller scen. Got the message "Main Executable does not respond" - game over.

 

Game Engine: 2008.031

HCDB 080406

MS Vista Home Premium

 

Hi Ralf,

I'm actually seeing this in your Worst Case save, it looks like the GE is endlessly looping through the queued events (intercepts, attack orders, turn sensor on/off, turn the planes,...) endlessly which means there is a bug in there somewhere as events should not be re-queued for the same game second. I don't think you need spend time at this point re-creating a save for Baltic Fury. As for the scenario being too big, at the point of your save it is still running at faster than 1:1 on my machine (Core 2 Duo 2.1 GHz), but not as fast as 5:1.

Hello,

 

ok, I now play it using 2008.033. If it doesn´t crash then it was that bug Tony eliminated in the latest built.

 

Regards,

Ralf

Hello,

 

ok, I´ve been deep enough into the scen to write a short resume for DarkNite´s scen:

 

- the Russian´s air strikes on the blue bases are not hard enough IMO. I recommend to use more long-range large bombers on strike missions

 

- the red invasion fleet is too weak, I think. There should be better AAW cover for it.. I have no problem defending the choke point OAb

 

- the ac ratio is too easy for blue: 1:2 is mo match for a human; IMO the AI needs at least 1:3 in order to have a chance.

 

Besides these minor issues this is a really enjoyable and clever scenario!

 

Ralf