JSF

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, just testing it with 2008.033 and it runs great so far. So it looks like it was a ge problem; not caused by the monster size of the scen. I´m going to play it until the end!

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

oops, sorry

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

Hi all, ok, gave it a second try. It crashed again. I think this one is unplayable or close to it. Even if it wouldn´t crash it is too big to be handled IMO. You can hardly control all those units. This time I used the latest ge built 2008.031 and the latest HCDB. My PC is, as I said, fast: Dual Core 5000+ 2gigs RAM. So I think it is really scenario related. I´ve tried to attach the latest saved game, but this is not allowed. When the game crashes I had 03:22:52 to go. Think you have to cut it down, Brad. Regards, Ralf Worst_Case_2.zip

Hello Tony, Hi Ralf, Any chance of a save game just before the crash? I doubt the scenario is too large. Sorry, no current save game. The last one saved was a few hours old. I can restart from that point, though, making regular saves and waiting for the crash. I´ll try it. Regards, Ralf

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

Hello Brad, have tested it for some days and now it crashed on me. Screenshot is attached. Maybe it is just too large? Game engine is 2008.027, my PC is a Dual Core 5000+, 2 gigs RAM, Vista Home Premium. The scenario is - crash aside - very difficult to handle. The action is so fast and furios, that you have to play it 1:1 in order to keep control of the game. Maybe this one has just hit the ceiling? Regards, Ralf

Ok, I have started playing it. Yes, Brad, this is the mother of all monsters Incredible large and difficult to handle. I have started ferrying my assets to the front and flying some counterattacks. There are constant air attacks on my forward bases and it is hard to keep control of it. So far everything runs smooth and fast on my PC. Kill ratio is 4:1 for me, but that does not really matter if the real numbers of red ac are very high and they come in very fast. I´ll need a week or so for this monster. Think I´ll be having real fun with it. Regards, Ralf

Hello, ok, I´ve added it to the bug tracker. So I didn´t waste time stumbling over it and figuring it out - another little improvement for a great game. Regards, Ralf

Hellol Brad, No, I do the copy and past from one orders file to another. But I´ve found it! The tool only creates the orders files if there is at least one character in each of the three tabs "Scenario background", "Blue Orders" and "Red Orders". I had forgotten about that and just wrote something into "Scenario background". This was not sufficient for creating the files. You must put something in every three tabs. Thanks for your efforts! Regards, Ralf

Hello Tony, These are not so few; we are far less in ANW I think Best Regards, Ralf

I´ll test them both Happy Easter!

Victory achieved! I managend to find and sink the Russian carrier with my RN sub. The Sub came close enough to fire all its Spearfish torps, hitting the carrier seven times and sinking two other ships. Victory was granted, when the Kusnetzov sunk. A short resume in addition to my former posts: 1. I think everything works according your intentions, Brad. Thus the scenario is done IMO 2. The JSF´s and Eurofighters are superior even to Russia´s best interceptors. Those Meteor missiles are killers - extreme high kill ratios. 3. One thing I missed were long range ARMs for my ac. Is there no HARM loadout for the JSF and/or the Eurofighter? These 37nm-ranged Alarms are toys against modern Russian SAMs. All in all a nice scen, Brad. maybe you should it make even a little harder since I managed to win it on my first full run. My ac achieved kill ratios about 5:1; maybe more lange range bombers for Russia? One or two Backfire regiments, one threatening Norwegian bases, one the British Carrier group? Another idea: Leaving out the British base with its assets. If you want to keep the Eurofighters, Sentry and Sentinel in the game you can add them to a Norwegian base; raesonable as a consequence because of the political situation you describe. I´ll now switch over to "Worst Case". Regards, Ralf Last screenshot attached.

Ok, next step accomplished: I have managed to stop Russian air attacks and regained control over Norway. Right now it is a stalemate. The ac kill ratio is much in my favour now but I lack the ressources for a counterstrike on Russian bases. Tried it with Storm Shadow cruise missiles, but all were easily shot down. Lost all British Tornados when I started a suicidal attack with them on a red base. Have to figure out how to make a victory out of a stalemate btw The Eurofighters perform great, too. It this is for real, the Russians can bag their Foxbats. Attached latest screenshot.

Hi Brad, the battle continues... You were right about my first hints: The units behave (and die ) according to the orders. Same with the Utsira. I´ll try to save her in the next run. The scenario has become an open battle now: I have ferried all my UK assets to Norway. The JSF´s have a fantastic kill ratio - even Foxbats are blown out of the sky! The Eurofighters are reloading on Norwegian bases right now. If they perform as brilliantly as the JSF´s I can win it. My "eyes" (Sentinel) have arrived and I now have a clear picture of the incoming air threats and can vector my fighters according to their performance: The Falcons versus the Fencers and the JSF´s versus the Foxbats and Flankers. I am having a lot of fun! More to follow. Regards, Ralf

Hi Brad, back to monsters? So maybe we change our focus: You return to the monsters; I´ll do the small ones I´ll test it asap after finishing "Origins of the Storm". Regards, Ralf

Hello, ok, here are the first impressions and hints: - VC´s are missing in the orders: What do I have to destroy - which Units do I have to protect? Think that should be clarified. - the Royal Norwegian Navy is savaged right from the beginning. No chance. Thus maybe the orders for the different SAGs are pointless: Those ships are cannon fodder for the Russian missiles. - Same with the Utsira. Looks like a Russian FF is stationed right over the sub. Tried it three times; each times losing the sub at once. - The Norwegian F-16´s are savaged, too. Not the slightest chance against all those first line interceptors (Foxbats, SU-35, SU-30...) ...but... - The JSF´s do very good: My situation was about to collapse, when my carrier based JSF´s joined the battle. Their longe-range missiles really make a difference. Right now it looks like I get a second life Looks like another real challenging scen, Brad! Attached a screenshot showing the actual status. More to follow.

Hello, Brad, ok, that may be the problem. Just downloading that file. @Tony: thx, Tony. Seems I missed that file while I was out.

Hi Brad, ok, started to test it. Made a weird experience: When clicking "display" on the Utsira in the unit window, I got an error message and a CTD. Screenshot attached. I use the latest ge and HCDB. Any clue? Regards, Ralf

Hmm, strange. Both ways didn´t work. I´ll try again. If it still doesn´t work, I´ll send over the game file.

Hello Brad, your personal scen tester is ready to rumble So I wait for your updated db and then I´m going to test it. Best Regards, Ralf

Hello, have been out for a while. Now I´m back and working on scens. I have a problem with the Orders Write V.2008.0.2.1 It looks like it simply doesn´t create the orders files. No error messages, but there are no files. Any clue? Regards, Ralf

Hi, Thank you for playing it so intensively - you´re really welcome. When I wrote it, the main objective indeed was to set a full matrix of traps which remain dangerous until the end. Since an experienced human is superior to the AI I tried to make this one especially hard. The "algorithm" IMO is to combine the follwoing issues: 1. Numbers: The AI needs at least 3:1 I think. 2. Eyes: The AI needs an advantage here approx. 5:1 or even 10:1 (relation Mainstays to E-3 etc.) 3. Communication: The AI needs a lot of "hot spots" which can maintain an info network even if the human has destroyed a lot of assets. These network should be a combination of well placed subs (shadowing the human´s fleet), AEW aircraft and land based radar. 4. Independent "core installations": Bases should be fully independent of other bases, thus killing one doesn´t break the resistance. I usually give each base a full set of radar, SAMs and all kinds of aircraft. Some lessons learnt from 15+ years of playing a magnificient game.... Ralf You can also take the route I took with Operation Island Wind and severely restrict the players assets and options to up the challenge level. In that case, the main strike assets were planes without SEAD or Standoff capabilities, meaning the SAM and AAA network actually presented a formidable foe because you had no choice but to engage from within their effective ranges. Add that to your combination above and one could create a very challenging scenario where the AI could actually win, not just present the player with a good fight. You´re right - that one was missing in my enumeration. So if it´s complete, we can poste it as an info for newbie scen designers. Maybe it helps them to create challenging scens.