JSF

Helo Tony, 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

Tony, You´re welcome. Is there anything special I should look for? Otherwise I´ll just play through a few scens with open eyes. After that I´ll finish my next scen. Best Regards, Ralf

...aerial refueling with the Alt+R hotkey works fine, too...

Ok, have started playing the first scen of the EC2003 MEDC Battleset and it works just fine so far. The new sound is impressing !

Hello, just have deinstalled and reinstalled. Both issues are solved: Sounds is now there (will keep an eye on it) and by deactivating "Instant Action" (had forgotten that Rene had told me so) the second issue is gone, too. Will have a close look tomorrow. Ralf

Hello, was a little busy in RL in the last weeks, but now it looks better. My first installation of HCE2008.021 (in a separate folder) corrupted the current installation of 2007.000 release - nothing worked any longer. One error message was about problems with serail number (think it was error code 300). Then I deinstalled the release version, reinstalled 2008.021 and copied the latest exes in this folder. Two issues so far: 1. no sound ! Remark: It´s on my brandnew, fast Vista PC. 2. Starting the game instantly shoots me in a scen, not the battleset selection window. I´ll go on testing this weekend. Regards, Ralf

Hi Brad, This one is VERY challenging. I´m still fighting, but it looks bad for me: ac kill ratio is not better than 1:1, two bases are already lost. The worst issue is that I cannot overcome the choke point Kaliningrad: I have fired so many Harms and standoff weapons at it, but it is still not in the least damaged. Another problem is that the Russians have plenty first-line fighters and figter-bombers. Great gameplay is that there are tank columns appoaching and attacking one of my bases. That´s really great stuff. All in all a great scen, but maybe on the edge as to winning chances. Maybe a few more fighters and fighter bombers for Nato and less SAMs for this tough nut Kaliningrad. Ralf

Hello Scott, Curious if you manage to come to the end Think this one is REALLY large. Have problems even on my new high-end rig while playing it. Who said ANW was slow? Ralf

Hi Brad, Gave it a try today and I am still into it. First impressions: - It´s all about logistics and managing things just in time; typical Brad - great! - Blue has to stretch his muscles to the limits; he´soutgunned - Right now I´ve lost 26 ac and the Sovs 31 - There is still hope, but some of my bases are severly damaged and Tallin base is destroyed Looks like I´ll lose this first run. So far nothing odd or worth discussing. Looks like another great scen, Brad. Ralf

Hi Tony, sounds like the hell of a fight! Glad that you enjoy it and I thus met your "Harpoon taste". Ralf

File Name: F 14 Fleet Defender V 1.1 File Submitter: RKoelbach File Submitted: 8 Jan 2008 File Category: NACV Hello guys, this is F 14 Fleet Defender 1.1. Since I changed many things it isn´t just a small update for 1.0, but a totally different scen in many aspects. Hope you like it! Ralf Click here to download this file

Hello guys, thank you very much. Ralf

Hello Allan, great, that you started building your first scen! People here will help you to get things straight. Some first ideas: Do you have enough aircraft ready to attack every 15 Minutes? If you assign for example 4 ac to an attack and there are only 4 others left on the base, you will not be able to attack with that frequency. Wich aircrafts with which loadouts do press on their attack after they launched their standoff missiles? Maybe they have more ordnance on board capable to attack their target? Thus they close in. Maybe you just post your scen here so that guys can download and check it? Happy new year! Ralf

Ok, here are my wishes: The Possibility to take and retake bases and facilities UnRep vessels - especially interesting in HCE since there are large, smoth running scens. Thus campaigns can be created. Prettier SE {TonyE added this} Allow starting aircraft in the air (TonyE added this) .....more to follow Happy new year! Ralf

Ok, I´m through I think. My Backfires destroyed the two bases thus killing many ac on ground. Attached the loss count. It was a total defeat for me long before (compare last post), but this loss count shows how the forces dealt with each other. Resume: All in all a great scen. Just check the VCs again and maybe verify the orders thus it becomes clear which losses are critical, Brad.

Hello, while testing Brad´s new scen "Foxes in the Henhouse" I found something strange: After I split the sub group, entered a slightly different course and a higher speed for one sub, the subs kept close in the unit window. They separated in the group window, but not in the unit window.

Hi Brad, I´m in the middle of furious air-to-air, naval and sub to ship fights - great! That´s a hell of a scenario. Few minutes ago I was surprised by the message that the Russians achieved total victory. I think it happened because those four ships I should transit to Odessa were sunk at last Since I lost some forward installations at the same time I´m not sure what exactly it was. I´ll now go on enjoying this excellent scen before I take a look at it into scenedit. Thus there is one issue so far: - Victory conditions: Are there minimal and total victory conditions for the Russian side? Why did the enemy reach total victory and not minimal victory first? - Thus I think the VicCons should be clarified in the orders text

Hi Brad, this is a "classical Brad scen": a run for time, only winnable by superior logistics. It reminds me of "Labyrinth". Gave it two tries: 1st Run: My four transport ac with the Backfire crews were slaughtered before the destination airfield came into sight. Thus no Backfires - I resigned. 2nd Run: This time I covered the transporters with a cloud of fighters and thus all four made it to their destination. The crews entered their Backfires and soon launched. They had several Russian fighters on their six, but the beautiful bombers went on burner and all escaped. Now their are in Odessa and being refitted with their nastiest weapons. Meanwhile the other base and the installation are under massive pressure and I wonder if I should send some fighters out to help them. The four ships are on their route at flank speed - but I´ll slow them down; certainly Brad will have put some subs between the ships and Odessa. A great one, Brad! I´ll report how it went. Ralf

Hello, just got the boomer, too. It was utterly unaware and hit by all three torps I fired at it. So - total victory! Maybe these Soviet subs came in too fast? I just ket my Skipjacks creeping on passive sonar and the three subs came in dumb.

Hello Brad, ok, finally gave it a try under B 32. maybe I was lucky, but I won rather easy. Driving my subs at creep speed with 5 knots through the strait, I got first the November and then the Echo I, thus achieving minimum Victory Conditions. My subs obviously made contact first; I fired two torps at each of the red subs, one hitting and sinking the target. Now I go on for total victory, searching for the Boomer.... Ralf

File Name: F 14 Fleet Defender File Submitter: RKoelbach File Submitted: 30 Dec 2007 File Category: NACV F 14 Fleet Defender This scenario deals with a multicarrier showdown in the NACV / GIUK environment. The F 14 is about to proove if it can defend the fleet. The scenario is dedicated to Tony Eischens. Click here to download this file

Hi Pete / Hallo Pete, Frohe Weihnachten unsere Harpoon-Freund Ralf. Great / grossartig ! Thank you very much / vielen Dank ! Ralf

Merry Xmas to all! Ralf