Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

After some weeping and gnashing of teeth, I finally got my campaign working, thanks to Suhiir, Shahadi, and others.

This is my adaptation of the original SSI campaign for SP2 for WinSPMBT 7.0.

Hope you enjoy!


Matt

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

It plays OK and moves from one scenario to the other but I think it's the fourth or fifth that shows ID tags from ghost units ( never build scenarios with unit ID tags on.... it's just too easy to forget ) and when I try to extract the scenarios I get this error

Loading file header C:\Working Games\WinSPMBT\Campaigns\ucamp015.dat
UNABLE to find scenario 0
UNABLE to find scenario 1
UNABLE to find scenario 2
UNABLE to find scenario 3
UNABLE to find scenario 4
UNABLE to find scenario 5
UNABLE to find scenario 6
UNABLE to find scenario 7

and that should NOT be happening so it's not 100% yet

If you want to send me the original scenarios you built this from you know my email address

Don

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

Ah great. I'll open it up and take it for a spin, then report back to the forum.

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Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

Hey half the fun of building a campaign is getting it working the way you want (or sometimes at all) ... I've been working on one (VERY part time) for years.

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

Ah crap, looks like I designed this for version 7.0. That's probably why we're seeing ghost units, and why it works fine for me and no one else.

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

not ghost units........ left over unit id flags. Those happen when you remove a unit from the list with the ID tags on

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

Sorry to return to the charge but I still encounter the same problem.
On the first map the buildings do not appear.
Example The hex 59.15 shows nothing but if I pass the cursor over it, it tells me
"hex 59.15 Height 0 A.Building Clear ..". ..
By cons, if during the turn this invisible building is damaged, the drawing of a damaged building appears.
Someone else does it the same kind of phenomenon?

I use the V8.0-DL release. My OS is XP3.
I did not encounter this problem with other scenarios offered on this site.
If it ever came to a malfunction home, someone will have an idea to solve this?

DRG ?
Regards

Yves

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

Well this is what I see in 59, 15 so unless someone else reports the same problem I'd say the problem is at your end

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/attac...1&d=1424367266


you say......"buildings do not appear"

NONE of them ???..... if the answer is none of them you are missing a SHP file that everyone else has.

TER25 - Single Hex Desert Buildings........ do you see desert buildings when you auto-generate a desert map ?

EDIT.....THIS IS NOT A DL vs CD VERSION ISSUE. I double checked a DL version of the game and those buildings show up just fine.......
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/attac...1&d=1424368991


so I would suggest you need to re-install your game because it appears you have missed WinSPMBT version 5.5 if you do not see desert houses which means you'll need to DL the main 167.6 mb patch then patch ver 6, ver7 and ver8 in order

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

thank you DRG,
Indeed, some files were missing!
I reinstalled everything and now it works.
thank you again
Regards
Yves

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

I just played through the first scenario and it appeared to work fine for me, campaign also extracted correctly, but since I have a number 15 campaign, I had to renumber the files to a higher number. There wasn't an obvious pre-battle briefing before the first scenario, but a road leading to a town with victory squares and people in the town shooting at me made it obvious what needed to be done :)

And the number of first round hits at over 2000 yards makes me wonder if I'm fighting the Iraqis or Rommel's Afrika Korps :D

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

Many of the battles were at night or in poor weather, many times on purpose, at others by accident, but the ability to see and shoot at ranges the Iraqi's considered impossible REALLY showed that a significant tech advantage makes numbers fairly irrelevant (as long as your ammo holds out).

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

I'm not sure, but I have the sense Steves308 is talking about Iraqi armor hits at ranges beyond 2000m. I could not have believed it as well, not that they would fire, but with hits at ranges over 2700m. I had to halt my planned advance lay down suppression to maneuver a platoon of Abrams to the north. The Iraqi crews should not, would not, did not fire at those ranges with this kind of accuracy in this scenario.

Anyway, so I think Steves308 was comparing, in this scenario the accurate fires of the Iraqi crews to those of Rommel's.

I would suggest we look at Searching and Hitting in Preferences. While playing this campaign, at least thus far in the first battle at Khafji, Searching was set at 250% and Hitting at 100%. 250% maybe way too high for the Iraqi and should as Suhiir suggests in her post, although in this scenario vision is set at 70 (not nighttime nor in blowing sand conditions, be set around 90 to 100%. Additionally, Arty Effectiveness is a mere 10%, and generally Iraqi Preference values: Rout/Rally, Troop Quality, Tank Toughness, and Infantry Toughness may need reexamination in light of the ineptness of Iraqi forces in the first Gulf War.

It could very well be the case, that to model the technological advantage enjoyed by the American side, as a multiplier in this scenario, adjusting the Preference numbers maybe the way to go.

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Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

I checked the copy I have and everything is set to 100%....... that said I have resaved every scenario in an attempt to correct a DAT file issue and I thought perhaps I may have reset them with the save ( I never adjust these so this kind of issue has never come up for me ) so I reloaded the original campaign and extracted it to a new Campaign folder and fired up the game and all the preference values I see are at 100%.......so ......does anyone else see wildly out of adjustment preference values when they load this campaign??


Don

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

Interesting. I normally do not change Preference values either. In this campaign, I took your advice from an earlier post and saved all other campaigns to a campaign hold folder, only this campaign shows in my campaign folder. Now, I'm mystified, "...stupefied, terrified... mortified... petrified..." as how those values turned up in this campaign.

To be clear only the Iraqi Searching was set at 250%. Even after adjusting Searching to 90% three Type 69-II's scored hits at 2400-2700mm. So, maybe we'd have to go lower than 90% to approximate the dismal performance of the Iraqi crews in the First.

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Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

Oh my god.. these scenarios are jacked.

I think I'm just going to have to redo them. I have no idea why they're being such a PITA. The only time I recall adjusting the preferences were in SP2, when I dialed up everything on the US side and dialed everything down on the Iraqi side, so I could breeze through the campaign to find the AI unit placement on the maps.

Guys, I really apologize for all this. The campaign played just fine for me in testing. In SP2, the Iraqi units are a pushover, but in MBT, they're a little bit harder to deal with. The last time I played it all the way through, I lost four Abrams to Iraqi tank fire. I figured this was part of the balance of the game - I don't want to play a campaign that's just shooting rabbits, although the real ODS was a lot like that :)

I'm really sorry, fellas. This is the first campaign I've tried to thread together, probably should have recruited some beta testers before posting it on the forums. I'll be cooped up in the house all weekend because of the weather, so I'll get back to work to try to unf**k this thing.

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

Which scenario do you see the Iraqi Searching was set at 250% ??

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

The very first one.

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Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

I'm liking the campaign thus far... I was concerned about the outstanding hit percentage of Iraqi crews but hey we can live with that. What we could do to make the gameplay experience challenging, other than adjusting Preference values, is to filter Iraqi unit fires. That would add a challenging experience to the game too. The Iraqi units would hold fire thereby concealing positions until the US side was within an acceptable hit percentage. An RPG taking aim at an Bradley from 450m is not smart.

Another idea, would be to dramatically increase the cost of the Abrams and Gun APCs.

My observations... I killed everything Iraqi on the map, save a few fleeing crews. I reached every objective. I lost a Bradley to hostile fire and a second because I inadvertently clicked on a hex while a Bradley was selected, the Bradley moved, lost cover and was hit. I only managed a Marginal Victory, two points. So, yeah, I'm thinking a Decisive Victory.

Equipment
I purchased a ride for the Bn CO, a M577A3.

Briefing
I'd urge you to write a proper mission briefing.

Personal preference
Id the CO and Platoon Hq units.

I reasoned I did not have enough time to dismount the Mech Inf and advance...so, I kept everyone in his seat while the whole company rode into the battle. Not what I'd expect in a MOUT op.

I'd give you three thumps up but I only got two.
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Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

I have not noticed any changes to my usual preferences settings while playing this campaign, and I did look at them after I started getting hits from the Iraqis at very long range. And yes, I was talking about the Iraqi tanks taking such long range shots and actually hitting, some at 2700 yards. I had a couple of Bradleys actually take front hull hits with no penetration from the 100mm Iraqi tank guns, the range was so long the penetration level was down around 10...and we can't have that, those Bradley commanders will start thinking they are driving real tanks :)

I found renumbering the campaign files from 15 to 19 did not work. I got through the first scenario fine, then I was taken to the second scenario of the campaign in my #15 slot. So I removed that campaign and reinstalled this one in the #15 slot and after the 1st scenario, it proceeded correctly to the 2nd scenario... live and learn :) The only really odd thing I noticed was after the 1st scenario, I'm ready to continue to the 2nd scenario and then I get the briefing for Khafji battle. But the 2nd scenario is a delay at As-Suayyirah. No big deal, I just went and read the text file in notepad to figure out what I'm supposed to do. I've never built a campaign, so I'm not sure how to correct this...maybe I'll try some file renumbering again :D

One last thing, thanks to Mkr8683 for putting the effort into recreating this campaign. A few minor bugs to work out, but you're 99% of the way there!

PS I just went and renumbered text file U015i001 to U015i000, started a new version of the campaign, and now I get the proper pre-battle briefing before the 1st scenario. I did the same thing for U015i002, renamed it to U015i001, and I restarted my game save from the end of the 1st scenario and now I get the correct pre-battle briefing before 2nd scenario. So I would suggest renaming the U015i00x files from 1 through 8 to 0 through 7.

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

YOU ARE CORRECT...... just did that with my set

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

This is NOT happening with my copy

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

I'll rename my set as well, that explains my head scratching when moving from scenario 1 to scenario 2. Great call, you got eagle eyes. Yeah, I see it now too, the dat files (C015s000) and the text files (U015i000) are not in the same sequence, the U015i001 should be renamed to U015i001. Very nice catch. I renamed the U015a000 and U015b000 files starting from 0 to 7 as well.

And, the Iraqi crews are still firing and hitting at very long ranges with Preferences set at the default 100%. However, lowering the Hitting setting seems to result in a lowered hit percentage. I set my copy at 80% will go lower the next time around.

Hmm...the Preferences are persistent from one scenario to another in the Editor and in gameplay as it would seem with my copy. I would prefer static Preferences; each scenario reads it's own set of Preferences.


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Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

Preferences are whatever the end user currently has set (apart from in PBEM where the P1 combat preferences are used).

They aren't saved as part of any scenario file (so not in user campaigns, either).

(Quite frankly, I have had the combat preferences (the to-hit etc, not the display ones) settings at 100% since SP1 first came out.)

If someone can demonstrate that a users preferences are being reset by a scenario, I'd like to know - as that is an undesirable bug.

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

We know the preferences are persistent from one scenario to the next. The question is why are they not saved as part of the scenario files?

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Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

Well one very good reason is if preferences were set and saved by scenarios we'd be swamped with "bug" reports from people saying their game isn't playing correctly when it was a scenario designer that jacked them around for his scenario then they started a regular game and forgot to re-set the preferences.

NO we will not be locking preferences to a scenario designers whim..... if they want special conditions they can "suggest" the settings they want in the initial scenario briefing but so far the only person reporting jacked player preferences is you. I have yet to see anyone else tell us they are seeing what you saw

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

If you need to alter the ability to see/hit in a scenario just edit the "Experience" and/or "Morale" ratings of a unit with the editor. Also the "Unit Leader" and "Formation Leader" tabs allow you to change "Rally", "Infantry Command", "Armor Command", and "Artillery Command" ratings.

This way you can make units that can shoot better/worse, or are hard to break but once broken stay that way (various fanatics), or break easily and rally easily (US Army troops during the early parts of the Korean War).

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

It is my opinion, and after many years, maybe too many, playing video games, that a configuration file, a .cfg will cause me or anyone else for that matter, to complain of a game not playing correctly, of being buggy.

A config file would, as you know, simply store the settings for the game engine to load only upon the selection of a scenario. If the scenario is not in the config file, guess what, default settings are loaded.

Example:
[scen.000]
Title=Desert Storm 1991
PREF_SPOT0=250
PREF_SPOT1=60
PREF_HIT0=250
PREF_HIT1=60
PREF_ROUT0=100
PREF_ROUT1=80
PREF_TROOP_QUAL0=70
PREF_TANK_TOUGH0=150
PREF_TANK_TOUGH1=80
PREF_INF_TOUGH0=150
PREF_INF_TOUGH1=80
[scen.001]
Title=Egyptian Armor
PREF_SPOT0=100
PREF_SPOT1=100
PREF_HIT0=100
PREF_HIT1=100
PREF_ROUT0=100
PREF_ROUT1=100
PREF_TROOP_QUAL0=100
PREF_TANK_TOUGH0=100
PREF_TANK_TOUGH1=100
PREF_INF_TOUGH0=100
PREF_INF_TOUGH1=100

So, it is not the designer's whim, but this addresses a real need that may have gone overlooked, else why the Preferences in the first place. This way, by having a .cfg file, a scenario cannot jack the game.

Now, to be fair, I only reported what I saw on my machine and intimated if others had similar experiences. Either way, the Preferences are in the game and they do impact on how a scenario is played. Therefore, it would be the right thing to do, open the Preferences so designers have another tool to impact on the player's game experience.

The whole question came about because Iraqi crews had such high hit ratios at ridiculously long ranges. I looked at my settings after reading the Game Manual thinking maybe my settings impacted the Iraqi crews. However, as it turned out, even with Preferences at default, 100%, guess what, the Iraqi crews were hitting at incredible distances as reported by other players.

I'm deploying my guys for the second scenario. A delay action. Not sure yet how I want to play it, either ambush his main force, or confront him directly and rely on my superior training and equipment. Yes, I am going to dial down Searching and Hitting for the Iraqi side and report back what I find.

I like the campaign so far. And mkr8683 has done a splendid job and I want to encourage him to continue and improve upon his ideas, so for those reasons I continue to contribute to this thread and request that others do so as well so that we learn from each other's errors and successes in a friendly manner void of rancor.

That's my two bits worth... anyone seen my friend George Dickel, last reported somewhere in the vicinity of Nashville,Tennessee USA. Although we don't hang anymore, tell the fella I said, hey.

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

This is exactly what Game Preferences.ini does now. It stores that info and more based on what your settings were on shutdown the last time and there is nothing in the game code that would cause a campaign to override them . As Andy said the only thing that can override those is a PBEM and this can be easily tested. Change the preferences setting then save a scenario. Reset the preferences to normal then open the scenario and you'll see the reset preference settings and a campaign is just a series of linked scenarios

Everyone plays the game a little differently. There is no one "correct" preferences settings but we recommend setting them at 100% and if anyone finds that doesn't quite work for them then by all means adjust them but what may be the best setting for a newbie won't be the best for an experienced player and that's why if a scenario designer thinks their scenario should have adjustments made to the preferences they need to suggest those recommendations in the initial briefing. That way players know whats been done.

As well......... I'm having a difficult time understanding how on one hand you can say...."It is my opinion, and after many years... playing video games, that a configuration file, a .cfg will cause me or anyone else for that matter, to complain of a game not playing correctly, of being buggy. ".... then go on to make a case for including one..... or am I reading this wrong ?


Don

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

Yes. You are reading my several posts very, very wrong. I make a case for a cfg file because the current one is static, it does not allow designers to take advantage of the Preferences. Case in point the current scenario that this thread is intended to discuss. And, in an earlier post this comment:"Well one very good reason is if preferences were set and saved by scenarios we'd be swamped with "bug" reports from people saying their game isn't playing correctly when it was a scenario designer that jacked them around for his scenario then they started a regular game and forgot to re-set the preferences." So, my cfg proposal was in response to your claim that you'd be swamped with bug reports when in fact after years of playing games with cfg files I have yet been a party to a game community where a bug was reported because of a cfg file.

So, because there is no one correct Preference setting, let the designer make his or her game play better by setting preferences by scenario. The player can still revert back to default if he or she wants too.

Anyway, you said NO. I'd like to get back to talking about the scenario, that is what this thread is intended. And, it is 20:22h and dinner is ready.

Adios amigo

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Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

So - I've experienced the bizarre long-range accuracy of the Iraqi force (and trust me, I've got preferences dialed WAY down in favor of me). Anyway - more knowledgeable people than me have weighed in, but I'm just reiterating my experience with the campaign.

What is tough is that the last mission - Highway of Death - automatically penalizes me a couple of thousand points. I think it might be because both US and Iraqi forces are starting on the same side of the divider line? I've replayed it several times, including removing all but a couple of tanks and HQ unit and it still thinks I had too big an arty overload advantage. I've placed them at the corners, edges, anywhere away from the divider line and the highway. Nada. Not that I care too much since I think it's the last mission in the campaign, but I thought it was bizarre.

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

Yeah, I do not know what to make of that either.
I'm reporting today on the second scenario, so I'm read the above with much interest and anticipation.

Desert Storm 1991 Scenario 2 (DSCSSI-1991 Scn2)

I’m finding the campaign challenging in the expansion of my core. I’m thinking TF-Jones will become a HCAB with two MBT companies and an Mech Infantry company in subsequent scenarios. Below I’ve listed the equipment purchased, force deployment, initial action, and a few suggestions.

Equipment Purchase

• M1A1HA+ Abrahms Platoon x1
• AH-64A Apache Section x1
• Stinger Team (Wheeled) Sec x1
• M106A2 Sec x1

Deployment
Bn Hq atop hill @ 24, 36 SW of Village
Mech Inf Co

• Dismounted, Line Abreast, NW-SW 100m east of Village
• Mech Inf Co Hq mounted inside Village

MBT Co

• MBT hq ready @ 13,53 atop hill NW of Village
• E Platoon at same location as MBT Hq, Line Abreast
• D Platoon @ 37, 44 SE of Village, Line Abreast along ridge
• T Platoon Abrahms inside village

Engr Platoon @ 8,17 Column, behind MBT Hq
M3A2 Bradley Cavalry Scouts

• N Platoon @ 41, 52 Line Abreast mounted
• O Platoon @ 14, 15 Line Abreast mounted, interspersed with MBT
  E Platoon

AH-64A Apache Sect @ 9, 10 Low Altitude
Other units behind MBT Hq
Fires

• MBT filters set at Armor at 30 hex
• Bradleys set Armor at 25 hex

Initial Action
T2, Bradley lit up a T-62 at 1850m

This scenario was every bit a “turkey shoot.” After the line units took their Oppty hits, I targeted any Iraqi unit within a 90% hit probability. By Turn 4, the scenario was over.

Suggestions

Identify Hq units.

Have TF-Jones placed on west of the Village on the road: a MBT platoon, a mounted Cavalry Scout section, and a section of M901A1. In subsequent turns have the remaining units enter the map. This forces the player to establish a hasty defense, which may prove more challenging.

Consider giving the Iraqi forces waypoints. If TF-Jones enters in Reinforcement Turns, then the Iraqi force should take the southern hill overlooking the village and the road running north to it.

Although I do not buy McDonalds, however, as the commerical says, “I’m loving it.”

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

You can get away with a CO Team - supplemented by a couple of mech scout sections to screen and hold smaller V-hexes. For me, the key was to have at least minimal aviation support to find the annoying stuff deep in like Red Mortar and Arty units - after a while, constant H&I just degrades you on the reaction phase.

Re: Desert Storm 1991 Campaign - Working Copy
 

Desert Storm Campaign 1991 Scenario 4 (DSC-1991 Scn4)

In this scenario I choose to make TF-Jones a HCAB with two MBT companies and an Mech Infantry company. Below I’ve listed the equipment purchased, force deployment, initial action, and a few suggestions.

Equipment Purchase

• M1A1HA+ Abrahms Platoon x2
• M1A1 MCBS Sec x1
• Mec Eng Pl x1
• M109A6 Paladin Bty x1
• M901A1 Sec x1
• M113A2 x 3
• Snipers x2
• 40mm Mk 19 GL Sec x2

Deployment
Bn Hq @ 25,39 Mounted, M577A3 C2V
C0 MBT Hq @ 28,39 V-Formation

• T Platoon V-Formation second line

F0 Mech Inf C0 @23,39 Mounted

• G, H Platoons Line Abreast @22,39 & 21,39
• I Platoon @19,39 Column Formation

X0 MBT Hq @29,10 Line Abreast
SP Arty @23.52 Line
AH-64A Sec @ 29,59 Low Altitude

Fires
MBT filters set at Armor at 30 hex
Bradleys set Armor at 25 hex

Initial Action
T1, X0 MBT elements destroyed 3 T-62’s @ 1250m

The campaign allotted a Core expansion of 4500 points with an additional 2500. Seems a wee bit high.

Suggestions

The Iraqi forces left their FPs once my lead tanks took the VHs @75,30. Just as I was lining up Foxtrot to assault the runway and hanger area, the Iraqi forces advanced to reclaim 75, 30. It was a slaughter. Again, I would suggest setting Iraqi units with range and filters on, and in this particular scenario, the Reaction Turn should be set to 98, so the Iraqi units will not leave their fighting positions.

Maybe just give the player a Combined Arms Battalion with additional support points. I may not understand the Core/Support algo, but in this scenario, well at least from my perspective, an additional 4500 plus another 2500 to whip Iraqi's seems a little on the high side.

I'm still "Lovin' it!"

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