[WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Hi,
due to SAS-Troopers feedback in the original campaign thread, I decided to start a remake of this 2012 campaign of mine.
When I say "remake" I mean it, this is not just a fixup: All maps will be replaced by entirely new ones made with the Venhola tool, leading to improved detail and realism. I also decided to add branches, as well as additional scenarios that were not in the original at all. I also will fix some historical mistakes.
In the attachments you will find a WIP version that goes up to the battle of Saint Lo. It would be nice if some people could test it and give me feedback on how it runs, especially difficulty. If you want to test it, best keep a savegame from the end of the last scenario, so you can just keep going from there once I release an updated version with more scenarios.
Ts4EVER

NEW VERSION FURTHER DOWN

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

One thing I maybe should have mentioned: the later scenarios have long time limits. It would be good if people playing the campaign could tell me how many rounds they needed to clear these maps, so I can finetune the time settings.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Since this is a WIP I will not include it in the update / patch

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Yes it is not ready for wide release.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Any feedback from those who have tried it out? Would be very helpful.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

New version, the campaign now runs until September 1944. 14 scenarios in all plus one setup scenario. If you played it before you should be able to just continue your last save.
The Germany missions are still missing.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Next installment. This version adds the fighting around Aachen and the Roer river plain, up until Operation Grenade in February 1945, which means that I am now officially past the end date of the original campaign! These scenarios represent something of a climax of the campaign, also in terms of difficulty.
I am in the process of planning and researching now for 2 or 3 additional scenarios set in the Ruhr Pocket. After that, the campaign will be officially done. There are 24 scenarios now, with 21 being actual gameplay scenarios.
As always, if you have been "playing along" you can just continue your save.

BTW making venhola maps in this area is massively complicated by the fact that coal extraction has utterly changed the landscape after 45.

Apparently the file is now too big to actually upload, even zipped... I will try to host it on my onedrive instead, tell me if it works:

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Apjf_o7IsiaVhdQ3...I-ehg?e=mPCrS0

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Remind me once I get off work tomorrow to give this a try! I can't believe I missed this.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Well, not sure how I would remind you, but thanks!
BTW, I think one reason why the file is too big to upload here now is that I added massive real life maps, some of which are used several times, with differing amounts of destruction, as the player moves across them.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/oER3oYoA3xcXAC17A

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Sy11YpoSfugjxaK67

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Yeah 3.7MB is a bit large for this website but it downloaded very quickly from your onedrive account and I don't have what you might call a zippy-fast internet connection

I assume this is still a WIP ?

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Yes, still WIP: I will add 2 or 3 more scenarios in April 45.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Writing this up right before bed to simply state that the D-Day mission is as savage and cruel as ever. Pushing all my men up one beach, even with smoke and suppression of those !!!! nebelwerfers is being an absolute pain in the rear. Good job!

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Thanks. Please pay attention to the difficulty, and especially if the reinforcement points are enough, while still having some missions where you operate a bit "understrength", as was often the case.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

I am playing your campaign. I just made the first battle. The 49 shifts reached fair to take all the objectives. It was funny

https://i.imgur.com/O3irhmf.png

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Scenario 2 of the campaign. finished in turn 29

https://i.imgur.com/FRyWJVw.png

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

You get a better k/d than me when testing :D.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Battle 3 in 24 turns

https://i.imgur.com/obkvyf8.png

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Hello. I have a problem with the English language and I miss a little. This battle will be the 5? The previous battles that I shared should have a number above since I did not count the first scenario that is not a battle.
If it is the 5, it would not be night battle? From what the text of the stage says. And has visibility 62.
https://i.imgur.com/aaDbOjX.png

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

You skipped one battle because you managed to completely clear the village in battle 3. If you had gotten a draw or worse, you would have fought on the same map, but with a different setup zone, no tanks, and at night.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Okay. I have to translate the scenario information from the campaign files. What scenario would it be? The 6?

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Yeah scenario 6, Saint Andre l'Epine.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Did you continue your playthrough? Or was there a problem?

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

I'm playing it but slowly because I'm busy with work. I have taken the northern objectives.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

I am finally done with the campaign!

I added two more scenarios in April 1945. Somewhat counterintuitively, these final scenarios are noticeably less difficult than the earlier ones, since you face mostly remnants, Volkssturm and in one instance, the guards of a women slave worker camp.

The link is here:
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Apjf_o7IsiaVhdU_...VwOiA?e=vQ25oX

This campaign can replace the older one in slot 13, since it is, in my view, strictly superior to the older version.
The balance was adjusted, every single map has been replaced with a satellite based one and I think I don't promise too much when I say that this might be the most historically accurate campaign in WinSPWW2. In some cases I used German divisional documents from the Bundesarchiv to even simulate the enemy's small arms loadout (within the confines of the game, of course).

Still, I would be VERY grateful if somebody could actually play through the whole thing for testing purposes. I am pretty sure I nailed the difficulty better than in the old one, but still, there is only so much I can test it, knowing where everything is beforehand.

I will also make replacements for the old standalone scenarios, as well as a pack of battle maps, but this will probably happen next weekend.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

I have resumed the campaign. There will be news when my battle ends.
Question: Do I finish the current battle and then I update the campaign?

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

You can already update it, it should make no difference for your save. You will automatically resume the updated version then.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

I resumed the battle after a long time. I managed to take the objectives in turn 50. I had too many casualties for bad movements and for having had very close units during enemy bombing.

https://i.imgur.com/fb3gdpv.png

https://i.imgur.com/HDhIai5.png

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Yeah, bocage and Fallschirmjäger will lead to heavy casualties. Then again, you will probably wish yourself back to the bocage once you are under artillery fire on the muddy Roer river plains...

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

The battle ended with great losses again. I made the same mistake. I hope I have learned for the next battles.
https://i.imgur.com/3K2do0W.png
https://i.imgur.com/PPnBdNH.png

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

After the mixup yesterday we find ourselves stranded in front of our line. German infiltrators have cut the road back up the ridge, as well as our telephone lines.
Luckily, we still have radio contact with command.
*
*
This is the situation: The Germans either haven't realized our predicament or don't see us as a threat. Instead they keep counter attacking the ridge. At the same time
it is becoming ever clearer that after the previous battles of attrition, the enemy is on the ropes: his artillery fire slackens and his defensive
lines are held ever more thinly.
*
*
As commander, you have to make a decision. There are two options:*
A: Hold your position and await relief from 3rd battalion. This is the historical outcome. Saint-Lo will be captured "offscreen" by Task Force C and you will be moved into reserve for refit. The campaign will continue in the aftermath of Operation Cobra.*
B: Use your position as a jumping off point for an attack on Saint-Lo in an alternate history scenario. Due to being cut off, you will receive NO repair points.

*
*
Objectives: *
Deploy your forces in the indicated area. *
Capture the objective to order an attack or ignore it to stay on the defensive. *
*
Enemy: There will be no combat.


So if I choose to fight, I will not receive repair points? Although I won the fight?
It would be important to know because it seems to me that I have only 35 repair points left after repairing everything in the last battle.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

If you choose to fight, you get no repair points and will do one more battle. AFTER that battle you get repair points again. If you feel like your force is too weak, you can skip it (they did it in real life). Then you dont play that battle and immediately get the repair points. You will completely skip that level then.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

I have my force to 100%. Then i fight

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Good! If you succeed, you will have beaten the historical result.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

As promised earlier, these are the extracted maps from the campaign for use in generated battles. I deleted the campaign specific map texts and most of them are without pre-placed battle damage.
All were made with the venhola tool based on satellite data. They use slots 500 - 514.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Another marginal victory but with many fewer casualties. I lost two tanks that I moved unnecessarily. The enemy's anti-tank tanks were well-positioned and strong.

https://i.imgur.com/xp5t89r.png
https://i.imgur.com/CMO5Aco.png

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

The next battle I had marginal victory. My troops were a meters to take the last three goals (three targets together on the map's SW). The casualties were scarce. As it was too late I finished the game and did not get screenshots. But I'm already in the next battle.
A detail to consider the auxiliary troops is that the balls are not associated with their respective company commanders. I had to associate by hand. And it seems to me that the same thing happened in another previous battle.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

You mean the platoons are not assigned to the company HQ?

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Yeah. Auxiliary troops. The core force is fine

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Alright, will add it to my list of issues to fix, thanks!

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Any news on the playthrough? I know that scenario you are at is pretty tough, but if you feel you won't win without wrecking your force, you can just consolidate whatever ground you've won (it's what they did in real life).
Anyway, I also pulled out three scenarios from the campaign. They overwrite scenarios 430 - 432 with their updated versions.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Actually, scratch that, I made a mistake above, I still had the old format scenarios in my install and copied those by mistake... use these ones instead.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Tobias

I don't suppose you have a copy of the 29th Redux that is set up to replace the original in slot 13?

NEVERMIND......... I have it sorted out:D

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

JUST FYI .......I will sort this out in the 29th redux


When you get creative with units be extra careful when radically changing the weapons so that you don't inadvertently provide the new weapon with an ammo type it should not have

https://i.imgur.com/bm8ToJF.png



There are four of the scenarios in the campaign with similar little issues ...I WILL DEAL WITH THEM and they will be corrected when the update is released. In any event, they are not game-changer issues

Problem Found in scenario 890 --- 0890 - In the wake of the Cobra
Problem Found in scenario 893 --- 0893 - Fort Montbarey Redux
Problem Found in scenario 899 --- 0899 - Juelich Redux
Problem Found in scenario 905 --- 0905 - Waltrop

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Ah, ok, cheers for that. I try to pay attention to that of course, but with the amount of changes I do, some slip through the cracks.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

BTW, the reason I do this is because wherever possible I base the small arms layout on the ones reported in actual documents in that month. Many of these are available online today, and being German, I can luckily read them. This is the reason for example that many of the Volksgrenadier units have been modified: According to the docs, both of the Vgren Divisions in the Juelich sector had Beretta smgs in stock and one of them had an unusual number of G43 rifles, which makes me believe that they probably substituted the StG44s in their assault platoons with them in some cases.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

And that is a legitimate reason to change the units but you want to avoid giving a Russian Capture rifle HEAT ammo. In this case it won't affect gameplay but it does put the error ferret software we use to check for problems on high alert which means I have to check every one that appears because sometimes it does find serious issues.


The simple way deal with this before I have to deal with it to check each scenario with scenhack before you integrate it into the campaign. What I am looking for at this stage is if any changes made to the OOBs have caused problems not 085 - MG-Nest - OOB 16 Germany (OOB Index 525) <Slot 3 bad AP Ammo> in 0899 - Juelich Redux......... those I have to go into the scenario and fix manually

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

0890 - In the wake of the Cobra
===========================

028 - M4 81mm MMC - OOB 12 USA (OOB Index 102) [Weapon slot 1 = 20]
038 - M4 81mm MMC - OOB 12 USA (OOB Index 102) [Weapon slot 1 = 20]

Was it your intent to not give these SP mortars any HE ammo ?

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Yes. Those forces are just for "show", it is in the briefing too.

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

When you do that it sets off "alarms" and has to be checked

Re: [WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux
 

Yeah, makes sense. I realize that I "mess with" the game more than most in my scenarios, sometimes that goes wrong.