long camp question, question about other campaigns

[sp_fan_ny]

I really have 2 separate questions
1 - I played the old SSI dos-based steel panthers a lot and only found winSPWW2 within the past 6 months or so. the long campaign, starting as Germany in the Sept 1939 time frame seems to have a lot of points (and an allowable core of 200 units), and the battles seem long (40 turns). Do the points used to build the core "roll over" to be available for upgrade/repair between battles? And is there a way to affect the size of the battles?
2 - Is there a way to convert the old SSI campaigns - such as the north africa/afrika corps one - or does a north africa campaign and/or a russian front campaign exist somewhere?
thanks

[PanzerBob]

Good day, SP Fan NY

Welcome aboard.

In answer to part One.
-In campaigns, including the Long One, many things are adjustable through the PREFENANCE window. Plus during the setup for the campaign you can affect some modifiers. ALL THESE MUST BE DONE BEFORE YOU START.
>In PREF you can adjust the points.
>Points do roll over if you don't use them. Handy when you prefer to replace units as a whole.
>Now battle sizes can be affected several ways, First off by the size of your force. (This will also affect the size of the opponent.)
>Secondly, changing the time (turns –each being 3-5 mins in scale), which can be adjusted when your purchase window comes up for attached forces/build points. Click on the MAP button and you will find you can adjust many things that will affect how long the battle is. (Plus other things you may find interesting like changing the map.) There is a CLOCK icon, which allows you to change the time/turns. You can also adjust were the victory hexes will be. (I always adjust mine to reflect real military objectives like towns, crossroads, hilltops, and bridges to name a few.) You can also load a premade maps from there, from the list, or ones you’ve made yourself. Or just change the layout of the map presented for the scenario. Also you can change how far you can see. It’s an awesome feature, play around with it and you’ll see. It takes some extra time but I feel it’s worth it. Sometimes the computer generates maps that make no sense, militarily speaking.

Part TWO

I'm not sure and I'll let those in the know answer this one.

Prosit!

[pdoktar]

PanzerBob said:
Sometimes the computer generates maps that make no sense, militarily speaking.

Prosit!

Usually nothing does make sense in the military.. So the computer maps are just perfect for that!

[Mobhack]

sp_fan_ny said:
I really have 2 separate questions
1 - I played the old SSI dos-based steel panthers a lot and only found winSPWW2 within the past 6 months or so. the long campaign, starting as Germany in the Sept 1939 time frame seems to have a lot of points (and an allowable core of 200 units), and the battles seem long (40 turns). Do the points used to build the core "roll over" to be available for upgrade/repair between battles? And is there a way to affect the size of the battles?
2 - Is there a way to convert the old SSI campaigns - such as the north africa/afrika corps one - or does a north africa campaign and/or a russian front campaign exist somewhere?
thanks

Point 1)
Set up the preferences screen to what you want for a starting point size for your core in the beginning (there is a button for preferences in the campaign set up screen).
Game Guide "Playing a Campaign" link, and Game Guide "preferences Screen" link.

Also - set your preferred map size there (you can change the map size at core rebuild/repair, again from the preferences button on that screen, between battles)
Game Guide "Playing a Campaign" link, see the "campaign games, general points" paragraph - see the picture of the rebuild/repair screen has a "preferences" button? - poke that button if you need the prefs screen to adjust map size in between campaign games.

In a campaign - air control is decided by the historical level (setting the air preferences is ignored). The preferences for points etc are only referred to for buying troops in the core. Map size is the only preferences value of note for any subsequent battles (you can change that in the rebuild and repair screen between battles).

Unused build points run over.
Plus, you can take from that pile to buy support troops now (button to take 1000 repair points as 500(?)) support troop points). Also - in the campaign set up screen you can choose difficulty level (less or more repair points) if desired.

The AI will have its points in ratio to battle type and how much (core actual value + spent support points) you have.

You no longer have to buy a zillion cheap trucks as "place holders" for future core troops as in SP1/2/3. You can now expand your core later, or even delete core formations.

Set your battle conditions in the battle purchase/set-up screen as described in the manual - set number of turns, visibility, place victory hexes as you desire, or re-spin the map if so desired. Or set up the map generator and generate a completely custom random map.
Game Guide "Purcase Screen" link - see the view map button. Poking that allows access to the screen as described in game Guide "View map Screen" link.
main ones I use here:
- Set number of turns - clock icon
- Set Visibility - Binoculars icon
- Reshuffle the V-hex locations - Button with v-hex "measles"
- respin map completely (can choose from all available locs for that opponent and time, if there are several) - "/" key or button with a T shaped road
- Respin map with the same batloc and parameters (e.g. the town flag is set) Here, if you like the current map type and any variables (like it has a town, but you want it somewhere else, perhaps somewhere more tactically significant) - "=" key or the button with the red slash through it.

Point 2)
No - not unless you or somebody else write a new user campaign based on these. (User campaigns are tailored by the designer - see the manual for details).

For an Afrika Corps long campaign - set up your start and end dates in the normal (not WW2 LC) campaign generator, select GE and 3 opponents, and your end date. Here - use the normal campaign generator as you have an end date other than end of the war, and the batlocs should correspond properly (assuming you pick UK, Austaralians etc as OPFOR). OR - set up a ww2 long campaign as GE, choose the North African locations, but you will have to fight after North Africa. Here you could choose a DAK formation that survived and maybe fought through say Sicily and Italy as the LC stops at end of play in Europe.

For a GE East Front LC - simply use the WW2 Long Campaign, set up start date to Barbarossa, and when you get front choices - stick to East Front and the fighting in Berlin eventually etc.

Cheers
Andy

[sp_fan_ny]

Thanks for all the inputs everyone - I appreciate it!
Lenny

[PanzerBob]

Thanks Andy, I even learned a few new things, funny how you get into a routine and miss obvious.

Plus you answered my own age old question as to, where are the Allies getting all those airstrikes when I've set them so low. I'll know now to ensure I put more AAA into my core forces when playing the latter years.

Prosit!

[johannavich]

I really like the new map features for the campaigns,
especially being able to change vp locations.

I was not aware of these until reading this

Thanks

[Mobhack]

check out the "Release History" section of the Game Guide for all changes, in reverse order. (Latest at the top of the section).

The "Development History" section above that has a general overview.

Cheers
Andy