PzB North Africa 1941 - Feedback

[EdTanktread]

PBNA41 Feedback Part Two

I would like to once again express my great appreciation for all the work that has gone into this latest addition to the Panzer Battles series. I am thoroughly enjoying the game, and what follows is in no way meant as criticism. I have recently been playing Brevity Day One with variable victory points as both the Axis and the Allies in PBEM, and the Full Compass scenario as the Allies against the AI. I observed the following:

In PBEM, after ending your turn the victory point values of objective hexes are no longer subject to Fog of War; that is, the value of the hex to both players, at that moment, becomes revealed. This is so in the Objectives Dialog as well, where values for the entire game can be seen. This is what is occurring now as I play Brevity Day 2 PBEM. In Brevity Day 1 FOW is reversed, my side’s values turning into question marks.

In the scenario descriptions this occurs:

Important play note; to move large formation along roads, select the lead unit and while holding the 'ALT' key down, right click on a road hex in the direction of movement.

This is incorrect. From the User Manual (I have put in capital letters what is in bold face in the original) :

To issue a column movement order for a division, select any HEX containing a unit of the division and then RIGHT CLICK on the destination hex while holding down the ALT key. In immediate mode, you do NOT select any units in the division, only a hex containing units of the division.

In Compass, selecting a truck unit causes ALL allied units to be highlighted. Perhaps this is not necessary.

In Compass Full, there seems to be something wrong with the Axis AI. Everywhere, upon the approach of Allied troops, Italian units lunge forward out of prepared defensive positions, often directly into their own obstacles, in an attempt to engage the enemy. Disrupted units advance toward the enemy.

Some Questions:

What are the +75, +77, +79, etc. for, and are they mentioned in the manuals?

In Compass the Brigade HQ units are motorized but their HQ infantry platoons are on foot. Is this correct?

[hub6actual]

......

[Strela]

All, firstly thank you for all the feedback!

I have not had time to comment/respond to each of your comments but everything mentioned is valuable and in some areas been considered by us.

One positive, is that I'm expecting new builds for all the PzB series soon. All will include material included with North Africa.

More to follow soon,

David

[Chris Merchant]

Great news David!  Love the first two in the series and the updates will be gratefully received!

cheers Chris

[Lohengrin]

PBNA41 Feedback Part Two

Important play note; to move large formation along roads, select the lead unit and while holding the 'ALT' key down, right click on a road hex in the direction of movement.

This is incorrect. From the User Manual (I have put in capital letters what is in bold face in the original) :

To issue a column movement order for a division, select any HEX containing a unit of the division and then RIGHT CLICK on the destination hex while holding down the ALT key. In immediate mode, you do NOT select any units in the division, only a hex containing units of the division.

It's important to note that these actually are two different moves. They have different behavior: The former selects your formation and gives all its units an AI order to the destination.

In the latter, you don't select the unit, only the hex it's in, and you right-click wherever you want the "column" to travel. No AI direction at all, just a one-click move.

If you make a mistake doing the former when you meant to do the latter, go into the AI orders section and cancel those orders for the selected formation.

[EdTanktread]

PBNA41 Feedback Part Two

Important play note; to move large formation along roads, select the lead unit and while holding the 'ALT' key down, right click on a road hex in the direction of movement.

This is incorrect. From the User Manual (I have put in capital letters what is in bold face in the original) :

To issue a column movement order for a division, select any HEX containing a unit of the division and then RIGHT CLICK on the destination hex while holding down the ALT key. In immediate mode, you do NOT select any units in the division, only a hex containing units of the division.

It's important to note that these actually are two different moves. They have different behavior: The former selects your formation and gives all its units an AI order to the destination.

In the latter, you don't select the unit, only the hex it's in, and you right-click wherever you want the "column" to travel. No AI direction at all, just a one-click move.

If you make a mistake doing the former when you meant to do the latter, go into the AI orders section and cancel those orders for the selected formation.

I thought AI movement was an element of Panzer Campaigns, and in fact the quoted text is from the PzC User Manual. But I am seeing (in Panzer Battles) that units of the same organization will move together by selecting a unit OR only selecting a hex containing a unit of that organization, and right-clicking a destination hex while holding down the ALT key. So I beg your pardon, the process described in the scenario descriptions works.

[dukemat]

having played quite a few of the scn's, I wish there were longer scn's.

very disappointed that there was no BIG Crusader battle.

a bunch of 10 and 15 turn scn's and one 32 turn.
I personally think those small scn's are a waste of time.

Tobruk 41 has a 100 plus turn of the Crusader Campaign and its interesting and fun.

[Ricky B]

having played quite a few of the scn's, I wish there were longer scn's.

very disappointed that there was no BIG Crusader battle.

a bunch of 10 and 15 turn scn's and one 32 turn.
I personally think those small scn's are a waste of time.

Tobruk 41 has a 100 plus turn of the Crusader Campaign and its interesting and fun.

Will take that into consideration, at some level. David and I have talked about it a bit, for longer scenarios. But so much of the action was fight, rest and refuel, and fight somewhere else. Just using the standard tools, the units could be placed and let the players have at it, but it likely wouldn't last more than a few days, and there is no way to represent the British rebuilding their tank forces with repairs and reserves to outnumber the German/Italians after a week or so, along with the German repairs getting tanks back into action. Anyway, will see what can be done.

I am working on what will probably be a two day hypothetical attack on Tobruk, if Crusader hadn't been launched, still in progress, for release in the first update, if I can wrap that up at least.

Rick

[Green]

Like Dukemat, I wish there were some longer Crusader scenarios. I cannot get enough of this battle. But I really cannot agree about the smaller Crusader scenarios being a waste of time. People should really give these a go as they contain a number of interesting and challenging situations. I have been working my way through them and they represent some of the most entertaining gaming I have ever had. And I recommend playing them blind - there are some great surprises!

[Strela]

Like Dukemat, I wish there were some longer Crusader scenarios. I cannot get enough of this battle. But I really cannot agree about the smaller Crusader scenarios being a waste of time. People should really give these a go as they contain a number of interesting and challenging situations. I have been working my way through them and they represent some of the most entertaining gaming I have ever had. And I recommend playing them blind - there are some great surprises!

Thanks Green, I agree!

Rick did a great job with these and there is a range of very different situations to try.

There are some bigger scenarios included with the game with the three day, 90 turn Battleaxe being the longest. That was 'easy' to do as the units were essentially in contact the whole time and had very little in the way of refit. There is also a two day, 56 turn Crete scenario(s) included as well as a 48 turn Brevity and 42 turn Beda Fomm. Dependent on whether there is any night action these are usually longer than a day.

As Rick mentions he is building a larger, hypothetical assault scenario on Tobruk assuming Crusader did not launch. This attack had been planned but the British assault impacted the planned operation.

The longest scenario we have done for any Panzer Battles game is the Operation Bluecoat ‐ Baffing up the Charlie Love which is 144 turns long - essentially 5 days. This scenario was the reason we built the variable VP's into North Africa as we learned from that scenario that static VP's didn't work the way we wanted.

I'm really hopeful I will build my dream version of Operation Bluecoat with variable VP's for the next Normandy patch. That scenario has been some of my best playing experience for a long time and would be even better with a mix of variable VP's pushing the Allies to drive to the hills to the south and for the Germans to be rewarded on holding the line for as long as feasible. The best thing is that you can prevent the Allies from getting a heap of points for just clearing the front lines.

One final comment - not that we want to go back and redo scenarios too often, but we have realised that we have some formations in the wrong place in Brevity and more importantly, some amazing new information on Battleaxe. This battle is actually very hard to get really in-depth information on, but we have been working with an author who has written the most amazing history based upon primary sources. I plan to validate our setups based upon that once we get all the information.

David