Bueno, ando con una semana mas mala que el malo de una pelicula de James Bond... solo falta que me mee un perro en los zapatos...
En fin, nuevo reporte, sacan los ultimos 7 escenarios del juego y quizas sean los mas interesantes porque traen polacos y a nuestros amigos los gabachos... aunque si no fuese por la sangre española en las venas de la 9ª blindada los sangrehorchata esos no saldrian ni del embarcadero
El tema es que tienen acabado el aspecto grafico, an actualizado cosas como los nombre franceses de las localizaciones, estan acabando la documentacion....
Hi All,
After the data loss scare of last week, we're back to normal programming...!
A surprising amount has been done post game recovery. Here are some examples;
All the unit & counter graphics have been completed (I'll do a count soon - I'm certain it's in the thousands!)
Further updates to the French names on the master map - this has been a passion of DaveMic who has tirelessly reviewed the whole map. I'm greeted every day with emails full of additions and corrections!
The final scenarios (?) have been received. Most of these need testing and that will be the big focus now.
The documentation is nearly all done. There is work left to do on the map pack, user and getting started documentation. Most of these required all the scenarios to be completed.
Talking about documentation, these will be as good, if not batter than the quality released with Kursk. Like Kursk, they will be available for free for those considering buying the game. I'm working on the Getting Started document currently and there is a lot to do here as there is so many more things players can do in Normandy compared to Kursk.
For our first shot this week, here is the draft cover from the Getting Started manual;
Imagen de la guia para el "quiero jugar y lo quiero hacer ahora PERO no soy tan omvre como para hacerlo sin seguir una guia"
Operacion Totalize, la idea inicial era un unico escenario de dos dias pero lo han troceado en fases para hacerlo mas jugable si no el aliado arrasaria...
This week we will cover the final seven scenarios in the game.
They pick up from the last preview which included Mortain and moves back to the fighting around Caen.
Operation Totalize has been a labour of love for me. Glenn Saunders had started the original version that had languished until a few months ago. I finally got around to looking at it and after reading two books on the battle, thought I was ready to tackle this fascinating battle. My original intention was to cover both days of the battle, but realised that this didn't work as the Allied player essentially had the equivalent of three Armoured and two Infantry Divisions versus a German Infanterie Division and an SS Regiment/Brigade. It was a cakewalk for the Allies and hard to emulate the 'caution' the Canadians showed.
I then considered breaking the battle down into phases and that provided a more satisfactory (and playable) solution.
Primer cacho, asalto canadiense inicial y el contraataque aleman, el ataque se hizo de manera especial con columnas para perforar el frente aleman y arrollar... como punto especial una regla que hace que apartir de las 7AM las tropas canadienses se puedan quedar congeladas... 15% de que ocurra.
24 turnos y kanguros, no sea que se pongan a hacer balconing que es dejarlos solos y con algo mas fuerte que un mosto y se nos pierden
The first scenario based on the battle is #0808_03 Operation Totalize - Phase One. This scenario covers the initial Canadian night time assault through to the counterattack by Kampfgruppe Waldmuller. General Guy Simonds had been appalled by the infantry losses in Operation Spring and resolved to both attack at night and put his infantry into armoured troop carriers. These were in the main, Priest tracked artillery with the gun removed and affectionately dubbed Kangaroos for the 'pouch' that carried the infantry. The second innovation Simonds tried was a column march to quickly breach the German lines. He created seven columns that were six vehicles wide and over two hundred vehicles long (including Kangaroos) that were to penetrate the German defences and drive on to their objectives. These columns were to be guided by navigators, radio direction finding and even Bofors AA guns firing tracer to indicate the direction to go. Preceded by heavy bombing attacks, the advance march was surprisingly successful with most columns reaching their objectives quickly. This was despite zero visibility in the dark due to the effects of the bombing and the clouds of dust attributable to so many vehicles. Attacking in column like this during the day would have been suicide.
The scenario is (currently) 24 turns long and has the unique issue that Canadians might halt their advance anytime from 7 am (15% chance). This reflects the halt Simonds called once he realised his forces were on their objectives and would have to wait until a second round of heavy bombing occurred at midday. From a scenario perspective only units not in contact will be fixed. The Canadian halt gave the Germans a chance to reset their defences and launch their initial counterattacks.

Detalle del dispositivo de ataque aliado.

La ultima batalla de Wittman, 8 turnos
#0808_04 Gaumesnil - Wittmann's Last Ride (8 turns) covers the initial German counterattack launched by Meyer's Hitlerjugend Division. This attack was accelerated when it became apparent that the Allies were about to launch another bombing raid (the same raid the Canadians had halted for). Meyer could see that the Allies had stopped but were bringing up two fresh Armoured Divisions (4th Canadian & 1st Polish) and if they were not 'put off balance' the German line would never be reformed in time. Despite Wittmann's death (with four other Tiger tanks) the German attack was generally successful;

Otro escenario corto de 7 turnos con los polacos como actores principales... parece ser que aqui los patos van con escopeta y tiran con bala jejeje.
With both the Allied bombing and the German counterattack over, Simonds committed his two Armored Divisions at 2 pm. It was the first time in battle for both formations and the Polish were particularly keen to be in action. Polish Major General Mazcek pushed forward with little deployed artillery or support assets and ran straight into Kampfgruppe Waldmuller.
#0808_05 Cauvicourt - Blooding the Polish (7 turns) covers this first time engagement for the Poles. Of note the Japgpanzer IV company present was to fight tenaciously during Operation Totalize with two vehicles alone claiming over 40 Shermans knocked out.

Segundo dia de Totalize, 25 turnos, canadienses mas perdidos que un pulpo en un garage y que encima se meten en una merienda de... SS
For the second day of Operation Totalize, Jeff Conner created the 25 turn #0809_01 Worthington Force - Sacrifice on Point 140.
This scenario covers the almost incomprehensible 'loss' of two Canadian armoured and infantry regiments. Colonel Worthington was ordered to move South West and take Point 195. Leaving in the dark he headed South East and sighting higher ground assumed he was at his objective. Unfortunately he had arrived at Point 140, which just happened to be the rally position for Kampfgruppe Waldmuller. When the Germans discovered the lost Canadians deep within their lines, they commenced furious attacks to destroy them. The Canadians took almost all day to find their lost regiments and by then it was too late;

11 de agosto sector americano, 36 turnos para el ataque del V cuerpo tratando de hacer una bolsa con las tropas alemanas que atacaron Mortain, mapa con bastante variacion de altura.
For the 11th August, we move back into the American sector. With the Mortain counterattack stopped, the Americans were moving behind the German lines with little opposition. General Patton wanted to drive onto the Seine while the more cautious senior Allied Generals wanted to pocket the Germans before they could retreat.
Rick Bancroft has authored the 36 turn #0811_01: Barenton - V Corps Strikes. This was a first attempt to trap the German Panzer forces that had attacked at Mortain and at the very least cut their supply roads. Both the US 2nd & 3rd Armored Divisions feature. You can see the overall map here and the significant height differences;


Micro escenario de 8 turnos con los franceses luchando contra los indios en los bosques canadienses... ups, guerra equivocada...
The French like the Polish were only committed late in the battle of Normandy. After arriving very late in July, they had chased the retreating Germans but had had very few engagements.
#0812_01 Forêt d'Ecouves - The Crossroads is an 8 turn 'mini' battle that covers a close range engagement in the Forêt d'Ecouves;

La batalla de los 5 ejercitos... pero sin hobbits ni enanos ni orcos
29 turnos superdivertidos en Falaise, aun esta por testear pero promete emociones fuertes con todos atacando y al mismo tiempo defendiendo.
Jeff Conner has been working on #0820_01 Falaise - The Battle of Five Armies (29 turns) for quite a while. This scenario was literally delivered this morning and will go straight into the testing queue. This looks like a very innovative scenario and will have both sides desperately attacking & defending. I can't wait to give it a try.
This shot covers the overall map. The Canadian and Poles have come from the North and the Americans and French from the South. The Poles had to hold the 'Mace' (a hilltop position) against attacks from inside and outside of the pocket and were cut off for the best part of two days;

Here is a closer view of the Mace position, significant German forces from Das Reich will arrive on the eastern map edge and attempt to push the Poles back;

Here is another zoomed shot of the German forces trying to cross the Dives River and open a wide enough gap in the Allied lines. Chambois was a particular focus and the Poles were under extreme pressure here and at the Mace position;

Y eso es todo, currando en algunos escenarios para jugar contra la IA, testeo y a vueltas con la documentacion... a ver si los chicos se dan prisa porque se les echa encima el turron 