401 Campaign Invasion Day and Beyond Preview

I'd like to give everyone participating in our campaign a preview of what the coming invasion of France will look like from a gameplay and competitive standpoint.

As before, since we do not have an active Luftwaffe flying component to our Squadron, all campaign gameplay and statistics will be restricted to the RAF side and members of 401/|450| Squadrons.

Following the successful completion of Campaign #5 ("The French Connection"), there will be a brief delay before the start of the invasion missions to allow for their design and modification to link up with the result of Campaign #5.

The invasion will involve elements of the following:

• Close support of landing craft/beachhead ground troops
  
• Destruction of inland heavy batteries
  
• Air superiority over the invasion zone
  
• Protection of naval ships providing artillery support
  

The Luftwaffe's resources in terms of aircraft in the invasion area will be adjusted based on the claims made during Campaign #5. The more enemy aircraft downed in the relevant sector, the fewer enemy aircraft will be based in that sector during the invasion.

Looking further to the beginning of Campaign #6 ("The Beginning of the End"), the overall damage done to German Army infrastructure across all three sectors in Campaign #5 will be factored into the beginning strength of the German forces for Campaign #6, regardless of which sector the Allied army has a foothold in.

For example, if significant damage to Pinetree sector was accomplished over the course of Campaign #5, but the eventual landing was made in Luton sector, German Army positions and defenses in the Pinetree sector during the ground war will be reduced.

Campaign #6, in which German Army ground positions and strongholds will be attacked and Allied army positions defended, will push the frontline across the map in a game of territorial acquisition. The final result of this will be the occupation of the entire map by Allied forces and will bring the No.401 Squadron/|450| Squadron Cliffs of Dover campaign to a conclusion.

With the end of the combat campaigns, we will hold an epilogue mission involving a Memorial Flight over London entitled "Epilogue: We Remember" and we will hold a period of silence to honour all those who truly flew and fought over England, Europe, and elsewhere during the Second World War.

Hi Wolverine,

Sounds interesting but just want to ask what you are intending re the blue side for #6. Will blue pilots be able to participate as we are doing now or will you go back to red only re human players?

Ezzie

Ezzie wrote:Hi Wolverine,

Sounds interesting but just want to ask what you are intending re the blue side for #6. Will blue pilots be able to participate as we are doing now or will you go back to red only re human players?

Ezzie

I'm contemplating what I think is the best way to incorporate Human opposition into the future campaigns. It's very early days yet for that.

"The enemy must be annihilated before he reaches our main battlefield...We must stop him in the water...destroying all his equipment while it is still afloat"
Field Marshall Erwin Rommel - 22nd April 1944

I can sum up my feelings with one word..."Goosebumps".

This sounds EPIC

With the number of luftwaffe joining the ranks wanting to fight for the fatherland increasing I have a feeling this is not going to be an easy feat for the raf

With the mighty sword of the luftwaffe we will crush the inferior raf back into the Stone Age

Wolverine wrote:

Ezzie wrote:Hi Wolverine,

Sounds interesting but just want to ask what you are intending re the blue side for #6. Will blue pilots be able to participate as we are doing now or will you go back to red only re human players?

Ezzie

I'm contemplating what I think is the best way to incorporate Human opposition into the future campaigns. It's very early days yet for that.

Ok -thanks Wolverine.

Ezzie

Is there anything I can do in terms of tracking statistics on a per mission basis ?

I'd like to keep it simple to start and expand as we go.

(One idea I have is to produce a log file that can be uploaded and I can parse it and store mission results.)

Feel free to create a new thread or contact me directly - I don't want to hijack the thread - I just think it would be good in terms of tracking losses.

Previously in a war I ran, we created persona's to track streaks, to promote survival, a 'Dead is dead' type environment. It was quite a bit of fun!

Recon: 401 already runs personas for their squadron. Howver, if you'd like to set up persona tracking for JG s 2 and 26 .. just post in the LW forums.

I'm meaning a webpage(s) that show the results of missions, tracks kills/losses etc... digital

401 has that for their pilots personas (check their earlier campaigns - and join me in hoping Ernie Capstick buys the farm). Blue does not. No one has a SoW style page though.

ok, gotcha, I'll chat with you about it and see what we can do

Thanks!

NOTE! DESIGN SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Due to the nature of the game environment and the assets available to us (flyable aircraft, ai aircraft, ground units, etc) the final campaign involving the ground assault through Northern France will necessarily 'diverge' somewhat from historical reality. Some attempts will be made to approximate the opposing force composition (aircraft allowed, etc) but in general there will be some poetic license involved.

There are several distinct aspects to a No.401 Campaign and these will be discussed below.

1. The Map

The channel map will be used in its entirity with combat focused on territory in France. Territory in England will only be used at the very outset of the campaign (until such time as adequate air bases in France are established to support the RAF squadrons. Several airfields for both teams will be detailed with objects. Airfields will be designated as bomber or fighter bases, and some bases will be reserved for AI squadrons and some for Player squadrons.

Each team is alloted 6 Player Airfields (three fighter and three bomber).

Ground defenses will follow a standard flak defense over all airfields and front lines.

The existing RDF / FREYA systems will be changed to represent mobile stations positioned in France. These mobile stations will have limited range and be vulnerable to destruction. They will have AA defensive positions protecting them. As the frontlines shift, the mobile stations will be repositioned.

Enemy territory will have triggers set to allow for scrambled air defenses, bringing AI interceptor fighters up from airfields nearby in an effort to destroy incoming aircraft. There will be no AI fighter sweeps.

2. The Preparation

Both teams will prepare for each mission by placing ARMY GROUPS on a map file containing the up to date front line information. Army Groups will be labeled (German Army Group A, German Army Group B, Allied Army Group A, Allied Army Group B, etc.). The number of army groups per side is yet to be finalized, but will be somewhere around 4 to 8 different army groups. Each Army Group will be composed of its ASSAULT DIVISION and its SUPPORT DIVISION.

The Assault Division will be the forward attacking units (several tanks, some light armoured vehicles, some fixed positions). This group is to be placed  on a main roadway in friendly territory in a grid square in which the frontline intersects.

The Support Division is the rear support supply group (fuel trucks, ammunition trucks, repair vehicles, some light anti-air). This group is to be placed along a viable road route 3 grid squares behind the Assault Division.

Triggers will be placed around each division that will indicate the following:
a) If the division has come under attack
b) If the division has suffered heavy casualties
c) If the division has been decimated

The triggers must not overlap the front line and must completely enclose all units in the division.

Both teams will also create up to 3 level bomber missions that target a specific area of the map where they suspect an army group may be placed. These missions will be selectable via the in game mission menu.

3. The Mission

Upon mission start, both teams will attempt to protect their army groups while destroying the enemy's. Should an army group be discovered in a location that may be hit by one of the 3 bomber missions, that team may launch the mission. Only one mission may be launched every hour. It is up to the defending team to identify if the raid is a threat, intercept it, and destroy it.

Army groups placed close to each other may engage one another in battle and may require close air support to survive.

Players may relocate their player squadron bases by successfully transferring at least 4 aircraft from the airbase to be moved to the airbase being moved to. The player must receive the 'landed safely' indicator.

4. The Result

• If an Assault Division is heavily damaged, it must retreat 2 grid squares along a main road route. The Support Division must retreat as well and be placed according to spacing rules for placing an Army Group.
  
• If an Assault Division is decimated, it is removed from play and the accompanying Support Division must retreat at least 2 grid squares along a main road route. The Assault Division is not replaced until reinforcements arrive. When reinforcements arrive, they are placed 3 grid squares in front of the Support Division's current location for one mission. In the following missions, they may be placed as normal.
  

• If a Support Division is heavily damaged, the Army Group may not be moved for one mission.
  
• If a Support Division is decimated, the Support Division is reduced to half strength for the following mission and the Army Group may not be moved for two missions.
  

• If an Assault Division has been destroyed in a previous mission and the accompanying Support Division is also destroyed before reinforcements have arrived, that Army Group is removed from play.
  

When a major city is captured, reinforcements are triggered and the team may select player airfields to replace any that were previously lost (up to 3 fighter bases and 3 bomber bases). If a major city recently captured remains held after the following mission, one Army Group that had previously been destroyed may be returned to the field at full strength.

When/if an active player airfield is captured, an air spawn is created for the following mission over that airfield. In order to secure another airfield, at least 4 aircraft must be flown from the air spawn to the newly chosen airfield and safely landed there. This is an attempt to simulate the 'scramble' to escape an approaching enemy force. If the players are unable to secure a new airfield during this mission, they must either recapture an active field of the enemy's or capture a major city.

A captured airfield will increase the number of allowed player airfields per team. For example, the RAF capture an active player Luftwaffe airfield but the RAF already have 6 active player airfields. Having captured a field, the RAF now have 7 active airfields. The captured airfield will always remain of the type that was captured (ie a bomber base captured may not become a fighter base).

Both teams must submit a final mission summary that outlines the results of the mission (any airfields relocated, any Divisions damaged or destroyed, etc.) Any disputes must be resolved before the next mission preparation can begin. Both teams adjust their mission file to reflect damaged, destroyed, or retreated divisions. Based on these movements, a new frontline is generated. Any captured major cities or airfields are identified and both teams are notified. Reinforcements are handled. Any Army Groups that have been completely surrounded are lost and removed from the map. Any airfield spawn point clean up is done (points removed and added as necessary) and the file is prepared for the next Mission Prep stage with the new frontline placed.

Hmm...sounds a little...even. I'd prefer something more akin to the actual situation. Not necessarily lay the 14000 sorties versus 192 on d day, but not a straight even fight either, with the ground war only shifting by air efforts