[WIP] Campaign - 29th Infantry redux

[Ts4EVER]

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

2nd Bataillon, 116th Regiment, 29th US Infantry

June - December 1944

Design by Ts4EVER

In this campaign you will command Company E, G, F and the heavy Company of 2nd Bataillon, 116th Infantry.
You will lead them from the beaches of Normandy, through the hell of bocage, the bombed out ruins of Brest and into the heart of Germany herself.
You will face a wide range of different challenges, both in terms of terrain and enemy forces.

This is the REDUX version of this campaign. Additional scenarios were added, balance was improved and all maps were remade with satellite data, courtesy of the Venhola tool.

The campaign is suitable for beginners. Even a new player should have no problems getting at least a draw in most battles, however, to achieve a decisive victory you will have to pull out all stops.
As can be expected, the campaign is infantry heavy, although you will command tanks in some scenarios. Unless you suffer a decisive defeat, you will be able to progress to the next scenario, although in some cases you might have to have another try at clearing the map.

You will receive 50 repair points between major battles. In some cases a draw or worse will instead require you to immediately carry on with another scenario, without refit. From time to time your force will be moved into
reserve for major reconstitution: In this case you will receive enough repair points to refit and upgrade your units. That said, it is not necessary to expand your core force.

Some scenarios limit your deployment area by advising you to deploy north or south of a certain line. Always listen to those instructions, otherwise the scenarios will not play out like intended!

NEW VERSION FURTHER DOWN

[Ts4EVER]

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.

[DRG]

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

[Ts4EVER]

Yes it is not ready for wide release.

[Ts4EVER]

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

[Ts4EVER]

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.

[Ts4EVER]

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_o7IsiaVhdQ3Q7JYaFIv4I-ehg?e=mPCrS0

[lukerduker123]

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

[Ts4EVER]

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

[DRG]

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 ?

[Ts4EVER]

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

[lukerduker123]

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!

[Ts4EVER]

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.

[Roman]

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

[Roman]

Scenario 2 of the campaign. finished in turn 29

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

[Ts4EVER]

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

[Roman]

Battle 3 in 24 turns

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

[Roman]

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

[Ts4EVER]

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.

[Roman]

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.

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

[Ts4EVER]

Yeah scenario 6, Saint Andre l'Epine.

[Ts4EVER]

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

[Roman]

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

[Ts4EVER]

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_JLdxuNJzKVwOiA?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.

[Roman]

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?

[Ts4EVER]

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

[Roman]

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

[Ts4EVER]

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...

[Roman]

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

[Roman]

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.

[Ts4EVER]

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.

[Roman]

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.

I have my force to 100%. Then i fight

[Ts4EVER]

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.

I have my force to 100%. Then i fight

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

[Ts4EVER]

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.

[Roman]

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

[Roman]

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.

[Ts4EVER]

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

[Roman]

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

Yeah. Auxiliary troops. The core force is fine

[Ts4EVER]

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

[Ts4EVER]

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.

[Ts4EVER]

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.

[DRG]

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

[DRG]

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

[Ts4EVER]

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.

[Ts4EVER]

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.

[DRG]

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.


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

[DRG]

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 ?

[Ts4EVER]

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

[DRG]

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


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

[Ts4EVER]

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

[DRG]

It's not a problem but that is why some of the check utilities are built in to allow double-checking issues like this before the scenario gets into the campaign or even that the scenario gets posted as a scenario. That's why those checks are there, not just for us

[Ts4EVER]

Yeah I will use scenhack in the future.

[zovs66]

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

You should take a look at some of the 300 scenarios I have created over 50% have OOB tweaks and various other surprises and trick. I highly recommend you get yourself familiar with the indispensable ScebHack tool.

[DRG]

There are two reasons those checks are there

For scenario designers to check their editing efforts did not create a problem and that any OOB changes did not create a problem

[Ts4EVER]

Hi,
I noticed that the released, slot 13 version of this campaign on my machine uses the new scenarios, but still the old briefings, which sometimes don't line up with the scenarios anymore, since new ones were added.
I don't know if this is only on my end, caused by me messing with the files during development, or a general issue. Could somebody who has the v17 update please check this file in the campaign folder:
U013i004.txt
If the text in this file has the heading: "July 11, 1944*
Saint-Andre-de-l'Epine*"

it is outdated!

The correct heading would be:
June 12, 1944*
Into the Bocage

If it turns out to be incorrect, I will release a "Patch" here that replaces the briefings with the correct ones, the actual gameplay would be unaffected.

[WilliamB]

Checked in mine, have July 11, 1944* Saint-Andre-de-l'Epine*.

[DRG]

I thought I had moved everything to slot 13 but obviously not.....:doh:

Go ahead and release the "patch" for this once you are certain that it is the only one. Post it on this thread AND separately as a "sticky" that will show at the top of the list. If you cannot make it sticky I will

[Ts4EVER]

Alright, I made a zip with all the updated briefings. Some where indeed correct, but the first 7 or so in the campaign were outdated, as well as victory / defeat ones missing.

You can just unzip the archive into the campaign folder and overwrite the wrong ones automatically.

[Roman]

Hello. I don't remember why I am. After a long time to have left the last battle in half I see that I did not plan it very well.

undefined

https://i.imgur.com/3hZb5He.png

[Roman]

https://i.imgur.com/3hZb5He.png

[Ts4EVER]

That is scenario number 12.

[Roman]

Long stage. I got a draw. I took all the objectives in the right time. But the enemy artillery was relentless.

https://i.imgur.com/3zQhIiM.png
https://i.imgur.com/pyTlNS4.png

[Roman]

Let's go to the next battle

https://i.imgur.com/DQ2D2nY.png

[Roman]

Battle 13? concluded. I don't give details not to reveal the stage.

https://i.imgur.com/tW9AxRB.png
https://i.imgur.com/M3KGxve.png

[Ts4EVER]

Good result on that! Yes, that was mission 13 and the next is mission 14. Regarding the Vire one, I wonder if you are still running an old one where the pre destroyed Shermans still had a point cost, that might explain that result. This should already be fixed in the release version.

[Roman]

Good result on that! Yes, that was mission 13 and the next is mission 14. Regarding the Vire one, I wonder if you are still running an old one where the pre destroyed Shermans still had a point cost, that might explain that result. This should already be fixed in the release version.

Ahhh Possibly because AFV losses appear, I had no armored.

[Roman]

The problem remains that I have to manually assign the platoons of the auxiliary troops to their respective companies.

[Ts4EVER]

That might sadly not be fixable, I think it is caused by the switch in the aux unit numbers once the core force is "introduced".

[Roman]

No problem. It is done by hand.
I think it would be good to warn the players about that because it is good to organize companies well.

[Roman]

Battle 14 completed

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

https://i.imgur.com/h0Adnwd.png

[Ts4EVER]

Nice! That was one of the biggest scenarios in the campaign. It goes on normally with Scenario 15 from here, that one is a bit unusual.

[Roman]

Nice! That was one of the biggest scenarios in the campaign. It goes on normally with Scenario 15 from here, that one is a bit unusual.

So it seems. A long 58 shift scenario. I arrived with the fair because I advanced carefully. It was a challenge to handle three battle fronts.

[Roman]

End of scenario 15. relatively quiet

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

https://i.imgur.com/QkCWg4x.png

Let's go for stage 16

https://i.imgur.com/e2QjkrG.png

[Ts4EVER]

Yeah that is mission 16. That one is pretty difficult and you might want to limit your advance so as not to lose too many people.

[Roman]

Yeah that is mission 16. That one is pretty difficult and you might want to limit your advance so as not to lose too many people.

Yes. I will try to be careful. The information says it will be difficult. I have approximately 160 points for forces repair but I have to take care of the main force.
And in urban land my greatest fear is the enemy heavy artillery.

[Roman]

Once the battle of Würselen is finished. With many casualties. The 116 battalion could be reinforced by Compete for the next battle.

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

https://i.imgur.com/rm5QUJ0.png

[Roman]

Another battle ended. I lost two tanks at the end :(

https://i.imgur.com/JMwz7q2.png

Next ...

https://i.imgur.com/Gb4fAbV.png

[Ts4EVER]

The Juelich map is the biggest of the whole campaign and there are 4 battles on it.

[jivemi]

Hi Ts. Probably it's just me but whenever I try to simply start this campaign, after the first non-battle with one V-hex pressing "Continue" leads to a battle screen without any units loaded in transports and just a couple unloaded units still on the beach.Tried it several times with same result. Have freebie version of v17. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[Ts4EVER]

Hi, first of all, have you downloaded the fix from this forum? That fixes issues with the briefings. Other than that, I just started the second level on my laptop and it seems to work, you will see your whole core force in that grey hex at the map edge and have to load them into the LCVPs by hand.