Scenario: War of the Fleas: the Blue Hills

[shahadi]

Originally Posted by Grant1pa

I received a new manual a few weeks ago which I've found to be an excellent reference for Russian (Red Team) tactics. It's compact and saves you looking through the older field manuals for composition and tactics for Russian/Soviet/Soviet bloc forces. Lightning Press publishes it, and it's called OPFOR Smartbook - Red Team Army. The only thing I don't like about it is that it is flat bound rather than a spiral binding like their other manuals. But it also comes as a digital download with/reader. Well worth the price.

Thanks for the tip on the OPFPR Smartbook. I had found, "How to Defeat the Motorized Rifle Company at the National Training Center: Observations from an MRC Commander." It is a pdf available on the Internet. Although it appears as interesting stuff, the OPFOR Smartbook,as you suggest saves a lot of time from reading several FM's on the subject.

Thanks for the tip

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[Grant1pa]

I've spent the last week totally revising this scenario. I know I should have been more diligent prior to posting it originally, but I've undergone a substantial learning curve in understanding the AI (or so it thinks...)in attempting to simulate realistic OPFOR tactics.

I had significant trouble with waypoints. Thanks to those who offered comments on this (Shahadi, Suhiir), it motivated me to overcome the problem, or at least, come to par with it. One thing I observed was this. If you remount the HQ into the transport, then later go back and adjust or add waypoints to another unit (going back to the deploy screen), the AI reverts back to the practice of pushing the initial waypoint to the far edge of the screen (my initial problem revisited). Therefore, if you adjust your forces, then go back to deploy and add new waypoints for them, you'll have to dismount all infantry HQ's, then mount them again to get the AI to revert to the proper first waypoint. Once I got that down, my major problem was solved.

I read and re-read the manual and attachments on waypoints, and once adhering to the 3-5 rule, was able to get my units to where I wanted them to go, in reasonable fashion. My wayward initial waypoint for HQ units was a factor of the leg unit being loaded into a transport unit. Once dismounted, waypoints were effectively laid. One problem solved. I'm still trying to master the "Pyros formula", but learning. That method takes a lot of time.

The other problem was keeping the infantry in transport as long as you can. It's been a prevalent comment of the problem of IFV's and APC's dismounting their infantry too quickly. I can't say I've solved that issue, but keeping to the manual's admonition to set the reaction time for the transport to zero helped substantially.

The real issue is using the limitations of the AI to simulate a reasonable OPFOR tactical assault. I'm still learning this, and some good can be achieved, but some core tactics simply are beyond the AI. I can get them to where I want them to go, set multiple objectives, and utilize terrain to a reasonable level. But getting (for example) Red Team units to go from a line march to a reasonable assault formation is beyond the capabilities of me, or the AI (OK, blame me..).

Again, using both suggestions from other members as well as prior knowledge of playing this game since it's inception, use of Objectives and selective placement of units in tactical formations as reinforcements simulates real world tactics to some degree. But it's surely tricky and demands attention (of which, mine wanes after a couple of hours).

Either way, I've spent the greater part of a half week of leave revisiting this scenario and I'm on my last update test today. I completely revisited the Russian TO&E, and adjusted the Estonian force level to maintain a realistic hypothetical force balance. I think you will find this to play significantly different than the original scenario. It also is quite harder for the Estonians.

Question here is on posting etiquette. Should I repost the updated scenario in this thread, or create a new one?

If someone could advise me on this, once I spend another 4-5 hours running my last test, I'll repost this scenario and start work on my next in the series.

Thanks again for all the help.

Tom

[scorpio_rocks]

I would edit your 1st post and add new version. Then add an addition post saying version 2 is in first post

[Suhiir]

I just attach the new version file to the post saying there is a new version.
Either works, but my way people know for sure they're getting the latest version.

[shahadi]

Originally Posted by Grant1pa

The real issue is using the limitations of the AI to simulate a reasonable OPFOR tactical assault. I'm still learning this, and some good can be achieved, but some core tactics simply are beyond the AI. I can get them to where I want them to go, set multiple objectives, and utilize terrain to a reasonable level. But getting (for example) Red Team units to go from a line march to a reasonable assault formation is beyond the capabilities of me, or the AI (OK, blame me..).

Tom

It is a challenge indeed. I've started playing with placing essentially markers, opposing unit, say a RPG-29 at the spot I want a dismount. The opposing unit has no weapons, is damaged already. The unit is there just to force the AI to dismount. So prevent the APCs from picking of the infantry, I place other "markers" along the waypoint to the objective. Although, it is crude, it seems to work reasonably well. The LAI speed was reduced to that of their passengers and they did follow-up.

Another, I want to try, you might consider it as well, is to change the APC to a CS tank or even a MBT. In the Editor change the picture and change the Armor and other factors like setting APC, and ammo loadouts, etc. This will give an IFV with the class of a MBT. He may lay suppression fires as the RPG-29 at 300m is not a real concern for him.

Chin up my man, this one reason I like this game, you have to think about what ya doing?

Here is the AI thread for further reading and your contribution, please: http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showp...94&postcount=7
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[Grant1pa]

[/quote]
Here is the AI thread for further reading and your contribution, please: http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showp...94&postcount=7
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Thanks! Interesting ideas and something for me to explore in the coming weeks. The real world cut my leave short and I was unable to complete my play-testing of my latest update to this scenario. During the time I had to work on it, I found two more errors/areas to update, so I will be correcting them and test them before publishing the update. A tedious procedure, but I'm kind of having fun getting into the groove of this now.

I'll follow the advice and repost a notice on my first post, leave the old version up, and repost the update in a reply to this thread.

Thanks again for all the suggestions and help. This game is my diversion from the real world. Thanks for keeping it alive.

Tom