Monday, January 2, 2012

Tigers Unleashed (HPS Simulations) - Gameplay Notes - Close Combat at Position 877

Moving men under fire and detached from their leaders is a battle in itself.

The status of my only platoon of PzGr. and their waypoints. Note how they are heavily suppressed (window on top, status tab, current levels group). 
This is a continuation of the previous entry where I edited a battle from scratch. Quick refresh: a company-sized team of German PzIVs and PzGr. against a computer controlled Soviet infantry battalion reinforced with a company of AT guns. I have my PzGr. ready to take a foothold in the first enemy position. Do I?

The PzGr. platoon stalling due to suppression ... Unacceptable. I check and double check that the LMG group is targeting the Soviets.


The targeting window. When in this mode, the map is shadowed to show which positions can be targeted by the chosen unit.
Gah! I even have a tank platoon targeting this enemy position. I move the halftracks forward in a bid for fire superiority.

Unfortunately, one of the halftracks is destroyed by 7.62mm fire (see combat phase report window) (?!)
The four remaining halftracks (selected unit within greay box) panic and move out of danger.
Right when the halftracks were pulling back, the PzGr. platoon gains a foothold in the wooded area. Close combat ensues and the troopers emerge victorious. Note how one of the tank platoons has returned to their previous position after taking a loss some 10 minutes before (two hexes west of the grey square).
The command, control and communications link with the PzGr. platoon is in a sorry state. Highlighted in the staff officers window, the command delay of the PzGr. platoon is around 13 minutes, and they can only be reached by messenger.
I bring the LMG group, the command group, the radioman and the rest of the PzGr. platoon to the same hex and consolidate them into a composite unit. This is basically reversing what I have done before.

After consolidating into a composite unit, radio contact is recovered and the command delay significantly decreases.
The path ahead for the consolidated PzGr. unit: 500 meters through the light woods.
Cheers,
at

5 comments:

  1. Bil HardenbergerJanuary 2, 2012 at 11:15 PM

    Interesting to see command friction simulated... can this game be played PBEM?

    Planning on one of your in depth reviews (he said hopefully? Looks very promising.

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  2. grenvillJanuary 4, 2012 at 5:57 AM

    lol what? halftrack destroyed by 7.62*25?!

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  3. MichaelJanuary 4, 2012 at 9:22 AM

    JC, is this game internet-activated? My buddies and I want to by it together as the HPS pricing is (as usual) outrageous. The question is - will we be able to play it on different computers?

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  4. JCJanuary 5, 2012 at 7:14 AM

    Hi Bil and Mike,

    I think this one can be played PBEM. I think you save the file and e-mail it to your opponent by yourself. There is even an in-game window where you can add a message to your opponent.
    But I never heard/read of somebody who used this PBEM to really know if it's any good.

    Review sometime next week.

    grenvill: no sh!t, man. Did you see that combat resolution window? Puzzling! :)


    Cheers,

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  5. Bil HardenbergerJanuary 5, 2012 at 9:41 AM

    Thanks J.

    I have read that there are some data anomalies that need to be fixed.. but looking at the combat resolution window it appears that the firing unit is at a higher elevation, is it possible that the open top of the half tracks made that kill possible? That would be my conjecture anyway.

    ReplyDelete