New Scenario: The United Irishmen

[our_man]

After what seems like forever, I'm nearly finished the 1st scenario that I'm going to release on the internet. All that remains to do is to try and get the title picture working, the batch file and the 2nd set of events. The scenario tries to depict Irish history from the rebellion in 1798 to 1805. As the United Irishmen you've got to try and free the island from foreign influence during this period.

While the scenario features an entirely new map, I'm afraid it's severly lacking in the original graphics department. I hope however that it makes up for this in other departments, such as playability, which is why I'm looking for playtesters to see if I've succeeded in getting the balance right. If anyone out there is interested in playtesting the 1st set of events at the moment, e-mail me at our_man@space.com or leave your e-mail and I'll send it to you.

[Case]

I'm afraid I don't know much about Irish history, but I'd be happy to test the scenario for you.

Please send it to me at: nick_dowling@hotmail.com

[WarVoid]

Ooh! Ooh! Finally someone made an Irish scenario!

Send it to me please.

warvoid@aol.com

Now we need a scenario covering the current conflict with the IRA, UFF and the bloody rest.

[Hobbes]

yo our_man,
I think you should do a scenario of the Fenian raids if you like Irish history. Irish versus British in north america, it's gold!

[our_man]

OK, I've sent the scenario to Case and Warvoid. Anyone else interested?

Interesting suggestions for other Irish scenarios, but I'm working on two others at the moment (extremely early stages both).

[Grothgar]

Im always game for a scenario. ill playtest for ya.

Grothgar_1999@yahoo.com

Might be intresting to learn about our erstwhile neighbours

[Grothgar]

Your right about the title gif making the game crash so i had to delete thatas you suggested. im not very far in at the moment but i have noticed one really annoying thing. One of the french units that appears near ballina is in an odd,even square or an even,odd square and thus cannot attack or do anything it can even walk on water. Im sure this will cause the game to crash and its also a great advantage to me because the british cant see it so i have blocked their path with an unbeatable unit. So hey ill get back to playing it now

[Case]

OK, here's my comments. I'll review it by the same standards I asked others to review my scenario:

1. Units: The units are, on the whole, fine. The co-ordinated appearances of the British, Irish and French units work well.
However, I think you've mistaken the role Marines played in this era. During the Napoleonic era Marines mainly served aboard naval ships as boarding and raiding parties, and it wasn't until the 20th Century that Marines began to be widely used as elite infantry in land campaigns. I suggest that you rename the marines as 'Guards', thereby simulating the elite British Guards regiments.
Also, cavalry didn’t stand a chance against massed muskets and was mainly used for scouting and attacks on disorganised infantry, so you may want to weaken the cavalry stats and strengthen the infantry ones.

2. Events: Excellent - they seem realistic and greatly enhance the scenario. However, I encountered the same problem as Grothgar with the French Infantry, so I suggest you fix the placement of this unit.

3. City placement and names: I couldn't spot any problems.

4. Readme file: Again, no problems.

5. General sense of 'completeness': As you made clear, the scenario is only partly finished. As it currently stands, the scenario is excellent. I really like the way goody huts are used in the scenario.

Other comments: Maybe this is just my Australian perspective on distances, but I really think you need to increase the road multiplier. As the scenario currently stands, armies crawl along the roads, and it takes forever to move what is actually a small distance.
Also, I suggest that you replace the default mountain graphics with the nicer looking brown mountain graphics.

[Kull]

Send me the Title pic and I'll fix it for you.

[our_man]

I'm just after playing again as far as Humbert's arrival, and I see what you both mean. I can't believe I missed that glitch. I've just gone into the events.txt and edited the locations of where the unit is created, played the scenario again until Humbert's arrival and the event worked fine. One bug out of the way at least.

I also noticed another bug concerning the Lough Swilly landing - some of the French troops don't appear - this is because I made them appear on sea squares in the hope that they'd appear on the transport that was also created. I guess I'll have to distort the truth a little and place them all on land to begin with.

Case, I've also decided to rename the Marines to Guards in light of what you said about the role of Marines in this period. Concerning your suggestion about the strength of cavalry against infantry, after a lot of deliberation I decided to reduce the cavalry's strength slightly. Bear in mind the fact that the United Irishmen for the most part didn't have firearms or good leadership!!! Still, the cavalry met with more success against decent infantry than they should have according to your reasoning, and I hope their changed stats now reflect both of these aspects. I don't think I'm familiar with the mountain graphics you're reffering too. Could you give me an example of a scenario that uses them?

I'm not to sure about changing the road movement allocation, I found it pretty OK to play with. How do the other playtesters feel about the current road multiplier? Is it too small?

Kull, thanks for volunteering to fix the title picture for me! You've no idea how hard it is to work with graphics when the only tool at my disposal is MSpaint! Could you please post your e-mail address so I could send it to you. I'm not too sure how to e-mail stuff through Apolyton...

I hope to have all the neccesary changes made to the files by Monday, so you should be receiving the updated events.txt and rules.txt then.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Grothgar]

Ill use Cases method to review this scenario as well

1.Units: I like these units they protray on the whole the situation of the era. The french would jump at any excuse to get back at us brits so thats represented really well. Same comments about marines as Case although you could have Guard units and marines which are missile units and have the ships like the Man'O'War be able to carry missile units and hey presto
I agree that cavalry is a bit too powerful and can beat almost any units especially veteran cavalry.

2.Events: Apart from the French unit i cant see any problems of the events file. I like the ones which give me units lol

3.City placement: Your right some of the cities in this scenario didnt exist at this time frame but hey they advance the scen so id keep them in there.

4.Readme: Top notch!!!!

5.General Sense of completeness: I dont know if its just me but i found it a bit easy to take cities. For perspective in fortnight 42 i have captured every city in the north up to the river/ocean and i am closing in on dublin. and in the east every city has fallen to my amazing troops sop i control about a third of the country by fortnight 42. but maybe its just me but other wise generally very good. bring on part two. (if theres any ireland left )

[Kull]

pculliva@whc.net

[Paul Hanson]

Originally posted by Grothgar
...For perspective in fortnight 42 i have captured every city in the north up to the river/ocean and i am closing in on dublin. and in the east every city has fallen to my amazing troops sop i control about a third of the country by fortnight 42...

That`s because you play on Prince.

wuss

[Grothgar]

I knew youd say something like that paul. but for your information im playing this one on deity.

[Case]

Originally posted by our_man
I don't think I'm familiar with the mountain graphics you're reffering too. Could you give me an example of a scenario that uses them?

I just e-mailed you the mountains. Enjoy

[our_man]

Warvoid, Case, Grothgar, I've e-mailed each of you the revised events and rules files. Case, I got the mountains you sent me too. They're ace!

Grothgar, your success is unprecedented! I hope that the other playtesters aren't finding it quite as easy. If they are, I guess it's back to the drawing board!

Kull, I also sent you the title picture. I hope you have more luck with it than I had!

[Grothgar]

From the Diary of Liutenant Wolf Tone

Fortnight 72:

Tonight our Valiant Troops Captured The City of Belfast in a seige that has lasted many months. I had begun to despair of even taking the city as our supply lines were constantly hamstrung by the British Navy which has been a thorn in our side since the beginning. The French Government has promised us more aid to rid the British Pestilance from our land. The City was taken with a prelude of massed artillery fire and then the charging of the horses sounded like thunder in my ears. I estimate 12 divisions of cavalry were lost in this attack and many artillery divisions were wrecked from counter battery fire from the British Guns. Our French Allies having marched across most of the country arived just in time to seal the blow and now i am writing from within Belfast. Elsewhere in the battle against the Vile British All the cities in ireland up to the River Lagan have been taken by our troops. Enniskillen, Ballyshannon, Brookborough, Portadown all have been taken in this Fortnight. The British government have delievered a message of peace to give all of ireland that i have taken as mine but that all of Ireland that the british have to be called "Northen Ireland" and to be run from London. I intend to rebuke this and carry on my momentum and hopefully invade england after all of ireland is Free!.
Hail Ireland!!!!!


Anyway so im going pretty well. Warvoid i got your email but there was no attached files it was all in text so i couldnt download that so could you send it again please Maybe if cavalry is downgraded like you say it is it will make my expansionistic properties a bit more difficult to realise we shall see we shall see

Its a really good scenario by the way

[our_man]

Kull, I received the picture. It's working fine now, thanks!

I have just finished writing the second events and rules files as well as the batch file to swap them all. Whether they will be needed is another thing, as Grothgar has managed to conquer most of the country within the first part of the scenario. So I'm looking for a way to redress the balance of the scenario. As far as I can see there are two solutions to the problem. (1) I can beef up the statistics of the British units in the rules or (2) I can use the events to give the British more money per turn allowing them to build units faster. Any opinions on which idea is better?

[Grothgar]

From The Diary Of General Wolfe Tone

I write today on the eve of the year 1800. I think it may be 1801 now as i am writing well past midnight. The night was full of heady celebrations. Word has reached me that the City of Coleraine has fallen to my french allies. What a blessing they have been in this fight for ireland. Today the british government Offered me a peace agreement recognizing my rule of the entire nation of ireland. My dream has come true but we must remain ever vigillant for the trecherous brittish but we have beaten them in battle and have won the war. The british were especially tenacious about holding onto the northern part of ireland but our gallant troops have forced them from various strongpoints. The city of Ballymena was especially well fought and i admire the british for that fight. About 20 divisons of cavalry and 10 infantry divisions were decimated in the assult on the city. I despair every night about the cost of this war. But now it seems it has all been worth it. The dead are being remembered in vast grave sites around ireland and we will have a celebration every year to mark this moment.
VIVA IRELAND!!!

Right as for what you should do to stop people emulating this feat you should give the british more money because if you increase the stats of the british it will be impossible. You have already decreased the strength of the Cavalry which is what my entire strategy is based on. Can you send me the rules file again and events because i got them in a dodgy text format rather than the actual attachments. But dont give up just because of me. I think the cavalry will be enough to slow me down

Any way it really is a good scenario. I like it

Hope you make many more!!!

[Case]

Originally posted by our_man
As far as I can see there are two solutions to the problem. (1) I can beef up the statistics of the British units in the rules or (2) I can use the events to give the British more money per turn allowing them to build units faster. Any opinions on which idea is better?

In my opinion the scenario isn't too easy (I didn't do half as well as Grothgar). What you could do is reduce the United Irishmen's money flow, and downgrade the effectiveness of thier artillery.

[our_man]

I'm sending out the (almost) finished article now. New stuff has been included for the second part, and the rules and events for the first part have been changed as already described above. Hope you all like the second part as much as you liked the first.

[our_man]

OK, I guess no news is good news and the second part of the scenario played just fine. If there is anything else that should be done to improve the scenario, could you please tell me as I plan to release it pretty soon (just have to add a few big thankyou's to the credits ).

[Grothgar]

Yep release this scen I have managed to conquer ireland again but it was a lot harder this time. The cavalry was still my mainstay but i had to rely on artillery and such which mean it took longer to conquer cities because my cavalry didnt have the strength. The second part of the scen was a bit of trouble because the british get a lot more units but luckily i had enough of ireland to get rid of them. I also took the british city on the map so i managed to destroy the british!!
But still release it maybe i just have a natural goodness on this scen

Thanx for letting me playtest it