The Knock on all Doors Challenge

[Daz]

How have you guys been getting on with this scenario pack?
I have just bought it and had a quick orientation session last night.

These scenarios are huge, and you have an incredibly short time to get from one end of the map, to the other!
On top of that, in order to raise to the challenge I also have to play with orders delay, painfully realistic, something I'm not used to yet
If I play at my usual level of interference, this is going to be a true grand strategy game, taking many evenings of my time.
There is a massive amount of Axis artillery in the northern maps that will need to be properly managed.
I can't wait to get stuck in

Reading through the designers notes, we have been encouraged (challenged) to keep a log on the forum of how we get on with the scenarios.
It sounds as though the scenarios have been balanced, or at least are more challenging, to be played from the German (Axis) side.

All three scenarios from a set have to be played with :

• orders delay - painfully realistic
• weather - historical
• supply - historical.
• reinforcements - historical (for the non modified challenge)

Assessment is modified for reinforcement schedules set as follows:

• Both sides set to Favor US - two levels higher
  
• One side set to Favor US - one level higher
• Standard for both sides- no modifications but play all three scenarios twice
• Historical for both sides- no modifications
• One side favor Germans- one level lower
• Both sides favor Germans - two levels lower

Extracted from the Designers (Paul Van Doren) Notes

Players may aspire to achieve a military legacy based on the results from any three scenario set as the German.
Any one of the three sets Historical, Decisions, Big Knock or Knocks.
(Is that a typo, should be four sets right? Daz)

Set 1
Historical "O-Tag" December 16 scenarios

1. Preiss’ Push; 16 Dec 1944 05:30; 2 days, 11 hours, 31 minutes; 666 units; 21 km by 20+ km, map size.
   
2. Manteuffel’s March; 16 Sep 1944 05:30; 2 days, 2 hours, 31 minutes; 807 units; 31 km by 40 km, map size.​
3. Brandenberger’s Breakthrough; 16 Dec 1944 05:30; 2 days, 11 hours, 31 minutes; 501 units; 37 km by 31 km, map size.​

Set 2
Historical December 17th "Decision" scenarios​

1. Decision at Bullingen; 17 Dec 1944 10:00; 1 days, 8 hours, 31 minutes; 612 units; 21 km by 20+km, map size.
   
2. Decision before Clervaux; 17 Sep 1944 05:30; 1 days, 2 hours, 31 minutes; 754 units; 31 km by 40 km, map size.​
3. Decisions beyond the Sauer; 17 Dec 1944 06:00; 1 days, 11 hours, 1minutes; 496 units; 37 km by 31 km, map size.​

Set 3
Hypothetical Big Knock series​

1. Blumentritt’s Big Knock; 16 Sep 1944 05:30; 2 days, 2 hours, 31 minutes; 741 units; 21 km by 20+ km, maps size
   
2. Krügers Big Knock; 16 Sep 1944 05:30; 2 days, 11 hours, 31 minutes; 942 units; 31 km by 40 km, map size.
   
3. Luttwitz's Big Knock; 16 Dec 1944 05:30; 2 days, 11 hours, 31 minutes; 738 units; 47 km by 31 km, map size.​

Set 4
Hypothetical Knocks series ​

1. Preiss Knocks; 16 Sep 1944 05:30; 2 days, 2 hours, 31 minutes; 642 units; 21 km by 20+ km, map size.
   
2. Krüger Knocks; 16 Sep 1944 10:00; 2 days, 11 hours, 31 minutes; 891 units; 31 km by 40 km, map size.
   
3. Luttwitz Knocks; 16 Dec 1944 05:30; 2 days, 11 hours, 31 minutes; 683 units; 47 km by 31 km, map size.

Currently the German AI is not as much of a challenge for human US players in most but not all the scenarios. (That's probably largely because the Axis AI can't use artillery as it was used historically, to soften defensive positions. Daz).

 

[Kurt]

Bought KOAD a while back but have not got round to playing it yet , I will be interested to see how you get on .

 

[Daz]

I have started the AAR here:
http://forums.lnlpublishing.com/threads/knock-on-all-doors-set-1-historical-o-tag-preiss’-push.2780/

Its not going to be a posh one like the St Vith one.
Just one that plots my progress at certain points.
Probably at 6 or 12 hour intervals.

 

[Rob]

I have started the AAR here:
http://forums.lnlpublishing.com/threads/knock-on-all-doors-set-1-historical-o-tag-preiss’-push.2780/

Its not going to be a posh one like the St Vith one.
Just one that plots my progress at certain points.
Probably at 6 or 12 hour intervals.

Time to settle in and breakout the popcorn!

Rob.

 

[Takoda]

I haven't purchased KOAD because I was disappointed to learn how short the scenarios are, I prefer longer drawn out battles. I'm certainly not knocking this title, I can see a hell of a lot of work went into it.

 

[loyalcitizen]

I haven't purchased KOAD because I was disappointed to learn how short the scenarios are, I prefer longer drawn out battles. I'm certainly not knocking this title, I can see a hell of a lot of work went into it.

Yes, far too many short battles. How many people are actually playing this game head-to-head?
Please post a poll or something. I too did not buy KOAD as there aren't enough long battles.
And I've bought everything from RDOA to present.

For every battle at 2 days and under, I'd like to see an equal number of battles that are 10 days or longer.
Hell, what I REALLY want is a 30-day battle for once. With reinforcements only every few days or so.
That would be Command Ops to me.

 

[Daz]

That would be great but the map would have to be enormous.
You can potentially travel a long way in more than 10 days even against fairly heavy opposition.

From the Meuse to the Rhine (9 days 9 hours) is still my all time favourite scenario.
Very intimidating for a new player, which is exactly what makes the Highway to the Reich such as excellent pack, as it has all the mini scenarios over the same terrain, to lead you into the big one.

I think the reason this scenario is so short, is because of the width of the front.
The limiting factor for these games (until the technology and availability of it is good enough, some time in the future) is the number of units involved, that all require processing of complex code.
Having a 30 day scenario would probably bring most home computers to their knees.

These maps are huge because they are so wide to take in more of the front line.
To keep things manageable the depth has to be kept proportionally shorter.
It would be interesting to know how a scenario that was as wide as these, but extending to the full depth of the Axis penetration during the Bulge would run.

Of course on the northern shoulder, which is the map I am about to play, Elsenborn was the limit of that penetration anyway. Although I guess it could have been extended to the west as far as Trois Pont for a longer scenario, which would have been great.

Don't think that because the scenario is short that its not taxing.
It's going to take a lot of time to properly manage that many units, and the game will have to be run at a very slow speed, with lots of pausing to monitor it all.
So although the scenario duration is short the play time can be potentially much longer than a longer duration scenario.
I am expecting each scenario to take me many evenings to play through, even if I wasn't doing an AAR at the same time.

 

[loyalcitizen]

A long scenario does not require a larger map. I have modified several normal sized map scenarios to last an extra week. Works fine, except the reinforcements drop off after a while.

I guess I want longer scenarios, as the short ones are all fast dashes for the victory locations. Any missteps or unexpected delays and you have probably lost. I prefer long scenarios as you can make attacks, pull back, rest troops, and try again from another angle.

 

[EzraNehemiah]

A long scenario does not require a larger map. I have modified several normal sized map scenarios to last an extra week. Works fine, except the reinforcements drop off after a while.

I guess I want longer scenarios, as the short ones are all fast dashes for the victory locations. Any missteps or unexpected delays and you have probably lost. I prefer long scenarios as you can make attacks, pull back, rest troops, and try again from another angle.

I agree with the above comment. As historically accurate a "race to victory locations" is for a military ops simulator, it still takes the fun out of the game aspect--hard core or not.

 

[Keydet]

The shortness of the scenarios is for one main reason. Designer Notes have some info on this. The outcome of the first two days determines the feasibility of the operation. Germans were well aware. Once I completed these I too wanted longer scenarios for success in first two days would be followed by meeting engagements with the 23rd RCT vic Elsenborn Barracks, with the 7th Armored moving into or through the Hohes Venn, with the 10th Armored arriving vic Lux City and night encounters with the 101st and 82nd convoying in large transport trucks. And with CCR 9th AD perhaps not yet pulled back by Middleton or enroute back towards Bastogne. Non of these US formations knew what was going on. But the 23 RCT and the 82nd were ready to fight. I have a dream of deepening the maps to N-S line west of Bastogne and adding all this on. I assume more powerful machines will be prevalent then.

 

[john connor]

I agree with the above comment. As historically accurate a "race to victory locations" is for a military ops simulator, it still takes the fun out of the game aspect--hard core or not.

Well, once you start getting into scenarios over 5 to 7 days in length then you run up against the fact that the game has no replacements code, so it becomes a bit unrealistic. You can rest what's left of your troops, but numbers are never going to go up, either of men or materiel.