Custom 1776 campaign development

[trauth116]

Hi:

I'm considering getting into the campaign editor (1776 only as far as EAW is concerned - for starters), and am looking to come up with a campaign that encompasses the scope of the war.

Barring that, I am thinking of one, a little more detailed concerning 1775 only.

At this stage I am interested in canvassing for battles (but limited to ones available - no new scenario edits yet - not time for that); they can be ones available for download from here as well. I think Al Amos had some good looking ones that could fit in pretty well.

I've never done much with the campaign editor other than glance over the editor user file- and as such the purpose with this could be considered a potential community project. I am also looking to write an article on this for Scenario Design Center as part of this project (as well as one I had posted about in the M & P area). Campaign editing is something that seems to be rarely done- and in fact I am also looking for ways to expand the article base for other custom projects; for example graphic mod creations.

In order to participate in this, though, it is important to understand that an understanding of the game engine(s), or even rating yourself as "a qualified" player of this series is *not* a requirement - just enjoying the period and working with the history (the actual battles, timelines, and even probably some what-if situations) is all that matters.


S Trauth

 

[rahamy]

Glad to see this come up - as the Campaign engine is way underutilized and can inject an incredible amount of value (and fun) into the gaming experience. Looking forward to seeing the fruits of this endeavor!

 

[trauth116]

I'm sure we'll have a few discussions on this over time... as this wasn't even the bit that I was going to be posting here (it was for some OOB feeback -I'll still do that ... but was thinking about this some more today).

Here is what I have (it is, admittedly, very cursory at this point).

A list of major and I guess minor campaigns:

Major campaigns, theaters, and expeditions of the war

* Boston campaign (1774–76)
* Invasion of Canada (1775) (1775–76)
* New York and New Jersey campaigns (1776–77)
* Saratoga campaign (1777)
* Philadelphia campaign (1777–78)
* Northern theater of the American Revolutionary War after Saratoga (1778–81)
* West Indies and Gulf Coast campaigns (1779–82)
* Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War (1775–83)
* Western theater of the American Revolutionary War (1779–82)


----> That from Wikipedia... but it'll get deeper as time goes by.

Ad for the Boston Campaign - there seems to be 5 suitable scenarios that would fit nicely.

Al Amos has a what-if for Lexington Green (April 19, 1775) .... and there is one that I think is a historical one that came on the disk (if not I have to track down where I got it from - but JT designed it)... on the march from Concord ... also on the same date (April 19, 1775).

There are also 3 versions of Bunker Hill ( June 1775). In between these Fort Ticonderoga was taken - however that is a scenario that would have to be designed (possibly by scratch -and also may be not necessarily be that interesting of a game ... so that is on the 'to be considered list" - but may not be needed - you could factor in the result by the result of one of the 2 April 19th scenarios.

->

Canada 1775 - there doesn't appear to be any scenarios about this on the disk or from HPS' expansion (I think..) -at any rate - that all is on the list to explore.

-And that is where I am going to leave things for now...:smoke:


Edit: Ok -Al has a historical and a what if for Lexington - it is only 3 turns and on a pretty small map -however it might work as a "feet wet" sort of thing - I'll have to have (eventually) a look at the Concord OOB's and maybe think about if there are some possibilities for using both scenarios - the Concord one, in contrast, is a fairly big map with a lot of room to move (and you have to move as the Redcoats in that one)- as well as being relatively long (well very long compared to the 3 turn Lexington fight...).

 

[AlAmos]

The taking of Ft Tico was basically a non-event. Approximately 60 British defenders taken by surprise. No way to even make a what-if game to beef it up.

Quebec would be fun, but the map would need to come from FIW.

There were a couple of incidents prior to Lex-Con that didn't end in violence that could've around the Boston area, that would make for some nice what-ifs.

One of them could've been a medium sized open, set-piece battle.

 

[trauth116]

Hi Al: I sort of got stuck in the forum upgrade with my postings -- I haven't looked at the Tico thing so much - but if it did get used it would be for some sort of advantage later on down the line.

What I got in mind so far is - I started out wanting to have a go at the entire war - well that isn't going to necessarily be practical for a first time through with the campaign editor - so starting small say with the Bostons Campaign of 1775 might be as good as any. I have seen your Lexington Green scenario; and also seen that you've modified the map just a little ( gave rough terrain to the cemetery there). I am really looking to come up with a few scenarios that takes in as much of April 19th 1775 as I can with it -with a variations for the campaign engine. That being said I stashed a couple of posts on Rich H's site and will have to dig them out for posting here.

 

[trauth116]

Probably the easiest thing to do would be to have a look at a short-ish 1775 Boston Campaign campaign. . . so in light of that:

After a little research - the Battle Road scenario has Lexington on the map - so, it is looking like it is a possibility to design some variations of some scenarios that encompasses Lexington/Concord in one larger scenario). What exactly those might be at this point aside from historical, is up in the air. But there is the initial set of choices probably - as the Colonists where you choose to assemble. As the British, probably where you enter.

I don't really have much of an idea what the stock scenario is like, and I want to brush up on the action myself before getting in too deep -but my initial idea is that the Redcoats were out to locate weapons' caches as well as breaking up colonists' assemblies.

So, how to do that? To me it seems like while vp areas will work out ok- they have the the complication of the requirement to hold them, and I don't know that was part of the British agenda on that day - it seems more like it was about search and destroy- so this will involve some scenario edits, it may also involve some objective auditing, as well as maybe some emplaced wagons with vps that could use some destroying for vps- it also might require a pdt edit in order to jack up the vps for supply losses.

___

After that, where do you go with the results? Ticonderoga seems like a possibility (there is a Ticonderoga map used as part of a Saratoga campaign -so there might be something there...) then on to Bunker Hill and some variants there ( although I am pretty sure there are some variants out there). [Edited -I had originally written this a couple of days ago - the idea here is not so much that it would be that interesting of a scenario, but rather it would have to make some sort of sense within the context of a campaign game - if it doesn't (and it may well not) - then it wouldn't probably work out.]
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As for scenario editing, specifically ...

Ok another thing to post when GS comes online -one about objective setting when editing a scenario. I am looking to edit Battle Road to encompass the fight at Lexington Green and then Concord. I am thinking of making the Americans (colonials, militia -or however you want to phrase it) worth either nothing or virtually nothing when lost -with the exception of supply points and a couple of pieces of artillery that the British found in the Concord area. The idea is this, that the British were after supplies and weapons' caches; as well as Sam Adams and John Hancock, not necessarily killing off people. They are also not interested in holding ground in Lex-Concord.

The Americans, are interested in stopping the British.

I am also thinking of having, for this initial battle, 3 choices per side -or at least 3 for the Americans and 2 for the British- with the idea that the set up for the Americans will largely be the same -but the vp areas will be spread around more.

-> The same can be said for Bunker Hill - however in this case the British are after a geographical point (ie- Breed's Hill). The Americans are there to stop that from happening - the British win if the Americans take off. So the Americans have to fight - the British can fight- but have to be careful not to take too many losses in the process.

-> I don't have any idea where to go with things after Bunker Hill.

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Finally, in looking at things it seems like a good approach might be to take things sequentially in terms of campaigns ... from one campaign to the next ... some are already available; some aren't - and some don't have maps yet. And can only be done (as far as my level of involvement) if they can become part of an Expansion of the title.

____

For Quebec 1775 - we'll tackle that one in due course -but if it can work, there is room for it -since it looks like there is an opening (but like was mentioned -it is a less developed one, so this first one is more of a getting feet wet sort of thing - Quebec would be more involved.