Ortona

[witchbottles]

Why did you do that?

The terrain being depicted does not include large numbers of " small two story dwellings" with what would be identified as an inherent stairway.

KRL, Jon H

 

[olli]

I second what xenovin says.

- the dark brown of the hilltop is too dark
- the green next to the beach is too blueish
- red color hex-numbers would probably better be replaced by white or light grey color.

Just my humble opinion. The whole tone of the colors seems a bit too "cold" to me.

von Marwitz

I agree about the red colour hex-numbers! White is far better to me being shade blind! And the colours used here are horrible. Hope it is only for the playtest maps!

 

[RobZagnut]

Great job Michael. Now that is a map that says, "Play me!"

How many scenarios are being developed for it?

 

[andrea pagni]

I have the impression that the map is way too open to represent the center of a city like Ortona (or any central Italy one) . there are way too many possibilities for bypass. houses would be way more close together.

ciao

Andrea

ps.. don't shoot on the critic...

 

[von Marwitz]

I have the impression that the map is way too open to represent the center of a city like Ortona (or any central Italy one) . there are way too many possibilities for bypass. houses would be way more close together.

ciao

Andrea

ps.. don't shoot on the critic...

No shooting at all. I think that this is very valuable input. You, being Italian, are much more familiar with the typical small Italian town than the avarage American. Tough I have merely travelled to Italy many times in comparions to that, I had something similar in the back of my mind as you. But since I am not familiar with Ortona in particular, I did not mention that before.

von Marwitz

 

[samwat]

Are the red hex numbers coding? It looks like they're only on the eastern/right side of the map.

 

[von Marwitz]

Are the red hex numbers coding? It looks like they're only on the eastern/right side of the map.

Looks to me like hex-ID's that are not printed in black but a differing color to offset it for reasons of readability from the (too dark) brown background of the hill-mass.

But then, it might be the Da Vinci Code ...

von Marwitz

 

[hongkongwargamer]

Looks to me like hex-ID's that are not printed in black but a differing color to offset it for reasons of readability from the (too dark) brown background of the hill-mass.

But then, it might be the Da Vinci Code ...

von Marwitz

Yes. I asked the same question on FB. The Red # are Hex Numbers. Rgds Jack

 

[klasmalmstrom]

Looks to me like hex-ID's that are not printed in black but a differing color to offset it for reasons of readability from the (too dark) brown background of the hill-mass.

From Facebook posting: "Red stuff is red lettering of hex coordinates; temporary thing."

 

[Michael R]

Very nice! Is the structure in QQ24 a stairwell down the cliff face?

I think you mean QQ22. Yes, it is a stairway.

 

[Michael R]

I have the impression that the map is way too open to represent the center of a city like Ortona (or any central Italy one) . there are way too many possibilities for bypass. houses would be way more close together.

ciao

Andrea

ps.. don't shoot on the critic...

Me too, actually. MMP made this map from Jim's play test map. Perhaps the rules will need to restrict the bypass opportunities.

 

[Michael R]

Why did you do that?

Not me, Jim McLeod.

 

[Michael R]

Great job Michael. Now that is a map that says, "Play me!"

How many scenarios are being developed for it?

At this time, there are ten scenarios and three CG.

 

[Sand Bar Bill]

Something for everybody: ETO city fighting, WTO armies, PTO beaches (no landings though ), and a DTO Mediterranean atmosphere. :clown:

 

[olli]

Something for everybody: ETO city fighting, WTO armies, PTO beaches (no landings though ), and a DTO Mediterranean atmosphere. :clown:

The version I have is Jims and far better with narrow streets and row hoses. Plazas as well way better than this one it had a lot more character. As for getting someone from the area to suggest things that's a futile job as several Dutch guys complained that the polders on Elst did not resemble the real thing, as did I. I was told by the designer that it was a very good depiction of them , due to his wife's recollection many years before when she was on vacation in the Netherlands. Mmmm pity he did not do a field trip, so as for Italians suggesting things do not hold your breathe.

 

[andrea pagni]

yep.. I'm not planning to hold my breathe.. it is just a strange feeling how Ortona map looks similar to the one of Stalingrad in valor of the guards.. there must be some sort of connection between the 2 cities of which I'm not aware of...

 

[andrea pagni]

if you google in images

battaglia di ortona

you'll see what I mean

ciao

 

[andrea pagni]

at the city museum made this reconstruction of how the city looked at the time of the battleView attachment 49119View attachment 49120

 

[Vinnie]

I did a fair bit if playtesting on the older Ortona map and while the countryside was excellent, once you got into the city, the Germans got crushed in a very tedious fashion.
The city area was a solid mass of buildings with narrow streets so the Canadians assault moved concealed up to the defenders. If tgey fired the defenders list concealment if not tgey got "bumped" by a halfsquad tgen the main group advanced in for CZc with the -2 ambush modifier. Rinse and repeat.
The lack of roads meant you coukd not use firelanes to channel an attack although we did recommend a "firelane down narrow street" rule to combat this.
The lack of command and control rules meant the Canadian sweep forwards would be coordinated.
Although this map may look less like annitalian town I think it will play more like one.

 

[JR Brackin]

at the city museum made this reconstruction of how the city looked at the time of the battleView attachment 49119View attachment 49120

I want that board