Blitzkrieg DLC thoughts

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Grognard
First Lieutenant
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat May 16, 2020 2:07 pm

Blitzkrieg DLC thoughts

Unread postby Grognard » Tue Nov 10, 2020 10:50 am

Amazing game. Brilliant work. The battles show such care and attention. My guess is you spent longer on each scenario than in the base game and it shows. The alternate paths are a great mix. Congrats. Really impressive attention to detail throughout.

Things to improve:
1. For you guys: Marketing: You have to be tracking this DLC to notice it got launched. There is a reason marketing exists as a business function. Like set-piece attacks it has its place :) And I want to ensure "Barbarossa" DLC comes out

2. The metagame could do with a ton of UI improvements.
It is so subtle that there is a fixed pool of OKH reserves between conferences. So easy to use engineers on one scenario and not have them for another. I know it displays on the HQ during a scenario but that is so obscure! Why not display the OKH reserves on the scenario selection scene. Then one can see that there are three battles till the next conference and one needs to balance resource spend.

Also, knowing which units will reappear (think Panzer Corps core force) would be so useful to know who to level up and who to preserve. You can guess from knowing the history but that is hardly newbie-friendly. It is hard to know what will reappear because of scenario branching but why not show who is scenario specific only? (aka expendable)

Clx-
Captain
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 4:54 pm

Re: Blitzkrieg DLC thoughts

Unread postby Clx- » Tue Nov 10, 2020 11:16 am

2. Completely agree!

3. I may be mistaken in what you're asking - but what I think you're asking for is displayed on the unit card in the top right as a number - a 3+, for example.

Wolfenshtein
Second Lieutenant
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Dec 14, 2013 8:47 pm

Re: Blitzkrieg DLC thoughts

Unread postby Wolfenshtein » Tue Nov 10, 2020 7:58 pm

I'm a big fan of this game since the first UoC! The developers have done an awesome work. And it is very good that they keep working on new DLCs.

Recently I finished the new alternative campaign for the Victory in the West in UoC II. I found it surprisingly interesting and challenging in classic difficulty since I always replay scenarios in order to get all objectives in time.

Now I spent several hours in the Blitzkrieg DLC and found it even more challenging. The Polish Plain was hard, but the pioneers steps helped to achieve all objectives (after almost 20 restarts). I’m trying the alternative brach of the campaign. And, well. The Fall Braun. I managed to get the first two objectives in time (my feelings are similar when solving chess puzzles). But.. It is quite hard to assault allied divisions in cities and forests using the armored and motorized divisions for the PzG Kleist to get the last objectives. Moreover, Troyes can not be reached if the french blow all bridges across Siene. Have no idea what to do. Really challenging.

sourdust
Brigadier General
Posts: 207
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 1:30 am

Re: Blitzkrieg DLC thoughts

Unread postby sourdust » Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:42 pm

Congrats Wolfenshtein on getting the initial Fall Braun objectives on time, it's not easy and shows you have a pretty good command of the game!

The final objectives are tough, and it's painful to have to use panzers against a city. Your motorized divisions will have better luck, especially if equipped with artillery. Other options:

- it is possible to have an infantry division, kitted out for city assault, make it to the final objectives. Just make sure its only job is to move forward, and make sure it has "priority" in occupying the most forward hexes it can reach.
- watch the AI's pattern in blowing bridges - it will often do it only once you are within a certain distance of the bridge. Sometimes it is better to not move your full movement allowance towards a target bridge if you can't quite reach it. Instead, hang back until the following turn, when you can reach it with your full movement
- Obviously, pontoon bridging is good to have here, if you have upgraded your HQs to this capability.
- The stukas ... you have 4 of them, plus any additional from cards. Really you'd like to have six, of course! If you can manage to not use 1 or 2 of them during the opening, they make life a lot easier on the final objectives.
- If worst comes to worst, it is possible to drive around the southern end of the river Seine. Supply and time limits become challenging, but it is do-able
- Sometimes it pays to drive a bit recklessly, bypassing centres of resistance and ignoring supply and flanks to get to the Seine as quickly as possible. Even if you're guys get out of supply for 2 turns, if they prevent destruction of a key bridge, it is often worth it. In this scenario (unlike sickle stroke) the AI doesn't have much in the way of mobile forces to counterattack. You can't ignore your flanks entirely, but generally the AI won't be a big threat once you have penetrated deep into France.

Cheers & good luck, you got this.

sourdust
Brigadier General
Posts: 207
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 1:30 am

Re: Blitzkrieg DLC thoughts

Unread postby sourdust » Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:45 pm

Grognard wrote:Amazing game. Brilliant work. The battles show such care and attention. My guess is you spent longer on each scenario than in the base game and it shows. The alternate paths are a great mix. Congrats. Really impressive attention to detail throughout.

Things to improve:
1. For you guys: Marketing: You have to be tracking this DLC to notice it got launched. There is a reason marketing exists as a business function. Like set-piece attacks it has its place :) And I want to ensure "Barbarossa" DLC comes out

2. The metagame could do with a ton of UI improvements.
It is so subtle that there is a fixed pool of OKH reserves between conferences. So easy to use engineers on one scenario and not have them for another. I know it displays on the HQ during a scenario but that is so obscure! Why not display the OKH reserves on the scenario selection scene. Then one can see that there are three battles till the next conference and one needs to balance resource spend.

Also, knowing which units will reappear (think Panzer Corps core force) would be so useful to know who to level up and who to preserve. You can guess from knowing the history but that is hardly newbie-friendly. It is hard to know what will reappear because of scenario branching but why not show who is scenario specific only? (aka expendable)


Thanks Grognard! Good thoughts - and yes, as Cix notes, you can see which units carry forward on the unit sheet. Your suggestion re: specialists on point 2 is a good one...

Wolfenshtein
Second Lieutenant
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Dec 14, 2013 8:47 pm

Re: Blitzkrieg DLC thoughts

Unread postby Wolfenshtein » Wed Nov 11, 2020 10:02 pm

sourdust wrote:Congrats Wolfenshtein on getting the initial Fall Braun objectives on time, it's not easy and shows you have a pretty good command of the game!

The final objectives are tough, and it's painful to have to use panzers against a city. Your motorized divisions will have better luck, especially if equipped with artillery. Other options:

- it is possible to have an infantry division, kitted out for city assault, make it to the final objectives. Just make sure its only job is to move forward, and make sure it has "priority" in occupying the most forward hexes it can reach.
- watch the AI's pattern in blowing bridges - it will often do it only once you are within a certain distance of the bridge. Sometimes it is better to not move your full movement allowance towards a target bridge if you can't quite reach it. Instead, hang back until the following turn, when you can reach it with your full movement
- Obviously, pontoon bridging is good to have here, if you have upgraded your HQs to this capability.
- The stukas ... you have 4 of them, plus any additional from cards. Really you'd like to have six, of course! If you can manage to not use 1 or 2 of them during the opening, they make life a lot easier on the final objectives.
- If worst comes to worst, it is possible to drive around the southern end of the river Seine. Supply and time limits become challenging, but it is do-able
- Sometimes it pays to drive a bit recklessly, bypassing centres of resistance and ignoring supply and flanks to get to the Seine as quickly as possible. Even if you're guys get out of supply for 2 turns, if they prevent destruction of a key bridge, it is often worth it. In this scenario (unlike sickle stroke) the AI doesn't have much in the way of mobile forces to counterattack. You can't ignore your flanks entirely, but generally the AI won't be a big threat once you have penetrated deep into France.

Cheers & good luck, you got this.


Very useful thoughts. Thank you!

JBerg2021
Captain
Posts: 30
Joined: Thu Nov 28, 2019 5:01 pm

Re: Blitzkrieg DLC thoughts

Unread postby JBerg2021 » Fri Nov 13, 2020 12:32 pm

I also want to echo the praise here, and I really want to shout out my appreciation for differentiating the stats on the Panzer Divisions that had Czech tanks v. German ones. A couple things I noticed, though:

1. Why did you choose to exclude Heeresgruppe C and Panzergruppe Guderian from upgrading in the Conference screens? Especially if you take the alternate path, HG C shows up a fair amount and feels underutilized, and PG Guderian feels kind of important to have been skipped.

2. I think there may be an error/bug in the unit carryover from the Dunkirk to the Fall Rot scenarios - I remember clearly having an elite 7th Pz Division with Recon and Pionere steps at the end of Dunkirk, but when Fall Rot started 7th Pz was only veteran with no support battalions. I'm pretty sure this happened to other units in that scenario as well - please check on this.

3. Why do the Panzergruppe have Set Piece attack as an ability? If I recall from what I've been playing, mobile units cannot conduct set-piece attacks, so that makes the ability somewhat pointless on these army groups as presently constructed (maybe you intend to include non-mobile units in the future in these). It feels like swapping that ability for artillery barrage makes sense, so that the mobile units assigned artillery support steps can be used to fuller effect.

4. Scenario Note: In Flanders Cauldron, why not assign all the German units on the Eastern Belgian border to HG C? HG A is way overstretched in land area while HG C is very underburdened. It seems like the Commanders on the ground would have transferred control of at least some divisions and corps to the other Army Group.

(Edit - Added Below)

5. Scenario Note: In the alternate history path, I noticed that the 8th Pz and 10th Pz are slated for both the Scandinavian campaigns and the British Isles. On the one hand, I can understand why that would be, but on the other it seems that with all the available panzer divisions, the Scandinavian campaign would have its own separate panzer divisions assigned (while 8th and 10th prepare and train for Seelowe). The accompanying motorized division changes out (the 13th in Scandinavia and the 29th in Britain), so I'm wondering if it doesn't make more sense to assign two of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, or 6th to the Scandinavian Campaign.

6. Scenario Note: In the Midlands Blitz Scenario, the 15th Infantry Division (GE) is assigned to PzGruppe Kleist instead of Heeresgruppe A. Just want to make sure that was on purpose.
Last edited by JBerg2021 on Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:16 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Tac Error
Cadet
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2020 4:48 am

Re: Blitzkrieg DLC thoughts

Unread postby Tac Error » Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:51 am

I also noticed that Panzergruppe Guderian is missing the Oversupply feature--kind of useful given that in Fall Rot East, taking those objectives in central France require you to operate outside the supply hub reach.

Dmurphy238
Newcomer
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2020 5:18 pm

Re: Blitzkrieg DLC thoughts

Unread postby Dmurphy238 » Fri Nov 20, 2020 5:22 pm

Is there any changes to the game rules as found in the manual for the Blitzkrieg DLC? If so, where might these be found?