posted 11-04- 03:03 PM               

The second frame went much more smoothly, *only* an hour to get going, but once we did we must have played seven or eight games. I took about 70 screenshots, Himdog took some too, and I've picked a bunch to post here. With all the computer troubles I was having Saturday I turned Hypersnap off, so bear in mind most of these are taken with the ingame z key during night/evening missions.

We played the missions out of order because of MM problems, but the sequence was supposed to go something like this - Initially, Germans hold Kebili Airbase and are preparing to launch a night assault on Kebili Town. After "trading hands several times in the next day", the Germans find themselves on the defense in Kebili, understrength, with a group of LRDG (long range desert group) Jeeps attacking from across the Gabes Bridge. Lucky for the Axis, I left the "map" loadout turned off ( j/j @ Harman). Next frame, the Germans have captured Gabes bridge and are consolidating their positions while a daylight raid of P40s sweeps over the North of Africa. One P40 suffered engine damage over the west end of Gabes and had to force-land, the other had its wings neatly severed over Zurahwa. The twist to this mission wasn't that it was an axis massacre (6 SdKfz 20mm Quads vs. 2 P-40s), but that Rendsburger on his BMW motorcycle was a spy. The distances involved were too great however, and Harm and I ended up having to explain the point. It's a mission concept I will continue to refine, you can be sure to see it again at Christmas. Finally, a cataclysmic finale in El Djem - with regen on and the airbase getting hammered by artillery (yes, artillery!!), Panzers and Matildas duke it out for control of the base. After about forty five minutes of fighting and heavy casualties on both sides, the axis prevailed and started driving towards El Djem town. There the official event concluded, but as I write I'm sure some of those missions are being re-run.

Below I will post the pics and a short description for each, other participants are more than welcome to chime in with their own captions, or if I goof an identification.

As for "next time"... there definitely will be one, and while I was planning on a Battle of France theme with a bit more aviation involved, I think I've been convinced it's worth a visit to the land of Neuschwanstein, first. Who knows, maybe two events over Christmas.

Enjoy,

Werner

posted 11-04- 03:25 PM               

Great missions and a totally different gameplay with all the ground units.
Big thank you to Werner and Harman!
Have to clean my head now because of all that gunfiresmokes around me.
Looking forward to play more GP missions.

Rendsburger

posted 11-04- 03:27 PM               

Steffen and I take up positions in Kebili, waiting for the LRDG to arrive. Note the Panzer Grenadiers in positions. We used radio communications with Himdog to get a vector on the Jeeps, because the SdKfz 251/10s have a turning radius of about a block, so repositioning is a pain.

The LRDG on Gabes Bridge. But where is Kebili?

The night before, Himdog and Werner advancing on Kebili

Fast forward again, Himdog strafing the jeeps on the east side of Gabes Bridge.

A turret's-eye view of my SdKfz 251/10, blasting away at one of the Jeeps.

That same Jeep, moments later, is obliterated in a hail of fire from our friend in the Luftwaffe.

posted 11-04- 03:36 PM               

One of the first in a wave of shells hits the town (the night before, when the Matildas were there).

Fast forward again, here a Jeep catches some air going over the ridge into the town. Moments later tracer rounds started ripping over the jeep as Steffen and I, aided by the PzGrenadiers, open fire.

Out of gas, Himdog sets down uphill of the town, and rolls along one of the roads. By now the combined effects of Bazooka rounds, shelling and miscellaneous small arms fire is taking its toll.

Probably one my top 3 favourite shots from the event, an artillery round explodes in Kebili at night.

Either the first mission in Kebili or the fourth in El Djem, a Matilda pauses near a burning building.

posted 11-04- 03:46 PM               

I'm almost certain the StuG is Pye, lol. Anyways, why use lead when you can just reach out and... touch someone. This one is from El Djem airbase as the allies try to recapture it.

Two LRDG jeeps holding position in El Djem.

I can't remember now if this was Himdog or Rendsburger, but somebody in a Bf110 ploughed into the back of a hangar. I was in position on the other side with the MG ready to dole out some punishment. This mission in particular, four jeeps swarmed the base and quickly overcame the Grenadiers, it was the closest thing we had to a textbook Blitzkrieg-style assault.

My turn in a Bf110, approaching El Djem. Note the dawn lighting effects. For me, this mission ended in a red mist as Rendsburger got me with his jeep-mounted MG after I had immobilized him. Note to self, don't mess with the LRDG.

posted 11-04- 03:55 PM               

Matilda approaching El Djem Airbase at night, caught in my sights.

Rewind to the day before, grenadiers and LRDG trade MG fire.

A hot, bright day in Zurahwa. Nothing major to report, just another day in the life of a DAK rearguard, many miles from the front lines of Gabes and El Djem.

Meanwhile, P40s cross the front lines heading East.

posted 11-04- 03:56 PM               

One P40 breaks through to our position, but is quickly dispatched by the quad 20mm cannons. The town takes a hit though, as seen by the plume of smoke.

Zip forward to the last night in El Djem again, Harman and Himdog after knocking out the last Matilda at the base, which is now axis property.

Bomb's-eye view of El Djem airbase. If we had turned our engines off, we could have heard the whistling as the shells flew into the ground.

And there you have it, my photolog of the campaign. If you aren't familiar with some of the location names, just open up your mission editor, click on new mission - africa, and have a look.

Cheers,

Werner

------------------

Abbeville Field: Dedicated to the SDOE Experience.

posted 11-04- 05:05 PM            

Thanks to Werner and Harmen for preparing the ground work.
The shelling artilly was great effect at some point the smoke would rise up and mushroom out, and shells exploding also above the ground.

posted 11-04- 05:17 PM            

I did make it finaly in at a rerun of the last mission and it was astonishing.
Like Pye now, about two hours later, one needs to chill out in the lobby

The continous shelling is tremendous and grafics are realy great.
This adds a new dimension to this game

I hope that we can use it with more people online and have a lot off FUN with it together.

I hope we can do some reruns online and I'm realy there I hope for the whole Christmas event.

Again verrrry well done

(Oh and thx all for the patience with me on this night)

posted 11-04- 05:59 PM               

Something wrong in my setup as I even get ctd's when playing the training missions offline with the Bf110c and the SdKfz 251/10s. Who knows where the problem lies as I've downloaded and installed so much stuff of late. Hope I didn't mess it up for the rest of you guys Saturday night.

Thanks to Himdog for hosting and a big thanks to Pye for you usual kind and patient troubleshooting assistance.

I may actually have to attempt a fresh install of SDOE to de-bloat my media folder--I'm not looking forward to it though.

posted 11-04- 06:08 PM               

I did a clean install for this event, so its not like I've now synchronized some of you guys with my "in development" files from my Nv3 workbench installation.

I don't know exactly what the answer is, but something's gotta give here. Plane development has slowed finally, so I hope we can clean things up so that online play isn't such a haphazard affair. This weekend was decent, but it could have been way better.

WM

posted 11-05- 05:21 AM            

I can believe I got us lost in the first frame lol...

Those are great screenies also, all this makes me want to start GP3 which I hope to do at least by the new year if not by December. But nothing's certain at this point. There's a few things to finish off my plate first.

Thanks to Werner for organising this and everyone for showing up and having a great time of it.

posted 11-05- 11:46 AM            

Before the event I renamed by aircraft folder before I installed the new ac and gp2, also I renamed by MPmissions folder too. SDOE has been locking up on me when the mission start button has been pressed, not every time but enough to be a pain. I've uninstalled SDOE and removed all the folders. Installed a clean copy with just 1.5, pp6.0, pp6.1 and Nv2. The game has not locked up yet. But I will install the files needed for the next round of FandR.

Thanks again, it was a lot of fun.

posted 11-05- 02:05 PM               

this was the first online event for me.
I participated in both frames. For the first I had to wake up middle in the night, but it was worth to do it.
It was for me like reality. Hope there will be more like this.
The idea with the surprises (Surprise Pack 1) from Harm was excellent.
It was an event over 4 continents.
Thanks alot to Werner and Harm and also to the other players.

Steffen

posted 11-05- 03:31 PM               

Iīve been blasted in these P40, in a mine with a Willy and go away to sky in a Matilda tank at night... DANM ITīS A GREAT FUN!!!

Werner and Harm your association in these event turn it in gold! Fireworks, Trace, Night like ambientation absolutely imersive.

How anyone can see at night! Itīs dense, without the HUD is hard to go right, and shoot in the wrong/right guys. The AI vehicles are so stupid, but hell - whoīs care!

posted 11-05- 10:47 PM               

I am, however, deeply concerned about the torture we had to endure to get this far, and in the cases of some people like AQ, that was as far as they were able to get. I say this risking another self-distructive, finger pointing debate about the future of this sim, (please don't start one! ) but I think we need to be supportive of the patch guys, the dime guys, the crew guys - those people who are trying to save the sim by getting it working properly for more people than it is now. We need to work with these people, not against them. I have a few ideas of my own about improving online play, and once my Nv3 commitments are met, I may act upon them. Nothing spectacular, just a low-tech strategy to help solve the problem. I've already mentionned it to one person, but the idea is very early in development and I need time to think it through and refine it. I feel compelled to do this because I fear that in trying to avoid messing with people's mainstream online game files (ie: PP stuff), I have inadvertantly complicated matters for them. If even one person has to reinstall SDOE because of F&R, then I am in the community's debt.

We will see though, good intentions and plans are one thing, but time is available in precious amounts, and last weekend was a huge exception for me, at least until Christmas. I'd like to meet the person who said these were the best four years of your life and slap them silly.

Respectfully submitted,

Werner

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Abbeville Field: Dedicated to the SDOE Experience.

[This message has been edited by Werner Molders (edited 11-05-2001).]

posted 11-06- 01:49 PM               

Looking forward to it, and may be to help next time.
Thanks again
Sailor

posted 11-08- 09:41 AM               

Werner

posted 11-09- 06:20 AM               

How about to publish a mission pack for that event. Lots of people hear about, but wont be able to play online. Iīm sure they did like it!

posted 11-14- 06:33 PM               

I will beta test the missions for the next event and post those afterwards.

Werner