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Custer's Last Stand
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Author |
File Description |
Meat Puppet |
Posted on 02/28/05 @ 02:12 AM
File Details |
Needs T&P?: |
Yes |
DESIGN: This scenario was designed by Meat Puppet using RON Thrones & Patriots scenario editor and custom scripting.
GAME MODIFICATIONS: This scenario contains several innovative game modifications. You should read this section even if you normally don't like to read game instructions.
* There are several custom sounds in this scenario, courtesy of http://www.acws.co.uk/sounds/main.htm. These include two bugle calls and a drum sound. You should put these sound files in the same folder as the scenario, so that they play with the scenario.
* There is another custom sound that you can use, the actual Seventh Cavalry marching song. Unfortunately, the file is too big to upload on this site. You can download it here free, courtesy of http://www.1perscom.army.mil/BAND/Download_mp3.htm. It's a big file but it plays fine in the game and doesn't slow down any of the action, at least when I played it. It adds tons of ambience so I highly recommend the extra effort on your part to get it. It's also a cool song.
* You have a special menu on the left side of the screen. This menu gives you special actions you can take as Custer:
t = spyglasses. This enables Customer to see a far distance and reconnoiter the Sioux positions.
a = mount. This tells your Seventh Cavalry troops, when they're in infantry mode, to saddle up on their horses. Your infantry becomes cavalry. A special bugle call ("assembly" call) is used for this. Your troops gain special advantages when in cavalry mode, such as faster speed.
v = dismount. This tells your Seventh Cavalry troops, when they're in cavalry mode, to dismount and fight on foot. They gain special advantages when on foot, such as farther fire range and greater firepower due to higher accuracy of shooting on the ground. A special bugle call ("assembly" call) is used for this.
r = retreat. This tells the Seventh Cavalry units under your command to all retreat together to about 15 game tiles behind (to the left of) Custer. You will have to select Custer and tell him to follow them or they will leave him behind. A special bugle call ("charge" call) is used for this.
5 = attack. This tells the Seventh Cavalry units under your command to all advance together to about 15 games tiles in front of (to the right of) Custer. You will have to tell Custer to follow one of your units or he will be left behind. A special bugle call ("charge" call) is used for this.
If you find that your commands are not working for attacking and retreating, try quickly mounting up or dismounting, then dismounting or mounting again. That flip-flop will "jiggle" the game and get you back able to tell your army to retreat and attack again as a group. Neither scripting itself nor the scenario editor nor the scenario designer are perfect, there are sometimes little glitches.
GAME/VICTORY CONDITIONS: You start with your Seventh Cavalry companies. You have an ally, Major Reno, whom you assigned to attack the Sioux encampment from the north. Reno also is in command of Benteen in the north, who has set up a screen to cover a possible escape route for the Sioux.
Reno and Benteen will act on their own on a set program (your orders before leaving them), attacking, consolidating, mounting and dismounting, according to the game conditions. For example, if Reno loses so many cavalry, he will order his men to dismount. If he loses more, they will remount and retreat back across the Little Bighorn River to join up with Benteen and set up a defense. After that they will stay where they are and wait for the infantry column to show up that is in the area (in history, not in the game--you are on your own once Reno is out of the battle).
You do not have any cities, nor does your ally or your opponents. The Sioux, represented by several colored nations on the map and led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, have significant forces and will counterattack in various levels of strength depending on your strategy--from what direction you attack from. They also have a sprawling encampment mostly made up of teepees but also a few medicine huts (temples), Council Lodges (universities), cooking fires (damaged, smoking courtyard fountains), lookout posts (lookouts), and lodges (barracks).
There are two buildings you must destroy, the Sioux Council Lodges (Universities). When you destroy the Council Lodges, you can kill the Chiefs inside them (or ignore them, considering them captured). When you destroy both Council Lodges, you WIN THE GAME--Sitting Bull will sue for peace and return with his people to the reservations.
If you end up with less than 5 units on the field, your command is considered to be destroyed and you will lose the game.
HISTORY: In 1876, in what is today Montana and not far from the border with Wyoming, the greatest American military disaster to have ever occurred happened, near the Little Bighorn River--the Battle of Little Bighorn. For more information about the battle, you can Google it or visit:
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/custer.htm
Custer's Last Stand actually refers to the last spot where his men pulled back and fought, and where they were all killed. Interestingly, it was not only Custer's Last Stand, but also the last stand for the Plains Indian fighting for their land. The Sioux were never able to produce another big victory, and continually lost rights and land to the U.S. after Little Bighorn.
GAME SITUATION: At the beginning of the game you have found evidence that there is a large Sioux encampment ahead of you. The U.S. Army has been hunting for the Sioux after the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians left their reservations because the whites had found gold in the Black Hills and were settling there, violating sacred Lakota lands. You could wait for the infantry, but you believe the element of surprise will be lost, and that you if you do not attack the Lakota will disappear into the wilderness without a fight.
A little too eager, you divide your Seventh Cavalry companies into three forces: Reno, with about 150-175 men, you send towards the Sioux encampment. Captain Benteen, with a few men, you order to set up a screen in the north to block the Sioux from escaping that way. Then you take about 200 men, the rest of the Seventh Cavalry, and travel all the way around to the other side of the encampment, hoping to cut off and destroy the Sioux as Reno drives them into you. You expect the Sioux force to be small, since that is what your experience tells you. History happened a little different. Custer was destroyed and Reno ran into serious trouble and barely escaped catastrophe. This is because Custer took on a force that outnumbered his by more than 4:1, and his troops ended up scattered due to the terrain and their retreat.
STRATEGY: You can play out Custer's strategy to see if you can win, attack more in the middle, hoping to link up with Reno, or join Reno and attack all from one direction.
Note that if you are being overwhelmed by the Sioux or see a large war party heading towards you, you can mount up and retreat, then dismount and set up a new line of defense. I had dozens of these running fights.
Sioux resistance will vary based on where you attack. Once you figure out how I set it up, you can give yourself an easy or a hard game.
The river will be a problem for you but also gives you an opportunity. When you cross the river, you can take severe losses not to mention it really slows you down if you are trying to stage a tactical retreat. However, if you can get across, the Sioux will be stuck in the water while you gun them down trying to cross.
Remember to use your spyglasses. It costs you nothing and can produce valuable intelligence.
You will note that Sitting Bull does not execute his own pincer movement on the Seventh Cavalry. If that happened in the game, you would be wiped out, without a chance. The only chance you have to win, if you trigger a big counterattack by the Sioux, is to be able to play fighting retreats. If another major Sioux force came up behind you while this was happening, then it would be over for you.
THANKS FOR PLAYING: I hope you like this scenario. Please give me feedback on the game modifications, if it gave you a different kind of play that you liked. I enjoyed designing this one and playtesting it. The scenario had a strong sense of story behind it and unique problems and play due to the game setup and modifications. If you liked the scenario, please come back and give me a good rating. If you didn't like it, tell me what you didn't like so I can improve it.
FINAL NOTE: Scenario designers do this 50% for the fun of it, 50% for the glory. If you download and play this scenario but don't review it, you're hurting the incentive for the designer to keep designing quality scenarios. In other words, please make sure you come back and post either a review or a comment. I'm particularly interested in what kind of game you had--tell me a good war story.
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Author | Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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D3aTh5_AnG3l |
Posted on 02/28/05 @ 08:58 AM
Playability: 5
Very good. Easy to use, custom toolbar on the side was very good
Balance: 4
Just hard enough to lose, but if you keep ur head u can beat em
Creativity: 4
Very well done Meat Puppet, nice use of historical acounts ( position of reno and benteen, attack plan)
Map Design: 5
Very good, focus on countryside well done, loved the little touch with the research toolbar at the top( all at historical levels). VG
Story/Instructions: 5
Lots of instructions in game and story followed basic Battle of Little Big Horn story
Additional Comments:
Im a military history buff so i know that Meat Puppets made another awesme scenario here. Well Done. Keep it up |
spiritflyer |
Posted on 02/28/05 @ 09:26 PM
Playability: 5
(Insert Playability analysis here)
Great game here I loved the mount and dismount commands
Balance: 3
(Insert Balance analysis here)
I think you made this to easy the computer will not attack all the time I suggest that you set the computer level on hardest
Creativity: 5
(Insert Creativity analysis here)
nice work with scripting here the best I've ever seen
Map Design: 5
(Insert Map Design analysis here)
Liked the river design
Story/Instructions: 5
(Insert Story/Instructions analysis here)
much better with scripting
Additional Comments:
this being the first scripted scenario of yours that I have played I was deeply impressed
keep up the good work!
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King Walker |
Posted on 03/12/05 @ 04:44 AM
Playability: 5
(Just great, not a lot of scenarios have this fantastic ideas. loved the dismount command!!)
Balance: 4
(Good balance, the only thing that could be better was if the indians attack... they are attacked and they stay there?)
Creativity: 5
(You are the best scripting designer in the site, not only because this set, but for all the inovasions you create!!)
Map Design: 4
(Well done, loved the camp and the river!)
Story/Instructions: 5
(Very good backup story and scripting, you do it like no other.)
Additional Comments:
You are far the best scenario designer in the Site( but iam not the right person to say this, iam just here a couple of days), not only by the great scenarios that you create, but also by the way you resolve the problems that the game scripting give us!!! keep on the good work!!! |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
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4.6 | Breakdown |
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Playability | 5.0 | Balance | 3.7 | Creativity | 4.7 | Map Design | 4.7 | Story/Instructions | 5.0 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 1,702 |
Favorites: [] | 0 |
Size: | 451.85 KB |
Added: | 02/28/05 |
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