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Black Hawk Down Version 2.3
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Author |
File Description |
Meat Puppet |
Posted on 05/03/05 @ 02:58 AM (updated 05/04/05)
File Details |
Needs T&P?: |
Yes |
WELCOME: If you liked the movie, you'll love the scenario. It's good tons of goodies, events, effects and cinematic action. For this scenario, I went all out to the best of my ability to try to create a sense of realism. It's a complete remake of my earlier Black Hawk Down scenario, which was created before I learned how to do script.
WARNING: This scenario is loaded with effects and animation for maximum cinematic effect, so it might be laggy for slower computers.
DESIGN: This scenario was designed using RON Thrones & Patriots scenario editor, with custom scripting and sounds. The name of the file is "Black_Hawk_2."
ABOUT V.2.3: 1) Fixes the bug if the Pakistanis are defeated (where the same dialog box keeps showing up and won't go away). 2) Dramatically reduces number of Somali "pitchfork" militia units. 3) Gives control of Pakistanis to human player. 4) Adds 4 more Ranger units to initial U.S. attack. 5) Tweaks some hit point ratings of various units.
SOUNDS: There are a number of sound files with this scenario, which are integral to the action. Keep them in the same folder as the main three scenario files so they play during the game. They include music (some from the movie Black Hawk Down) and sound clips and effects to enhance the action.
TOOLBAR: This game uses a toolbar on the lefthand side of the screen which advises you of both your current game objectives and also commands. The three primary commands are:
1 - Drop Rangers from Black Hawks for assault on Olympic Hotel
2 - Dismount Rangers from Humvees
3 - Remount Rangers back into Humvees
SITUATION: As the game opens, you have a column of Humvees and a squadron of Black Hawk helicopters near the U.S. Army base in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The city, which sprawls across most of the map, is a bombed out mess due to years of civil war. You will see dozens of civilians, trucks, etc. underneath your helicopters. Only the yellow player is hostile; the red and orange players are at peace with you.
Your objective is to land rangers from the Black Hawks near the Olympic Hotel (Versailles Wonder) and capture all personnel inside. The helicopters will take you there. The assault and capture will take place automatically, just keep your units near the building.
After that, defend the area until the Humvees show up. When the Humvees are near the hotel, the prisoners will be loaded.
After that, the game will let you know what happens. Lots of events will occur, creating new objectives, to which you must react. In the end, you will have to meet all of your objectives and then get your small force back to base.
VICTORY CONDITIONS: Meet all objectives, and get your command back to base.
If you are wiped out, you will lose big. A petty warlord in a Stone Age country will have humiliated the world's strongest military. The U.S. will pull out of Somalia.
You should be able to win. However, you will be judged (poor, good, excellent) based on how many casualties you suffer. If you suffer light casualties (<33%), your feat will strengthen U.S. resolve to finish its mission in Somalia. If you suffer moderate (33-50%) or heavy (>50%) casualties, you win the battle but lose the mission as the U.S. decides to pull out of the country, giving strategic victory to Aidid.
GLITCHES? Note that I never got a chance to finish game testing, particularly at the end with the DELTA (elite special forces) hit points and the victory ratings at the end. The reason: The game started crashing my computer. Since I also use this computer to work, I had to abandon the scenario. I personally think I overloaded the scenario editor's capabilities this time. Hopefully you won't have any problems playing the game.
GAME NOTE: When you dismount your Humvees, they will switch to player 6 (also U.S. Army Rangers, your ally, used for a number of purposes) as will the Rangers who pop out and stand next to them. This is so that you do not split up the infantry from the Humvees. The Humvees will retain their damage during the switches but each time you dismount you will get a fresh Ranger unit. This is part of the scenario editor and can't helped; however, I didn't have a problem with it, the game still feels real.
STRATEGY HINTS: Where you drop your troops in the beginning near the Hotel may affect your casualties in the area. You may want to drop a little early before your birds surround the Hotel.
Just because you clear out an area doesn't mean the enemy won't come back once you're gone.
You will face incredible odds but you have the superior firepower. I found that by moving the Humvees as the vanguard (which fire as they move, thank God), then dismounting the Rangers inside to fight, gives you a very powerful combat effect.
Try to keep your forces concentrated. However, I would advise moving the Humvees first to take objectives, then move up the infantry in a form of leapfrog. If your infantry get caught on the move, they may easily be split up and cut up.
DELTA snipers Gordon and Shughart are included in the game. Their actual heroism on the day of the battle is inspiring. However, your snipers don't need to be sacrificed. By moving and firing, you can take out a few heavies near the second crash (shown as a SAM installation) and then keep moving around the edge of the fighting, and make it back to your main force. Your snipers have extra hit points and movement capability. Note your snipers will also have lots of firing capability, but they will eventually run out of ammo.
Your helicopters cannot fire but they have very strong hit points. In the actual battle, many of the helicopters were used for recon, not fighting, although a number of gunships were involved doing strafing runs and covering the infantry. I took that out because 1) if your helicopters get shot down it would screw up the logic of the scenario, and 2) they would be too powerful and you would likely win too easily. Instead of using them to fight, they can do recon for you.
Take your time, don't rush. Remember, you are trying to avoid taking casualties.
The number of units you will get is about 28 plus the four helicopters. You will face an estimated 200-250 Somali units, if not more (I never did a final count). The Somalis have inferior range (due to inaccuracy), a mix of weapons, and lack of coordination for their attacks. You'll find yourself fighting angry rock-throwing mobs (militia), "Technicals" (armed merchants, very powerful), RPG units (Bazookas, very powerful), Minutemen, etc.
I would have liked to include the Information Age MG and the Indian Anti-Tank Missile (which looks like an RPG, which I would have given to the Somalis), but my scenario editor crapped out and refused to allow me to put them in. It was just one of those glitches.
THANKS FOR PLAYING: Good luck and have fun! Please write and tell me about your game, I'd like to hear a good story. I spent a lot of time on this one (read the script and you'll see), so I hope you'll come back to review it.
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Pages: [1] 2 3 » Last » | Author | Comments & Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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Le_Grande_Puba |
Posted on 05/03/05 @ 07:44 PM
Playability: 4
Great, the scenario is very fun. A great step up from the first one.
Balance: 5
Very hard, however that was the way it was for the US in Somalia
Creativity: 5
Excellent in every way, the only point I would like to change was the Somali Militia. In the game you have them attacking the US troops with pitchforks!!?? Maybe you could have changed that
Map Design: 5
Great map of Mogadishu
Story/Instructions: 5
Correct storyline. Loved it
Additional Comments:
I would have given you a straight 5 however thare are a couple of points i noticed.
1. When the Pakistanis are defeated, the pop up message keeps appearing, which means i had to quit the game
2. Put at least a weak gun in the Blackhawks, in times i do feel a bit underpowered in the game.
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Meat Puppet
File Author |
Posted on 05/04/05 @ 01:26 AM
Hey Puba,
Thanks for pointing out that glitch (the dialog box reoccurring if the Pakistanis get wiped out). Weird that that happened, as I reviewed the script and it was correct. The scenario editor works in mysterious ways sometimes. I rigged it differently and hopefullly the error won't happen again. You can download v.2.2 now.
I also took the militia and made them all women in the opening of the scenario, so that they have torches but no pitchforks in the crowd. I didn't like the pitchforks either, but wanted to simulate the very large, lightly armed, very angry, rock-throwing crowds that swarmed at the Rangers, particularly the downed helicopter sites. Later on in the scenario, when new militia is created via script, the pitchforks unfortunately have to show up again.
As for the helicopters, I didn't give them any firepower. If I gave it to them, even a little, it would have made the game too easy and next thing you know you would have helicopters being shot down in the resulting engagements, which would contradict the logic of the scenario (where you are defending helicopter crash sites).
I was surprised that the Pakistanis got wiped out in your scenario. Every game test I did their tanks made it to the second crash site with, I think, only one tank downed if even that. (Then again, I was moving my reinforcement Humvee units to give a little support to them.)
As for the difficulty, woe to the scenario designer who ever offers an easy game, you get roasted. Always best to give a hard scenario and let the player try to master it. (Personally I like a hard scenario too.) The choice of strategy and approach, mostly to do with timing and pacing of your forces' moves, can result in much fewer casualties in this scenario.
I would consider it a great favor if you would tell me about the game you had. What happened? I'm always wondering if what I see on my screen is what happens on other computers. For example, in my game, the Pakistanis went in a certain direction--what direction did they take to get to the crash site in your game? How did they all get killed? What else happened?
Plus I love to hear good war stories ...
Thanks for the good review, Puba, I appreciate it!
- MP
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Le_Grande_Puba |
Posted on 05/04/05 @ 04:50 AM
Hi MP
About the pitchfork thing, you could have put in Gunpowder infantry but with a very weak attack and small range. The other minor thing i noticed today was that you had all the humvees dismount when i pressed the button. So while I was concentrating on the 2nd crashsite, working with the humvees that came with the Pakistanis, I forgot that the original Humvees were also being Mounted/Dismounted. Maybe you could seperate the two teams. (Maybe make the 2nd Humvees from Armoured Cavalry, and rename them humvees???) In my game when the 2nd humvees came with the Pakistanis, I expected them to go to the 2nd crashsite (The first was already secured) However i found out that the Pakistanis were moving to the north (Towards an area infested with Somali Rebels) Thats when I choose to take the 2nd Humvees to the 2nd crashsite
Hope this helps you....
P.S. In the multiplayer maps that come with TP there is a scenario called capture the scholar. If you ever play it you will find out that the scholar in very large in size. If you ever get to know how to do it can you post the code for me in here. I was thinking of doing a Napoleonic Battle Map were a single unit would represent a regiment in the battle. Then I would make them huge in size and then give them a very large HP but they would also be very slow (in order to make it realistic)
Then on the Map the player gets to move around these large units as if they were regiments on a battlefield. I have the whole code sorted out except the Huge units thing so if you get around to knowing that can you post it on here....
Thanks
LGP |
badbob |
Posted on 05/04/05 @ 03:48 PM
yeah i had the same thing actully the un peace keepers on my version never even apper infact the first i heard of their existance was a message telling be that they had been destroyed which i found i bit odd, i think it must be a glitch becauce thier simply not their making this very hard for me to win. by the way apart from that this is a very good scenario. |
Meat Puppet
File Author |
Posted on 05/04/05 @ 06:57 PM
That's bizarre that the Pakistanis never showed up in your game, badbob. The script is correct and that shouldn't happen. Couldn't do anything about it at my end other than to clear out anything in the way of their creation point, such as rubble & rocky ground. If you want to try the game again, download the new version (now available) and let me know if the UN shows up or not. Thanks! |
Meat Puppet
File Author |
Posted on 05/04/05 @ 07:06 PM
Hey Puba,
Here's what I did in v.2.3:
* Reduce number of militia--only time you see pitchforks is when the Somali crowd overruns the second crash site.
* I gave control of the Pakistanis to the human player. The Pakistanis do go north, but they are actually going to the second crash site--they go up, and then straight down. There are Somali militia all over the western side of the map, so the direction of the Pakistanis doesn't matter (although going north takes more time). At first I didn't like it either but then I did because it gave me a chance to reinforce the column with a few units from the first crash site, it created a chance to link up. Now you can either take control of the Pakistanis or let the script tell them where to go.
* The U.S. gets 4 extra Ranger units during the initial attack. I also strengthened the hit points a little for the MGs.
I also tweaked a few other little things.
If you decide to reload the scenario and try it again, let me know if you find it playable/fun.
RE: the humvees, I thought about your solution, which was a good one (using armored cars or cav for the reinforcements), but too many problems got created in the script (even seemingly simple things as you know can be hell to sort out in the script).
RE: The large-sized units, I guess my first question is: Why not use the regular units as they are but have them represent regiments? That's kind of the approach I've taken with my tactical/battle scenarios (such as Alexander at Issus, Austerlitz, etc.). The units march together in formations that represent divisions, etc. Each "man" represents about 100 men. Then you can adapt their hits, attack, speed, etc. appropriately.
But to answer your question, there is a way to do it apparently, but I don't personally know how. I can tell you who does: KingRoy. KingRoy moderates the scenario design forum on this site, so you can ask him there. I remember him saying he figured out how to do just what you're asking a while ago.
Hope that helps!
Thanks for the discussion and again the good review of BHD.
- MP
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StormEye |
Posted on 05/05/05 @ 08:18 AM
Playability: 4
(Hi MeatPuppet, i played your first Black Hawk Down, this one is far much better.. however in some situations its a little difficult to manage the several situations, but its a lot better than the first one, good job.)
Balance: 5
(Like the first one, very hard, but this is the way it was, nice work.. you gave the dispair among Us Ragers looked like reality.)
Creativity: 5
(Excellent work in all the steps of the scenario, from the Humvees switches to all the time line, very cinematic.)
Map Design: 5
(Excellent map, i allways loved your maps, this one is perfect, it looks really like Mogadishu, it gives a fantastic inviorement to the game.)
Story/Instructions: 5
(Like is usual in your scenarios the intructions are great, from the start to the end. nothing more to say when a you do a perfect job.)
Additional Comments:
This is one of the best guerrilla war scenario i ever played, nice work... i will try now your 2.23 version and then i will tell you something, but until now, my congratulations men!!!! |
Meat Puppet
File Author |
Posted on 05/05/05 @ 09:59 PM
Thanks for the nice review, StormEye! I appreciate it. |
Metallica_rocks |
Posted on 05/06/05 @ 01:27 AM
Playability: 5
Firstoff, excellent work (and thats an understatement)! The way the Somalis swarmed me, then retreated, then swarmed again gave me the feeling of being attacked by a bunch of angry, unorganized mobs.
Balance: 5
Very difficult. It had the feeling of the movie and incident itself packed into a single scenario
Creativity: 5
This is where you score big, big time. How many people have used actual audio recordings from a movie in their scenarios hu? I especially liked the pilot at the start lol.
Map Design: 5
Looks just like Mogadishu. And by rewatching the film, I was glad to see you used the actual route the humvees took. very good job.
Story/Instructions: 5
I had new missions poping up before I even finished the previous objective. I felt a little confused and thinly stretched, but never lost.
Additional Comments:
This has to be one of the best scenarios I have ever seen in the history of this site. Honestly, what would we do without MP?
And as always, your sickness bag can be found in the seatback in front of you. |
badbob |
Posted on 05/07/05 @ 07:53 AM
No sorry mp same problem again infact it happend even quicker in this version it just came up that the rescue force had been destroyed just after the message came up saying they had arrived????? |
Pages: [1] 2 3 » Last » |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
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4.9 | Breakdown |
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Playability | 4.5 | Balance | 4.8 | Creativity | 5.0 | Map Design | 5.0 | Story/Instructions | 5.0 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 6,695 |
Favorites: [] | 0 |
Size: | 1.04 MB |
Added: | 05/03/05 |
Updated: | 05/04/05 |
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