Diary of a Campaign Maker (or How Hard Can It Be?)

[Estnische]

Probably since the days of ‘Popular Mechanics’ magazine in the 1950s, Do-It-Yourself publishing has encouraged people to have a go at what otherwise seems a daunting task.

Looking through the various forums covering Steel Fury: Kharkov 1942 (SFK42), you can see the gnarled veterans with years of experience, producing new vehicles and missions that keep expanding and renewing this gem of a WWII tank simulation. You also see users of the game like me, grateful for their products and waiting with anticipation at the next release.

Somewhere in between are the creative souls, who stick their head above the trench and try to move forward, making their own missions. Some barely make it out of the trench, shot down in a hail of withering ‘contour’ fire.



Some others make it to the next foxhole, and the next after that, only to tread on a mine that is the strange behaviour of the AI. Others make it all the way to the end, receiving hearty pats on the back from the helping hands of the veterans. Like green combat troops, the newbies look at this on the forums and see it as overwhelming.

Well, I am going to stick my head above the trench and try to cross the Campaign Making minefield. I’ll post what I do for all newbies to see, and ask the questions that need to be asked, so it might encourage more mission making.

Please feel free to contribute advice and sggestions – especially you gnarly veterans!

How hard can it be?

[Kyth]

Good, good,

I will be keeping a close watch on the proceedings, 

[frinik]

Mission making can be as hard as you want it to be.If you follow Kyth and Rend's( not to mention the guys on the Russian-Ukrainian side of the equation) trail then it's going to be a steep-hill but once you've reach the top it becomes easier every time.You can make your teeth on simple missions and then take it from there.

Anyway it's great to have you on board!

[Estnische]

OK, so where to begin? With a plan, of course!

Missions seem to fall into one of three categories:

1)   Historical – where the mission maker attempts to follow as closely as possible real events. It’s usually possible where a real soldier has diaries of their wartime actions. Of course there are limits on the accuracy, including availability of tank types, a game map (polygon) that matches the location, and the variations made by the player and the Artificial Intelligence (AI).

2)   Semi – Historical – where the maker uses real events to create a believable  
mission. This allows the maker to have the best of both worlds, working within the confines of the game, but being consistent with historical events. This way you don’t have Operation Barbarossa commencing with Tiger IIs!

3)   Fictional – where the maker is free to do what they please. The best use of this type of mission is to entertain the player, with history not a determining factor. Here is where imagination should run wild, encouraging the player to use their wits and problem solving to work outside the usual tank versus tank scenario. Lockie’s ‘Hurry Up Kubelwagen’ is an example of this.

In my case, I’ve decided on a semi-historical German campaign. Like many others, I’ve always like the Panzer VI (Mk I Tiger). One of the best Tiger commanders was Otto Carius, who wrote a book on his experiences called ‘Tigers In The Mud’.  In 1943, Carius joined a Tiger unit, the schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502.



This unit fought at the Leningrad front and then in the retreat to Narva, Estonia. But determined defence halted the Russian advance, leading to extensive battles at the Narva and Ivangorod bridgeheads. Researching these encounters is where the internet is your friend.



Unfortunately, city streets and buildings are not yet available in SFK42. However, at several points the Russians tried to by-pass Narva, including attempts to cross the Narva River at the villages of Siivertsi and Riigiküla, north of Narva. These attempts were beaten back by units of the 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, supported by Otto Carius’ Tiger platoon.



(HAPBA=Narva in Russian)

It should be possible for me to make a series of missions based on the actions at Siiversti, using the mod SPM 1.5 Beta, and the stock maps.

How hard can it be?

[Kyth]

Good start, keep it coming!

[frinik]

BTW it's Soviets not Russians .

I think the idea is great and as for the maps most of us have never been to Estonia so we couldn't tell whether the stock maps are authentic or not...

[Estnische]

I think the idea is great and as for the maps most of us have never been to Estonia so we couldn't tell whether the stock maps are authentic or not...

I have, in the middle of summer. Very green and lots of birch trees and lumbering elks! The stock maps shouldn't be a problem if I can find a river to suit Carius' descriptions.

[whukid]

You know what we need next? an urban map. That way Kyth can work his magic in the city slug-fest's that plagued much of the eastern front.

[lockie]

Very green and lots of birch trees and lumbering elks! The stock maps shouldn't be a problem if I can find a river to suit Carius' descriptions.

As my point, there's no problem to create a new polygon. The stock ones are completely washed out, imho.

[Kyth]

I'd say, if you're just beginning, pick a suitable stock map and use it.

They're all quite useful and versatile and there are actually 10 more 'hidden' maps available as well.
Take a look:
http://graviteam.com/forum/index.php?topic=2919.0

[Estnische]

OK, now I need to pick a map and some armoured units.

A description by Otto Carius doesn’t cover a lot, apart from:

“the front is only thinly held. I’ve attempted to help myself by constructing it as a series of strongpoints”

“the eastern bank of the Narva, climbed quite steeply, and the edge of a large forested area extended along the high ground. We thus stuck out like a sore thumb for their artillery, which gave us many problems. As soon as we left our little bit of woods, it didn’t take more than three minutes before we saw the first muzzle flashes on the far bank”

“the Russians had suffered terrific losses during their attacks as there was no cover at all while crossing over the ice of the Narva. But even if only a small group was successful in establishing itself on our side of the Narva, they stuck to our trench system like leeches”

The following description from an Estonian website says:

“Numerous wire obstacles and mine fields had been established to protect the bridgehead.”

“Russian elite units protected the bridgehead: the 378th Shooters' (Rifle?) Division units and the 340th Single Machine Gun Battalion. These units were supported by the cannon(artillery?) units over the river, who in case of an attack opened a fire towards the trenches, which made conquering the bridgehead directly impossible. There have also been talks and written texts about there being machine guns on the other bank of the river.”

So, I have some parameters I can interpret:

•   Russians have huge numerical superiority, but I don’t know what units or armour they had.
•   Carius only had a platoon of Tigers to work with the SS Panzer-Grenadiers. Tigers I can get using the SPM1.5 Beta mod.
•   Germans have trenches on the west side, which they lost. They were later occupied by the Russians. Defences included mines and wire and machine gun nests.
•   The map needs a river preferably running north-south, with banks rising to have the Russian artillery looking down on the German trenches.
•   I need to establish a village on the west side. If I use it as the base for the German company HQ, it could be the mission goal of the Russians. 
•   The crossing of a river covered in ice! Looking at the image of Carius’ Tiger, it has white camo and the actions took place in February 1944. So I will have to investigate winter mods. The stock version of SFK42 is very lush and leafy.

Like Kyth said, it will be easier to work with an existing map. So I need to find a suitable map first, and then check out mods for seasons. 

How hard can it be?

[frinik]

The Izum map would fit your needs as the river runs North to South and it's got steep hills  on one side with some forest cover.However if you need to have the Germans on the West bank of the river there are no trenches nor villages but only a dense forest and some hills in behind it.The only trenches and villages would be on the Soviet side(East bank).There are many maps with rivers running through the middle but the only other one that could fit your needs - the Peremoga one - does not entirely fit the setting you need.I am trying to think about the new maps( i.e user_made ones)and I can't think of one that would meet your requiremnts.I think Lockie is right you'll need to make an entirely new map. Also the 2 exisating winter maps; the old one and Lajcak's late autumn one do not have ice....

[Kyth]

If the river is supposed to be iced over, it widens your available choices doesn't it?

You don't actually need a map with a river.

[whukid]

You can use Google Maps or Google Earth to find the spot relative to where Carius's unit was around Narva. Personally, I'm impartial, but it might help

[Kyth]

If the river is supposed to be iced over, it widens your available choices doesn't it?

You don't actually need a map with a river.

Just to clarify, you won't actually need a river if it doesn't make a tactical difference (e.g. a barrier to crossing).