Hello
A couple of years ago I started work on a Vietnam scenario. Somewhere along the line I ran out of steam. Since then I have completed a WWII scenario and learned a lot about events and how to make correct units appear. I have also found some cool new units on the Apolyton Modern Units thread that would bring the look of the game up to date.
Although I do not intend to start work on it at the moment I would like to make it possible to share some ideas and get advice so when I do go back to it one day I have a lot to start with.
Example of graphics (bit basic!) and map (would probably x3 size!):
Quality of map screenshot is not very good but it gives you an idea.
Cities:
Purple - Vietnamese (VC/NVA)
Blue - USA (+ Australia)
White - South Korea
Yellow I - South Vietnamese (ARVN)
Orange - Cambodian
Green - Laos
Yellow II - Thailand
Concepts and some new (?) ideas:
Ho Chi Minh Trail and Cambodian bases:
The idea behind the Ho Chi Minh trail was to make the Vietnamese AI very mobile and able to strike at will and surprise the US player. Also it was ment to be part of an (almost) off limits area for the Human player (ie Neutral Laos and Cambodia). I will explain this later.
The Ho Chi Minh trail is an 'invisible railway'. If you played as the NVA/VC this would not work. As the AI can 'see' the railroads whatever the graphics are set as, then making them invisibe has no ill effect. This way the NVA/VC can move safely between its bases and attack where it wants. The de-railing points are spread along the border with South Vietnam. Below is an example of a secure (out of US bomber range) NVA base in Cambodia that is linked with all the other bases by the 'invisibe RR':
The DMZ and Cambodian Border:
As you can see from the screenshot above there are border posts between Cambodia and South Vietnam. They belong to the neutral Cambodians and cannot be destroyed! They genorate a zone of control (ZOC) that US troops cannot pass (other than Special forces and Aircraft). The NVA/VC ignore ZOC and cross the border at will. Therefore they can build up at their large bases, travel quickly to the border then cross it and launch raids into the South as they wish! Ditto with the DMZ (demilitarized zone between N and S Vietnam.
See the 'Parrots beak' below also:
LZs and Fire Bases and Hueys:
The concept of the Landing Zones (LZs) is essential to Vietnam as there are few roads in the jungle and movement by foot is slow. I have created a Huey helicopter unit that is an 'Air settler'. This unit can fly into an area of operations and start constructing an LZ (or Airbase). At the same time US Airborne troops can be dropped in to the combat zone by chopper (parachuted), and when finished they can be airlifted back out (or parachuted out from the new LZ). This will make remote areas accessible to the player who can set up LZs in strategic areas, build defences for it with the Hueys and then up sticks and leave when finished.
Mobile Riverine Force:
This is just a series of Monitor Gunships, Armoured troop carriers and Hovercraft that carried troops of the US 9th Division up and down the Mekong Delta, wasting Charly! I love the smell of Napalm in the morning.
Makeing it hard for US:
As the Vietnam war was not a conventional war, I did not want to make a conventional scenario. The US player can tear about burning VC villages but to win the game will not be that simple. The NVA main bases are safe in Cambodia and Laos and they are tough!
Not sure how to decide how the game is won or lost. One thing I am determined to do is make it extremely tough for the US to win!
Any comments, idea, suggestions or graphics please feel free to share them!
A couple of years ago I started work on a Vietnam scenario. Somewhere along the line I ran out of steam. Since then I have completed a WWII scenario and learned a lot about events and how to make correct units appear. I have also found some cool new units on the Apolyton Modern Units thread that would bring the look of the game up to date.
Although I do not intend to start work on it at the moment I would like to make it possible to share some ideas and get advice so when I do go back to it one day I have a lot to start with.
Example of graphics (bit basic!) and map (would probably x3 size!):
Quality of map screenshot is not very good but it gives you an idea.
Cities:
Purple - Vietnamese (VC/NVA)
Blue - USA (+ Australia)
White - South Korea
Yellow I - South Vietnamese (ARVN)
Orange - Cambodian
Green - Laos
Yellow II - Thailand
Concepts and some new (?) ideas:
Ho Chi Minh Trail and Cambodian bases:
The idea behind the Ho Chi Minh trail was to make the Vietnamese AI very mobile and able to strike at will and surprise the US player. Also it was ment to be part of an (almost) off limits area for the Human player (ie Neutral Laos and Cambodia). I will explain this later.
The Ho Chi Minh trail is an 'invisible railway'. If you played as the NVA/VC this would not work. As the AI can 'see' the railroads whatever the graphics are set as, then making them invisibe has no ill effect. This way the NVA/VC can move safely between its bases and attack where it wants. The de-railing points are spread along the border with South Vietnam. Below is an example of a secure (out of US bomber range) NVA base in Cambodia that is linked with all the other bases by the 'invisibe RR':
The DMZ and Cambodian Border:
As you can see from the screenshot above there are border posts between Cambodia and South Vietnam. They belong to the neutral Cambodians and cannot be destroyed! They genorate a zone of control (ZOC) that US troops cannot pass (other than Special forces and Aircraft). The NVA/VC ignore ZOC and cross the border at will. Therefore they can build up at their large bases, travel quickly to the border then cross it and launch raids into the South as they wish! Ditto with the DMZ (demilitarized zone between N and S Vietnam.
See the 'Parrots beak' below also:
LZs and Fire Bases and Hueys:
The concept of the Landing Zones (LZs) is essential to Vietnam as there are few roads in the jungle and movement by foot is slow. I have created a Huey helicopter unit that is an 'Air settler'. This unit can fly into an area of operations and start constructing an LZ (or Airbase). At the same time US Airborne troops can be dropped in to the combat zone by chopper (parachuted), and when finished they can be airlifted back out (or parachuted out from the new LZ). This will make remote areas accessible to the player who can set up LZs in strategic areas, build defences for it with the Hueys and then up sticks and leave when finished.
Mobile Riverine Force:
This is just a series of Monitor Gunships, Armoured troop carriers and Hovercraft that carried troops of the US 9th Division up and down the Mekong Delta, wasting Charly! I love the smell of Napalm in the morning.
Makeing it hard for US:
As the Vietnam war was not a conventional war, I did not want to make a conventional scenario. The US player can tear about burning VC villages but to win the game will not be that simple. The NVA main bases are safe in Cambodia and Laos and they are tough!
Not sure how to decide how the game is won or lost. One thing I am determined to do is make it extremely tough for the US to win!
Any comments, idea, suggestions or graphics please feel free to share them!
) and is the sort of style and quality I am looking for. I also need some good helicopters (Ie Huey, Cobra, Chinook and Chocktaw) and any other Vietnam era units anyone might have. 
