Re: Re: [GZG] DSIII q

[John K Lerchey <lerchey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 13 Mar 2006, Grant A. Ladue wrote:

> > On Mon, 13 Mar 2006 laserlight@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>   I have to admit, I would like to see more turns as well.  Right now, I'm
> hoping that more experience with the system helps move this along, but I'm
> not sure yet that that is the case.
>   I still think that the idea of a "continuing" firefight has merit.  I would
> allow other units to join in, and allow forces in the firefight to roll to
> "force" other units into the firefight.  Then resolve the firefight in the
> next turn.  This would allow the game to keep moving, but still keep the move
> and firefight concepts.  Perhaps only newly started firefights would be
> allowed to continue (ie you finsh them in the next turn).  Perhaps you can
> define a "combat zone" around units already in the firefight, and anyone that
> enters that zone gets sucked in.  That would allow units to screen each other
> and make choke points important (since the first unit stopped at the point
> would suck everyone else in).

I'm not sure how zone of control (which is kind of what you're saying 
feels like to me) would work in a system where weapons have ranges of 
60mu.  Granted, there is LoS to consider, and on a relatively terrain 
dense table, you might see ranges limited to under 24mu, but on open 
terrain with a laser, all bets are off! :)


>   How would recon work with a firefight?  Should the other guy shooting at
> your recon elements force them into combat?

One example, which would have worked this way on the Friday Night game if 
I hadn't, once again, screwed up...

A unit of light tanks (scouts, if you will) moves around a hill and is 
spotted by and enemy force.  Being that a) the enemy force is not on 
overwatch and b) that the light tanks are Active, they get the first 
FireFight round and (wisely) elect to pop smoke.  Now, they haven't been 
fired upon, and they have effectively stopped the FireFight before it 
really began by making it impossible for the enemy to do any real reaction 
(the enemy unit could make a Combat Move, but won't be able to get to, let 
alone through the smoke, so there really isn't much point), and the 
FireFight ends.  Since the smoke-poppin'  unit is in good morale, they may 
continue with their major move (say that they were moving across the gap 
beteween two hills), so they move around the second hill (around the back 
in relationship to the force that wanted to attack them) and find another 
platoon in the edge of woods watching for them.  This time the enemy is on 
overwatch, so they fire at the light tanks before the smoke can be popped. 
They manage to kill one, and being that the light tanks are overmatched, 
the light tanks take (and pass) their Stress Test, and pop smoke again. 
Still in good morale, if they have any Major movement left, they can 
continue, and whether they do or not, they can do their SECOND major 
action, which could to dig in, make another move (maybe back and onto one 
of the hills?), etc.  In both cases a firefight ended with the light tanks 
in good morale, and resulting in a recon unit having spotted two enemy 
platoons.

:)

> In retrospect, one of the odd
> things to me from the game on Sunday morning was that my grav tanks were so
> fast in one mode and *so* slow in the other mode.  My unit was flashing past
> a gap, but were forced to come virtually to a stop when fired upon.  I know
> there is some justification for that, but I'm wondering if there shouldn't be
> a way to "shoot the gaps" as it were.  I'm thinking that a recon unit would
> not necessarily stop and fire back, but would be more likely to maintain speed
> to cover.  Not sure about that though.

That's because the full TURN is 15 minutes but each Tactical Combat Round 
is a meer fraction of that.  You're literally changing TIME SCALES when 
you move from activation to firefight.

Yes, it feels very wierd.  Think of it as playing this way.  You do what 
someone (sorry, don't remember who) suggested to do "big moves" to get 
into combat.  Once in, you are doing small tactical adjustments in the 
firefight, in compressed time.  For most vehicles, the Combat Move is in 
the 2-4mu category.  For those grav tanks, well, they's fast don'tchaknow, 
and some of them have Combat Moves of around 12mu... :)

>   Say, how do very large units like Ogres work with firefights?  Does shooting
> at one element on a big vehicle allow everything to shoot back?

Haven't worked that out yet, but will likely soon.  In fact, once my group 
gets back to DS (a few more weeks) I plan to test just that. :)

John
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