Re: DSII Ideas/questions: ADS, FO's,

Thanks, Andy. I've slipped my responses into your message:

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Andrew Martin" <Al.Bri@xtra.co.nz>
Reply-To: gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
To: <gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU>
Subject: Re: DSII Ideas/questions: ADS, FO's,
Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 20:30:58 +1200

Brian Bilderback wrote:
 > I had a couple of ideas/questions concerning DSII.  This time,
they're 
all
about the game and it's rules, not their comparison to real life (as we
know
it, Jim).

     But I try to match DSII rules to real life! :-)

BBack: Yes, but in this case, I wanted to know specifically about
applying 
the rules to the game in order to play....

     I deploy them in pairs to make a unit. I also don't bother using
them 
to
protect other units against GMS.  BBack: And how many pirs do you
deploy? 
What ratio to other units do you use to determine this?

 > Do you attach them to support units, tank units,...

     No. I would put a unit near artillery or other valuable support
elements.

BBack: Right now, I've got one attached to every artillery unit, one to
the 
command unit, and one to my heavy support platoon to use as general 
protection for my forces.

 > or send them out on their own with an escort or two?

     Drive 'em onto a nearby hill and sit them there, out of weapon's
range
of my opponent.

BBack: The trick is KEEPING your enemy out of weapon's range of them,
yet 
still keeping the ADS' close enough to the action to deal with air units

attacking your forward forces.

 > When not starting hidden, do you usually start the game with them
activated, and only turn them off when they start to draw a crowd, or
start
with them off and activate them once the flies start buzzing?

     They start activated, because Aerospace can and does strike in the
very
first turn in our games.

BBack: This is what I'd been leaning towards.

BTW, in my games, stealth is just advanced
manufacturing technology, _not_ electronic camouflage. Therefore ADS can
have effective stealth.

BBack: I've got some issues with that. I mean, these suckers are
emitting 
radio waves like mad. It seems to me the rules are reasonable, because
I'm 
sure that by then you could design your fire control systems with the 
technology to track those signals (effectively turning every tank's main
gun 
into a HARM).

 > How many specialized Spotter elements do most people deploy per
artillery
battery available?

     I'm not decided yet. I've been using one vehicle with artillery
spotter
capability, carrying one infantry team with artillery spotter
capability.

BBack: I'm leaning towards keeping my vehicle-based spotters and my
infantry 
spotters separate, just to avoid the "Eggs in one basket" syndrome.

     It's a reasonable idea. But it's I believe it's better to be able
to
move the artillery observer independently of the ADS.

BBack: True, and that's why I wouldn't use the ADS crews as my ONLY 
artillery spotters, but it does seem a nice way to give yourself an
added 
asset for minimal disruption to other units' tactical missions.

     Probably overkill. Recall that on page 39 of DSII that unit leaders
can
call in artillery as their combat action.

BBack: True, but not as effectively as dedicated FO teams. I may decide
not 
to train any HBT/MBT/APC/MICV crews, but instead stick with the recon
units 
and maybe some infantry FO teams as part of the infantry platoons.

I hope this helps.

BBack: As always, yes.

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