Making a WW2 Mod - was Spoon Feeding WWII Genre to players

One issue with this piece-meal approach (I'll just make stats for what I
have) is that you might start applying a certain value to vehicle
(armor, weapon, movement rate) which works great for the six or seven
types of vehicles you have in your collection.	For instance, you give a
Panzer IIIe an armor value of 3, the Panzer IVH a 4 and the Tiger I is a
5.  Later your acquire a Jagdtiger - is it a 6? or a Panther Va, a 4.5,
a 4.7?	Does the addition of Zimmerit paste add anything?

You might need to consider the entire possible range of values (absolute
best to absolute worst) and then start assigning values to the stuff you
have.  One problem with this is what happens if the range is too large
for convenient classification of the majority of the vehicles used?  How
often are you going to have Tiger II's, Jagdtigers or IS-2's on the
board?	How often will 155mm, 203mm or larger caliber weapons be on the
board and used for direct-fire operations?  What about naval support
like in amphibious landings - should a salvo of 16" shells even be
considered at this scale?  

If you leave something off the end of the scale, there is always going
to be someone who wants to use it - SturmTigers, Maus, Karl Siege Mortar
- do you just make exception rules for those items?

The values you pick need to mesh with all the other values in a
"reasonable" way. You mileage will vary as to what reasonable is - for
instance, most people agree that the 75mm on a Panther is superior to
the 75mm found on most Shermans, but is it superior to the 105mm
howitzer found on the Jumbo Shermans?  Is a BAR the same as a light
machine gun?  Is the MG42 more or less effective than a Lewis machine
gun because it usually only had a 50 round belt, wheras the Browning
could take a 96 round drum? (admittedly in a fixed position, you could
link multiple belts together, but on the move only 1 belt would be
loaded).  It's comparison's like these that make modules like these
tricky.  Usually there is a consensus that one item is better than
another, but the question is how much better. 

I've gotten stuck with these questions as I am making my own home-grown
15mm WW2 skirmish game.  Straight infantry actions are a breeze, but
vehicles are a pain due to the huge variety of armor and weapons and
systems found on them.

Some thoughts before you get mired in details...

--Binhan



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Flak Magnet [mailto:flakmagnet@tabletop-battlezone.com]
> Sent: Thursday, August 08, 2002 9:37 AM
> To: GZG Mailing List
> Subject: Re: Spoon Feeding WWII Genre to players was --> Re: GenCon
> PlansAnyone?
> 
><<SNIP>>
> 
> My undertaking this project doesn't mean that I'll be holding off on
> running/playing any games until I'm finished.  On the contrary, I'll
> start off with the models I have, flesh out those Nations, 
> then move on
> from there as my collection directs and time permits.  First 
> thing is to
> get my own models on the table using DSII, then I'll worry about the
> models my buddies want to bring... then I'll worry about 
> whatever else I
> missed.
> 
> > Food for thought?
> 
> <I'd answer directly, but I don't think with my mind full, 
> it's rude...>
> 
>  
> -- 
> 
> --Flak Magnet
> Hive Fleet Jaegernaught
> http://www.geocities.com/flakmagnet72
> 
> "You don't install Linux on the desktop for the same reason
> you don't stick table saws in your kids' bedrooms, or give
> a contractor a squeeky hammer to build your house. Real men
> use the table saws, and let the kids use the squeeky hammer
> to bonk each other on the head."  --	Seen on Freshmeat