Re: [GZG] What are the pitfalls of standardised forces?

On Sat, Jul 12, 2008 at 9:02 PM, Eli Arndt <emu2020@comcast.net> wrote:
> This is of course rampant theory but if you look back to WW2 and the
German
> E-series concept (which never took off) and some of what the allies
did with
> their gear, it's a premise that can and has worked.

The Germans were fairly successful with converting Panzer III chassis
to other uses, from self propelled guns to anti-aircraft platforms,
etc. Likewise, the Canadians converted Priest self-propelled guns and
the largely unsuccessful Ram tank into the quite successful Kangaroo
APC.

However, these are exceptions that prove the modern rule. They all
came about during a major war due to resource limitations and short
turn-around times. The chassis already existed. It was a matter of
using what was at hand to the best of their ability.

If the future war is something like our modern Western wars (i.e. not
a major, all-out engagement that uses all of a nation's resources, but
rather a "come as you are" war), then it's unlikely that you'd see
this kind of standardization. Don and others have mentioned why. There
are too many inefficiencies or too many weaknesses in the hybrid
vehicles. Either they are too heavy or not armored enough, etc.

However, if the future war is more like World War II (an all-out
offensive with a need for short turn-around times to fill gaps in the
front line vehicles) I think what you propose would work. I think this
is highly unlikely in a future war, because the gaps that occurred in
World War II were largely due to the nations of the world feeling
their way through a new way of fighting.

I _do_ think it's possible, perhaps even likely, on worlds that are
far from the core systems and have to make do with what they can
scrounge or what they are given by the host planet. I can see distant
planets following the Israeli model of taking everything and anything,
and converting it as needed.

This kind of standardization is viable in a game, given particular
ground rules.

-- 
Allan Goodall http://www.hyperbear.com
agoodall@hyperbear.com
awgoodall@gmail.com

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@vermouth.csua.berkeley.edu
http://vermouth.csua.berkeley.edu:1337/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gzg-l