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Biltong’s Campaign Rules

41 South – June to December

Latest updates 6 December here:

Scooby's Site

You can download:

Biltong's Campaign Rules and Max’s Auto Parameters in Excel or PDF or view the individual Rules sheets and the Intro Doc in PDF format online.

Get the Map Add-On Intro and Map List & Get the Maps 12 New Maps in the Map Pack!

NEW! Map making suggestions for BCR

OR HERE:

SuperSulo's Site

Download Biltong's Campaign Rules for CMBB

Download Max BrauHaus' Auto Parameters for Biltong's 41 South Campaign Rules

Download The Map Add-On & Get the Maps

12 New Maps in the Map Pack

NEW! Map Making Suggestions for BCR

Read the Updates & Unresolved Issues document

This is the second thread – the first one filled up fast. If you would like to see what was discussed in the first couple of weeks, click the link below, but skip the 1st 5 or 6 pages - these were mostly just people asking for copies:

BCR 1st Thread

--------------------------------------------------

Frustrated with the long delays between PBEM files?

Bored with playing against the AI?

Biltong’s Campaign Rules will introduce you to a totally different CMBB world:

Unique Realism & High Tension.

1. What is Biltong’s Campaign Rules?

Summary:

You play the AI (as the Axis) in a series of QB generated battles. These battles are generated using a set of easy Rules. The Rules ensure that all historical factors are accurate as you and your troops battle through the months and years.

Although you play separate battles, they are linked because you have a Core Force of German troops and armor that move with you from the first battle to the last.

41 South is the set of Rules covering the months June to December in the Army Group “South” Theatre of Operations.

Operation Barbarossa erupts on 22 June 1941 and you and your men storm through the Soviet ranks through the long months of summer in the steppe and the mud and rain of October. You take your men all the way to Rostov, Khar’kov and the Crimea before the incredible cold of November halt you in your tracks. Then the Soviet counter attacks start.

Background:

In the old CMBO days a man called Wreck introduced the first set of rules. Unfortunately he got waylaid by a woman and had to hand them over.

I took up the cudgel and because of the wide variety of parameters offered by CMBB the rules underwent a radical change.

But Wreck’s introduction to the first set still holds true:

“Anyone who remembers Panzer General, Steel Panthers, or Close Combat knows the fun of a campaign game. Carefully nursing along your force, slowly building it up to be something special. The horror of losing a valued unit. The glee when you increase in quality.... “

Overview:

You are the commanding officer of a company of German troops and some armor that you take through the whole CMBB time frame from the opening salvo on 22 June 41 till the last shells fall in Berlin four years later.

As you lead your company and armor into Russia all the parameters of the battles are dictated by historically accurate data, e.g. on the 4th week of October 41 it suddenly turns bitterly cold and the German advance freezes to a halt. However, there is also a random factor provided by a “Random Number”, to provide a degree of unpredictability, but historical accuracy dominates.

Your individual men and armor gain or loose experience throughout the Campaign. They slowly advance through the ranks from Green to, hopefully, Crack. It all depends on how they fare in each battle… how many men did they kill; how many men did they lose; did they break; did they take out a MG pillbox or maybe even a tank?

You yourself, as the CO, learn and slowly gain or loose Experience and also Favor with your own commanding officer, depending on battle outcomes and a host of other factors, e.g.: don't lose battles or even armor and especially don't let them burn! Your CO gets highly p'd off and you lose his Favor, which you can use to influence some of his decisions. E.g.: whether you can avoid launching an Immediate Assault straight after your last battle without even getting reinforcements.

For most battles you will also get Auxiliary Forces: Infantry, Support, Vehicles, Armor, Arty or Air, depending on factors such as weather, who assaults or attack who and what the date is.

Every CMBB parameter possible is used to provide an enormous variety of battles within a strictly historical framework.

2. What makes it different

Immediate satisfaction and action versus the long delays between PBEM games combined with immersion and suspense from really getting involved with your men and armor over a long period of time.

I used to play 6 or 7 PBEM files every night for many years, but once I started playing the Campaign Rules these faded to zero in a short time. And that is the very real danger of these rules – they can be quite detrimental to your net-social life. Be warned.

The other factor is a degree of realism that no other CMBB play technique offers.

In QB's, PBEM's and all designer scenarios you always have a “balanced” opponent, but that is near idiotic – on the East Front this hardly ever happened.

With the Campaign Rules you have the real thing: Sometimes you know who your opponent is; sometimes you are facing unknown odds. Sometimes you have an easy go of it - hammering low on ammo and decimated green Partisans, but later that night you might face a counter-attack from 3 companies of Guards Mech, before you had chance to get reinforcements... Or Division might promise you a lot of supporting arty, but a fog sets in just before your assault, making them useless.

You have to think on your feet and learn to retreat when necessary... no more heroic defenses or assaults till the last man!!

Your men's survival becomes of the utmost importance... even to the extent that you'll rather loose a battle than loose too many men! The flags still matter – you still want to win, but not at the cost and risk of decimating your men. Realism rules for the first time.

As a learning tool this is unsurpassed.... You learn to think and act like a real commander... If you think you’ve got your tactics down pat, :D – Think again… You will get into situations that you’ve never encountered before… and never will with normal scenarios and QB’s.

That you are playing the AI becomes completely unimportant... all that matters are winning and surviving… for your men and yourself.

All feed back/errors/ideas/gray or unclear areas very welcome... help to make the Rules better for everyone.

Biltong

[ December 06, 2002, 03:53 PM: Message edited by: Biltong ]

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Force modifiers - example of what can happen

Sticking to the rules fairly strictly I just got absolutely slaughtered.

My Force: SS mech inf coy and platoon of stugs (total 637), rolled up the aux and got a total of 1217, not bad except 450 was arty. Selected 1250 point battle and Soviets had +25%. Result, me going up against a 3124 point force on an attack with my core and a couple of a/c's. Soviets had two batallions of naval infantry (and the clobber that goes with them). Had I accepted the QBs point values that were generated I would have been allowed 1875. I know the various options have been raised about how to tackle this and I wasn't so concerned at one time. Am now though :mad:

Any thoughts on the best of the options to date?

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When playing your Real battle, lower the force size to just above what your force is going to cost so it becomes more balanced. Only use the force size generated on the parameters sheet for creating Aux forces. Also think about the force modifiers obtained by attacking. It's been discussed in the first thread on the campaign rules, something like page 8-9. Hope this helps.

[ November 27, 2002, 06:04 PM: Message edited by: Shifty 101 ]

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The Force Ratio issue is on the list for things to be looked over.

Apache, how could the Allied get 3124 pts in a 1250 pts battle with +25% handicap? Not questioning, just wondering smile.gif

Some other issues:

If you get Arty/Air (more exactly Big arty/Air) seem to make the battle TOUGHER than only getting say 150 pts Arty. Say you get 1000 pts Air. That will make the the Force Size skyrocket, and the Allied can spend all his points on more inf/armor/whatever, but you get to buy a potentionally "crappy" airplane, probably not worth the cost. Someone else commented on this, just wanted to raise the issue again.

On the Force Mix tables (and where Force Mix alters the rolls, like 30 Armor), shouldn't Combined Arms rank higher than Mechanized? At least for the germans (haven't checked the soviets), the Mechanized Force Mix allows you 0 pts in Armor, you're only allowed to buy vehicles, whereas Combined Arms is a "better" mix, with points in Armor.

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Completely agree SuperSulo. Played an Axis Attack on a Soviet Armor force and had 1000 pts of Big Air. Bought the ones with multiple bombing runs. Result - not one noticable armor kill. Potentially some casualties from straffing runs.

Would rather have spent the 1000 pts on 2 platoons of tanks, myself.

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Originally posted by Biltong:

The other factor is a degree of realism that no other CMBB play technique offers.

In QB's, PBEM's and all designer scenarios you always have a “balanced” opponent, but that is near idiotic – on the East Front this hardly ever happened.

"...no other CMBB play technique offers"? Bzzz! Wrong answer! :D See my signature.

Anyway, it's a nice concept. Salute!

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I think there were a couple of other modifiers in there like 50% casualties too that helped the 3124. I merely re-ran the QB and allowed human select of the soviet forces once I saw how many troops I faced. In this case the points were set to just above 1037 = 1250.

On the subject of casualties, I never knew this before, but it seems that if you enter a 1000 points with 50% casualties for the Soviets defending, the AI gets 2000 points to purchase. It seems then that you still get to face a 1000 points force, its just that it's made up of a 2000 pointer, cut by half. For some reason, I expected to be facing a 1000 point force cut by half. Strange.

I have now switched to using the attack modifiers fully. Not sure if others do the same but for an assault I divide by entire score (core as well) by 1.5 and set that as the points level. I then buy my forces up to the UNMODIFIED value I originally rolled. This brings me out somewhere closer to what the QB sets in points for me anyway. Probably gives less of a chance of getting pasted. I think the difficulty is still retained by not having an entirely free hand as to what to buy for Aux. The heavy arty score being a good example. 450 points of arty, with little Aux generated in other categories, ain't a good deal. A side issue to that I suppose is whether a company or two is going to get some of the real heavy (division) stuff unless they are part of a major offensive. I'll have to try a few times using this method too and try to see (at least for my own playing of the rules) whether there is room for a random event which will not allow you to apply the attack modifiers. This would cater for crap intell and/or poor command decisions.

I still think the random event major attack of which you force is a part is worth exploring too.

[ November 28, 2002, 02:29 PM: Message edited by: Apache ]

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This post contains the main poitns of a doc I sent to Biltong. He did ask that I post them for all to see:

1. Is there a need to include a randomised possibility (say between every 5th or 10th battle) that you core may be ordered to participate in a major action? This could be linked in auto-parameter sheet to a battle number you enter at top as you play the campaign? Also, what about an occasional bonus platoon of this/that (e.g. AFVs, tanks troops etc)?

2. Is it worth suggesting that people can dispense with date roll up and set their own campaign length. E.g. 24 turns = 1 battle per week (take your pick of day), 48 = 2, 72 = 3 etc.? Will be some variance as still need to use immediate attack/counter rules.

3. Is it possible to roll too many 9> re date and end up with a campaign lasting only 6 turns? Maybe a rule saying if 9> more than once consecutive, roll again?

4. For those preferring historical accuracy they may wish to dispense with random QB aux force generator. Just select your preferred core company type in axis parameters, go straight to main battle set-up and merely select your core and buy support from the options available as shown by CMBB QB generator for that Div type?

5. Are armor and other aux values high enough? Will you actually be able to buy something in those sections for the lowest points on offer? If not (haven’t had time to check yet), is it worth reviewing points and starting with lowest being something you could use and working up.? A 250 max of armor does not buy much and will be rare (intended). Big arty goes up to 1000. Given the size of these battles would a company not be likely to get support from tanks etc more than divisional level artillery? In most battles I have played the core has had to lead the way, not much of anything else.

6. Force modifiers worth a look. Current selection of point numbers IMHO often gives Soviets way too much on the attack.

7. Do mortar crews have too much influence on overall platoon experience when calculating at end? When aggregating to get overall platoon experience (e.g. HQ, 4 sqds and a mortar) should the total be divided by 4 (sqds), 5 (sqds + HQ) or 6 (the lot). Which shows most realistic effects?

8. Note 3: Is there a need to make it clear that the experience after battle is calculated by dividing the score for the squad by the total numbers it has at full strength (not numbers you have left standing)?

9. How to best cater for the increasing cost of your core (coy and AFVs) as they progress from green to crack?? Pushing their purchase points up in the core score, esp when attacking or assaulting (unless using modifiers) will, to some extent, reduce benefits of experience gain through giving Soviets more points to spend.

10. Re coy experience, presume add up all platoon exp and then divide by 3 or 4 (dependant on no’s of platoons)? Coy CO is or is not included?

11. Note 5: Need to clarify? Experience gain. Allied = Soviets not your troops (e.g. your allies).

12. Scrounged units, can you scrounge infantry only or anything at all? (e.g. spotters, AFVs etc)?

13. Are scrounged units retained for next battle only or until lost? If latter, is current core sheet suitable to calculate their experience gain?

14. Is panic calculation at end right? If a unit panics it gets -4. If panicked at end, another -4? This could lead to a squad that breaks very early on and yet comes back ½ way through but gets to be of no use at all getting penalised less (-4) than a squad that has been in the thick of it all through and then panics just before end and is still panicked at end (-4 + -4) = -8?

15. Is there a need to attach completed examples of docs to show and allow new players to follow it through so they are sure they have it right?

16. Are normal replacements (56) every new battle?

17. The points you roll up may actually not allow you to have a very big force at all if you roll up Amor or Mech if using those axis parameters (need to check)?

18. Are scrounge points enough? Presume you roll for points and then select the units you wish to scrounge up to that value? Unclear?

19. Top of section 28 on rule sheet. 1st number is 28, should it be 1?

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Well, I started out, or rather wanted to start a campaign using these rules.

I gave up. It is just too complicated and not explained in detail well enough. This whole thing would be much more useful if someone wrote a program for this.

It would roll your parameters and would keep track of your core force.

Until then, count me out.

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Originally posted by BlackVoid:

Well, I started out, or rather wanted to start a campaign using these rules.

I gave up. It is just too complicated and not explained in detail well enough. This whole thing would be much more useful if someone wrote a program for this.

It would roll your parameters and would keep track of your core force.

Until then, count me out.

You're right Void - these rules are just for nutcases :D

Seriously though - the Auto Parameters are already there - see download sites in the 1st post of this thread.

Biltong

Hiya Apache:

You've been waiting a while for these:

1. Is there a need to include a randomised possibility (say between every 5th or 10th battle) that you core may be ordered to participate in a major action? This could be linked in auto-parameter sheet to a battle number you enter at top as you play the campaign? Also, what about an occasional bonus platoon of this/that (e.g. AFVs, tanks troops etc)? B - Scheduled

2. Is it worth suggesting that people can dispense with date roll up and set their own campaign length. E.g. 24 turns = 1 battle per week (take your pick of day), 48 = 2, 72 = 3 etc.? Will be some variance as still need to use immediate attack/counter rules. B – Simplicity of rules & Historical accuracy – Don’t think so…. Might be a good idea to have a ‘place/document/web page” where ideas like this can be stored for the player to browse in case he would like to try it. B - Scheduled

3. Is it possible to roll too many 9> re date and end up with a campaign lasting only 6 turns? Maybe a rule saying if 9> more than once consecutive, roll again? B – Check the Random Number Sheet – at worst 2 x 10 in a row… Don’t worry…. Beee happy tongue.gif

4. For those preferring historical accuracy they may wish to dispense with random QB aux force generator. Just select your preferred core company type in axis parameters, go straight to main battle set-up and merely select your core and buy support from the options available as shown by CMBB QB generator for that Div type? B – Certainly possible, but player loses out: 1) getting to know/learn all units; 2) Trap of just staying with the few units player is comfortable with – BCR loses it’s training purpose.

5. Don’t think sewer move is allowed in rural etc. Only towns etc.? B - Scheduled

6. Are armor and other aux values high enough? Will you actually be able to buy something in those sections for the lowest points on offer? If not (haven’t had time to check), is it worth reviewing points and starting with lowest being something you could use and working up.? A 250 max of armor does not buy much and will be rare (intended). In most battles I have played the core has had to lead the way, not much of anything else. B – Designed with the above in mind, but I’m having 2nd thoughts: I only catered for Green June 41 costs – need further investigation/thought. B - Scheduled

7. Force modifiers worth a look. Current selection of point numbers IMHO often gives Soviets way too much. B - Scheduled

8. Do mortar crews have too much influence on overall platoon experience when calculating at end? When aggregating to get overall platoon experience (e.g. HQ, 4 sqds and a mortar) should the total be divided by 4 (sqds), 5 (sqds + HQ) or 6 (the lot). Which shows most realistic effects? B – I can’t give them nothing & I don’t want to complicate the calc with a special modifier just for them. Rules are already too complex. See Void above LOL

9. Mortar crews are had to track at end in terms of number of crew if KOd. B – use + key to move through all units

10. Note 3: Is there a need to make it clear that the experience after battle is calculated by dividing the score for the squad by the total numbers it has at full strength (not numbers you have left standing)? B – no the formula is correct as is. Example in Note 5.

11. How do you cater for the increasing cost of your core (coy and AFVs) as they progress from green to crack?? B – see Note 4: “Note the Purchase Point cost of the units you choose and fill these in on the next battle's Parameters Sheet…”

12. Re coy experience, presume add up all platoon exp and then divide by ¾ (dependant on no’s of squads)? Co CO is or is not included? B – See Note 7: “Thereafter your Core Force will gain experience through their actions - see the Core Sheet. You won't be able to buy the squads/HQ's etc in your Inf. Company at different Experience Settings, so you have to average the Experience for the Company. Add up the experience of each Co unit: HQ/Squad/team and divide by number of units.”

13. Note 5: Need to clarify? Exp gain. Allied = Soviets not your troops (e.g. your allies). B – scheduled

14. Scrounged units, can you scrounge infantry only or anything at all? (e.g. spotters, AFVs etc)? B – See Note 6: “…use the points generated in Scrounged Units (54) to buy extra Inf/Support units.”

15. Are scrounged units retained for next battle only or until lost? If latter, is current core sheet suitable to calculate their experience gain? B – you do keep them from one battle to the next, but in practise you will lose them quite fast. See Emergency Reorganisation: Note 2: “Use up Scrounged Units first.”

16. Is panic calculation at end right? If a unit panics it gets -4. If panicked at end, another -4? B - yes This could lead to a squad that breaks very early on and yet comes back ½ way through but gets to be of no use at all getting penalised less (-4) than a squad that has been in the thick of it all through and then panics just before end and is still panicked at end (-4 + -4) = -8)? B – As their CO you must rally rattled troops and try to keep them from getting panicked.

17. Re spending points left over in category for aux, need to clarify that they must be spent on that category only? B – scheduled. Also, if get 400 points for arty and an ME only lets you spend 240, tough? B – See Note 7: “However - you are not allowed to change Nation or Division… If you have points for a category and there are no units on offer for that Nat/Div - tough luck - you lose the points.”

18. Need to add a note: Roll for each aux section re points generator. 8> allows purchase of 40%> rare? B – See Note 7: “For both the Auxiliaries and Scrounged units stick to units that are < 40% Rare - a Random Number of 8 > gives you free reign to buy those rare beauties :) Roll a single die for all Auxiliary Categories as well as the new Scrounged Unit/s.”

19. Is there a need to attach completed examples of docs to show and allow new players to follow it through so they are sure they have it right? B – Would be nice – just don’t ask me to do it LOL… Want to volunteer ;)

20. Are normal replacements (56) every new battle? B – Yes except: “Not Allowed for Counter or Immediate Attack”

21. The points you roll up may actually not allow you to have a very big force at all if you roll up Amor or Mech if using those axis parameters (need to check)? B - ? Example?

22. Are scrounge points enough? Presume you roll for points and then select the units you wish to scrounge up to that value? Unclear? B - ? Example?

23. Top of section 28 on rule sheet. 1st number is 28, should it be 1? B – Done ;)

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Thanks to Apache for introducing me to these rules ... Still trying to get it all clear in my head though as it seems a little confusing to start with.

I'll be following the Biltong rules threads with lots of interest and a little confusion ... still thats better than the other way around !

Lou2000

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I like the rules and all, but I am confused as hell by the "auxilery forces".

Can someone please explain it to me?

[no, I dont want to read through 9+ pages of posts for a *possible* answer]

The first battle I rolled 125 for infantry, 50 for arty, and 125 for armor support.

I generated a QB, using 1000 points, the nearest total to 569 core units + 300 auxillery.

It chose something like 2 Co rifle 41, 1 recon, 1 IVD.

Ok, so in my battle, an Axis attack vs +100% forces, 50% casulties allied.

I purchased my core units, and the few auxillery units, within the above limits, I could afford according to my rolls

That was 1 platoon Rifle 41,124 pts, and 1 IVD.

Needless to say, it was a hopeless battle.

Something is wrong here...

[ November 29, 2002, 01:50 AM: Message edited by: 86smopuim ]

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86SMopuim - You perhaps need to see the previous thread re the attack/assault/probe modifiers you can apply to your force points. This will probaly allow you more. As time goes on I'm sure everything will get sorted and be very clear.

The way I go for an Attack is roll up the core and Aux force as per rules, say it comes to 1058. I divide that whole score (not sure but some may do this only for their Aux force points) by the attack modifier of 1.5 (Assault is 1.72 IIRC, not sure about probe, 1.4?) which comes to 705. Select the next one up 800 (some might even go for 700 in this case - GBs ;) )point total and generate QB for the Aux Forces. Then, note the aux forces you will buy up to the number of points you originally rolled. Then generate main battle again set at 800 points and buy your core and aux forces up to the amount you rolled and as per those categories. You should find that the total you are allowed to spend brings you a lot closer to what the QB sets you in points. Might not be on what you want though :(

Re the latest versions, is it possible to include the version number in the doc title on the sites (e.g. BCR v.1.1)?

Biltong, thanks for response. Sorry I don't have the examples yet, like I said in the doc, just some initial scribblings some of which I have not had time to research myself yet. I will try to get some form of FAQ done this weekend. That may help some of the confusion for others and save them having to wade through the threads.

Lou - Pleasure. The Aux auto-parameter sheet is excellent IMO. Pascal is working on a Favor auto sheet too.

General - I think there is great deal of effort going into these rules and once they are all ironed out they will be superb. At least they are being debated on the board allowing eveyone to chip in. I found the rules OK once I'd read them through and the notes a few times. I know the rules/logic flow is being looked at. I have found the few games I've played even with the rules in beta stage (no offence Biltong) have been the best AI battles I've ever played on the CM games.

I still think it's a bit OTT that a unit panicked at end if it only just broke gets a double whammy against a bunch that broke early on and came back only to sit and quiver in the woods until the end mind. Not sure about the tank and other vehicles killed in favour either. I presume if a tank is burning it is counted once as a burn, not once for burning and once for KO?

[ November 29, 2002, 12:34 PM: Message edited by: Apache ]

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Apache, yes, there are some things in the Core Sheet that I don't agree on/should be made clear... Like:

That "KO'd" and "KO & Burn", in my understanding you only apply one of these. Could also be "KO'd" = - 8, "Burn" = - 2.

And if any of these, KO, Burn or abandoned, happens, doesn't the crew automaticly get "broke panic"? Or is it just they get the little "dot"? Hmm come to think of it, what does "broke panic" mean? I always thought it was "if they have the dot"?

I'm still not sure what I think about the negative experience for say surviving a blown up tank... should teach you something, like seeing your buddies die as it is now.

But as always, you can always change the rules to your liking! smile.gif

EDIT: Just wanted to add, new version(s) should be up soon, just waiting for the final word from Biltong.

[ November 29, 2002, 02:47 PM: Message edited by: SuperSulo ]

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WEEKEND & BCR TIME!!

Hi Ladies!!

F A N F A R E ! ! The Launch of the BCR Map Add-On Pack ! ! E N D - F A N F A R E

Skip the BS salespitch below and get it here…

SuperSulo's Site

It is quite possible to play the whole of BCR on pre-made maps.

In other words: a massive Operation covering the whole CMBB theatre of operations from 41 to 45….

Initially the number of maps on offer will be small, (just 7 to wet your appetites) but I hope to increase these to give you an uninterrupted flow.

HOW

There are no modifications to BCR… Depending on Map Type you will simply download the next suitable map on the list… If you’ve already played the one on the sheet, you simply take the next one. If there’s no ‘next one’ yet, you generate as before.

In the zip file you will find 7 variations of the same map: Axis Assault, -Attack, -Probe, Allied Assault, -Attack, -Probe and a Meeting Engagement.

Each one is a standalone map with sufficient differences from the others to ‘convince’ you that it’s a new/different map ;) The main differences are in their setup zones, flag positions, number of flags and main terrain features such as house clusters etc.

But it might still be a good idea to avoid playing successive battles from the same map pack. Take the next suitable one instead.

When you generate the Real Battle and you come to the 3rd (Map Type) screen of the QB generator you ignore the parameters there and load the file… Voila!!

DOWNSIDE

3 Parameters are affected: Tree Cover, Hilliness and Damage.

These are set when creating the map and your parameter settings won’t have any effect on the map. All other parameters such as weather etc. take effect as per normal.

MAP - FUTURE

The maps are flowing in at a hell of a pace. Faster than I can process them… So far I’ve got 31! (16 from Manstein alone!!!) Way to go Manstein! He’s also started to create the As; At; Pr & Me versions – enormous help!! I think Manstein will start helping me quite soon with the processing, which means you’ll have more maps than you need. ;)

BCR’s EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE

I know…. I know – You guys have been posting forever without getting answers…

During the week I simply don’t have the time – too busy fighting fires. (see Update below)

But now it’s weekend and the bloody school concerts are over (2 in one week) :( so t’morrow is scheduled to tackle e-mails and unanswered posts. TG for the regulars helping out in this department.

UPDATE

Not a lot of changes to the rules this time around – you might want to look at the list below before you bother to download… Next week should see the big one: The Big Player Experience/Purchase Points Problem Solution :D

Here’s a summary – Full list of planned changes/investigations can be viewed at SuperSulo's Site

RULE SHEET

17 SEWER MOVEMENT

< 8 No Rural, Farm - not allowedLarge Town +5; Allied Nationality: Partisan +2;Village -3; Town -2; Meeting Engagement -1

7 > Allowed

25 SEWER MOVEMENT

< 8 No Rural, Farm, Village - not allowedLarge Town +4Town -3; Meeting Engagement -2

7 > Allowed

28 Infantry/Support

Added bold:

… or Axis Force Mix: Armor –3

30 Armor

Added bold

… or Axis Force Mix: Infantry –3

56 NORMALREPLACEMENTS

< 3 Armor & Non-armor 0 experience

3-7 Armor & Non-Armor 15 experience

8-9 Armor 35 Non-Armor 25 experience

9 > Armor 75 Non-Armor 55 experience

Note 7 – Generate Real Battle

Remember to choose the right Experience for all units. For your first battle your Core Force and Auxiliaries start out as Green (Experience 10). Enter '10' into the ‘Exp Before Battle’ column (Core Sheet) for each unit: squad/team/HQ/tank etc.

Thereafter your Core Force will gain experience through their actions - see the Core Sheet. You won't be able to buy the squads/HQ's etc in your Inf. Company at different Experience Settings, so you have to average the Experience for the Company.

Add up the experience of each Co unit: HQ/Squad/team and divide by number of units.

Note 4 - Core Force

They all start with zero Favor and 10 Experience (see Exp Before Battle in Core Sheet). As you battle along the various squads/units/teams will gain or lose Favor and Experience.

CORE, FAVOR & PARAMETER SHEETS

Updated the color scheme

DONE BEFORE Fri 29th

1. Find Maps

2. Approach Depot designers for permission to use their maps.

3. Create diff Battle Types of existing Maps

4. Compile 1st Map Pack and submit to SuperSulo

5. Implement version control

6. Extra: Start new thread so that we can always point newbies to “the 1st Post” when they need the rules or intro.

7. Extra: Claude’s Corrections. See 7) 1 – 15 below. I did not list the “word” changes – just the modifier changes above. Thanx again Claude!!

8. Extra. Investigate Player Experience/Purchase Points.

9. Extra. Thank guys for their work on the rules, esp. Max & co on the Player Experience/Purchase Points Problem J

PROBLEMS/ADDITIONS TO BE INVESTIGATED

IN A ROUGH SEQUENCE

TO DO BEFORE WED 4th Dec

1. Answer all e-mails & posts

2. Finalize Player Experience/Purchase Points Solution

3. Find out how far players are with South 41 – how soon will they need South 42?

4. Create Next Map pack

5. Give some designers their map feedback requested

6. Investigate Sewer movement.

7. Discuss add-on policy.

8. Clarify - Note 5: Exp gain. Allied = Soviets not your troops (e.g. your allies).

9. Clarify - Re spending points left over in category for aux- they must be spent on that category only.

10. Clarify - Normal replacements (56) every new battle?

FEEDBACK

Any feedback e-mail me direct or (preferably) post it on the board – where everybody can see it and where it might stimulate discussion and improvement of BCR for all J

Biltong

[ November 29, 2002, 06:42 PM: Message edited by: Biltong ]

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I'm not using these rules - yet (still trying to figure them out), BUT.....

If you have a figure for the player then can't you back-calculate an appropriate force size for teh AI?

Eg in the 1100 pt example used several times in this thread, if the player is assaulting then the game should be 1100/1.72 = 639 pts. By the itme you've modified this for player experience etc - say a 700pt assault.

Now the AI gets 700, the player gets a maximum of 700 x 1.72 = 1204 from which he choses his 1100, the ratio is 1.57:1.

Similarly for attack, probe, etc - just use the published force ratios to back-calculate the "game size" from the players forces.

It seems teribly simple to me and not worth the angst that Bilt has obviously put into it, which makes me think I'm definitely missing something.......

[ November 29, 2002, 07:38 PM: Message edited by: Stalin's Organ ]

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It seems to me that the only way to keep the forces correctly balanced is to apply battle-type multiplier to the Allied force, i.e allied-force-size/multiplier.

The multiplier actually needs to have several factors:

1) Battle type (1.72, 1.5, 1.4)

2) Casualties (0% - 50%)

3) Handicap

I've never seen the casualties issues addressed, but if the player (Axis) is playing with casualties (say a really bad roll -- 50%), then they may buy 1000 pts of stuff, but the battle starts with only 500 pts left. Say the Allies also were at 50% (it was a ME in a blizard, everyone is freezing), but the computer purchased them 2000 points of stuff of which 1000 will be left.

I include handicap in the multiplier because I have a better use of that field in the QB generator than increasing the opponents force size. It should always be set at 'Axis +200%'. Here is why... One of the problems that often comes up is that you don't have enough category points to purchase what you need, particularly after your core has gained some experience since that extra cost isn't included when deteriming what size battle to generate. But always giving the handicap points to the human player, there is plenty of room to purchase whatever you need and the rest of those 'handicap points' can go unused.

I didn't include an experience modifier because I think that can best be handled as an adjustment to the handicap role. E.g.

Handicap table

1: 2x

2: 1.5x

3: 1.25x

4: 1.1x

5-6: 1

7: .9

8: .75

9: .67

10: .5

Conscript, +3

Green, +2

Veteran, -1

Crack, -2

etc.

Just my ideas.

-Andy

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6. Investigate Sewer movement.
I've done some cursory looks into this. Page 77 of the manual says: "Valid sewer entry and exit points are only the large heavy 2-story houses usually found in cities." No other limitation is listed as far as I can see. I haven't looked into if the QB map generator will use these buildings in anything other than a Large Town. However, since Biltong has maps coming in, we may have some of these buildings in something slightly smaller than urban combat zones. Probably most likely sewer movement only needs to be considered in a Large Town.

On the Purchase Points problem, I agree with both Stalin's Organ and Mare. Apache and I both put together some suggestions along these lines for Biltong. I think we'll see something like this come out soon. It should be relatively harmless calculation wise, so it can be done manually (maybe a calculator will be helpful tongue.gif )

What about us scrubs with no Excel, or We have the Excel Viewer, but no printer?
I tested the Auto Parameters quickly with the Excel Viewer and had no luck with them updating. Apparently the formulas are converted to the last value they were saved in, making the Auto Parameter sheet pretty much useless. Can anyone else verify?

BTW, I think it would be great if someone could automate the parameters in another fashion more widely available. Then I could play more and automate less. :D

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It should always be set at 'Axis +200%'. Here is why...
This I am not sure of, because in December, the Allies should have the advantage in numbers, and you can only select one Handicap value either in favor of the Allies or Axis.

Anyway, Biltong's Rule say that if you don't get enough points in one category to purchase what was allocated, ... tough, that's war!

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