HQ Question

[Fionavar]

I have now played several scenarios and I must admit that the new version is quite enjoyable. I do have aquestion, however. I have had several units with the designation 'HQ'. Besides the obvious matter, what is a strategy for these units and what function do they actually perform? Thanks again and I apologise if this questions seems ignorant

Fionavar

[Guest MajorH]

At present the HQ units and the combat service support units do not have any special game relevant characteristics.

Originally they were added to the data base as optional markers mainly for the benefit of military users who wanted a more complete order of battle for training purposes.

Later the Canadian Army financed the creation of the current set of Canadian scenarios and they required that those scenarios start up with a full compliment of HQ and combat service support units.

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Best regards, Major H

majorh@mac.com

[tar]

At the risk of flogging a long-dead horse, I will venture my impression of the HQ and support units in the CA OOB.

I wish that it had been feasible for those units to be deleted from the consumer retail version. The reason is that there isn't any game-supported function for those units.

That means they either are just in the way -- in other words you just exit them from the map immediately, in the first turn. (My prefered alternative right now).

Or else they end up being used in very unrealistic, gamey fashion -- such as spreading the HQ units out and using them as observation posts. Sending ambulance and truck units in first against defenses to serve as "recon-by-death" units. This usage suggests itself because the valuable function that the units perform in the real world is not reflected in the simulated world.

Now when used in a supervised setting, such as Canadian army training, there is an external evaluator that presumably sees to it that the units are not used in such a manner. For most other uses it would be better not to have the units directly represented, since the effect of command and control or supply is abstracted anyway.

I will note that one can choose to incorporate house rules such as only resupplying when adjacent to the Ammo trucks. That at least gives them a reason to be included, since there is a game function that they can influence without too much mental record-keeping on the part of players.