Scout's Operational Campaign is about to cross the LD!

[Iron Duke]

ScoutPL...is this still happening? I haven't heard anything tangible in a couple of weeks it seems.

Do we know what positions/units each of us has?

[ScoutPL]

Iron Duke, get a hold of Panzerman. Unless he has been caught up in recent events, a real posibility if he's active duty US Military, he should be in the early planning stages now. I sent him an email a couple days ago and havent heard anything so I'm beginning to wonder myself...

I will be publishing the revised edition of the campaign rules on here within a few hours. Both to make them a matter of public record and in the hopes of drumming up more interest.

[Pzman]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ScoutPL:

Iron Duke, get a hold of Panzerman. Unless he has been caught up in recent events, a real posibility if he's active duty US Military, he should be in the early planning stages now. I sent him an email a couple days ago and havent heard anything so I'm beginning to wonder myself...

I will be publishing the revised edition of the campaign rules on here within a few hours. Both to make them a matter of public record and in the hopes of drumming up more interest.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I am ok... I was am still not 100% clear on what it is I have to do...thats what you get for being away a few days.

[ScoutPL]

You up to date, Panzerman? Email me any questions you might have. Or post'em here.

[ScoutPL]

I now have two guys waiting in the wings. Commanders if you feel like it is feasible, can they be added to our current game? Otherwise they can hold out until we have enough interested to start a second campaign or they can go head to head.

[ScoutPL]

I would suggest using the current team members as Staff officers. That will make sure everyone is involved in the planning. I need to know if once the fighting starts you think you will have enough fights going on to occupy four players per side (not counting the commanders). Every one pretty much joins to fight so lets make sure they all get enough action. If in doubt then lets hold them as reserve players or have them form the nucleus of another, seperate campaign game

[Dirtweasle]

At Scout's request I created a forum for this campaign game. Everyone CC'd on Scout's last E-mail message I at was sent has been invited, given URL and the registration information.

[ScoutPL]

Campaign Rules revised edition 1.1

ScoutPL’s Operational Campaign

for Combat-Mission (SOCC-M)

Rules, Regulations and other things open to long extensive debate....

1. Objective: The objective of each campaign game will, of course, first and foremost, be to have a good time. On a more objective level (pun intended), each side will have a “mission statement” issued to them by higher headquarters that will ultimately decide whether they are successful or not.

2. Sequence of Play:

a. Players decide who will play each side and what “gamey” rules are in effect. A lot of gamey issues will be moot since neither player will have control over unit purchases. They each will be commanding a combined arms task force based on the historical TO&E’s of the period, at least as close as I can get them.

b. Players then download the files for their perspective side (Axis or Allied). Since the TO&E will be balanced and based on unit tables found in any Threat manual of the period there is no need to worry about the other guy seeing your force makeup. Once you organize your forces as you see fit and deploy them on the large map, your opponent will only be able to guess at what forces are where.

c. After a thorough map and unit study each commander will develop a plan for how he wants to achieve his mission over the next 24 hours (campaign time). Battalion Task Forces and Company Teams (combined arms at the company level) can be created out of the TO&E pool.

d. Each player will then prepare a Oporder and map overlay for me. All I will basically need to know is how you have divided up your forces, which forces are moving to new locations, who will be digging in, and who is sitting in reserve. All of this will be covered on the Operational Planning Sheet (OPS).

e. Once I have collected all of the information and transferred it over to my master map, I will determine what battles will take place in the first Operational Turn (OT, each OT represents 12 hours campaign time). If multiple battles occur at the same time on the campaign timeline, then I will randomly decide which battle is fought first.

f. I will then create a scenario using the pre-made map for that Sector and the units that each player informed me were in or moving into that Sector.

g. Players will then be responsible for fighting the battle. At the end of each battle players will be responsible for emailing me the last turn (and any pertinent passwords). This will be used to update the TO&E charts to reflect any losses. And of course who still holds the ground.

h. Battles will be fought until all within that OT are complete. Players can then cancel or modify previous orders. New Attack orders can only be drawn up at the end of each 24-hour period.

i. This process will continue for 24 hours campaign time (or two OT’s). Players will then have an opportunity to develop new Attack orders, this is referred to as a Planning Phase. This represents the late night staff sessions that took place between the daytime fighting.

j. Play will continue along this vein until the end of the campaign is reached (48-72 hours campaign time) or one side is forced to withdraw off the campaign map (or CM II comes out, at which point I’m sure just about everyone will lose interest).

3. Map: There are two types of maps, Campaign and Sector. The campaign map depicts the entire maneuver area. I drew it from scratch with MSPaint. The campaign map is divided into Sectors, usually centered on key terrain, such as a village, bridge, hilltop, etc. Each Sector map is drawn with CM and will be used to create the scenario files. Each Sector map is finite, approximately 3 km (H) x 5 km (W), so the limit on the number of personnel and equipment (the stacking limit, if you will) per Sector will be set at the equivalent of five rifle companies per side. The only exception to this will be in those rare instances a player is able to carry out a successful flank or enveloping attack. Then he would have units converging on the same Sector from different points on the compass. Put another way, you can’t push two battalion task forces down the same road into the same Sector in the same OT. In reality all you would end up with is one hell of a traffic jam. Also, since each battle will only last 35-50 turns, there just wouldn’t be enough time to deploy that many units on such a narrow front. Task Forces may pass one another during an OT in friendly controlled sectors, for example a depleted task force could pull out of a sector while a second reserve task force moved into it with no penalty to the depleted units defensive network. In other words a relief in place could be done. Movement between sectors can only occur along maneuver corridors marked on the Campaign Map by the major roads. It is assumed that restrictive terrain (destroyed bridges, poor roads and other obstacles) prevent movement along other axis of maneuver3. Combat and Task Force Status: Combat is decided using CM on the sector maps. Individual scenarios will be limited to the forces that players briefed in their OPS. All rules concerning play in CM (including Gaminess) are the responsibility of the players. I will simply operate as a facilitator for the setting up of scenarios.

Task Forces must be assigned a status during the Planning Phase (every two OT’s).

Available Status:

Move – Any TF can move from one friendly sector to another during any OT. A sector has to have last been occupied by a friendly unit to be considered friendly.

Attack – Task Force has been issued orders to attack a Sector. At certain times TF’s in Attack Status may be placed in Hold or Reserve Status, if due to action elsewhere on the map the player wishes to delay or cancel his attack. Note: Recon in force missions are considered a type of attack. Attack orders can also be planned for a later OT. For example a unit could start a 24-hour period with attack orders, spend the first OT in Defense or Reserve status, then implement their attack in the second OT.

Dig-in – TF units will dig fighting positions. Units are not available for Reserve missions and, depending on amount of time preparing positions may defend with obstacles and fortifications in place. Digging units must spend a turn on Reserve Status before being able to implement Attack orders. For example, a TF in Dig-in status during the last OT of a 24-hour period can be given attack orders during the Planning Phase, but must still spend a turn in reserve status before implementing the attack plan. This requirement simulates the major transition a unit has to go through when switching from a totally defensive posture to an offensive one.

Defend - TF’s will defend in position, but without the benefit of obstacles and fortifications (exception: foxholes will be available). Units Defending can switch to Attack orders without having to go into Reserve Status.

Reserve – TF’s in reserve status are available immediately to a player for movement or attack orders. For example, in OT 1 a player has TF A, in Sector Tronville, Attack Sector Rezonville. He places TF B in Reserve Status behind it in Sector Mars Le Tour, with orders to move forward once TF A attacks and to be prepared to attack Sector Rezonville if TF A’s attack fails. In OT 2 the player orders TF A to withdraw (Move) from Sector Rezonville and issues TF B orders to Attack.

Recon - This status is only available to units designated in the TO&E as reconnaissance or scout units. All it really determines is how these units will enter the scenario Sector Map as discussed below.

5. Starting Boxes:

a. Meeting Engagements, Defenses: The sector map will be divided into fifths, left to right. One side will start at 2/5ths the other at 4/5ths.

This is due to the fact that for later battles in the campaign timeline, a player (due to events in another sector) may wish to cancel an attack or other order. This initial placement will force him to fight an organized withdrawal rather then just exit his forces off the map as he would in a more conventional scenario. At the same time the opposing player will have the opportunity to pursue his opponent off the map, possibly inflicting casualties. The defender will set up in 2/5 through 4/5, for the same reasons.

b. Attacks: In his OPS, a commander will be responsible for listing an Order of March for units moving into neutral or enemy controlled Sectors. This will be used to determine unit arrival on the map. Since in real life a commander rarely arrives on the outskirts of a village with his entire battalion task force around him the usual manner of piling everything along the map edge will be discarded here. The attacking forces will be divided into thirds. The player will decide the exact makeup of each third (or wave, so to speak). The only guideline being that no wave can contain more then 50% of his force. In addition to OOM the player must designate a movement technique. There are three to choose from, traveling, traveling overwatch and bounding. The biggest effect this will have in the actual battle will be the location and time of arrival of follow on units. In traveling the units will arrive on or near a road and relatively close together. In traveling overwatch, there will be a longer gap between the first group of units and the follow on ones. The first group will arrive dispersed, to simulate them clearing the way for the rest of the task force. The rest of the TF will arrive relatively together and on or near a major road. In bounding the entire TF will arrive dispersed and so it will take longer for each element to enter.

6. Fire Support: Each regimental task force will have supporting it a 105mm Artillery Battalion and a 155/150mm Artillery Battery, for a total of four batteries. These arty forces are represented in the scenarios as arty spotters. Here is where we take another step away from the norm. It will be up to the player to designate the support status of each battery, as either being in Direct Support (DS) or General Support (GS). The number of spotters allocated to a task force will indicate support status. Each battery will have a spotter assigned for every two guns. The 105mm batteries (US -6 guns, German – 4 guns) will have three/two spotters and the 155/150mm Battery (4 guns) will have two. For example, if the player places his 155/150mm Battery in DS of a particular battalion task force then that task force will receive both 155/150mm spotters. If the 155/150mm Battery is placed in GS then two task forces will receive their support in the form of one spotter apiece. If a 105mm battery is placed in DS then it will still assign only two spotters to that unit, the third will remain assigned to another task force as a GS Spotter. Only one battery per OT can be placed in DS. DS spotters will have the full ammo allotment. The GS spotters will have their ammo ration halved. Air support will be available to US player provided weather and availability factors are favorable (determined randomly).

7. Obstacles: Once a unit is designated as Defending it will begin that OT in foxholes. At the beginning of the second OT (if placed in Digin status) it can expend 150 points on obstacles (no fortifications). By the third OT, still without enemy contact, in Dig In status, it can expend another 350 points to include the purchase of Bunkers. For each bunker the player will exchange one MG unit or MG equipped squad. At the end of the fourth OT the player can expend another 550 points to include all pillboxes. For AT gun pillboxes the player must have an AT gun of equivalent size to exchange.

An appropriate number of personnel must be available during all turns. To gain the full point obstacle value for all turns the player must have the equivalent of a rifle company or an engineer platoon in the sector. To gain the bunkers and pillboxes, the units to be exchanged must remain in the sector for the entire required amount of time. Also at the end of the fifth OT, any vehicles that spent all five OT’s in the Sector can begin the next OT dug-in.

8. Misc. Use of Forces:

a. Recon: Reconnaissance units are attached to the regiment. They will fall under the same guidelines as regular units, except that when they enter a Sector in recon mode they will always enter from the board edge. This applies only to recon specific units. Regular units performing recon in force missions will arrive in sector as regular combat forces. Recon units that are able to exit off the enemy side of a map may do so and continue on to the next sector.

b. Reserves: The player may designate as many units as he wishes as reserve units and place them anywhere behind his own lines. Reserve status indicates that the units are in local assembly areas packed up and ready to move out. Therefore, reserve units are the only units that can receive movement and attack orders prior to the Planning phase between every two OT’s. Reserve units may or may not be organized as Task Forces. Those organized as task forces must move and attack together. Units not assigned to a particular task force can move forward independently to reinforce units already in combat.

[ 09-17-2001: Message edited by: ScoutPL ]

[Dirtweasle]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> f. I will then create a scenario using the pre-made map for that Sector and the units that each player informed me were in or moving into that Sector. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'd suggest the files go out either locked as a tourny save game, or perhaps started with passwords in the CMMC fashion, and probably not finnished by the player.

For this scope of game FOW seems very important and if you can see the enemy units start forces, and exact forces at the end too easily it kind of spoils the fun. May have to also direct the players NOT to play out the game with the AI too...

Just my 2 cents...

[ 09-17-2001: Message edited by: Dirtweasle ]

[Rifle1860]

Not sure if it is too late but I would love to get into this game! Any chance?