SC2 Idea - Intel: Intelligence Summary Map

[Edwin P.]

Radio Traffic (AKA Intelligence Summary) Map - A Country Map of Europe (aka the DOW Screen) that shows you the relative amount of enemy radio traffic (Enemy Activity) coming from each country.

High - 6 or more units (RED) :mad:

Medium - 2 to 5 units (YELLOW)

Low - 1 unit (BLUE)

Very Low - No Units in Country (WHITE) :cool:

Disinformation - A major power can increase the amount of radio traffic in a controlled country by for a cost of 25MPP/level/country increase. So the radio traffic from a country with no units in country can be increased from Very Low to High for a cost of 75MPP per turn (a 3 level increase = 25 x 3 = 75).

Of course, disinformation only helps if the enemy is using his Radio Traffic Map to plan his next strategic move.

The UK player could use this to hide the fact that Great Britain is largely undefended. The Axis player could use it to make it appear as if a large defensive force was waiting in Frace.

[ March 04, 2004, 08:18 AM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[Desert Dave]

Of course, disinformation only helps if the enemy is using his Radio Traffic Map to plan his next strategic move.

Always a major concern of Rush Limbaugh and his hyper-frantic, ideologically illiterate ILK, though... of late, the captive FCC has it's snoopers... on the snoop! :eek:

But, seriously, this seems... a MITE complicated for a plain old, I-Go, U-Go, GS game, yes?

[Bill101]

It would be good if you could spend MPP to reduce the level of traffic too!

It isn't necessarily that complicated, but perhaps it would be better if it was defined by area rather than country, given that they are not all of uniform size.

[Liam]

A bit off the road from Strategic to Hugely Tactical detail!

However, the idea of many different aspects of intel and espionage are good. How to incorporate them into a simple yet effective system for some future SC is up to Hubert. Give him ideas that're useful. I think the entire MPP expenditure toward Intelligence would rock. Including everything from Radio to Spies.

Making a Panzer appear off Calais until you investigate it and found it, "HEY look, Mr. Churchill that's on Panzer it's a bunch of trucks with plaster shaped turrets on top!"

English used this extensively in N.Africa and England During D-Day Invasions to Maximum effectiveness

[Edwin P.]

A MITE Complicated?

Push the Radio Traffic Map Button (Intelligence Summary Button)

Ah, France is White - Intel reports no radio traffic detected, have the Axis abandoned France?

Ah, Spain is Red - heavy radio traffic, obviously a strong concentration of Axis troops.

Ah, Norway and Sweden are Blue - little radio traffic, my troops can easily liberate these two countries.

[ February 29, 2004, 09:51 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[Bill101]

Exactly Edwin, that's the way I see it working too. Simple, but effective.

You would also have to have buttons on the regions that were under your control to add the MPPs to amend the traffic flow.

Or perhaps we could just have 1 free amendment every turn, otherwise it could get a bit costly for low producing countries such as the UK to distort their radio traffic over a long period (if you've sent lots of troops to the Middle East then you'll need to distort the traffic flow over quite a few turns).

At 25MPPs per turn, over say 6 turns = the loss of 150MPPs to the UK. In 1944 that might be ok, but in 1940/41 the UK just can't afford that loss of MPPs.

[Shaka of Carthage]

The Radio Traffic Map is nothing more than a strategical intelligence map. Electronic intelligence, wasn't really that big of a deal in WWII, its more of a post WWII thing. Whatever radio traffic was interecepted, along with tactical, operational and strategical reconnaisance would be accumulated and complied to show the possibile locations of enemy units. No major decisions would have been made based soley on radio traffic.

You've suggested in previous topics, some ways of handling strategical intelligence. Radio traffic would already be covered by one of those.

[Edwin P.]

Bill101,

Excellent refinements;

1 free amendment every turn, otherwise it could get a bit costly for low producing countries such as the UK to distort their radio traffic over a long period

It would be good if you could spend MPP to reduce the level of traffic too!

Here's an idea:

Perhaps, the cost could be a function of number of countries you control. Say 5MPP per country. So if Germany controls 8 countries its cost is 40MPP/turn to distort intelligence Up or Down. If the UK controls 1 country then it costs the UK 5MPP to achieve the same effect.

[ February 29, 2004, 09:58 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[Blashy]

Originally posted by Shaka of Carthage:

The Radio Traffic Map is nothing more than a strategical intelligence map. Electronic intelligence, wasn't really that big of a deal in WWII, its more of a post WWII thing. Whatever radio traffic was interecepted, along with tactical, operational and strategical reconnaisance would be accumulated and complied to show the possibile locations of enemy units. No major decisions would have been made based soley on radio traffic.

You've suggested in previous topics, some ways of handling strategical intelligence. Radio traffic would already be covered by one of those.

I disagree, for most of the war the Germans had no clue the Allies had their decoding machine and they used it extensively to know troop movement and where to strike.

I'm still baffled that the Germans did not change their codes on a regular basis. Overconfident Hitler I guess, hehe.

[Shaka of Carthage]

Blashy

Yes, the Allies had broken the German code. But the usefullness of the data had to be balanced against letting the Axis realize that there code had been broken. It didn't give the Allies a strategic superiority. At best it gave them some operational or tactical advantages.

And my main point was that the radio intercepts are just one area of what is considered when you're doing strategical reconnaisance. By themselves they are not that critical.

Also, something like changing radio codes is way below the level of a Hitler.

[Desert Dave]

Edwin P,

So. I didn't get my words quite right. That happens fairly often, and I don't mind it, but you are right to wonder what I intended.

I said this radio-intel was too... complicated.

I meant to suggest... it's too... intricate-finicky.

I wouldn't mind some sort of larger perspective, as Shaka is talking about.

Where you might invest MPPs for "general intel activity."

With success or failure revealed by some special scripted event.

Or even, with specific on-board effects seen in the diplomatic, industrial or combat arenas.

But, introducing "radio signal traffic" is, IMHO, just too... finicky.

[DalmatiaPartisan]

I like difficult and complexed games-but on the other hand- too much changes and new details of sc2 would maybe make it some kind of a new game-not like sc1 at all...

Are U sure U want that?

I think I do, but on the other hand..

[ March 02, 2004, 07:56 AM: Message edited by: DalmatiaPartisan ]

[JerseyJohn]

I think, on the strategic level, all of this needs to be done as it was handled in HiCom: you put a certain amount into inteligence, which includes counter-inteligence, and either receive or don't receive results.

Agreed with Shaka, changing codes and distributing radio traffic is way below the level of a Hitler, or Stalin, or Churchill or Roosevelt or even of any of their generals or admirals.

[Makes The Jelly Judder]

Quote...

Agreed with Shaka, changing codes and distributing radio traffic is way below the level of a Hitler, or Stalin, or Churchill or Roosevelt or even of any of their generals or admirals.

Ultimately these guys where in charge...the buck must stop with someone....I think Churchill was very interested in this sort of thing?..

[Edwin P.]

I have renamed the Map - Intelligence Summary. (ie includes information from all sources including radio traffic, spies, newspapers, etc.)

So replace all mentions of Radio Traffic with Enemy Activity.