Biltong's Campaign Rules

[Biltong]

Originally posted by Seahawk-vfa201:

Biltong,

is the v2.3 going to change rolls and modifiers? That is, is there any significant change for BiltAid?

No - The bulk of the changes are rule clarification. The only 'rule' change has to do with Favor gained re Prisoners. In 41 the two '**' are next to the HQ - with the note reading: '** These points are per HQ team'.

In 42 this changes - the '**' are moved up to the heading Prioner(s) ** and the Note now reads: '** These points are for each individual member of a HQ, squad or team.'

Subtle difference. I'm trying not too change any modifiers. Rest easy

I also send the new version out to the team, some time before I update it on the boards and announce it, to give the auto-guys time to update their programs.

Any new rules in 42 onwards will be implimented as an appendix that can be used or not (depending on the complexity/realism the player prefers).

What can be a problem for Biltaid players, is that these appendixes can be retrofitted to 41, if they want to use them...

I decided to bring out a couple of new rules for each 'new' year - to make the game more interesting as the years progress, but not to update the 'finished' years (so far 41) so as not to scare of new players with a whole host of rules the 1st time round.

Currently the one missing rule is the CO death section. BiltAid does not compute whether the CO is dead at all.

Concernign the suggestion on HQ experience. The HQ team (4 men) would be affected by the very fact of losing one or more men. The cohesive command experience would be reduced somewhat as the replacement(s) would have to integrate the command line. Experience should be lowered when losing even a single man. Maybe HQ (treated as for CO team) could see lesser experience loss if the killed/wounded man was not the leader after all (that is treat them similar to the CO unit) and suffer less experience loss wrt to other regular units if the roll determines the leader is still alive. One could argue that an officer might better integrate his HQ unit - hence be less of a penalty - than a platoon seeing 25% of its force replaced.

Biltong? I would indeed favor HQs and CO suffer a bit less from man loss (experience-wise) then regular units.

Your say? (and others of course)

Anyway, although via BiltAid rules can be many and complex, one has to think as well of players using pencil and paper. Too many rules/options/exceptions might turn BCR impossible to play without BiltAid.

Hmm - something to think about. I'm still waiting for the final patch, before I tackle these. 1st I'll do the straight SE option forJune 42 (ammo/exp/names etc) and then later (Jan 43) bring out the HQ leadership calcs. I think.

I've got a couple of pages of ideas that's been mentioned over the months...

Good that you and Hobo are starting the discussion again... the time for coding these are getting closer.

[ April 21, 2003, 05:30 PM: Message edited by: Biltong ]

[Biltong]

Originally posted by Schoerner:

...Just for my clarification:

so if the computer bought a Battailon and i don't have enough points to buy it, i'm allowed to buy the exact single Company or Platoon being part of this Battaillon, right?

Right - all the way to buying just the MG or mortar etc in that Battalion. So when I note down my Task Force Offerings I do it very fast and rough. If I see there's a lot of MG's or platoons of a certain type I don't bother counting them since I know I'll only be able to buy a couple.

So does that mean, if BiltAid/BCR decided for i.e. an Infantry only battle, and i got points for armor category to spend, that i'm allowed to buy armor, although the computer was restricted to Infantry only, when it generated the Task Force?

Yes again - An't I nice

You'll notice from the rules that the modifiers make it unlikely that you will get armor points if the Force Mix is Infantry, but it can happen.

So: You roll up an Infantry only battle to generate your task force - there are no tanks generated.

But when rolling up the points for your Task Force you are very lucky and get some Armor points. Now, since you did not have any armor generated, you can choose your own armor from the normal Unit Purchase List when you buy your units for the final 'Generate Real Battle'.

[eif]

Hi, wonderful job your doing, just a tad of a tech problem though, I downloaded Biltaid v1.01 a while back, went through the bowles of java and it's all running fine, having a heck of a time though with Biltaid v1.03, how do i get it up and running, it does'nt respond to the msdos prompt, seems the file contains a Stuffit File(and a read me file,) waaaah what do i do? I can crank it open with winzip but it just appears as a word file, where do i stick it? If anyone can help i'd be delighted, particularly when the rest of you seem to be campaigning in Russia while i'm stuck camping in Bognor! :confused:

[Snowbart]

Biltong,

A question concerning air power in the game. I am currently fighting my 3rd battle in the campaign and I rolled up 1000 pts for Air units. The problem is , there were no air units to choose from. Could this possibly be b/c of an effect the DATE option has(as this battle was in July)? I checked and rechecked to make sure evrything was set to "unrestricted", but no air forces. Also, couldnt find them in the editor either. this is strange since i had air power last game and it worked fine.

Anyhow, I just used that 1000 pts for arty instead! Yeehaaaaa

I know that is probably not right to do, but I wasn't sure what to do. I'd rather have my 150mm radio FO anyways

[Yeknodathon]

Originally posted by eif:

Hi, wonderful job your doing, just a tad of a tech problem though, I downloaded Biltaid v1.01 a while back, went through the bowles of java and it's all running fine, having a heck of a time though with Biltaid v1.03, how do i get it up and running, it does'nt respond to the msdos prompt, seems the file contains a Stuffit File(and a read me file,) waaaah what do i do? I can crank it open with winzip but it just appears as a word file, where do i stick it? If anyone can help i'd be delighted, particularly when the rest of you seem to be campaigning in Russia while i'm stuck camping in Bognor! :confused:

Eif

I run it in Windows with a right click and select "open with" javaw (or you can select the file's properties and select javaw as the program to start the file up when you double click it - you'll have to browse around to find javaw if its not in the list).

Alex

[Robert Olesen]

On HQ abilities, I have come up with a simple system for my campaign that you might find useful.

The HQ get a roll on a table at regular intervals (I use a specific experience increase, you could also use the number of battles). It could look like this using 1D10 (no modifiers):

1 : Command increased

2 : Combat increased

3 : Stealth increased

4 : Morale increased

5-10: No effect

You lose the effect if you roll up an effect you can't use (e.g. Stealth for a vehicle commander or an ability that is already at +2).

This is a simple system and it should keep the increases at a reasonably low rate.

[Seahawk-vfa201]

Originally posted by eif:

Hi, wonderful job your doing, just a tad of a tech problem though, I downloaded Biltaid v1.01 a while back, went through the bowles of java and it's all running fine, having a heck of a time though with Biltaid v1.03, how do i get it up and running, it does'nt respond to the msdos prompt, seems the file contains a Stuffit File(and a read me file,) waaaah what do i do? I can crank it open with winzip but it just appears as a word file, where do i stick it? If anyone can help i'd be delighted, particularly when the rest of you seem to be campaigning in Russia while i'm stuck camping in Bognor! :confused:

BiltAid is now an executable Java ARchive (jar) file (containing all the files previously accessed separately with BiltAid 1.0.1

on OSes supporting java one can click on the icon/file to start it or, from the shell, one can issue the command:

java -jar BiltAid.jar

On Win32 systems the Java 2 runtime environment's installation program will register a default association for JAR files so that double-clicking a JAR file on the desktop will automatically run it with javaw -jar. Dependent extensions bundled with the application will also be loaded automatically. This feature makes the end-user runtime environment easier to use on Win32 systems.

The Solaris 2.6 kernel and Apple OS X have already been extended to recognize the special "magic" number that identifies a JAR file, and to invoke java -jar on such a JAR file as if it were a native executable. An application packaged in a JAR file can thus be executed directly from the command line or by clicking an icon on the desktop.

If you instruct Windows (after installing Java) to recognize a JAR file it will then amount to the same thing.

Hope this helps

[ April 22, 2003, 03:01 AM: Message edited by: Seahawk-vfa201 ]

[Seahawk-vfa201]

BiltAid 1.0.4 - Soon available on usual sites

To my knowledge this completes the rules '41 South v2.2 compliance:

- Computed CO death in case of casualties

- Added "Edit Date" on main menu to allow for easier use of historical battle map packs (that do have fixed dates).

Note that the last addition is not robust: it expects the user to do the right thing (ie it would accept wrong date or jumps into the past)

As a general warning, this is valid in the whole BiltAid implementation: if you truly want it to crash you will succeed easily.

So - once more - be good with it and remember the old software development adagio: trash in, trash out.

So, feed BiltAid with good quality food

PS

The Stuffit archive file (.sit) contains:

- The BiltAid JAR file is named BiltAid_1_0_4.jar

- The ReleaseNotes file

Not much time to provide it with a fancy info and greetings panel norwith a help file: see the included ReleaseNotes file.

[Yeknodathon]

Originally posted by Robert Olesen:

On HQ abilities, I have come up with a simple system for my campaign that you might find useful.

The HQ get a roll on a table at regular intervals (I use a specific experience increase, you could also use the number of battles). It could look like this using 1D10 (no modifiers):

1 : Command increased

2 : Combat increased

3 : Stealth increased

4 : Morale increased

5-10: No effect

You lose the effect if you roll up an effect you can't use (e.g. Stealth for a vehicle commander or an ability that is already at +2).

This is a simple system and it should keep the increases at a reasonably low rate.

As an alternative I allow the following:

Elite 8x HQ abilities

Crack 8x HQ abilities

Veteran 6x HQ abilities

Regular 4x HQ abilities

Green 2x HQ abulities

Conscript 0x HQ abilities

...but you have to choose from the abilities given when you first gain or accept new core force HQs. Not enough to choose? - get a free choice!

Alex

[ April 22, 2003, 01:21 PM: Message edited by: Yeknodathon ]

[Biltong]

Originally posted by Yeknodathon:

As an alternative I allow the following:

Elite 8x HQ abilities

Crack 8x HQ abilities

Veteran 6x HQ abilities

Regular 4x HQ abilities

Green 2x HQ abulities

Conscript 0x HQ abilities

...but you have to choose from the abilities given when you first gain or accept new core force HQs. Not enough to choose? - get a free choice!

Alex

I like this - more logic. Wish there was a way of rewarding specific leadership qualities proven in combat. But how do you prove that the HQ was good at hiding himself and his men for the last x battles?

[hobo]

My solution is to randomly add one additional ability every time a HQ unit increases levels.

I am tinkering with the idea of giving an experience point to each of the HQ units for every Major or Total win. The logic being even if they personally did not kill anybody, it was their leadship that led to the victory. My problem is I have played only 6 battles in this campaign and have lost all 3 regular platoon leaders Unless I start doing a better job off keeping them alive this will all be a moot point.

Hobo

[Snowbart]

Any thoughts on my above post on AIR UNITS??

[Biltong]

Originally posted by Snowbart:

Any thoughts on my above post on AIR UNITS??

Hi Snowbart,

I suspect that one of the Time or Weather parameters were inadvertently set wrong or left at random. I just did a quick test and everything's fine on my side.

Try generating another QB with the same parameters - you should be able to see what the previous settings were.

Let me know what you find.

Biltong

[ April 22, 2003, 06:46 PM: Message edited by: Biltong ]

[eif]

Thanks for the support in trying to get biltaid v1.03 running, though i came up against this command shell message

C:\WINDOWS>java -jar biltaid.jar

Exception in thread "main"java.util.zip.ZipException:

The system cannot find the file specified

at java.util.zip.ZipFile.open(Native Method)

at java.util.zip.ZipFile.<init>(Unknown Source)

at java.util.jar.JarFile.<init>(Unknown Source)

at java.util.jar.JarFile.<init>(Unknown Source)

seems my java is fine,

'stuffit' is the problem,

i'm pretty dull when it comes to dll's, they just don't wanna work, guess it's back to v1.01 till i solve it.

If you chaps ever get a moment to winzip these brand new versions though i'll be straight on to them

[OBJ]

Biltong-

Just wanted to throw out a couple ideas on leadership traits, unit experience levels, and the effects of integrating replacements for the BCR gang to chew over. The comments below are based on eleven games in a BCR '41 campaign.

Leader traits - I've tried a system of leadership trait 'potential' tied to unit experience points.

At the beginning of the campaign, or when coming in as a replacement, leader units roll for leader trait 'potential.' In each of the four traits at each of the two levels, leader units are assigned either 'no bonus possible' or a 'bonus award threshold' in terms of unit experience. In the case of leaders with a real talent in any trait, the bonus award threshold may be less than the starting experience, therefore awarded for the first battle. This system pre-supposes that individual leaders have strengths in different traits that emerge over time with experience. I’ve developed a formula based on unit experience potential, see below. So far bonus award thresholds have ranged from 10 to 39 unit experience points. Results have also included no bonus at one or both levels.

I'm convinced I need to award 'leader trait bonus award points’ faster than unit experience points, but don't even have a formula worked out yet for a trial.

Unit experience and experience levels - I'm trying a system in which each unit at the beginning of the campaign, or upon entering as a replacement, rolls for it's experience potential, veteran, crack, or elite. In this experiment, units have a 60% chance of topping out as veterans, 30% as crack and 10% as elite. Using this system I've left the threshold for veteran at 25, but set crack to 45 and elite to 60 on the theory that the men in the squad representing this potential will realize it after 20-30 battles. This system prevents the entire unit from becoming elite over time and reflects variations in the quality of the 'drivers' in each squad.

I also roll at the beginning of the campaign or when a unit enters as a replacement for unit starting experience, which I set at anything between 10 and 20. This allows again for variation in individual units reflecting the effectiveness of each squad.

Integrating replacements - I recall there was a lot of debate over this in the BCR group, one of the concerns being people throwing away squads with low experience hoping to roll for veterans. It’s also my impression the German Army did a very good job of integrating combat replacements. Through out the war units were routinely withdrawn to allow the cadre of veterans to train the replacements before going back into the line. Even without this very successful practice of integrating replacements, the veterans naturally have a lot more affect on a squad’s performance that replacements do.

For these reasons I'm currently experimenting with two items combined.

First, based on the BCR replacement quality probabilities, I've set a fixed replacement ‘bonus’ for each month; Jun-Aug replacement bonus = 0, Sep-Oct= 3 , Nov-Dec = 1.

Second, I’ve tinkered with the ‘experience after replacements’ formula.

For casualties < 30%, after replacements experience= after battle experience,

Casualties >30%, < 50%, after replacement experience =.85*after battle experience+ replacement experience bonus

Casualties >50% < 60% =.75*after battle experience+2*replacement experience bonus

Casualties >60% < 80% =.65*after battle experience+3*replacement experience bonus

Casualties > 80% < 90% =.60*after battle experience+4*replacement experience bonus

If the unit’s wiped out, new unit experience = .5*after battle experience+5*replacement experience bonus. No company commander worth anything is going to allow a whole squad of replacements to go into battle without giving them at least one or two seasoned veterans to lead them.

This system of integrating replacements is something I just recently worked up and has not been thoroughly play-tested at all.

Hope these ideas give the BCR crew something to chew on.

Thanks for all the great work you and the crew have done. Hope to see a campaign in the engine re-write. Until then, it's BCR all the way.

[Snowbart]

Biltong,

For some reason I still can't get any air units generated so I may buy them....they don't show up on the unit purchase screen. Maybe it's the particular settings for this battle? They are:

-July

-Hot

-overcast

- mid-day

-Strg wind

-Ax Assault

-Axis Combined Arms

-Russkies Infantry

- +10 Handicap

Just got an idea: Could it be that there are no planes if it's overcast? Sounds logical. Am I on the right track here? thanks

[Snowbart]

Ok, ok.....guess I should've broken the manual out before I posted

Think I found a new note and rule #9 in your new version Biltong: What to do if you get a bunch of air points(i had 1000), but can't buy planes. I spent them all on arty, but I feel a little guilty b/c I bought 2 radio 81mm mortar spotters, and a 150mm radio spotter, and also 2 105mm spotters(no radio). So of course I blasted the hell outta everything

Whatcha think?

[Seahawk-vfa201]

Originally posted by eif:

Thanks for the support in trying to get biltaid v1.03 running, though i came up against this command shell message

C:\WINDOWS>java -jar biltaid.jar

Exception in thread "main"java.util.zip.ZipException:

The system cannot find the file specified

at java.util.zip.ZipFile.open(Native Method)

at java.util.zip.ZipFile.<init>(Unknown Source)

at java.util.jar.JarFile.<init>(Unknown Source)

at java.util.jar.JarFile.<init>(Unknown Source)

seems my java is fine,

'stuffit' is the problem,

i'm pretty dull when it comes to dll's, they just don't wanna work, guess it's back to v1.01 till i solve it.

If you chaps ever get a moment to winzip these brand new versions though i'll be straight on to them

Other players report running it succesfully on Windows by right-clik and Open With using 'javaw'

Have you tried with other jar files to see whether you get same error message?

[Seahawk-vfa201]

For players on Windows having troubles with starting BiltAid_1_0_4.jar

Try renaming it as BiltAid.jar and see whether that magically fixes it.

[Seahawk-vfa201]

Originally posted by Snowbart:

Biltong,

For some reason I still can't get any air units generated so I may buy them....they don't show up on the unit purchase screen. Maybe it's the particular settings for this battle? They are:

-July

-Hot

-overcast

- mid-day

-Strg wind

-Ax Assault

-Axis Combined Arms

-Russkies Infantry

- +10 Handicap

Just got an idea: Could it be that there are no planes if it's overcast? Sounds logical. Am I on the right track here? thanks

Yep, I do not think overcast and planes match. There is no check in the rules (or BiltAid) for weather for Air support.

Sounds OK though: in the 40s weather forecasts were lousy

[eif]

S'all good in the hood! Found a jar file in my mail this sunny morn and got the new version up and runing, (thanks massimo)

[Cpt Kernow]

one simple simple qyestion.

I use biltaid.

The axis task force has a casualties tab. I cant see the purpose of this. I am cataloguing my casualties using the battle group fields, if I have to counter attack immediately and have casualties and have not been reinforced then I move the appropraite platoons of the map (as instructed.) If I set up the battle with axis casualties set say to 20% this is going to impact my main battle group, not just the task force. How can I seperate the casualties in my task force from casualties in my main group using the battle generator (could see how using the scenario editor but still only using ver1.2)

Cheers.

Kernow.

[Snowbart]

Ok, one more question: In my last game I had 2 Task Force vehicles "Immobilized". When filling out the Favor sheet, do these immbolized vehicles fall under any category? They aren't abandoned, KO'd, or burning, so I imagine I do not lose any favor for them being in this state, but what is the rule for this?

[Snowbart]

[/qb]

[Seahawk-vfa201]

Originally posted by Snowbart:

Yep, I do not think overcast and planes match. There is no check in the rules (or BiltAid) for weather for Air support.

Sounds OK though: in the 40s weather forecasts were lousy

Seahawk, what do you think the rule should be in this case.....that you can just spend it on Arty?

To be strict, I would say: "Tough luck my Officers. We had Air support but the damned weather made that support impossible! Fight with double energy!!"

Others might be more relaxed In principle there was nothing but the bad weather that made the air support vanish. I doubt in reality there would have been time to ask for and obtain a different support (arty) from Berlin.

[ April 23, 2003, 11:58 AM: Message edited by: Seahawk-vfa201 ]