12-04-2010, 10:57 AM
A few months ago I made a poor attempt at refereeing a "linked campaign" that would follow a German division from the beginning of Barbarossa to war's end. There were a few technical problems and I wasn't able to restart it.
I'm going to give it another go but also expand my horizons. Still have slots available for five players. First five players that contact me via e-mail can join.
I want to give players the opportunity to follow a Division through the war in a linked campaign just like we have in CS except face other players instead of the AI. Losses in one scenario will impact the OOB in the next scenario. Players will command a regiment though I still need one player to be divisional commander for the Germans.
The German team will be the 2nd Panzer Division. They will see action in Poland, the Balkans, France, Russia (Moscow and Kursk), the Falaise Pocket, the Bulge, and if your leader units survive you will surrender on the Rhine in 1945 (sorry you will stay regimental commander or maybe take the division the whole war - I don't have the time to promote everyone to their own divisions!!).
The Russian team will play the various Allied forces facing the 2nd Panzer but we will also simultaneously play another linked campaign and the Russians will take ownership of the 33rd Rifle Division. I'm thinking this campaign will start in Stalingrad and you'll end up by the Reichstag at the end of the war. The Germans will play the various opposing forces.
Here are some thoughts on how the campaign will be run:
1: All players will be anonymous to each other. Even members of the same team. This is done for a couple of reasons. Orders will be given by the Divisional commander to his Regimental Commanders and depending on his leadership style he might give very specific orders or just a broad outline of what he wants the Regiments to accomplish. If your HQ is out of supply then orders probably won't be transmitted that turn. Lots of extra work for me but I think this will add some realism. Orders should be well written but broad enough to allow commanders leeway when communications are cut and HQs are out of supply.
Secondly the Divisional Commander will be able to fire, or I guess in the Russian case have the NKVD arrest a poor performing or insubordinate commander, just like in real life. This might happen late in the game and with everyone anonymous there wont' be hard feelings in the club.
This being the case if you are interested please e-mail me directly and don't post on this thread.
2: You will be represented by a leader unit. If that unit dies then play stops for you in that scenario and you start the next game as a new individual. The longer you live your leader unit will gain experience and command factors.
3: The Divisional commander will control the allocation of light artillery, AT guns, AA guns, to his different forces. He will have direct command of the Recon Units and the engineer units. In the German case he will also directly command the motorcycle battalion if the historical OOB as I can determine it permits.
4: It is difficult to do but I will determine if a side can see the replay. If their HQ's are out of supply then probably not unless they can see it in their own LOS. I'll usually give reports "Dungeons and Dragons" style if you can't see the replay. Example: "Your units at 121,33 report sounds of armor moving closer along the Minsk HWY".
5: I have been guilty of using the embedded anti-aircraft units for my artillery regiments and moving them to the front line for direct fire. In CS we don't have to worry about aircraft targeting anything out of LOS. In this campaign it will behoove commanders to have their HQs, supply and artillery protected by AA units. I'll decide if during the scenario a side has air strikes available beyond the game's ones the players can control. I'll have to figure out the results of an attack.
I'm going to give it another go but also expand my horizons. Still have slots available for five players. First five players that contact me via e-mail can join.
I want to give players the opportunity to follow a Division through the war in a linked campaign just like we have in CS except face other players instead of the AI. Losses in one scenario will impact the OOB in the next scenario. Players will command a regiment though I still need one player to be divisional commander for the Germans.
The German team will be the 2nd Panzer Division. They will see action in Poland, the Balkans, France, Russia (Moscow and Kursk), the Falaise Pocket, the Bulge, and if your leader units survive you will surrender on the Rhine in 1945 (sorry you will stay regimental commander or maybe take the division the whole war - I don't have the time to promote everyone to their own divisions!!).
The Russian team will play the various Allied forces facing the 2nd Panzer but we will also simultaneously play another linked campaign and the Russians will take ownership of the 33rd Rifle Division. I'm thinking this campaign will start in Stalingrad and you'll end up by the Reichstag at the end of the war. The Germans will play the various opposing forces.
Here are some thoughts on how the campaign will be run:
1: All players will be anonymous to each other. Even members of the same team. This is done for a couple of reasons. Orders will be given by the Divisional commander to his Regimental Commanders and depending on his leadership style he might give very specific orders or just a broad outline of what he wants the Regiments to accomplish. If your HQ is out of supply then orders probably won't be transmitted that turn. Lots of extra work for me but I think this will add some realism. Orders should be well written but broad enough to allow commanders leeway when communications are cut and HQs are out of supply.
Secondly the Divisional Commander will be able to fire, or I guess in the Russian case have the NKVD arrest a poor performing or insubordinate commander, just like in real life. This might happen late in the game and with everyone anonymous there wont' be hard feelings in the club.
This being the case if you are interested please e-mail me directly and don't post on this thread.
2: You will be represented by a leader unit. If that unit dies then play stops for you in that scenario and you start the next game as a new individual. The longer you live your leader unit will gain experience and command factors.
3: The Divisional commander will control the allocation of light artillery, AT guns, AA guns, to his different forces. He will have direct command of the Recon Units and the engineer units. In the German case he will also directly command the motorcycle battalion if the historical OOB as I can determine it permits.
4: It is difficult to do but I will determine if a side can see the replay. If their HQ's are out of supply then probably not unless they can see it in their own LOS. I'll usually give reports "Dungeons and Dragons" style if you can't see the replay. Example: "Your units at 121,33 report sounds of armor moving closer along the Minsk HWY".
5: I have been guilty of using the embedded anti-aircraft units for my artillery regiments and moving them to the front line for direct fire. In CS we don't have to worry about aircraft targeting anything out of LOS. In this campaign it will behoove commanders to have their HQs, supply and artillery protected by AA units. I'll decide if during the scenario a side has air strikes available beyond the game's ones the players can control. I'll have to figure out the results of an attack.