WitP AE as a CPX: insights, JWE?

[Pascal_slith]

Hi JWE,

you mentioned in the Scenario Design and Modding sub-forum that you play WitP AE as a CPX (Command Post eXercise). This has been around for better than over a century among general staffs/war colleges and was prevalent amongst some wargamers back in the 'counter' and paper days.

Could you briefly mention the advantages/disadvantages and requirements for such a way of playing WitP AE?

(You did as to start a separate thread [;)])

[Shark7]

From his brief description in the other thread, it sounds like a great way to ensure nothing gamey goes on.

[JWE]

Hi Pascal,

It's 2 sides with an umpire. Sides can be individuals or teams. Way we work it is Side A moves and sends a raw file to the umpire along with a brief description of what's going on. The umpire may or may not monkey with the file, depending. Umpire then saves and sends to Side B. Side B then moves and sends a raw file to the umpire along with a brief description of what's going on. The umpire may or may not monkey with that file, depending. The umpire then sends the final file to A and B for them to run and see what happened.

It's like a team PBEM but with an umpire moderating/monkeying with both side's files; a teensy bit here, a teensy bit there. The moderator adds a bit of realism/randomness to the highly structured nature of the AE game system. Needless to say, the umpire must be chosen wisely, but if well chosen, he can make a ho-hum operation spark with unanticipated events.

Upside: Before a game or an operation, each side gives its op orders to the umpire. Each side must play out its operations according to their specs. Intelligence, for both sides, is controlled by the umpire and out-of-scope reactions are allowed in accord with information given to that side. Some randomness is introduced because the umpire knows just what each side is doing, and why, so he can very judiciously adapt an intelligence report or even tweak a game file.

Downside: Works really well for short term specific scenarios, but not at all for campaign games. Needs 2-day turns to keep things timely. Needs the best player you got to play umpire. Can't be a Mephistophile, has to be Judicial (somebody channeling Eisenhower would be a good choice). But to make it happen right, you got to develop a tight local scenario. It's really far, far away from the normal way of playing AE.

[Pascal_slith]

Thanks for the info. You've tried this with Guadalcanal/Solomons scenarios or Burma/India scenarios? Does the umpire 'intercept' the SigInt report generated by WitPAE and send one of his own combining SigInt and other 'sources' (at his discretion)?

[JWE]

No, not really. The umpire has the Allied and Japenese operational plans in hand. He knows what is going to happen where and when. The umpire provides operational intelligence to one side or the other, or both, in a characteristically formal style.

Maybe he will decide that a Rochefort analog broke the Japanese op code. Maybe not. Maybe the Japanese got a good look at some new SWPac assets from traffic analysis. Maybe not. Sometimes, given the particular situation, the Intelligence Report might be totally off base.

Intelligence Reports are written in a form and format that a commander would recognize. They may be spot frikkin on, or misdirective. The background is usually right, so a smart commander can read the flashes and consult his/her gut about what to do. We're not nasty about it, just realistic.

In a CPX system, the umpire is the source from which all things flow. I suppose some players look at the game SigInts, but they are so useless, in comparison to the official IntelReps, that people soon learn to ignore them. The umpire is aware of the intelligence gathering capabilities of both sides and is quite capable of making judicious revelations, to either side, depending on the size and scope of the proposed operation.

Your umpire is the biggest upside/downside in the entire system.

[JWE]

No worries Pascal, have some good info about how to dial stuff down to short scenarios. Maybe, if this is what you really want to do, I should introduce you to some of the Babes folks.

[ed] believe me, your life will no longer be the same.

[Pascal_slith]

ORIGINAL: JWE

No worries Pascal, have some good info about how to dial stuff down to short scenarios. Maybe, if this is what you really want to do, I should introduce you to some of the Babes folks.

[ed] believe me, your life will no longer be the same.

Excellent. Sent you a PM to go down this route.