What’s in the "box"?

[Slick91]

Err…cd, download, what ever…

Obviously, it will contain a PDF manual…anything else?

[IronManBeta]

It will contain the most accurate OB of the various nation's forces for 1989 available anywhere in the public domain. I am extremely excited about this part of the project and it represents a considerable research coup for us. At the moment about 1/3 of it is written up in the user manual and the rest is in a pair of large spreadsheets. I need to find out what the final intent for the other 2/3's is.

We will also add to this research over time. A surprisingly large number of knowledgable folks have been hanging out here for a while and I would really like to tap their expertise and round out the stats for Sweden, Norway and Italy too. We have almost everybody else already. It is a very nice piece of work!

It won't be long now.

Ta, Rob.

[Dagfinn]

What do you need for the Norwegian OOB?

[IronManBeta]

ORIGINAL: Dagfinn

What do you need for the Norwegian OOB?

I don't have a snappy answer to this one except to say 'everything'! When I get a chance to breath (stupid day job) I'll give you a proper answer since this would be useful info for a number of other people anyway.

Thanks, Rob.

[Dagfinn]

Just send me an e-mail, ad Ill see what I can do [8D]

[Jotte]

what is it you need about SWedish OOB?

[IronManBeta]

Hey, I'm liking this already! This was a substantial amount of work to organize about 2 years ago and my memory has faded on some of the details. When I flipped open the user manual and supporting spreadsheets I realized that I hadn't quite tied it up into one seemless whole quite the way I had remembered it! Oops.

Erik, Mike Eckenfels and I are going to be looking at this all over again in the next week or so and we will revise the writeup substantially.

In a nutshell we are looking for a complete national OB of all Army units down to battalion. I am starting with the famous book 'Armies of NATO' (I forget the exact name and author but I'll post the proper cite in a day) circa 1985 and updating it to 1989. We want all the names, peacetime locations, and primary equipment types for every battalion. Stage 2 is to create complete TOEs comparable to what we have for the existing nations that go down as necessary to platoons and sections. If there are standard attachments, etc that are usually made then we want that too.

Thirdly, we need photos and data on the primary weapons systems so that we can enter them into the database properly. I have a stack already, but there has been no one source that covers everything and working out comparable stats can be quite a labour for someone.

Before I put anyone to work I want to see what I have available to me already. I also want people to see what our existing format and level of detail is and that will happen as soon as the game comes out. Then I can deal with individual researchers and organize filling in the blanks.

My job is to see what countries we still need research for re OB, TOE and vehicles. Keep an eye on this thread!

Cheers, Rob.

Edit: The book is called "Armies of NATO's Central Front" by David C Isby and Charles Kamps Jr. published by Janes in 1985

[Dagfinn]

Im getting a bit curious here. [&:]

Why interested in OOB's of nations incapabel of partisipating in the German theater? [&:]

What is it that you have cooking? [8D]

[IronManBeta]

ORIGINAL: Dagfinn

Im getting a bit curious here. [&:]

Why interested in OOB's of nations incapabel of partisipating in the German theater? [&:]

What is it that you have cooking? [8D]

The player in this game commands a regiment or brigade typically. We set it in the Central German theatre in May 1989 with 4 different maps, 4 nationalities and 17 scenarios to start with. Over time we would like to grow it to included additional maps, nationalities and far more scenarios. Additional time periods would be nice too. At one point I said "everything from the Arctic Circle to the Dardanelles" and in a general sense that is still true. When I wrote it I didn't really appreciate how much research that would involve, but it is still a gleam in my eye!

We had to cut the ambit back to something we could actually deliver in this lifetime, but now that the game is nearly ready I am starting to think of the next phase and that means more national forces at the very least.

Cheers, Rob.

[Catphish]

there was a old board game built like that for the early 80s (1983) period by GDW
Game 1 the third world war battle for germany
Game 2 southern front race for the turkish straits
Game 3 Arctic front battle for Norway
Game 4 Persian Gulf

all the maps connected at different points and it was a decent game system
it was designed by Frank Chadwick

I still have it somewere have to dig it out and set it up to get ready for FPG

[Catphish]

well i dug it out

The Third World War by GDW all 4 games in that series and all maps I might be missing a few counters

I also have

the Guns of August by Ah in great shape I may have to play one while i am waiting for the Matrix version of WWI

Ambush by VG the box is in bad shape but the maps counters and slides are fine

Panzer Leader by AH in great shape

Luftwaffe by AH great game the round counters were weird

Nato by VG love it

Central America by VG I never played this one that i can remember but the counters are punched

2nd Fleet by VG this is a great game spent weeks with it +

Sniper by TSR/SPI

Third Reich 3rd Edition (of course i have this would not be a collection without it)

Fortress Europa by AH

Squad Leader (not ASL maybe i never had it )

Pacific War by VG I can not find the maps for it I had them taped to a sheet of plywood and have no idea were it is maybe i can find the map on the net any ideas?

Battle of the Bulge by AH

the Russian Campaign by AH

the Fellowship of the ring by ICE strange game no counters you played with dice instead

Stellar Conquest by AH well this game does not fit I can not remember buying this one

and one RRG Twilight 2000 by GDW

well what does the forum think of my collection?
I think i am missing a box I know I have WWII bySPI, 5 fleet, midway and all my old D&D stuff somewhere

too bad i had to get married and have kids

[Dagfinn]

ORIGINAL: RobertCrandall

The player in this game commands a regiment or brigade typically. We set it in the Central German theatre in May 1989 with 4 different maps, 4 nationalities and 17 scenarios to start with. Over time we would like to grow it to included additional maps, nationalities and far more scenarios. Additional time periods would be nice too. At one point I said "everything from the Arctic Circle to the Dardanelles" and in a general sense that is still true. When I wrote it I didn't really appreciate how much research that would involve, but it is still a gleam in my eye!

We had to cut the ambit back to something we could actually deliver in this lifetime, but now that the game is nearly ready I am starting to think of the next phase and that means more national forces at the very least.

Cheers, Rob.

Lets make a deal then, eh? [;)]

If you accept my imput on Norwegian OOB, you will have to produce a nifty looking Norwegian map that we can use thos OOB's on [:D]

I admit I havent seen the maps in FPG yet, but I bet a Norwegian one should be much more constraint.

[Catgh_MatrixForum]

The maps in the box are "conceptual" geographics of German country side. They are based upon the old SimCan maps. For instance one map has a couple river features on a relatively flat countryside with an urban center to one side of the river.

The next question that might come up is if there is a map editor in the box, which there isn't. Robert can chime in, but I believe the process of creating maps will be released in the future though; especially if there is a lot of pressure for it.

Ron

[IronManBeta]

ORIGINAL: Catgh

The maps in the box are "conceptual" geographics of German country side. They are based upon the old SimCan maps. For instance one map has a couple river features on a relatively flat countryside with an urban center to one side of the river.

The next question that might come up is if there is a map editor in the box, which there isn't. Robert can chime in, but I believe the process of creating maps will be released in the future though; especially if there is a lot of pressure for it.

Ron

The 4 maps were created by a graphics wiz by the name of Iain Christie. (He also did the map art for Highway to the Reich and doubtless a few others as well.) Iain really pulled out all the stops for me and pushed Photoshop to the limits to create some beautiful work. Then his day job and family responsibilities caught up with him and we have not seen much of him since. Very sad.

The game is made so that new maps can 'easily' be added in to the game but that is a relative term. Iain and I worked closely evolving the map design and it has been a long time now since it was looked at. What I need to do is to dust off my notes and figure out how to make it into a feasible proposition for the rest of the world. I will publish these notes and then release a supporting map editor but you had better give me a month or so to get it organized.

It took Iain about 10 days each to make them but he went to great lengths than most other people would have. If you are happy with simpler you could probably knock one out in a day if you have any graphic talent at all.

Cheers, Rob.

[Marc von Martial]

ORIGINAL: Catgh
The maps in the box are "conceptual" geographics of German country side. They are based upon the old SimCan maps. For instance one map has a couple river features on a relatively flat countryside with an urban center to one side of the river.

Let me clarify this.

All maps are based on topo maps of the actuall german countryside. Iain used shots of topo maps we aquired as basis for the work. So what you see is areas that exist, only the city names are fictional (but very german sounding I can asure you [;)])