Matrix Games Forums

To continue the discussion of the mud season

I always liked the two levels of mud in the old Russian Campaign board game. [:D]

Are people seriously disputing how unbelievably disruptive the rasputitsa was? It shut down campaigns -- for both sides. This is as close to a no brainer for game design as it gets, c'mon.
 
 
 
 

Are people seriously disputing how unbelievably disruptive the rasputitsa was? It shut down campaigns -- for both sides. This is as close to a no brainer for game design as it gets, c'mon.

I'm disputing that there's "mud" (which could appear in any season in the Soviet Union) and that it's always equally disruptive.

The idea of two levels of mud would be a good start.

There's a difference between a muddy field and WWI no man's land after a rain storm, just like there's a difference between a muddy road and a muddy road that thousands of vehicles used/tried to use.

I'd also like to stress that the game uses 1 week turns, and even when it's muddy, a week gives you plenty of time to do something, it will just be very slow.

I see no reason to add multiple levels of mud to this game. "Mud" in this context represents the rasputista and that's that. It's a very specific climactic event that happens biannually in this part of the world, and vehicular use doesn't really have much to do with it in this particular time frame: Russia had virtually no hard surface roads.
 
When the weather changed in spring and autumn campaigns stopped, and stopped quite suddenly. You could possibly make a case for weather zones, I suppose, since it acted somewhat differently in the Ukraine than in the north, and the timing of the rasputitsa did show some regional variations. But levels of mud? Nope.

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

I see no reason to add multiple levels of mud to this game. "Mud" in this context represents the rasputista and that's that. It's a very specific climactic event that happens biannually in this part of the world, and vehicular use doesn't really have much to do with it in this particular time frame: Russia had virtually no hard surface roads.

When the weather changed in spring and autumn campaigns stopped, and stopped quite suddenly. You could possibly make a case for weather zones, I suppose, since it acted somewhat differently in the Ukraine than in the north, and the timing of the rasputitsa did show some regional variations. But levels of mud? Nope.

The game does have weather zones and the whole front doesn't change simultaneously. You can have mud in front of Moscow and still dry weather down south. Perhaps someone could post a shot of the map showing the weather zones?

ORIGINAL: jaw

... Perhaps someone could post a shot of the map showing the weather zones?

Not quite the whole map but is shows the four weather zones.

Any chance of seeing a AAR with the AI playing the Germans on offense?  Barbarossa or Blau, or even Kursk?

The German AI is still a work in progress...May be some time before that can happen...

That is a beautiful map

How is combat efficency modeled? Some formations have been in offensive combat for three months in the AAR, are they not showing signs of fatigue? It has after all been tough fighting rather than exploitation warfare like Blau (for units not involved in Stalingrad and until Kleist ran out of supply). Do units just fight on indefinately without much effect.

Also during the foul weather months of mud, frost and snow is recovery of units and the arrival of replacements the same pace as normal good weather. Surely the Russians must have an advantage being the home team. Would be good if units sent far to the rear ie Germany recovered and replaced quicker than those held in local reserve in Russia.

units take Fat from doing just about anything (moving, fighting) and the more Fat the sub units in the unit have, the less it's efficency is

each week, you regain/lower your fat levels, but units that are high in Fat, will not lose as much, so will start the next week, with more Fat

a fine line in the game, you need to keep pushing, as much and as deep as you can, but the more you do so, the weaker you are, if you hang back, the enemy gets stronger, more dug in, and HARDer to push out

I'm glad to see you put in the weather zones, those make sense. Russia is very very big, even by US standards, and that map does it proper, awe inspiring justice.
 
 

Just curious if the German player's economy improves if he captures industrial and resource locations within the USSR?  Are the Germans able to use captured assets?  It would make the oil of the Caucasus region very tempting.

Caucasus?   Oil?   Now, that reminds me of someone...can't quite place who...   [;)]

okay, I thought somebody had asked about some of the To&Es of some units, and Jaw said he didn't have the snaps on hand

so I forgot and then remembered, so here are some if this is what you were looking for

42 Inf vs 43 Inf

44 Inf

best I could do off hand for Pz, here is 42 vs 44 Panzer Div

Thanks for the screenies
 
How is it possible that a division goes above its official TO&E? Do divisions resist giving up equipment (a la II SS Panzerkorps before Arnhem) or maybe replacements and repaired systems arrive at the same time?
 
Interesting - guess the '44 versions have more firepower and AT capabilities

most times you will see that with merged units, newly formed units, combined units

the game is set up, so you can be over the number, but it will then start sending stuff back to the pool