Matrix Games Forums

One of our touchstones for DaBigBabes is to have every LCU (where feasible) have a troop count and hard/soft load cost total that comports with its historical reality (more or less). We have aggregated many devices, changes many device specs, changed many TO&Es, and things are working out even sweeter than expected. However ...

We contacted Sill and got the tables for Coast Artillery. With the new device specs we are spot on for the firing Bns, but are about 1/3 short on total troop count and load parameters. This is because of the 3d Bn being a Searchlight Bn, which is not modeled in the game. Right now, we are at about 1400 troops for the Cst Art Regt, against a bogie of 2100. There are 2 conceptual solutions for this:

1. Make a bogus Searchlight device - a vehicle - with no combat power, no detection power, not much of nothing which, when combined with it's Sup requirements, adds sufficient troop count and load constraints to make the Regt, as Goldilocks might say, 'just right'; or

2. Assume they didn't deploy with Searchlight Bns and just had firing Bns and leave it alone, accepting the shortfall.

Historically, deployed CstAARgts took their SL Bns with. They were the guys that operated the radars (cunningly called 'detectors' in the Journals to keep spys in the dark). We have the "Observer", "Sound Detector" and "Radar" devices already in the box, but because of the abstract nature of that portion of the game engine, you only get 1 or 2 - not enuf to make up the troop count.

So what are ya'lls thoughts on this little thing. Admittedly de minimis, but what the hey ...

Am I correct - if it is a device, it can be destroyed or damaged?

Solution 2 is very acceptable, solution 1 is more elegant.

If it is a device which can be destroyed, damaged or need to be replaced, then leaving the shortfall is probably the better solution.

Nothing to see here . . . move along.

hey JWE,

for what it's worth... Add the observer/radar capacity as allowed by the code and/or required by history, and treat the rest as support to the extent that you want to make the loads right -- assuming that the main purpose of the SL battalions is to "support" the firing units I don't see a need for fake devices if most of those guys were running wire, heating chow, fixing weapons, or moving supplies. If you want to justify it, I'ld guess that communication to the firing units was a big part of their tail.

ORIGINAL: Central Blue
hey JWE,

for what it's worth... Add the observer/radar capacity as allowed by the code and/or required by history, and treat the rest as support to the extent that you want to make the loads right -- assuming that the main purpose of the SL battalions is to "support" the firing units I don't see a need for fake devices if most of those guys were running wire, heating chow, fixing weapons, or moving supplies. If you want to justify it, I'ld guess that communication to the firing units was a big part of their tail.

Yeah, understand. We got a big pile of Sup already in the box. Am thinking of letting it alone, especially since there's some Engineer units that had to go 'over' a bit. We tweaked those to about 1417, which is only about 20% off scale. Our bogie is +/- 10% so that's altogether too bad, when considered with respect to the relatively few number of units we're talking about, and the relativity of their deployment stats.

Am, of course, always open to suggestions. Shoot me a note if you got a hard-on for something.

ORIGINAL: JWE

ORIGINAL: Central Blue
hey JWE,

for what it's worth... Add the observer/radar capacity as allowed by the code and/or required by history, and treat the rest as support to the extent that you want to make the loads right -- assuming that the main purpose of the SL battalions is to "support" the firing units I don't see a need for fake devices if most of those guys were running wire, heating chow, fixing weapons, or moving supplies. If you want to justify it, I'ld guess that communication to the firing units was a big part of their tail.

Yeah, understand. We got a big pile of Sup already in the box. Am thinking of letting it alone, especially since there's some Engineer units that had to go 'over' a bit. We tweaked those to about 1417, which is only about 20% off scale. Our bogie is +/- 10% so that's altogether too bad, when considered with respect to the relatively few number of units we're talking about, and the relativity of their deployment stats.

Am, of course, always open to suggestions. Shoot me a note if you got a hard-on for something.

Ask no questions and I'll give no suggestions. [;)]

Seems to me that you, Don, and the rest of the gang are headed in the right direction for correcting shore/land units for this game engine -- not to mention all of those extra ships we have to figure out how to use. From what I read, your plans for shore-side support will go a long way towards grognarding base development.

I'm going to have to be away from the game for a week or so, so I might shoot you a PM about shore/beach parties, Marine pioneer battalions, and JASCO's for invasions, if I get withdrawal pangs.

And then there are the code talkers and war dogs in the Marine LCU's --devices or support? [:D] .

But don't let it slow you down from your timeline. You guys are doing the work you want to do, and the rest of us can mod to suit ourselves. It's a pretty cool concept, and mighty generous of the folks that do the heavy lifting -- including 2x3 and Matrix.