Matrix Games Forums

While I have been pretty much playing with the MM exclusively, most of you are playing away with the game itself. I have been using the time waiting for PCO in seeing if a Multi-player Campaign would be worth putting together. Now, just to let you know where I am at, Making maps is not a problem, in fact it is much less work to turn out a map for a battle then I expected. Tracking units on a spreadsheet is also way simpler seeing as how the step/loss system works out nicely.
Now the next step for me is to figure out a good system for ending a battle and maintaining some FOW for the other side, while allowing a third party/ref. to be able to view the game from both sides to determine losses and future positions for surviving units from the victorious side. So any suggestions or ideas would be a great help. Thanks.

Hi Ratzki,

Can you elaborate a bit on how a multi-player campaign would work?

Would the ref be able to have access to the passwords for both players? If so, that should allow the ref to review the end of battle state for both sides. We're very interested in supporting this.

Regards,

- Erik

What I have done so far is dig through way too many free rules looking for one that handles company/battalion sized battles. I settled on a game that I had purchased some time ago and played often called Roads to Leningrad. What I wanted the rules for is so that any battles that were of little interest or very lop-sided did not have to be played out by the players. I will be able to represent these smaller or very lopsided battles and play them out with a single dice roll.
Each side would consist of players (and depending on the numbers of players) that would command each side in the roles of Division, Battalion, ect. commanders. Each of these guys/players would be responsible for giving the ref the moves, dispositions, ect. of units under his control. So a Division player would have artillery to move and assign, as well might give his Battalion commanders general orders like capture town "A" and setup defences there. His Battalion commanders would actually plot out on a map with MSPaint what companies are moving where and with what supporting units. Battles would take place when the orders of the players bring opposing forces within visual sight of one another. Then if both sides decide to fight it out and the battle worth playing, then the ref would make the map and set out the forces. All battles would be generated and then any player for both sides would have a chance to play out the battle. Strategic level orders would take place and be played out in 2 hour turns for daylight hours and 2x 4 hour turns for the nights. I will be using GECCOS for the strategic layer.
The results of the battle recorded, and the spreadsheet updated so that the next time the same unit is used it will have it's loses represented.
Of course, battles will not be even most of the time but players will have to decide how long to fight so that casualties will not become a factor for the next battles that this unit will have to face.
Maps will be based on the numbers of units being used by both sides with a maximum number of units only being allowed to take part. This will have to be determined a another time. I think I would like to have input on this as well, so that I get a realistic battle size that will work with most peoples CPU and hardware.
I still have alot to work out, but I am pretty sure that this can be a go.
I have also thought of a second type that would only have players on one side and would figth the battles against PCO's AI. The strategic level would be played by my 16 year old son for the enemy forces. This would provide for a much quicker game/battle turn around and yet would still be interactive for the players.
Anyhow, there is a quick overview, still lots to work out, and I am awaiting the next update to see the infantry fix for units in buildings.