Matrix Games Forums

I posted this on the FPC: RS discussion page of Steam, but as FPC isn't to be updated, it might be a suggestion for Southern Storm.

In a campaign it would be nice to have the option to fight a campaign game with limited planning time.
What I mean to say is, that after hitting the "start" button, there is only limited time to analyse the map and VP's, have a look at the enemy force indication and plan your first set of orders for your own forces. A timer starts to run down. After say 30 minutes, the game will start, you being ready or not (you could start earlier of course).
This would simulate the pressure of time and give you an extra dimension of battle planning as real commanders would experience it. Between turns, your command phase is again limited in time (10' maybe). Of course, this is optional and you could play the game with time pressure, planning as long as you want.
Before hitting the "start" button, you can study the map as long as you want, but without units on it, deployment zones and VP locations. You would have an idea of the lay of the land, but nothing more.

I think this would fit nicely with the OODA loop of command and control which makes this series so unique.

Thanks for posting over here. Seems like an interesting idea. [8D]

I like this idea. Wargames need more human elements included.

Part of my post from steam: You can do what you want manually with a timer app or stopwatch. We do a 5-minute timer for each command cycle for the Staff Exercises we do at Origins every year to add that time pressure and planning aspect. It's an idea the team can look at post-release for a future feature.

On the other hand, a game like this puts a single player into the position of scores or hundreds of officers simultaneously working to make plans and execute them.

There are a lot of variables here. Do both sides (NATO/Warsaw Pact) have the same quality of staff to make plans? Is communication between HQs the same on both sides? Does a defender get as much time as an attacker to plan ahead? etc etc.

That are some good points. Otherwise the game would also have to end if the player character is taken out or make you loose control for the remaining time of the Scenario.

My general suggestion is more that there is at the moment no time restraint for players while in real life there certainly is.
Last month we played FPC-RS with officers of the Netherlands Army at their simcentre and added a limited amount of time for planning. As NATO has more opportunities for planning because of the OODA loop than WP, giving each side every time 10' for planning (after an initial '30) we created pressure and thus human mistakes and misjudgement. It really added to the experience.

As I noted above, we use a timer for orders inputs when we use the game for Staff Exercises at the Origins game fair each year. Part of that is to give the players there that sense of time pressure and to force players as staff to focus on their jobs, communicate effectively with each other in their roles, and understand the need for courses of action and planning. We think that is a strong point for our game system and its tools. We are adding even more tools for the Professional customer with the Modern Pro version of the game engine. Control of the OODA loop and understanding its impact on the battlefield is critical for effective fighting on the battlefield.