Campaign System

[Vulture]

In the campaign that you run and I was one of the players, I asked if there was any way help. What could a computer do in order to reduce the work load?

The 20 player CMBO campaign was pretty easy to administer, as I had very few problems with the players. The most time consuming element was having to set up the 10 QBs.

If the rules were put into a small programme which then automated and adjudicated the map movement, and detailed the units involved and the forces available, sure that would have helped :)

Cheers

Vulture

[Easymeat]

Vulture

What do you think of these programs? This is the main reason I started this thread. Not just about rules but how to take the workload off the managers of the tourney/campaign.

Programs:

Database: record of all units and templates.
OOB Editor: will also add routines to adjust groups of units parameters
Data out of CM: already done
Data into CM
Stop a battle to add reinforcements, restart the battle. 2km by 2km max battlefield size. Could be larger than 2km by 2km but would involve a lot of hassle.
Bookkeeping: probably will be the most time consuming but well worth the effort.

Operational addon to CM is separate from the above.

A tourney and a campaign are two different ways of playing CM.

A tourney/campaign can be run without these programs, many have over the years, and many more will be.

[Mad Russian]

Op CM is both a simple system and a more involved one.

It is a simple system in that the main features are:

* All movement takes place on the operational map. This map has limited intelligence on enemy units.

* It is intended to be played in team contests. Wherever the team comes from is responsible for the upkeep of the games and active players. NOT THE CAMPAIGN ADMIN.

* Battles are designed to be completed in one month. It doesn't matter to the admin who plays the battles. The teams are responsible for making sure that the battles get finished. At the end of 30 days the battle will be ended by the Admin if it has not come to a finish or run out of turns.

* Players are not required to stay for any length of time. Real life commitments can and will arise. Not a problem. The system doesn't care if you have 1 or 10 gamers or if they change from week to week. There is a system in place where the gamers will get random selection to battles. So that the same player doesn't always get to fight with the tanks and the others are stuck with infantry fights.

* All games are 20 PBEM turns long fixed. All maps are 2km x 2km and are specific to the operational map location.

* The battles are done in real time. This means that there will be no structured rounds for the campaign. Nobody is waiting on anybody else for anything. As a battle is finished the side that started the battle has the ability to start another. There are a set number of battles that each side can initiate. This fluxuates according to historical time period.

* There are set movement and time requirements for movement for all types of units and terrain on the operational map. Units don't become available for combat until they are adjacent to an enemy occupied location. With the obvious exceptions of aircraft and artillery which have an engagement range as well as a movement range.

The more complicated part of Op CM is:

* Battalion sized OOB's are going to be kept for a large number of units. All manner of units are modeled. That includes aircraft, artillery, cavalry, mechanized, infantry...everything. This is where the details are all found. These will be as historically accurate as we can make them.

* There is book keeping on the operational map. This is where the limited intelligence comes in. Recon units are expected to, oh I don't know, recon! The information that this gained by both combat and your recon units puts information on your operational battle map.

* The Admin sets up each battle according to the parameters given him by the commander(s) of each side. Which units will participate. How much participation, will it be the entire Bn or just one company of it. Will reinforcements come into the battle for the defender? How much artillery will be used in offense and defense? Is this a prepared defensive position with mines, wire and trenches?

As you can see, I intend for the Administrators to do nothing, but, well administrate. All of the record keeping is on them. All of the actual running of the teams is up to the teams themselves. There is no special training required to run a team. You look at the map: decide where you want to fight, when you want to fight, what you want to fight with and who is going to do the fighting for you.

Where we can use computer programs to help with any of this process would be great!!

That is Op CM in a nutshell.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Vulture]

Op CM is both a simple system and a more involved one.

It is a simple system in that the main features are:

* All movement takes place on the operational map. This map has limited intelligence on enemy units.

* It is intended to be played in team contests. Wherever the team comes from is responsible for the upkeep of the games and active players. NOT THE CAMPAIGN ADMIN.

* Battles are designed to be completed in one month. It doesn't matter to the admin who plays the battles. The teams are responsible for making sure that the battles get finished. At the end of 30 days the battle will be ended by the Admin if it has not come to a finish or run out of turns.

* Players are not required to stay for any length of time. Real life commitments can and will arise. Not a problem. The system doesn't care if you have 1 or 10 gamers or if they change from week to week. There is a system in place where the gamers will get random selection to battles. So that the same player doesn't always get to fight with the tanks and the others are stuck with infantry fights.

* All games are 20 PBEM turns long fixed. All maps are 2km x 2km and are specific to the operational map location.

* The battles are done in real time. This means that there will be no structured rounds for the campaign. Nobody is waiting on anybody else for anything. As a battle is finished the side that started the battle has the ability to start another. There are a set number of battles that each side can initiate. This fluxuates according to historical time period.

* There are set movement and time requirements for movement for all types of units and terrain on the operational map. Units don't become available for combat until they are adjacent to an enemy occupied location. With the obvious exceptions of aircraft and artillery which have an engagement range as well as a movement range.

The more complicated part of Op CM is:

* Battalion sized OOB's are going to be kept for a large number of units. All manner of units are modeled. That includes aircraft, artillery, cavalry, mechanized, infantry...everything. This is where the details are all found. These will be as historically accurate as we can make them.

* There is book keeping on the operational map. This is where the limited intelligence comes in. Recon units are expected to, oh I don't know, recon! The information that this gained by both combat and your recon units puts information on your operational battle map.

* The Admin sets up each battle according to the parameters given him by the commander(s) of each side. Which units will participate. How much participation, will it be the entire Bn or just one company of it. Will reinforcements come into the battle for the defender? How much artillery will be used in offense and defense? Is this a prepared defensive position with mines, wire and trenches?

As you can see, I intend for the Administrators to do nothing, but, well administrate. All of the record keeping is on them. All of the actual running of the teams is up to the teams themselves. There is no special training required to run a team. You look at the map: decide where you want to fight, when you want to fight, what you want to fight with and who is going to do the fighting for you.

Where we can use computer programs to help with any of this process would be great!!

That is Op CM in a nutshell.

Good Hunting.

MR

MR

Sounds like a workable system, although IMHO there are not that many players who can complete a game in 30 days. The success for failure of the system in practice I suggest will rest on the number of players and their level of dedication. If you have too many people involved it will fail I fear.

Good luck

Vulture

[Mad Russian]

MR

Sounds like a workable system, although IMHO there are not that many players who can complete a game in 30 days. The success for failure of the system in practice I suggest will rest on the number of players and their level of dedication. If you have too many people involved it will fail I fear.

Good luck

Vulture

20 turns in 30 days is a single file sent by each player everyday. That is the standard return rate for PBEM's. Weekends can be used to catch up if need be.

Most of us would finish a 20 turn PBEM in 30 days or less.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Easymeat]

Tried a few ideas on the Stop a battle and add reinforcements program, used dummy data, it worked. The user has to align the map manually but this will eventually be done by the computer (only takes a minute but if the computer can do it). This program will be useful when the database is done.

So, we can get data into and out of CM. stop a battle and add reinforcements. This is useful in conjuction with the operational map. Units could be sent to a battle and then join the battle in CM.

All that needs to be done are database, oob editor and bookkeeping programs. Or anything else that may be a useful addition to CM.

[Mad Russian]

Tried a few ideas on the Stop a battle and add reinforcements program, used dummy data, it worked. The user has to align the map manually but this will eventually be done by the computer (only takes a minute but if the computer can do it). This program will be useful when the database is done.

So, we can get data into and out of CM. stop a battle and add reinforcements. This is useful in conjuction with the operational map. Units could be sent to a battle and then join the battle in CM.

All that needs to be done are database, oob editor and bookkeeping programs. Or anything else that may be a useful addition to CM.

Can a battle be continued?

Can we take a battle that has ended and reset the entire battle with units still in place and add reinforcements to it at that point?

Good Hunting.

MR

[Easymeat]

At any point in the battle. The only thing that cannot be done at the moment are vehicles that have been immobilized.