F 40 Campaign

[jonnymacbrown]

And yet the on-site article on optional rules suggests NOT using this rule. J

[Krak]

Yes, large stacks are suicidal. So attacking becomes very difficult. The most bizzare affect is how hard it is to kill very small units. Try a test against units with less than 100 men and less than 10 men. They are very hard to kill with direct fire. So if you don't have the MP's remaining for an assault your advance will grind to a halt. I despise that rule. I wouldn't play a game with it again. That's my experience with it.

[jonnymacbrown]

Please clarify would you? I'm thinking the alt fire (indirect) discourages large stacks. But you are saying that the alt fire (direct) does the same thing. So you are against these rules, because the German will need large stacks to win? JM

[Krak]

For me:
Alt Direct Fire = Never
Alt Indirect Fire = Never
Alt Assault = Good for F40

IIRC Alt direct fire has similar characteristics to Alt indirect fire in casualty ratio's re big:small stacks. I am certain that Alt direct fire makes killing very small units bloody difficult, especially if they are hold up in some good defensive terrain.

I suggest you set up some tests of your own and you will soon see the differences between the various fire rules. The results will be very different. You will be left with no doubt how the game would play very differently either with or without them.

[jonnymacbrown]

I'll take your word for it. Thanks. JM

[Steel God]

John;

Personal opinions are just that, personal opinions, and do not reflect the way the games are designed and tested to be played. The on site article about optional rules is also that author's personal opinion and not the gospel on PzC play, and was actually written when S41 was released, which is why it says do not use the alternate fire resolutions. The single most important thing to remember about optional rules for the entire PzC and MC series of games is this:

click "default" and THEN ADD other optional rules. If after clicking default you uncheck ANY boxes you will be playing the game under a set of conditions other than the way it was designed and tested, and as a result the established set of victory conditions will be worthless to that particular game. Certainly still playable, and certainly still reportable on the ladder, but it will not be the game as it's designer intended you to experience it.

As one of the play testers for France 40, I can tell you we spent months playing that game without the alternate fire rules, and simply could not get combat results close to what we felt they should be, the Germans were simply too strong and too fast other wise. F40 is one of those games, like N44, that always needs to have the alternate resolutions checked if you want the VP levels to have any relevance to the way it was designed.

FWIW, there have been games that are designed for alternate fire (like T41) that have had individual scenarios designed or re-designed to use standard fire resolutions, but they are individually tested and balanced for play under those conditions.

So, remember, click default optional and then ADD others. Un-checking default rules means your mileage may vary.

[Tortue Agile]

For me:
Alt Direct Fire = Never
Alt Indirect Fire = Never
Alt Assault = Good for F40

The Alt Assault rule helps a lot especially with the early war campaigns. Otherwise without it, the infantry would be a tank killer and we don't want to see that for the F40 campaign. ;)

[jonnymacbrown]

That's for the advice. I will play Alt indirect fire in F40. JM

[jonnymacbrown]

I mean Thanks for the advice. JM

[fcarnicero]

Interesting information abot Alt firing and assaulting. I am interested in a F40 big campaign, playing as Axis if possible. Regards,