The Competition & Teaser Thread

[Compass Rose]

The thread is on fire

[GerryM]

Looks like you have put out the fire!?

[keif149]

If someone changes morale for some units I assume that means they cannot play PBEM as the other person's config would be different? I hope it is that way at least.

You guys have sparked my interest and are pulling me back in for a purchase. Has anyone answered Gerry's question or did I miss it.

Many thanks in advance.

[Aaron]

If someone changes morale for some units I assume that means they cannot play PBEM as the other person's config would be different? I hope it is that way at least.

You guys have sparked my interest and are pulling me back in for a purchase. Has anyone answered Gerry's question or did I miss it.

Many thanks in advance.

I believe if one side has morale changes and the other dosent the game still runs but each side will have different morale levels in there phase of the turn.

I have always adjusted values and such during a game while testing and if your partner forgets to update he still plays with the old values on his turns while you play with the new ones on yours.

[Strela]

Now we need see pics with germany infantry regiments to keep calm

Mike Avanzini has started to weave his magic and create some visual orders of battle. These will be 'example' formations. We expect we will include a PDF with the game that will have these available for the players reference.

Here are some examples of the support elements for Leibstandarte PzGr Division. All formations are shown at full TOE, there are very few if any scenarios that will have these full strength.

Please note these are very draft, but thought you might like to see them.







David

[Compass Rose]

Hope we do see those images in a player's reference PDF.

They look too good to pass up; super, super nice!

[GerryM]

Not sure I understand this correctly. It seems that you could be playing a PBEM and your opponent could tweak some property and you wouldn't know about it? It wouldn't make sense that a game would allow this.

Gerry

If someone changes morale for some units I assume that means they cannot play PBEM as the other person's config would be different? I hope it is that way at least.

You guys have sparked my interest and are pulling me back in for a purchase. Has anyone answered Gerry's question or did I miss it.

Many thanks in advance.

I believe if one side has morale changes and the other dosent the game still runs but each side will have different morale levels in there phase of the turn.

I have always adjusted values and such during a game while testing and if your partner forgets to update he still plays with the old values on his turns while you play with the new ones on yours.

[76mm]

As for those in Stalingrad, what choice did they have? Fight the Germans or be shot by the NKVD?

So the Russians only fought in Stalingrad because of NKVD machine guns at their backs? I guess we'll have to disagree on that one. And as far as I know most of the "blocking detachments" in Stalingrad (other than the ones guarding the ferry landings) ended up being used as front line troops, and yet the defenders didn't surrender to the Germans.

I wouldn't have any problem with a conclusion that generally German units were better than Sov units, and the more so the earlier in the war. But I have to disagree with the justifications used (to paraphrase: "A German general said so, so it must be true...") and particular conclusions reached (the Russian army was composed of indistinguishable, thoughtless automatons). David, what sort of evidence would it take to revise Sov moral ratings? Several books by Sov generals and some accounts from some Sov soldiers, as have been cited for the Germans?

I guess it is amusing that the Sovs actually considered the Germans to be thoughtless automatons--for instance firing their artillery barrages at the same time day after day, or following other routines which make no sense in the middle of the war.

[ComradeP]

76mm, Stalingrad or any other sieges of major cities that were encircled or could not be given up according to high command for that matter are an exceptional case.

Normally, the majority of the troops will fight for self-preservation, which means they'll retreat as soon as they feel they're in serious danger. The lower the leadership quality, the earlier they retreat.

When encircled, that option isn't there. To paraphrase Sun Tzu: if you don't leave a route of retreat open, the enemy might very well fight to the death. Self-preservation suddenly means holding on tenaciously and hoping you'll be rescued/allowed to leave the city. The nature of urban combat also removes most of the advantages of training and leadership. It's always going to be chaotic and messy. Squad and platoon leaders become far more important than higher level leaders.

Encirclement battles tend to defy logic far more than regular military operations: men that are basically doomed will still often fight until the end instead of surrendering. The quality of the troops involved matters less than in the open. If all you're tasked with is defending an apartment building, it doesn't really matter if your battalion commander is a clueless idiot, or if his counterpart on the German side is a military genius.

In both world wars, the Germans fared poorly in attritional battles because their opponents could always throw more men in. Soviet forces in Stalingrad were being bled at alarming rates, but there were always more and Stavka carefully inserted just enough men to keep the Germans from capturing the city, it was a calculated gamble and it worked.

-

David, a question about merging units: can support units only combine within their company or also within their battalion? In Moscow '42, infantry units could combine up to battalion level but the Panzers could combine into a full regiment for some reason, provided the units used the same tank type.

[Richie61]

Not sure I understand this correctly. It seems that you could be playing a PBEM and your opponent could tweak some property and you wouldn't know about it? It wouldn't make sense that a game would allow this.

Gerry

I too see this as a huge concern to PBEM gaming. I am very surprised that others haven't been concerned over this since this came out.

I have always adjusted values and such during a game while testing and if your partner forgets to update he still plays with the old values on his turns while you play with the new ones on yours.