PZC System not much being said

[Dog Soldier]

Jazzman,

I think Al is referring to the entire German 6th Army surrendering, not individual battalions or companies. As I recall from Stalingrad readings, the 6th army disintegrated slowly. Some units fought on because they did not know about the surrender by Paulus. Others because it was to mean certain death to surrender anyway. The Germans by this time knew of the harsh treatment they could expect in Russian POW camps. SS units had routinely executed commissars that were captured after interrogating them. The death's head badge meant death if the soldier wearing it was captured. SS units fought on, in hopeless situations, as the war increasing went against Germany on the Eastern front because of this. One could argue that most gamers will surrender the game when the 6th Army pocket can not be relieved, thus simulating this type of surrender.

Optional surrender, esp. in Stalingrad would be a poor choice IMHO. Rodimetsev's Guards fought on in the southern rail station in small groups even after the position fell to the Germans after changing hands many times in September. This caused German units moving up to be grounded by sniper fire when still well behind the lines in October.
A handful, less than 50 men, naval infantry and Guards, held out in the Grain Elevator causing the Germans to throw elements of three divisions into the area and rotate companies assaulting the structure until the Russians were all killed or ran out of water and ammo. These types of actions are modeled by small units holding a ZOC. There are also examples of the Germans fighting beyond reason in the northern factory district after 6th army surrendered.

But this tangent I have gone out on relates to so many Stalingrad games I have seen where the city fighting took place on maps of a smaller scale than PzC in specific scenarios for those maps. HPS missed an innovation here in S42. They could have created an exit hex area(s) where the campaign map meets the edge of the city. Units moving off the campaign map here would then be deployed on a city map of a different scale. This map would be invoked by the player like a web pop-up, (a good use of ugly technology). The landing zones for the Volga ferries would work in a similar manner. Movement between maps in the exit areas would be allowed if both sides were controlled by one side. Protection zones could be used to avoid "edge of the world" gameyness. This innovation would excite the community about this title and the series.

Or do you guys disagree?

Dog Soldier

Dog Soldier