Raw meat and computers...

[Larry Reese]

Okay guys, I've fixed my computer (almost) and should be back in action over the next few days (I can't play ten plus games straight and keep my marriage alive). Thanks for being patient.

Now, the meat to toss into the dog pile:

I would really like to see some changes to the CS gaming system. They are listed below. Discuss.

1. I think engineers should NOT be able to deploy smoke (or only selected high-value engineers). I have found allowing infantry to do this (as opposed to artillery) on the scale of this game and in view of the tactics in use at the time, to be totally unwarranted. I think it is ridiculous that a 40 man platoon is assumed to carry enough smoke grenades to cover a 250-300 meter linear with smoke for two hours or more. It's also unbalancing from a tactical / simulation prospective. I've come to this conclusion after extensive historical study including the experiences of my grandfather (who was combat engineer and reported MIA during the Bulge). I think the system would be better without this.

2. Disrupted units should not be able to spot. They are under heavy fire or otherwise pinned / broken to the extent that they cannot report what they are witnessing (other than adjacent hexes). From a mechanics standpoint I think this should be easy to accomplish if a way can be found to easily apply the "truck" spotting rules to disrupted units.

3. While I'd like to see a wholesale revamp of the indirect fire rules in CS, in the short term I believe a form of "persistant" artillery fire should be available. The particulars could be worked out in detail later, but maybe something like tube artillery over a certain size (or with a certain rate of fire) should have the option of firing regularly at full strength or 1/2ing or 3/4ing their fire value and firing persistantly. Persistantly would be artillery barrage that continues to fall in the target hex (or deviated hex) for the entire turn, including the enemy's movement turn. This way actual interdiction and rolling barrages are possible. Enemy units would have to move into the barrage to pass through it, and one's own artillery if poorly timed or deviated could become a hazard to one's own movement. When the unit is plotted a dialog box could open with persistent and regular fire radio buttons.

Or, every other tube artillery fired into a given hex could automatically be considered to be persistent. Though I like the process outlined above, this might be easier to implement from a mechanics perspective.

Or, persistance could automatically take over once a certain number of rounds have been fired into the same target hex. For example, the after the first X 82mm (or smaller rounds) or Y 82mm (or above rounds) all subsequent artillery fire into that hex becomes persistant automatically.

Anyway, lots of different options. Feel free to rip them up, but I really feel these would add a lot of playability/realism to the game.

EDIT: Or even give engineers a single smoke they can use (like the single bridges they can build). Or more, if that is possible (say two or three times, max, per platoon).

LR