Campaigns and Playtesting

[Marquo]

Marquo got me thinking on how to have a moving victory point total over time - how is this for an idea?



Allows you to pop up a dialog at the appropriate time so that the points applicable for that date are shown.

In the Kharkov '43 example this might be after Kharkov has fallen to the Russians. You can then pop up a box at a later date showing the new range of victory points based upon whatever events you expect such as the Germans recapturing Kharkov.

Just an idea to make victory point targets more dynamic...

This is good if the points are are actually appropriately added to the tally. I tried making reinforcements units that would appear fixed in the vp hex - they could could appear and withdraw as needed but the problem was getting the appropriate values.

BTW, I also came up with the idea of posting fixed, very weak picket units well in advance of large fixed formations to act as triggers so that the formation could be release because of the rapid approach of enemy formations rather than when they closed right in for combat. This better simulates the ability to plan and react on a higher level than tactical.

"This is why we built the separate campaigns with clear, mainly singular goals. In the case of the Soviet's in Operation Star it's capture Kharkov - do that and you win. The time limit is setup so it ends on the evening of the day that happened"

I can understand this - but remember that the lesson of the battle was that Hausser defied Hilter and and abandoned Kharkov - and thus helped set the stage for Manstein's backhand blow. For FSR I choose to do the entire campaign including Star-Gallop and the Backhand Blow all the way to the recapture of Byelgorod - and in FSR, if you look at the vps, this city is worth more than the others because retaking this city was really the end of the campaign and set up Kursk.

Some people like shorter campaigns and others like longer ones. When I did FSR my ambition was to recreate the entire campaign - and it seems to work quite well. Imagine, the Axis can lose Kharkov but then retake if if they have not squandered the Wehrmacht on the frozen steppes before having enough troops to launch a devastating counter attack.

Marquo