Should Medic Units be included in JTCS?

[John Given]

Hey everyone, I'm very happy that this discussion has gone the distance. It's this kind of discussion that helps our club and our hobby grow.

Posted by Battle Kat - Today 06:54 PM Rod, They would 'pick up the wounded' via enhancing the morale of a disrupted unit, allowing it to return to duty. I think that is a neat wy to abstract it.

Also, instead of having Medics running around the map (in little kubelwagens, preferrably), an addition of say Advanced Dressing Stations and Field Dressing Stations would allow disrupted platoons to 'transfer their wounded' in a historical manner that fits the scale. A Medical Squad or Medical Platoon with their 'stretchers' would provide a similar aid as well.

I feel the idea of adding medical logistics was terrific, and it would just need a proper implementation to add to the game (scenarios) for those who would like to experiment a new dimension to JTCS.

Negative VP values if implemented need to be considered carefully. I feel they should have a negative value. And if someone blocks an exit hex with layers of Field Dressing Stations well I won't be playing him again. Helmet Wink

All in all, a very simple abstraction.

Battle Kat essentially summed up what I was try to say. I agree with this post completely - thank you.

Posted by K K Rossokolski - Today 07:15 PMI was initially strongly opposed to this idea, but if properly thought through, and given acceptable realism, it could be of value.

we most certainly do need to think it through Rod. My apologies if I ever came across as proposing something radical or reckless.

K K Rossokolski Wrote: But I am yet to be convinced that they can actually do anything. How does the CS medic pick out the wounded from the CS platoon? How does the dustoff helo know who to load?

Rod, YOU decide WHAT unit to load into WHICH vehicle, as always. Nothing has changed except for a pretty red cross drown on the sides of the unit. To load a disrupted unit into an ambulance or any other conveyance, you do the same thing as if loading a regular truck. Of course, since the proverbial 'patient' is disrupted, it will be harder to load, maybe even requiring 100 movement points. But the game mechanic is unchanged. With the exception of (possible) negative point values, an ambulance is really no different than a truck - it's a game engine limitation. However, I mentioned in a prior post that these medical vehicles should be flagged to carry infantry class units only (for realism's sake).

K K Rossokolski Wrote: How does the CS medic pick out the wounded from the CS platoon?

He will simply boost the morale (but not the command rating) of the disrupted units he's stacked with. It is important to note that where that medic unit sits in that scenario's ORG file determines what units he is 'attached' to - his 'rank' if you will - just like with any other unit. It's no different than putting a regular officer into an oob when you design a scenario - his location in the oob 'tree' determines who's stats he can adjust.

Until then, what's stopping us from taking an officer from the OOB editor when creating a new scenario, give him the name 'Medic' and stick him into a scenario org file? His game function will be very similar to an actual medic, only he'll have a command rating and a positive point value (which I do not want for medics).

So to put this in perspective; what the medic nay-sayers are basically saying is; an 'officer' with no command rating, a neg. point value, and a different graphic would be bad for the game.

Okay. I don't believe that this could possibly be, in any way, a negative for our hobby, but there it is. I respect the votes and the opinions of the club members though.