Paratroop question

matxer · 06-12-2007, 12:32 AM,

I'm designing a scenario: Russia, in july 1991.

I wonder how to create paratroops who would be parachuted from planes during the course of the scenario, when the players decides so, typically using the bombardment menu.
I only found paratroops that can be deployed with their planes or helicopters at the beginning of the scenario.

Grumbler · 06-12-2007, 02:30 AM,

Interesting. Have you tried making them reinforcements?
In a normal game, you can delay the para drop by adjusting the drop site every turn. I'm sure tat would work, but I'm not sure everyone knows you can delay the para drop that way. Blitz members would, since it has been discussed many times, but The non-blitzer prolly wouldn't.

wulfir · 06-12-2007, 02:41 AM,

Grumbler is right. Let the player set the dropzones himself. Make units reinforcements if you don't want the player to deploy all paratroopers at once.

Put an explanation of how to conduct paradrops in the breifing text.

Greybeard · 06-12-2007, 03:05 AM,

Hello Matxer,

IIRC, para's can only be loaded into their aircraft during the deployment phase, or when the scenario is created. If they are set as reinforcements, you have to make sure not only the aircraft are set as r-troops, but all the passengers also.

Once para's are set as r-troops, they will arrive on the approximate assigned turn, and attempt to drop into the assigned LZ. The player will not be able to adjust the location of the LZ, or the turn on which the para's arrive.

If you include the para's as part of the original deployment, you can adjust the turn that they are set to arrive on the bombardment/para menu. Like artillery, the para's LZ location and time can be adjusted further once the game starts...

but I don't think the drop can be cancelled, then re-assigned.. it needs to be adjusted otherwise the para's won't come. You might wish to experiment a little to verify this - I could be wrong.

-Greybeard

retired from gaming · 06-12-2007, 03:27 AM,

I dont know how it is done from designer's point of view, but I am 100% sure you can make a scenario with paras, where player decides when and where they land (see MBT scenario called Advance on Kabul). And they are not reinforces.
Hope that helps.

Weasel · 06-12-2007, 03:27 AM,

I had paras in my first game of Great Hunting. I plotted them for a delayed drop of turn 5 during setup, but during play I noticed that the drop zone sucked so I just deleted and replotted them, worked fine for me. I had them come in on turn 10 instead to allow me time.

Montana_Prussian · 06-12-2007, 12:30 PM,

matxer · 06-12-2007, 11:01 PM,

Ok, thx all. Thus, paratroops in planes are not handy as reserve. It's probably realistic !

Now if I mount my reserve paratroops in helicopters, and I want them to arrive as reinforcements (to simulate reserves which are not supposed to attack immediately, else these are no reserve), then (sorry this sentence is long, my English is clumsy), do I have to set the mounted paratroops in the helicopters as reinforcements too ? Or are they considered as reinforcements automatically because they are mounted in reinforcement troop transports ?

Weasel · 06-13-2007, 02:40 AM,

When I was building my Red Army tournament I noticed that they would stay in the helos as long as a human controlled them. But if you were playing the AI the dumb computer would unload everyone, silly.

So yes, you must deploy them in the scenario setup as loaded, and enter their reinforcement hex while in the helo. So the helo has a reinforcement hex and turn showing if you browse it in the unit list. The paras will be listed as passengers only.

You are correct, delaying drops etc is not realistic. In the GH tourny I only did it because there were no rules saying otherwise. Thus no foul, no harm done.

Weasel · 06-13-2007, 02:42 AM,

Montana_Prussian Wrote:
Weasel Wrote:I had paras in my first game of Great Hunting. I plotted them for a delayed drop of turn 5 during setup, but during play I noticed that the drop zone sucked so I just deleted and replotted them, worked fine for me. I had them come in on turn 10 instead to allow me time.

Yes,I remember those Paras well!:angry:

They didn't do much, really nothing at all. It was my M18s and FSSF that caused you the headaches. SWEET!

My M18s are showing their speed worth once again in round 2. Shoot and scoot. Have bagged a 2 stugs, 6HTs, 2 Pumas, and some Italian stuff for the loss of 3 or 4 M18s (and two of those are to air/bombardment).