Hoplosternum
Posts: 690
Joined: 6/12/2002
From: Romford, England
Status: offline
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Game Idea
I have played a few WitP email games and participated in some team WitP games. I have always liked the idea of a team game where you get the esprit de corps of working as a team. The idea of strategy discussions, coordinating attacks, celebrating victories and softening defeats appeals. But it so often does not work out quite that way, especially after the first few turns. Often everyone has there own little empire and plays their own little game, but with only one third or one half of the assets. Plus there is the inevitable down time as one of the 4/6/8 of you vanishes for a few days or does not realise its their turn and the game gets slower and slower.
There is often no real difference in the game play of a team game compared to one v one usually. There is no overall commander or tension between the services. Any attempt at adding such realism tends to hinder your team compared to the other. Why introduce something that hinders your side?
So I want to try and run a team PBEM game which is different. It will have a different structure to most team games. There will be an overall commander who will input the orders for both sides (me). The orders for the units and the overall strategy of their side will be decided by the individual members of the two teams (you).
The individual members of the two sides won’t input your orders directly. Instead you will email them to me. Each one of you will have certain Task Forces and Air Groups that you are responsible for, but these can be in different areas so that you will need to cooperate and coordinate with your fellow commanders to be successful.
Working as a team the Commanders of each side will decide the overall strategy for your side. Once these have been agreed by the team it will be up to the individual commanders to carrying them out.
If there are enough people interested we can have two teams. But I hope each team will be fairly large. Otherwise each Commander will have too many units and so will be able to do too much on his own. So if we don’t get enough players then we can have just one team. The Japanese. And get one person to run the opposition to avoid the team having to play the AI.
While the game will be competitive the idea is to have fun. We don’t want any power gaming. There certainly won’t be from me and I will be responsible for certain areas of the game. There should be some friendly rivalry within the teams to get the most success and glory for your side as well as to beat the opposition. I will as far as possible record and publish the kills and successes, failures and defeats of individual Commanders and their units.
The Players
Your role will be as one of many individual Commanders (hopefully enough for both sides). The Commanders will control all the major fighting assets (LCUs, squadrons and warships). These commanders will also decide the overall strategy (via a thread for each side on the site) as a committee. But the individual commanders will retain control of their own assets.
The Strategic Command of both sides will be me. I will input all orders (or default orders for those that don’t return any) as faithfully as possible. I will also run the following areas – the Strategic Reserve (currently unallocated forces), reinforcements, replacements, builds and supplies. These will be released to the Commanders as required and requested. Forces won’t fight (except for Naval Search, ASW and CAP) while under my command. Plus any back areas that no one else is (Japan, Korea, West Coast etc.) and possibly ASW (at least close convoy escorts). Should any of these areas become ‘hot’ they will be handed over to the Commanders.
The Strategic Command will enforce any house rules (there will be some!) but otherwise not directly influence the course of the war. Or the strategy or tactics (obviously as I will know both sides) used by either side.
Advantages of this structure
Hopefully this structure will allow the game to progress fairly quickly.
It will also enable people to leave and join the game easily without much disruption.
It will enable and enforce genuine cooperation between the members of the team, as they will need the help of the other Commanders to succeed in all but the smallest operations.
We will also be able to create a division between the Commanders and the strategic command. The commanders will have to negotiate to receive the reinforcements, replacements and supplies they want.
Turn Mechanics
I will input all Japanese and then Allied orders that have reached me by a certain date and time. Then run the turn and send to everyone a copy of the turn & combat replay and the various text files. I will set the next deadline and both sides will then send in the next turn. So both sides can be working on their turns at the same time. All orders will need to be by email, i.e. written not input in to a game turn.
If enough Commanders from either side agree they can call a time out to pause the game while a particular strategy is discussed. I will let everyone know that the deadline has been reset and when the new one is.
Who controls what?
I will split the Japanese air forces in to separate (but unhistorical – this is for game play purposes) Hiko Dans and Kido Sentais. Each commander will control one or more of these. These are a mixture of all plane types in an area for the army (Hiko Dans) or navy (Kido Sentais).
On the allied side the split will be in to Fighter Groups, Bombardment Groups (bombers and recon), Transport Fleets and Patrol Groups. Usually these will contain only one nationality, but there can be some joint commands.
These groups can move around from theatre to theatre. The idea will be that certain groups are allocated to certain operations or areas but all units in that group should operate from the same base or group of bases. Initially they will only contain a few Squadrons/Daitai each.
I will split the major surface warships (CVs, BBs, CAs, CLs, CSs and AVs) into various divisions and task groups. These will be split amongst the Commanders. Except under exceptional circumstances divisions / task groups commanded by different Commanders cannot join the same Task force. But they may be in the same hex. Destroyers and other escorts will be divided between them on and ad hoc basis (so Strategic Command ‘owns’ these but they will be added to the Commanders TFs). Each commander will also have a flotilla of Submarines under his command.
For warships the Japanese warship divisions will usually be of one type of ship that operates together – e.g. a Cruiser Division or a Carrier Division. The allied forces will be divided into task groups that may include different types of major warships. But usually each task group will be small enough to operate a single Task Force.
Each commander will have some of the main LCUs (SNLF, NLF, Divisions, Regiments and Brigades etc.) and be responsible for them. Strategic Command will control most of the support units and it will be up to the commanders to agree where they go.
The commanders will need to request supply and transport forces (which Strategic Command will control but put under a Commanders orders while invading). I will organise some supply hubs in safer areas but it will be up to the Commanders to request when and where they need the supplies and fuel.
There will be default orders (which can be changed if the Commanders don't like them) regarding CAPs, ship moves and speeds etc. for when a Commander has either missed the deadline or given no orders for particular units.
There won’t be any transfer of authority of giving orders, as this would defeat the main object of the game (except via me for known absences etc.) So if three commanders are involved invading Midway they cannot decide that one will do all the orders.
I won't deliberately miss order. But there is of course a chance of misunderstanding and uncoordinated actions between the different commanders or with me.
House Rules / Game Ethos
The following are all up for discussion of course.
The main house rules should be (until '44) no more than 4 Japanese (or 3 Allied) CVs in a single none port Hex (each CVE and CVL count as half a CV). So KB must split straight after the Pearl Harbour attack so that it follows these rules. Hopefully this will encourage Coral Sea and Midway style fights and Guadalcanal style campaigns.
I think there should be a limit to the number of planes that can fly a single mission type from a single base. Something like no more than 100 2E, 50 4E or 100 Fighters are allowed on any individual mission (CAP, Naval attack, Airfield attack etc.) from one land base.
Standard anti gaminess rules will also be in such as limits on the number of PT boats, no Sub invasions or tiny landings designed to block retreats, no scouting AKs etc.
Although the Commanders will decide the strategies there will be certain limits. The Strategic Command will block certain extreme strategies. Strategies such as Fortress Singapore or an attempt at an early knock out of China and/or Russia won’t be allowed. There is nothing wrong with these strategies but they are far better done in a one v one game as they focus the game far too much in one area only. They also exploit the divided nature of the opposition and hence will be far more effective in a team game than they would be in a one v one.
Whether we use stock or a mod player defined upgrades will be on. Neither side will give new orders for the first turn except for KB and IJN submarines. So there will be no extra invasions that are not planned and executed by the teams.
Sign Up
Hopefully many of you will be interested in taking part. The individual Commanders duties should not very onerous. Just sending in orders every two or three days and taking part on the game thread. You don't even have to watch the combat replay or open the game turn I send you - although your orders may improve if you do!
Over time Commanders can come and go (but not swap sides!). And new ones can come in as replacements or we will scrape together some forces for them to control from somewhere.
So if you are interested please sign up on this thread in the Opponents wanted section:
http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=1595380&mpage=1&key=�
Please let me know what you think of the idea and any recommendations you have to improve it or simply make it work. And please ask any questions you don't think are covered.
Cheers.
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Printable Version
Big Team WitP - 
One of my opponents was using an email account of Susan for years 
Once I have my spreadsheets and various game aids set up they won’t take that much maintenance. 
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