JWE
Posts: 6580
Joined: 7/19/2005 Status: offline
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Many pm's asking just what is Babes Medium about. Well,, thanks to MO (bless you bro), Babes Medium is looking very much like DaBigBabes. So much so, that Babes Med will become DBB. No intermediate, Babes Lite for the stock alternative, and DaBabes for the brutes. Well .. for all the Qs, here's the best answer I got: Support - way cut. Idea is to force periodic withdrawal of units to rear area bases for I&I, slowing tempo and further straining shipping resources. AvSup - way cut. Defined in Kut/Bn/Kok/Wing/Group sized units (depending on nationality). Same idea, require stacking of AvSup units to support major airfields, thereby reducing the number of forward deployed major operational air bases. NavSup - way cut. Replaced by Bn sized units. Number of units with sufficient NavSup to promote efficient repair/rearm substantially reduced, Number of units with sufficient NavSup to assist in loading/unloading substantially increased. Same idea, require stacking of NavSup units to support major naval bases, thereby reducing the number of forward deployed major naval operating bases. Sufficient numbers of actual, deployable, Naval Base Forces with significant NavSup capability have been provided. Base Forces – way cut. Replaced by their actual, component, Bn sized units. Many BFs remain, but are either permanent/restricted to their location, or are stripped to their skeleton components and require fleshing out with their assigned operational Bns. Actually gives Japan a skoosh more flexibility than stock, but puts limits on the number of large BFs that can be created. AI Cheats – way cut. All hidden Sup/AvSup/NavSup AI assistance device slots have been removed from all inappropriate LCUs wherever found. Engineers – way modified. Engineer units are defined in terms of categories: some may Build, help reduce Forts, add to Assault Value; others may Build, no Fort, yes AV; others may Build, No Fort, no AV. The latter category is similar to 251 Engineers, but may have significantly higher (or lower) load cost (troop count). Thus Japan may have a Naval Construction Bn with 1000 troops (for transport and base population purposes), but with a relatively puny Build value (and no AV and no Fort capability). LCUs – modified. Extraneous and irrelevant devices that artificially impact load cost have been removed. Adjustments made to combat-type devices (Device files and TO&E definitions) to ensure appropriate, relative, AV and firepower values. Unit placement within the OOB listing has been redone in order to better conform to the game engine’s priority selection rules for ground combat phasing. Other unit placement within the OOB listing has been redone in order to group certain types of units together, such that they may be easily found and edited in response to playability concerns. Ships/Classes – woof. Everything from Harald Velemans, to Don’s Downfall. Includes a modification of the Airgroup file to add the USMC CAS CAGs on the Commencement Bays, the a/g on Midway, Roosevelt, and such like. Has everything from the CW that was definitively identifiable as “nominated for Eastern service”. So – that’s DaBabes in a nutshell. Think ya’ll can see why (although it will now nominally function with the stock AI) the scenario is more adapted to PBEM (or H2H, or CPX) play. This is the kind of scenario that would frustrate and discourage your basic wargamer; this is a scenario where prior planning and logistics is paramount. We have tried our best to do the right things in the right way and make it as historical as possible. I hope ya’ll will accept some of the abstractions that are necessary, given the engine, and think more of the “feel” that this scenario provides. Thank you, John and (if I may speak for him in this) Don.
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