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- 9/16/2000 9:19:00 AM

Charles22

Posts: 912
Joined: 5/17/2000
From: Dallas, Texas, USA
Status: offline

I think only the most expensive tank for each country should be able to take victory hexes

. I guess that leaves the Norwegians out.

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(in reply to Wolverine)

Post #: 31

- 9/16/2000 10:47:00 AM

Reg

Posts: 2787
Joined: 5/26/2000
From: NSW, Australia
Status: offline

quote:

Originally posted by Bonzo: The thing is that passing a tank over a hex, and continuing merrily on your way is not taking and holding ground, it's a reconnaissance. You are holding nothing. To really hold ground, you have to have people on it or observing it and able to intervene. Now I can live with snipers not taking V-hexs, but let's deal with the whole issue at one sitting. If we take the viewpoint that snipers cannot take v-hexes due to limited combat power, we need to treat all other similar units the same. Unarmed units (meaning all units CURRENTLY without offensive weapons) and units armed solely with self defence weapons CANNOT take V-hexs if snipers cannot. An unarmed tank can no more hold ground than a taxi. It would be silly to say that a sniper has less ability to hold ground or indicates a "greater interest in the ground by the enemy" than a jeep or a bren carrier with a jammed MG. I think that depleted squads should be able to take & hold ground (ala Porkchop Hill). But really, is this that big of a problem? Does the code need to be rewritten or do we just have to mind our security & set a sqad or 2 of 2nd line troops & an AT team in the gemeral area? Hey, it's just a game Bonzo

I'm a very agreeable chap. I agree with Matrix's change to prevent snipers from grabbing v-hexes. (I was just trying to help back up the decision as there seemed to be some lack of understanding why it was made). I agree that depleted units should be able claim objectives. I agree that unarmed units should be able claim objectives. I agree that 2 man recon/FO units should be able claim objectives. (To change this would seriously affect the game and not for the better). However, I cannot agree with the statement

quote:

..... If we take the viewpoint that snipers cannot take v-hexes due to limited combat power, ....

as that is not what I said at all. As someone so delightfully put it earlier, their grandmother could take a v-hex if it were undefended (which I agree with). The issue is what will the enemy think of grandma claiming that bit of dirt and what are they going to do about it!! If the enemy sees (or is informed) that there are soldiers in the wrong uniform sitting on that hill he was sworn to protect, he will be obligated to do something about it (in game terms by the loss of victory points). There may only be a recon unit/beatup tank/depleted squad/unarmed jeep BUT it indicates that there are hostile troops in the vicinity. Just how many hostile troops, a real commander could never be sure and the size of his reaction would depend on his judgement but react he will. A sniper on the other hand is a loner and can reasonably be EXPECTED to be operating on their own. A single man, no matter how good a shot, would not be permitted to interfere with an operation (unless he was in the way). This whole issue revolves around perceptions and how they affect decisions, not about firepower. V-hexes are just a mechanism to encourage you to make those decisions in a historical manner. Walk in someone else's shoes (preferably from 50 years ago) and enjoy the view, Reg [This message has been edited by Reg (edited September 15, 2000).]

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Cheers,
Reg.

(One day I will learn to spell - or check before posting....)
Uh oh, Firefox has a spell checker!! What excuse can I use now!!!

(in reply to Wolverine)

Post #: 32

- 9/16/2000 12:11:00 PM

Bonzo

Posts: 676
Joined: 9/3/2000
From: Peace River, AB, Canada
Status: offline

Again, my opinions only & comments are not intended to insult. Sniper units are not hostile troops? Villagers spot every member of a unit & can tell a sniper from a regular grunt? Snipers always work alone? The presence of a sniper in uniform does not indicate that there are ememy troops around? Ignore following off topic, rambling story. Snipers are highly trained, highly motivated marksmen. I know. My former boss was one (once upon a time) in the Princess Pats. He spoke about some of the "Loner Stuff" he'd done. Then went on to tell about a company level training execise he was involved in down in Florida. They had to take some small island out in a swamp away from some local US unit. His unit came in though the swamp, never saw the OP Force, Blew up their objective they slipped back out through the swamp. When asked how they had gotten past the security detail, they said "through the swamp." "WHAT! There's big 'gators & poisonous snakes, quicksand. What got into your head? You could have gotten killed!" They'd never thought of it, don't have alligators back home. Ignorance is bliss. Welcome Back

Snipers seldom truly work alone. They are often part of a combat team, thus their observed presence should indicate other hostile troops in the area (Just because you only saw one guy, it doesn't mean that there aren't others that you can't see). The point I've tried to make is that there are many units that cannot hold ground that are allowed to do so in the game. Some people feel that snipers have too much freedom of movement and are to stealthy. That is balanced by they're being easier to kill, once spotted. Others feel that it is the perception created in the mind of the commander by the type of unit taking the hex. But if you don't have eyeballs looking at the hex, how do you know what is there? The time scale for this game is what? 1 turn = 2-5 minutes. How fast (real world, wartime conditions, battle ongoing in area) is a villager going to get word to brigade that there are troops worth worrying about are at Chateau Blecht? Would the Colonel then take the villager's word that "but, of course, it is only a sniper", or will he send some poor schmucks schlepping over to have a peek? If it is not a matter of combat power, but rather perception, with no intel (because you posted no secutity at this key position) what will you do when you get any report about any enemy activity near this key feature? Commando teams and partisans are also part of Version 4. Sneaky fellows. Don't even start out on their own side of the map. Might want to post some security... Bonzo ------------------ Robert (Bonzo) Lindsay, Coordinator 28th (North-west) Battalion Headquarters http://dreadnaught.home.icq.com [email]nwbattalion@icqmail.com[/email]

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Robert (Bonzo) Lindsay, Webmaster 28th (North-west) Battalion Headquarters Main http://www.nwbattalion.com E-mail

(in reply to Wolverine)

Post #: 33

- 9/16/2000 12:13:00 PM

Tank

Posts: 13
Joined: 9/16/2000
From: Brooklyn
Status: offline

Hmmm... well. Should reality be the issue here or should gameplay be the issue? In reality, I could see a sniper (supported by at least a few buddies) trying to take and hold an important area. Say a crossroads with a tall building or a farmhouse with a fine field of fire. And with a leader type, perhaps a gung-ho sarge. But just a snipe? Cut off from his C&C. All alone? No disrespect to any actual snipers, (God no!) but sometimes, in reality, you just gotta say, let the chips fall where they may. I'm out of here! I think the game rationally puts limits on the possibility of grandma or whoever taking Stalingrad whilst the tank troops are in the loo. Yes, I know, an extreme example. I have no prob with a depleted platoon sneaking around and taking a vhex. That's my bad. But a sniper crawling through my lines to take a 900 pt vhex? Naw, my patrols would have gotten his ass. And if they didn't... Well then, ANY troops of mine in the back lines INCLUDING REMF's would have him for dogmeat. But gamewise, no REMF's no cover, the vhex is good to go. No? Tank

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Post #: 34

- 9/16/2000 12:28:00 PM

Bonzo

Posts: 676
Joined: 9/3/2000
From: Peace River, AB, Canada
Status: offline

Exactly! your patrols would have got him. So let the sniper try to take it. The problem is that by denying the sniper the ability to take the hex, means that when I send a mixed recon (sniper, ATR squad & a couple of recon patrols) group hunting for a way to your V-hex (& maybe your mortars) I must use the ATR squad or a recon patrol to actually step on the hex. They're all there, had to sneak them all in, but the sniper doesn't count? Bonzo ------------------ Robert (Bonzo) Lindsay, Coordinator 28th (North-west) Battalion Headquarters http://dreadnaught.home.icq.com [email]nwbattalion@icqmail.com[/email]

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Robert (Bonzo) Lindsay, Webmaster 28th (North-west) Battalion Headquarters Main http://www.nwbattalion.com E-mail

(in reply to Wolverine)

Post #: 35

- 9/16/2000 6:02:00 PM

Fredde

Posts: 498
Joined: 6/7/2000
From: Goteborg, Sweden
Status: offline

A realistic approach is to leave security details, have your retreat way under surveillance etc etc to try to spot any possible threat. As anyone who has made military service (at least in the lower ranks) knows, most of the time boring guard duty is an often reoccuring part of military life

Without security details actually spotting the area you have no clue on what's going on at that vital point. In SPWAW, you are managing your units in detail.. so you should think about your security details as well. Any enemy unit who happens to show up can trigger a big response, like someone stated.. local population sending a message of unidentified enemy troops at point X:X. A sniper, the only man seen, can well have a whole inf company as companions hiding in the nearby forest. Is it one sniper or actually 20? If the area isn't guarded, who knows. Not the commander anyway. Key point: Letting small units (snipers, tank crews, a trucker with his colt 45, jeeps or whatever) take victory hexes forces (or better put encourages) the other party to protect his victory hexes. This is realistic. I find it more unrealistic to leave key points unguarded, at least without having to pay for it. Leave an infantry squad and you can easily deal with the pesky sniper and even easier with the lone trucker. Leave an infantry platoon and you can deal with bigger enemy units coming at you. Leave an AT gun or a tank and you can even attempt to deal with tanks coming at you. This is realism to me. [This message has been edited by Fredde (edited September 16, 2000).]

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"If infantry is the Queen of the battlefield, artillery is her backbone", Jukka L. M�kel� about the Finnish victory at Ihantala.

(in reply to Wolverine)

Post #: 36

- 9/16/2000 7:19:00 PM

Charles22

Posts: 912
Joined: 5/17/2000
From: Dallas, Texas, USA
Status: offline

I don't have a preference for either side of the sniper issue, but I must say, that having security details makes sense. If the sniper can take it, then this gives another valuable role to the recon infantry. The recon infantry, even one by itself, may be able to retake the area from the sniper, and is a very good observor to possibly spot the sniper before the objective is even taken. This adds another dimension to those campaigners out there, as it's another reason to keep a recon infantry platoon in core, and to try and get it's experience up along the way. Imagine, your recon team is stealthily set up to "invite" sniper infiltration. When he's spotted, the recon doesn't react, but will help in the attack once a HT or something is quickly whisked over to eliminate the threat. So, in this sense, the sniper's worst nightmare is being precisely where he thinks he can do the most damage. What better way to eliminate those pesky snipers, than to know precisely what areas he's very likely to be in? As well, even if recon infantry must fight the sniper on their own, because the sniper was particularly sneaky as to wait for the last turn to take the hexes, the recon is a cheaper unit, with more shots. I don't think a previously spotted sniper is likely to hold objectives (they may at least retreat him from the hexes) from two or more recon infantry squads (even the two man variety). Also, if you're playing with objecitves that only matter as to who possesses it at the end, you could have these recon infantry, and other units as well, TOTALLY involved with the warring at the front, and then later have them get back to their objective duties in still enough time to hold the area from last turn cheapshots. My main point is that there's more than one way to deal with a rat, the objective area is merely our piece of cheese. Here mousey, mousey! [This message has been edited by Charles22 (edited September 16, 2000).]

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(in reply to Wolverine)

Post #: 37