jwb3
Just this guy, you know?
Bill,
I think I need to explain exactly what I meant by the following statement:
The three scenarios I quoted the details of seem like a good example. Since someone said earlier that Steve Swann, who designed the scenarios, is a supporter of the crews-for-SW idea, it seems pretty obvious to me that Steve intended the crews in the various OBs to be used for that purpose. But in the published versions, not only is there no SSR to state that, in half of the OBs there aren't even enough crews! "Danica Air" has 4 crews and 8 "crew-served" SW (CSSW), "Break for Hungary" gives one side 2 crews and 2 CSSW but gives the other 0 crews and 2 CSSW, and only "Prelude to Dying" actually matches 8 crews with 8 CSSW.
Is this because Steve's original designs got modified in playtesting? If so, then it would have been better to state clearly that "the crews are for the CSSW", so the developers would have known what not to change. Is it because Steve is experimenting with throwing random numbers of crews into scenarios, to see how people will use them? I can already tell y'all how people will use them: randomly! :laugh: Some will use them for mortars; some will use them for MGs, but only at ranges > normal range for their squads (more likely > long range). Some will use them for scouts; some will use them for candygrams for Mongo. Some will use them as HIPsters for ambushing vehicles. The best players will use them for something different in every scenario. And without an SSR, not one of these various uses can be considered "misuse"...
So if anyone is planning on including crews for the CSSWs in a scenario, go all the way, and state what they're for. Otherwise the waters will just get muddier and muddier.
John
I think I need to explain exactly what I meant by the following statement:
My point was that trying to be less-than-direct about saying, "These crews are here to man the MGs and mortars," might end up backfiring. Since I am aware of the debate about this idea, anytime I see extra crews in an OB above and beyond those needed to man 5/8" weapons, I immediately start wondering whether they were intended to man the MGs and mortars. But for those who are not aware of the debate, using crews for MGs is not the first thing that comes to mind. The ASL system penalizes the use of anything other than full squads for firing MGs. Anyone who wants to encourage the idea of using crews for MGs better come right out and say so, by SSR or otherwise.I think what this is, is a cautionary tale about the dangers of A/CSM Bird's notion of a "subtle grassroots campaign"... :laugh:
The three scenarios I quoted the details of seem like a good example. Since someone said earlier that Steve Swann, who designed the scenarios, is a supporter of the crews-for-SW idea, it seems pretty obvious to me that Steve intended the crews in the various OBs to be used for that purpose. But in the published versions, not only is there no SSR to state that, in half of the OBs there aren't even enough crews! "Danica Air" has 4 crews and 8 "crew-served" SW (CSSW), "Break for Hungary" gives one side 2 crews and 2 CSSW but gives the other 0 crews and 2 CSSW, and only "Prelude to Dying" actually matches 8 crews with 8 CSSW.
Is this because Steve's original designs got modified in playtesting? If so, then it would have been better to state clearly that "the crews are for the CSSW", so the developers would have known what not to change. Is it because Steve is experimenting with throwing random numbers of crews into scenarios, to see how people will use them? I can already tell y'all how people will use them: randomly! :laugh: Some will use them for mortars; some will use them for MGs, but only at ranges > normal range for their squads (more likely > long range). Some will use them for scouts; some will use them for candygrams for Mongo. Some will use them as HIPsters for ambushing vehicles. The best players will use them for something different in every scenario. And without an SSR, not one of these various uses can be considered "misuse"...
So if anyone is planning on including crews for the CSSWs in a scenario, go all the way, and state what they're for. Otherwise the waters will just get muddier and muddier.
John