The AH Blitzkrieg Connection

Place of the offtopic, funny or interesting threads, discussions about history, politics, movies and other war games.

Moderator: von Schweinewitz

Locked
User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

The AH Blitzkrieg Connection

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-09 22:40, Friday

MY POSTS

Introduction
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10396

Play Systems of Interest
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10403

Blitzkrieg -- Preliminaries
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10410

Which Players ?
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10414

Marketing Pitch
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10432

Being Where ?
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10445

Map Features
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10465

Units
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10479

Unit Deployment
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10501

Play Sequence
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10517

Victory Conditions
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10532

Reinforcements & Replacements
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10543

Weather Effects
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10549

Provisioning Status
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10554

Zones of Control & Friendly Cities
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10567

Unit Movement
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10576

Stacking Units
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10599

Key Combat Aspects & Rules
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10605

Key Combat Effects & Mechanics
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10656

Air Transport, Assault & Airborne Operations
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10705

Air Power: Main Rules
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10734

Air Power: Bomber Types & Air Missions
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10793

Air Power: Fighter Missions
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10848

Air Power: Naval Aviation
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10895

Air Power: Advanced Bomber Missions
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p10914

Concluding Remark
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=605#p12098


Topic Legitimacy

The Pub's description follows:
Place of the offtopic, funny or interesting threads, discussions about history, politics, movies and other war games.
Are "other war games"

1) . . . off topic ? It doesn't much matter. They're explicitly mentioned. :deal

2) . . . funny ? Perhaps. However this won't be my angle under this new topic. :nyet

3) . . . interesting ? Well, some newcomer to these forums might think so. :ihope

4) . . . connected to "history, politics, movies" ? As far as I'm concerned, I've absolutely no desire to enter into such discussions, even if tangentially relevant. :deal

Key Reference

Wargames vs. Wargaming Interests
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=451#p6956
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-12-07 03:27, Tuesday, edited 29 times in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Play Systems of Interest

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-10 07:29, Saturday

PLAY SYSTEMS OF INTEREST

Foundational Wargames

The point of departure here is this. The World War General (WWG) hobby is 26 years old. It was SSI's Panzer General (PG1) that started it all. For the purposes of this topic, I'll essentially strip PG1 of virtually all "being there" features right off the bat. Having done that, I'll be able to exclusively focus on PG1's underlying play system, the "embedded rulebook", if you prefer.

James Dunnigan (of SPI "grognard" fame) has opined that wargames' play systems are highly derivative. I certainly agree with his opinion. Accordingly, I'll endeavor to determine how derivative PG1's play system really is.

My methodology is rather simple. All I need to do is take a look at a board wargame that practically started the "hex-based, turn-based wargaming craze":

Avalon Hill's "Blitzkrieg" (1965)

The wargame title's "scale" is Operational-Tactical.

It so happens that PG1 sports some Operational and many, many Tactical features. This topic is intended to focus on AH Blitzkrieg's (AHB's) play system.

SSI's PG1 Play System

SSI is now but... a distant memory (unless one is really nostalgic). It's both appropriate as well as ironic that... Slitherine's Panzer Corps (PzC) I & II can effectively speak on SSI's behalf. :|

Many years ago, Panzer General Forever's (PGF's) programmer opined:
Panzer Corps will adopt the same operational scale used in PG1. I think, this scale is optimal from a gameplay point of view. On one hand, you have well-known, well-recognizable battles which really determine the outcome of the war...
And a close "associate" of this gentleman also opined:
In my eyes, PG1 is a tactical wargame that pretends to be operational.
Bingo ! Extremely well said; pithily too !! This rather obvious fact wasn't lost on many Developers / Modders who proceeded to refashion the PG1 "World" and beyond into an unabashedly Super-Tactical one. In any case, the present topic will be focusing on symbolically pure operations / strategy issues and features. In some ways, AHB is the polar antithesis of a typical computer wargame; hence, its analytical appeal, me thinks... :2cents
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-31 15:53, Tuesday, edited 4 times in total.

User avatar
Ale
Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major
Posts: 1115
Joined: 2019-10-07 17:14, Monday

Re: The AH Blitzkrieg Connection

Post by Ale » 2021-07-11 19:15, Sunday

so it is "Avala (some hill near my city) Hill blitzkrieg", board game i (naturally one would say) never tried nor seen, which started it as hex based warfare - thanks for info :yes i say naturally because i never played, except few commercial ones as Monopoly or Risk, board games and my age allowed for digital era start on the subject.

yet again, just as btw to players, talking about derivative term and digital era not limited only to PC dos-windows based systems i'll gladly repeat huge influence and first major implementation of some hex-based - in familiar manner to most younger players thinking that PG was "genial in originality" - wargaming much predating SSI, even more something that SSI successfully copied. In titles based on Japanese games and even RPG traditions - Daisenryaku series and even Nectaris series.

so players around the world got other bits of globally famous title(s) by SSI as - properly said - derivated quantitaively and qualitatively from those titles even more, making them less relatable to previous wargaming titles and gameplay system by same company, AH and/or Grigsby style of games and more "rpg-ish" with various upgrades, experience system, battle calculators etc. etc. etc. really too much to be mentioned which is just derivated from them...

with this i finish taking part - i say i'll gladly repeat as i like to repeat that on various places just to not give too much credit where it isn't due to SSI and "genial ideas" which are just derivations, not to say copies :) something Kroegel, Billings, Grigsby (not related to PG series himself) admited themselves... have fun, good luck with thread and why should one worry what is it about - it is on you to try or offer any subject which is not purely offensive or similar imo, although forum life is minimal or limited

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Blitzkrieg -- Preliminaries

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-11 19:24, Sunday

BLITZKRIEG -- PRELIMINARIES

Origins

Back in the early to mid-1960s, the Avalon Hill (AH) Company (based in Maryland, USA) published a number of tabletop (board) wargames. Almost all of them were historically themed. Blitzkrieg (BzK) represents a most notable and, in my opinion, significant exception.

BzK was originally designed by Mr. Lawrence Pinsky and developed by Mr. Thomas Shaw. It was published by AH in 1965. This topic will treat BzK's 1965 Basic Game design as the conceptual axis around which the inevitable play system clarifications, modifications and expansions have taken shape and been revolving ever since the mid-1960s.

Subsequent Developments In Brief

Circa 1975, BzK's design was significantly revised by Mr. David Roberts and the wargame title was redeveloped by Mr. Donald Greenwood, always under AH's commercial auspices. This redesign is reflected in BzK's revised / expanded play rules.

Eventually, a number of freeware BzK modules were developed in support of all-human play via the well known freeware, open-source engine VASSAL.

It's somewhat instructive to compare the original, mid-1960s basic rules with the revised, mid-1970s ones. For sure, quite a few useful rule clarifications, modifications and additions did see the light of day. That said, there was a bit of... darkness to go around as well !! You see, James Dunnigan's (SPI's) warsims (some quite unplayable) were becoming increasingly fashionable in "grognard" wargaming circles. The "grognard" order of the day essentially became:

Keep on adding layers upon layers of detail until 'you'... drop dead; even then, others are bound to pick up where 'you' left off and continue the 'project' until the ultimate warsim is attained where its undisputed, perfect realism will be demonstrated by the inability to dream of any other additional details to be incorporated into the... masterpiece of all time.

Overview

BzK is a board wargame that comes with printed cardboard square pieces played on a hard mapboard. The mapboard is made out of hard paper stock that's the same as what one would find with a Monopoly playboard. Printed on the mapboard is a map under a super-imposed hexagonal grid (hexagons, or simply "hexes") featuring such diverse terrain types as clear land, beaches, cities, rivers, roads, mountains, deserts and country borders. A few charts such as a Combat Results Table (CRT) and a single die for generating random outcomes are also bundled.

The cardboard pieces represent large military units. There're brigades, divisions, squadrons and air wings. The different types of military units represented are infantry (including airborne & ranger units), armor, (shock) artillery, fighters and bombers. Naval action is allowed but is quite abstracted.

There're two game play levels, basic (simplest) and tournament / advanced (more complicated). There're optional rules as well mainly suitable for the advanced play level. The basic play level only includes the land game (no naval invasions and air war) and is the best starter tool for newcomers. For instance, the basic play level sports a rather simplified CRT. The advanced play level adds such features as special unit abilities, supply restrictions, air war and strategic bombing, naval invasions, commando raids and special desert supply restrictions.

Being... Absent

Earlier under this topic, I wrote:
I'll essentially strip PG1 of virtually all "being there" features right off the bat. Having done that, I'll be able to exclusively focus on PG1's underlying play system, the "embedded rulebook", if you prefer.
To this effect, let me briefly focus on "being there" features that are absent in BzK:

1) Obviously, being a tabletop (board) wargame, BzK doesn't and can't feature audiovisual content. In other words, movies, battle animations, voice-overs and sounds are absent.

2) BzK is totally devoid of "role playing" features such as... "being the greatest general ever".

3) Obviously, BzK doesn't and can't feature a "Programmed Opponent / Artificial Intelligence" (PO / AI).

To summarize, there's absolutely no connection whatsoever between PG1 and BzK in the areas indicated under preceding points (1), (2) and (3).
Last edited by HexCode on 2022-02-23 13:52, Wednesday, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Which Players ?

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-12 17:21, Monday

WHICH PLAYERS ?

Blitzkrieg (BzK) employed an abstract model of armed conflict to induce humans to play, hopefully, in friendly opposition to one another (like gentlemanly chess). In fact, it was up to the hobbyists involved how to approach their play (i.e., solitaire or H2H). In this case, solitaire play would pit a hobbyist against... himself, yeah ! :)

Fast forward 30 years or so; SSI's PG1 was fully intended to be a historically themed video wargame (WWII ETO). As such, solitaire play would be all the rage. However, this time around, "mainstream" hobbyists would be duking it out with the wargame's PO / AI.

SSI's Mr. Rick Martinez is generally reputed to have been the dominant force behind SSI's marketing pitch to "capture" the "beer & pretzels crowd". Given this corporate orientation (certainly laudable from a commercial, profit maximizing perspective :clap ), all-human play was seen to be a side show at best.

A key marketing dictum of video wargame design, development and publication is the following:

The "Play Crowd" dislikes reading with a passion. But, what they hate most is... effective clarification.

In the past, SSI employed the term "Multiplayer" with abandon. To be fair, the idea was to distinguish:

Solitaire Play (i.e., "AI Warfighting") from All-Human Play.

Not surprisingly, the "hobby" took extra pains to sow confusion. Namely:

1) Sometimes, "Multiplayer" would mean PBEM.

2) Alternatively, "Multiplayer" would mean Online Play.

3) Still, some other times, "Multiplayer" would mean more than two players engaging in Online Play (experimentally, via PBEM as well).

Hence the need for "stupid talk" (i.e., much despised clarifications) !! :)
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-03 03:09, Tuesday, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Marketing Pitch

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-13 22:24, Tuesday

MARKETING PITCH

It's quite instructive to go through AH's introductory paragraphs outlining what Blitzkrieg (BzK) was all about.
BLITZKRIEG is a fictional representation of the great breakout of the 2nd World War
This is a contradiction in terms. Either WWII really happened or it didn't... The adjective "fictional" betrays AH's fear of "early grognards" being put off by the term "abstraction" (yeah, even way back then... :) ) !!

Here's a relevant reference:

Detail vs. Realism
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=451#p9253
Five minor countries become engulfed in a tremendous conflict for territory waged by two major countries, Great Blue and Big Red
Not without reason, quite a few hobbyists have suggested that BzK is rather an abstracted representation of a hypothetical NATO vs. Warsaw Pact conflagration limited to the possible use of atomic and tactical nuclear weapons. :( BzK's revised description put it like this:
BLITZKRIEG makes it possible for you to simulate the techniques of lightning warfare first used with devastating effect in WWII, techniques that continue to decide the fate of great nations in the '70s
Notice the conspicuous appearance of James Dunnigan's controversial wargaming term "simulate". :|
But now YOU are in command. YOU get the thrill of leading Divisions of Infantry, Marines, Artillery, Armor, Airborne, and Invasion forces...
Does this remind "you" of good ol' SSI "speak" ? It should !! Mercifully, that's it when it comes to "being there" (ok, ok, include the "inspiring" box cover, if you insist... :) ).
The background and research in the design of BLITZKRIEG have come from the material edited and authenticated by the United States War College and the Office of the Chief of Military History (OCMH), Washington, D.C.
Even before James Dunnigan and SPI, "early grognards" were clamoring for "guarantees" that wargames be "authentically" designed. ;) AH certainly obliged here ! Not bad. :evil
BLITZKRIEG has been play-tested by Avalon Hill’s Consumer Test-Panel to present you as realistic a portrayal of modern warfare as humanly possible.
Wow, realism in abstraction, eh ? Welcome to the never-ending conflict within the ranks of "grognards" (especially those considering themselves to be "hardcore simulationists").

Here's another relevant reference:

The Big, Big Picture
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=451#p6931
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-03 03:10, Tuesday, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Being Where ?

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-14 21:53, Wednesday

BEING WHERE ?

AH Blitzkrieg (BzK) was quite remarkable because it introduced generically depicted wargaming content, i.e.,

a) A map devoid of any recognizable geographical contours and / or named locations.

b) Unit counters sporting standard NATO planning symbols of the day.

Thus, the wargame denies players the "opportunity" to psychologically identify themselves with particular countries and their armed forces. To boot, it rejects the psychologically seductive, "heroic", larger than life notion placing generals in the thick of things... A BzK general's place is at some HQ pouring over maps and the like ! :)

When it comes to "being there", BzK represents the polar opposite of SSI's World War General (WWG) legacy. Given BzK's H2H play mode orientation, this isn't particularly... undesirable. Suffice to point to a couple of "anecdote" references:

[OMK] Role-Playing, History & Political Ideology
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=229&start=200#p7675

[OMK] Political Passions
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=229&start=200#p7546

Bottom line is this: BzK is an... antiseptically conceived of, strategy wargame which meticulously avoids... side shows not logically related to the underlying play system.
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-03 03:11, Tuesday, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Map Features

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-15 19:29, Thursday

MAP FEATURES

Squares & Hexes
... a realistic topographical mapboard
Instead of "realistic", I would've used the term "symbolically effective"... :)
The hexagons have been super-imposed to determine movement and will hereafter be referred to as squares
Ok, the conceptual connection to chess is rather obvious, right ? That said, I will stick to "hex" in my own commentary.

PG1 fully embraced this concept.

Major Countries
The map board shows the playing area. It contains two major countries, Great Blue and Big Red ...
PG1 adopted the concept of two opposing alliances, instead. Hence, no SSI scenario explicitly features a country / nation per se.

Minor Countries
... plus several unnamed minor countries
PG1 adopted the concept of alliance minor nationalities, instead.

Neutral Countries
Whole gray squares which are “off-limits” to both sides
PG1 fully embraced this concept. Green / Blue colored hex sides indicate "absolutely unenterable" hex status.

Terrain Typology
CLEAR TERRAIN: Any square devoid of terrain features
PG1 fully embraced this concept.
CITY SQUARE: Any square containing black crisscross lines
PG1 fully embraced this concept and extended it to include ports.
RIVER SQUARE: Any square containing a solid blue line, wholly or partially
PG1 fully embraced this concept.
FOREST SQUARE: Any square containing green splotches, wholly or partially
PG1 fully embraced this concept.
MOUNTAIN SQUARE: Any square containing brown splash contours
PG1 fully embraced this concept.
SEA AND LAKE SQUARES: Any square wholly blue. Partially blue squares are considered land squares
PG1 fully embraced this concept. That said, it also made allowances for partially blue hexes representing coastal waters.
TRANSPORTATION LINES: Red lines running through the squares
PG1 fully embraced this concept.
DESERT SQUARE: Any non-coastal square containing yellow, wholly or partially
PG1 fully embraced this concept.
NEUTRAL COUNTRY: Whole gray squares which are “off-limits” to both sides
PG1 fully embraced this concept (i.e., Green / Blue colored hex sides).
INVASION BEACH SQUARE: Any coastal square containing yellow
PG1 did NOT embrace the concept.
BORDER: Gray lines running between the squares separating the various countries
PG1 did NOT embrace the concept.


By the way, due to its thinly disguised tactical play system, PG1 adopted a few additional terrain types: Airfield, Port, Swamp, Rough, Rough Desert and Escarpment.
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-03 03:12, Tuesday, edited 4 times in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Units

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-17 00:20, Saturday

UNITS

"Chessic" References
In an educational experience as challenging as chess...
and, more specifically,
... the die-cut Unit Counters. These Blue and Red counters are your "chessmen". Hereafter, they will be called “Units”
Nice references to chess, indeed... :)

Unit Types
Infantry [incl. Airborne * Ranger * Marine]

Armor [incl. Elite_Armor * Light_Armor * Air_Assault]

(Break-Through) Artillery

Fighter

TAC_Bomber

MDM_Bomber * SAC_Bomber

Airlift
Conceptually, PG1 fully embraced this typology. Instead of "type", SSI adopted the term "class". Also, due to its thinly disguised tactical orientation, PG1 has employed additional unit classes such as Anti-Tank and Anti-Aircraft, for instance.

Unit Size & Organization
Ground Units -- Division (XX) * Brigade (X) * Battalion (II)

Air Units -- Wing (XX) * Squadron (II)
PG1 did NOT embrace the concept. In PG1, unit size is, well, indeterminate...

Organizationally:
MAR:Marines, LT: Light, T: Tank
PG1 kind of embraced the concept in its own... detailed, tactical way. It features a great number of named military hardware / units.
Numerical Designation
PG1 fully embraced this concept.

Unit Symbolic Depiction

BzK adopted standard NATO symbols of the day.

Due to its thinly disguised tactical orientation, PG1 adopted the silhouette / figurine tradition instead (i.e., AH Panzerblitz, Miniatures).
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-03 03:13, Tuesday, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Unit Deployment

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-18 21:42, Sunday

UNIT DEPLOYMENT

Rule Sets

BzK sports:
a) Basic Rules
b) Advanced (Tournament) / Optional Rules
PG1 makes no formal distinction between Basic and Advanced rules. Nevertheless, it does feature three player-selectable, à la carte options: Intelligence (Fog of War), Weather and Supply.

Unit Initial Placement
STEP 1
Lay the mapboard out on a table. BLUE sits on the northern side and RED on the southern side. If not previously done, punch out the Order of Battle (OoB) game unit counters. Place them on the corresponding spaces provided on each player's Order of Appearance Card (OoAc).

STEP 2 (ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY)
RED places those Units of HIS he wishes to start "At Sea" in any of the 5 "At Sea" mapboard boxes.

STEP 3
BLUE refers to all Units of HIS listed under “TURN 1” on HIS OoAc and places them directly on the mapboard anywhere he chooses within HIS home country, Great Blue

(ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY)
and / or, if he so wishes, "At Sea".

STEP 4 (BASIC RULES ONLY)
RED places those Units of HIS he wishes to start "At Sea" in any of the 5 "At Sea" mapboard boxes.

STEP 5
RED refers to all REMAINING Units of HIS listed under “TURN 1” on his OoAc and places them directly on the mapboard anywhere he chooses within HIS home country, Big Red.

NOTEs (ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY)
Debut: Airborne, Ranger and Air Units

Larger sized Units can be broken down into smaller sized ones via Substitute Unit counters.
1) PG1 contains no general, explicit option as to which unit types may be excluded from play.

2) PG1 employs scenarios where the initial placement of Units is technically fixed (preordained). The only feature conceptually related to the matters under discussion is a player's ability to place "his" Core Units anywhere within fixed, designated deployment zones during Campaign Play.

3) PG1 did NOT embrace the concept of breaking down Units into smaller sized ones (mandatory strength factor elimination isn't the same thing).

PG1's play system choice as per immediately preceding point (3) is unmistakably "chessic" in conception and character. This major divergence is essentially responsible for many, far reaching content design implications and play experience impacts.
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-03 03:13, Tuesday, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Play Sequence

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-19 23:01, Monday

PLAY SEQUENCE
BzK is played in successive, Complete Turns as per the Time Record Card (TRc). A Complete Turn comprises a BLUE Half-Turn segment always immediately followed by a RED Half-Turn segment.

BLUE Half-Turn Segment

Unit Placement Phase: BLUE consults the TRc and HIS OoAc and places the Units he receives that Half-Turn on the map in any city or cities in HIS HOME country he controls, in any order he wishes.

Unit Movement Phase: BLUE then moves all Units of HIS he chooses to move, in any order he wishes. No RED Unit movement whatsoever is allowed during this phase.

Combat Resolution Phase: BLUE resolves all combat caused by HIS immediately preceding Unit Movement Phase, one engagement at a time, in any order he wishes.

RED Half-Turn Segment

Unit Placement Phase: RED consults the TRc and HIS OoAc and places the Units he receives that Half-Turn on the map in any city or cities in HIS HOME country he controls in any order he wishes.

Unit Movement Phase: RED then moves all Units of HIS he chooses to move, in any order he wishes. No BLUE Unit movement whatsoever is allowed during this phase.

Combat Resolution Phase: RED resolves all combat caused by HIS immediately preceding Unit Movement Phase, one engagement at a time, in any order he wishes.
1) PG1 clearly embraced BzK's "I-Go-You-Go" turn-based concept.

2) PG1 did NOT embrace BzK's scheduled, preordained Reinforcement Unit concept. Instead, SSI introduced the New Unit Purchase concept based on, yet, another concept, Prestige Availability.

3) BzK's restriction to placing Reinforcement Units in cities within a player's home country CANNOT be directly ported to PG1; the latter's play system does NOT recognize geographically defined countries. Interestingly enough, there is a... whiff of this sort of thing in a relatively little known PG1-DOS quirk; while in Campaign Play Mode, one is allowed NOT to field any Core Units of his choice in the predesignated deployment zones at the start of scenario play but may do so (or not) at any point of his choosing during actual scenario play. He does so by placing any such Core Unit(s) in / around cities / ports (airfields in the case of Core air units) owned by his alliance at the very start of the scenario, provided such intended placements are not otherwise obstructed.

Critical Divergence

PG1 did NOT embrace BzK's clear, foundational separation between a Units Movement Phase and a Combat Resolutions Phase in toto. Instead, it adopted a "Unit Independent But Sequentially, Strictly Mandated Action" concept. Namely, a unit may generally:

a) NEITHER move NOR attack, OR

b) Move but NOT attack, OR

c) Move FIRST and then IMMEDIATELY attack, OR

d) Attack but NOT move, OR

e) Attack FIRST and then IMMEDIATELY move.

The preceding PG1 play system's foundational design choice is unmistakably "chessic" in conception and character. This critical divergence is almost solely responsible for many, far reaching content design implications and play experience impacts.
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-03 03:14, Tuesday, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Victory Conditions

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-21 03:25, Wednesday

VICTORY CONDITIONS
In BzK, a player wins:

(1) If he either eliminates all of his opponent's ground units on land; OR

(2) If his ground units occupy or are adjacent to all of the Cities in his opponent's home country at the end of his opponent's Half-Turn; OR

(3.B) (BASIC RULES ONLY) If he controls 26 or more Cities at the end of Complete Turn 15. Any other situation is considered a Stalemate (Draw).

(3.AO) (ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY) There is no time limit and play continues until preceding victory condition (1) or (2) is eventually met (or exhaustion sets in).
Commentary

a) PG1 embraced victory condition (1), albeit in "sledge hammer" fashion. Namely, elimination requires that all Naval / Air Units be forever gone as well... Given the fact that PG1 doesn't provide for the geographical specification of a country, victory condition (2) is irrelevant.

b) Basic Rule victory condition (3) is conceptually similar to PG1 victory conditions applicable at the mandated end of scenario play. That said, PG1's city / port ownership concept differs significantly from BzK's control concept. To boot, BzK doesn't sport objective hexes like PG1 does. Also, PG1 victory outcomes are, well, ... Boolean. Draws are kind of... unappealing ! :)

c) Advanced / Optional Rule victory condition (3) invites pertinent... sociocultural commentary. :2cents Let's not forget that 1965 was still modernity territory (post-modernity having commenced in the early 1980s). In those bygone days, wargamers tended to socialize in person and their attention span was significantly longer. ;) It was only when exhaustion would set in that the... beer & pretzels would come out. ;) Sometimes, the male host's sister (yeah, the one with the great looking legs) would choose to socialize with the... exhausted make-believe warriors ! :)
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-07 01:15, Saturday, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Reinforcements & Replacements

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-22 06:27, Thursday

REINFORCEMENTS & REPLACEMENTS

Reinforcement Units
In BzK, both players receive Reinforcement Units at preordained time intervals. These new units have nothing to do with previously eliminated units. Each player's OoAc states the earliest time that Reinforcement Units can be put into play. However, a player has the option of delaying such arrivals for as long as desired.

1. Reinforcement Units are placed in any Friendly City a player wishes in his home country.

2. Reinforcement Units may not be stacked more than TWELVE (12) Combat Factors (CFs) high at any time instant, when being placed on the map.

3. Reinforcement Units may be placed on the map at any time during a player's Half-Turn prior to his Combat Resolutions Phase. They may be moved and used in combat in their Half-Turn of arrival.
As stated earlier under this topic:
PG1 did NOT embrace BzK's scheduled, preordained reinforcement concept. Instead, it introduced the New Unit Purchase concept based on another concept, Prestige Availability. Moreover, BzK's restriction to placing Reinforcement Units in cities within a player's home country cannot be ported to PG1, as the latter's play system does NOT recognize geographically defined countries.
Moreover:

a) Newly purchased units may not act at all during the Half-Turn of their purchase.

b) PG1 isn't intended to support unit collocation on / over the same hex (other than one surface unit and one air unit). This is another unmistakable, "chessic" restriction in conception and character.

Replacements
(ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY) In BzK, both players have a Replacement capacity. Beginning on the 5th Turn and continuing for every Turn thereafter, each player receives FOUR (4) Replacement CFs per Turn. Replacement Factors may be any type or types of Units subject to the maximum number actually available in the game. Neither side may have more than SIXTEEN (16) SAC-Bomber and TWELVE (12) Airborne Infantry CFs on the map at any time. Replacements are taken only from the "dead pile" and are placed on the map exactly as per Reinforcement Unit rules. Replacement CFs may be accumulated from Turn to Turn.
PG1 embraced Replacements in a very general conceptual way. That said, PG1's (Strength Point) Replacements are subject to a radically different, "on-the-spot" regime that sports constraints of an entirely different nature such as enemy unit adjacency, terrain and so on... To boot, partially related to the Prestige concept, PG1 distinguishes between Elite and Regular Replacements.
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-03 03:16, Tuesday, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Weather Effects

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-22 22:15, Thursday

WEATHER EFFECTS
(ORIGINAL ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY) In BzK, at the very beginning of every complete Turn, the BLUE player rolls a die within the context of the table contents to follow. The die roll outcome determines the weather effects in force during the entire Turn.

Should players agree in advance to extend the game duration beyond 20 Complete Turns, the Weather Table below should be consulted in full cycles.

WEATHER TABLE
***********************
--------------------------
Turns: 1 through 5
--------------------------

Die Roll: 1
Clear

Die Roll: 2
Clear

Die Roll: 3
Clear

Die Roll: 4
NO units may go TO sea. Units AT sea MAY land.

Die Roll: 5
Air Units may NOT fly over Desert hexes.

Die Roll: 6
Air Units may NOT fly over Sea or Lake hexes.

----------------------------
Turns: 6 through 10
----------------------------

Die Roll: 1
Clear

Die Roll: 2
Clear

Die Roll: 3
NO units may go TO sea. ALL Units AT sea MUST land.

Die Roll: 4
ALL GROUND Units' Movement Factors (MFs) are REDUCED by a factor of 1.

Die Roll: 5
NO Air Unit operations whatsoever are allowed.

Die Roll: 6
NO Invasions whatsoever are allowed.

-----------------------------
Turns: 11 through 15
-----------------------------

Die Roll: 1
Clear

Die Roll: 2
Clear

Die Roll: 3
Clear

Die Roll: 4
ALL rivers are frozen. Ground Units defending behind River hexes are NOT granted the normal "doubling" bonus.

Die Roll: 5
ALL Ground Units on Mountain hexes CANNOT move.

Die Roll: 6
ALL Ground Units' (BUT Armor) MFs are REDUCED by a factor of 1.
NO Air Unit operations whatsoever are allowed.

-----------------------------
Turns: 16 through 20
-----------------------------

Die Roll: 1
Clear

Die Roll: 2
Ground Units ON Roads MAY move. No OFF-ROAD ground movement whatsoever is allowed.

Die Roll: 3
NO Invasions whatsoever are allowed.

Die Roll: 4
NO Airborne drops whatsoever are allowed.

Die Roll: 5
NO units may go TO sea. Units AT sea CANNOT land.

Die Roll: 6
ALL GROUND Units' MFs are REDUCED by a factor of 2.

(REVISED ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY) In BzK, each complete Turn represents a two-week period. Weather effects are subject to a full 52-week cycle comprising 26 complete Turns. The Cycle is strictly repetitive and consists of two alternating periods:

==> WEATHER-FREE (7 Complete Turns)
==> WEATHER-IMPACTED (19 Complete Turns)

Subject to a d6 die roll, one of the following Weather Conditions may prevail:

1) CLEAR
No impact whatsoever.

2) FOG
2.1 Infantry type Units attack at DOUBLE their normal strength.
2.2 NO air operations are allowed whatsoever.

3) RAIN
3.1 Desert hexes are NOT subject to Rain.
3.2 ALL off-the-road Unit MFs are HALVED.
3.3 Air Units attack at HALF their normal strength.

4) GALE
4.1 ALL off-the-road Unit Movement Factors are HALVED, INCLUDING Armor on Desert terrain.
4.2 NO roadwork Unit movement bonuses are available whatsoever.
4.3 NO supply "by Sea" through Ports or Beaches is allowed whatsoever.
4.4 ALL Units "at Sea" MUST land in a Friendly Port that turn if possible; if not, they are ELIMINATED !!
4.5 NO invasions are allowed whatsoever.
4.6 NO air operations are allowed whatsoever.

5) SNOW
5.1 ALL off-the-road Unit MFs are HALVED, INCLUDING Armor on Desert terrain.
5.2 NO roadwork Unit movement bonuses are available whatsoever.
5.3 NO GROUND Units may move onto Mountain terrain (they may leave it, though).
5.4 NO River-induced COMBAT DOUBLING bonuses are allowed whatsoever.
5.5 Air Units attack at HALF their normal strength.

6) ICE
6.1 NO roadwork Unit movement bonuses are available whatsoever.
6.2 GROUND Units on Mountain terrain may NOT move / retreat.
6.3 NO air operations are allowed whatsoever.
Commentary

PG1 also features Weather Effects on an optional basis. Conceptually, there are a few important similarities:

A) Weather effects are partially determined by Turn and prevail over the entire Turn.

B) Weather effects are subject to random (probabilistic) vagaries.

C) Weather may affect Unit movement as well as combat resolution.

However, by comparison, PG1's play system is kind of "primitive" when it comes to Sea movement and Invasions.
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-07 01:16, Saturday, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Provisioning Status

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-24 11:51, Saturday

PROVISIONING STATUS
(ADVANCED RULES ONLY) BzK:

AR1. A player can supply Units totaling TWELVE (12) CFs for each City hex he controls (e.g., a 2-hex City can supply 24 CFs; a 3-hex City can supply 36 CFs).

AR2. Air Units are supplied according to their CFs in the same manner as Ground Units. Supply for Artillery Units is based on their Defense Factors.

AR3. If, at the end of his Half-Turn, a player has more CFs on the map than he can supply, he must eliminate those Units of his choice necessary to bring supply back into balance. Units at Sea are subject to any and all provisioning restrictions as well.

AR4. Provisioning requirements double for ground Units in Desert Hexes (e.g., Units in the desert totaling 12 CFs must be treated as if they totaled 24 CFs).

(OPTIONAL RULES ONLY) BzK:

OR1. A player must be able to trace a supply route, ONE (1) hex wide, untouched by enemy Zones of Control (ZoC), a maximum distance of TEN (10) hexes overland (Sea, Lake and Neutral Country terrain excepted) to a Road, then along the Road any distance to a friendly City. Once the provisioning route reaches the road, it MAY NOT leave it again or go through cities that are NOT friendly. Provisioning routes are NOT subject to any specific capacity restrictions.

OR2. Units invading a Beach may trace a provisioning route to any one or more hexes of the Beach, out to sea and into a friendly Port any distance
away. A maximum of FORTY (40) CFs may be provisioned through an invaded Beach. The Beach may be used as a supply line continually until the opponent invades the same Beach OR places the entire Beach under the ZoC of his Units.

OR3. A supply line may also be traced to a friendly Port, out to sea, into another friendly Port any distance away, and to a friendly City being used for provisioning.
Commentary

PG1 embraced almost nothing here... :nyet PG1's optional supply rules are subject to a radically different, "on-the-spot" system that sports constraints of a significantly different nature such as enemy unit adjacency, weather and so on... Interestingly enough, PG1-Win'9x's manual introduced a whiff (an afterthought, almost) of a provisioning rule à la BzK; namely, certain "unobstructed" hex routes have to be traced to the edge of a scenario's map before a player can purchase and place new units in a "recently owned" City / Port / Airfield.
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-07 01:17, Saturday, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Zones of Control & Friendly Cities

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-26 00:10, Monday

ZONES OF CONTROL & FRIENDLY CITIES

Zones of Control
In BzK, every ground Unit exerts a Zone of Control (ZoC) which encompasses the hex it occupies PLUS ALL SIX (6) adjacent hexes. A ground Unit's ZoC extends into ALL terrain types as well as into hexes occupied by enemy ground Units.

(ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY) In BzK, Air Units exert NO ZoC whatsoever.
PG1 embraced the ZoC concept in a major way. That said, PG1 fully implemented ZoC on the basis of surface units, not just ground units. Thus, ground and naval units are allowed to obstruct one another's movement due to PG1's surface ZoC design model.

When it comes to AIR units, PG1 has most certainly deviated from BzK by implementing an air ZoC design model characterized by such units exerting ZoC on one another (without such ZoC interacting in any manner with surface units).

Friendly Cities
In BzK, friendly City hexes are also referred to as controlled City hexes. City hex Control Status for a side is always checked at the very beginning of that side's Half-Turn.

1. An ambivalent City hex is one into which both sides currently exert ZoC through one or more of their ground units. A City hex that is NOT ambivalent is EITHER friendly OR IT IS NOT.

2. A side's Home Country City hexes are always friendly unless currently occupied by or adjacent to one or more enemy ground units.

3. Other than a side's Home Country City hexes, a City hex is friendly to a side if

a) it is NOT currently ambivalent, AND
b) is currently occupied by one or more friendly ground units.
PG1 embraced City Control by giving the concept a considerable... simplifying twist. Namely, it's individual belligerent nationalities that own Cities / Ports / Airfields. Also, the garrisoning of such important hexes has been done away with as a continual ownership requirement. Most importantly, ZoC has no bearing whatsoever in the determination of ownership.

By the way, PG1-DOS does provide for non-owned (ambivalent) Cities / Ports; it's just that SSI's flagship scenarios never feature such... troublesome "things" !! :)
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-03 03:19, Tuesday, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Unit Movement

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-27 02:16, Tuesday

UNIT MOVEMENT
BzK: All-Purpose Rules

During the Unit Movement Phase of any one of his Half-Turns, a player:

1. May move all of his Units on the map, if feasible.

2. May move each Unit of his any number of hexes not exceeding its effective (i.e., possibly, situationally modified) Movement Allowance.

3. May NOT transfer "unused" Movement Allowance portions from one of his Units to another (also, such "unused" portions CANNOT be accumulated from one Half-Turn to the next).

4. Is NOT obliged to move every Unit of his; in fact, the player may decide NOT to move even a single Unit of his...

5. May move his Units in any direction or combination of directions he wishes, if feasible.

6. May NOT engage his Units in any combat whatsoever during his Unit Movement Phase.

7. May move Ground Units of his over top of other friendly Ground Units BUT he is NOT allowed to move such Units of his on top of or over / through enemy Ground Units.

BzK: Terrain Effects

Each Ground Unit sports a Base Movement Allowance. It represents the maximum number of hexes the Unit may be moved over clear terrain during one friendly Unit Movement Phase entailing no other restrictions.

I) Lake and Neutral Country terrain are impassable to Ground Units.

II) River terrain does NOT impede Ground Unit movement. Thus, travel along
or across Rivers is considered to be identical as through Clear terrain.

III) Ground Units travel through Forest / Mountain terrain at the reduced (effective) Movement Allowance of ONE (1) hex per friendly Unit Movement Phase. Thus, such Units must stop when they reach a Forest / Mountain hex and may NOT proceed any farther. However, Ground Units DO leave Forest / Mountain hexes subject to the generally prevailing Movement Allowances.

IMPORTANT EXCEPTION: Armor and Break-Through Artillery Type Units may NOT enter Forest hexes.

BzK: Roadwork Effects

A) Ground Unit movement along Transportation Lines, hereafter called Roads, is THREE (3) times faster than what it would otherwise be (i.e., Roadwork Movement Bonus).

B) A Ground Unit may combine Road travel with off-road travel in the same Unit Movement Phase (fractions are rounded DOWN).

C) Ground Units changing Roads at intersections do so at the prevailing Road Movement Bonus Rate.

D) Ground Units may move through City hexes at the prevailing Road
Movement Bonus Rate provided they enter AND leave the City hexes via hexes containing Roads.

E) A Ground Unit using two unconnected Roads during its move may carry over "unused" Movement Allowance fractions onto the move segment along the second Road.
Commentary

PG1 essentially embraced the whole concept here. For sure, SSI tinkered with this and that in support of their... tactical leanings (e.g., Rivers). To boot, PG1's Unit Action design model meshes unit movement and combat all along a Half-Turn's duration. All that said, no further commentary is really needed here, right ? :)
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-07 01:17, Saturday, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Stacking Units

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-29 01:20, Thursday

STACKING UNITS
In BzK:

A) Up to TWELVE (12) CFs of Ground Units can be stacked on a single hex. Break-Through Artillery type Units are subject to overall stacking limitations on the basis of their Defense Combat Factors (DCFs).

B) Stacked Units may stay together indefinitely, may be joined by other Units (subject to stacking limitations) or may abandon their stack and proceed independently at will.

C) Stacked Units may temporarily pass over hexes containing other friendly Units without limitation.

D) (ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY) Up to TWELVE (12) CFs of Air Units can be stacked over a single City hex irrespective of Ground Unit stacking limitations.
Commentary

SSI made a well publicized decision to essentially do away with Unit Stacking. They just allowed for the possible "coexistence" of ONE Surface and ONE Air Unit on / over a single hex. Historically, this "simplification" was seen to be a major selling point with SSI's customer base and, therefore, most welcome by the company... Relatedly, the Pacific General feature which allows for the "stacking" of Air Units "on / in" Aircraft Carriers has been retrospectively viewed as a factor that impacted negatively on the wargame title's popularity / sales...

By the way, it so happens that, technically, PG1 does tolerate Unit Stacking accomplished via unit prepositioning. However, such initially collocated units cannot move, attack or defend as an internally coordinated group.
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-07 01:18, Saturday, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Key Combat Aspects & Rules

Post by HexCode » 2021-07-30 09:44, Friday

KEY COMBAT ASPECTS & RULES
In BzK, the side "owning" a Half-Turn is the Attacker. The opposing side is the Defender.

A) A Moving Ground Unit must immediately stop as soon as it enters the first hex subject to the ZoC of an enemy Ground unit.

B) There are no limitations whatsoever on how many Units may move into enemy ZoC during the Unit Movement Phase.

C) If, during Unit Movement Phase, a Ground Unit moves onto a hex being subject to an enemy Ground Unit's ZoC, combat is mandatory under the Combat Resolution Phase to follow.

D) Each Unit has a Combat Factor (CF) which represents the Unit's underlying fighting strength, whether attacking or defending. NOTE: Break-Through Artillery type Units have TWO (2) distinct CFs; one is applicable when they attack (ACF) and the other one when they defend (DCF).

E) Combat resolution outcomes partially depend on a comparison of the CFs of the attacking Units against those of the defending ones.

F) The Defender may NOT move any Units of his unless the movement is a mandated retreat.

G) All mandatory combat must be resolved. Other than that, there are no other limitations whatsoever on how many voluntary local engagements the Attacker may initiate.

H) Combat is resolved one local engagement at a time and in any order the Attacker wishes.

I) An Attacking Ground Unit's CF remains unaffected by the terrain type it is situated in. On the other hand, terrain type DOES affect a Defending Ground Unit's effective Combat Strength.

J) The Attacker CANNOT locally engage enemy Units located on the same hex more than once.

K) When multiple Units attack enemy Unit(s) located on some hex, combat resolution partially depends on a comparison between the combined CFs of the attacking Units against the combined Combat Strengths of the defending Units (possibly subject to terrain-induced adjustments and so on).

L) A Unit's CF CANNOT be split and brought to bear on more than one local engagements.

M) Attacking Units stacked on the same hex may participate in more than one local engagements against defending Units located on multiple hexes, provided no attacking unit participates in more than one local engagements.
Commentary

Conceptually, PG1 has borrowed quite a bit here... Again, due to its thinly disguised tactical nature, SSI's design focused on a detailed elaboration of CFs. Thus, the deal re: Break-Through Artillery opened the conceptual gates to specifying separate Attack and Defense Factors. Once that was accomplished, further differentiation in regards to the type of attacking unit and its expected combat effectiveness against various target types was seen as the next logical step to follow and so on. Like SPI before them, when SSI run out of... new ideas, they chose the well trodden path of introducing ever more increasing differentiation and segmentation across the board.

The neat separation between a Unit Movement Phase and a Combat Resolution one has fallen victim to SSI's much celebrated adoption and commercial success of the tactical Unit Action design paradigm.
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-07 01:19, Saturday, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Key Combat Effects & Mechanics

Post by HexCode » 2021-08-02 00:43, Monday

KEY COMBAT EFFECTS & MECHANICS
In BzK:

TERRAIN-INDUCED, DEFENDER COMBAT STRENGTH DOUBLING

FOUR (4) Situations:

Attacker -- ALL such units on River (including its end)
Defender -- Clear, Forest

Attacker -- Anywhere
Defender -- City

Attacker -- Anywhere
Defender -- Mountain

Attacker -- ALL such units on River (including its end)
Defender -- Different River (including its end)

NOTE 1 -- Defender CFs CANNOT be tripled.

NOTE 2 -- Roadwork is irrelevant.

OPPOSING CF COMPARISON COMPUTATIONS

STEP 1: One divides the combined CF of ALL attacking Units participating in a local engagement by the combined effective combat strengths of ALL enemy Units defending on the hex under attack. The resulting odds are rounded off in favor of the Defender.

STEP 2: The Attacker rolls a six-sided die (d6) once for each local engagement.

STEP 3: Die roll outcomes are matched up with hitherto computed odds (Attrition Table) resulting in mandated local engagement consequences.

NOTE -- Odds worse than 1-6 are NOT allowed. Odds greater than 6-1 are considered to yield outcome DE (see immediately below).

COMBAT-INDUCED ATTRITION -- BASIC RULES ONLY

Combat resolution of a local engagement may yield any one of the following outcomes as per the Attrition Table:

DE = Defending Units Are Eliminated
DR2 = Defending Units Retreat TWO (2) Hexes
EX = Mutual Losses
AR2 = Attacking Units Retreat TWO (2) Hexes
AE = Attacking Units Are Eliminated

1) A DE or AE outcome mandates that:

1a) The losing side eliminate ALL their Units participating in the local engagement.

1b) A DE outcome allows the Attacker to immediately occupy the hex vacated via the preceding elimination of the enemy Units therein, by advancing one or more of his attacking Units onto it (subject to the usual unit stacking restrictions), if he wishes to do so.

2) A DR2 or AR2 outcome mandates that:

2a) The losing side retreat their Units participating in the local engagement TWO (2) full hexes.

2b) The aforesaid Units may retreat in any direction through Friendly Units, across Rivers and through any kind of terrain (save Lake / Sea / Neutral Country ones). Roadwork is irrelevant.

2c) Units subject to retreat CANNOT enter enemy ZoC or be placed with other Friendly Units in violation of unit stacking limitations.

2d) Units unable to successfully complete their retreat are eliminated, instead.

2e) A DR2 outcome allows the Attacker to immediately occupy the hex just vacated by the retreated / eliminated enemy Units, by advancing one or more of his attacking Units onto it (subject to the usual unit stacking restrictions), if he wishes to do so.

3) An EX outcome mandates that:

3a) The Defender be affected as per a DE outcome.

3b) The Attacker eliminate Units of his participating in the local engagement, the combined CFs of which are AT LEAST EQUAL to the combined effective combat strengths of the enemy units just eliminated.

3c) The Attacker is allowed to immediately occupy the hex vacated via the preceding elimination of the enemy Units therein, by advancing one or more of his Surviving attacking Units (IF ANY) onto it (subject to the usual unit stacking restrictions), if he wishes to do so.
Commentary

The commentary of the immediately preceding post applies here as well. Again, some divergent details and "twists" notwithstanding, SSI conceptually embraced all of the above. Predictably, they took advantage of the computer's computational power to support the company's unmistakably intended, tactical orientation (e.g., combat outcome determination on a per individual CF basis). They also made it quite hard for interested hobbyists to get to know the underlying mathematical formulas... :evil
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-08-07 01:20, Saturday, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Air Transport, Assault & Airborne Operations

Post by HexCode » 2021-08-07 01:11, Saturday

AIR TRANSPORT, ASSAULT & AIRBORNE OPERATIONS

AIR TRANSPORT OPERATIONS
(ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY) In BzK:

1. Armor and Break-Through Artillery type Units CANNOT take advantage of the wargame's Air Transport feature.

2. ALL OTHER units (including Air-Assault type Units) may be "flown" a distance of up to FORTY (40) hexes from any Friendly City hex to any other Friendly City hex in the same Half-Turn.

3. Units may be transported by air up to a maximum of TWELVE (12) CFs per Half-Turn.

4. Terrain and / or enemy ZOC impose NO restrictions whatsoever on air movement, which "flies over" such ground "obstacles".

5. To be eligible for "air transport", a Unit must already be located in a Friendly (take-off) City hex at the very beginning of the Unit Movement Phase.

6. Reinforcements / Replacements are eligible for "air transport" as soon as they are actually placed on the map (since they are considered to have begun their Movement Phase already located in the Friendly City hex of initial placement).

7. Upon landing, an air-transported Unit may continue moving normally provided such movement immediately follows its landing. Landing onto the Friendly (destination) City hex counts as one Clear terrain hex move OFF the landed Unit's Movement Allowance.
AIR ASSAULT & AIRBORNE OPERATIONS

Admittedly, the below did appear under the original basic rules, albeit considerably simplified... But, the basic game is supposed to exclusively focus on ground warfare. Naval / Air features are ADVANCED / OPTIONAL, period... SO:
A) Airborne, Ranger and Air-Assault type Units may be "flown", that is - they may be picked up from any Friendly City hex and "dropped" on any land hex up to TWENTY (20) hexes away from their take-off City hex.

B) The selected target air-drop hex must be a Land one free from enemy ZOC.

C) Air-Assault type Units CANNOT be air-dropped onto a Forest hex.

D) Air-dropped Units may move ONLY ONE (1) hex, immediately after landing and may NOT move AT ALL if having landed onto Mountain / Forest hexes.
Commentary

Conceptually, PG1 embraced virtually all of the above. Naturally, the game's tactical orientation insisting on "neatly" separating urban hexes from airfield ones focuses on the latter. Note that the specific implementation of the Unit Independent Action model precludes unit movement immediately subsequent to landing. Also, PG1's probabilistic dispersal of air-dropped units directly aimed at satisfying the insatiable appetite of SSI's customers for ever more "realistic detail", operational focus be damned, as usual... :2cents

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Air Power: Main Rules

Post by HexCode » 2021-08-14 05:12, Saturday

AIR POWER: MAIN RULES
(ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY) In BzK, it is assumed that a City hex always contains an Airbase.

1. At the start of his Half-Turn, a player may place Air Units of his on any Friendly Cities within his home country he chooses.

2. Air Units can be stacked no more than TWELVE (12) CFs per City hex. Air Unit stacking limitations are independent of ground Unit stacking limitations.

3. An Air Unit's Movement Allowance represents that Unit's target range.

4. Air Units remain stationary in their base Cities until the very end of their side's Ground Unit Movement Phase. Only then can they move.

5. Air Units that have NOT participated in attacks, may move to any Friendly City anywhere on the map within range.

6. Air Units unable to trace a route to combat supply are NOT allowed to engage in combat.

7. Air Units based in a City hex subject to an enemy ground Unit's ZoC are NOT allowed to engage in combat.

8. Air Units may NOT fly to target hexes located further than their range irrespective of how close the distance from target hex to some return destination City might be.

9. Air Units exercise NO ZoC whatsoever.

10. An unlimited number of Air Unit CFs may participate in combat over a single hex (i.e., stacking limitations are temporarily suspended).

11. At the end of the Combat Resolution Phase, all Air Units that participated in attacks in that Half-Turn must return to Friendly Cities within range lest they are automatically eliminated.

12. An enemy attack upon a City hex where friendly Air Units are based has NO effect on these Units whatsoever unless all friendly ground Units located in the City hex retreat or are eliminated. If so, the friendly Air Units are automatically eliminated.
Commentary

Conceptually, PG1 embraced some of the above. Naturally, the wargame's tactical orientation insisting on "neatly" separating urban hexes from airfield ones focuses on the latter. Moreover, features such as fuel utilization and, especially, ZoC (!!) test the limits of operational wargame... caricatures. Finally, the specific implementation of the Unit Independent Action model precludes any operational sophistication in that the Surface / Air interaction model is, well, rather... primitive.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Air Power: Bomber Types & Air Missions

Post by HexCode » 2021-08-22 11:42, Sunday

AIR POWER: BOMBER TYPES & AIR MISSIONS
(ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY) In BzK, there are THREE (3) types of Bomber Units:

TACTICAL (TAC) -- Range: 8 hexes
MEDIUM (MDM) -- Range: 10 hexes
STRATEGIC (SAC) -- Range: 20 hexes

There are TWO (2) types of Bomber Unit Missions directed at hexes containing enemy Ground Units: Tactical & Strategic.

Important: With respect to any particular Mission, a Bomber Unit that participates as if its range is LESS than HALF (1/2) its Listed one, sees its attack strength DOUBLE.

Tactical Bomber Missions

1. A Tactical Bomber Mission must involve AT LEAST ONE (1) friendly Ground Unit simultaneously joining in the attack.

2. SAC type Bombers are NOT allowed to participate in such Missions.

3. Bomber Unit CFs actually participating in the engagement MAY NEVER exceed the Friendly Ground Unit CFs participating in the very same engagement.

4. Tactical Bomber Missions nullify the defensive strength bonuses otherwise enjoyed by enemy Ground Units situated "behind" Rivers provided the Bomber Unit CFs actually participating in the engagement are AT LEAST EQUAL to the defending enemy's unmodified CFs.

5. The attacker simply adds the Air Units' Combat Strength to his Ground Units' such sub-total and ultimately resolves combat as one individual engagement by consulting the Tournament Game Attrition Table (TGAt).

6. The attacker must absorb AT LEAST ONE HALF (1/2) of any mandated CF losses of his by eliminating a sufficient number of participating Air Unit CFs.

Strategic Bomber Missions

A) A Strategic Bomber Mission prohibits ANY Friendly Ground Units from attacking the enemy Ground Units situated in the hex under Strategic attack in the SAME Half-Turn.

B) TAC type Bombers are NOT allowed to participate in such Missions.

C) Retreating Units may NEVER pass through a hex targeted by this kind of Mission.

D) Mission odds less than 1-6 are NOT allowed. Mission odds greater than 6-1 automatically mandate the elimination of ALL enemy Ground Units subjected to the attack with NO loss to the participating Air Units whatsoever.

E) Enemy Air Units based in the hex under strategic attack remain unaffected.

F) Combat resolution is determined as per the Strategic Air Attack Table (SAAt), the structure of which is very similar to the TGAt. Alternatively, the players may agree to consult the Barrage & Bombardment Table (B&Bt).
Commentary

Conceptually, PG1 embraced almost all of the above, albeit somewhat blurring the line separating Tactical from Level Bomber types. That said, PG1's specific implementation of the Unit Independent Action model precludes the operational sophistication inherent in the uniqueness of Strategic Bomber Missions' impact...

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Air Power: Fighter Missions

Post by HexCode » 2021-08-26 13:23, Thursday

AIR POWER: FIGHTER MISSIONS
BzK (ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY):

General Rules

1. Fighter Units are based, moved and supplied in the same manner as Bomber Units.

2. Fighter Units may escort Bomber Units to their target hexes provided such hexes are within the Fighter Units' range(s).

3. Escorting Fighter Units must be moved immediately following the moves by the Bomber Units subject to escort.

4. Fighter Units are NOT allowed to actively participate in attacks against enemy Ground Units.

5. By means of an exception, Fighter Units may move as well as intercept enemy Air Units during the enemy's Half-Turn. This capability is additional to anything that such Fighter Units are allowed to do during a Friendly Half-Turn. Thus, Fighter Units can be employed as both escorts and interceptors during the course of one or more Complete Turns, at a player’s option.

6. Intercepting Fighter Units must be moved immediately following the moves by the enemy Air Units subject to interception.

7. Fighter Units may intercept enemy Air Units by moving to their target hexes provided such hexes are within the Fighter Units' range(s).

8. Combat triggered by Fighter Unit interception must be resolved first, prior to resolving any other engagements. Any surviving Fighter Units are immediately returned to Friendly Cities within Range.

Intercepting Unescorted Enemy Bombers

A) The intercepting Fighter Units incur NO losses whatsoever.

B) The intercepted enemy Bomber Units lose ONE (1) CF for EVERY TWO (2) Fighter Unit CFs participating in interception (round off in favor of the enemy).

C) Any surviving enemy Bomber Units may then proceed with the combat resolution of the intended engagement.

Intercepting Escorted Enemy Bombers

a) During the enemy's Half-Turn, an intercepting Fighter Unit may either engage enemy Fighter Units serving as escorts or escorted enemy Bomber Units BUT NOT both.

b) Fighter Interceptor vs. Fighter Escort CF odds LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO 1-1, mandate Fighter vs. Fighter combat resolution with the escorted Bomber Units remaining unaffected.

c) Fighter Interceptor vs. Fighter Escort CF odds LESS than 1-6 OR GREATER than 6-1 automatically mandate the elimination of all Fighter Units suffering from their overwhelming, relative numerical (CF) disadvantage. At the same time, the Fighter Units enjoying the overwhelming, relative numerical (CF) advantage incur NO losses whatsoever.

d) Fighter combat resolution is determined as per the Fighter vs. Fighter Table, the structure of which is very similar to the Tournament Game Attrition Table.

e) In instances where the Fighter Interceptor vs. Fighter Escort CF odds are GREATER THAN 1-1, the "intercepting" player has the option of diverting any number of Fighter Units of his, at his option, to attack the enemy's escorted Bomber Units provided he first engages the enemy escort Fighter Units at odds NO LESS THAN 1-1.

f) All intercepting Fighter Units NOT engaged in combat with enemy Fighter Unit escorts may attack the enemy Bomber Units under escort as per the contents of the previous heading.
Commentary

Conceptually, PG1 embraced almost all of the above, albeit allowing Fighter class units to... strafe surface targets. Again, PG1's specific implementation of the Unit Independent Action model precludes the operational sophistication inherent in the intermeshing of purposive player actions...
Last edited by HexCode on 2021-09-02 13:52, Thursday, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Air Power: Naval Aviation

Post by HexCode » 2021-08-31 15:46, Tuesday

AIR POWER: NAVAL AVIATION
BzK (ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY):

General Rules

1. Each side is allowed to have a MAXIMUM of FOUR (4) Air Unit CFs "At Sea" in ALL Sea Zones combined. This limitation is independent of the limitations governing the placement of Ground Units "At Sea".

2. MDM and SAC Bomber Units are NOT allowed to be "At Sea".

3. Air Units going "To Sea" must be located in a Friendly Port City at the beginning of that side's Unit Movement Phase. They can be placed only in the "At Sea" box in the same Sea Zone and CANNOT engage in any other operations during the Half-Turn of their placement "At Sea".

4. Air Units "At Sea" may land in any Friendly Port City located in the same Sea Zone. Moreover, they can also land in any Friendly City on the map within Range. Range is counted from any sea hex in the aforesaid Sea Zone. Finally, Air Units "At Sea" may move / "land" to an adjacent Sea Zone. Once landed, they CANNOT engage in any other operations during the Half-Turn of their landing.

5. Air Units "At Sea" may participate in attacks over hexes within Range. Again, Range is counted from ANY sea hex in the Sea Zone where such Air Units are based to the map hex under attack.

6. Air Units originating "At Sea" and having just participated in attacks, have two "return" options:

a) They EITHER land in some Friendly City on the map within Range of the attacked hex(es);

b) OR, they return to their originating Sea Zone.
Commentary

Conceptually, PG1 embraced Naval Aviation in that it allows air operations over individual sea hexes. To boot, PG1 sports Aircraft Carrier Class units that interact with air units in a very limited way. Not surprisingly, PG1 is all about Naval Aviation tactics. The operational sophistication inherent in managing the challenging peculiarities of Naval Aviation is sadly lacking... :2cents

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Air Power: Advanced Bomber Missions

Post by HexCode » 2021-09-02 14:17, Thursday

AIR POWER: ADVANCED BOMBER MISSIONS
BzK (ADVANCED / OPTIONAL RULES ONLY):

City Strategic Bombing

1. Only MDM and SAC Bomber Units are allowed to engage in such missions.

2. Such missions reduce the strategically attacked City hex'es supply capacity for the present AND SUBSEQUENT THREE (3) complete turns.

3. The City hex being strategically attacked automatically loses ONE (1) Supply Factor (SF) for every surviving Bomber Unit CF participating in the attack.

Air Interdiction

A) Only MDM and SAC Bomber Units are allowed to carry out such missions.

B) Such missions entail the strategic bombing of empty map hexes by AT LEAST FOUR (4) surviving Bomber Unit CFs.

C) Ground Units may NOT retreat through a map hex that has just been subjected to Air Interdiction.

Atomic Attack

a) Only SAC Bomber Units are allowed to carry out such missions.

b) Each side is limited to engaging in AT MOST ONE (1) Atomic Attack per Friendly Half-Turn.

c) AT LEAST ONE (1) surviving Bomber Unit is required for an effectively delivered Atomic Attack.

d) NO Friendly Ground Units may be adjacent to the map hex under Atomic Attack.

e) Ground Units may NOT retreat OR advance through a map hex that has just been subjected to an Atomic Attack.

f) Friendly Ground Units may NOT advance through map hexes adjacent to a map hex that has just been subjected to an Atomic Attack.

g) During the Half-Turn immediately following the one in which an Atomic Attack has been effectively delivered against a specific map hex, NO Ground Units whatsoever are allowed to move / retreat / advance through the aforesaid map hex.

The impact of an Atomic Attack is as follows:

Die Roll: 1 --- TWO (2) CFs Eliminated

Die Roll: 2 --- FOUR (4) CFs Eliminated; Any remaining units may NOT move / retreat / advance during their immediately following Friendly Half-Turn.

Die Roll: 3 --- ONE HALF (1/2) of CFs Eliminated; Remaining units may NOT move / retreat / advance during their immediately following Friendly Half-Turn.

Die Roll: 4 --- ONE HALF (1/2) of CFs Eliminated; Remaining units may NOT move / retreat / advance during their immediately following Friendly Half-Turn.

Die Roll: 5 --- ALL CFs Eliminated;

Die Roll: 6 --- ALL CFs Eliminated;

Note: In all instances calling for partial CF elimination, the side effectively subjected to an enemy Atomic Attack is given the choice as to which CFs are to be eliminated.
Commentary

PG1 stayed away from operational features such as Air Interdiction and Atomic Attack. However, despite its thinly disguised tactical play system, PG1 did embrace City Strategic Bombing in its very own way. Namely, SSI's approach was to "wreck" non-objective urban areas and airfields and to reduce enemy prestige by bombing objective hexes.

User avatar
HexCode
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
Posts: 926
Joined: 2019-09-30 18:54, Monday

[AHB] Concluding Remark

Post by HexCode » 2021-12-07 03:25, Tuesday

CONCLUDING REMARK

PG1 play system's foundations can certainly be traced back to mid-1960s board wargame designs. Obviously, the same is true for SSI 5 Star General play systems' foundations, including those underlying their various emulations and extensions. To conclude, in a chronological sense, the foundations of all such play systems are highly derivative.

As far as my contributions under this topic go, well, this is the end of the line ! :deal

Locked