From: John Best <jlbest@tuscola.net>
Subject: Drive on Stalingrad--some suggestions

Dear consimmers:
The first thing to realize is that Drive on Stalingrad (DOS) is a seriously
flawed game as it stands, and so I believe something must be done with it in
order to make it worth your while to play.  Here's what I did (ymmv):

1. I ditched the Hitler Directive Table.  Doing that might make the game
unrealistic, inaccurate, or both.  But it's a lot more fun without it.
2. I also ditched that Panzers across the Don rule.  same rationale as #1.
3. Stacking: I changed the stacking limit to two divisions.  The counters
representing the German panzer and motorized divisions count as one
division, as long as they have divisional integrity.  Soviet corps count as
one division for stacking. 
4. ZOCs:  ZOCs do not "lock" units as they do in the current rules.  Each
unit pays one additional movement point *per counter exerting a ZOC* to
enter, to leave, or to move through an enemy ZOC.  German panzer divisions
(represented by three counters) count as three units for purposes of this rule.
Examples:
4.1 A German infantry unit begins the movement phase adjacent to a stack of
two Soviet cav. divisions.  There are no units adjacent to the stack of
Soviet cav. units.  The terrain is clear all around the Soviet stack.  The
German inf. division begins moving past the stack by paying for the terrain
in the next hex (1 MP), leaving a hex into which the Soviets extend a ZOC (2
MP), and entering a new hex which is also controlled by the Soviet stack (2
MP), paying a total of 5 MP to accomplish this move.
4.2 A Soviet cav. division begins the movement phase adjacent to an intact
panzer division.  It moves to a "free", clear terrain hex.  It pays 1 MP for
the movement into the hex, and 3 MP to break off from the three regts. of
the panzer division, for a total of 4 MP. 
4.3 Units that retreat from overruns are disrupted, and have no ZOCs.  Thus,
they do not exert any of these additional MP effects.
5. Overruns
5.1 In the movement phase, armor, mechanized and cavalry (what the hell)
units may overrun even if they begin the movement phase in an enemy ZOC.  In
the movement phase, infantry can overrun if and only if they do not begin
the movement phase in an enemy ZOC.
5.2 In the mech. movement phase, units that can move can overrun, only if
they do not begin the mech. movement phase in an enemy ZOC.
5.3 Overrunning units have to obey stacking limits in the hex they are
overruning from.
5.4 Overrunning units are not halved in combat strength.  They attack at
printed strength.  If the units of a motorized or panzer divison overrun
together, then they get the divisional integrity bonus (combat value X 2) on
the overrun.
5.5 Units that overrun together must begin the movement phase stacked together.
5.6 Units that are overrunning must pay 2 MP to overrun, in addition to any
ZOC MP effects as described above.

Some Comments:
In his classic review of this game in F&M #11, Fred H. mentioned that the
existing game was too static: the campaign actually saw many swirling combat
situations.  This was the effect I tried to create in these modifications.
On the one hand, I think they accomplish that.  It's true that the Soviets
tend to create conga lines, and even double conga lines after a while.  But,
for me, anything is better than that "packed stack--nothing--packed
stack--nothing" effect on alternating hexes.  I'd also like to add that what
I've done here does not fix the game in my opinion.  What I did was a little
cosmetic surgery, but what the game needs is an organ transplant.
Unfortunately, I think the organ required is a brain, and that's just darn
hard to do.  Thanks for reading.
John Best
jlbest@tuscola.net