From: "James B. Byrne" Subject: Complexity of the games > Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 23:17:23 +0200 > From: Nikola Pajvancic > Subject: Complexity of the games > > Anyway, when we are at it, can somebody tell me how complex are > Operational Combat Series from the Gamers in comparison with the > games I know, like Third Reich and Empires in Arms? The OCS rules V 2.1i are not for the faint of heart but the do not approach some of the other major rule systems out there in terms of inherent complexity and intricacy. They are far more easier to grasp in essence than either Europa or WiF. I would say that they are somewhat easier to understand than the rules of EiA and are somewhat more complex and detailed than 3R (v3.0). They are a far better, more logical and far more reasonable representation of the situation and problems facing WWII Army level commanders than any other game covering this subject on the the market. For many gamers, that is where their problem will lie. You may find out that command of an Army is beyond your ability and the game system won't compensate to disguise this from you. These are great games, but they are excellent simulations as well. While they possess certain artifacts due to the nature of asynchronous movement, fixed combat resolution probabilities, and exact player knowledge of topographical features; there are many aspects of the rules which serve to reduce the impact of this perfect knowledge on the play of the game. Players will find that having to preplan supply will become a nuisance beyond belief. It isn't that the system is particularly involved, far from it. No the problem is that you have to accept that you no longer have unlimited ammo and petrol so long as you stay within some predefined radius. If you want to re-position some units then you are going to burn supply. If you wan to attack with artillery you will have to burn supply. if you want to retreat then you will need supply. And once all your supply is consumed you will need to wait to receive new stocks. Players will also rapidly find that unit size (combat strength) is really secondary to a unit's action rating. A small (low combat strength) unit with a high action rating can obtain "surprise" over a bigger but less effectively organized or led force (low action rating). This "surprise" translates into column shifts on the CRT which dramatically change the range of possible outcomes. Factor counting for that "perfect" attack is somewhat pointless in these games if there are significant differences in the action ratings of many units on either side, and there usually are. In OCS games to date the air war is critical to success, but the means available are very circumscribed. You will rapidly find that aircraft are far too valuable in other roles to be considered just as flying artillery. On the other hand, some GS missions just have to be flown, but beware! You may pay dearly for that diversion if you have not obtained local air superiority first. Other things a commander in OCS must consider are:The fact that often both attacker and defender suffer step losses in combat. That the units that provide their action rating for the purposes of combat (in other words your best ones) take the first losses. That disorganized units are very brittle. That mobile units have lower combat power and that units deployed for combat take a long time to move anywhere else. In short, a player of OCS, like a real commander, has to balance his force posture (deployed, mobile, in reserve); supply rate; placement of HQ TOC's (these act as supply nexus for moving supply to the line units); air cover; air asset mission priorities; and the ability to make good combat losses. Combat burns both supply and units at a ferocious rate. It is quite possible for a player to destroy his own position through injudicious expenditures of supply with only minimal influence by the opposing player. Replacements come in EQ and PAX types. The first are used for armour and air replacement, the second for Infantry and support troop replacements. The number of each type that you get (along with resupply) is dependent upon the supply table, which varies for both sides and for each game in the series. You cannot count upon getting anything on a specific turn, and you can only plan on receiving the average over a period of turns. So if you are going to burn your army you had better make sure that the result of your actions are going to be more expensive for your opponent than for yourself. Otherwise you will lose. All of the games in this series are excellent games. To the designer's credit the rules are still being evolved and commented upon without the apparent "creeping detailitis" that seems to infect other rules of similar scope. The rules as written are straight forward and understandable. They are subject to a degree of interpretation in certain areas which can lead new players into errors in play, but these are common occurrences with anything sufficiently large. The designer is on the internet and there is a mailing list to support all of The Gamers products so one need not go on in the dark unless you choose to. If you want to get a feel for why really good army commanders seem to be such rarities in real life then I really recommend the OCS from The Gamers. Of the four in the series so far Guderien's Blitzkrieg is Out of Print. Enemy at the Gates is a very large game of the Stalingrad campaign and the Soviet counter stroke. Tunisia covers the final days of the Axis in North Africa and Hube's Pocket covers the final Battles for Kharkov. Of the four I would recommend Tunisia as an entry to the system. It gives both sides a chance to attack and defend, has a wide variety of units and has a low counter density. Hube's pocket would be second on my list to obtain. An odd situation but it is very playable and demonstrates what the Germans were capable of even towards the end. The biggest of the four is EatG. I haven't played this one myself due to its sheer size and my limited time. It is a very large game. It covers a lot of ground and a lot of time. If you want to actually play a game this is probably not the choice to make for your introduction to the series. GB is only available from retail outlets or on the used game market. There are no more in the distribution chain so if you see on a store shelf buy it. It covers the lunge for Moscow at the tail end of Barbarossa. It is also a very big game area wise. But the situation is extremely fluid and the means available to both sides are limited. If you can get it do. Regards, Jim --- James B. Byrne Harte & Lyne Limited vox +1 905 561 1241 9 Brockley Drive fax +1 905 561 0757 Hamilton, Ontario ByrneJB@Harte-Lyne.ca Canada L8E 3C3