My first post with some questions

[junk2drive]

Part way down the forum page is a thread that I posted FFAR @ FAS.org
I don't have a military background and resorted to google to find the answer.
IIRC the "w" works when your unit already has a target and the weapon number must be selected from the number keys on top of your keyboard, not the 10-key pad.

[Mobhack]

to find out what a weapon is, you really need to have the military "knowledge", which only comes from researching the subject matter. There is just not enough space to effectively print a copy of "Janes Weapon Systems" in the GG. (I used to have a copy of Janes Infantry Weapons for 76-77, and it weighed about 10 lbs! . And each volume of Janes requires a mortgage to aquire..

Your best bet is to type "hydra FFAR" into google. Also - to find a nice online website which deals with military acronyms. Fas.org should have one somewhere in its site?.

A quick google of "FFAR" pointed at the fas.org entry for the Hydra series of rockets : Hydra FFAR

Also try globalsecurity.org link

All air Rockets in the game are stated as (X x Name of system) as the "salvo" unit - can be 1 for e.g. the big Soviet 122mm, or 7-8 70mm ones. That allows the 16, 32 rocket pods to be simukated without a separate weapon slo used up for each pod.

Thw W key will only fire one weapon, at the currently selected target and only if the selected weapon is in range and has ammo and a shot opportunity remaining that turn. About the only use I have for this function is to have one of my Russian Guards sections to launch an AT-mine at a tank next door in WinSPWW2, without triggering a close assault which may leave them too supressed to fling a second one if the first failed. Otherwise, I turn off the weapons I do not want to fire the usual way (in the odd circumstance I want to reserve some, about the only time I do that is to preserve an ATGM and biff up a light APC target e.g with the BMPs 30mm and hold the missile) and simply click on the target to fire.

The T key dialogue needs therefore to be used with N and P to navigate to the desired target if no target/not the desired target is currently selected. Again - the only time I use this instead of clicking on the target may be to select a tank for a rifle section to fling an AT weapon at, or perhaps to review the %age to-hit the gunner thinks is best, if selecting between which T-55 to target etc. (Remember that the to-hit %age in the T key dialogue only works for the primary (slot 1) weapon).

Out of contact status is determined at your turn start and the range for guaranteed comms is shouting range between the platoon commander and the sub-unit - 100-150 metres or 2-3 hexes. Any other distance needs both units to have a radio and to pass a radio comms test. You can also be out of contact if the platoon HQ is dead, retreating etc. (Command radius is also irrelevant, if you do not have any need to rally the sub-units that turn.)

cheers
Andy

[Mobhack]

Can make a difference if "num lock" light is lit I think.

Andy

[tinkthank]

Thanks very much.
Did read about that shouting distance, of course, it is stated often in the GG -- I just can't believe my radios are malfunctioning that often!

Is there more detailed information about what "supression" means and how it works? I would also like to learn more about how rallying works (that is, the mechanics of it: Chances of success, number of tries, etc.) -- is there more info I should be reading outside of the GG?

And would you happen to know about a scenario in which harming civilians yields negative VPs?

thank you very much -- great community here!

[Mobhack]

Radios:
remember to check the unit info to make sure you actually have one (and check the unit commander for one as well since both need one to communicate)

Supression:
Game Guide "Unit Information screen"
- Suppression box - describes supression
- Morale box

- Unit leader table - Rally box

And further down, the HQ menu table - Rally is described again

Cheers
Andy

[narwan]

tinkthank said:
Thanks very much.
Did read about that shouting distance, of course, it is stated often in the GG -- I just can't believe my radios are malfunctioning that often!

It's not just malfunctioning radio's but also failures to connect that are modelled. Remember that sub-unit leaders especially usually have to keep track of several radio nets at the same time (within their own unit/vehicle, with his subordinate units/vehicles, with his commander, and with other supporting formations (think a mech platoon and a tank platoon operating together so their commanders have to keep in touch) and possible coordinate artillery or air strikes, etc).
That means a commander may be otherwise engaged and temporarily out of contact with one or more of his subunits.

Narwan

[tinkthank]

All right, I'll buy that, thank you!

@ Mobhack: Thanks, but I think you are referring to the sections such as these:

How badly suppressed this unit is. Suppression reduces morale, and also operating ability (e.g. a suppressed unit finds it harder to spot and to hit targets, and it can reduce number of shots available). Suppression comes from enemy fire, being out of command control, or having routing friends nearby, friendly tanks exploding around you, and so on. Rallying can reduce suppression.

An indicator as to how good this leader is at rallying unhappy subordinates, or himself. This number will reduce during a turn as rallies occur, and be set to zero for the rest of the turn if the rally attempt fails.

The rally rating of that leader. Higher numbers are better. As rallies are done in a turn, this number will tend to decrease. Once a rally attempt fails this number will be set to zero for the remainder of the current turn, signifying that this leader cannot rally himself or subordinates any further this move. Leaders who are in retreat or rout states, can only rally themselves as and until they reach a better morale state. Individual units can only rally themselves, only leaders can rally their subordinates. Company HQ leaders can rally any leaders or units in their subordinated platoons. A0 can rally any troops in line of comms including company commanders.

Believe me, I have read this. And I am sure this is nobody's fault but my own, but these terms are not self-explanatory. Defining "supression" as "how badly supressed this unit is" may be quite exact, but it doesnt tell me how it works. And things like "As rallies are done in a turn, this number will tend to decrease. Once a rally attempt fails this number will be set to zero for the remainder of the current turn" doesn't tell me a thing about how rallies are done in a turn, or how they can fail, etc.

But I think I am beginning to bore you guys with my questions. Obviously I come from a "different corner", have different gaming horizons, etc. It is like we are speaking a different language. That Game Guide was written for a much different target group. So while I appreciate you referring me to the GG, I did actually read it -- my questions are stemming from it, not being answered by it.

I really like the idea of this game, but I think the hurdles may be -- at least for the moment -- too great for me to grasp it. Thanks for your help, sorry to be a pest.

[narwan]

There are probably very few players out there who know and understand all of the gaming concepts. There are so many details worked into it in some way or other that even experienced gamers like me keep on discovering new things. The game tries to model small scale modern warfare as realistic as it can get it. Modern warfare is extremely complicated so the game by default will be complicated too. That doesn't mean you need to know a lot of things to play and enjoy the game.
As baggypants suggested, small scale units may be a good starting point. Another suggestion is to start with the earliest years (40's or 50's) as the equipment is less complicated and the units less lethal (and mistakes wouldn't be as deadly as in current era combat).
Final suggestion, find someone (experienced) to play a simple PBEM set-up with. Ask relevant questions as you go along the game and also get him to explain why/how he does certain things the way he does. You'll soon get the hang of it. Besides this forum you might also want to try the Blitz wargaming club for a PBEM 'mentor' (at www.theblitz.org).

Narwan

[Pyros]

Hi,

Ask from Narwan to play with you a pbem game.

After that game you may consider yourself a "veteran", because Narwan is a true master of the game.

Always seek to play pbem games against expert players and watch closely to see if you can understand their gameplay routines.

All these players will be willing to share with you some of their tricks (but not all of them).

I wish you good luck and I am sure that you will greatly enjoy this very fine game.

cheers,
Pyros

[Irinami]

Tinkthank, believe it or not you're doing great!! I'm not just being nice. I thought I knew about militaria when I started playing SP:WAW about 6 years ago. I was utterly baffled!! But you learn. Let's see if I can help you here:

o Suppression: If you've ever played the Cyberpunk RPG, this is like the Cool rating inverted. Basically, it's the mental and physical effects of being fired upon. Mentally, it's emotionally exhausting to have people screaming and other people trying to kill you! (I just got through USAF basic training... I had about a 10 suppression the whole time. ) You also have to think about the situation at hand, worry about your family, etc. Physically, in order to stay alive there are places you can't go, positions you can't be in, or else you're dead. This limits your ability to move, react, fire, etc.* You could also say suppression includes minor wounds such as grazes, small shrapnel, concussion, stone fragments, etc. Its effects in-game include a reduction in move points, reduction in speed (good! higher speed in infantry will increase the odds of a casualty being caused when fired upon, because the troops are sprinting more, hunkering behind cover less), change of status--Ready to Pinned to Routed to Retreating. The latter two do not allow your units to fire--they're routed or running away, after all.

* = If you've ever seen a movie, like Full Metal Jacket, and they seem to just be shooting at an area, that's suppressive fire. Use the Z-key in game to fire at just an area. Just like in real life, you can make a position untenable (un-holdable) with sufficient suppressing fire. You can also use it to cover the advance of other units. Z-fire/suppressive fire implies that the unit is not aiming as such, and makes a (slightly) more difficult target... thus, no (or little) opfire.

o Rally: No, this isn't cross-country racing. Rallying, like everything else, is an aggregate/amalgamation of many things. It is basically the commander and unit's ability to calm themselves down and react to a bad situation. For a basic rule of thumb, Rally - Suppression = % chance of cutting suppression in half. Rally is then temporarily reduced by about 0-3 points until the next turn. (The commander is busy getting his men to act like men! ) If the rally attempt is failed, Rally is set to 0 until the next turn. (The commander is trying to rally his men the whole turn.)

o Command & Control/Out of Contact: I don't play with C&C turned on. It just complicates things so much! I understand it, and I have played with it on, but--and this is just my opinion--I think it's a bit half-cocked. Units can't do this or that when out of contact, but still communicate the location of all spotted enemy units to all allied units. I know it's a limitation of the simulation/game engine, but it just bugs me too much. I want to enjoy my game! Maybe when I'm "good" I'll turn it on again. For learning, though, play with it off.

I'll continue in the next post--I've forgotten what else there was.