Order of Battle in Briefings?

[kevinkins]

How much detail do players like in the description of their forces available in a scenario briefing? These descriptions are to give the player a head start in planning the scenario tactics etc.. We can view the OOB within the menu system. Is that enough for most players? Personally, I like a subset of the full OOB in the briefing that I can print out prior to starting the battle. Not sure if this question has been asked before. When you go through the community scenarios, no standard way to handle OOBs emerges. Should there be?

Feedback is appreciated ... Thanks guys.

Kevin

[BradOrbital]

Yeah OOB in the briefing is always important I find.

[HalfLifeExpert]

A clear OOB in the briefing is very helpful, at the very least a list of the different ships in your task groups/ports, and a general list of aircraft avalible to you and where

Example, using a completely made up (and probably not accurate) OOB:

You have at your Disposal:

USS Nimitz (CVN-68)
-12x F-14A Tomcats
-12x A-6 Intruders
-4x E-2C Hawkeyes
-4x EA-6B Prowlers
-6x S-3B Vikings
-8x MH-60 Seahawks

USS Gettysburg (CG-64)

-2x MH-60 Seahawks

USS Reuben James (FFG-57)

-1x MH-60 Seahawks


NAS San Diego

-12x P-3C Orions
-8x MH-60 Seahawks
-16x F-18C Hornets


A general format like this in the briefing, I think, would be very helpful, especially telling you right at the outset how many planes you have, what type, and where they are.

It might also be a good idea to add in how many of the planes are ready, in progress, or on maintenance, for example

USS Nimitz (CVN-68)
-12x F-14A Tomcats (4x Ready, 2x down for maintenance)
-12x A-6 Intruders
-4x E-2C Hawkeyes (1x Ready)
-4x EA-6B Prowlers
-6x S-3B Vikings (3x Ready, 1x down for maintenance)
-8x MH-60 Seahawks

[SeaQueen]

It depends. For shorter scenarios, an order of battle might be fine. In longer scenarios, there is the possibility of forces arriving in theater. Depending on how you do it, it might be scripted, or you might have to plan it.

This is actually one of the things which Command can do in a fun way. For example, you can transit aircraft carriers or submarines through the Suez Canal and move them into a theater. That's pretty cool that one could conceivably move carriers around the globe. It makes it possible to play with questions like, "Do I want to attack Syrian targets from the Med and the Northern Arabian Gulf or do I want to put two carriers in the NAG?" You could also do something similar with fighters, figuring out how to support them deploying to bases across the Pacific.

On the other hand you could also handle it with scripted events (e.g. on day n, teleport ship x to position y).

In the latter case, you probably would want something resembling time phased force deployment data (TPFDD) which shows not just what you've got, but when you've got it and where as forces arrive and become available.

ORIGINAL: kevinkin

How much detail do players like in the description of their forces available in a scenario briefing? These descriptions are to give the player a head start in planning the scenario tactics etc.. We can view the OOB within the menu system. Is that enough for most players? Personally, I like a subset of the full OOB in the briefing that I can print out prior to starting the battle. Not sure if this question has been asked before. When you go through the community scenarios, no standard way to handle OOBs emerges. Should there be?

Feedback is appreciated ... Thanks guys.

Kevin

[Gunner98]

I must say that I struggle with this question when building scenarios. On medium size scenarios like one CVBG/CSG you can certainly list a detailed OOB, but for larger ones it can get very cumbersome.

If you put yourself in the shoes of the player and ask - what level of detail is important - you could get several answers:

When the scenario is about commanding a CVBG: listing the ships and squadrons is perfect because they are the main tools the player has

If commanding multiple TGs and CVBGs, wings etc: listing the formation groupings (TG's, Wings, Brigades) should do the trick

Its probably good to mix it up a bit so its not the same from scenario to scenario.

NF 8: Hold the line is an example of the first
NF 13.1: Shoulder to Shoulder is an example of the second.

No correct answer on this one, mater of stile

B

[magi]

^^^^ What Gunner says...... I also believe there should be some at least general description of the disposition of the opposing force…