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Digital Gaming => Computer Gaming => Topic started by: Telemecus on September 20, 2019, 02:30:32 PM

Title: Running a team side on a grognard game designed for solo play
Post by: Telemecus on September 20, 2019, 02:30:32 PM
From a private conversation someone suggested I post the protocol we used to allow us to turn a solo grognard wargame into a team (Coop) one. See below. This was made solely with Gary Grigsby's War in the East in mind. But you can probably work through the same principles for other games designed for one player to turn them into team sides. A team side in this game must be played by sending save files seqentially with each player taking a go. You cannot have two players going at the same time without a forked file. And something like a server game is impossible because of the need for multiple logins for one side violating terms and conditions. And although superficially it looks like the game neatly divides everything into groups for several commanders per side (e.g. Army Group North, Centre and South in the main campaign game for WitE) there are in fact multiple interdependencies (like support units or air units) which can be used across these boundaries. And as well as the need to co-ordinate across boundaries, sometimes tactically you cannot do what you want to do on a boundary line until a neighbour has moved or attacked an enemy hex first. Of course you could stop and ask others, but with a team of various players often in different time zones it would make the time to complete a turn impossibly long. So below is an example of how we highly structured it for the Axis team of the main campaign game of Gary Grigsby's war in the East. Some have succeeded in using less structure but usually by substituting a lot of communication by being in the same time zones.

Quote from: Team Protocol v6
A fallback default process for co-ordinating a team rather than replacement of common sense and communication - and not meant to impede fun. More to empower each player to make decisions on their own knowing what they can do and what others will do rather than make every decision rely on others or a committee.

Definition of Command and Control

Control - can move (but not air transfer airgroups), HQ Buildup, conduct attacks/missions, and toggle fighter/bomber missions
Command - can reassign their command (air transfer for airgroups), change air group range settings, toggle day/night missions, change leaders, and, unless otherwise stated, control

-Where an airbase contains airgroups under a different control or command, the airbase cannot be moved until the airgroup is air transfered out by it's commander or they decide not to do so, it's controller decides not to use it that turn, or the mission for which control or command has been reassigned is complete/ no longer applies

-SUs cannot be assigned "To" a unit where that means an SU can be pulled down from an HQ not in their command without allocations saying so
-SUs can be assigned "From" an HQ/direct assignment in your command

Sequence of Play

1 Before Turn Starts

1.1 Other Commanders notify, at their option, requests (and reasons). In particular they may want to indicate any HQ Buildups, need for air transport, setting of airgroup ranges at start, SUs, etc.

1.2 Supreme Commander or Chief of Staff  allocates, in draft or final, to each other Commander
-Their go in the sequence for that turn, which can be altered by the team manager
-Maximum points they can spend
-Maximum rail cap they can use
-Which units are in their command, can assign to their command, and which in their command they cannot reassign, must reassign or can disband
-Which units in another command they can control
-Instructions on specific units or leaders
-Which airgroups in their command they cannot send to national reserve, do not control, or can swap equipment of
-Which airgroups not in their command they can assign from national reserve, transfer to their command, or control
-Which leaders not in their command they can appoint to within their command - as there are so many the list will not be exhaustive
-Geographic boundaries between commands and any instructions to co-ordinate along it

Allocations can also include instructions for all, other notes and intelligence

If in draft then back to 1.1

After finalised, given new opportunities or emergencies, a contingency could be drawn on or a re-allocation made during the turn - but this might be impossible

1.3 Supreme Commander or Chief of Staff may also post on rail repair routes, long term strategy, force dispositions, and guidance - which may be referenced in this protocol

2 Supreme Commander or Chief of Staff Go at start

2.1 May
-make leader appointments
-reassign units
-send airgroups to reserve, disband or manual swap
-set replacement/autoswap settings for airgroups
-set range settings for air groups
-set day/night missions for airgroups
-set fighter/bomber missions for fighter-bomber airgroups
-set a default air doctrine

2.2 May take on map actions which can include (unless house rule states otherwise)
-air transfering airgroups
-air operations
-requests from other Commanders
-strategic transport of arrivals
-rail repair

3 Other Commanders Go
Other Commanders take turns in the sequence given in allocations, or as agreed with team manager

Other commanders have the OBLIGATION to carry out the operations of their command and
-first change the range settings for their airgroups as they want for their go
-last change the range settings for their airgroups as they want for others go
-conduct air operations best done with land operations for their ground units
-all actions to fulfill long term strategy and force dispositions at least cost
and, within their geographic boundary, includes
-rear operations such as garrisoning and anti partisan
-protecting neighbouring commands flanks and boundary operations as per 1.2
-rail repair with FBDs under their control, following team directed routes if any

Other Commanders are RESTRICTED to not
-use units of another command without control handed to them by other Commander or in allocations
-exceed allocations, or transfers from other Commanders
-not to move airbases with an airgroup commanded or controlled by another Commander (see Command and Control above)
-not to end a turn with on map units outside their boundary where the Commander for that area would be prevented from stacking the units they would want there (use common sense and warn others if you need a special spot for stacking)
-reassign units in their Command to another without their say so (i.e no unexpected command penalties)

Other Commanders CAN, at their option, do anything else including and also
-adjust air doctrine, except city/ground/airfield attack (which cannot be adjusted back again), but must return to default setting at end of go
-conduct long range air operations
-auto missions using airgroups controlled or commanded by other Commanders where they left it with an airgroup range allwoing for that
-re-assign any unit within their command to any where else in their command or to main high command
-assign any unit from main high command which they have assigned to main high command in the same turn
-assign leaders from within own command or allocated
-adjust settings such as max ToE, refit/reserve/ready, auto SU level support/ lock, airgroup replacement/autoswap/autoupgrade, but you must also notify Supreme Commander/Chief of Staff as they may otherwise adjust the setting without knowing you wanted it. The Supreme Commander has final say on these.

When commanders cannot complete their go because of real life or because they need another Commander to carry out some actions first they can give control of units to commanders who come sequentially after them with or without instructions for how to use them for that turn, or ask for a further go after another commander has taken their go if the Team Manager agrees

4 Supreme Commander or Chief of Staff Go at end

4.1 May take actions for any unit (unless house rule states otherwise)
-not in any other command (e.g. rear area unassigned garrisons, arrivals)
-in a command at their request
-further air operations
-makes final airbase moves which are
i) preceded by further airgroups to reserve, disband or swap
ii) together with any more airgroup air transfers
iii) followed by assignments from national reserve

4.2 And finally may
-make leader appointments
-reassign units
-adjust replacement/autoswap settings for airgroups
-adjust day/night missions for airgroups
-change range settings for airgroups
-adjust fighter/bomber missions for fighter-bomber airgroups
-adjust air doctrine
-set SU auto support level settings and locks, and remove SUs from direct assignment
-adjust unit status to or from refit/reserve/ready
-adjust units Max ToEs
-set production settings

These can be delegated to others (e.g. to an Air Commander)

Note SU = Support Unit