On the way to Yen Bai (another hypothetical future war)

Started by MengJiao, March 13, 2022, 10:40:43 PM

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MengJiao

Well...since we are now seeing "The Next War" in all its oddity, I thought I'd look at the next and latest Next War in the Next War series: Next War Vietnam.  I have
to admit it was mostly my puzzlement with how things went in Compass GAmes South China Sea, that led me to look into  Next War Vietnam next.

  Now, interestingly enough, China has already attacked Vietnam once, in early 1979 in response to Vietnam's knocking out the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia in 1978, and even more weirdly,
Vietnam's overrunning the Khmer regime was exactly the sort of relatively quick and efficient knock out blow that people seem to have been aiming at in other contexts ever since.

  China, on the other hand, after an attack on roughly the scale of Russia's on Ukraine, took some ground, declared victory, and pulled back.  Of course nowadays things could supposedly be
much different: you know, advanced mechanized army parachutes and choppers all over the place and the defenders give up and change their regime etc. etc.

  You can sort of set things up in the Next war Vietnam to sort of test this mode of attack with a different kettle of fish since Mitchell Land's idea of an appropriate game to deal with such things
is "a small monster game" -- not necessarily the most playable assemblage, but one with a fair number of adjustable bells and whistles which might let you look into what might go wrong with
your basic  advanced mechanized army parachutes and choppers all over the place and the defenders give up pretty quick approach to things.

  Fortunately the basic game is pretty basic -- the helicopters are visible, but the jets are abstract.  Things don't escalate up into the adavanced game and its thermonuclear endgame (thankfully) without many little educational steps.  But anyway, here I am as the Chinese, in a basic scenario, trying to get to Hanoi from the West in two weeks.  Doesn't sound impossible, but we've seen things
go wrong with plans like that quite recently (anyway the parachuting worked so far and the beefed up and cunning outposts have done some damage without the "token defense" on the border the scenario
suggests):




W8taminute

"You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend."

Romulan Commander to Kirk

MengJiao

Quote from: W8taminute on March 14, 2022, 08:03:53 AM
Oh this looks interesting.

   I find it more convincing and plausible as a representation than South China Sea, though the rules are labyrinthine and there are supplements to the system etc. etc.  On the other hand
I'm pretty entertained by the concept of a "Small Monster GAme"...Plus here I am trying to get to Hanoi and after a week of blasting away at the Vietnamese I still have 70 miles to go
and not much to stop two Vietnamese Infantry Corps marching in from the south (not visible in Photo):


W8taminute

Haha!  I have a soft spot for monster games so this concept of a "small monster" is intriguing. 
"You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend."

Romulan Commander to Kirk

MengJiao

Quote from: W8taminute on March 14, 2022, 09:53:12 AM
Haha!  I have a soft spot for monster games so this concept of a "small monster" is intriguing.

  Monstrosity and confusing rules are good for solo play I think.  Ooops...I forgot...XYZ you say as you do manage to remember for one side at least...which
introduces some unexpected dynamics maybe.

MengJiao

Quote from: MengJiao on March 14, 2022, 10:00:13 AM
Quote from: W8taminute on March 14, 2022, 09:53:12 AM
Haha!  I have a soft spot for monster games so this concept of a "small monster" is intriguing.

  Monstrosity and confusing rules are good for solo play I think.  Ooops...I forgot...XYZ you say as you do manage to remember for one side at least...which
introduces some unexpected dynamics maybe.

   This is as close as I could get to Hanoi.  In another few weeks I would have been leveling the place, but all introductory scenarios must come to an end:


W8taminute

Still a ways to go before you even get to the outskirts of Hanoi.  Judging from the pictures you posted it looked like an even fight?
"You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend."

Romulan Commander to Kirk

MengJiao

Quote from: W8taminute on March 15, 2022, 08:22:44 AM
Still a ways to go before you even get to the outskirts of Hanoi.  Judging from the pictures you posted it looked like an even fight?

  I bumped up the defense in a couple of Ukrainian ways and didn't use any advanced attacking stuff, so it went like I expected: it takes longer than 2 weeks to
get to the enemy capital even if they are not a very well-equiped army (but they do have militias in the jungle)

   Next run: all the advanced attack methods and surprise and we'll see if the Americans can help the Vietnamese stop the Chinese in 8 weeks
(Which might be about the limit to the Ukrainian war too maybe).  I can go nuclear, but the chemical warfare stuff
is in a supplement to the game series so none of that this time around.