GameTalk - Critical Hits

[bayonetbrant]

http://grogheads.com/?p=9326

[Boggit]

I'm all for critical hits for naval, air and tactical space combat, because at least for the first two genres critical hits seem to play an important part in reality. I'm not so sold on the idea for operational games, but I guess if your main units are naval, there might be a case to answer. I think the mechanics of the critical hit are more important to the tactical level, whereas number crunching is perhaps more relevant at the operational level... the tank is dead... does it matter whether the fuel supply blew up, or the ammo...?

[GJK]

I scored a "near" CH on a STuG with a 50mm mortar fired from the top level of a gutted building just yesterday.  It took a tread off the tank (immobilizing it) and also broke the squad+leader in the same hex (yes, ASL).  The next turn, my opponent did score a CH on that same mortar team and that +4 TEM (fortified building) that they had been enjoying all game long turned into a -4 TEM for the effects roll.  Lost my Hero, mortar and crew in that one.

[mirth]

I'm all for critical hits for naval, air and tactical space combat, because at least for the first two genres critical hits seem to play an important part in reality. I'm not so sold on the idea for operational games, but I guess if your main units are naval, there might be a case to answer. I think the mechanics of the critical hit are more important to the tactical level, whereas number crunching is perhaps more relevant at the operational level... the tank is dead... does it matter whether the fuel supply blew up, or the ammo...?

Agreed. At the operational level, I think "critical" results are more likely reflected in a CRT. A DE result or whatever.

[Bletchley_Geek]

I do think critical hits can have a role in operational simulations. The thing is that the stuff being "critically hit" isn't a part of something tangible, like a command & control system, or a logistics network.

An obvious example to me of critical hits on an operational setting would be:

* In games with reserve activation/distinct reaction phases, the reserves not activating at all, or units not in reserve reacting (i.e. like falling back to protect a "flank").
* An air strike taking out a bridge reducing supply reaching front units in a timely fashion.
* An air strike taking out a Regt HQ, facilitating a breakthrough and delaying information to the higher echelon to organise a response.
* A unit caught in the act of deploying by an advancing enemy force (think of this as a meeting engagement where one of the forces engaged gets trounced as it gets committed piecemeal).

and so on...