Grinds Are Often Long and Frustrating
Some days the gaming grind (especially online) can get frustrating, annoying, tedious, time-wasting, and a whole host of other negative emotions. That's why laughter, music, and good food are essential remedies. Along with the loyalty and love of your furkids who never disappoint.
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Charlie Don't Surf - Scenario One
The other day popped into a pet store and on the off-chance I found this statuette. Thought it would make a nice addition to my Buddha statuette acquired from a different pet store. Grabbed it without noticing that there was no price listed on the item. And I did not check the shelving to see if the price was shown there. My impulsive mistake.
Later I went online to check the manufacturer to check what they list the cost of the item. Sadly, the website does not list prices: you must be logged in. Tried to register but found it's for businesses only. So, I have no idea what the true price of the item is. One last thing: the website claims it was made of high quality plastic. Just a quick scan of it refutes that claim as the miniature I now possess is NOT plastic. Be ware.
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The Eastern Front - a WWII gallery
Came across this website through a random YT video. Quality modelling. Love it.
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World of Warships
Taking a short break because the daily grind eventually does your head in. Anyway, still logging in and collecting the daily reward for sure. Everything else however is up in the air and dependent on how I'm feeling at the time.
Next update will 14.6. New ships lines that I don't care about.
Advance news is that WG's tenth anniversary is going to be a big celebration and possible benefit to the players. According to Sealord Mountbatten (head of the TF clan and noted YT WOW streamer), it's going to be a giveaway event. Several thousand doubloons or steel will be given away; all you have to do is participate. Celebration will commence in August and continue until November (for part) and end of the year (for the other parts).
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Avoid at all cost: the latest Wishing Well event. No interest whatsoever in this gambling event. You spend more than you receive in terms of rewards. Also running today is the Bastille Day mission - prize is a Revolutionary maid patch. Wow! The Coalface is a special mission utlising the Experimental ships in your port. No rush to complete as a priority however. Part way through completing.
Continued the commander upskill grind after I found out the Personal Challenge has a limit on the amount of American tokens one can earn - 500. Once you reach that tally, any further progress just rewards you with 10,000 credits. Part 2 commences in a few days though what the reward is I know not, and the Early Access for the new US destroyer line commences Wednesday. Expect to be able to acquire one or two of the Early Access ships first up; the rest, I will have to play for somehow though what form that takes remains unknown to me. And then two Updates later, they're released as tech tree line ships you can grind for free. Sigh.
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More Naval Wargaming
Ostfront Publishing have just released War By Sails, a naval Age of Sails wargame, that covers the period 1563 to 1812. There is also a "generic" sail period between 1300-1550.
Ruleset is available as a PDF format through Wargames Vault although you can also obtain either hardcover or softcover versions.
The YT example game featured a run-through of the game mechanics. Looks promising, and got me interested enough to want to drag out my dust-gathering Napoleonic fleets and crank up the old Kiss Me Hardy game and cruise around some islands for a couple of hours like in those old Sunday matinees.
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30th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade, May 1940
Got email notifying me of the last days of the Summer Sale being run. Among the titles listed in the email I noticed one that caught my interest - 30th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade, May 1940. Ho, some of the Dominion troops were involved back then that I hadn't heard of, so I wondered.
But I was quickly disappointed when consulting a recent source that the 30th was an English formation, a motorised brigade comprising the Queen Victoria's Rifles (a motorcycle Territorial scout unit), two Regular motorised units - the 2nd Battalion of the King's Royal Rifles Corps (the old 60th) and 1st Battalion of the Rifle Brigade. An armoured regiment (3rd Tank regiment) was drafted in to complete the force despatched hurriedly to France.
This was the 30th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade of May 1940.
Not the Commonwealth I was expecting.
But there were Australian connections sprinkled throughout: the commanding officer of the QVR, for one, was Tasmanian-born; the parents of one officer from the Rifles were from Brisbane. And doubtless others, here and there, suggested colonial ties to the mother country.
However, and it's a big one as far as I'm concerned, this initial dig into fact-finding has opened a whole new can of wormy interest for me. And the story of the sacrifice of the 30th Brigade is proving most intriguing. Maybe it's also worthy of gaming? We shall see.
Funny sidenote: The use of the term "fog of war" as a euphemism to describe command incompetence is a novel way that's is hilarious yet painful.
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Charlie Don't Surf slow-burn campaign
Thus begins the long journey...
Stage One - Lang Dong Nam
For the first scenario I decided to make the scenario a small setup based on the district village of Lang Dong Nam. This meant designing the village itself which I worked out to be around 300 yards square.
Next, for personal interest reasons, I designed the Firezone map. Each grid square was 1000 yards square and six figured. Why? For fire missions and air support call ups. Just guessing and not based on any historical reality apart from using the old grid square coordinate system I learnt in the Army.
Once done, I've now created the fictional village of Lang Dong Nam. I had already classified the habitations of my original campaign map (see below) into the following sizes:
- Village/hamlet/hovel - 2000 yds x 2000 yds OR 4 Grid Squares in total
- District village - 3000 yds x 3000 yds OR 9 Grid Squares in total
- District town - 6000 yds x 9000 yds OR 54 Grid Squares in total
- Note: The dimensions represent the limitation of a habitation's total size (area-wise), but NOT the configuration so that district village for example can be two 4-Grid squares and one single Grid square in size. Also, any terrain item (especially dwellings) can be placed outside the habitation zone and does not count as part of that habitation.
Restrictions on buildings per habitation zone
For the purpose of this campaign, I've placed a limit on the number of buildings per habitation zone.
- Level 1 village or hamlet: 1-4 structures (any covered structure)
- Level 2 village: Up to 8 structures
- District town: 9+ structures
What I eventually came up with, after dicing for terrain, is this sketch map done in MS Paint:
The main road north-west passes by the village which consists of just three liveable buildings (hooches), some paddy fields and a few bamboo thickets. The surrounding jungle is typically dense and uncultivated jungle.
At the current scale, this will be played on a 4' x 3' table.
I'm still going with my fictional ANZAC platoon tasked with sweeping through the village; I have yet to decide which platoon.
Once the platoon has successfully cleared the village of any perceived hostile threat or intent, the rest of the company will move in and secure the village as the forward base for the upcoming operations.
The simple question is why take it so slowly or cautiously? Simple answer is narrative.
Several factors contribute in creating this narrative:
- (1) the area might appear to be peacefully neutral but it's apparent (from Intel) that many locals sympathise with the VC cause. By making a strong show of force it may dissuade such sentiments from becoming more overt and therefore problematic,
- (2) little Intel is available on any VC activity in the area. A clearer picture of what are gaps in the Intel overview is essential to better appreciating and understanding the VC,
- (3) the future intention is to set up a major presence in the area politically as well as militarily given the strategic location of the region,
- (4) the higher ups fear the that the Ho Chi Min trail may spread its invasive tentacles into the region. They may already be infiltrating both arms and personnel but Intel have no idea how, where or who. This operation may go some way to answering those questions. Or so the higher ups believe.
And so on...
I may be overstating the obvious but a narrative campaign such as the one undertaken requires connection between battles or engagements. Starting from nothing but one's fertile imagination is part of the fun and the ultimate satisfaction derived stems from the links between the first and last battle.
Reproduced this particular CDS post into the other forum page. Cheers.
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Set out village on the table then worked on improving some of the helos.
Working on providing a narrative for the AI enemy - VC. Once done, will set up and play the game.
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Scenario development continued
The Overview
Gave some thought as to what would the VC be doing while the Free World are making all these preparation to enter the region. Even though they're largely AI in this campaign, still they needed some direction rather than randomly popping up
Came up with the inital notion that the VC are operating in the area in three distinct "pockets", either disguised (mild mannered peasants by day, super-sneaky VC by night), or hidden within impenetrable terrain only coming out at times to conduct their winning-the-local-population campaign and eliminating those pro-Free World.
Scenario One
The VC group responsible for this region (south-east on the overview map) already knew where the FF would be arriving and raced to the area with a welcome committee.
Their forces include:
- 1 mortar team
- 2 full-strength sections armed with RPGs and AK-47s
- 1 command team including 1 Big Man (3), 1 Radio op, 1 sapper, rest are rifle squaddies armed with RPGs and bolt-action rifles
For the FF, I'm selecting 2 Platoon from A Company. Big Man is Lt. Mike Sommers (AUS) = 3. Unit will be mounted on APCs led by Lt Mike Delaney (AUS) = 3. The troops will debus at the the road junction and sweep through on foot. 1 section will lead the way into the village while 2 section will sweep south of the bypass road. 3 section will follow 1 section. Platoon HQ will be between 1 and 3 sections.
One APC will take the bypass route in support of 2 section while one APC will follow the sweep through the village. Delaney and the remaining APC will be the reserve.
On-call will artillery support (4 Fire Zones nominated) and a solitary Huey from Flight B, 65 Squadron will be on standby as dustoff and air cover.
Intel expects nothing more than surprised glances from the villagers as recent reports state the area is clear of enemy and is neutral.
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More Ornaments
So my wife and I visited the local pet store and somehow I ended buying these...
Buy 1, get 1 for half price. Too good to pass up. Some repainting required I suppose...or not.
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