Experimenting with a campaign mode

[offsides]

I'm not sure how to fully implement it, but I just had a thought. Play games back and forth, where each time the Ogre "wins", the next battle the CP has to start 2 (or maybe 3) rows close to the clear area, and if the defender wins it moves back the same amount (obviously it can't go past the last row). The goal is to win enough times that the Enemy CP has to start in the clear area, at which point the campaign is over. I'd probably also implement some sort of limits on units based on what's destroyed, as well as a limit to the number of times the Ogre can lose before the defense wins the campaign. Essentially, it's Ogre tug-of-war - you could even theoretically play it with 2 maps simultaneously having each side attack and defend, and the one who "wins" in fewer turns gets an advantage.

I'll have to percolate on this more and see about writing it up, assuming someone else doesn't run with the idea first... :)

[chicagoviking]

I started a new campaign last night. First scenario was Kill the Ogre, with the Combine possessing the awakening Ogre MK III and the Paneuros trying to kill it before it fully woke up. I used the forces listed in the scenario. The Combine set up their howitzer in 0808, the Ogre, named "Jubilant Czar," right behind it in 0807, with the 12 INF nearby.

The attacking Paneuro forces, especially the GEVs, made short work of the howitzer and all INF, but once Jubilant Czar had weapons online, it quickly took out 2 GEVs and a HVY, using both of its missiles in the process. Jubilant Czar made it off the north edge of the board with little difficulty, but did lose its main battery and 12 tread units to enemy fire in the process.

The Paneuro forces that remained (3 GEV, 4 Missile Tank, 3 HVY) were then reinforced by 2 GEV PCs and 20 INF. Having claimed the northern area of the board, they constructed a Command Post in hex 0401.

Meanwhile, off-board, Jubilant Czar made a large loop around to the south end, thus re-entering the board from the south and instigating a MK III Attack scenario. Jubilant Czar had neither been repaired nor resupplied with missiles since the previous engagement, but was determined to destroy that Command Post.

If Jubilant Czar still had any missiles, that Command Post would have been toast, but the Paneuro forces destroyed its last tread units just in time to keep their Command Post safe from guns and ramming. Once the Ogre had no movement, the Paneuros stayed out of its range and destroyed all remaining weaponry. The Combine has now lost one Ogre MK III.

The Paneuros did take heavy losses though, specifically 3 Missile Tanks, 3 Heavy Tanks, 1 GEV PC, and all 20 INF.

... and that's where I stopped. I'm thinking that a fresh wave of reinforcements will arrive for the Paneuros and the Combine will make another attempt on the Command Post, this time using a bigger, badder Ogre...

Also, using the rules for GEV pilots improving with experience that was mentioned up-thread, I now have three GEV pilots that have 2XP each.

[chicagoviking]

Reinforcement have arrived for the Paneuros who survived and remain on the board, specifically

15 INF
4 Light Tank
4 LGEV
2 SHVY

and the Ogre MK III "Subtle Inferno."

Meanwhile, a Combine MK V, "Worthy Whirlwind," approaches from the south, escorted by two GEVs...

[chicagoviking]

So the sides ended up trading a bunch of the basic scenarios, since control of the battlefield kept ending up in enemy hands at the end of a scenario. Honestly, while I had fun playing, I don't think that particular campaign was really interesting enough to write up for y'all to read.

I will try to get a little more creative with the next campaign. Perhaps I will broke out the GEV maps and some of the units and optional rules from ODE that I've yet to try.

[Knockman]

Just a very quick thought (OK, took about 15 minutes to type up) on this to offer up as a suggestion:

Create a 'Card-Deck' campaign:
(1) Choose 6 to 8 scenarios, possibly using scenario ideas from the rulebook, scenario books, or elsewhere here on the forum;
(2) Put each scenario title on a playing card or blank business card, so you create a Campaign deck;
(3) Make another Replacements deck of cards, perhaps about 16 cards, each marked up with a value of replacement points to use for generating new reinforcements, e.g., 30, 35, 40, 45 and so on - and make up two or three of the lower scores too;
(4) Use the scenario briefings to create the 'battlegroups' of the opposing forces;
(5) Construct your own starting 'Battlegroup', give it a proper impressive name, give it a named General and maybe a few named deputy commanders (perhaps all on different coloured plastic counters?) who you can then allocate to a vehicle or squad. These characters provide you with a Bonus-Die-Roll (BDR), so that when you use that character and that unit in a combat, they roll 2d6 and not the usual single d6. You then get to choose the best result from either of the two d6 scores and apply it to the CRT. But there's a catch - if you ever roll Double-1 or Double-6, that character has been killed.
(6) First game, draw a scenario card, play it to the conclusion. If you win you keep that card. If you fail, it's put back in the Campaign Deck, you shuffle and you then draw a new card from the top of the Deck and play that scenario - even if it's the same one again.
(7) Regardless of victory or defeat of that first game, always draw a card from the Replacements deck, and that's the number of points you have to rebuild your own force before you start the 2nd scenario. Note the surviving units and let them earn XPs - and maybe at some future point they can spend their XPs to then get their own one-shot or even a permanent BDR.
(8) Play that campaign to the end, but above all else, keep a Battlegroup Campaign Journal as their own War Diary.

[chicagoviking]

Originally Posted by Knockman

Just a very quick thought (OK, took about 15 minutes to type up) on this to offer up as a suggestion:

Create a 'Card-Deck' campaign:
(1) Choose 6 to 8 scenarios, possibly using scenario ideas from the rulebook, scenario books, or elsewhere here on the forum;
(2) Put each scenario title on a playing card or blank business card, so you create a Campaign deck;
(3) Make another Replacements deck of cards, perhaps about 16 cards, each marked up with a value of replacement points to use for generating new reinforcements, e.g., 30, 35, 40, 45 and so on - and make up two or three of the lower scores too;
(4) Use the scenario briefings to create the 'battlegroups' of the opposing forces;
(5) Construct your own starting 'Battlegroup', give it a proper impressive name, give it a named General and maybe a few named deputy commanders (perhaps all on different coloured plastic counters?) who you can then allocate to a vehicle or squad. These characters provide you with a Bonus-Die-Roll (BDR), so that when you use that character and that unit in a combat, they roll 2d6 and not the usual single d6. You then get to choose the best result from either of the two d6 scores and apply it to the CRT. But there's a catch - if you ever roll Double-1 or Double-6, that character has been killed.
(6) First game, draw a scenario card, play it to the conclusion. If you win you keep that card. If you fail, it's put back in the Campaign Deck, you shuffle and you then draw a new card from the top of the Deck and play that scenario - even if it's the same one again.
(7) Regardless of victory or defeat of that first game, always draw a card from the Replacements deck, and that's the number of points you have to rebuild your own force before you start the 2nd scenario. Note the surviving units and let them earn XPs - and maybe at some future point they can spend their XPs to then get their own one-shot or even a permanent BDR.
(8) Play that campaign to the end, but above all else, keep a Battlegroup Campaign Journal as their own War Diary.

Thanks for the suggestions, knockman! That sounds like a great idea and a lot of fun.

[Izzy_B]

enjoying this thread

[chicagoviking]

I have not started Campaign 3 yet (sadly needed my table for non-gaming purposes and had to put Ogre away temporarily), but I have been giving it some thought. I like the idea of each side having a General. I've also decided I want each side to have one counter with a prototype unit.

The Combine will led by General Tso, and have the experimental unit General Tso's Chicken. I'm thinking it will have a high movement value and low attack value, but I'm not sure about specific numbers yet.

And I don't know yet what the Paneuro General or prototype unit will be.