GURPS Mass Combat out

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by Lupo

Mass Combat Rules are very nice but it's more fun if you "actually" use your powerful Cone of Fire, or your Extra attacks and Chi feats, to wipe out dozens of foes, rather than abstracting the whole process in a couple of die rolls...

So your Cone of Fire swamps a hundred enemy soldiers- does the GM then roll a hundred Dodges, apply damage to DR, record HP losses then make appropriate HT checks for each soldier? I would say this is exactly one of the things mass combat rules should cover.

[AmesJainchill]

This product seems really cool.

It's exactly what my friend who is GMing a historical GURPS game set in 1961 Sierra Leone, where the PCs are CIA-backed commandoes fighting the Communist insurgency.

I could also see it being a lot of fun for lots of other scenarios.

[Christopher R. Rice]

As one of the playtesters involved in this project I spent literally days working on different angles for battles, the system had to be next to perfect! I knew with some of the other playtesters involved that I wouldn't have to worry about historical reenactments, so I did..umm odd things. The Big Monster battle was mine and I have to say I was apprehensive about posting it! I am glad it made it in (even as a box)

All in all I love this friggen book and I wish we could have playtested it even more, and as a note, if you looking for squad level tactical wargaming STAY clear of this book. This is IMHO a perfect product for the GM who wants massive battles but wants to avoid the combat bog down that tends to accompany that with other more complex systems (chainmail. I am looking at you)

And David if I didn't say it enough during the playtest, I am going to say it here you did a helluva job on this little book!

Ghostdancer

[dataweaver]

I can definitely see the potential for supplements - in particular, Mass Combat of the future seems like it could use some more fleshing out. I wouldn't mind a companion piece designed to work alongside the upcoming Spaceships supplements "Warships and Space Pirates" and "Fighters, Carriers, and Mecha" in order to address elements such as the space forces (as distinct from aerospace forces, but roughly analogous to naval forces) and mecha armies (which would range from Battletech-style ground forces through Gundam-style aerospace forces and possibly even to Robotech-style dual-purpose forces).

[demonsbane]

Originally Posted by David L Pulver

Micro Designer Notes

Since we are lacking now of a place for the "Designer Notes" articles (I *think* Rev's DF 5: Allies was, in a sense, the first GURPS release deprived of this due the change in Pyramid), I want to thank you for these comments, David.

[Sanity]

What I Would like to see is a way to determine casualties on a troop unit way, as well as have some stand out or not. Basically similar to how things work foth chars - one can select heroism for a unit, increasing the TS. At the end of the battle, the "damage" is distributed to the units.

[MrKay]

I just downloaded Mass Combat, and I got to say it's looking good.

Now to go home and dust off my old books on the To&E of the Soviet Army in 1939 and get started with that Frozen Hell campaign I have been postponing for way too long.

[hal]

I liked the material in GURPS MASS COMBAT and I have to say that initially I was impressed. I look forward to utilizing it for my own campaigns because this is the type of thing that got good use when I had GURPS 3e.

I do however, have two questions for anyone to answer... perhaps even David :)

In the table, it lists on page 17, that Medium Cavalry have the code Cv,F.

Was this a mistake? I checked the TL and saw it at TL and thought "Ok, probably a misprint"

The second question has to do with a closer look at the "examples" given for the TL 0-5 throughout the booklet. I noted that the rules specify that Strykland has a force with 20 elements worth a total of 120 points. 9 of those points are Archers, and 25 of those points are Heavy Cavalry. That works out to about 2 Hvy Cav elements and 3 bowmen elements, leaving me with 15 elements to try and determine their "aspects" if you will.

That is when I discovered something that didn't make sense to me. Per the information on page 9, it states that Impetious troops have certain bonuses and penalties for the commander depending upon what the commander's choice is for the combat round. Ok, makes sense as written. But then there was the rule that if your impetious troops make up 10% or more of the troops by either troop numbers or by TS value, that certain rules are put into effect. To wit, if the Commander choses either of All-out-attack, attack, or raid, he gains a +1 bonus to his strategy roll. However, any other option chosen results in the commander having to make a Leadership roll at -1 per 10% of the force that are impetuous. If Sir Richard's forces are such that 37.5 TS points are Impetuous, and he only has 75.5 TS points for his force, we have 37.5/75.5 or 49% of his TS as impetuous troops! Poor Sir Richard has to make a Leadership roll at -4 (minimum) or -5 or suffer a -2 to his Strategy roll.

This was left out of the example given for the battle turns. Was this an oversight or am I mis-reading the rules?

One question that popped into my mind while reading...

What is the TS value for Demonic creatures? ;)

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by hal

What is the TS value for Demonic creatures? ;)

What kind of demonic creatures? What special abilities does being demonic give them? I'd say tack on +50% to base TS, or maybe impulsive, and call it good.

[Dinadon]

Originally Posted by hal

In the table, it lists on page 17, that Medium Cavalry have the code Cv,F.

Was this a mistake? I checked the TL and saw it at TL and thought "Ok, probably a misprint"

Did you read their description? I know I did when I saw that. They have bows.