5 replies to this topic

[MAMason]

I am interested in war gaming the pacific theater from War Plan Orange in the 1920 through WW2. I have the following questions:

General Quarters 3.3: Does it contain enough ship data to play the US and Japan through this time period?

Does the Sudden Storm supplement contain the ship logs needed for that conflict, or is it just a campaign game with scenarios?

To model a USN - IJN conflict in the mid 1920's would I need Fleet Action Imminent?

[Cpt M]

GQ3.3 is set primarily in the WWII period with the ships as they would have been configured during the 1939-45 period ands the CRTs reflecting combat of that time.  As such, it would not be correct for the 1920s.  For that time period, a new set of ship logs and CRTs would be necessary.  The same would apply to Fleet Action Imminent; these are configured for  WWI with the CRTs and ship logs geared to that period.

 

Sudden Storm is designed as a hypothetical 'come as you are' war between the US and Japan set in 1937.  All the units (naval, air and land) are as they would be in 1937 and the CRTs are configured for that time period.  Consequently, given the considerable advances made in gunnery control and the many ship refits done from the 1920s to 1937 (to say nothing of the rapid changes in aircraft design and capabilities), it too would not be suitable for the earlier period.

 

The basic GQ3.3 game system can be adapted for other periods (the system was used for Fleet Action Imminent and others have used it for predreadnoughts), so a 1920s variant would not be that difficult.  The key element in the GQ system is the time specific ship logs and CRTs.  Instead of having a single set of rules and charts covering a long period, with the changes in equipment and doctrine reflected by a myriad of die roll modifiers and special rules, GQ using time specific CRTs that have these many elements seamlessly built in to the charts.  While this makes playing the game much easier, it does make developing the CRTs more difficult for the designer.  And it makes using the rules for other periods more problematic.   

[MAMason]

Coastal,

 

Thanks for taking the time to give all these details, they are much appreciated.  Sounds like if one was to get FAI, GQ3.3, and Sudden Storm, the years 1914-1918, 1937, and 1941-1945 would be covered.  I agree with the approach of having time specific charts that are faster in use.

 

I would guess that since most developments resulting in improved gunnery accuracy were incremental, just interpolating between the FAI and Sudden Storm charts to get a 1925 or 1930 appropriate combat results table would not work very well.

 

If one were to start with Sudden Storm, which version of General Quarters would be the appropriate core rules to use, GQ3.3 or FAI?

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

[Cpt M]

Coastal,

 

Thanks for taking the time to give all these details, they are much appreciated.  Sounds like if one was to get FAI, GQ3.3, and Sudden Storm, the years 1914-1918, 1937, and 1941-1945 would be covered.  I agree with the approach of having time specific charts that are faster in use.

 

I would guess that since most developments resulting in improved gunnery accuracy were incremental, just interpolating between the FAI and Sudden Storm charts to get a 1925 or 1930 appropriate combat results table would not work very well.

 

If one were to start with Sudden Storm, which version of General Quarters would be the appropriate core rules to use, GQ3.3 or FAI?

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

GQ3.3 would be the best. Given the amount of air activity, you'd need the air rules in GQ3.3.  Also, the CRTs and ship logs specific to Sudden Storm are included in the supplement.

[neuroranger]

In the description of sudden storm, it states no long lance or magnetic detonator problems. I thought both of these technologies where widely deployed by 1937? Are they excluded for the sake of game balance or is there another reason to exclude them?

[Cpt M]

In the case of the IJN's Type 93 24" torpedo, it was left out due to the fact it hadn't yet made it to the fleet.  The Type 93, after a long development, was adopted as the new standard torpedo in 1935.  But, due to needing an oxygen plant and other technical issues, it couldn't be merely swapped out for the previous Type 90 torpedo.  Historically, the IJN began the extensive process of upgrading first the heavy cruisers in 1937 followed later by the newer destroyers.  On the eve of WWII, even after 4 years of rebuilding/refitting, some cruisers and one major class of destroyers still carried the older Type 90 torpedo. 

 

For the USN's Mk 6 exploder, it was still under development during this time and didn't enter production until 1938.  Even after production was underway, it was felt that the Mk 6 was so revolutionary (it wasn't), that all production was locked up and not distributed to the fleet.