2 replies to this topic

[Aman]

The GQ3 rulebook says on p.xii, second paragraph from top on left:

"The Game Turn length remains six minutes (equivalent) for daytime Game turns and three minutes for nocturnal game turns where the actual tactical combat period tended to be short and very violent. Hardcore shellbacks, of course, are welcome to use three minute Game Turns for both day and night actions for a more thorough simulation."

 

This sounds to me like the gunnery and the movement rates both represent three minutes of shooting or movement, respectively, is that right? 

 

However, in reading the FAI rulebook, p.vi top: 

 

"Scale

Simulates six minutes of tactical action...

Movement rates are actually based upon three minutes; the time simulated has been doubled to maintain player interest and simulate the effect of 'dead time' inherit [sic] in any military operation"

 

I read this to say that it is based upon six minutes of shooting [hit rate, damage etc] but only three minutes of movement. Doubling the rate at which damage occurs should "maintain player interest" as well as keep the game moving by blowing up ships in half the time.

 

So if I wanted to reconcile the ratio of movement distance to firing rates, I'd have to double the movement rates, right? This seems like it would make for big moves, which would be fine on a big table.

 

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Overall, ship speed seems quite calculable as it is so fixed over the surface.

 

Gunnery however is much more abstract. The only thing that would be calculable, with the right data, is the number of rounds fired and hits obtained at a big battle like Jutland. Game mechanic hits do not represent a single hit, however. The rules state that it can represent one hit from a big gun, but several hits from a small gun.

 

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To conclude, I'm wondering if the designer's intent is that GQ3 is 3min for gunnery and movement, while FAI is 6 min of gunnery and 3 min of movement.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[Lonnie Gill]

G' Day Aman,

 

Both GQ 3 and FAI are based on three minutes per Game Turn for both movement (as you can easily calculate) and gunnery.   Sorry my explanations were not clear.  The answer is simple.  In a game, you are omnipotent and can see everything that is happening and fire every GT without problems or confusion.  But, real actions are filled with all kinds of things that limit and slow effective firing and other actions from mechanical reloading delays and short power failures to momentary problems with sighting from mist, smoke and having sights slew off target or shifting target to confusion on the bridge regarding orders given or received or just delaying a little to preserve ammunition until the fire control solution improves.  In short, a multitude of things that happen in real life, but would be a nightmare to attempt to simulate each of them every GT.  There are all kinds of these minor delays that add up to significant "dead time" in an engagement or other activities.  Anyone who has been in the military can readily attest to that - as can those who play sports actively.  There aren't necessarily delays every three minutes, but over the course of an engagement, they do occur and average out as you can see if you research historical ship deck logs and gunnery records.

 

We simulate all that by having daytime GTs average the equivalence of six minutes over the course of the engagement.  The net effect applies equally to both sides and the pace compares well with historical results as many/most of the delays relate one way or another to visibility.  Night actions are different.  They are brief and violent.  Distances are short as are shell flight times and torpedo runs.  After significant time spent maneuvering and finding the opponent, actual firing times are usually only a few minutes.  It's fire as quickly as you can during the short interval the target is in sight or before your ship gets overwhelmed. The night actions in the South Pacific are good examples of this.  Thus, we focus on the short combat times in night actions by using three minutes per GT.  

 

The point is to better reflect the cumulative equivalent time an engagement takes.  Six minutes per daytime GT vs. three minutes at night averaged over the course of an engagement is a simple, but effective, way to reflect this.  Purists, of course, are welcome to use three minutes for both if they want to reflect optimum potential effectiveness without all the nagging little problems that tend to occur over time.  At the end of the day, all this is really only an issue if other forces are in the vicinity and can intervene at given points in time.  

 

I hope this helps clear it up for you.

 

LONNIE

[Aman]

great, thanks Lonnie!