Railroads instead of Strategic Movement

[Mordachai]

Strategic Movement is an interesting abstraction, and made a lot of sense for a board game, such as World in Flames. However, in HOI2 (or perhaps more appropriately, HOI3) the actual major rail lines could be modeled.

This would add a lot of interesting realism, and just plain enjoyment to the game.

Think about being able to bomb actual bridges, or target rail-lines (not "infrastructure", which again is a very abstract notion), but specifically rail lines, in order to reduce your opponent's ability to strategically redeploy troops and materials.

Destroying major bridges, roads, and rail lines was a major theme in WWII. Infrastructure is just too abstract.

The segments of rail could have "opperational value" of 0-100% for any given province, and this could be bombed into the stone age.

 

[Friant]

Strategic redeployment is also subject to a lot of exploits, allowing a unit to teleport out of trouble when Strength gets too low or winter sets in. Modeling specific rail lines would be a HUGE change in mechanics, however. And you'd need a "War in Russia" type mechanism to account for the differences between German and Soviet rail gauges.

Its a question of what you want to micromanage. Moving supplies by rail, truck, and horse would be more realistic than the current "automatic everywhere with a land connection" system, but most people would probably rather be directing large-scale Panzer encirclements than loading up the Panje carts with MG-42 ammunition. The HOI2 ESE system actually comes a lot closer to modelling reality while not becoming too obtrusive and time-consuming than any other mechanism I've seen at this scale.

 

[unmerged(17392)]

it would be too much micro-management. it sounds great but it would be too much work and too much of a distraction.

build up a RR network, set up major supply dumpd in occupied lands, sending in replacements, taking out the wounded, etc. all sounds really interesting. if planes could find a supply dump prov in the rear, then they would just exploit that and go all out to take out that prov. the provs nearby would be on low supplies until a new supply dump could be created by an altered RR netwrok. that would be too much of an exploit for the players.

if someone was lazy or careless, their mighty army would be bogged down due to inefficient supply chain. that would be realistic but too much work for the player. paradox tried to streamline things for us a little with HOI2.

still, an interesting idea.

 

[unmerged(46319)]

Strategic Movement is an interesting abstraction, and made a lot of sense for a board game, such as World in Flames. However, in HOI2 (or perhaps more appropriately, HOI3) the actual major rail lines could be modeled.

This would add a lot of interesting realism, and just plain enjoyment to the game.

Think about being able to bomb actual bridges, or target rail-lines (not "infrastructure", which again is a very abstract notion), but specifically rail lines, in order to reduce your opponent's ability to strategically redeploy troops and materials.

Destroying major bridges, roads, and rail lines was a major theme in WWII. Infrastructure is just too abstract.

The segments of rail could have "opperational value" of 0-100% for any given province, and this could be bombed into the stone age.

I think World in Flames had rail lines at least on the additional Scandinavian, Africn and eurasian map. While it is neat to see maybe it's a bit over the top. Considering the amount of rail lines there were and the amount of movement that is understood , maybe we don't need to see railroads, roads river barges and other forms of moving troops. And a certain line cut is almost unimportant , troops can always be diverted.

 

[The Albatross]

I Can See a New Game Concept Here......

it would be too much micro-management. it sounds great but it would be too much work and too much of a distraction.

build up a RR network, set up major supply dumpd in occupied lands, sending in replacements, taking out the wounded, etc. all sounds really interesting. if planes could find a supply dump prov in the rear, then they would just exploit that and go all out to take out that prov. the provs nearby would be on low supplies until a new supply dump could be created by an altered RR netwrok. that would be too much of an exploit for the players.

if someone was lazy or careless, their mighty army would be bogged down due to inefficient supply chain. that would be realistic but too much work for the player. paradox tried to streamline things for us a little with HOI2.

still, an interesting idea.

For the Logisticians out there......"Logistics Commander of World War II" is born ....

It has all of the above -- the war is abstracted (ie vice versa to HOI 2) and you have to win battles by investing IC's into:
-- researching Steam Locos
-- designing and building Heavy cargo carriages
-- Reinforced Bailey Bridge designs for spans
-- desigining and building rail and road networks
-- exploring for new resources...
-- etc etc

The screen tells you how many ARM/INF?AIR units your INFRA will support and off you go.

Remember, you heard it here first!!!!

Sure to be a winner....