Funnily enough we though about doing a UCAP game with PBI playing home guard manning the post pre D-day as it was attacked by german Brandenburg commandoes
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
Could do it either way.
I was thinking a total stop, so guns down and you stay put or withdraw to your HQ. That way squads can be in place for a dawn attack, but would still need to remain tatical to prevent detection. I'd propose some night time operations (whether its offensive or recce) so that stagging is for a purpose, e.g., if sunset is 20:00, play until 22:00. Then players know that between 22:00 and, say, 06:00 they can get unbroken sleep.
Jon Steele
1st Sgt, Fox Company, 506th, 101st
OC
Sounds quite doable Jon.
I just think you have to give an activity a purpose (and a game consequence) or no one takes it seriously.
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
Chaps, Old 'Un is creating an event for later this year that will be 'milsim' if you wish to use an airsofter's phrase 
but is more accurately a mix of living history and airsoft. No idea where people get this 'living in foxholes' thing from - what's wrong with a comfy camp? Unless you have dropped by parachute behind enemy lines, in which case you have to live by your wits and what you carry on your back...
How about waiting until you are presented with a proposition, then decide if it interests you or not?
No sir, I demand that we explore every possible possibility and outcome and debate it till we are blue in the face and then go with what we usually do 
Speaking as a 'softie' I wouldn't go a bundle on digging a trench and standing in six inches of water for six hours on the off-chance an enemy wandered by. OK, it may be realistic - but come now, that ain't going to happen is it?
I have ticked all of Gadge's boxes as I think 'milsim' needs good dose of hard-core-ness and less of the airsoft 'game'.
Aye its a good debate, always good to know what players want.
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
:rofl:
Speaking as a 'softie' I wouldn't go a bundle on digging a trench and standing in six inches of water for six hours on the off-chance an enemy wandered by. OK, it may be realistic - but come now, that ain't going to happen is it?
Similar has happened in the past
We spent three hours at a sennybridge game once guarding a point away from the man attack in case the main was a feint etc.
Was allright, not the best days airsoft ever and luckily ditch free
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
i too ticked all the boxes, but i think its the order in which they are ticked thats important.......
Hmmm, I was saying standing in a ditch of water for six hours isn't going to happen. Nothing wrong with a bit of tension building by a period of no contact, tension is better than blatting in my book.
Hmmm, I was saying standing in a ditch of water for six hours isn't going to happen. Nothing wrong with a bit of tension building by a period of no contact, tension is better than blatting in my book.
agreed dave, i loved all the patrolling and not making contact unless unavoidable stuff at mist.. (to be honest, digging and filling sand bags was no great ball ache)
Yith and I discussed this at length and came to the conclusion very few folk were prepaered to part with £30 + to effectively guard a AA missile that never gets attacked for two days. He recalls being the only guy left guarding an installation when the other wandered off bored.
(i may have this wrong, im sure yith will correct me)
Nah... the people doing the defending all stayed...There were other who left bored and the attackers went to sleep in their cars...
:rofl:
Speaking as a 'softie' I wouldn't go a bundle on digging a trench and standing in six inches of water for six hours on the off-chance an enemy wandered by. OK, it may be realistic - but come now, that ain't going to happen is it?
Does the fact that you might be there for 6 hours not inspire you act in a more 'lax' way? More likely to drop your guard whilst your mind wanders, or stand for a while in the more comfortable place rather then the more tactical? Somehow simulating the state of affairs that a garrison would fall into over several months in several hours. If someone did say 'defend this location for ten hours' I would say 'yes sir! where is my chair and roof?' I myself would be reluctant to sit in a ditch for several hours.
Never done it at all but that is what my mind thinks like and my boring day's musing types.
As with others what makes it for me is all of the above with the exception of the long duration & in field camping- they're optional. Guy is right about the mindset being key, otherwise its just a SISK. However the kit is also important as otherwise its just a milsim game, not ww2. The kit doesn't have to be perfect but if it looks fine at a distance then that is accpetable.
I do think having accurate units is very important, having a mix of every unit under the sun just looks daft. Having everyone representing one unit, or as close to it as possible increases the immersion for me. As does having a clear squad structure and chain of command, so everyone knows what they're meant to be doing and who is in charge.
The scenario is obviously also a key factor. A scenario must be believable, even if it is fictional, with units that fit and a site that matches (no Stalingrads in woodland or El Alameins in the snow). If it isn't believeable the game just isn't going to work.
Ammo limits are important as they make you think about what you're doing rather than blasting away like open days but that I feel can come under the mindset of the player. Medic rules I intially dismissed as less important (and didn't click them on the poll) but I think actually they are. Its not the medicing itself as there are only so many ways of doing that but more the 'deaths' that are important. The dropping dead system used at lightning really added to the immerison and is a vast improvement over people getting up and walking off when hit.
As for camping in the field I agree that I don't fancy sleeping in a trench. However I'm happy to sleep in a period encampment in the field during a 'downtime'. I'm also happy with the idea of doing a stag during the night if there is a garrantee of a decent nights sleep. Like Wladek's idea with a barrack room- a few people on guard duty for an hour or so each, the rest in bed. The enemy is garranteed to attack at some point during the night and its the guards' duty to spot them an rouse the rest of the garrison to see off the attackers. Similarly the no guns scouting & sentry garotting sounds like fun to me.
Night games should be limited to that sort of thing really, where it isn't an all out firefight but sneaking about silently taking out sentries. If it hits the fan you have to bug out rather than risk a confused firefight in the dark..
our command structures work because we know and trust the people in charge,,,,, the have a keen mind and an eye for detail, all good in a commander. we have the same leaders time and again because they know what they are doing, and we underlings trust there judagement.
for others, it's the whole "command structure" thing...which is a joke anyway since there is NO way to enforce it..since you really don't have to follow orders given to you....ummm.. since this ISN'T actually the military....
I disagree that it's a joke.
If everyone buys into it and the commanders aren't complete numptys then there's no reason at all why it can't work and it does. We had quite good command and control at the op lightning game and I hope we have the same again at st lo.
What really fecks up C&C is regen. We all know that as soon as contact happens everything goes to shit. The problem with regen games is that often there isn't a good chance to re-org and get the C&C working again. Also players regening are frequently completely lost from the C&C structure. That's why we run short engagements without regen for PBI games.
I disagree that it's a joke.
If everyone buys into it and the commanders aren't complete numptys..
like the kind of ones who when told there is a German ambush ahead wave their swagger sticks in the air and shout 'carry on' oblivious? 
I disagree that it's a joke.
If everyone buys into it and the commanders aren't complete numptys..
like the kind of ones who when told there is a German ambush ahead wave their swagger sticks in the air and shout 'carry on' oblivious?
lol... that was roleplaying and we had to give the Germans a chance as we'd been kicking ass all morning!
For years I've been invovled in "Milsim" but lacking a vital and obvious part of the experience (which you chaps and chapesses in fact DO have)
A milsim in the "traditional" WWII world involves packing up the requisite rations (or close approximations) into period equipment and lugging that into the field wearing (mostly replica) period uniforms whilst carrying (in our world) real firearms loaded with blank ammunition.
Once in said field, an attempt is made to bivouac as closely as possible to 1940's style but with standby modern safety aids within reach (usually in cars parked outside the AOE). Often use is made of old buildings/bunkers etc. and during the day two sides tab about within some kind of written scenario on teh premise of being able to bang a bit of blank off at each other. Sometimes some enterprising soul lays a but of pyro and makes some bangs to add atmosphere or enhance a particular part of the scenario.
Often people sneak in modern kit such as kip bags, mars bars, gaz camping stoves etc. Some wibble of to a Travelodge come dusk, armoureres sometimes ask for the bang sticks to be collected back in at 19.00 and given back at 06.00 - Sometimes, people make a real effort and munch raw turnip under a sopping wet zelt whilst laing on a sandbag stuffed with damp bracken....... I've seen good, bad and diabolical - I hold out hope that the way this community is developing naturally will quickly provide a new experience where people embrace some hardship in varying degrees. Not out of respect for vets, not for macho booya -but as part of an experience to increase their understanding of how stubblehoppers and tommies fared out in the wilds...... and to spice up their gameplay - cos let's face it -for all the pious ramblings of some - People say they will do something - And whatever you organise there are those who will immediately gripe and grumble"I'm not doing THAT!" etc. anddespite not being able to or bothered to organsie something themselves will denigrate whatever is offered........ From what I see of CiA/PBI this is at an absolute minimum. I see people who queue up and stand in line to play a one dayer and throw themselves into it.
I hope this "milsim" idea you have develops as I dearly want to incorporate airsoft weapons and much of the ethos into "trad" re-enactment private battles which have much to offer you...... Vehicles, scenarios, troop numbers, space and importantly, fieldcraft, some hardship (voluntary) and more content to savour........
My 2 pfennigs worth.
LOOK! I ham now four meggle man!
A001
