[Sticky] Final gameplan

The plan was to put the German camp on height "437". When Guy and I did the recce, we envisaged a camp of zelt tents , with a central tarped admin' area, with surrounding sentry posts. If there are going to be huge, feck off command tents, we have the option of moving the camp a bit further up the road, closer to point "B" (or even, closer to point "A"), where the forest isn't quite so dense. If we do this, all we'll have to do is change the locations of the Jed supply drops slightly and relocate the DF as well.

Steve, that's not the Jed harbor area you've marked on the map, you're a bit out with that.

Let's not create problems where there are none, changing the location of the German base isn't a massive task.

By the way, I have secured the friday off as annual leave, so I can be on site much earlier now.

Well, I think this stems from my surprise that, despite all the briefing to punters over the past few months, there isn't to be a comfortable camp at all. Indeed, just like at Churchills where the Germans were crammed in between trees, where you could put a pup tent on a raised furrow but not really have an HQ in any meaningful way.

But there is another way without changing the gameplan in anyway (except a change of direction).

Adjacent to the top road there is a flatish sparsely wooded area with earth floor. This is where the IED lads put their camp (unsurprisingly, given their site knowledge as it was the best spot on the site). With room to pitch biggish tents and sling tarps, and a fire pit too.
Benefits:
Adjacent to road for vehicle use.
Top of the rise - easily seen by all.
Closish to the 'edge' of the site, allowing free play over whole site if needs be.
Can be easily attacked from all sides.
Use of vehicles as an unfair 'snap' attack mitigated by having to travel round a dead loop to reach other road - vehicles to be used to move several men a long distance, not to be lazy.
Jamie's landy can drop jeds off at their insertion point without leaving the site.
SAS don't need to leave the site for insertion.
Germans have transport to move kit to camp.
Basically, just changing the start point through 180°

I'm completely anti turning the sides through 180", despite the potential benefits. It would mean re-placing the supply drops and RV's and also, the Jed's would lose out on a perfect harbor area for them. The area that you've circled fo rthe Jed's is actually deforested now, all the way up to point "H".

There is a flattish, more open area closer to point "A" that would suit the Germans. If we scout the woods in that area, to the north of the road, I am certain that we'll find a suitable spot without the need to make any radical changes.

I am merely pointing out a potential problem of failing to meet the expectations of German players and the practicality of making a final showdown possible, and I've provided a solution.
Ultimately, responsibility rests with you Pete and I'll leave it at that.

Steve, that's not the Jed harbor area you've marked on the map, you're a bit out with that.

No, I was marking where the US camp was a Churchill's Revenge.

TBH I'm with Pete on this. He and Guy scouted the area recently and knows all the suitable areas.

The Germans have the luxury of a fixed camp from the start of the event. With hours to set it up it should be possible to make it reasonably 'luxurious' without the need for a large flat area of grass.

I am merely pointing out a potential problem of failing to meet the expectations of German players and the practicality of making a final showdown possible, and I've provided a solution.
Ultimately, responsibility rests with you Pete and I'll leave it at that.

Hopefully, there won't be a showdown! With the allies so outnumbered, it wouldn't last for long. So, if they want to get into a big, gay, finale type firefight, they'll get wiped out and fail their missions.

As Steve says, the Germans have considerably more time and manpower to improve their base than the allies do anyway.

No, my concern is getting a suitable site to construct a usable HQ - if we are stuck in trees 6ft apart then that won't do.

Hopefully, there won't be a showdown!

Your gameplan specifically has a final showdown, the SAS assault.

Yes but, that's a diversionary assault, not a full on, rolling battle. The aim of which is to blow the DF and to draw the Germans off, so the Jed's can blow the radio listening station without having to get bogged in a firefight they can't win.

I didn't say a full on rolling battle.

Anyway, I've made a case which you have dismissed, so no point banging on. I'll be there on Saturday morning and just do what I'm told to do.

I haven't dismissed it David, it was a good idea as a contingency in fact! It was both Guy and myself who walked the site and chose the camp areas, not just me being dictatorial or anything, as I don't work like that. The gameplan was written by me but, it was both Guy and me who drew it up.

Admittedly, we didn't allow for larger tents but hey, we can sort that out easily by moving the German camp slightly, I really don't see the point of debating it this close to the event, when the gameplan has been up for weeks and you read a hard copy of it before it was posted up.

We marketed this event as "hardcore" and "realistic", so, it should be possible for the allies to complete their missions with hardly a shot fired, if they do it properly. Of course, if they do revert to airsofter mindsets, there WILL be a big, gay firefight to end it on! If this happens, the allies will be totally wiped out in minutes because they're outnumbered and outgunned.

Ahem, get a grip - I haven't queried any of the game plan nor accused you of being dictatorial.

I assumed on the recce both you and Guy found a suitable HQ for the Germans that lived up to the public-facing sales pitch that has been up for months. It was only a few days ago I discovered that we had been actually been shoved in between some trees and there wasn't room for a congregation of 20 people nor large tents.

Absolutely no bloody point saying this: We marketed this event as "hardcore" and "realistic", so, it should be possible for the allies to complete their missions with hardly a shot fired, if they do it properly. Of course, if they do revert to airsofter mindsets, there WILL be a big, gay firefight to end it on! If this happens, the allies will be totally wiped out in minutes because they're outnumbered and outgunned.
I know the plan, I know the concept - I did all the publicity and in with this for a year or more!

Now, FFS stop going on about it. I pointed out something that I thought needed addressing, so that's that.

There's no need to get a grip of anything! I'm not trying to start, nor perpetuate an argument!

I'll be on site on the Friday and will ensure that the Germans have a suitable area, the supply caches are out and that we're as close to being 100% ready to meet and greet the punters when they arrive on staurday as possible. Please don't get wound up David! Let's do this as a team effort and make it work.

LOL - I keep trying to stop you continuing to post - no more, I'm not listening * la-la-la *

Ahem, get a grip - I haven't queried any of the game plan nor accused you of being dictatorial.

I assumed on the recce both you and Guy found a suitable HQ for the Germans that lived up to the public-facing sales pitch that has been up for months. It was only a few days ago I discovered that we had been actually been shoved in between some trees and there wasn't room for a congregation of 20 people nor large tents.

Absolutely no bloody point saying this: We marketed this event as "hardcore" and "realistic", so, it should be possible for the allies to complete their missions with hardly a shot fired, if they do it properly. Of course, if they do revert to airsofter mindsets, there WILL be a big, gay firefight to end it on! If this happens, the allies will be totally wiped out in minutes because they're outnumbered and outgunned.
I know the plan, I know the concept - I did all the publicity and in with this for a year or more!

Now, FFS stop going on about it. I pointed out something that I thought needed addressing, so that's that.

Actually having argued with David about this for 5 minutes on Wednesday ...then thought about it for an hour ...I er agree. The arera at the Eastern end of the no mans land is not really suitable for large tents as per a German camp . The NW corner is better. Bung the SAS on the other side and bobs yers fathers etc .

If that's the case, go ahead. I don't want to argue over it.

Oh for God's Sake!!!

Can we not have had this discussion weeks ago?

Why the hell are we only just discussing this? We've all been to the site before, we all know what it's like. Seriously, what is this about?

So are we now suggesting that we should go with the layout as per Dave's map above?

If the Jeds are put into the narrow end of the site it'll be severely limiting. It may be ok as an insertion point, but I certainly won't be returning there to place the camp there. It's too exposed with roads running past.

Also, by putting the Germans in the middle of the site, it pretty much removes all of the western part of the site from play. We'll just try to get across to the SAS and stay on the eastern side of them until we need to get near the German camp on day two.

Does this also mean we need to move the position of the drop cylinders?

Can we not have had this discussion weeks ago?
It only arose this week

If the Jeds are put into the narrow end of the site it'll be severely limiting. It may be ok as an insertion point, but I certainly won't be returning there to place the camp there. It's too exposed with roads running past.
As per original plan, this is an insertion point - you have the WHOLE site to chose where to camp, no change - you DON'T have a camp. Stash bergens where you like - your call, no change.
I presume for the game's sake you won't run away but deliberately lead Jeds towards German camp to give players a frisson of danger.
Scope out German camp & activities and evade, locate drops, meet SAS.

Also, by putting the Germans in the middle of the site, it pretty much removes all of the western part of the site from play. We'll just try to get across to the SAS and stay on the eastern side of them until we need to get near the German camp on day two.
You are supposed to be proactive, not hiding with the SAS - shitloads to do over the same area as original plan, no change.
Germans will be hunting in the west as well as everywhere else on the site.

Does this also mean we need to move the position of the drop cylinders?
No, same sort of area. I presume Pete won't tell you where they are exactly anyway as you have find them!

So, no change to gameplan or anything other than start positions. The only job to do prior to game-on is put out three drops. Guy can choose in-game locations of DF, mortar and m/g in rough areas as per gameplan but can take into account direction, introduce and element of vulnerability for game's sake.

The German position you are proposing is also very difficult to recce in any way. You have a vast area of open land and you'll have the high ground.

The forest to the west has a road running through it limiting the options and the forest to the north is bordered by a narrow piece of sparse forest land.

I just don't know why we have to change the plan at the 11th hour to accommodate a few large tents that were never discussed or considered in the original plan. We said the Germans would have a fixed comfortable base, not a fecking tented village.

ALSO, leave the drop cylinders on the far eastern edge of the site?

So now the Jeds have to traverse the length of the site and go past the SAS camp and avoid the German camp to get to the drop cylinders?

I presume Pete won't tell you where they are exactly anyway as you have find them!

Erm, no, I would assume, as an organiser that I know exactly where everything is so that if things go tits up I have a get-out plan. I won't tell my players exactly where they are though, as it's their job to find them. I'll just give them the general direction and go from there.

It seems silly for organisers to be in the dark about everything. It should be that we all know everything about the event and are trying to provide the best event for the punters, not try to out-fox one another with a bit of ghey one-upmanship.

Not really, the original German site meant allies would have to cross no mans land to get to - that's what I mean by allies having little chance to approach us without being seen. Its an cut off area. However, the top wooded section can be reached easily from many directions unseen. A German sentry positioned at the end of the woods at the top has just the same view as a German sentry on the road in the SW, no significant difference there.
German vehicles on the middle road would be able to whack straight into the site from the west, they can't from the top. It will be easier to lay traps too.

As I have repeatedly said, the gameplan hasn't changed one iota - just the start points.

Look, I don't like this 'sides' thing developing and people getting precious. Frankly, I'm quite happy to go with Pete's original sitings - as I said, I'm just turning up on Saturday morning and playing. If Pete is going to throw a strop and Steven then lets go with the original plan. I flagged up a concern that no consideration had been given over the German camp and that half the players may be disappointed when they set up and gave a solution.

This is the simplest, most basic game we have ever played and it relies on CiA making stuff up on the spot - this gives us great flexibility to make a game of it no matter what happens so there shouldn't be a problem.

But it does behold us ALL to consider EVERYTHING and put players first, not organisers.

EDIT: The above refers to your post but one, you posted while I was typing!