============ OGREverse list, Dec 4th (Last: Nov 30th) ============= ===== Fencer Mini From: Preston Gustine ===== Fuel From: "William Spencer" ===== Ogre on PC From: Terry Overton ===== Hovertruck and hoverjeep minis From: Jpattern@aol.com ===== OGRE transports From: Jpattern@aol.com From: VIPER394@aol.com ------------------------------ From: Preston Gustine Subject: Fencer Mini Just got some Fencers from Canada, long story, but any way looking at the mini it has 10 AP batteries, I thought they had 8, or am I just being daffy once more? ----- [I wouldn't trust any Fencer manufactured in the Combine. "AP" factors are not any more tied down to actual guns than "tread units" are tied to to exact parts of the locomotive systems. The Fencer's ten guns average out to be about the same effect as a Mark III's eight guns and so they have the same factors. -HJC] ------------------------------ From: "William Spencer" Subject: Fuel Just had a thought about the Last War that probably changes an important aspect of the war: supply. They don't need fuel. The big Ogres can use a nuclear power plant, but the small units don't need special fuel either. Remember, the oil's been almost entirely used up by 2080, so no gas-powered vehicles. Probably batteries for the battlesuits (solar recharge) and fuel-cells or hydrogen/oxygen turbines for the armor. GEVs use hydrogen if they're jet powered, and Howitzers can tie into the local power net. Hydrogen and oxygen make perfect fuel sources - they're cheap, they're everywhere, they're easy to get (just find a water source and a hydrolosis (sp?) machine - a tank could carry its own). Running low on fuel? Just drive into the nearest river (only a few feet out) and open the intake valves. The onboard systems (with solar back-up) will purify and process the water into hydrogen and oxygen for fuel. Simple. Supply trains only have to carry ammo and spare parts for the tanks, food and other supplies for the men. ----- [A armor unit is not expected to survive long enough to require additional ammo... -HJC] ------------------------------ From: Terry Overton Subject: Ogre on PC Glad I decided to try this. There's a lot more going on here than on the message boards on the website. I was poking around the archives from earlier this year and saw that a couple of people were working on computer versions of the game. Anyone still working on it? The reason I ask is that I have the map editor done and am working out the kinks on the scenario editor. I should start on the game proper around Christmas. Runs on 95/NT, fully integrated map/scenario/campaign editors, PBEM/modem/network/ internet support (I love DirectPlay), custom user interface - no bland "Office" style stuff here. I am ONLY covering the basic boardgame stuff - Ogre/GEV/Shockwave/Reinforcement Pack/Ogre Book. The minis stuff will require more in the way of graphics support (i.e. multi- isomorphic view units and terrain) than I can do in-house. But I'm leaving the code open-ended to add it in for future versions, along with internet lobby play, user-defined units and terrain, etc. TJ ----- [Could you please talk this over with a Mr Jackson I know or at least look at: http://www.sjgames.com/general/gm-aid-license.html -HJC] ------------------------------ From: Jpattern@aol.com Subject: Hovertruck and hoverjeep minis I may have mentioned this before on the list, but Stan Johansen Miniatures does some great hover minis for your OGRE games. 5-ton Hovertrucks: 70 cents US (GEV skirt, enclosed cab, canvas-covered bed, size close to a GEV but wider) 2-ton Hovertrucks: 50 cents US (GEV skirt, enclosed cab, canvas-covered bed, 2/3 size of 5-ton)) Open-top Hoverjeeps: 40 cents US (GEV skirt, open cab, several crewmembers, tiny mini) Closed-top Hover APCs: 70 cents US (GEV skirt, enclosed cabin, turreted "MG", similar in size to a GEV mini) Stan also does various GEVs and tanks, all of which have a techlevel-feel similar to OGRE minis, but the sculpting isn't my cup of tea. I do, however, like the above listed hover vehicles, especially for specific scenarios. (Although in general I wouldn't want to be in an open hoverjeep on an OGRE battlefield.) Stan Johansen Miniatures 128 Barberton Rd. Lake Worth, FL 33467 No phone or website listed Note also that my price list is at least 2 years old, so his prices may have increased since then. Jeff Moore jpattern@aol.com ------------------------------ From: Jpattern@aol.com Subject: OGRE Transports Preston Gustine wrote, regarding the OGRE troop transporter: <> Preston, I really like your scenario. Without getting into the whys and wherefores of using an OGRE as a transport, I guess I could see some cases where it might be needed, and your scenario is as plausible as any. (Although I still think a small group of clandestine infiltrators might have a better chance of getting in and out with the data.) However, how suicidal would you have to be to ride on the *outside* of an OGRE, even with some BPC armor, just so you could do some shootin' while you're ridin'? Troops shooting from armored pillboxes on an OGRE is kind of like sailors firing Stinger missiles from the decks of battleships. Sure, you can do it, but why bother? Let the battleship/OGRE do its job. Also, those pillboxes would make a mighty attractive target. "Hmmm, those aren't AP blisters, they're troop 'boxes. A transport OGRE! All troops, target the troop 'boxes! On my mark - Fire!" Ouch! No, for me, it's more plausible that the troops would be slung *under* a plain old OGRE, between the treads, with some BPC all around them. No change at all to the OGREs stats (or you could slow it down one notch if you really wanted to). The underslung pillboxes can't be targeted *at all*, but maybe you could say that for every 5 or 10 hits on the OGRE's treads, roll a die, and on a 6 remove a troop counter (collateral damage overwhelmed that pillbox's BPC). And, as you suggest in your post, maybe sling an LGEV or two under there, too, along with some more BPC, for quick getaways. Should there be a chance for the LGEVs to take collateral damage? As for number of troops: 1 counter for a Mk.I 3 for a Mk.II 5 for a Mk.III or Mk.IV (or 3 troops and 1 LGEV, or 1 troop and 2 LGEVs) 6 for a Mk.V or Fencer (or 2 troops and 2 LGEVs, or 4 troops and 1 LGEV) 8 for a Mk. VI (or 4 troops and 2 LGEVs, or 6 troops and 1 LGEV) Of course, you'd pay full cost for the OGRE, each troop, and each LGEV. This version eliminates the fun of shooting from the OGRE, or targeting the troops and LGEVs, but it still has some appeal. Note also that I haven't done any playtesting of this stuff, so points costs and other details may well need to be adjusted for an equitable game. An OGRE Mk.V grinds across a battlefield, heading for the CP. It's carrying 4 counters of troops and 1 LGEV slung under its belly in armored pillboxes. A hit on a rear tread sends a shattered bogie smashing into one of the pillboxes, killing 1 counter of troops. The OGRE slams to a halt beside the CP. Two counters of troops rush into the CP; the other unlimbers the LGEV and clambers into the cockpit. After a brief firefight one counter of troops emerges from the CP and hands a small black box to the LGEV pilot, who redlines the fans and screams away while the OGRE and his buddies provide cover fire. Several klicks away, the crew of a lone howitzer targets the LGEV, knowing it will get only one shot . . . Jeff Moore jpattern@aol.com ----- [Hmmm... OK, every hex the OGRE travels off-road roll and on a six one of the squads gets scraped off and the OGRE suffers one die of thread damage from running over their ammo. Seriously, if the designers found usable space underneath the OGRE, wouldn't they respond by lowering the height of the OGRE and making it a harder target? -HJC] ------------------------------ From: VIPER394@aol.com Subject: OGRE Transports PA rideing on the outside of an Ogre???? the Russians Tried that Idea it goes like this infantry climbs on to tank enemy sees tank enemy shoots at tank with every thing they got tank may or may not die but infanry is creamed . The BPC armor of an infantry is thick enough to shrug off near misses from AP weapons but the heavy stuff will go through it like a hot knife in butter the only way to protect the grunts is to have them ride inside and in my opinion the loss of weapontry would not make it worth it going back to haveing the grunts ride on the out side the movement of the ogre would bounce the troops around so much that they couldn't hit diddly even with computers and semi-self guided rounds ----- [OGREs need infantry that can keep up, but not on top of them. In OGRE Minis the Cruise Missiles have been made really nasty against OGREs. An explosion at five inches (just outside of secondary range) will blow off two thirds of an OGRE's guns. But even a loaded GEV-PC has only a 25 percent chance of shooting down a close-range cruise missile. Hey Steve, how about giving heavy weapons squads missiles a 9+ against cruise missiles? (That's why they're so expensive, these "stingers" are dedicated anti-air weapons misused to fire against tanks with the curious warhead diameter of eighty-eight millimeters...) -HJC] Henry J. Cobb ogre@sjgames.com http://www.io.com/~hcobb All OGRE-related items Copyright (c) 1998, by Steve Jackson Games.