============ The Ogre Digest, August 23rd (Last: August 15th) ============= ===== Computer version From: "Rambo, Rick" ===== superheavies vs "the train" From: Aerron Winsor ===== "Dim" AI From: Andrew Walters ===== Kamikaze GEV From: Andrew Walters ============================== From: "Rambo, Rick" Subject: Computer version Are you still running an Ogre/GEV mailing list? If so, I would like to subscribe to it. I am looking for the computer version if you might know where one could find it. Thanks in advance, Rick. ===== [Welcome aboard. The computer version is on hold. Perhaps you'd like to search the archives for details. Try: http://www.google.com/search?as_q=hcobb+ogre&num=10&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=computer+game&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&as_qdr=y1&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=www.io.com&safe=off -HJC] ============================== From: Aerron Winsor Subject: superheavies vs "the train" >From: Dave Morse >I've been having trouble in "the train". Can anyone suggest a promising >defence against this offense: > > >[[01]] = <2xMHWZ> >[[02]] = <3xSHVY> <2xINF3> > >## = city >~~ = water >ff = forest >__ = road > > >The basic idea is to drive the four superheavies over the river and into >the northern woods, chawing through any defense as you go. GEVs should >screen the MHWZ river crossing, then harass the flanks. Reinforcements >take advantage of their delayed arrival by being the Right Thing: if its >shaping up into a meatgrinder, get more SHVYs; if raiding possibilities >exist, get more GEVs. > how about MHWZ in 1408 and 1508, inf in 1709, 1809, 1911 and 1514. with HVYs behind them another INF in 1908 and more in 1509 and 1408. Hrm...still leaves 4 AU.... get either SHVY or MHWZ in 1707 and 1308. MWHZ work well against SHVY if they have an INF screen. ===== [At what range are those inf in order to block range three guns? -HJC] ============================== From: Andrew Walters Subject: "Dim" AI Remember that the tasks of sensor interpretation/target identification and navigation/off-road driving would be very demanding on a computer; these are the things we don't handle when playing the boardgame. This means that even before you get into the clever bits of prioritization and risk/reward evaluation that we do when we play the game, the Ogre requires a lot of brains. Build an Ogre brain smart enough to drive itself around, identify real targets and fire its weapons at them, it will be easy to make it "smart." ============================== From: Andrew Walters Subject: Kamikaze GEV Don't like it, but here's a few comments: First of all, infantry is a dispersed target. If you caught them together you might take out a couple troopers, but no more than two unless they lined up for you. One or two troopers doesn't even take out a squad, much less 2:1 on a platoon. Can we have some half-squad counters, a la ASL? Otherwise the warhead would have *less* attack strength than a rattler against infantry, since a rattler can detonate 10-20 meters *above* the group, as necessary for best effect, whereas the KGEV must detonate in front of or amidst the squad at ground level. Second, the shaped nuclear charge doesn't become that much more powerful due to either the kinetic energy of the GEV (trivial compared to what BPC usually deflects) or the placement (a missile that doesn't get shot down can place the charge just as well). Third, if the KGEV is going to get *that* close I think the Ogre would train all the APs on it, and at that range they might take it out. They don't have to penetrate the BPC or Perspex, a couple of slugs in the jet or fan intakes would prevent the KGEV from making contact. Fourth, nowhere here do you get the kinetic energy to "crack open" a meter of BPC. I'm not an expert and really enjoy the learning that happens when people shoot down my arguments, so fire away, but in short I don't believe a human piloted GEV will enhance the delivery of the warhead over the Rattler system. My favorite yet-unanswered question: do GEVs/LGEVs have ejector seats? I'm confident the engineering problems could be solved. I'm pretty sure they'd be a good thing. Pretty sure. ===== [Twelve points is what Ogres get out of their missiles in overruns and if humans can apply their reflexes to the point of impact I don't see why they can't match that. In Gurps OGRE, an Ogre's AP gun will chew through the weakest armor on a LGEV (Which isn't in the front) in one hundred seconds of continuous point blank fire, but unfortunately they only carry 76 seconds of ammo. I too have always found the GEV ramming rule to be quite curious, but the feet of the beast ain't got a meter of BPC at their ankle joints. I just noticed that none of the infantry weapons can cut through the armor of a Mark III's threads in a single shot. (A single manpack 100 ton nuke applied to one of the threads a of a Mark III will not cause any direct damage, but it will blow half the armor off!) Obliviously something is missing here. Here is my suggestion... Nuclear M-LAWS. Replace the conventional warhead (pun intended ;-) on a MLAW missile with a single SATNUC charge. The damage radius is 48 yards. increase weight by three pounds and cost by $8,000 for each round with a nuclear warhead. Pansey's can do the same conversion for the 100mm HEAT launcher for the same weight and cost adjustment per round. Observation: Battlesuits don't look so expensive after all, if the troopers will be carrying full loads of nukes. -HJC] Henry J. Cobb ogre@sjgames.com Archives at http://www.io.com/~hcobb All OGRE-related items Copyright (c) 2001, by Steve Jackson Games.