====== Ogre Digest, January 18th (Last: January 12th) ======== ===== A New Ogre Scenario Contest From: "Paul Chapman" ===== Fencer variants From: "Alan and Carmel Brain" ===== Above Us the Waves From: "Alan and Carmel Brain" ===== Above Us the Waves - Beta From: "Alan and Carmel Brain" ===== OGRE Evolution 101 From: Pauljamesog@aol.com ===== Enter the Dragon From: "Alan and Carmel Brain" ============================== From: "Paul Chapman" Subject: A New Ogre Scenario Contest The first Ogre Scenario Contest was such fun, we decided to do it again! The rules are simple. You create a scenario for the GEV map and send it to us. We'll choose the best of the bunch. One scenario will be Numero Uno, and will win a fabulous shopping spree -- $100 worth of loose minis from Warehouse 23. Two Runners-up will each receive $50 of loose minis, and the Top Seven will be published in Ogre Scenario Book 2 . All seven contributors will receive two copies of the book, one signed by the Original Ogre himself. We'll be judging each scenario on fun, balance and creative use of the GEV map. Being able to play the scenario with just the contents of Deluxe Ogre and Deluxe GEV will be a bonus, as will flavor text. All basic rules should be found in the Deluxe GEV rulebook; optional rules from Shockwave, Ogre Reinforcement Pack, Battlefields, or Ogre Miniatures are acceptable as well. "House rules" are very iffy -- include them at your own risk. The style from Ogre Scenario Book 1 is now our official Ogre scenario style, so be sure to use it. We also require an electronic submission, in one of the following formats: Word (preferred), TXT, RTF, or Claris. All submissions become the property of Steve Jackson Games. Scenario submission deadline is 20 February 2002. Steve Jackson Games or its appointed representative shall be the sole judge of this contest. For complete rules and contest updates, see http://www.sjgames.com/ogre/scenarios/contest.html Paul Chapman Miniatures Division Manager paul@sjgames.com ============================== From: "Alan and Carmel Brain" Subject: Fencer variants I've just done a bit of kit-bashing to some Fencers of mine. I came up with the following: "The original Fencer-A model was soon recognized to be somewhat underarmed. With the introduction of the Combine Mk-IIIB the problem for the Pan Europeans soon became much more acute. The eventual solution was the upgrade of the Fencer-A to one of the Fencer-B, -C or -D configurations. Production of Fencer-As, although never completely stopped, was almost entirely switched to the Fencer-B version by 2088. The C and D models were usually field modifications of a Fencer-A, though some were produced in these configurations on the factory floor. They were uncommon. The B, C and D models relocated new, more compact fire control systems from the turret to space allocated for them in the rear hull, to make way for new armament and magazine space. It had always been planned to have more weaponry in the turret, but delays with the manufacture of these fir4e control systems led to less internal volume being available. The B model replaced the 130mm (Secondary Batteries) with 175mm (Main Batteries), and was the most common upgrade by far. The C model was an A model with an additional 175mm (Main) battery. The D model was an A model with an additional 2 130mm (Secondary) batteries. Virtually all Sentient Ogres demanded to be converted to one or the other of the B, C or D variants, sometimes in the field using cannibalized components, often of NAC origin. Few logistics and repair officers cared to argue." I'll take some pictures and submit them to the Ogre Recognition Manual site. The C model conversion is easy - a pin vice and a spare NAC Main Battery barrel is all that's needed. The D model is more tricky - I used some old Game$ Work$hop Ork battlewagon barrels, though a more difficult conversion using a butchered Fencer turret, or NAC Spare Parts set would be possible. ============================== From: "Alan and Carmel Brain" Subject: Above Us the Waves > [Do the marines get to launch overrun attacks against the defenseless > Ogre or do they just fire at range from the same hex? Good question. Using the OGRE (basic) rules you'd do the latter, but I think the GEV rules re over-runs would be more appropriate. > Marines do only count one MP per water hex, giving them twice the > effective speed as the Ogre, right? -HJC] I missed out the special bit about the Ogre's speed: Sea-bed hexes cost 3/2 rather than 2 MPs, but coral reefs cost an extra 1 - so the Ogre can move 2 per turn rather than 1 with 3 MP, but is then channelled in its movement. Marines of course count 1 MP everywhere. They CAN travel over "craters", but only on the surface. Alternately, we could make them underwater volcanos, impassable to everything. The Attacking force's infantry should be marines too, as re-reading the rules (DOH!) normal infantry can't fight at all in the water. This scenario needs a lot of play-balancing. The idea is that using nothing but the OGRE map, and very few scenario-specific rules, you get a scenario which is something like a sub-hunt. Locating the Ogre isn't difficult. Locating it, and moving your forces to where it will be next turn (which is what you have to do to attack it), is. And you have a choice of spreading out your infantry to detect the Ogre, or concentrating it to attack - something like a wolfpack's problem vs a convoy. Adding a few GEVs to the attacker's side complicates things a lot for the defender. More comments and suggestions most welcome. I think this is a rattling good basic idea, but needs considerably more work to make it viable. ===== From: "Alan and Carmel Brain" Subject: Above Us the Waves - Beta Based on feedback, a careful re-reading of the rules, but not enough playtesting, here's the Beta Test version: Scenario: Above us the waves, Below us the Ogres. ================================================= Introduction: ------------- The Coral Sea was the scene of heavy fighting during the Last War, with fighting between Chinese and Nihon forces spilling over into Australian territorial waters.. and rarely on land. The fighting was unusual in one respect: a large part took place underwater, with Pan-Pacific Marines mounted in GEV-PCs mounting counter-OGRE strikes while the Cybertanks were crawling along the sea floor. Setup: ------ (Basic Game) The Pan Pacific Defenders start with 3 GEV-PCs, each carrying 3 marine engineers - "The Combat Wombat Ogre Eaters". They also have 3 GEVs, 12 marines, and 1 Coastal Defence Howitzer or Mobile Howitzer. All forces start on land. (Australian forces used a triangular rather than square organization, due to lack of population - they made up for it by increased use of technology.) The attacker has 1 Mk III Ogre (actually a Steel Warrior or Dragon). Its mission is to make a hole in the Australian coastal defenses so that a friendly force can use neutral Australian territory to outflank the enemy. The standard OGRE map is used. The last hexrow at the bottom of the map represents the beach (where the howitzers are), the remainder of the map represents the Sea Floor. The Ridges represent Coral Reefs, the craters underwater volcanos - impassable to anything. The standard OGRE Miniatures/GEV rules for water combat are used, with some scenario-specific exceptions: Summary of Standard Water Combat Rules: -------------------------------------- * Movement on the Surface: Marines, and GEVs count all water hexes as clear. GEVs get a movement bonus of +1 per movement phase if moving entirely over water. Infantry treat water as 2 MP per hex. * Movement Underwater: For Ogres each hex costs 2 MP.(this has been changed in the scenario) Marines move as normal, it costs them 1MP per water hex. Marines may be specified as being "on the surface" or "underwater" at the end of their move. GEVs and Infantry are always "on the surface". Ogres are always "underwater". * Firing from the Surface, to the surface: As Normal, including over-runs, but Infantry cannot fire nor over-run. * Firing from the surface, to underwater: Howitzers/Mobile Howitzers and Ogre Missiles fired from land can fire at underwater targets, at half strength. Others weapons can't, and nothing can over-run. * Firing from Underwater, to Underwater: Marines may fire at full strength. Others can't fire - and can't over-run. * Firing from Underwater, to the surface: Forbidden (this may be changed for some Ogre Missiles). Over-runs are also forbidden. Any marine close enough to over-run, fire at, or be over-run or fired at by surface elements is essentially on the surface. Over-runs on the ocean floor are impossible. Special scenario rules: ----------------------- * This section of the Coral Sea has a very firm lava sea-bed with well-charted obstacles. Ogres can therefore move much faster than normal when traveling underwater. This was one reason why the area was chosen by the attacker.. Ogres have each hex costing 1 Movement point rather than the normal 2 for movement underwater, but Coral Reefs cost +1 MP, and there are disadvantages to moving fast - see below. * Between the multiple volcanos in the area and nearby nuclear detonations from Chinese-Nihon combat , the sonar environment has been saturated with reverberations - sonar is useless except at very short range. This was the other reason why the area was chosen by the attacker. The Ogre isn't placed on the map. Instead, the attacking player notes down the hex number it ends each move in. The defender can only find the Ogre by placing a unit in the same hex. During each defender's turn, after movement, the attacker informs the defender where the Ogre is IF there is a defender in the same hex. If the Ogre moves 3 hexes though, it's going so fast that the water disturbance can be detected - place the Ogre on the map at the end of its move. * Near the coast, emplaced non-sonar sensors on the seabed aren't affected by the reverberations - and the seafloor is very shallow but soft sand. Once the Ogre gets into the Unobstructed part of the map, it is revealed by the seafloor sensors emplaced there. However, it is then shallow enough to fire its missiles at half effect. Ogres in this section pay 2MP per hex, as normal for water movement. * The Combat Wombats had a limited amount of specialized anti-Ogre equipment. These were small, directional nukes that had to be placed very close to the Ogre's skin. Marine Engineers are equipped with 1-use-only demolition charges, that have a strength of 3. Treat these as Heavy Weapons Infantry with a range of 0, and usable only on Ogres underwater. (GEVs move too fast, and these are shaped charges, unsuitable for use against infantry) Victory Conditions and Scenario Variants ---------------------------------------- The defenders must prevent the Ogre from a) destroying the howitzer for partial victory and b) exiting the bottom edge of the map for full victory. (Advanced Game) The Ogre is escorted by 6 GEVs, and 4 GEV-PCs carrying 3 Marines each. The defender has an additional 3 GEVs. (Variant) some Ogres were fitted with subsurface-launched missiles, which may be fired from underwater at underwater targets in the same hex at half effect, at water targets on the surface in the same hex at half strength, or at land targets at full strength. (Variant) Pan Pacific Ogres were fitted with AP that could be used underwater. To simulate a Pan Pacific Retaliation raid, use a Mk III with Marine APs (so they can fire back at marines when underwater), and subsurface-launched missiles. The defender has 4 GEV-PCs, each with 3 Marines, 12 GEVs, 2 Howitzers, 12 Infantry and a CP. The PPA Ogre must destroy the CP to win, and escape off the top edge of the map (opposite the beach) for complete victory. (Variant) As per Advanced Game, but there is no Ogre. This is kept secret from the Defender. The attacker must destroy the howitzer, or inflict more losses than he takes, or exit any unit from the bottom edge of the map. ============================== From: Pauljamesog@aol.com Subject: OGRE Evolution 101 G'day Henry, I'm writing an article on the evolution of OGRE models and their relationships. All I know of the Steel Samurai , is that it is Nihon, comparable to a MkV and that it is bigger than an Oni. I don't suppose you could leak me some details, or at least any historical info (eg design/production dates) could you? Strictly for writing purposes? Of course I completely understand if you cant. I envy the SF area guys who get to peak at your KZ! BTW- which model do you believe the Ninja is based on? I think it is a bastardized Mk3 myself... Best wishes, Paul O'Grady http://panpacalliance.tripod.com/ PanPac Alliance Strategic HQ Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 17:47:50 -0000 From: "henry_cobb" Subject: Endgame AAR: Killing Zone playtest. OK, we tried out Enter the Dragon, er Day of the Dragon on the Shockwave map. The Iron Samurai plowed over the CP and avoided the Dragon for a tie. There really didn't seem to be enough Chinese armor or infantry to cover a map of that width against a M4 foe. ===== [Well, once the Excerpts link at http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/ogre/ is fixed, it'll probably include a Table of Contents and then you'll be able to see that the Nihon Cybertanks on pages 96 and 99 aren't listed. But take my word for it, there are stats for two different types in this book. The details given don't agree with what I've seen in Killing Zone, but there doesn't seem to be much overlap between these two sources anyway. -HJC] ============================== From: "Alan and Carmel Brain" Subject: Enter the Dragon Dunno if anyone's given a design for a Dragon that's a) balanced b) has its own "feel" subtly different from true Cybertanks and c) Without complex additional rules. Here's my 2 kopins worth: Dragon "Cybertank" Armament: 1 MB (Str 4, Rng 2, Def 4) 6 SB (Str 3, Rng 3, Def 5) 6 AP (Str 1*, Rng 1, Def 1) Treads: 48 : Move 3 Cost: 50 ?? Special Rules: Systems other than tracks are destroyed on D results (as well as X and XX). OK, I suppose you want a justification now. OK, here 'tis. The Dragon is manned, not a Cybertank. So I want it to feel at least partly like normal, manned vehicles. I could have had the weapons being "disrupted", but that means additional book-keeping on the Ogre SSD. So I compromised, making the weapons destroyed on a D result. Which makes them a LOT more vulnerable: a 1:2 attack on one is like a 1:1 attack on a Cybertank. A Dragon is essentially a Super heavy on steroids - I started out with a vehicle that was 3 Super Heavies and a Heavy "glued together". I then upped the defense of the Main Battery by 1 so it was about as vulnerable as a Heavy Tank (which is only 1/2 destroyed on a D). I decided that since the "super heavies" wouldn't have 2 weapons (and 2 AP) destroyed with a single hit, they needed no increase in defense. 1 attack at 4 and 6 at 3, with 6 AP compares reasonably with a Mk III. No missiles, and slightly less AP, but 2 more secondaries. The bulk of the weapons have a greater range than a MK III's too, and finally the defense strength of the secondaries is far better. So on paper it compares well with a Mk III. But in practice, the greater vulnerability despite the heavier defense makes it a lot less good. It is quite comparable to 3 S-Hvys and 1 Hvy in fact - which would cost 42. So 50 seems a reasonable figure, allowing Dragons to swamp true Ogres by sheer weight of numbers. Comments, Criticisms? ===== [The Dragon given in that scenario has one weapon system in common with "standard" Ogres and that is the AP guns. Everything else is different. -HJC] List Moderator: Henry J. Cobb ogre@sjgames.com Archives for this mailing list may be found at http://www.io.com/~hcobb General online support for the OGRE game is at http://www.sjgames.com/ogre Ogre, G.E.V., Shockwave and other products mentioned here are trademarks or registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy at http://www.sjgames.com/general/online_policy.html