Season's Greetings all! I hope to have some specific project updates shortly after the New Year to share. In the mean time, I want to discuss the proposed in-game supply system.
"Amateurs talk about tactics, but professionals study logistics."
- Gen. Robert H. Barrow, USMC (Commandant of the Marine Corps) noted in 1980
I love this quote and fits perfectly with this topic. Since TOWW is an operational level game logistics/supply will be a very important part of the game. Proper management will lead to a greater likelihood of success, while improper management will make the situation more difficult/impossible. I am trying to create a careful balance between player involvement with the supply, and streamlining to prevent disproportional player management. As important as supply is, I fully understand that most wargamers are about as excited to deal with supply as they are watching paint dry. At the end of the day I am trying to create a war game that people want to play. Below I will attempt to explain various supply mechanisms and concepts I want to implement with TOWW. This will evolve (perhaps greatly) with playtesting, but here is an inside look at what I have cooked up.
There are 4 categories of supply that will be tracked separately. In order of importance are Food, Fuel, Maintenance, and Ammunition. "WHAT?! AMMO is LAST" you say? Well read on.
Food-this represents the food and water required to keep bellies full, minds focused, and bodies fit for fighting. This includes humans and horses.
Fuel-this represents fuel to run vehicles, but it also represents fuel required to run military infrastructure like kitchens, generators, heating, etc.
Maintenance-this represents all the various items required to maintain an army. This includes tools and replacement parts for equipment, as well as items to help maintain the individual war fighter like toiletries, mail, uniforms, medicine, building supplies, horse supplies, etc.
Ammunition-Ammo is considered the lowest class of supply because without the first three, ammo is merely something extra to carry! Clearly ammo is important and it creates the biggest strain on the supply system by far, but it is the lowest priority.
The supply system will mostly be automated. Units will automatically receive increments of supply if they are "in supply". The rate of re-supply will be based on several factors like distance to supply source, amount of supplies available, road quality, dedicated supply vehicles (number and size of trucks, or horse-drawn), and the air situation. Players will have the ability to determine supply priority for every level of command down to the battalion level. You can see this on the Unit Info Screens that have High Normal or Low settings. So a player may direct which battalions receive supply faster within a regiment, division, etc. This can work in reverse too because when all battalions and their regiment are set to "Low" priority, they will give up all but a minimal amount of ammunition to be re-distributed outside the regiment.
Final item, I am considering allowing a "Supply" role for those rare birds interested in greater manipulation of the supply system. This would be a wish list item at best, and would likely not make it with initial game release. A supply role would be assigned to each command level at the Regiment level or higher. It would work like a command role where any player may be assigned the role and make detailed supply decisions for units under their influence. How many of you would this actually interest beyond the basic supply system stated above?
As always, please share your thoughts, ideas, comments and suggestions.