From trochim@rintintin.Colorado.EDU Sun Feb 9 18:59:04 1997 Date: 6 Feb 1997 15:42:10 GMT From: Ray Trochim Newsgroups: rec.games.miniatures.historical Subject: Blue Max ------ More Q&A Questions from Ray Trochim Answers from Phil Hall - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >1) We had an interesting situation happen and we guessed as how to >resolve it. A Sopwith Camel at Very low (ground) altitude fired a long >burst at an Albatros DV flying at Low altitude. This forces the Camel >to climb next turn. But also during the firing step, the Camel was shot >at by another Albatros. During the damage step, the Camel pulled a >rudder jammed chit forcing the Camel to make Right turns only for the >next two turns. Not really sure what to do, we assumed that the Camel >was unable to climb because it had to make right turns. Because it was >unable to climb, we assumed that the pilot should make a spin check. >Was this correct? How would you have handled this? Generally, I would take whatever happens first and do that, followed by the next situation and apply that, if possible. I would have had the Camel climb, since he was already doing that, then force him to make the turns at the new altitude. >2) Speaking about climbing as a result of firing a long or medium burst >at a target at a higher altitude. Exactly how do you treat planes flying >at their max altitude. For example, lets say you have a plane with a Max >altitude of M (medium) and fires a long burst at a plane flying at H >(High). Does the plane a) must perform the straight maneuver (speed 2 or >greater) during the move step in attempt to climb (gaining no altitude of >course) and is considered "stalled" at the end of its move then checking >for spin during the problem step, or b) the plane is considered in a >"stall" and does not move at all on its next turn then checks for spin >during the problem step. The firing plane should roll for spin and if he doesn't spin, he is considered stalled in the next turn. This is the only way to bleed off speed sort of instantaneously. >3) A question about climbing. The rules clearly states "Climbing >consists of specifying "climb" after any S (striaght) maneuver which has >a speed of 2 or more". It also states "An aircraft cannot climb at its >maximum speed. (it must select a maneuver with a speed at least one less >than its maximum speed.)" >Well, for some planes, this causes a problem. For example, the Roland CII >has a max speed of 2 (so does the Fokker EIII) and so cannot climb since >it cannot climb at its max speed. Does that mean the Roland CII, Fokker >EIII, Pfalz EIII, Morane-Saulnier, RE8, and DH4's can't climb? Same type >of problem holds true when using the Early War charts for the Fokker EIII >Pfalz EIII, FB5, Nieuport 11 and 12, Morane L&N, and the DH2. Strange thing >about the DH2, by the rules, it cannot climb using the Early War Charts, >but it can climb using the Late War Charts. Are we right in assuming this >is an oversight and the climbing rules should have read more along the lines >of "Climbing consists of specifying "climb" after any S (straight) maneuver >which has a speed of 2. An aircraft cannot climb using a speed 1 (S1) >maneuver or maneuvers with speeds greater then 2 (S2)". Ouch!! I completely missed this. More errata. Sigh. I will have to change that to being able to climb at one speed less than top speed. The intent of the rule was to slow over-the-ground movement when climbing, since the aircraft isn't going to move as far across the ground if it climbs steeply. Keep asking questions. It really helps. There is a tendency among designers to completely miss things, as I did, because they are so familiar with the rules that they assume things work because they interpreted there words one way. You should have seen the list of questions I gave Frank Chadwick for Volley and Bayonet. He was just assuming things that needed to be stated. No set of rules survives contact with the players. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >The first question is more a clarifaction rather then a question. > >So basically, if your plane is flying at VL altitude and you go into a >spin, you WILL hit the ground on the next turn without a chance of recovery >since the recovery step comes after the movement step. If your plane is >flying at L altitude, you only have one chance to recover form the spin >before hitting into the ground. Correct? Yup. You auger in if you spin at VL. >1) Non-repeatable maneuvers 28, 31, and 36 are also restricted >maneuvers. How can they ever be repeatable? After performing the >straight maneuver, can you perform multible restricted maneuvers in a >row? You may perform multiple restricted maneuvers in a row provided it is the same maneuver. For instance, 29S2 is a Split S/ Half-loop. You may do another one the following turn to perform a loop. Same for the other restricted manuevers as long as they aren't in brackets. I completely missed the fact that I didn't explain that in the main body of the rules. >2) there is one chart marked "Siemens-Schuckert DIII/DIV, Sopwith Snipe" >On the same page on the back side is another chart marked >"Siemens-Schuckert DIII/DIV, Fokker DVIII, Sopwith Snipe". Both charts >are the same and so we assumed that these two charts should have the name >Fokker DVIII on them making it a dup chart. In short, is it a dup, but >one is missing the plane Fokker DVIII? The chart with all three aircraft on it is the correct one for those aircraft. There isn't any difference between the two charts other than the fact that the one with only two aicraft on it is a test shot that somehow got mixed in with the publication stuff. Missed that one too. >3) I have both the the old combat chart that came with the game and the >one from the blue max web page. I have a question about the old one. At >the very bottom of the Modifiers list, the At different altitude is >shown to have +1 +2 +3 +4 for the 0 to 3 hex range respectively. Were >these supposed to be -1 -2 -3 -4? We couldn't understand why it would be >easier to hit your target at longer range and at different altitude. >Also, on the new chart, these modifiers are not there. Is this a typo? >We use the -1 -2 -3 -4 for targets at different altitudes since it makes >sense to us. It is a typo and was supposed to be corrected in the miniatures version, but the graphics person missed the correction due to the fact that they were still working on it on the day it was due to go to press and lost the corrected chart. Frank wasn't aware of the error so used an old chart out of the second edition of the boxed game. >4) On the new combat chart, the modifier of +1 at ranges 0 to 2 for a >target at lower altitude. Is this modifer a representation for diving on >your target or because the target has more surface area to hit? This is aimed at giving an advantage to the higher altitude aircraft. An arguement can also be made for the greater surface area being easier to hit. >5) this is a silly question, but that is a typo on the counters? The >counters were supposed to read VL, L, M, H, VH and not VL, L, M, H, VL. >Correct? Didn't take us long to figure that one out, but I had to >check. Another typo due to rushing to production. At the time BM was published GDW had 3 employees, Frank, Walt(warehouse), and Sue(secretary). They were using temps to do the graphics, and it shows. >6) Do you have any house rules for ammo? We noticed that there were only >ammo limits for Lewis guns only and none for fixed guns. Or do all >planes have 20 ammo points and only the Lewis guns have 5 point drums? We tried ammo rules, but they weren't necessary. As a general rule both Allied and German aircraft carried the same amount of ammo for the fixed guns, and both sides guns had a firing rate of 550-600 rounds per minute. They usually carried enough ammo for 10-12 seconds of firing. The Lewis gun had the same rate of fire, but only had a 25 or 50 round drum. The drums in the game are 25 round. Likewise a game is intended to represent only about 2 minutes of flying time. Most air combats of the nature represented in the game lasted about that long, and anyone who was going to die in it did so in the first 2 minutes. If you survived those minutes, you had an excellent chance to survive the fight as it would usually turn into a standoff. >Phil, thanks for all your time. Our first games of BM have been great. >We're getting ready to start a campaign soon. We did notice that the fuel >goes really quick though. Any ideas how to make it last longer? >If each turn is only 3-4 seconds and if the normal plane has 45 or 55 >fuel points, this translates to an average of about two minutes of >dog-fight time (actually, more like 100 seconds if a plan has 50 fuel >points and uses 2 a turn). The game as originally published was to represent the unlooked for encounter between 2 patrols. "We came out of a cloud and there they were, sir". As such, it is the equivalent of a back alley knife fight in which there is a fast an furious 2 minutes or so, then everyone backs off. The fuel is put there to keep everyone from blasting around the sky at top speed and to add some questions as to what it is you want to do on this particular turn, and can you afford to use that much fuel to do it. It also brings the game to an end when it begins to reach the standoff phase. One trick I found handy was to fly towards the edge of the board at one hex at a time so it would appear that I was gliding. If you plan it right, one of the other fellows will tail you, then fly into the current hex you are in and turn to nail you from the tail. You of course will have stalled, and being the slower plane, will nail him. Have you tried the second altitude rules. I am far happier with them as they were what I had originally intended to do. The first set of altitude rules were an idea I kicked around then discarded and Frank later used in SKY GALLEONS OF MARS. They then grafted them onto the second edition. I haven't found any real reason to change altitude with the first set or rules, but the second set usually sees people at all kinds of altitudes. In a game I ran at a local con, 10 people who had never played before played their first game and we used the second rules for altitude. One fellow in a Camel got his tail nearly shot off (3 hits), so pulled up to altitude level 23 on his next turn, passed out(anoxia) and spun down to within level 1 of the ground before recovering. You just don't get that with the first altitude rules. If you have anymore questions let me know. Hope you enjoy the game. If you are starting a campaign you might try to get ahold of TSR's old DAWN PATROL game. They have a goodly amount of info on the two sides medals and awards and some good ideas on campaign rules for role playing.