Gringogamer

Artillery Fire Support in GOSS

Gringogamer

2020-02-24

Diving into Decision Games’ Grand Operational Simulation Series (GOSS) can be a hefty undertaking. In this series of articles, I chronicle my progress learning how to play the GOSS title Hurtgen: Hell’s Forest. In the last weeks, we took step by step the game apart starting with an introduction, followed by an overview of movement and mode rules, a look inside the box and the supply rules. It’s about time to get to the core of the rules.

Last time I described the procedure that would supply units with fuel and ammunition. Today I’ll give an overview of how to use those shells! We will go through the GOSS Fire Support rules, and more precisely GOSS Artillery Fire Support. Yes, there are procedures for Air Ground Support and Naval Fire Support, but those just differ in the way how the participating strength, expressed in Fire Support Points (FSP) is calculated. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Logbook: 2020-02-23

Gringogamer

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2020-02-23

Based on a short discussion on twitter the other day about AI opponents in computer games I was wondering how often Machine Learning is used for such a job? Probably in most cases either an overkill or way too complicated. But there must be a (small) group of conflict simulations where this could be ~~easily~~ implemented.

This might be even a project for an interested student: writing an ML opponent for a wargame. Maybe for one of the COIN titles? Or as the player in Comanchería?

Machine Learning applicable in wargames?

P.S. Uh oh, going down a rabbit hole. Just found this blog.

Wargame Picture – 5

2020-02-22

Reading up on rules for artillery is tiring.

Artillery, cat-apults,… there must be a joke in here somewhere.

Tunisia II

Gringogamer

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2020-02-20

Beginner’s Wargames = Low Complexity Wargames?

Really? Do all wargames for beginners lack complexity? Is complexity the only discriminating factor? What if a beginner is looking for something with more depth? Are there wargames on the market that do not fit the stereotypical bill of low complexity and yet can still be considered as gateway wargames?

In this column I’d like to introduce games that I think are suitable for beginners but have enough depth that even non-beginners won’t get bored too quickly.

Disclaimer: This post is not a review. Plenty of excellent reviews have been already written elsewhere.

Wargame Picture – 4

2020-02-19

The problem with ziploc bag games is that it’s very easy to overlook on the shelf. Here’s a reminder that I should play more often Revolution Games’ Battles of the Bulge: Celles.

Supply in GOSS

Gringogamer

4 comments

2020-02-17

Welcome to part three of the Into the Deep End series, the series in which I chronicle my progress learning the Grand Operational Simulation Series title Hurtgen: Hell’s Forest. (Check out part one and part two in case you have missed them.)

Into the Deep End

Yep, I finally found a title for this series of articles. GOSS is not known to be a low-complexity game. I, on the other hand, am everything but an experienced wargamer. So, yes, it feels a little bit like jumping Into the Deep End…

Switching Gears

When you reach the second part of the GOSS rulebook be aware that it’s ‘heavier’ than the first part. Whatever happened in the first part of the rules will feel like a walk in the park. The second part will require some effort from the reader. Well, at least I had to put in more effort. I suggest to bring a pen and paper, have some the counters ready and replay the examples while reading. Don’t skip anything! Reserve a couple of hours.

As said before, my notes can’t be a replacement for reading the rules. You still have to put in some work yourself. But maybe my notes can be of any help.

While I had actually planned for today to introduce the procedures of Fire Support in GOSS, I realized that I should first talk about the Supply rules. We will come back to Artillery and Air Support (no Naval Fire Support in Hurtgen: Hell’s Forest! 🙂 ) next time.

So, let’s do this!

Wargame Picture – 3

2020-02-16

Learning how to play Hurtgen: Hell’s Forest. Here’s a view of my current gaming area where I’m going through the excellent youtube tutorial series for the Bloody Bucket scenario by The War Gamer.

And yes, the next GOSS article should be online tomorrow. I will ~~rant~~ talk about the Supply rules… oohh!

Working on the next GOSS article: a first (guided) playthrough of the Bloody Bucket scenario.

Wargame Picture – 2

2020-02-14

Fire in the Lake is my favorite title in GMT‘s COIN series. But Pendragon: The Fall of the Roman Empire comes in a close second.

Colonial Twilight

Gringogamer

3 comments

2020-02-13

Beginner’s Wargames = Low Complexity Wargames?

This is definitely an oversimplification. I’m sure that every once in a while even advanced players who usually spend their time huddled around giant game tables, like to indulge themselves for a couple of hours in some conflict simulation that’s a little less of a brain burner.

But is the opposite true as well? Are there wargames on the market that do not fit the stereotypical bill of low complexity and yet can still be considered as gateway wargames?

In this column I’d like to introduce games that I think are suitable for beginners but have enough depth that even non-beginners won’t get bored too quickly.

Disclaimer: This post is not a review. Plenty of excellent reviews have been already written elsewhere.

Hurtgen: Hell’s Forest – Inside the Box

Gringogamer

4 comments

2020-02-12

This is the second article in my series about the Grand Operational Simulation Series (In case you are wondering, here is my first GOSS post.). Full disclosure: I haven’t played any of the games in this series nor do I have any particular GOSS experience! Wait… what?

You read that right. These posts are my attempt to chronicle my experience of learning how to play the GOSS system.

If you want to master something, teach it!
Richard Feynman

So while these articles maybe (hopefully) help others, they definitely help me getting a better understanding of GOSS.

After the first post was a rather dry introduction into the GOSS rules, I thought we deserve a break and I’d share pictures of some of the components of Hurtgen: Hell’s Forest. They might give you a different angle on the scope and detail of this game system.