Smoke/Illum Ammo Tracking

[Blackcloud6]

Could we get a way to track Smoke or Illumination Ammunition?

Some ideas:

1. A pull down menu on the Gun and artillery markers that show how much ammo is available.  Take a look at the VASSAL module for the Assault series of game.  Each unit counter has this, you pull down the menu and it shows each type with a large box, in that box you type the number of at start ammo and then that number of little boxes appear. When you use up an increment of ammo you fill in the box by clicking it.

2. You could create a counter for both smoke and illumination ammo that counts down like the mine counters do and one could simply place these under the gun and move it with the gun; when using an ammo you decrease the number.  For OBA you could place one of these for each increment in the OBA Holding box.  I'm using mine counters this way right now, using masked ones for Red and unmasked for blue.

[plloyd1010]

For OBA that wouldn't be a problem. That is because they have a specific prototype assigned to them. I could hijack Matt's torpedo/fuel checkoff menu and put it into the OBA prototype, and that would be done.

On-board weapons are a problem. The PG weapon prototype includes anti-tank, antiaircraft and infantry guns, as well as mortars and field artillery. So, if I did the same thing, AT, AA and IG would get smoke & illumination. We could probably live with that. (Infantry guns should probably have smoke anyway.) Crating a separate prototype for on-board indirect would require overhauling every such OOB extension, that's 154 of them. Doing it by individual piece would obviously be worse.

That doesn't include self-propelled artillery and mortars, which have the PG unit prototype. Putting the menu in that prototype means infantry, leaders, and everything except trucks and unarmed jeeps, would get smoke & illumination. Most of us wouldn't want to see that. So that would mean individual rework. as in north of 1000 pieces.

[treadasaurusrex]

Could we get a way to track Smoke or Illumination Ammunition?

Some ideas:

1. A pull down menu on the Gun and artillery markers that show how much ammo is available.  Take a look at the VASSAL module for the Assault series of game.  Each unit counter has this, you pull down the menu and it shows each type with a large box, in that box you type the number of at start ammo and then that number of little boxes appear. When you use up an increment of ammo you fill in the box by clicking it.

2. You could create a counter for both smoke and illumination ammo that counts down like the mine counters do and one could simply place these under the gun and move it with the gun; when using an ammo you decrease the number.  For OBA you could place one of these for each increment in the OBA Holding box.  I'm using mine counters this way right now, using masked ones for Red and unmasked for blue.

In shared play, I simply COUNT up the OBA and/or MOR of HOW units capable of firing smoke/illum, and determine how many turns of smoke/illu, are allowed by the scenario. Based on this, I type the following reminder(s) in the two note spaces on the game Vassal/Uber game status/turntrack record, like this: 
0 of 4 OBA smoke/illum used, and/or 0 of 6 MOR smoke/illum used.

This method works well in shared online play, though it does require a tiny bit of bookkeeping as play progresses. It seems easy enough for even the most numerically obsessed, crunchies to manage.

[CavDo]

A new and exciting concept to accept!

There actually are Crunchies that can learn to do things the easy way, instead of make game mechanics and rules as complex (e.g., ASL) and difficult to manage -- and remember -- as possible?

What a wonderous and unexpected development!

[Grognard Gunny]

Amen.

GG

[Blackcloud6]

For OBA that wouldn't be a problem. That is because they have a specific prototype assigned to them. I could hijack Matt's torpedo/fuel checkoff menu and put it into the OBA prototype, and that would be done.

On-board weapons are a problem. The PG weapon prototype includes anti-tank, antiaircraft and infantry guns, as well as mortars and field artillery. So, if I did the same thing, AT, AA and IG would get smoke & illumination. We could probably live with that. (Infantry guns should probably have smoke anyway.) Crating a separate prototype for on-board indirect would require overhauling every such OOB extension, that's 154 of them. Doing it by individual piece would obviously be worse.

That doesn't include self-propelled artillery and mortars, which have the PG unit prototype. Putting the menu in that prototype means infantry, leaders, and everything except trucks and unarmed jeeps, would get smoke & illumination. Most of us wouldn't want to see that. So that would mean individual rework. as in north of 1000 pieces.

Maybe then do the menu option for OBA and a counting counter for onboard guns; i could then be stacked underneath.  This should lesson your workload as you won't have to go in and mod all the gun counters and it eliminates the problems you mention.

[Tubac52]

This sounds to me like a nonissue, not worth the bother.

Using the easy-to-use note section on the turn track works well in shared play and when playing PG solitaire, so why go to the trouble of creating even more counters?

There is no need for more busy work for Mr. Lloyd.

[Miguelibal]

I second the motion.

Let's not take PG any further in the direction of the virtually-unplayable-for-fun, ASL or Air & Armor.

[Blackcloud6]

I second the motion.

Let's not take PG any further in the direction of the virtually-unplayable-for-fun, ASL or Air & Armor.

What the heck does this have to do with rules?

[Blackcloud6]

In shared play, I simply COUNT up the OBA and/or MOR of HOW units capable of firing smoke/illum, and determine how many turns of smoke/illu, are allowed by the scenario. Based on this, I type the following reminder(s) in the two note spaces on the game Vassal/Uber game status/turntrack record, like this: 
0 of 4 OBA smoke/illum used, and/or 0 of 6 MOR smoke/illum used.

This method works well in shared online play, though it does require a tiny bit of bookkeeping as play progresses.

I've done enough staff paperwork.