Official OOC Thread

Agree with Muns. And to be fair, TK2 was always heavily about inventory management. I think it just gets compounded with the nature of PbP.

I have 15 rounds of 7.62L which is different from 7.62N which is different from 7.62S or 7.62T and lets not forget 7.62cz. I had to look all of that up. 😆

Yeah resource mgmt is nuts.

This edition abstracts it fairly decently, plus there ́ightly be some redundancies if you look closely and consider what the rulebook says kn equipment compared with what the list offers. Frankly our sheet doesn't have the space to write all this down, so it can be assumed some of the basics we already have, and if there is some stuff like "Cold Weather Gear" it will be abstracted to a single listing or two.

Older editions 1st and 2.2 were a little more brutal with the masses of equipment you could have, books upon books.

A Twilight Campaign generally is a struggle with equipment because you have to maintain your equipment in the midst of an apocalyptic war and struggle to find repairs, replacements and extra ammo and so on while travelling, so while it seems like we have a lot now, we might be complaining later. Usually, there's a group vehicle that the group has to manage too, so it looks like we're avoiding that for the moment, which seems to simplify things in some ways.

Ammo is a little confusing because it's used as a currency as well as just being free ammunition for a weapon, so if you have loose ammunition it could mean you're doing alright with trade currency, or you're relatively okay with ammunition.

*Dusts off the Ole battlefield logistics, strategies, and employment powerpoint*

Beans, bullets, and blankets gentlemen. It is how war is waged and won.

I have to admit I didn't worry much about the list of equipment. The sheets make it look official, like something our characters would actually get. That's neat. Am I going to keep track of every single piece on there.....noooooo probably not, I'll just refer back to them now and then. As time goes by, things happen, maybe goggles get broken or jackets ripped, may impact skill tests due to exposure. As said above, it's VERY cold and survival will be part of the challenge.

Long as I get my blankie and some thermal pj's. Lol.

Gear Concerns in game

General comments:

Ok, I see a rather large pachyderm taking up much of the room, so let me get that out of the way. First, as Muns stated, the reason all that gear is listed it, in part, to remind you that these are harsh mountain conditions. For the past several days, most of your characters have been at significantly lower elevations and relative warmth. Now at Charlie’s FOB at elevation where the wind whips constantly, the temperatures are colder and less forgiving. Also, this represents the general equipment that the Army issues to units moving around in these kinds of conditions.

Weather and Climate:

Welcome to the Carpathians, where if you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes and it will get worse. The beginning of March has always been a bit of a crap shoot when it comes to weather. However, thanks to the various nuclear detonations across the planet, the climate is going through a significant cooling trend, and while it has not gotten to its worst, temperatures, winds, snowfall, etc, are already setting records. Temperatures in and around the current game location remain at or below zero on the Fahrenheit scale or -18C… for daytime highs in the sun with no more than a light breeze. The mission is likely to take the group to areas that are colder, winds stronger and snow deeper.

Weight, Equipment Tracking and Expectations

The 173rd Infantry Brigade (Airborne) is a light infantry unit. The most accurate thing I can say about the light infantry never feels lighter to the soldiers. This is because they generally have to carry everything they need to fight and to live, with them. That having been said, I, as the GM, have no intention to put everyone through carrying 100lb/50kg rucks or heavily penalizing people in a way that would be unfair.

I have already worked up a "standard weight" for how kit would be carried for individuals. In addition, the leaders I’ve provided are highly capable and approachable. They have the specific pre-war training and experience to lead this type of mission. There are other "cheats" that I have had going on in the background to help your characters manage the equipment that we just haven’t gotten to yet.

Now, about the list I put out. Muns pointed out 2 things that are accurate that I’ll point out real quick. The first is basically just a bookkeeping issue and doesn’t affect things - all ECWCS items are GEN II, not GEN III. Nothing to freak out about. Also, Muns was on top of things as far as who I am and what I’ve done.

As I said above, the list is what the Army would issue. And I had the PSG give you the same basic instructions that you would get in real life. Many of your character reactions are exactly what I heard when I went to my first Arctic CIF issue. So if it helps sooth the players reactions, the list basically got the exact reaction it should have. And that was half the reason I gave it to you all.

The other half was, more or less, a point of information, education if you will. Looking at the list, there should be 1) an appreciation of the importance of the upcoming mission, 2) an understanding that the environment is as likely or perhaps more likely to kill as enemy bullets, and 3) so that you have an understanding of the gear your characters will be using in order to stay alive and accomplish your mission.

As for equipment tracking and accountability, no, I do not expect anyone to transfer all this to character sheets. No, I do not expect anyone to account for all the equipment issued. No, you do not have to carry all this equipment. For in game posts, you don’t have to be overly specific about things. The biggest thing I can think of is the cold weather clothing. The Army’s ECWCS (Extended Cold Weather Clothing System) has 7 layers. But I do not expect anyone to specify the layers by name. If your character is exerting a lot of energy, just say something to the effect of So-n-So changes layers to keep from overheating or something similar. The same goes for all the equipment.

Going Forward

Over the next several days in game, your characters will be receiving a dose of concentrated training regarding the equipment, how to use it, when to use what and what to look for to help prevent falling victim to the environment. During that time, I look forward to helping to refine things further. If anyone has questions, or additional concerns, please feel free to message me directly. I do not want to overwhelm the players and I am sure we can work out suitable solutions.

Sincerely,

RW,
gm-T2K:Romania

Hi all! Unfortunately due to my real life responsibilities I must cull as many games as I can. I think this one will be EPIC, but very demanding in the same time. And demanding means: times consuming - in many cases. And I want to "repay" people that give much with me giving back to them. So I don't think I will be able to keep my posts at such high level as you guys! Maybe some day when I will have more free time :)

It was wonderful to play with you all and see how your PC came to life! Also the GM is doing the magnificent work with amazingly evocative descriptions, providing assets and role play that makes this world feel very immersive. But I won't be able to return the same level of effort in foreseeable future!

Thanks again and see you again in some game! God bless you all! :)

I for one am sorry to hear that you are dropping from the game. I appreciate the time and effort you put into your character. I look forward to seeing you in other games.

Sorry to see you go Pedrop.

Sorry to lose you. Take care.

Farewell

Dammit Carl!

Sorry, my mom wandered off from her place yesterday and the police found her at 2am in a park. I'm going to have to pull back for a bit, I will keep reading and posting when I can.

I understand fully and support you pulling away. This type of problem is extremely hard and my heart honestly goes out to you. I wish you and your Mom the best. v/r Muns

That is totally understandable. Like Muns, I support your need to pull back. Our loved ones, especially our parents, are, by far, more important than any game! And they often need us most when they don’t or can’t even realize it. Please feel free to drop a PM anytime. I’ll keep your character active but more in the background for now. For my part, I will keep you and your mom in my thoughts and prayers.

My deepest condolences.

My mother is in an advanced form of Alzheimer's. We have seen massive improvement with the use of Therapeutic Lithium(Lithium Orotate), B Vitamins, and the Peptides BPC-157, and Epithalon.

Echo what everyone else has said. Deal with your mom first before anything else.

Wishing you and you mom all the best Emberskyes. I know what a struggle it can be to care for an aging parent.

Unfortunately I have to withdraw from the game. I clearly haven't been able to keep up and I just don't see it getting better soon. Best of luck everyone, give those Russians Hell.