WWIIOL's #1 Infantryman 1-on-1 w/CRS
Greetings WWIIOL Mediocrities, I AM BILTON. No doubt you've had the privilege of being shot by me. In this weeks newsletter I am going to give CRS a hard time about these damn TOEs (Tables of Equipment) we've all been hearing about. I've been asked to submit a series of questions about them, so here we go: Let's start at the beginning for our new BE recruits. In a nutshell, what are "TOE's" and why are they so important for the future of WWIIOL? Gophur: A TOE is the end point of the brigade deployment strategy and the starting point of supply as it heads back up that deployment structure towards the factory. Ok so that's pretty high brow. Specifically, TOEs are the movement of the spawn list from being tied to an AB to being tied to a Brigade Flag. This movement then allows for some specific game play feature to exist such as moving through friendly territory, having resupply times that are persistent to your brigade, no instant resupply on moving your Brigade HQ, getting vehicles built at factories and delivered through the command structure (factory to Army HQ to Corps HQ to Div HQ to Brig HQ), allowing each step along that path to define what it asks from its parent and what it provides to its children and finally what most people, mistakenly, think is the end all be all of TOEs; the differentiation of the spawn list from brigade to brigade. Can you briefly describe what "types" of Brigades we will see with the implementation of TOEs? For example, what will a typical armored, infantry, air and naval "brigade" look like? Gophur: Initially they will look exactly as they do now.That is to say that an Army brigade will still mirror its other branch brigades. Once we have put in the seperation of Brigade and Army base (or air or navy etc.) we will then design RDP tools that allow for differentiation. The first pass will allow the HC to design a limited number of brigade templates and those designs will be entirely up to the HC and the feedback they get from their constituency. We will undoubtedly place some rules on what they can and cannot do, and there will be an overall budget constraint but within those guidelines I think it is important to allow game play flexibility.
What proportions of armor to infantry will we see in:
a) an armored brigade and
b) an infantry brigade? Gophur: We haven't finalized those rule sets yet but I think we can say that every armored brigade will have to have some infantry if it desires to be successful. In fact I would go so far as to predict that brigades that become too specialized will be at a distinct disadvantage. To what extent will HC's determine the composition of brigade types when TOEs are implemented? Gophur: We will have oversight on these decisions but they will be responsible for force make up. Can you tell us the latest on command structures and brigades? Is CRS looking at keeping the divisional system etc. or are there changes coming with TOEs at this level? Are there any changes to movement/retreat rules in the wind? what about French/British brigades being able to move into each others towns? Gophur: The divisional structure is here to stay. We will be expanding on it post TOE introduction to work further back up the chain of supply towards the branch level. There are no specific movement rule changes necessitated by the decoupling of the spawn list from the facility. Any changes that occur in this area will be the result of the addition of OIC and some movement voting rules. When the spawn list is decoupled form the facility and tied to the Brigade, friendly brigades will be able to move freely through friendly territory as they are now taking their supply with them and not relying on what is at the facility where they are going. How will we ensure combat "happens" once TOEs are in the game...what if Brigades hang back wary of losing vital limited numbers and we get Mexican standoffs? Gophur: Nothing about TOEs changes this level of game play from what is currently live. Will personal spawn limits be introduced at the same time as TOEs to stop griefers/idiots wasting limited spawns? Gophur: No. One man's idiot is another man's paying customer. Still the heart of the matter remains and adding prestige or reservations to the better player is still something worthwhile to do. When will we see TOEs in the game? Don't you dare say "soon"! Best guess approximate time frame please? Gophur: The first thing we will see is the decoupling of the brigade from the facility. That should be on target for 1.24. Next we'll see templated spawn lists and corresponding RDP budgets. Much of the ground work for that structure is in place with the tool s that gave us Brigades on the map and unit deployments such as paratroopers. That would should follow closely behind. What rank-specific changes will come with TOEs? Gophur: None. The cynics say TOEs will make no difference to "Air Quake" because planes can still fly all over the map relatively quickly and will be able to group and continue AQ Syndrome after TOEs are introduced.
Your response? Gophur: They sound like they understand that airplanes can indeed fly all over the map. Why does Moxin hate me so much just because I kill him in-game? Gophur: Moxin has a Daler complex. He wishes his Tunak Tun was as big as yours. My thanks to CRS for indulging my passion for what will be the biggest gameplay change WWIIOL has ever seen. Harken to me infantry; our time is nigh! Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!
I AM BILTON
75,000 kills, 0 deaths.
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