Re: Essex battle [TANKS]

[Frank Pittelli <frank-at-rctankcombat.com>]

Joe Sommer wrote:
> 
> For future battles on flat fields with low grass, I respectfully 
> recommend that we investigate allowing artillery to be killed by hitting 
> small moving targets near them.  When killed, the artillery operator 
> would be required to walk back to home base to be reincarnated.

That's one possible approach, but we'd have to specify a reincarnation 
time (otherwise the operator would be sprinting/fast-walking back to 
home base).   The problem with a fixed target, however, is that they are 
simply too easy to hit.  Any experienced battler would quickly disable 
the gun, even from long range, thereby reducing their effectiveness to 
zero and eliminating one of the trickiest aspects of the game now.

An alternative would be to require the artillery operator to make their 
own supply runs.  That would create an acceptable amount of "dead time" 
when the gun isn't firing and would force the operator to think 
tactically and strategically.  They could decide to stockpile lots of 
ammo or shoot it one load at a time.  Their supply vehicle would be a 
prime target, of course, focusing the attention of both teams.  But, 
unlike the static target, it is a moving target and the operator can 
decide when and where to make their runs.  In this approach, no vehicle 
(friend or foe) would be allowed to be within 10 feet of the artillery 
piece at any time except for the artillery supply vehicle (ie. it's not 
a base), so any ammo stored there for the artillery piece would be 
untouchable.

> 
> Comments about cupola hits
> According to Rule III.4. - "Frontal hits are ignored for all Tanks 
> regardless of their defensive rating".  This applies to front track, 
> front hull and front turret.  However, frontal hits to cupolas, fuel 
> tanks, spare road wheels, etc. do count as hits.  When two tanks engage 
> nose-to-nose and one operator tries to shoot the other's commander 
> cupola, it often causes high shots that hit the other operator in the 
> groin, stomach or head.
> 
> In the interest of safety, I respectfully request that hits to the front 
> 90 degree arc of commander cupolas are ignored under the frontal hit rule.

I think the "safety" reason is a stretch ... but I agree that the front 
of any appendage should be exempt because too many battlers are focusing 
solely on such "trick shots" and therefore not attempting any tactics.

But, for round objects like cupolas, I think we'll need to designate the 
entire 180 degree front arc since all of it can hit from a dead-on 
frontal shot.  In fact, we should probably require lines to be marked on 
both sides of the cupola (just like the turret for certain tanks) that 
designates the invincible area so that it is clear to everyone when a 
hit is a hit.

Consider both of these rule proposals officially submitted.  Anyone 
wishing to comment please do so in the next week or so.

        Frank P.