I'm interested in finding out if any of you have some thoughts about what to consider when trying to develop a meeting engagement scenerio. I've done a little (very little I suppose) research at the local bookstore trying to find some historical engagements that could be modeled without success so I started trying to formulate in my mind what aspects of the game would be needed.

For better or worse, my experience here draws from map making with RTS games like commnad & conquer. Some rought thoughts I had are as follows:

Objective would be to control all of the primary objectives (4 objective marks in start neutral locations).

Command point markers would be placed in other (also start neutral) locations.

I'd want to use all of the map boards and I would want the players to start with some sort of force parity (has anyone done a unit by unit evaluation to determine how they stack up in terms of value?) and then provide both sides with the reinforcement deck.

Beyond that I haven't taken the idea very far since there are other things I'm trying to concider like any specific milestones that would unlock additional decks (capture the airfield to unlock the air support deck OR capture the supply depot to unlock the artillary deck) though naturally some things get somewhat complicated since beyond the reinforcements and air support decks they are nation neutral and somewhat unique.

Anyway, if anyone else has done this or has some ideas about how to do it I would appriciate the input.

As far as game rounds go, take into account the hex terrain type in regards to movement. Make sure any attacking side has enough time to complete their objectives, but not too much. If you have 20 squads attacking 8 squads but only have enough time to make one real drive, it may be pretty even sided then depending on how the defender anticipated the attack.

As far as looking for historical battles, it's best to take a slice of one for this game. I've actually purchased two copies of TOI and have devised a couple massive scale battles at company level, but these take fanatical amounts of playtesting due to the increased amount of variables--larger boards, larger units, larger objectives, and is quite similar to maxing out a single base game.

There really isn't a standard point-buy system (many have tried, none seem successful) for devising balanced forces, but take into account how specializations and heavy weapon squads may impact the scenario (Engineer entrenchments are handy for defending players, Anti-tank is a must for going against a heavy vehicle force). A single MG in opfire can cover the entire front of a field and butcher any advance, but a double mortar could disrupt him in a heart beat and now the front is wide open.

Good luck!

I wish they would make more fights like the ones you described, because they are rather interesting. And the basic ones get boring after a while.

One of my all time favorite meeting engagement scenarios from Panzerblitz shown here with board typography. The large plateau hill in the center is where one side or the other attempts to occupy the hill. If one side is able to get units in woods and town on top of the hill, the other side can still manuever around and concentrate attacks against enemy units from the surrounding hills, or move in along the slope of the large hill and attempt infantry close assaults.

I think it could work as a TOI scenario if all squads are loaded already in trucks or halftracks as they enter the board, and must move along a east/west road configuration that is not too straight but more winding, similar to the PZblitz map shown above. And like the PB scenario, neither side can move off the road, or unload squads, until the lead unit has a direct line of sight to an enemy unit. For TOI, if 9 boards are used, a fixed rate of 4 hexes for the initial movement of units along the road is about right I think, and if 12 boards, maybe 6 hexes. Once the lead unit of one side makes contact, that sides units revert to their normal movement and may leave the road, unload, etc.

Hey VanCamper nice retrevial from the past. that old Panzer Blitz scenario was always a fun one and it's easily adapitable to TOI.

BJaffe01

PanzerBlitz...

Situation #7...

I was so... young! I spent nights imagining what *I* would do if *I* was leading one of the forces. ('Cause I never played this scenario, for lack of enthusiastic opponent!)

[sigh]