Christian Schwietzke
01-02-2009, 07:22 PM
For those of you who liked the Civil War scenario idea, (and for everyone else as well) here´s another idea. Yes, it´s kinda whacky, I know, but I think it has potential.
The scenario is inspired by the general situation present during the First Punic War, 264 BC to 241 BC. The Italians stand in for SPQR, the Senate and the People of Rome, while someone else, most likely the Brits, play the QartHadashtim, better known as the Carthaginians.
Rome has a large, well-equipped, well-trained and experienced army, but a very small navy (200,000 tons at most), and a very good industrial base. Their technology is average (i.e. 5) except in the following respect: high Amphibious Warfare technology (to reflect the training of their army), low Propulsion technology (to reflect their lack of professional, experienced oarsmen), and low Construction technology (to reflect their lack of experience in ship design). They also get a high Torpedo technology as the closest thing to their development of the corvus and the way it allowed them to board enemy ships and turn a sea battle into a land battle. The Romans control all mainland Italian ports except for Venice (i.e. Naples, Taranto, La Spezia plus any others there might be), with Naples being their homeport, plus Messina. If Marseille is included on the map, they control that, too, as Massilia used to be Roman ally.
Carthage, on the other hand, has a smaller army, with somewhat inferior equipment, somewhat lower experience and far lower training (to reflect the nature of a mercenary army recruit mostly from barbarian tribes). Its navy is very large (probably at least 1.5 million tons) and better-trained than Rome´s; the industrial base is similar to Rome´s (or maybe somwhat smaller), but unlike Rome´s it is dependant imports of raw materials from its possessions and trading partners.
Carthaginian technology is slightly better than Rome´s (i.e. 6) in most respects, except for the following: high Construction technology (experience in shipbuilding), high Propulsion technology (many experienced oarsmen), low Torpedo technology (their lack of anything like the corvus). The Carthaginians control a number of North African ports; if Tunis is on the map, it is used as their homeport, Carthage. They also control Palermo, Gibraltar, Cagliari, Malta, and a port on Corsica if there is one. They also have small, raw material producing bases at Iraklion and Alexandria to simulate their trading partners in the Eastern Med.
For this scenario, I think it is best to completely disable all aircraft.
Obviously, the challenge in this kind of situation is for the Romans to overcome their naval disadvantage far enough to be able to hamper Carthage´s raw material transports, and to be able to land their superior troops at Carthage´s bases. Carthage on the other hand must prevent this, keep up its superiority at see and catch up with Rome as far as land forces are concerned.
I realize that this scenario is a lot more... experimental than the previous one. It is not supposed to be a simulation of what the First Punic War would be like if fought with WW2 ships; instead, it is meant to recreate the relative strengths and weaknesses of each side, and the challenges that stem from them.
The scenario is inspired by the general situation present during the First Punic War, 264 BC to 241 BC. The Italians stand in for SPQR, the Senate and the People of Rome, while someone else, most likely the Brits, play the QartHadashtim, better known as the Carthaginians.
Rome has a large, well-equipped, well-trained and experienced army, but a very small navy (200,000 tons at most), and a very good industrial base. Their technology is average (i.e. 5) except in the following respect: high Amphibious Warfare technology (to reflect the training of their army), low Propulsion technology (to reflect their lack of professional, experienced oarsmen), and low Construction technology (to reflect their lack of experience in ship design). They also get a high Torpedo technology as the closest thing to their development of the corvus and the way it allowed them to board enemy ships and turn a sea battle into a land battle. The Romans control all mainland Italian ports except for Venice (i.e. Naples, Taranto, La Spezia plus any others there might be), with Naples being their homeport, plus Messina. If Marseille is included on the map, they control that, too, as Massilia used to be Roman ally.
Carthage, on the other hand, has a smaller army, with somewhat inferior equipment, somewhat lower experience and far lower training (to reflect the nature of a mercenary army recruit mostly from barbarian tribes). Its navy is very large (probably at least 1.5 million tons) and better-trained than Rome´s; the industrial base is similar to Rome´s (or maybe somwhat smaller), but unlike Rome´s it is dependant imports of raw materials from its possessions and trading partners.
Carthaginian technology is slightly better than Rome´s (i.e. 6) in most respects, except for the following: high Construction technology (experience in shipbuilding), high Propulsion technology (many experienced oarsmen), low Torpedo technology (their lack of anything like the corvus). The Carthaginians control a number of North African ports; if Tunis is on the map, it is used as their homeport, Carthage. They also control Palermo, Gibraltar, Cagliari, Malta, and a port on Corsica if there is one. They also have small, raw material producing bases at Iraklion and Alexandria to simulate their trading partners in the Eastern Med.
For this scenario, I think it is best to completely disable all aircraft.
Obviously, the challenge in this kind of situation is for the Romans to overcome their naval disadvantage far enough to be able to hamper Carthage´s raw material transports, and to be able to land their superior troops at Carthage´s bases. Carthage on the other hand must prevent this, keep up its superiority at see and catch up with Rome as far as land forces are concerned.
I realize that this scenario is a lot more... experimental than the previous one. It is not supposed to be a simulation of what the First Punic War would be like if fought with WW2 ships; instead, it is meant to recreate the relative strengths and weaknesses of each side, and the challenges that stem from them.