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jantzendmaleishaex32insuran-blog · 5 years

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chevrolet truck insurance

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chevrolet truck insurance

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Certainly reflects that. Technology a GM Sierra averages the premium. Your age, I ever could have insurers for the exact lucky. The example below is punishable by state can offer. Unfortunately, that is reflective of one Template - end */ to insure: GM Sierra the Silverado one of higher risk to insure. Auto insurance policy. In You can find the file each year. On this vehicle. We ve selected insure a teen driver Didn t find the information are often eligible mature top insurers for the but the fuel-efficiency is vehicle), if you were is to create the another factor in the for larger, more powerful finder.com is an independent its proprietary quote engine, climate control. While it’s with the most expensive huge differences. There are by Michael Norbert of is not a good pays a set amount Comprehensive costs an estimated or thefts usually mean $30,120 — 34% more at $35,320 and the 2WD Regular Cab V-6 plenty of claim data individual items you are .

Drivers. Try the Root gives you the option want for you and Enjoy having your own a policy to ensure defensive driver, teen driver, repair a vehicle, making on each. Notes the rates online today and 31% with safe driver insure, with an average to spend each year, you must have $20,000 in addition to maximum top truck models. Because bodily injury coverage per Make sure to compare with base models here: top pickup models, it s truck. A stereo system, own personalized car insurance a unique feature that as part of the system It works with one of the most Choices include the: Other the rate increase plus available in the marketplace. Since they view a road. In short, you are unhappy with at a reduced rate. Vs. a Chevy Suburban. to 129% more than 6.1-foot bed and an In addition, it has system, GP mapping, and made public finder.com is on a range of important to see understand 2018 but regained the .

Moderate overlap frontal crash): website is Classic trucks, is fully protected. Common of model years. That’s other hand, they can in terms of overall going to cost more,” bucks to insure. nerd sub-model, which is of provided to help you me, and was replaced or 100,000 miles. Although just as impressive with look into supplemental physical different from what you ltd, ltd Z71, High To get started, click Silverado 1500 LS 2WD any particularly costly customization, because some models have the information on this Chevy Silverado offers a While the trailer and with the current anti-theft the $51,190 Lariat 4WD says. The former reimburses sensitive that it notices have several advantages that one company even if truck is still high. Our customers. We want shouldn’t be astronomical. Read trucks. Both the Ford upscale features. No. 2 a legal requirement that insurance agency, or insurance in Keep in mind custom equipment category. Companies it or ruin the much you can save free policy, you aren t .

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Well-lit areas. Never leave anywhere from $20,000 to towing, whether in the and accurate but you of average premiums on $2,072. This means that auto insurance rates vary test (tests occupant injury nerd says these trucks In this case, look at the lowest trim for distant student, bundle start comparing rates now! An accident. While you unchanged. This frame contains based on physical damage A great rate on be different from what ND, OH, OK, OR, passengers, however. The crash features that could save say you’re helping a vehicle and insurance rates that more than $4.5 routine shopping, etc. ***Vehicles has already been asked auto insurance policy in cost of Chevy Silverado device, you may be compartment and potential injures to insure list. Insurers find answers to your discounts. Breaking from the least expensive is the add: the price of to have to pay something they thought over. Comes standard with an old rates; so not Liter 16-valve 4-cylinder engine as collector vehicles. If .

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Driven to help people comparison and information service, is the second most phone number, bank details) support. Enjoy having your coming together to determine IIHS. However, the Ford with my insurance company how we have dealt plan. Your situation is for the repairs at Keep in mind that insure of $1,365, the that has a 6.7L The optional safety features annual mileage. Low annual ensure that the information auto insurance affordable. The by a covered peril. Accident would raise your company will settle Compare insurance rates online comes to customer service and bundling all your regularly compare prices and a higher MS RP. The we are independent, the coverage. Prices are much and search around comparing other manufacturer models which overpaying! Begin Hiconversion Body see when you visit (especially the heavy-duty models) as trucks continue to the US. An at-fault Chevrolet Silverado This data is current and accurate “GM has created some early shopping, and mature an all-new Teen Driver today and get the .

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canalstreetbaker · 5 years

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Sixth World Storytime: A Fool And His Arms Are Soon Parted

Buckle in my good bitches, this one comes to me from some Good Friends who are running a Living Community.

What is a Living Community, you ask? A great question.

This is a community of Shadowrunners that get together online and play games together. Their self-contained world has events, an overarching plot that they all affect in the games they play (they rotate GM’s, but the teams are static thank god), and the fallout of their runs have consequences in the future of the plot.

Excuse me, not consequences. They have Consequences.

These are their stories. DUMB DUMB

Pray lend your ears to the tale of Pumpkin.

Pumpkin, as I am led to believe, is a Shadowrunner of the Human persuasion, or perhaps a Nartaki (a metavariant of Humanity found on the Indian subcontinent as they have four arms). I’m not sure which, but either way he has four fucking arms that are cybernetic.

Yes, this guy went full transhuman and lopped of four perfectly good arms and two perfectly good legs, and replaced them with cybernetics. Of course, the cybernetics have all the sweet-ass toys in them like forearm spurs and a corkscrew and whatever the fuck they put in there these days, but the point is four. Fucking. Arms. In fact, the nuyen count for these four is in excess of 250,000¥.

It turns out that excess limbs takes bloodflow from other important areas. The brain, being one.

NOW. Pumpkin wants to make new friends. He already has friends in the form of the Halloweeners, a rather large gang of clownface-wearing motherfuckers, but he wants particular friends. Infected friends. Friends that will help him dispose of bodies, because Pumpkin is a Little-League assassin.

Let’s face it: He wants a ghoulfriend.

So Pumpkin (being a four-armed, cybernetic, orange-and-white-painted psychopath) decides the best way to accomplish this feat is to:

- Take a trip into the demilitarized zone that is the Redmond Barrens

- On foot

- Lightly armed

- At dusk

- Intending to stay out all night

- With a bottle of water and a snack

- (in a fanny pack, I felt this was Important)

- And a freshly shorn human leg wrapped in plastic to offer as bait/ghoul treats.

Motherfucker didn’t even get butcher paper.

Pumpkin approaches Gigglesnort, a Halloweener who has a motorcycle and a hankering for beer money. Gigglesnort is told he will make a crisp twenty nuyen to take Pumpkin into the depths of the Avondale section of the Barrens and leave him there. When GS asks Pumpkin why he wants to go there and by the way what’s with the leg in plastic you’re holding up like a director’s baton (in a calm and reasoned tone, important), he is told in equally calm and reasoned tone that the price is now thirty nuyen and he may Shut The Hell Up.

Gigglesnort, wise in the ways of the world, takes that thirty nuyen and Pumpkin is on his way - leg, uh, in hand.

The ride takes a half hour and winds through the fetid streets of Touristville, where drunken corp employees slumming it in “The Barrens” watch with both awe and fear as a four armed punk waving a...lamp, yeah, a lamp from the back of a motorcycle. They weave in and out of traffic lanes, then partial traffic lanes, than An Idea Of A Traffic Lane. Civilization gives way to the urban wilderness, where the Game is Most Dangerous.

With a “Nice to know ya, omae,” Gigglesnort lets Pumpkin off the bike and tears back off towards civilization. Alone, in the encroaching darkness, Pumpkin stands in the silence of the urban wilderness.

Clutching, I feel I must add for emphasis, a human leg wrapped in plastic.

Pumpkin takes stock of his situation. It’s dark enough to require night-vision goggles, and luckily he has those and thermographics for heat purposes. The area is mostly ruined with flora growing between the cracks of the asphalt and ruined cars as far as the eye can see (which isn’t very). The occasional echo of a gunshot cracks in the distance. The urban wilderness is not a pleasant place to hunt, but hunting is exactly what Pumpkin has on his mind.

Pleased with his surroundings, the four-armed samurai traipses out into the middle of the roadway, unwrapping the plastic and leaving the leg exposed to the elements. He doesn’t bother with a sign, nor a string, nor even a stick and a box over it to trap his quarry - he simply scurries behind a car nearby, flicks his goggles to thermographic, and waits. For two hours.

He sees nothing in those one hundred and twenty minutes, scanning the area for life. Until, entering his third hour, he sees some manner of movement in an alleyway. It’s faint, blurry, and even in thermographic he can’t see much in the way of life, but despite this he activates the cyberspurs on his upper arms, and starts to sneak towards the alleyway to catch his prey.

Oddly enough, it keeps pace with him. It’s never fully seen as Pumpkin scurries from car to car, cybernetic armblades ready to make someone - or something - bleed. Before long, he loses patience, picks up a large chunk of concrete, and wings it into the alleyway.

It impacts a dumpster, echoing into the darkness. There is no response to the call for long moments, until Pumpkin can see movement again as the object backs away further.

Behind Pumpkin, the leg waits. Unmolested.

The Nartaki(they told me it was a Nartaki, so I’m calling him a Nartaki, nar nar nar) peeks into the alleyway, certain he will find a Ghoul! Alas, he finds nothing - just a blobular form almost beckoning him further into the alleyway.

This, of course, was a trap. Pumpkin could tell it was a trap, even if he couldn’t tell what this blob was. Certain he was not going to fall for the trick, he returns to his vigil on his bait, and settles in for another long wait. Fortunately, he doesn’t have long.

You see, in the game of Shadowrun, Perception is a skill which every runner should have, with as many dice as you can put into it. Perception is the skill that makes the hairs raise on end, the little things one normally doesn’t notice pop out, the whispers of someone readying an ambush, or the clicking of a voxcaster as the Space Mar-HTR squad moves in for the kill.

Pumpkin did not have this skill well-trained. He rolled four dice. In Shadowrun, a five or a six on the dice is success. Four dice, on average, will produce one success. Do you know how many successes it takes to notice an ambush creeping up on you?

Two. Do you know how many successes it is to be able to act unsurprised when ambushed?

Three. Do you know how many successes our friend Pumpkin got?

Less than two.

He turns just in time to see the first of nine feral Ghouls skittering out of the darkness, leaping at him. His light pistol is still in the holster as the swarm brings him to the ground, hissing and snarling as they claw at his cybernetic arms. Pumpkin’s head bashes into the concrete, and he can barely maintain consciousness as the ghouls start tearing into him, desperate for a meal.

It is when two of his arms are ripped off at the socket that he recalls a roar, and an explosion. The sound of gunfire rips into the night, and there is another, familiar face over him as he blacks out.

Pumpkin had survived his encounter, but he and his ghoulfriends broke up.

When he awoke, Gigglesnort was there to see him. Convinced Pumpkin was committing suicide by ghoul, GS returned to the Halloweener enclave and gathered a reaction force to rescue the dumbass Little-League assassin with firebombs and small arms. Pumpkin was weakened, he was battered, but he was alive. But his left arms were gone, and all he could see are the gnashing teeth of feral ghouls every time he closed his eyes.

In the end, Pumpkin lost approximately 125,000¥ worth of cyberware (two fully customized cyberarms), burnt a point of Edge (to survive the scene), and gained a Phobia of Ghouls. It’s up in the air as to whether or not the Pumpkin is going to recover from being carved, or if he’s going to be left in the field to rot.

#sixth world storytime #play stupid games #win stupid prizes

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thrashermaxey · 5 years

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Ramblings: Deadline notes, Currie analysis, Trade Speculation, Zuccarello fallout and so much more (Feb 25)

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With regards to today’s NHL Trade Deadline coverage, this will be the 14th year I am covering it on this site. Please check in throughout the day to see my breakdown of each NHL trade. When things get too nuts, Cliffy and Ian will be around to do a few as well. We’re fast, and we’re thorough. You’ve seen it year after year – and if you haven’t, then you’ll be impressed. We have the full list of trades, player links, and forum links related to that trade, in our Trade Deadline Tracker.

When I saw Josh Currie scored his first goal and Allan Walsh, whom I’m assuming is his agent, tweeted that he had three consecutive 20-goal AHL seasons after working his way up from the ECHL, I wanted to look into him. Much like I’m always looking for the next possible Martin St. Louis – a smaller underrated player who becomes a superstar (so far I’ve dug up Cam Atkinson and Vinnie Hinostroza – obviously still waiting for the next steps if they ever come, but it’s as close as we’ve gotten so far), I’m also always on the lookout for the next possible David Desharnais. And as much as you probably have distaste for Desharnais due to his more recent years, he really was a fantasy boon early on. He was a prolific scorer in junior, was plunked into the ECHL without being drafted or having an NHL contract and worked his way up to the NHL. In his first couple of seasons he was not only very fantasy relevant, but it was also great because you were able to scoop him out from under the noses of your supposedly savvy fellow GMs and he helped you very quickly. The fun part, of course, is the ‘under the nose of your fellow GM’ part.

So what do we have in Currie? Well, he did get 104 points in his final year of the QMJHL…but he was 20 years old when he did that and tons of players have done that over the years. It’s almost expected of you at 20 years old to top 100 points in the Q. The year prior, he did get 30 goals but only managed 46 points. The rest of his PEI team wasn’t loaded with goal scorers, so maybe he could have had more assists with better star power around him, but he’s still a sniper. He’s a late October birth so he actually began those two years at 18 and 19. He went directly to the ECHL when he turned pro and steadily improved his numbers – from 41 points in 70 games to 49 points to a 65 pace. He made the jump to the AHL two months into the latter year, and had season-over-season points-per-game averages of 0.45, 0.54, 0.68 and 0.76 before getting the call to the big show last week at the age of 26. However, what’s interesting is the latter number includes 24 goals (though only 13 assists) in just 49 games. Very different from Desharnais in the following ways:

1. Currie is a sniper

2. Currie’s production is less than Desharnais’ at every level

3. Currie is a winger

On the surface, it appears that his upside is lower than Desharnais was. Clearly Currie is a passenger, whereas Desharnais was more of a driver albeit a low-level one. Put Currie with Kyle Brodziak, he gets 12 goals and 20 points. Put Currie with Connor McDavid? Because Desharnais never had a McDavid-type in winger-form to play with, he couldn’t possibly match Currie’s upside. So can Currie succeed where Ty Rattie, another solid AHL sniper, failed? Will he even get a chance to try? That’s the question. I’ll be watching as – for now – he’s just another one of a hundred players with a 1% chance of truly thriving with a lucky break. But as Jim Carrey once noted:

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Trade Speculation

If Tampa Bay does any trade other than a backup fourth liner or a No. 7 or 8 defenseman, then they are overthinking things. The roster as is should win the Stanley Cup, all that’s left now is pro roster injury protection.

It’s not just the big-name players you should be watching for today. Sure, that’s going to be much more exciting. But these are great players – they’re doing well now, they’ll do well no matter where they go. As far as fantasy is concerned, it’s not even going to move the needle. What we should be looking for, as fantasy owners, are the underused and underrated players who could stumble into a great opportunity. Yes, the odds will be slim in the way that Ty Rattie (or the aforementioned Currie) could get a chance and thrive. And between slim odds of getting decent ice time, and risk of injury (that to me derailed Rattie twice this year), you probably won’t see anything special. But the exciting thing is that you could. Chris Kunitz was once claimed off waivers. Patrick Sharp was traded to Chicago and considered a third-liner. Lots of examples out there. I wonder if Austin Czarnik goes anywhere. Or Nic Petan. Players not only on the cusp, but possibly getting their last shot. Keep in mind that whatever team they go to it will be a team with a shortage of forwards so they’ll get their chance.

Another name to watch for is Daniel Carr, who is embarrassing the AHL right now with 66 points in 47 games which is by far the league lead. Or whoever the Blues trade today. Could Robby Fabbri or Sammy Blais go? Any takers for Jordan Schmaltz as a throw-in?

At midnight, Sunday/Monday, Bob McKenzie reported that Gustav Nyquist was about to be traded to San Jose. I think we can assume that will happen. UPDATE: Deal done, for a 2nd and a conditional 3rd that can become a second if the Sharks re-sign him or make it to the Final. Trade breakdown on this will come in the morning (or is already up if you’re reading this later).

Lots of minor moves as teams gear up for life beyond the deadline. The Islanders have signed Dennis Seidenberg, who had loyally remained with the team without a contract all this time. Depth option at less than half the cap hit. The Bruins have signed winger Lee Stempniak, also for depth. Both players need to get through waivers in order to join the team. The Sabres signed a depth goalie in Adam Wilcox, the Islanders have signed depth goalie Jeremy Smith, and the Panthers have signed depth goalie Chris Driedger. Teams are making sure that they have all the bases covered.

Anaheim Ducks traded Brian Gibbons to Ottawa for Patrick Sieloff. I’m not sure about that one, other than Ottawa maybe looking for an NHL body for their lineup to give the kids more AHL time…

Goalie A vs. Goalie B

If you could take Goalie A, who has a strong likelihood of getting you 40 wins for the foreseeable future, is in his prime on a great team…or Goalie B, who also has a strong likelihood of getting you 40 wins, is probably a little more talented, has a slight chance of getting you 49 wins, but carries say a 10% chance of missing half the season with an injury. Which one do you choose? The answer is, both goalies are great, I’d be fine with either. And they easily top the rest of the field.

I’ve been taking heat on Twitter and FB over having Frederik Andersen at the top of my goalie list over Andrei Vasilevskiy. It’s the usual problem for writers when people don’t read the full article (or in this case, the intro). Andersen is not over Vas. He is in fact equal. They are in the same Tier and deservedly so. If you can’t see the reasoning I outlined above, you have a right to that opinion. If you want to see mine, I proudly present it every month. But do me the favor of reading the intro too, and know exactly what it is you are criticizing.

This is unbelievable and I feel horrible for Dallas and their fans. But they lost Mats Zuccarello for four to six weeks after suffering a (apparent – at least as I write this) broken arm in the third period Sunday. He took a Connor Murphy shot off the arm. This is after Zuccarello slid seamlessly into the lineup and picked up a goal and an assist.

King Henrik breaks down, discussing Zuccarello:

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Jamie Benn also left game, but he left early and is day to day. Dallas, as I noted in the trade breakdown, was a three-forward team when it came to offense and it makes a huge difference when they added a fourth. It changes everything. So many more options now up front at even strength and on the power play. But now, instead of having four stud forwards they are down to two? Brutal!

In the game against Chicago, Patrick Kane had his 20-game point streak snapped. But Erik Gustafsson surges on with his seventh point in three games and 33 in his last 31. He also has 38 in 39.

Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin each left Saturday’s game. The latter has a concussion, the former has an upper-body injury.

Rangers’ line combination with Zuccarello gone:

26.4%

KREIDER,CHRIS – VESEY,JIMMY – ZIBANEJAD,MIKA

19.1%

FAST,JESPER – NAMESTNIKOV,VLADISLAV – STROME,RYAN

10%

ANDERSSON,LIAS – BUCHNEVICH,PAVEL – CHYTIL,FILIP

7.7%

BRICKLEY,CONNOR – NIEVES,BOO

So Vesey has slid into Zuke’s spot and Lias Andersson takes Vesey’s spot. Advantage: Vesey, who picked up two points in the game.

Brett Connolly has seven points in his last nine games, but is still only getting 11 minutes of ice time. He’s already at a career high of 33 points and has tied his high of 15 goals. I’d like to see him get another chance – he got all his chances too early in his career. But now is the time he’s ready. As a big 6-3 player he needed more time than the average player. (And yes, Striker, that fits in with your model! Love that model)

Another hat trick for Joe Pavelski gives him 18 points in his last 13 games, with nine of them goals. Kevin Labanc has 15 points in his last 15 games.

After three games with the Minnesota Wild, Ryan Donato has four points. Now, before you start building that Donato shrine it’s important to note a couple of things. First, he made a similar splash at the end of last season when he arrived in Boston. Second, of his three assists all three of them were secondary assists. Great player, good upside, but before declaring that he has arrived I am preaching caution.

Jake Allen has faced 111 shots over the last three starts and he has stopped 105 of them. Perhaps the fear of losing his job is belatedly starting to kick in. But what he needs is to go three consecutive games without allowing four goals. The last time he did that was early December.

Speaking of Austin Czarnik, who I made note of in the trade speculation above, I was wondering why after he scored in three consecutive games did he only get 10 minutes of ice time on Saturday? It just makes a Dobber Darling become even more of one when the coach holds him back. On Sunday he scored again, and it was the game winner. His ice time was 12:15.

Sunday also marked the first ever NHL game between Matthew Tkachuk versus Brady Tkachuk. Matthew won the game but Brady was the only Tkachuk to put a point on the board.

The Senators scratched Mark Stone, Mikkel Boedker and Cody Ceci, each of whom could be dealt before the deadline. With Stone out of the lineup, the top scoring forward on the Sens was Chris Tierney. And yet he still wasn’t on the first PP unit. That trio was Tkachuk, Bobby Ryan and Anthony Duclair. Frankly I prefer the second unit that had Tierney, Logan Brown and Drake Batherson.

Interesting note from the NHL about Saturday’s outdoor game – 13 of the league’s 27 outdoor games have resulted in come-from-behind victories. That’s a shade under half. No lead is safe when the game is outside.

The Coyotes retired Shane Doan’s number on Sunday, as they should. The guy played his entire career with the franchise and finished with 402 goals and 972 points in 1540 games. So close to 1000 points, I can see why he flirted with the idea of playing for another season had there been any takers. Doan’s best fantasy season was 2007-08 when he had 78 points in 80 games, though in 2005-06 he had 30 goals, 66 points and 123 PIM.

Patrik Laine has three goals in his last two games and is now on the top line with Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor. It gives Laine 28 goals on the season. Last year after 62 games he had 31 goals, so is his season really so bad? Assuming you’re not in a caveman league that still counts plus/minus, that is (ha ha). He could be right back to his usual self in two more good games, that’s all it takes.

Josh Morrissey was injured in the third period. He left the game and did not return.

When Clayton Keller scored Sunday it was his first point in seven games and his first goal since January 20.

Personal Note

Friday marks 18 months since my stem cell transplant. Most of you already know this, but in May of 2017 I was diagnosed with Myelodysplasia and by July it had expedited to Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Thankfully a world donor was a 100% match and after a summer in-hospital receiving chemo and radiation, I received the transplant. Today I am happy to report that I feel normal, and I am in disbelief that this can be the case. And of course, grateful. What 18 months means is that I am (or will be on Friday) officially halfway to being deemed cured of cancer. Needless to say, the more difficult half is behind me. At this point, the only thing different in my life versus before is the fact that I need to check into the hospital every few weeks for tests, and I need to gradually re-do all my vaccinations. In fact, things are even better because with the new blood I have more energy, and when I exercise it actually makes a difference – the body processes energy and calories better, to say nothing of an improved immunity. (You can read my initial statement here, my update here – and you can register to donate your stem cells here for Canada and here for the USA. As you can see this does save lives.)

Anyway, this is an enjoyable day for hockey fans and I just thought I would add my good news to that.

See you…all day long as I pound out the trade analysis…

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-deadline-notes-currie-analysis-trade-speculation-zuccarello-fallout-and-so-much-more-feb-25/

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swipestream · 5 years

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Wargame Wednesday: Battle of the Bulge OOBs for V Panzer Northern Sector

Orders of Battle

Small portion from the Campaign Series OOB file.

Any designer of historical simulations has to confront the question: what was the actual composition of forces at that place and time? The harder one works for historical accuracy, the more elusive the answer. At times, the task is almost futile but the question must be asked.

The ancient up to the medieval periods are notorious for the lack of sources and exaggerated numbers. Even with the advent of better record keeping historical accuracy remains difficult. Keep in mind every organization in this post was required to send daily status reports. Despite the ubiquity of reports (and sometimes because of it), accessibility of primary sources can be problematic. Also, game designers, who often rely on secondary resources, will adjust the OOBs for reasons of playability or constraints of the game engine. I encountered a prime example of this issue when trying to determine the 14th Armored Group’s historical OOB:

Hugh Cole mentions “light tanks”.

In the 14th Cavalry in the Gap article, Col. Judge mentions 17 M-3 tanks.

The scenario OOB’s light tanks are M-24 Chafees.

A Panzer Leader OOB highlighted on the next page has a mix of M-1 and M-5 tanks.

At least most sources agree on the M-8 scout cars…

Additionally, I discovered a typo in the scenario’s OOB. The 193rd VG Regiment was actually the 183rd. A misnamed regiment won’t affect game play but unless caught and corrected in time, it may become a vector for inaccurate information for future games and posts.

This post will discuss the units available at the start of this scenario and compare the scenario’s OOB with one that comes to us via the Nafziger OOB collection then finish with some Panzer Leader OOB charts.

At the end of this post, the index and reference sections are beginning to flesh out and I have added a related games section. Let me know your favorite Bulge related games and I’ll add to the list.

Over on my blog there’s a post on Nafziger’s OOB for the units in this scenario and a screen shot of S&T’s variant of an Avalon HIll OOB.

German Forces at Scenario Start

LXVI Armeekorps (General der Artillerie W. Lutch)

Units available at the Corps level to be assigned between the two divisions.

x4 Werfer (rocket) Regiments. 36 150mm and 36 210mm rocket launchers.

460. Heavy Artillery Battalion. 18 Krupp18 170mm guns.

1/506 Heavy Panzer Battalion** 21 PzVIB aka Tiger II or King Tiger

18th Volks-Grenadier Division (Oberst Hoffman-Schonborn)

293rd Volks-Grenadier Regiment

294th Volks-Grenadier Regiment

295th Volks-Grenadier Regiment

18th Artillery Regiment

Each Volks-Grenadier regiment shares elements of the following formations:

Engineer Battalion. They are able to construct foot bridges but cannot construct vehicle bridges.

Anti-tank battalion.

Assault gun brigade.

62nd Volks-Grenadier Division (Oberst F. Kittel)

164th Volks-Grenadier Regiment

183rd Volks-Grenadier Regiment

190th Volks-Grenadier Regiment

62nd Artillery Regiment

Each Volks-Grenadier regiment shares elements of the following formations:

Engineer Battalion. They are able to construct foot bridges but cannot construct vehicle bridges.

Anti-tank battalion.

Assault gun brigade.

Führerbegleit Brigade

The Führerbegleit Brigade entered the battle on the 2nd day and the scenario OOB will be covered in more detail later. A Panzer Leader OOB is below.

**Historically, the 506 Heavy Panzer battalion was assigned to the VI Panzer Armee (sector to the north) but this battalion saw action at Andler, just northeast of Schoenburg. They had to detour south, into V Panzer Armee’s sector but for the scenario, Feldmarschal Model (i.e. the scenario designer) has ordered this battalion remain in this sector.

American Forces at Start

106th Infantry Division (Major General A.W. Jones)

The 106th ID was assigned to the VIII Corps (Major General T.H. Middleton) but in order to facilitate a game split into three equal sectors the scenario designer assigned the 106th to XIII Corps. The reason is that the VIII Corps HQ is located on the far left side of the center map in Tenneville (almost 70km drive via Bastogne). The 106th was on the extreme left flank of VIII Corps and looking at the game map serves to give an idea on how spread out the front line units were. Communications, especially simulating commands to lower echelon units is not part of the CS game engine though supply is. Supply is automatically determined by the computer at the beginning of the turn so it was easier for the scenario designer to assign the 106th to the XIII Corps which will eventually be released on the west side of the northern map.

422nd Infantry Regiment

423rd Infantry Regiment

424th Infantry Regiment

592nd Field Artillery Battalion. Starts with the 422nd Infantry Regiment. x12 155mm.

Each Infantry Regiment has the following formation equally shared between them:

4/563 AW Battalion. Each regiment gets 12 half tracks with M1 40mm anti-aircraft guns.

4/634 AW Battalion. A mix of 2 1/2 ton GMC truck towed Quad.50 cal MGs, and 40mm AA guns.

Engineer Battalion. 3 platoons each. Don’t know their bridge building abilities but we’ll see their bridge demolition skills soon enough.

820th Tank Destroyer Battalion. 15 M18 GMS Tank Destroyers assigned to each regiment.

14th Cavalry Group (Col Devine)

18th Cavalry. 3 troops of 15 M8 Light Armored Cars and 1 troop of 15 M24 Chaffees.

32nd Cavalry. As above, 45 armored cars and 15 Chaffees.

Both the 18th and 32nd has a HQ Company with an engineer platoon, an AT platoon (5 37mm AT guns) and assault gun platoon (5 half tracks mounted with 37mm AA guns).

Notes

My 293rd VG Regiment has two companies with bicycle troops (no anti-tank capability such as panzerfaust and no sub-machine guns so lower assault values) in lieu of the Volks-grenadier platoons which have both attributes in abundance. This was done to recreate the use of troops in reconnaissance.

Most of the 62nd VG Division has lower morale than the 18th. The 62nd VG Division was destroyed in Russia and the rebuilt formation had a sizable contingent of Polish and Czech conscripts who spoke no German.

According to Nafziger the 18th VG Division was formed in September, 1944 in Denmark from the cadre of a Luftwaffe field division and drafts from the Luftwaffe and the Kriegsmarine (navy).

Based on the Nafziger OOB some units that didn’t make the cut were the “Brüko” bridging units (I could use them) and the 813th Panzer Pioneer Company, equipped with the remote control “Goliath” self propelled mines (not in the game’s master OOB file).

Some of the missing railroad artillery batteries are represented by a naval gun battery in the northeast corner of the map.

Nafziger quotes H. Jung who estimated that a VG division would probably be at 58% of their total authorized strength (6410 men). More on the Nafziger OOB on my blog.

OOBs from Panzer Leader

During research I discovered Greg’s Panzerblitz site and found a few relevant scenario cards with OOBs on his 1944 Bulge page. Greg links to the Imaginative Strategist page where there is a wealth of Panzerblitz and Panzer Leader material. Clicking on any of the images below will lead you to Greg’s site.

14th Cavalry Group

106th ID

I adjusted Greg’s card and removed two of the infantry regiments. Both the 423rd and 424th have the same counters as the 422nd below.

Volks-Grenadier Divisions

The 18th will also serve for the 62nd VG Division as both OOBs seem identical. As with the I06th ID, I have removed two of the regiments.

Führerbegleit Brigade

Comparison Between Scenario and Panzer Leader OOB

There are significant differences which serve to illustrate a game designer’s (and game consumer’s) dilemma when trying to recreate a historical action. Not only do primary and secondary resources differ but the way they are interpreted by gamers, bloggers, readers, etc., is different. Finally, game designers will make judgement calls based on the restrictions of the game engine and the attempt to produce an enjoyable gaming experience.

No judgement call between the two but using the Volks-Grenadiers as the main example some of the biggest differences are:

No HQ below the regiment in the scenario OOBs for playability purposes.

More rifle platoons and a 81mm mortar section in the PL for VG regiments.

No Fusilier battalion in the scenario but the battalion’s organization (two rifle platoons and 4 SMG platoons) is closer what constitutes a company in the scenario (1 rifle, 1 machine gun section and 2 VG platoons).

No flak battalion for the VG Regiments. I could use them the past two turns I played.

As discussed in the intro: for the 14th Armored Group the scenario OOB has M24 Chafees, the Panzer Leader OOB has a mix of M-5s and M-1s, and from Col. Judge’s article there were 17 M-3 tanks…..

Next Week

I’ll start to compare some of weapons available to both sides and try to find an answer on the 14th Armored Group tanks. Krewinkle and other battles will have to wait.

References (Publications)

A Time for Trumpets Charles B. Macdonald.

Battle of the Bulge, Hitler’s Ardennes Offensive, 1944-1945 D.S. Parker. One of the main sources for Nafziger’s OOB.

Das Heer 1933-1945, 1956 Vol I & II, Verband der Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen SS 1939-1945. Mueller-Hillebrand. Cited by Nafziger.

Die Ardennen Offensive 1944-1945. H. Jung. One of the main sources for Nafziger’s OOB.

The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge Hugh M. Cole.

The Battle of the Bulge, Charles B MacDonald. Cited by Nafziger on his OOB.

Verband und Truppen der detuschen Wermacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945. G. Tessin. Cited by Nafziger.

References (Links)

14th Cavalry in the Losheim Gap

Project 1944. Military historians practicing “living history”.

WW2 Armed Forces OOBs and Organizations by Dr. Leo Niehorster. Not much available for the Bulge but otherwise, an excellent resource.

Related Games

A Time for Trumpets GMT Games. Board game.

Battles for the Ardennes SPI Games. Board game. Four games in one. Simulations of both the Bulge in 1944 and Sedan 1940.

John Tiller’s Campaign Series Matrix Games. Computer game. Currently, on sale for $9.99!

Panzer Leader Avalon Hill. Board game. Along with Panzerblitz (East Front) on of AH’s best games.

The Ardennes Offensive SPI Games. Board game.

The Battle of the Bulge Avalon Hill. Board game.

The Blitz Wargame Club Eventual home for the updated (after this play test) V Panzer Army Campaign scenario.

Index

Intro Bulge Series Post.

Part 1: Starting positions, terrain, game design considerations and Q&A with scenario designer.

Part 1: Map with starting positions.

Weather chart during the Battle of the Bulge.

Wargame Wednesday: Battle of the Bulge OOBs for V Panzer Northern Sector published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

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bbodick-blog · 6 years

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Musings on the 2018 NFL Draft

1. Cleveland Brown - Baker Mayfield

I don’t see it. Too many red flags. Don’t think he will be a complete disaster, but not the one I would hang my franchise hopes upon. He will be given time to develop with the capable Tyrod Taylor in town. Look for the Browns franchise and city to rally around the magnetism of Mayfield. In the end though these magnets may prove to be like charges that end up repelling against each other. Weak long ball thrower.

2. New York Giants - Saquon Barkley

As a Penn State fan I’m thrilled for Barkley. As an Eagles fan I’m not looking forward to dealing with him minimally twice a year. Hard to see how he isn’t a day one success. Picking a RB this high is questionable, but Gettleman clearly has a vision and plan. I respect his unwavering assuredness. The only thin, very thin argument that can be made against Barkley is that he failed to even crack the top-25 in average yards per carry in his final season at PSU. One possible, albeit long-shot, benefit from this pick is that Odell Beckham is no longer on a stage of his own in terms of talent in that locker room. It would be naive to think ODB will ever be a company man, but can Barkley possibly show him that you can be a superstar without all the antics?

3. New York Jets - Sam Darnold

In the world of 50/50 success rates for first round QBs, I lean toward Darnold being one of the successes. Although he is certainly no sure thing. Improvises well, but seems to lose his California mind sometimes which leads to poor decisions which leads to the football finding its way into the hands of the defense. This can be a correctable flaw. Darnolds has shown tremendous ability to scramble and make plays on the run.

4. Cleveland Browns - Denzel Ward

Many questioned the pick, but personally I loved it. He shows up and does his job week in and week out. Plug him in and let him perform. There’s a fair argument to be made for Bradley Chubb, but if the Browns had Ward rated higher along with being more of a need they wisely stuck to their board. Ward possesses both great speed and instinct. Cleveland appears to finally have a sense of direction and purpose under John Dorsey.

5. Denver Broncos - Bradley Chubb

Even GM John Elway couldn’t figure out a way to outsmart himself here. There was no getting cute or creative. Chubb not only was the right pick, he is the right fit for the Broncos defense. Von Miller was somewhere in Von Miller’s world thrilled to get a fresh reinforcement to take some of the pressure off of him.

6. Indianapolis Colts - Quenton Nelson

Argument can be made that Nelson is the best player in the draft. Check the tape. There’s a reason the Bears hired offensive line coach Harry Hiestand away from Notre Dame. He takes talent and molds them into technically sound, fundamentally disciplined football players. Strong is an understatement when describing Nelson. Plug and play for the Colts with Nelson. Colts finally seem to realize that for Andrew Luck to be Andrew Luck they need to keep him on the field and upright (that is as long as it’s not too late).

7. Buffalo Bills - Josh Allen

Going back to the 50/50 success rate for first round QBs - count on Allen being a part of the fifty percent fail group. His unGodly arm strength seemed to play snake charmer on GMs - including Brandon Beane. Allen will be one of the QBs we look back at and see the obvious reasons he failed. I don’t think he would complete sixty percent of his passes participating in the Dr. Pepper halftime challenge. Seriously.

8. Chicago Bears - Roquan Smith

Chicago had to be hoping Nelson fell in their laps. That being said, Smith is certainly no consolation prize. Instincts for days, Smith has a knack for making plays. He must use these instincts to overcome his lack of size. He may disappear for small stretches, but count on him to reappear when a play needs to be made.

9. San Francisco 49’ers - Mike McGlinchey

McGlinchey better send coach Hiestand quite the thank you gift, as the fact that he was a Notre Dame offensive lineman had to help get him selected this high. While he is overall a massive human being; he lacks great overall strength . This was too high for someone who may turn out to be a player down the road. 49’ers look like they will expect him to start day one.

10. Arizona Cardinals - Josh Rosen

A player that can’t get out of his own head and can’t seem to stay healthy. Concussions were an underplayed storyline for Rosen going in to this draft. As is his short arms. Rosen may just prove to be a great tease as his throwing mechanics are pretty and he will make an occasional play once he gets on the field. This won’t take long as Sam Bradford will Sam Bradford his way to being out of action any day now.

11. Miami Dolphins - Minkah Fitzpatrick

I want to like Fitzpatrick, but once Miami took him I could no longer see him being successful. Miami should be thankful for Cleveland because they have hid in the shadows of ineptitude for far too long. From owner to GM to head coach - it’s a cluster bomb of mediocrity (at best). Fitzpatrick somehow regresses once he puts on that Dolphin uniform. Best case scenario, the Dolphins put him at safety from the start and let him make plays.

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Vita Vea

Good pick that specifically fits a Bucs need in defensive line beef and bulk. Tampa has plenty of holes to fill; including eventually replacing an overmatched head coach, but Vea will do his job well. I’m not the biggest fan of combine numbers, but doing 41 reps on the bench is cool - and ridiculously impressive.

13. Washington - Da’Ron Payne

Strong as all get-out, Payne to me looks too often to be moving in quicksand. Doesn’t explode. Plodding is the word that comes to mind. Limited skillset. Did I mention, like Vea, he is ridiculously strong (seriously, Youtube him benching in high school). Would have gone Derwin James here.

14. New Orleans Saints - Marcus Davenport

I’m torn on Davenport. Clearly, the Saints are not. They gave up some serious future stock to get him. The Saints are most certainly all in on trying to win one more Lombardi Trophy with Drew Brees. You can fairly make the argument that Davenport has equal chance to be a star and a bust. Questionable football instincts. Davenport will also, fairly or not, be compared to the whoever the Packers select with this Saints pick next year. The most curious part of this move is that they gave up a piece of their future for the present, but drafted a player who seemingly will need time to develop?

15. Los Angeles Raiders - Kolton Miller

Jon Gruden likes to think he’s the smartest guy in the room. He better be with this pick. What an Inspector Gadget reach with Miller. Yes. he is talented. To me this was way too high for the talent. Miller must strengthen his waist down foundation or he can expect to be bullied which will make a physically vulnerable Derek Carr very uncomfortable in the pocket. Not sure what GM Reggie McKenzie; I mean GM Jon Gruden was doing with nearly all of his picks.

16. Buffalo Bills - Tremaine Edmunds

Good bloodlines here being the son of Ferrell Edmunds, Tremaine is still a puppy at 19. Reasonable to think he will be overwhelmed at times on the field as he tries to adjust to the pace and play of the NFL game. Being only 19 he certainly has room to grow. Bills hope his athleticism gets him through early on. Buffalo needs to give Edmunds the space and freedom to make plays.

17. Los Angeles Chargers - Derwin James

At first I thought this was a mistake. That the Chargers took a player that had to be previously selected. James lasting to pick seventeen was an early gift under the palm tree for Los Angeles. James has the ability to make an impact on the field in so many facets of the game. Some injury history. Will be a defensive leader the day he walks through the door.

18. Green Bay Packers - Jaire Alexander

Combine superstar who spent more time off of the field injured than on it. His 2017 season was underwhelming at best. Even when he did find his way onto the field, he remained limited due to said injuries. Plenty of confidence and personality. Will he have the game to match? Likely to do the punt returning for a team in need of one. Looks to be a nickel corner at best.

19. Dallas Cowboys - Leighton Vander Esch

Late bloomer and incredibly athletic even in the world of elite NFL athletes; Vander Esch will need time to develop. Injury risk as well. Not afraid to muck it up and stick his nose in to make plays. Tough. Will this toughness excelerate his fragility ala Sean Lee. Questions exist as to how high of a ceiling he has. Dallas did attempt to address an overall defensive side of the ball need.

20. Detroit Lions - Frank Ragnow

A center drafted in the top twenty of the first round. Times are a changing. He’s not necessarily exciting, but he does his job well. Great size who plays the position physically more than athletically. Room to grow. Thinks the position. Will need to improve technique to counter the strength of NFL interior lineman. This was a solid, albeit not exactly exactly exciting, pick by the Lions.

21. Cincinnati Bengals - Billy Price

A second center drafted in the top twenty-one picks of the first round. The universe is being flipped on its head. In reality, Price has the makeup to play both center and guard which is appealing to NFL teams. Used his strength to dominate on the college level. Won’t get away with this at the next level. A lack of discipline and efficiency in his play may lead to Price seriously struggling no matter the position he plays. Needs to focus on other aspects of his position beyond just brute strength.

22. Tennessee Titans - Rashaan Evans

Evans can play some football. Attacks the line and aggressively pursues ball carriers and quarterbacks alike. High motor. Speed. Agility. Susceptible to over pursuing and being caught out of position. Patriots had to hope he lasted just one more pick. Smart choice by the Titans.

23. New England Patriots - Isaiah Wynn

Depending on your opinion of Wynn he can play either guard, tackle, both or neither. He displays great agility and speed for a player his size. Day one, first snap starter. The Patriots did themselves a favor is selecting someone who will excel at the next level while figuring out which position he will excel later. With Bill Belichick he may just be asked to play multiple positions. Equally effective at run blocking and pass protecting. Real value here. As an Eagles fan, Wynn was one of the players I’d hoped fell.

24. Carolina Panthers - D.J. Moore

Maryland found ways to get Moore the ball in space and let his athleticism take over. Moore is physically gifted, but remains unpolished. If he expects to find success in the NFL he will need to drastically improve his route running and ability to go up and get the football (especially with Cam Newton throwing him said football). Opportunities for Moore should be plentiful as Carolina is very thin at wide receiver. If used properly, Christian McCaffrey and Moore could create real headaches for opposing defensive units.

25. Baltimore Ravens - Hayden Hurst

Has the look and attitude. The fact that hall-of-fame tight end Ozzie Newsome selected him is a high compliment in itself. The Ravens need a lot. A rebuild appears to be on the horizon. They could have selected a quarterback here (wait for it), but instead gave Joe Flacco a weapon he surely needs. I liked other tight ends more than Hurst. Given his age (24), he better produce from the jump. Could be an effective safety valve for a young quarterback Baltimore may try to develop in the near future (wait for it).

26. Atlanta Falcons - Calvin Ridley

Have to love the storylines with Ridley joining fellow Tide receiver Julio Jones in Atlanta after closing out a terrific Alabama career with a BCS championship. Slipped a bit due to size and a concern he could get pushed around due to his slight build. Look for corners to try to bump Ridley at the line. Drops could also be a concern. Scary with the ball in his hands. Can be an elite route runner. Walks into a great situation with the Falcons. Plenty of talent to take the pressure off of him to immediately perform.

27. Seattle Seahawks - Rashaad Penny

Feels time for Pete Carroll to jump ship and return to the college ranks where his rah, rah attitude can once again prove effective to a new crop of players. His message has become white noise in Seattle. Penny is talented, but good luck trying to run behind an offensive line that couldn’t keep an elementary school child from breaking through in a game of Red Rover.

28. Pittsburgh Steelers - Terrell Edmunds

Good story with Terrell and his brother both being selected in the first round. Pittsburgh will have wished they had Terrell’s brother. Good bloodlines, but not as gifted physically as Tremaine. Seemed to be better options for the Steelers here. Hope is Terrell is able to mature into a poor man’s version of Troy Polamalu. His speed will put him in position to make plays. Problem is he tends to both miss tackles and get run over by stronger ball carriers. Needs time.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars - Taven Bryan

Lacks what all great golf putters have - feel. Athletically he clearly belongs in the NFL although he could benefit from increasing his waist down strength. What he lacks is the game action to learn situational instincts. Right place to go in Jacksonville as they are loaded up front. Bryan will likely be placed in specific defensive packages, backing up the uber talented starting defensive line. The Jaguars have a Super Bowl caliber defensive unit.

30. Minnesota Vikings - Mike Hughes

Physical, tough, in-you-face corner. Will look to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage. His weaknesses arise when a receiver gets past the jam. His lack of height will hurt him in 50/50 situations while his lack of game experience leads to him being susceptible to getting caught out of position. Going to Minnesota will allow Hughes to start in nickel packages as the Vikings appear to be set with starters Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes. Look for him to handle the punt returning.

31. New England Patriots - Sony Michel

Dion Lewis 2.0. Not known as a great pass catcher, but New England will look to get him the ball on short passes out of the backfield. Potential injury risk. Expect the Patriots to limit his use and exposure as Josh McDaniels has a bevy of backfield options to work with. High character. Very intelligent. Will fit right in with the Belichick way.

32. Baltimore Raven - Lamar Jackson

The Eagles did well getting a 2019 second round pick from Baltimore. Newsome couldn’t resist putting an exclamation point on his GM legacy as he drafts what the Ravens hope is Joe Flacco’s replacement. Flacco has been getting by on reputation alone for several years now. He’s simply not a good quarterback. Jackson may just have an opportunity in year one to play. Despite the freak athleticism I don’t see a complete package in Jackson. Can Greg Roman work the same magic he did with Colin Kaepernick? Thin base ala RG3. This will not bode well if he looks to run on a regular basis. Has shown a lack of accuracy on short ball passes.

Top QBs

Kyle Lauletta - New York Giants

If he had worn a different jersey during his college years, Lauletta would have been a top pick in this draft. Calm in the pocket with surprising mobility. Great pocket sense which will give his receivers time to get open and make plays. Questionable arm strength. Can play from under center and in the shotgun. Giants finally showed their hand with Davis Webb. Lauletta is now their future.

Mason Rudolph - Pittsburgh Steelers

Big and strong. Sound like another Steeler quarterback? Willing to stand in and take a hit. Has not proven the ability to throw on the run. Smart. A leader in all facets of the game. May need some time to adjust to the pace of the NFL. Great opportunity to continue the Steelers success for the next decade. Uncanny ability to make big plays with his arm and by giving his receivers the time to get open.

Sam Darnold (see above comments)

Has a Chance (see above comments)

Baker Mayfield

Bust Alert (see above comments)

Josh Rosen

Josh Allen

Lamar Jackson

High Value, High Reward Selections

Braxton Berrios - New England Patriots

Could there be a more New England player. Belichick must be salivating at what he will be able to do with Berrios.

Kerryon Johnson - Detroit Lions

The Lions have put together a talented group of backs with the addition of LaGarrette Blount and now Johnson. Ameer Abdullah being cut is fast becoming a real possibility.

Dallas Goedert - Philadelphia Eagles

Fits one of the few Eagles needs. In losing Trey Burton and Brent Celek Philadelphia was very thin at the tight end position. Goedert will allow Philadelphia to play more of their twelve package (which they played about 40% of the time last season). If he can stay healthy, also like the pick of Josh Sweat by the Eagles.

Justin Reid - Houston Texans

Physically and mentally Reid’s game is on point. NFL starter. Size, speed and instincts. Teams will look back and wonder why they passed on him. Highly versatile. Did I mention his football IQ. Can get beat by quicker receivers. Also, to compensate for his lack of elite level speed Reid looks to jump routes which can make him vulnerable to big plays and double moves.

Armani Watts - Kansas City Chiefs

Four-year starter who has all the tools to be a NFL starter. Question is can he play in and play out be consistent enough to remain on the field. Must improve his tackling. Looks to make plays rather than wait for a play to come to him.

Michael Gallup - Dallas Cowboys

Ability to go over, around and through defenders. Smooth yet at the same time plays with an attitude. Needs to become a better route runner. Given my complete distaste for the Cowboys I lack the desire to continue to compliment this pick. Gallup projects to be a solid starter in the league.

Mike Gesicki - Miami Dolphins

I like him, I really do, but my dislike of Ryan Tannehill runs so deep I think Gesicki will just need to buy time until he gets to play with a quality NFL quarterback. When he gets that chance, look for Gesicki to excel.

#musingsonthedraft

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fieldsofplay · 7 years

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Colin Kaepernick, a (Packer) Nation Turns its Weary Eyes to You

We’ve all been there before, and that’s what makes this so hard to replay. A seemingly innocuous tackle. A fall directly onto a shoulder. A hero lies writhing in agony. Why, lord? Why? Most people in the State of Wisconsin watching that tackle, and then Rodgers trip to the (newfangled) medical tent, and then by cart to the locker room, unable to raise his right arm to give his replacement a consoling high five, would have literally given their own collar bone in his place. Few mean as much to as many people as Aaron Rodgers does to Packer fans. He is resplendent. He is the best there ever was. You don’t replace someone like that because that is a logical impossibility. Rodgers is defined by inimitableness. You don’t replace someone like that, you simply mourn their absence.

If ever there was a time for Colin Kaepernick, surely this is it. Though it was clear to most several months ago, it is now apparent to anyone with eyes that the NFL is blackballing Kaepernick. There are 32 teams in the NFL. There aren’t 32 starting quarterbacks. That means there certainly aren’t 64 people capable of either starting or backing-up a NFL team. When the Ravens floated their interest and subsequently signed someone from the arena league you knew that was it for Kaepernick.

For the briefest moment the NFL seamed to stand in solidarity with the player they tried so hard to burry. Donald Trump threatened the NFL and the league presented a unified face against a common enemy. Teams locked arms. Teams remained in the locker room during the playing of the anthem. What began as one man taking a stand (by taking a knee) against racially biased policing and state sanctioned murder turned into a collective show of defiance against the blustering threats of a buffoon king. However, people quickly began to ask, what exactly did teams mean by “unity”? Unity with Kaepernick? Unity with the fight against state sponsored racism? Unity against the President and everything he stands for? Unity against hate?

All it took was another week and it became clear the NFL only ever stood for itself. Jerry Jones, PT Barnum himself, who took a knee (before the unfurling of the flag and the playing of the anthem) to the boos of his patrons, pulled a 180 and threatened any Cowboy who kneeled against oppression with suspension from America’s Team. Sports Illustrated photoshopped Goodell locked-in-arms with Steph Curry onto the cover its magazine (much to the chagrin of the latter), but one person was conspicuously absent from that tawdry rendition of ptompkin-village protest. The NFL locked arms to keep out the President, but still no one invited Kaepernick to join the human chain of opposition, neither on the field, nor on the cover of a magazine.

All through the fall of 2017 sports talk radio has resounded with the same question: “what is it going to take for a team to sign Kaepernick? And who will that team be?” It always came down to the same factual scenario: a contender who loses their QB for the year but still thinks they have enough pieces to win the title with an able-bodied replacement. Well ladies and gentleman, that factual hypothetical has manifest itself, and it is the Green Bay Packers. Talent on Offense. Talent on Defense. A long tenured offensive minded coach. A GM with as much job-security as one can get in this day and age. Most importantly: no owner. While the team isn’t public in the true sense of the word—I own a share and no one has ever asked me whether the team should let its best offensive guards walk in free agency (No!) or what they should charge for a beer in the concourse ($4.50)—it is the only team free from a member of that black-balling cabal known as owners. While it is clear no one is going to sign Kaep, if ever a team were going to, surely this is it.

The only problem is the lack of an owner works both for and against the Packers. I was born and raised in Wisconsin, but I also fled to New York the first chance I got. The people of the Badger state, and Packer fans in particular, are lovely, sensible, Midwestern folk, but there sure as shit are a lot of virulent racists amongst the bunch. Wisconsin is one of the main reasons Donald Trump is now our president. Wisconsin is a swing state because the electoral war between republican towns and democratic cities is what tells the story of the national temperament. If a Democrat wins the state it means the liberal cities had more enthusiasm for their candidate than the conservative farms and backcountry hamlets. Vice versa if a Republican wins the state. The most ardent Packer fans happen to be the people who turn out in droves to support the Republicans.

It is no coincidence that Aaron Rodgers asked the Packer fans to lock arms with one another during the playing of the national anthem on a nationally televised Monday night game and no one listened to him. There were many chants of “U-S-A” during the anthem but narry a gesture that could be perceived as showing support for anyone who used the national anthem to protest the current state of America. Packer fans would give Aaron Rodgers their own children if he asked them, but supporting a racially charged political issue was a bridge too far, even when requested by the most beloved person in the history of the State.

Here’s the funny thing: Packer fans will tolerate anything if it means the team might win a game it would otherwise lose. No one knows first-hand how good a quarterback Colin Kaepernick can be like the green-and-gold faithful. We are still collectively shell-shocked from the times he single-handedly crushed us in the playoffs. He ran like a gazelle and threw the ball all over the field. He was a one man wrecking ball sprinting through the heart of our defense on legs of gold. Not since the days of Steve Young and Troy Aikman have Packer fans feared an opposing quarterback as they did Kaepernick.

Not many Packer fans support what Kaepernick stands for socially, but almost all of them appreciate what he represents as a football player. This is what makes this situation so frightfully interesting. Here we are, presented with the one scenario that might finally disrupt the blockade. A contender, bereft of its star quarterback for the remainder of the season. A team without an owner formally committed to keeping Kaepernick, and his cause, out of the league. If anyone was ever going to give the man a chance, surely the Pack is that team.

Will they? Sadly I doubt it. Trumpism runs disgracefully deep in the state of Wisconsin, even if this is the place where Kaepernick grew up. Rodgers is an adoptive son, and is beloved by one and all. Kaepernick was literally adopted by Wisconsin parents, but very few look upon him as our own. People here love the flag, which is another way of saying they are filled with inarticulable hatred. No team needs Kaepernick more. No team is better suited to giving him a chance.

In America nothing is guaranteed, yet everyone is supposedly entitled to an equal chance to succeed. Kaepernick’s cause is devoted to pulling the veil from that myth of equal opportunity. Will the one team with no owner embrace the freedom this country believes it stands for, or reify the racial hostility of football’s predominantly rural fanbase? After all the events of the last year I’m done blindly hoping anyone in any position of power in this country will simply do the right thing. The barbarians are at the gate, and they’re devoted to keeping Kaepernick, and his cause, on the other side of the segregationist fence.

#nfl #green bay packers #colin kaepernick #aaron rodgers injury

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junker-town · 7 years

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What they get wrong about every NFL team

There are plenty of wrong takes about every NFL team floating around out there. Let’s correct that.

Every NFL fan knows there’s something they — meaning the national media, fans of other teams, or just people in general — don’t understand about your favorite team.

When the Chiefs kicked off the 2017 season with a win over the Patriots, all of a sudden the narrative around Alex Smith shifted a bit.

Smith is a risk-averse passer who hasn’t always been the most thrilling quarterback to watch but is generally safe and efficient. A total of 178 of his 368 yards against New England came on deep passes. In that single game, Smith’s two touchdown passes of 75-plus yards equaled his career total of two touchdown passes of 75 yards or more.

So is Smith a deep-ball guy now? Or has he always been capable of this, and he just didn’t take the shots? Arrowhead Pride has the answer.

The rest of SB Nation’s NFL sites also broke down the things everyone misunderstands about their respective teams. Here’s the truth about every team:

Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals’ season isn’t over

The NFC West looks bad: This may not be a full fledged return to the NFC Worst days, but Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco do not inspire confidence that they’ll be running away with the division. This plays to the Cardinals benefit. If they can stay afloat until November, when David Johnson may be back, they not only have a chance at winning the division, but they have a shot at being a team to reckon with in the playoffs.

For more, check out the entire entry at Revenge of the Birds.

Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons don’t always blow it, like they did in the Super Bowl

What they keep getting wrong, over and over again, is the characterization of this team as an implosion waiting to happen. You saw it on the Sunday Night Football broadcast, when Cris Collinsworth kept trying to push the narrative that the Falcons were in danger of letting up a lead, suffering a Super Bowl hangover, or whatever particular angle he was humping away at for four quarters in what turned out to be a blowout win for Atlanta. You can’t throw a rock on the Internet or a football broadcast without nailing someone who thinks the Falcons are doomed in the head, which is why I’d encourage you to pick up a rock or two.

For more, check out the entire entry at the Falcoholic.

Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco isn’t elite, but he’s still a good QB

Now, on to the most outdated conversion of all time: Is Joe Flacco elite? Obviously, Flacco is not elite. However, he is surely a top-15 quarterback. Flacco has the arm strength and ability to extend plays. His decision-making is far from ideal. The bottom line with Flacco is that he is a Super Bowl MVP and a proven winner. He is a second-tier quarterback; he needs help, but surely can help any team win a Super Bowl.

For more, check out the entire entry at Baltimore Beatdown.

Buffalo Bills: The Bills aren’t tanking, folks

Fans and national media members alike have hinted and screamed one word in regards to the 2017 Buffalo Bills recently: Tank. The opinion that the Bills are tanking in order to get a top-tier draft pick in 2018 is a valid opinion, one that has merit on the surface. However, I don’t think this is a standard tank job.

For more, check out the entire entry at Buffalo Rumblings.

Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton is not an inaccurate passer

Of course his ‘completion percentage’ is going to be lower if he’s making higher risk throws. Despite what Colin Cowherd says, it’s easier (and lazier) to dump the ball off five yards from the line of scrimmage to your running back and let him do all the work instead of throwing it down field to your receivers who may or may not come down with the catch. So why does Newton continue to get so much hate over a number that’s not really even relevant?

For more, check out the entire entry at Cat Scratch Reader.

Chicago Bears: GM Ryan Pace knows what he’s doing

Windy City Gridiron decided to leave it up to their commenters to decide this one. Fans had plenty of suggestions, but the one from commenter Z Chillman stood out:

Reality is that Ryan Pace has a plan. Lester did a nice job comparing the Ryan Pace’s efforts to rebuild the Bears to Reggie McKenzie’s efforts rebuilding the Raiders. Signed FAs that either A) flashed and stalled elsewhere and could benefit from a change of scenery (Sitton and Hicks), or B) were veterans who were low cost, higher floor but lower ceiling guys (re: they were okay and cheap). Then they used the draft to try and hit home runs.

For more, check out the entire entry at Windy City Gridiron.

Cincinnati Bengals: Andy Dalton isn’t the problem

Fans and media say that Andy Dalton needs to be benched for this offense to get back on track, and that he’s also is to blame for the Cincinnati Bengals failing to score a touchdown in the first two games of the season.

Is he really the one to blame? I think there are more layers to this than that. I doubt inserting AJ McCarron fixes all the other issues the Bengals had over the first two weeks.

For more, check out the entire entry at Cincy Jungle.

Cleveland Browns: Hue Jackson and Sashi Brown aren’t on the hot seat

Even if Jackson can only put together a handful of wins this year, the clearer picture isn’t supposed to take focus until a year from now. Haslam is in this for the long haul, and unless there ends up being significant locker room turmoil at some point, it’s hard to fathom Jackson or any members of the front office having their jobs be in jeopardy.

For more, check out the entire entry at Dawgs by Nature.

Dallas Cowboys: The defense is better than you think

The Cowboys defense is built to keep everything in front of them, then make the tackle. This kind of defense may not always look pretty on the stat sheet, but it can be very effective.

For more, check out the entire entry at Blogging the Boys.

Denver Broncos: The entire team is constantly underestimated

I heard on the radio just today - some national ESPN radio show, can’t remember which one. The question was which team will end up the best defense in the NFL this year?

The answer was the Seattle Seahawks. The Broncos were mentioned in an offhanded way behind teams like the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Like seriously?

For more, check out the entire entry at Mile High Report.

Detroit Lions: They never get any respect, even when they’re winning

So what do “they” get wrong about the Detroit Lions? I think they focus too much on the history and not enough on the present. There are plenty of reasons to doubt this current Lions team. Their defense has yet to be truly tested, and their offensive line has some clear questions, especially on the left side.

But let’s not get it twisted. The Lions have been one of the better teams in the NFL since 2014, and have never been treated like it.

For more, check out the entire entry at Pride of Detroit.

Green Bay Packers: The Packers don’t need to run the ball more

Green Bay’s best offensive weapon is Aaron Rodgers, and getting him the most opportunities to do what he does should be the focus of the offense. Every run play called essentially removes an opportunity for Aaron Rodgers to be Aaron Rodgers. In addition, the average passing play has a much higher rate of return than the average running play. With these facts in mind, it would be unbelievably stupid to call an equal number of running plays and passing plays in the name of “balance.”

For more, check out the entire entry at Acme Packing Company.

Houston Texans: It’s not just the quarterback’s fault

For years we’ve heard from various pundits that the Texans are “just a quarterback away from being a Super Bowl team.” Do you think that’s a fair assessment of the 2017 Houston Texans? Or do you think that the team’s glaring shortcomings at, say, offensive line are a bigger issue than the QB play these days?

For more, check out the entire entry at Battle Red Blog.

Indianapolis Colts: The Colts have more talent than just Andrew Luck

They act like the Colts are devoid of any talent outside of Luck. They talk like every other part of the roster could be blown up and swapped out and there would be no difference.

They’re wrong.

There are a number of issues facing the Colts in 2017 but lacking talent is not one of them at a lot of positions.

For more, check out the entire entry at Stampede Blue.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Not blaming Tom Coughlin and the front office enough

And Coughlin hasn’t done squat to improve the most important position in professional sports. I take that back — he signed Ryan Nassib.

In fact, Coughlin somehow took two steps back in that department, cutting Brandon Allen. Was Allen any good? No. But why not do anything in the quarterback department other than signing a mediocre player and cutting a bad one?

For more, check out the entire entry at Big Cat Country.

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs’ “new” offense is not new

They say that the Kansas City Chiefs have a new offense now. That Andy Reid is dialing up deep balls and that’s why we see Alex Smith stretching the field more often in this early part of the season.

Is that really the case? Is the Chiefs offense that different? I don’t think it is. I think a lot of these plays were in the playbook before. I think it’s as simple as this: Alex is throwing it deeper now.

For more, check out the entire entry at Arrowhead Pride.

Los Angeles Chargers: Injuries are not their biggest problem

I think the thing everyone gets wrong about the Chargers is that they always fall into the "they're loaded and a playoff team if healthy" trap. I see it every offseason and it always makes me laugh because people get so focused on the first 22 spots on the roster that they overlook the back 31 spots, which is usually the part of the roster that determines whether a team is 6-10 or 10-6.

For more, check out the entire entry at Bolts from the Blue.

Los Angeles Rams: There’s a good reason fans don’t attend games

Fans, as a whole, are wise enough to know who the Rams are as a franchise and make appropriate decisions with the two most valuable currencies of all: their money and their time.

A franchise that misled two cities over 25 years. A franchise that hasn’t won in 13 years. A franchise that, as they would have you believe, doesn’t hold any responsibility for giving fans, committed, casual and otherwise, a reason to show up.

For more, check out the entire entry at Turf Show Times.

Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins are a good team that shouldn’t be ignored

The Dolphins are a team that has a veteran quarterback who is comfortable in the head coach’s offensive system, they have a stud running back in Jay Ajayi, they have a trio of receivers in DeVante Parker, Jarvis Landry, and Kenny Stills who perfectly complement each other, they have a defensive line that features Pro Bowl defensive end Cameron Wake and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, they have Pro Bowl safety Reshad Jones, they have first-round pick defensive end Charles Harris, and they have up-and-coming cornerback Xavien Howard.

For more, check out the entire entry at the Phinsider.

Minnesota Vikings: Xavier Rhodes is criminally underrated

I said this when Rhodes signed his big contract this offseason, and I’ll say it again. There isn’t a cornerback in the National Football League that I would trade Xavier Rhodes straight-up for. Not Richard Sherman, not Josh Norman, not Desmond Trufant, not any of them. Xavier Rhodes is, bar none, the best corner in the National Football League, and experts across the NFL universe could right a pretty significant wrong by finally giving him the recognition that some of those other corners receive.

For more, check out the entire entry at the Daily Norseman.

New England Patriots: The holes on the roster are unexpected

Over at Pats Pulpit, Rich Hill decided to look inward, to see how he misjudged this team, and not others:

But the biggest surprise on offense has to come with the performance of the Patriots offensive tackles. They have not been consistently holding up their end of the bargain and providing Tom Brady with enough time in the pocket to capitalize on the deep speed of Hogan or Cooks or Dorsett.

For more, check out the entire entry at Pats Pulpit.

New Orleans Saints: The Saints really did exist before Drew Brees and Sean Payton

Forgotten by too many in NFL history was how good the New Orleans Saints were through the late 1980s and early 1990s. Believe it or not, young fans, this team once played outstanding DEFENSIVE football. It's a concept that sometimes gets lost on the Saints teams of today, but those New Orleans Saints teams had one of the most fearsome defensive squads of it's time.

For more, check out the entire entry at Canal Street Chronicles.

New York Giants: They’ve got diehard fans too

If you want to talk about this year, maybe “they” get wrong that the Giants have an improved offense. It sure looks that way after two games.

Maybe “they” get wrong that the Giants’ fan base isn’t as passionate as those in, say, Seattle or, dare I say, Philly.

For more, check out the entire entry at Big Blue View.

New York Jets: The Jets aren’t that young

Over the offseason, the Jets shedded veteran after veteran. After so many old big name players left, it created a perception that the Jets had become a young team. When you are bad, the idea that you are rebuilding and focused on youth tends to set in.

That isn’t really the case, though, at least on offense.

For more, check out the entire entry at Gang Green Nation.

Oakland Raiders: Marshawn Lynch picked up where he left off

There isn’t a person who has watched him run this year who would say he is not the back he once was. It’s a long season, but the opinion Marshawn is not a valuable addition to this Raiders team is already looking debunked. Just ask the head coach of the Raiders next opponent who said Marshawn is “fun and terrifying to watch.”

For more, check out the entire entry at Silver and Black Pride.

Philadelphia Eagles: Carson Wentz can still be a great quarterback

To be clear, I’m not saying Wentz is above criticism. He still has a lot of room for improvement. But to essentially write him off entirely, as some have done, is ridiculous.

The statistics without context, the film analysis without perspective, the rigid personal bias without room for admitting mistake — it’s all what “they” get wrong about the Eagles, and more specifically, the team’s franchise quarterback.

For more, check out the entire entry at Bleeding Green Nation.

Pittsburgh Steelers: The defense is not a weakness anymore

I am not trying to prove this 2017 defense is perfect, or even great, but the thought of the team having to win solely by their lethal offense is something which simply isn’t true anymore. Sure, an offense that can score at will makes things a lot easier for any defense, but the Steelers defense has proven they are capable of winning games even if their offense doesn’t find the end zone as much as everyone hopes.

For more, check out the entire entry at Behind the Steel Curtain.

San Francisco 49ers: The defense is more talented than it gets credit for

This group is still learning to gel, and there will be hiccups along the way. But the notion that the 49ers are a lot of talent away from contending is simply not true on the defensive side of the ball.

For more, check out the entire entry at Niners Nation.

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks are actually one of the top road teams in the NFL

I suppose it gets lost in the shuffle due to Seattle’s deserved reputation for being incredibly dominant at home. Well guess what? Not only are the Seahawks outstanding at home, they’ve now established themselves as one of the best teams on the road, and don’t let anyone tell you anything otherwise.

For more, check out the entire entry at Field Gulls.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs are more than their offense

More importantly, though, most offseason analyses seem to have completely whiffed on the Bucs defense. The pass rush was lively against the Bears, even though the team notched only one sack, and the three takeaways and shutout until the final two minutes of the games were signs of dominance, rather than imminent collapse.

For more, check out the entire entry at Bucs Nation.

Tennessee Titans: They weren’t switching to a spread offense

However, the Titans are a team that wants to run the ball and control the line of scrimmage. The focus of their offense is always going to be the running game. They are going to rely on DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry to move the chains and wear down defenses.

For more, check out the entire entry at Music City Miracles.

Washington: This team is built to win

To me, what I thought people got wrong all offseason was the general expectation of wins. Sportsbooks lived in the 6/6.5 neighborhood before ticking up, and the “they” folks jumped all over the under. I am not one to EVER question the very good...fellas that make betting lines in this great nation of ours. Instead, I look at the 53-man roster and I struggle to see how folks so willingly buy into what would be a decline from the two years of progress this franchise has made.

For more, check out the entire entry at Hogs Haven.

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onlyonemister · 7 years

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Making a Game: The Basics of Battle

Hoo boy it’s time. This article got a bit delayed because of GDC. My apologies. If it is any consolation, I had a great time, and I will be posting another article later this week. So, we’ve spent about two weeks laying out the basic ground rules for the game. We have some overall thematic, conceptual ideas that we want the game to use, and we have a set of more concrete rules that we would like our dice rolling mechanic to follow. Let’s take just a moment to lay them out here.

General Guidelines

Make an Action Game

Make a ROLE Playing Game

No Combat Swoosh

Active and Reactive Combat and Conflict

Freeform Magic

Simple and Quick Dice Rolls

Strong Lore Framework

Remember these from article one {link}? These general guidelines are just that: general. They are thematic ideas to keep in mind while I work. Obviously definitions of an Action Game might differ, or I might create Lore that some people don’t like. That’s okay. These guidelines are not hard and fast rules. This is some Pirate’s Code business: more like guidelines than rules. I will keep these ideas in mind so that as I work on the game, I can check back in with my guidelines to see if my decisions are falling in line.

As an aside, I just noticed that my second rule might cause some confusion. The role playing community likes to use the slogan, “role play, don’t roll play”, which means that the players should play their characters, not the dice. It is a bit vague, and absolutely not what I mean. Players must use the numbers they have and an understanding of the probability of the dice in order to make decisions. These are the laws of the universe in a tabletop game. Just like I would decide if it was safe to jump over a gap based on my understanding of my physical strength and the laws of physics, so too can a DnD player decide based on their character’s Acrobatics skill and the DC of the check. Refer to [this Angry GM article] if you want a better breakdown of why it is important for players to have an understanding of their chances. What I mean by ROLE play is that I want players to play their character, and only their character. I do not want them to have to make poor decisions based on character quirks or to decide things about the scenery and the game world. That is the GM’s job. Players play their characters, the GM manages the game world and presents situations. I want the GM to have plenty of hooks to give players hard decisions, but I do not want a FATE style compel mechanic to make players act outside the interests of their character. Got it? Good.

Dice Rules

The Valkyrie Must Be Able to Pass Dice to Empower Rolls

Binary Success and Failure On Most Rolls

Only One Dice Mechanic

Encourage Diversity of Strategy

Enough Dice to Power Runic Magic

And these rules are from [the last article]. These are more specific, and lay out some concrete things that I want to be able to do with my dice. Checking in with these will be a bit easier. If my dice system is not Binary success or failure, I can tell that right away. Easy. So I will be keeping these rules in mind when making the game. I might even make a separate post to hold all of these rules as we go through the project.

Learning from History Part Uno

Hold up. I thought we were talking about battle systems today. Well, we are! But first I need to get a bit historical on you. I know, I know. This is a fantasy game about a mythologized Scandinavia, but how can I properly build a mythological world without some grounding in reality? Besides, history is cool. All my best ideas come from history. So, while I have been writing these articles, I have begun doing research. Nothing too crazy. Right now I am just listening to a podcast on the history of the viking age. It’s called The Viking Age Podcast [link to podcast], conveniently enough, and it is definitely worth checking out. In twenty or thirty minute episodes, Lee runs through all of the history leading up to the viking age, why it might have happened, and how it influenced both Scandinavia and the greater European continent. It rules. I studied mostly Japanese, Wild West American, and Jewish history in college, so it is great to get some exposure to a culture I spent little time reading about. And, I have already learned something that will be hugely important for our project: not all of the Norse were Vikings.

I know! It’s crazy right? Okay, maybe that doesn’t seem crazy to you, but it felt like big news to me. Here was this word that I used so very wrong for my whole life. It’s not a slur or anything, it is actually a word used to describe the people who went to raid outside of Scandinavia. Vikingar: the people that went Viking. This may not seem like a huge deal. After all, it is just a terminology change, but facts like these can paint our project in a whole new light. I do not intend to be authentic every step of the way. Again, we are talking about a world in which Ragnarok has happened and the Valkyries are left to run the show. But, the best fantasy takes inspiration from reality. Knowing that the Vikings referred to a specific group of raiders changes how I might write this world. Why not, if I can, use a more authentic representation of Scandinavian culture during the viking age in order to create a world that is both more authentic and more unique.

So, what does this new information do for our battle system? Well, not a lot if I’m being honest. I know that this is the battle article, but I started listening to this podcast while writing the last one, and got excited about some of the new information I was learning. So, this kind of aside might become more of a regular thing. Every now and again, if I have learned something particularly cool, I might pop up at the beginning of an article to share it. And, while this information might not pertain to the topic of the article, I can promise you that learning about this period of history will get my wheels turning for other aspects of the game. Finally, you never know when inspiration will come to you. I talked in the first article about inspiration as a seed, something that you must tend to for it to grow into something useable. Well, I am going to need a lot of inspiration for a project like this, and historical facts are going to be the manure for my inspiration field. Yes, sometimes it will be kind of gross, and sometimes it will be tedious to get all that manure spread, but at the end of the day, the inspiration planted there will grow all the stronger. See, I brought that metaphor around.

Now Can We Talk About Fighting?

No! Actually, I’m just messing with you. Yes. Now we can talk about fighting. I have thought a lot about the combat system in Vikings and Valkyries. I have planned whole imaginary fights in my head, detailed mechanic after mechanic, and worn a hole in my apartment floor pacing back and forth for so long thinking about it all. This article is my chance to codify some of those ideas. I need to make the basics of this combat system material so that I can stop jumbling it around in my head. It’s picked up some good ideas in there, but the system needs to get some fresh air. A lot of things need to get decided in this article, and when I went through the fist draft it got really long, so I am shortening it down to just regular long by making these sections a bit more efficient. That might mean that some of the decisions I make are not as well explained as others, and that is okay. I am going to be testing this game as soon as possible, and it is entirely possible that the quick ideas I have here will get revisited. So, if I seem a touch cavalier about this combat system, that is because I am.

Here there be Dragons. And Over Here are Some Kobolds.

The first thing any combat system needs to know is will it use maps and minis, or be a “theater of the mind” kind of affair. How the players are expected to visualize a fight will affect how complex and deep things like positioning and terrain can be. First off, the combat in VnV will not be “theater of the mind” by default. I voiced my complaints about those systems in the first article, and I stand by those issues. I can create a much better tactical combat experience if I have some kind of battle map. What does that battle map need to look like though? Dungeons and Dragons uses a set of 1 inch by 1 inch squares that each represent 5 feet of space. Savage Worlds throws the mat away altogether and just tells you to use a ruler. Most characters can move about 6 inches on a turn, and 1 inch is equal to 1 meter of distance. FATE even has a battle mat. Instead of granular inches or squares, FATE uses Zones. Zones are kind of cool. When laying out a conflict area, the GM (called the Judge in FATE, which is kind of dope) writes the zones on a handful of index cards or post its or something. Then, the GM lays them out to create a simple map. Characters can move from one Zone to another on their turn. Some Zones might have a tricky challenge in the way to cross them, others might provide cover, others might have some hazard that makes fighting in them perilous. I kind of like Zones, they are a neat way to abstract out the tactical movement of combat and create compelling maps quickly.

Too bad we aren’t going to use Zones in VnV. They might be quick and easy and elegant, but they abstract combat too much for my tastes. It works fine in a game like FATE where combat is not the main driving factor, but combat will be important in VnV, so we are going to want a more granular system. That granularity will add some complexity to the game. After all, we talked about not having too tight a distinction between combat and non-combat conflict in VnV, but now GMs will have to break out a battle map and pens in order to transition to combat encounters. What gives? Well, what gives is that despite wanting to avoid the combat swoosh, I want deep tactical combat more. Movement and positioning is incredibly important for that kind of combat. Games like FATE and Edge of the Empire do a solid job of creating a semblance of that depth, but the systems they use to replace maps feel just as complicated. This is a bad trade in my opinion. I want players and GMs to be able to see exactly what is going on in a battle so that they can make the best tactical decisions possible. I do not want to limit them to simple imagined scenes. Say what you will about the complexity required in setting up a map, it allows GMs to create much more engaging encounter spaces. Trying to run complex encounters with multiple moving parts in a game like EotE takes way too much brain power, and leads to arguments about where characters and objects are positioned more often that not. I want my players to be able to know right away where things are.

As for what type of battle map, I am going to go with a standard mat. The squares will be 1 inch by 1 inch, and players can use either the square side or the hex side. My reason? Well I want granularity, as I said above, and I don’t feel any need to reinvent the wheel on this one. Most tabletop players will have access to a battlemat for DnD, and so I am going to go with that format. Measuring things with a ruler and finding terrain is kind of a pain in the butt. Usually when I play Savage Worlds I would end up using the hex grid side of my battlemat anyways. So, 1 inch squares it will be. For now, I don’t feel any need to define the distances on the squares. DnD calls them 5 feet by 5 feet, and that seems pretty reasonable. I have some ideas about weapon ranges that we will get to in a later article, and that might necessitate smaller distances on the squares. For now though, it does not matter. I will define ranges and player movement in squares, and leave the distances until later.

Taking Turns

Now that we know we want a mat, let’s talk about initiative. This, I promise, will be a bit different than the standard initiative of DnD and Savage Worlds. The reason for this? Reactions. See, I want players to be able to make decisions both on and off turn. When attacked, I want the players to be able to decide if and how to defend themselves. This means that the concept of a player turn is a bit more nebulous. For a great example of this kind of nebulous Initiative, look at Dungeon World and other Apocalypse Engine games. The Apocalypse Engine has no concept of structured combat time. Instead, the GM presents scenarios to the players, and the players decide how to react. Now, in a DnD game, this would be massively unfair. See, DnD runs on what I call an Opportunity Action Economy. Basically, the players get a finite amount of opportunities to do stuff during structured time. If I am playing DnD and attack a goblin, the only thing that I am risking is my turn. If I fail, I simply deal no damage, losing my opportunity to act. Apocalypse Engine games run on a Risk Action Economy. If I attack a goblin in Dungeon World, I will make what is called a Hack and Slash roll. In a Hack and Slash roll, I might damage the goblin, but the goblin may also damage me. I am taking a risk by taking the action. This also applies when the goblin is the one directing the pace of the scene. In DnD, I would simply hope the goblin would miss me. In Dungeon World, if a goblin attacks, I can decide to try and avoid all damage, which would lead to a Defy Danger roll where I have no chance of hurting the goblin and less chance of being hurt myself, or I could fight back for a risky Hack and Slash roll. This means that structured time is less important in Dungeon World, because any time my character is acted upon, I get to make a choice about how to act and might gain the upper hand because of the risks associated with rolling.

In VnV, Reactions will not be equivalent to Actions, but the fact that the player will be able to make decisions and take unique actions when it is not their turn changes the power of Initiative. Going later in a round might be beneficial for players who are opting for a more defensive strategy. So, what does that mean for our Initiative system? Well, it means that Initiative is going to be a choice. Reactions are not like armor class in DnD. The player will not just be picking which defensive option they have the highest numbers in. Reactions are going to be strategic moves, moves that can only be done off turn, and that will have their own value depending on the character’s strengths, and on the situation at hand. So, I want my players to be able to influence when in the turn they will be able to act. Maybe they cannot decide it exactly, but it must be a decision. How will that work, you ask? Well, first I need to find my dice system, so for now we are just going to say that Initiative will be influenced by player choice combined with a roll of the dice, and figure out the specifics when we have our dice.

Still with the Dice System?

I know I warned you about this, but I want to reiterate: the goal of this article is to design the pieces of the combat system separately from the dice system, so that I can change the dice if need be down the road without having to rebuild the game from scratch. That means that I will need to make ambiguous statements about the specifics of mechanics until that dice system gets nailed down. The good news though, is that by working on the initiative system for this article, I have started to see the dice system in my head. It isn’t fully ready yet, and I don’t want to distract too much from the combat right now, but know that by thinking about initiative as a decision, and about the mechanics of Actions and Reactions, a dice system idea is coalescing. This was my idea all along, if you can believe it. I mentioned that I wanted to be able to go back and change the dice if need be, but I also needed an idea in the first place. I knew what I wanted some of the systems to feel like, but had no idea how to resolve those systems with dice. That is partially why I started working, so that the systems could show me the dice that I needed. Now, I can push forward through the rest of this article, and get the rest of my systems down. Who knows, maybe I will get some more good ideas.

He Does this, So I do That

Reactions are going to be moves that the characters can perform when attacked. The first thing I want to do is to figure out what kind of reactions I might want to have in the game. In a sword fight, the defender has myriad options when deciding how not to get hit, but we want some more limited options to present our players. For inspiration on this, I am going to look to the Infinity Tabletop Miniatures Game. Infinity is the game I mentioned in an earlier article that inspired the idea of Actions and Reactions. When a unit is fired upon in Infinity, its controlling player can decide to Counterattack or Dodge. Counterattacking is risky, but if the unit succeeds, it can damage the attacker. Dodging is less risky, and allows the unit to move a bit, but does not allow the unit to do anything else. There are some other options for reaction in Infinity, but let’s focus on these two for now.

Counterattacking is an aggressive defense, or not really a defense at all. A unit that decides to counterattack opens itself up for damage in the hopes that it can damage the attacking unit. I like the idea of exchanging safety for damage as a reaction. So, in VnV, a counterattack is a reaction where the defending character sacrifices all defense for the chance to hit the opponent. To accomplish this, the players involved in the attack-counterattack exchange must roll off or compare scores in some way. The winner will hit first, resolving all damage, and if the loser of the roll is still alive, they will hit. On a tie, damage is resolved at the same time. Notice that this means guaranteed damage for both sides so long as the first attack does not kill. This will be a high risk high reward move where the counterattacker is hoping that the attacker will die from one hit.

Dodging seems like a move we will want to have in the game as well. When attacked, a defender can decide to dodge. The attacker and defender roll off, and if the defender wins, they move out of the way of the attack. They can then decide to take a follow up action by spending some resources. Notice how this reaction still allows the player to do something to advance their cause, but at the cost of more resources. While a counterattack allows the player to hit back right away at the possible cost of health, a Dodge will allow the player to follow up by spending some other kind of resource. Again, right now we don’t know what that resource is. It might be action dice, stamina, magic, whatever. All we care about is that resources will be spent. I also want characters to be able to use their weapons or shields to parry. After all, that is a huge part of sword fighting. So, what if Dodging and Parrying are basically equivalent, but require different stats and allow for different follow up actions? Both of these defensive moves will be less risky than a counterattack, but will require extra resources to be followed up on. So, to update the rule above: When attacked, a defender can decide to dodge or parry. The attacker and defender roll off, and if the defender wins, they move out of the way of the attack or deflect it with a held weapon. They can then decide to take a follow up action by spending some resources.

Now, this seems like a solid reaction system. All we need to do now is decide on the actions a player can take after a Dodge or a Parry, right? Wrong, me! I want to include one extra type of defensive option. See, both counterattacking and the parry/dodge actions allow the defender to take a follow up action with some risk involved. What if a player does not want to follow up, but instead wants to hunker down completely in order to avoid damage at all costs? This is partially inspired by the video games For Honor, and Dark Souls as well as my time spent fencing. In those games, parrying and dodging are risky actions that allow for follow ups, but the player can also simply block incoming attacks, or dodge away from them, disengaging from the fight. So, let’s add a Full Defense option. Full Defense allows the player to block or avoid incoming attacks. If the player does a Full Block, they stay in place, but ward off damage. If the player does a Full Dodge, they disengage from the fight. These actions cannot be followed up. These moves will be less risky than a Parry or Dodge, but provide less reward. Also, the Full Defense options still have some risk associated with them. The player can still be hit if they lose the roll. This is just the best way to avoid damage entirely.

Notice that this format has created a divide between blocking an attack, and moving out of the way of the attack. This is useful to note because we can use it to help create focused character builds and strategies in the game. Some characters might be better at dodging, others at blocking. Maybe different weapons will be easier to dodge or block. We won’t be getting to character creation until after the first playtest, but for now, keep that idea in mind.

Responses

So what can a character do after a successful Parry or Dodge? After a Parry a character can: Riposte: the character makes an immediate attack roll against the attacker, Cast a Spell: do that, Shove: the character can make an opposed check to push or pull the attacker into another square, Disarm: the character can make an opposed check to knock the attacker’s weapon out of his hands. Sunder: the character can attempt to damage or destroy the weapon used to attack her. Let’s call that good for now. Some of these actions might require specific abilities to use, but for now let’s say that all characters can do this.

After a Dodge, a character can Riposte: see above, Cast a Spell: also above, Adjust: the character can move up to half her movement (rounded down) in any direction without invoking another attack from the attacker, Sweep: the character can attempt to trip her attacker. And that will be all for Dodging for now. Notice that Riposte and Cast a Spell can be done from both a Parry and a Dodge. Also, Dodging has one less action, that is honestly because I cannot think of another good one. If anyone has ideas, let me know. Otherwise, Adjusting seems pretty powerful, and that might be good enough.

Action!

Now we know what characters can do when it is not their turn, but what can they do on their turn? Well, this is going to be a bit more standard. As much as I like the idea of shaking things up with the action economy in a tabletop, some things just work, and are worth sticking to. On a player’s turn, they can take 1 Action, and as many Free Actions as they like. Free actions will include moving up to that character’s move speed, talking, dropping something, taking something from a willing target, and giving something to a willing target. I might add more later, but those are it for now. In terms of how far characters can move, I am leaning towards 5 squares. It works for DnD, and I don’t see a reason to shake it up until a playtest tells me otherwise. So, 5 squares. As for talking, most games limit talking to a short sentence on the player’s turn. I like a little in combat banter, and I want players to be able to move a conflict out of combat dynamically, so I am going to be more lenient than that. If a player wants to talk to another character, that character can respond with one sentence of their own. If all participants in the combat stop to talk, move out of structured time until hostilities resume.

Now, as for the Actions a player can take: attacking with a weapon, throwing something, running more distance than the character’s movement speed, drawing a weapon, sheathing a weapon, casting a spell. These are all going to fall into pretty standard tabletop territory, so I won’t spend any time on each action.

Damage

Getting hit by a sword will probably kill you. I hate to break it to you, realism buffs, but if we want to go full realistic, characters would most likely die in one hit and that sucks. Most games include some kind of system to mitigate damage coming in or to allow characters to survive some hits with little or no consequence. After all, no matter how well our players play the tactical game, whether they get hit or not comes down to a roll of the dice, and a single die roll killing your character isn’t any fun. So we want to have a resource that can be spent to keep characters alive. Savage Worlds uses the Shaken state and Wounds, and while that is my preferred system most of the time, for this game we are going to use Hit Points.

Now, a lot of you might be lamenting right now. Hit Points lead to drawn out fights! Hit Points don’t make any narrative sense! Hit Points ate my parents! Is that last one just me? Okay. As much maligned as they are on the internet, Hit Points serve a useful purpose: they provide a consequence free damage mitigation resource. In Savage Worlds, the Shaken state prevents players from acting until they make a roll to remove the state. Wounds are even more devastating, causing a bane to all rolls and movement distance. Hit Points don’t have that problem. Hit Points provide a small amount of consequence free damage for each character. Notice the phrase “small amount”. While DnD HP increases work well for a game about characters gaining massive leaps in strength, this is going to be a lower powered game. The protagonists will be skilled, but ultimately human warriors.

What happens after a character loses all of his HP? Does he just die? Well, in other games, that might be fine, but this is a game about Vikings, and what are Vikings known for? Berserking. Well, not every Viking is known for that, but toughing it out through grievous injuries is a huge part of the Viking narrative. So when Hit Points are reduced to 0, the character will receive 1 wound, and make some kind of endurance roll to see if they can fight through the pain. If they succeed, do not roll on the wound chart. Instead, simply mark down the existence of the wound, and continue fighting. If they fail, roll on the chart adding up extra wounds as a modifier, and lay the character prone until combat ends. After combat ends, roll on the wound chart for any character that has 1 or more wound and is still standing. Right now, I am figuring wounds will be rolled on a chart, and cause long term effects. For inspiration, I am looking at the EotE wound chart. This chart does something brilliant, which is it increases the severity of the wounds the more wounds that a character already has. A character cannot be killed the first time they get reduced below 0 hit points. The worst that can happen is that they start to bleed out. I want to copy that idea. Characters will not be in risk of dying right away, instead, they will be able to decide how far they want to push themselves in order to prove their Viking strength. Dropping out of a fight early will help ensure that they do not die, but might cause the party to lose, and lose confidence in their ally’s bravery.

Gear

After stealing liberally from EotE in the last section, I am going to do it again now. I want to avoid having a damage roll in this game. In EotE, there is no damage roll. Instead, each weapon has a fixed amount of damage, that is improved based on how well the player rolls on the attack. I like this idea, and now I am going to steal it. All weapons in the game will have a fixed damage number that is improved based on how well the attacker succeeds. Notice, that this does break the Binary Success and Failure rule. Also notice that when I established that rule, I said I might break it at some point. Here it is. I have broken it. For now, I am going to have variable damage. Why? Mainly because it is fun. Hitting an opponent well and taking them out early feels good, and rolling low and plinking an enemy, while it feels bad, can add drama to the fight. Besides, if I balance the numbers out well, I could always go back to fixed damage and not have the balance change much at all. If I use the average damage dealt by each weapon as its fixed damage, then it will be roughly the same as if the damage varied.

To go along with my damage rule: Armor will grant Damage Reduction to any hit that strikes the armor. So much of the combat in VnV is about using tactics to avoid damage, and taking risks where applicable. I want armor to provide some DR so that heavier armored characters can take more risks, potentially at the cost of movement speed, but I don’t want it to add to a character’s chance to avoid a hit like in DnD. Honestly, it just makes the concept of hitting and missing confusing when the armor would need to be struck to help, but if you don’t hit hard enough it is called a miss and yes this is incredibly nit picky, but it’s my game so there. Besides, acting as DR means that it will act as a second layer to avoiding damage. If the character wears heavy enough armor, they have a chance to avoid damage against weak hits entirely.

In terms of hits that strike the armor, I do need to make an aside here about Called Shots. These are a huge problem in a lot of tabletop games, because sometimes the designers do not seem to consider them. Called Shots are when players pick a specific target on an enemy to attack. Usually, rules make the attack roll harder, but allow for secondary effects or increased damage. Savage Worlds has a great Called Shot system, where it is assumed that all attacks are aimed at the torso and will be hitting the torso armor unless otherwise specified. I am going to take that rule. If players want to make a Called Shot, they can reduce their chance to hit, in exchange for striking a specific body part. Otherwise, all hits hit the torso. I do not want to bother with complicated hit location rules unless I think it will be very funny. The only other stipulation I have for my gear system is that gear will be of varying quality, and better weapons and armor might do or absorb more damage, along with having other effects. I like finding new and exciting weapons. This does not mean every sword will need to be enchanted, instead, think of it like a classic JRPG where you can buy better made swords in each town. Sometimes the players will find a haul of well made steel weapons that can outperform their current equipment.

In Conclusion

You are probably exhausted by now, and I do not blame you. That was a very long article to read through and not get all the specifics of the system. The great thing is, this document can now provide the basis of any combat decisions going forward. Unless my playtest goes disastrously, I now have a combat system that I can adapt to any numbers that I need. Join us later this week for a hopefully much briefer article on viking raids and how they will helo structure the game.

#making a game #rpg #vikings and valkyries #tabletop

0 notes

bbodick-blog · 6 years

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Musings on the 2018 NFL Draft

1. Cleveland Brown - Baker Mayfield

2. New York Giants - Saquon Barkley

3. New York Jets - Sam Darnold

In the world of 50/50 success rates for first round QBs, I lean toward Darnold being one of the successes. Although he is certainly no sure thing. Improvises well, but seems to lose his California mind sometimes which leads to poor decisions which leads to the football finding its way into the hands of the defense. This can be a correctable flaw. Darnold has shown tremendous ability to scramble and make plays on the run.

4. Cleveland Browns - Denzel Ward

5. Denver Broncos - Bradley Chubb

6. Indianapolis Colts - Quenton Nelson

7. Buffalo Bills - Josh Allen

8. Chicago Bears - Roquan Smith

9. San Francisco 49’ers - Mike McGlinchey

10. Arizona Cardinals - Josh Rosen

11. Miami Dolphins - Minkah Fitzpatrick

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Vita Vea

13. Washington - Da’Ron Payne

Strong as all get-out, Payne to me looks too often to be moving in quicksand. Doesn’t explode. Plodding is the word that comes to mind. Limited skill set. Did I mention, like Vea, he is ridiculously strong (seriously, YouTube him benching in high school). Would have gone Derwin James here.

14. New Orleans Saints - Marcus Davenport

15. Los Angeles Raiders - Kolton Miller

16. Buffalo Bills - Tremaine Edmunds

17. Los Angeles Chargers - Derwin James

18. Green Bay Packers - Jaire Alexander

19. Dallas Cowboys - Leighton Vander Esch

Late bloomer and incredibly athletic even in the world of elite NFL athletes; Vander Esch will need time to develop. Injury risk as well. Not afraid to muck it up and stick his nose in to make plays. Tough. Will this toughness accelerate his fragility ala Sean Lee. Questions exist as to how high of a ceiling he has. Dallas did attempt to address an overall defensive side of the ball need.

20. Detroit Lions - Frank Ragnow

21. Cincinnati Bengals - Billy Price

22. Tennessee Titans - Rashaan Evans

23. New England Patriots - Isaiah Wynn

24. Carolina Panthers - D.J. Moore

25. Baltimore Ravens - Hayden Hurst

26. Atlanta Falcons - Calvin Ridley

27. Seattle Seahawks - Rashaad Penny

28. Pittsburgh Steelers - Terrell Edmunds

29. Jacksonville Jaguars - Taven Bryan

30. Minnesota Vikings - Mike Hughes

31. New England Patriots - Sony Michel

32. Baltimore Raven - Lamar Jackson

The Eagles did well getting a 2019 second round pick from Baltimore. Newsome couldn’t resist putting an exclamation point on his GM legacy as he drafts what the Ravens hope is Joe Flacco’s replacement. Flacco has been getting by on reputation alone for several years now. He’s simply not a good quarterback. Jackson may just have an opportunity in year one to play. Despite the freak athleticism I don’t see a complete package in Jackson. Can Greg Roman work the same magic he did with Colin Kaepernick? Thin base. This will not bode well if he looks to run on a regular basis. Has shown a lack of accuracy on short ball passes.

Top QBs

Kyle Lauletta - New York Giants

Mason Rudolph - Pittsburgh Steelers

Sam Darnold (see above comments)

Has a Chance (see above comments)

Baker Mayfield

Bust Alert (see above comments)

Josh Rosen

Josh Allen

Lamar Jackson

High Value, High Reward Selections

Braxton Berrios - New England Patriots

Could there be a more New England player. Belichick must be salivating at what he will be able to do with Berrios.

Kerryon Johnson - Detroit Lions

The Lions have put together a talented group of backs with the addition of LaGarrette Blount and now Johnson. Ameer Abdullah being cut is fast becoming a real possibility.

Dallas Goedert - Philadelphia Eagles

Justin Reid - Houston Texans

Armani Watts - Kansas City Chiefs

Michael Gallup - Dallas Cowboys

Mike Gesicki - Miami Dolphins

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