[Ogre] Re: Ogre-list Digest, Vol 13, Issue 14

[Chris French]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <ogre-list-request at sjgames.com>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 14:53:17 EDT
> From: Sethkimmel at aol.com
> Well, I think that started in the 20's with Trenchard and Douhet and the
> other strategic aerial bombardment pioneers...

Actually, it depended on the sub-school of thought one followed.
Some strategic-bombing types wanted to cause havoc amongst the
civvies; some insisted that destroying rail heads and such was the
Right Way; and that's leaving out the folks who thought SB was BS.
:)

> I could see BOTH sides being
> ruthless enough to deliberately target civilians if it advances their war
> aims.

Considering the sorts of things the nations are doing to their own
peoples (according to _GURPS OGRE_), I'm inclined to agree.

> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:21:35 -0700 (PDT)
> From: White Rat <whiterat at bastet.org>
> Subject: [Ogre] Re: Ogre-list Digest, Vol 13, Issue 13
> I can't buy an OGRE expending itself to protect a friendly infantry squad
> unless for some reason the crux of the battle hung on that single squad's
> survival. Nor can I buy an OGRE deciding not to expend a missile on an
> enemy heavy tank concentration because there was a friendly infantry squad
> pinned down within the blast radius.

That is in essence what I was referring to -- the OGRE's first priority
is The Mission, followed by The Friendlies, followed by Itself. Re-
versing the last two could easily result in a rogue OGRE (imagine an
egotist with nukes).

> Despite the best
> efforts of training and the best technological dichotomy we can muster,
> the rule is 'It's a combat operation, troops will be lost.'

You've not watched the news lately, then....

> Engineers may or may not be more easily replaceable than OGREs in the
> current campaign context, but on the immediate battlefield, the engineer
> cannot defend the OGRE as well as vice-versa, and if the local repair and
> support base falls, the life of a single engineer isn't going to matter a
> fig.

If the local support base falls, the OGRE is going to be ground down
over time. Plus, it takes about six months (?) to create a new OGRE;
it takes 18 *years* to make a Human engineer....

> Message: 5
> Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 09:28:45 -0500 (CDT)
> From: "Henry J. Cobb" <hcobb at io.com>
> Subject: [Ogre] Kill them all and let the Ogre's count the points.
> Note which side of the conflict is returning to Dresden to finish the job.
> ;-)

Combine never made it as far as Dresden, did they? At least not with
ground forces. (Damn it, someone needs to publish _Maps of the
Last War_! :) )

CF