Clearing the air.

[daddog]

When you play poker sometimes you are delt a hand you can do little or nothing with. Sounds like the case with the MAG 33 group. For that I am sorry. <S> to all of you who tried anyway.
 
Let me explain some things.

In the first TOD I was Admin CM , Betown was Mission CM and Ghosth was Set up CM, but I ended up being both Admin and Mission CM. Busted my butt and it worked well because I had the time. The missions went well and I was very pleased with that end of it and my part in it.  Then we get a week off before the next TOD starts.

A few weeks prior to our first TOD I get rojo to be the Admin CM, duckwng to be Mission CM and Cobra to be Set up CM for my second TOD team. I figured each team would work 3 weeks and have 3 weeks off. Very workable. Problem is real life. There are a few of us who don't dedicate their lives to this game. Consequently sabre could not Admin CM, duckwng could not Mission CM and even Cobra could not Set up CM. The first two items fall in my lap a few days before the event. Summer is over and I am back to work. My days are 12 hour or more. It was a scramble for me to put it together and I made mistakes with the little time I had to deal with it and no time to check out missions carefully as I did in TOD 1.  

Friday morning as I was walking out the door I check my mail and see two from rip about the fuel problem. I had no time to deal with it. I get to work and see his post on the BB. It was downhill from there.

What I have learned from this is I can't do it all so I will not try anymore. It would have been better to delay the TOD a week or even two then have a player like rip who has been very supportive of our historical events so upset and frustrated. Not showing up or insulting CM's and their efforts is not the answer and never will be.

<S> to rip and his squad and to anyone else who had a mission that was FUBAR.
<S> to banana and the CM team who realized my frustration and came to help out.
<S> to fatty, funked, hening, and the players who posted common sense in it all.

IMHO the TOD's are the best thing that have happened to AH for the historical nuts. We will learn from this and move on.

I will look at the rules this weekend and make some minor changes for those that receive missions that are FUBAR. In a nutshell I will state they should attempt the mission to the best of their ability, but if a secondary target is needed, or if the mission must be aborted, to contact the Frame C.O. and do what they consider in the best interest of the war effort. In no way will they be penalized for a mission that was impossible.

James "daddog" Glazier
Weekly Events

[Holder]

Hi daddog,

You and the entire ToD staff did a fine job on this ToD and I for one am happy that someone is willing to do it. I have never CM'd anything before, but I am willing to assist as need be. Also, I am cross posting the rest of this message here as a suggestion for future ToD designs. It seems to work in WarBirds, and may be something to consider for AH.

   

I would like to add my $0.02 here as I came up with what little design was required being a member of 416 RCAF. I come from a WarBirds background where these types of events are organized by an independant staff, and the frame strategy and tactics are designed solely by the frame CO and his staff. I was more than a little surprised to see the orders for this frame in that the targets were specified in this scenario. I was expecting a list of targets that were fair game, and then being required to develop a plan that would hit so many of those targets. The current ToD design took that initiative away from the CO and his design staff.

If this is to be the way ToDs are run then there is little need for a CO, just assign the squads when the design is developed. That is the easy part. However, I would much rather have more control over the design of an attack plan. Certainly I would have developed something very different from this one, which is one of the benefits of this type of system. Ita can also be a downfall depending on the quality of the COs and their staffs. But it also takes a lot of pressure off of the ToD organizers. They have lots to do already, let the COs and their staff do the groundwork in each frame.

In my mind that would work much better than having the bulk of the work laid on the ToD organizers.

[ 09-08-2001: Message edited by: Holder ]

[daddog]

Hi Holder! Sure do appreciate the constructive comments.  

The problem is with just giving out targets for Frame C.O.’s to organize they don’t see the big picture.  I really feel someone needs to choreograph the missions (as we did in TOD 1) for there to be a high chance of action without lumping everyone in the same spot.  I would see two things happening if we went the route you suggested.

A – Huge furballs over one or two fields
B – Squads missing each other and never seeing any action. (Especially true with the large maps we use)

Now if your suggesting we give out targets and no other specifics… maybe that would work. Exile posted in the CM BB about this. (Dim light getting brighter) Maybe that would be a better way. So a mission list would entail?

Sweep Fields A22, A5, A2
Attack Field A5
Attack Field 52
Attack Field A1
Sweep Fields A1, A2, A52
Search for enemy ships in sectors 6,6 – 6,7 – 7,6 – 7,7

Really the only difference between the above and what we do now is listing the planes and fields they roll from. Would it help that much?

If we don’t list the targets it could get very boring at times or be one massive furball. What you suggest would make things easer on the CM’s for sure, but I am not convinced it is the best way.

[Wanker]

Let me add to this that Daddog was basically blindsided by the three CM's that had previously agreed to run the 2nd TOD. For whatever reason, all three had problems fulfilling their obligations. This was very unfortunate and we don't ever want to see this happen again.

I want to appplogize to everyone that was affected by this. While mistakes will happen from time to time, the absence of all three CM's who were to run this TOD this week is something that cannot happen again, and we'll be taking steps to see that it doesn't.

I don't want to beat this into the ground anymore than neccessary, but I just want everyone here to understand that the CM's are dedicated to being  fair and impartial when designing and running these events. if anyone encounters a problem or finds a mistake in their orders, please post about it on this forum as soon as possible, and we'll try to find an equitable solution as fast as we can.

[Holder]

Good points Daddog,

The way it works in the Squad Select Series for WarBirds is that the CMs design the overall series, and set the number of primary and secondary targets that must be hit. A portion of each type of target must be attacked or defended in each frame. The Frame CO for each side is allowed to select eligible targets for his frame, as well as select defensive patrols to protect valuable assets. For bombers each bomber "package" must be separated by 20 miles to avoid the 32 plane limit in WB, as well as to avoid a massive furball situation.

We haven't had too many problems with this arrangement in the S3, some large furballs happen, but they are not repeated frame after frame because the target requirements of each frame. Scores are determined by numbers of each type of aircraft shot down, whether bombers/Jabos hit targets and returned to a legitimate base.

The advantages are:
- less load on the CM crew (mean time between burn-outs is increased  
- more versatile fights as each frame CO has their own way of doing things
- a means of spreading expertise around  
- a means of spreading the blame around (if something goes wrong, it isn't always the CMs that catch it)  
- increased satisfaction for some (some people really get off on designing and running a frame, I know I have)

Anyways, something to think about. I'm not recommending that we duplicate the S3 from WarBirds, it has it's own weaknesses. To check out how the run their series try their webpage at: http://personal.smartt.com/%7Ebarbell/S3main.html

[Ripsnort]

Well, needless to say I'm more than embarassed...here's a note to my squad after fermentating all week end...

 

Thks all for the kind words..I'm alittle disappointed in my behavior personally since I've always had the concept bred into me of "Lead my example"...in this case I let the squad down with my behavior.  I ask you all to forgive and forget the incidents on the message board, and lets carry on. Alot of things can funnel stress into one 'shoe' so to speak, and I've become the victim of my own destiny by allowing that to happen.

More than once I've wanted to delete my account, but dammit, not logging on and saying Hiya Rats is depressing just thinking about NOT being able to do that...

Cya's up!
Rip

[Ripsnort]

I meant to add that I am posting that quotation above as an extension to all in TOD.

[Duckwing6]

Well on a further addition:

i had missions written up (albeit late and i'm sorry fo that) that were made for a different location of the CVs .. actually the CVs where intended to be on the EAST side of the map within 2-3 sectors of the shore .. if you look at the missions list they make sense afterwards.. dunno somhow that got changed and i didn't catch it  

as for not e-mailing the missions.. i was in a foreign country at that time, therfore asked if someone could mail them for me (thought about it .. and could have setup a yahoo mail or hotmail account.. but didn't think about it)

well guess it was a bad combination of misunderstandings and RL interference (couldn't read the BBs for almost a week)

sorry for the foul-up
please accept my sincere appologies

Phil
DW6

[-ammo-]

Thx Rip, sorry bout how it turned out for you, if it would have happened as planned my unit would have had more action at the very least. It impacted everything.

CYA up next friday

[Ripsnort]

Can't make the next two Fridays.  Cya all in about 3 weeks.<S>

[sax]

I give anyone and everyone a involved with putting this thing together a big salute.

I have'nt had as much fun flying in a long time as I did Friday.

I,ve said as much to Rude and every other 13th Tas member.

Sax

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by sax:
I give anyone and everyone a involved with putting this thing together a big salute.

I have'nt had as much fun flying in a long time as I did Friday.

I,ve said as much to Rude and every other 13th Tas member.

Sax

http://www.hitechcreations.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=54&t=000048

[Vulcan]

Nothing less than a sacrificial testicle will do

 

 

Originally posted by Duckwing6:
sorry for the foul-up
please accept my sincere appologies

Phil
DW6