Idea for starting a campaign

[M-Type]

I want to try and start up a T2000 campaign when I get back to school in September, and I have the benefit of 100% of the people probably not knowing about the game.

I was thinking of starting them off during the Twilight War, with all the PCs being the crewmen in a M1 or M1A1 (or, God providing, an M1A2!!). Things start off great, they're blowing up stuff, and the 'war' is in their favor.

Then they get told they're pushing into Poland, around some random city named Kalisz (this would be 2 or 3 sessions in). Suddenly, things get darker and harder. Ammo and fuel are scarce, and the Pact forces are slamming NATO left and right in Kalisz.

As time goes on, what are the PCs gonna do about their wonderful tank? How will they adapt to their new-found freedom as military command collapses and the Pact forces rush in?

They'll probably go do something stupid and get killed, but that's besides the point...

Do you think this could work?

[weswood]

With enough imagination, anything can work. I like it because the PC's already know each other and don't have to go through that awkward " Hi, I'm Dave, and I ....."

[M-Type]

Originally Posted by weswood

With enough imagination, anything can work. I like it because the PC's already know each other and don't have to go through that awkward " Hi, I'm Dave, and I ....."

Yeah. And most of the people who'd probably playing would know each other too, so they can keep that 'relationship' going. And it would definitely make role-playing better because they won't be afraid to get angry at each other

I might select one of them at random to be the Tank Commander, then he can assign who will be what crewman. That'll add a solid party leader, and will also add some tension at the beginning, at least if someone wanted to be the Voice of the people and didn't get it.

First session mutiny? Time to factor bullet ricochets inside a tank hull...

I also figure that it will avoid the (IMO) costly "buy-stuff with our money" phase. They'll just have the standard stuff the average Tanker would get. 'Nuff said. They can steal/scavenge/buy anything else they want.

EDIT: I could also tweak the alternate history to add Desert Storm, so the players could be veteran tankers from that campaign.

Originally Posted by avantman42

Sounds like a good idea to me, as long as the players are happy to create characters that will work as a tank crew.

That'd be a problem, but I'd be letting them choose their first couple terms themselves, as long as they join the Armor arm before war breaks out.

That or I'd give them all the skills 2 periods of the Armor Arm would give them, and they'd have points or something to choose the rest, barring the 10 limit.

Damn. Now I just want to run this as a PBP to start playing it...

[Raellus]

I think it can definitely work. Here are a couple more things to think about.

The loader position could get boring for whichever player gets assigned that role. You should probably think about how to make loader a more interesting RP job.

Do you think your players will enjoy armored warfare? I can see how it could be a lot of fun, but players will not have as much freedom of initiative to plot and execute their own combat actions as they would if they were playing foot sloggers. They might not like the limitations. Combat encounters could get repetitive fast. You'll really have to be on top of your game to keep it fresh and interesting.

You don't need to add GW1 to your background unless you really want to. By the summer of 2000 pretty much every tank crew is going to be a veteran one. Plus, blasting Iraqis in the open desert and fighting Soviets in central Europe are kind of apples and oranges. But this is your T2KU, so tweak it however you prefer.

If you haven't read Team Yankee by Harold Coyle, I'd recommend it. It's got a lot of potential to be helpful to a GM running a tanker-based game.

[weswood]

Originally Posted by M-Type

I also figure that it will avoid the (IMO) costly "buy-stuff with our money" phase. They'll just have the standard stuff the average Tanker would get. 'Nuff said. They can steal/scavenge/buy anything else they want.

I like that. I have an Issue Equipment List I made up and anything else they want, they have to be able to pack on thier back.

[M-Type]

Originally Posted by weswood

I like that. I have an Issue Equipment List I made up and anything else they want, they have to be able to pack on thier back.

Keeps them from sitting there for 20 minutes planning out their inventory and amount of money left. Not that that isn't fun in the right scenario.

But since they'd still be in the military at start, the only thing they'd get is their issued gear and maybe a souvenir for their tank.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

I agree with pretty much everything that's been said but would just like to add the following regarding NPCs,

Have the PCs as the most important crew members of the tank and make the other positions for NPCs like the Loader example given before. So maybe you8 have just two PCs and then 2 NPCs in the tank.

But...

Give them two or maybe even three tanks if you have enough Players. Then they have to co-ordinate with the other tanks during attacks and movement etc. etc. I've seen this work quite well because the tank while it's run by two or three Players, ends up being treated like a single entity. The Players spend a lot of time working out things with each others tank crew - you let the Players worry about managing the tanks and so you end up with less to manage about the tanks.

This can be particularly impactful when some of the tanks get damaged and they then have to start sacrificing parts from one to keep another running and so on. Or they have to redistribute the ammo or fuel. Or worse, when one tank has to be abandoned and then suddenly you have one or two extra people to stick inside the working tanks.

[M-Type]

In reading the in-depth T2000 timeline here, I'd love to do something in Alaska.

Every 5 RL minutes, "Roll to evade frostbite!!""Roll to evade feral wolves!""Frostbite again!"

That'd be great. For me as the GM at least.

[avantman42]

Sounds like a good idea to me, as long as the players are happy to create characters that will work as a tank crew.

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by Raellus

If you haven't read Team Yankee by Harold Coyle, I'd recommend it. It's got a lot of potential to be helpful to a GM running a tanker-based game.

I'll second that, and also recommend Chieftains by Bob Forrest-West. If you can ignore the technical errors (T-80 destroyed by a Blowpipe missile, Soviet T-60s) it's a good story and has plenty to help a GM planning a game with tanker PCs.

[M-Type]

I'd have to give those books a look-over.

The PCs won't be "tankers" for long, because there'll only be one session or so of 'no limitations' before the Battle of Kalisz. By then fuel and ammo would surely be scarce, and they'd have to make some tough decisions.

But after Kalisz, they can do whatever you want. My reasoning behind giving them the tank would be to put them behind the stick of one of the most powerful things in the game (barring aircraft or attack helicopter. Or Nukes.) and slowly take it away from them until it's inefficient to keep. I want it to leave a hole in their heart if they have to abandon their tank. Give them something to fight for, ie "We need to get more fuel to keep Betsy going!"

And Raellus mentioned the Loader problem, which is a big one. I'm open to ideas, but maybe they're a little under-manned, and someone has to do two jobs? It would make things harder/more interesting for the Tank Commander. Do we load/fire the gun? Or fire the MG? of course, that means less PCs, but I have no idea how many would jump on the idea. If I have a lot, maybe the PCs can all be commanders of their own tanks or something, I dunno.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by M-Type

The PCs won't be "tankers" for long, because there'll only be one session or so of 'no limitations' before the Battle of Kalisz. By then fuel and ammo would surely be scarce, and they'd have to make some tough decisions.

Gotcha.

Originally Posted by M-Type

But after Kalisz, they can do whatever you want. My reasoning behind giving them the tank would be to put them behind the stick of one of the most powerful things in the game (barring aircraft or attack helicopter. Or Nukes.) and slowly take it away from them until it's inefficient to keep. I want it to leave a hole in their heart if they have to abandon their tank. Give them something to fight for, ie "We need to get more fuel to keep Betsy going!"

Devious in a good way.

Originally Posted by M-Type

And Raellus mentioned the Loader problem, which is a big one. I'm open to ideas, but maybe they're a little under-manned, and someone has to do two jobs? It would make things harder/more interesting for the Tank Commander. Do we load/fire the gun? Or fire the MG? of course, that means less PCs, but I have no idea how many would jump on the idea. If I have a lot, maybe the PCs can all be commanders of their own tanks or something, I dunno.

I just had a big duh moment. You could make the loader an NPC.

[M-Type]

Yeah, throwing NPCs around is plan B for everything.

Just dropped $0.01 on Team Yankee. Decided to throw some REAL money around and pay for 2 Day shipping :P

I needed a new summer read anyhow, so two birds one stone.

EDIT: And the NPC Loader could bitch about everything too

[Olefin]

Tanks have other issues as well - i.e. they use a lot of fuel - we found that out during our campaign when I rolled an M1 tank. It was great when we captured a lot of fuel early in the campaign but it became a liability when we started using that fuel up and realized just how much fuel and M1 tank can burn up in one day, let alone a week. We started having to make decisions based on if it was worth taking the tank with us, starting with the Madonna.