in the begining...

[Draq]

Im sure somebody has done a red campaign.

[Draq]

Besides armor and fuel economy, speed is also a factor. The Bradley is better armored but the lav and Humvee are much faster. Can't kill what you can't hit. And the Humvee is a smaller target too. And take into consideration the SLEP for the lav, upgrading the armor to withstanding 14.7mm/.50cal, but sacrificing its amphibious ability.

[CDAT]

I am working on an idea right now. Each player will make two characters, One will be a SpecOps of players choice. The second one I will have them make a version of them self. Either as they are now more or less, or as they would have been at the start date. The plan is then to have the game start with a two fold mission. Part one, the SpecOps are sent to recover a device, so the players will gear up as they want, but anything that the GM (me) thinks is out of place make them explain why they want to take it. Everything also needs to fit in a Chinook along with the NPC's I am thinking at least a Pilot, Copilot, Crew Chief and two Gunners. I am thinking six Operators with two FAV's, if I do not end up with six players, I will fill out the team with NPC's after they recover it and are on their way back the Helo get shot down and this is were the players take over. As this is going on the second team will that will be made up of players as them self's will be assigned to the US Embassy either working for the Embassy or military assigned there. They will be sent out on a mission of utmost importance to the Ambassador, saving his daughter who is working as a DR. without boarder. They will be heading out in a couple of unarmored SUV's and what ever gear they think is appropriate again having to explain anything that does not feel right to the GM. The players are all that the Ambassador has available. As they get to picking up the DR. they receive a a radio call for any unit that can hear them that they are going down with precious cargo (the first players group). When both groups hook up is when I plan for the strikes around the world, and the team is on their own.

[Apache6]

I've 'started' campaigns as a GM four times.

Once was 'straight from the book.' Each player had a PC. No NPCs, though they collected a few along the way. They had a LAV and a motorcycle.

Second time I gave each player two PC and a "T2K platoon" of NCPs, each PC was a small unit leader (platoon cmdr, squad leader, or vehicle cmdr). They started out as a kampfagroup with a tank platoon (2 M1), a mechanized platoon (1 M2, 1 M113, 1 BMP-2), a motorized infantry platoon (1 LAV-25, 2 "armored 5 tons w HMG", and a HMMWV TOW), a literally horse mounted cavalry platoon (with 15 riders), and an engineer platoon (M-88 ARV, See-tractor and a dump truck). Each player had one PC as a platoon leader and one as a squad leader or vehicle commander (they could not be in the same unit). The "group commander" was not a PC but a 'salty NPC LtCol' who had his own LAV-25. There was also a 'npc controlled artillery battery' (a M-109 howitzer, a BM-21 MRL and two 120mm mortars (only the mortars had a good supply of ammo) and a logistics detachment (one HEMMT with large still and tanker and a HMMWV with field kitchen trailer, which often ended up carrying wounded). They were tasked as the rear guard of their brigade. We played this out by shifting between RPGing and minature wargaming. The "colonel" often took advice from the PCs. It was a doomed force, as it lay smack in the path of a motorized rifle division's advance. It gave us lots of epic last stands. We gamed this over the course of about 6 months, playing about once a month until the 'unit' was eroded down to a smaller party, consisting of one PC and two or three NPCs for each of the players. One of our players lost each of his PCs a couple of times over and I let him 'switch personas' to one of the NPCs.

Third time, the PCs were a local resistance cell in Tennessee fighting against the New Confederacy (our version of New America), Soviet Spetnez made an occasional appearance for some reason, and trying to survive. Each player played pretty much themselves.

Fourth time each player got one NPC, they started off as members of the 5th Infantry Division COC, including liaison officers (explaining Special Operations and Polish PCs) when it was overrun. Several of the PCs started off with vehicles, they were shot to pieces when the division was overrun. They had to escape and evade. They eventually stole a UAZ-469 and a Ural truck. I had them liberate a few POWs when a couple of players (who were a literal married) couple wanted to join. In addition to the PCs, one of the NPCs they liberated became their medic.

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by Draq

Besides armor and fuel economy, speed is also a factor. The Bradley is better armored but the lav and Humvee are much faster. Can't kill what you can't hit. And the Humvee is a smaller target too. And take into consideration the SLEP for the lav, upgrading the armor to withstanding 14.7mm/.50cal, but sacrificing its amphibious ability.

The other things you need to consider are:

How large & heavy is the vehicle?

There are quite a few 5-ton bridges in Europe. A Hummer can go places a Bradly would NEVER fit. I like to have the dimensions of the commonly used vehicles in game (height, width, and length). There were many places in Somalia where my HEMTT could not go... it was simply too big and too heavy.

What is the "lifespan" of the suspension?

Most tracked vehicles will gain 1 Wear Value level per 500km travelled (min) up to 5000km (max) based on the vehicle's listed "track life" (anywhere from 5000km to 50,000km based on the model). This is one area where US armored vehicles lose out to the lighter Soviet T72. The T72 has a supposed "track life" of 50,000km (if you can believe the Russians).

Wheeled vehicles will have a "tire life" of from 50,000km (passenger car performance tires) up to 180,000km (heavy truck/semi tires) with wheeled AFV tires lasting about 150,000km. The Wear Value level would increase by 1 for every 5k to 18k kilometers moved. As you can see, wheeled vehicles hold an advantage here.

These are both eclipsed by horses or motorcycles. Horses are to most "economical" means of transport in terms of resources required.