Post by Ketara on Sept 24, 2009 21:36:42 GMT -5
Over four runs, OYW combat has gotten increasingly complex. While we originally started with basically mobile suits and ships, with tanks and aircraft being more or less a joke, we've created a game where all of the above is important, as well as terrain, optional armaments, weather, and numerous other things. It's gotten to the point where I think we need an actual explanation of how warfare in the Universal Century works, so grab your hot chocolate.
UC combat can be more or less broken into four theatres, Land, Sea, Air, and Space. Different troop types have different priorities in each theatre. There are also six basic types of combatants. Mobile suits, Mobile armors, Tanks, Aircraft, Infantry and Ships.
Mobile Suits
Mobile suits can be thought of as the main backbone or cavalry of any engagement. They have excellent firepower, armor, maneuverability and generally the best technology and pilots in any theatre. A battle strategy should be based around mobile suits, with other units used to support them.
Tanks
If mobile suits are the cavalry of an engagement, tanks should be thought of as the rank and file troops. While their armor and maneuverability is low compared to mobile suits, their firepower is comparable. Tanks work best in groups in tight formations as a front line, or in thick terrain where they can use their low profiles to ambush the enemy. As long as they are not outmaneuvered or caught in melee combat, a line of tanks can put out devastating firepower.
Aircraft
Aircraft can be subdivided into three basic categories; Fighters, Bombers and Fighter-Bombers. Fighters are used to maintain air superiority against enemy fighters, while bombers are used to shell the enemy from above. Fighter-bombers are capable of doing both, but excel at neither. In order to have effective air support, both fighters and bombers need to be used. Fighters need to protect bombers from enemy fighters while bombers attack mobile suits, tanks and ships on the ground. Normally, bombers cannot do serious damage to enemy mobile suits, but provide cover fire that can damage enemy morale and force them into a defensive position, supporting the heavier hitting ground troops.
In space, Aircraft operate more like Tanks do on the ground, Gattles and Saberfish having poor maneuverability compared to mobile suits, but comparable firepower.
Ships
The role of a ship in the Universal Century can vary widely based on theatre and ship class, but it is normally some sort of support. Only ships can create Minovsky particle clouds, protecting their forces from enemy missiles and in general providing cover. Battleships provide excellent artillery cover for front line troops, while carriers can save damaged mobile suits and provide refueling and re-armament for units in an extended engagement.
Mobile Armors
Mobile Armors normally operate as shock troops, spearheading an attack. MA's are expensive units and it is difficult to field a lot of them, so their targets should be planned out well in advance. Their tremendous firepower will also draw a lot of enemy fire, so they should be well supported. Most mobile armors are designed with a specific role in mind, either to destroy ships or terrorize enemy mobile suits.
Infantry
Not as important as the other types of units, the role of infantry is nearly purely as support, having almost no ability to destroy mobile suits and only a limited ability to take out enemy tanks. The time infantry shines is in boarding actions and base captures. In order to capture anything, ship or base, infantry will need to be used to storm the target and neutralize its infantry and personnel without destroying the target.
Land combat
Probably the most complicated of all theatres, Land combat involves the most factors and variables. Normally large battles will open up with a battle for air superiority amongst the opposing airborne units, with ground troops following shortly after. Terrain and weather needs to be thought of carefully, some combinations reducing the ability of ranged combat, melee combat or visibility to both sides.
Naval combat
Naval combat puts ships in top priority, mobile suits and mobile armors being used more or less to support the heavy hitting ships. While bombing aircraft can be used to fight enemy aquatic units, they will be able to dive to unhittable depths if there are no aquatic units to counter them.
Airborne combat
Battles in high altitude are generally more of hit and runs than actual warfare, both sides having multiple ways to escape combat quickly. Fighters are used to protect airborne ships, and bombers are used to destroy them. Most mobile suits can remain airborne for a small amount of time using jumpjets, and can do considerable damage in that time, but they must fall to earth eventually and are nearly unmaneuverable in the air. Airgroups can be attacked from the land, but much like in naval combat, if you have no fighters of your own to keep the enemy busy, they can simply gain altitude to evade the enemy.
Space combat
While terrain and weather are not a usual factor in space combat, a totally three dimensional battlefield, as well as the issue of fuel and communications, become much bigger factors. Units that run out of rocket fuel will simply float through space, giving mobile suits without the support of a nearby carrier a red line in which they must leave the battlefield or risk running out of fuel and being unable to make it back home. Minovsky particles make a much more stark difference in space combat, with guided missiles working wonderfully in environments with no ships, and terrible in a minovski cloud. Shortwave radios are also rendered useless in an M-particle cloud, mobile suits being forced to communicate with hand signals, Morse code, or with direct communication via two units touching each other. Ships can talk to mobile suits via laser communications, but it is often difficult or garbled for the mobile suit to talk back.
Because of these issues, pre-battle planning is much more important in space combat than other theatres. It is much more difficult for pilots in space to adapt to surprises or improvise in an unexpected situation due to a lack of communication, and the open and three dimensional battlefield makes it very possible to completely outfox the competition with an effective strategy.
UC combat can be more or less broken into four theatres, Land, Sea, Air, and Space. Different troop types have different priorities in each theatre. There are also six basic types of combatants. Mobile suits, Mobile armors, Tanks, Aircraft, Infantry and Ships.
Mobile Suits
Mobile suits can be thought of as the main backbone or cavalry of any engagement. They have excellent firepower, armor, maneuverability and generally the best technology and pilots in any theatre. A battle strategy should be based around mobile suits, with other units used to support them.
Tanks
If mobile suits are the cavalry of an engagement, tanks should be thought of as the rank and file troops. While their armor and maneuverability is low compared to mobile suits, their firepower is comparable. Tanks work best in groups in tight formations as a front line, or in thick terrain where they can use their low profiles to ambush the enemy. As long as they are not outmaneuvered or caught in melee combat, a line of tanks can put out devastating firepower.
Aircraft
Aircraft can be subdivided into three basic categories; Fighters, Bombers and Fighter-Bombers. Fighters are used to maintain air superiority against enemy fighters, while bombers are used to shell the enemy from above. Fighter-bombers are capable of doing both, but excel at neither. In order to have effective air support, both fighters and bombers need to be used. Fighters need to protect bombers from enemy fighters while bombers attack mobile suits, tanks and ships on the ground. Normally, bombers cannot do serious damage to enemy mobile suits, but provide cover fire that can damage enemy morale and force them into a defensive position, supporting the heavier hitting ground troops.
In space, Aircraft operate more like Tanks do on the ground, Gattles and Saberfish having poor maneuverability compared to mobile suits, but comparable firepower.
Ships
The role of a ship in the Universal Century can vary widely based on theatre and ship class, but it is normally some sort of support. Only ships can create Minovsky particle clouds, protecting their forces from enemy missiles and in general providing cover. Battleships provide excellent artillery cover for front line troops, while carriers can save damaged mobile suits and provide refueling and re-armament for units in an extended engagement.
Mobile Armors
Mobile Armors normally operate as shock troops, spearheading an attack. MA's are expensive units and it is difficult to field a lot of them, so their targets should be planned out well in advance. Their tremendous firepower will also draw a lot of enemy fire, so they should be well supported. Most mobile armors are designed with a specific role in mind, either to destroy ships or terrorize enemy mobile suits.
Infantry
Not as important as the other types of units, the role of infantry is nearly purely as support, having almost no ability to destroy mobile suits and only a limited ability to take out enemy tanks. The time infantry shines is in boarding actions and base captures. In order to capture anything, ship or base, infantry will need to be used to storm the target and neutralize its infantry and personnel without destroying the target.
Land combat
Probably the most complicated of all theatres, Land combat involves the most factors and variables. Normally large battles will open up with a battle for air superiority amongst the opposing airborne units, with ground troops following shortly after. Terrain and weather needs to be thought of carefully, some combinations reducing the ability of ranged combat, melee combat or visibility to both sides.
Naval combat
Naval combat puts ships in top priority, mobile suits and mobile armors being used more or less to support the heavy hitting ships. While bombing aircraft can be used to fight enemy aquatic units, they will be able to dive to unhittable depths if there are no aquatic units to counter them.
Airborne combat
Battles in high altitude are generally more of hit and runs than actual warfare, both sides having multiple ways to escape combat quickly. Fighters are used to protect airborne ships, and bombers are used to destroy them. Most mobile suits can remain airborne for a small amount of time using jumpjets, and can do considerable damage in that time, but they must fall to earth eventually and are nearly unmaneuverable in the air. Airgroups can be attacked from the land, but much like in naval combat, if you have no fighters of your own to keep the enemy busy, they can simply gain altitude to evade the enemy.
Space combat
While terrain and weather are not a usual factor in space combat, a totally three dimensional battlefield, as well as the issue of fuel and communications, become much bigger factors. Units that run out of rocket fuel will simply float through space, giving mobile suits without the support of a nearby carrier a red line in which they must leave the battlefield or risk running out of fuel and being unable to make it back home. Minovsky particles make a much more stark difference in space combat, with guided missiles working wonderfully in environments with no ships, and terrible in a minovski cloud. Shortwave radios are also rendered useless in an M-particle cloud, mobile suits being forced to communicate with hand signals, Morse code, or with direct communication via two units touching each other. Ships can talk to mobile suits via laser communications, but it is often difficult or garbled for the mobile suit to talk back.
Because of these issues, pre-battle planning is much more important in space combat than other theatres. It is much more difficult for pilots in space to adapt to surprises or improvise in an unexpected situation due to a lack of communication, and the open and three dimensional battlefield makes it very possible to completely outfox the competition with an effective strategy.