Questions about MAS - WWII MTO

[pouncer]

Dear Sirs:

I have just received MAS -WWII MTP and I have read throught the rules and I have a questions about the rules:

1) Can free lancers still be used with the same rates of pay and rules?

2) Why is there no unit experience levels on the encounter chart like in MAS? Are all the units assumed to be regular or they need to be determined randomly (i.e. D6 1-3 = Green, 4-5 = Regular, and 6 = Elite)

3) Carriers in MTO are listed and I know that there are a few specific historical scenarios were there are only a few carriers that the certain Axis powers had (Germany none). But The Italians might have a few? Vichy France only 1. But the English had alittle bit more and would all three carrier type be applicable to this theater of operations or will they be more suited for the Pacific Theather of Operations?

The Anti-Aircraft Cruiser as above?

4) Can the Create Your Own Campaigns rule be used for a little more variety similiar in the same format as the generic Naval Operations and Land Operations and the campaign run being one month.

And on the Mission Objectives Delivery could mean to deliver paratroopers,resistance troops and supplies. Pamphlet dropping could mean the pamphlet load similiar to payload.


That is just some of things I have thinking about after reading the rules?



David Peters

[Charles Lewis]

Thanks for the questions. Here are some answers - with luck, they'll match up!

1. Yes and yes. By default, if a core MAS rule is not mentioned, it continues to work the same way. That's not necessarily true of the optional rules, btw.

2. Um, there should be. I don't have my materials handy at the moment (just started a new job and don't have my own workstation yet), but there certainly were skill levels in the original encounter charts.

3. The British operated all manner and size of carrier during the period covered (1939-1943). The Bearn was seized by the US and neither the Germans nor the Italians actually put a carrier to sea for operational use, though there were several at various stages of completion. That is why there are no chances of encountering an Axis carrier in MTO. That will, of course, change in PTO. The Anti-Aircraft Cruiser is there to allow for possible deployment of the ship by the US...and mostly to flesh out the encounter charts and keep things lively. The world of MAS-WWII is only slightly different from reality - the Allies will still win, for example. But there is wiggle room. However, if you don't like the idea of the AACL being in the MTO, just replace that with a regular light cruiser. In the same vein, there's nothing stopping you from letting the Axis use carriers, have them as possible encounters for Allied MASs, and having carrier-based Axis campaigns in MTO.

4. Yes, the Create Your Own Campaign rules from MAS can be used to generate new campaigns for MAS-WWII (and in fact, I used those rules as the guidelines for the MTO campaigns). ETO will feature new random campaign generation rules tailored to WWII, but in the meantime, those rules from MAS should work just fine.

[pouncer]

Thank for the reply and is there an estimated release date for MAS - WWII PTO?


David

[Charles Lewis]

Not at this time....work is well underway, but I've just started a new job, so that is slowing things down. My goal is to get it done sooner rather than later, and it will certainly be out this year. Just how soon, though, is up in the air at the moment. Once I've got a better handle on my schedule and how quickly I anticipate getting PTO together, I'll be sure to let everyone know.

[echoco]

The encounter list in MTO is shaded, on page 26 you can see the table no shade = regular, light shade = green and dark shade = experienced.

[pouncer]

Okay I see it now,thank you very much.