Welcome to Task Force 31, Captain. You will get your chance soon enough since Latest bulletin from NATO admiralty warns of change in DEFCON level. All NATO forces are now officialy on DEFCON 3.

While we wait for the last participant who will join ranks of Glorious Northern Fleet "Red Banner" here are some press clippings for your enjoyment

Magyar Hirlap, Monday, 10th June 1985

...with girls waving our flags and throwing flowers at the trains carrying our troops towards Yugoslav border, where joint exercises will be held with Yugoslav 4th army. Our historical relations with Yugoslavia and close ties that we keep with this friendly socialist country ensure that our enemies tremble in fear and don't even think about crossing our borders and bringing their damned capitalism into our country. In other news petrol rations will be enforced for another month, Minister of interior said yesterday since...

Pravda, Friday, 14th June 1985

...and ask not what brought this city to a standstill and why lines and angry people are everywhere, it is widely known that it's propaganda, the last trick used by the Western countries in a doomed attempt to bring this great nation to its knees. The petrol shortage is felt all over the world, not just in our country. Minister of Agriculture, tovarish Degtyarev assures us that right now, petrol is needed in soviet country, where brave and hard working peasants are night and day producing food for our country. It is a matter of national honor to tighten our belt now and work together so that we can reap the benefits later when western leaders come begging for Soviet food, Soviet cars and planes and Soviet revolution to free them from...


Fuldaer Zeitung, Saturday, 15th June 1985

...and as our eastern neighbors once again rattle their swords in yet another military exercise across the border, residents of Fulda are celebrating life on the streets with a great carnival that will bring people from the whole region together. Is there a better way to show that war is not the answer and that we need to put aside our differences and start living like neighbors, not adversaries. Bahnhofs Fest which was scheduled for the last week of may will coincide with the carnival and local residents...

FROM:HQ SACT
TO: SHAPE; SACEUR; REG CJTF
Saturday, 15th June

Attention
By the order of HQ SACT European theatre DEFCON level is hereby set to ROUND HOUSE.
Forward orders to all REG CJTF, coordinate with COMSUBNATL, COMSUBNORS, command all forces in the field to report on all suspicious activity.

END----CUT HERE----END----CUT HERE----END----CUT HERE----END

Sunday, 16th June 1985
20:30

To all field commanders, 8th Guards Army
you are hereby ordered to open up sealed orders and start implementing them in T+10 hrs. All personnel are to be briefed that this is a reactionary attack provoked by NATO sinking of our frigate in the Nowegian Sea. All communication is to be monitored and live ammunition is to be issued to all infantry and tank companies.

Spetsnaz units are to move right away to their designated locations following FOXTRACK orders.

16JUN85 2135GMT+1
SOSUS ANDOYA FLASH

URGENT

LOUD EXPLOSION, CAVITATION NOISES DETECTED. SOURCE 70DEG12MIN N 16DEG19MIN E, SEAHAWK EN ROUTE ETA 30M, ADVISE URGENT

SOSUS ANDOYA END

TO:SACEUR
FROM:NORWEGIAN ADMRLT

16JUN85 2155GMT+1
F301 Bergen reports visual contact with Soviet frigate following a loud explosion near SOSUS station Andoya. Contact is lost with F301 in 2140GMT+1, Andoya reports another loud explosion followed by several smaller ones, urgent response required.

FROM: COMMANDER SUBMARINE FORCE ATLANTIC
TO: USS SPRINGFIELD (SSN 761)
INFO: COMMANDER US ATLANTIC FLEET
---------COMMANDER US SECOND FLEET

SUBJ: MISSION ORDERS

1. SITUATION. SOVIET NORFLEET SHIPS ARE DEPLOYING IN MASS. ESSENTIAL THAT WE LEARN WHERE THEY ARE GOING.

2. MISSION. ESTABLISH COVERT PATROL NEAR SOVIET TERRITORIAL WATERS NEAR MURMANSK. LOCATE AND TRAIL A TASK FORCE AS IT TRANSITS TO ITS OPAREA.

3. EXECUTION.
A. PEACETIME RULES OF ENGAGEMENT ARE IN EFFECT. WEAPONS ARE TIGHT.
B. YOU ARE AUTHORIZED TO CROSS SOVIET MARITIME BOUNDARY ONLY IF NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH MISSION OBJECTIVES. DO NOT, REPEAT, DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE DETECTED IN RUSSIAN WATERS.

4. COMMAND AND CONTROL.
A. ALL REPORTS TO COMSUBLANT.
B. MAINTAIN CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATIONS UNLESS THE TACTICAL SITUATION PREVENTS.

BT

Participants so far

NATO

1. Rodzaju
2. Fujek
3. doccarnby
4. nmillar
5. Vitek

USSR

1. stoicsentry
2. WhiteElk
3. Al1
4. Damnation
5. empty

We need one more participant and we can start, I will be contacting all the participants via PM in a couple of minutes with the first info and my email so we can establish lines of communication ;)

if nobody applies for the last placew we'll start without the last player and the red team will have a slight strategic advantage to compensate for the lack of players. We start in 6 hours

I am a bit too busy to join this fine competition, nevertheless I would like to contribute to it.

In an effort to tease out that last participant, I would like to offer an additional award of 12$ on GOG to everyone who joins Dr.Zli's competition and plays it to the end, regardless of eventual outcome. :)

Damn. You're way too generous and kind for your own good.

Could you include a little 'average time-zone/reachability' in the welcome mail for each team and its members?
That way we'd have a rough idea on how to best synchronize.
And how (or who) are we going to determine the team's intelligence office?

Team's intelligence officer will be determined by team's agreement. It's not an easy position, intelligence officer's orders can win or lose the fight.
Since 6 hours have passed i will start the game even with one member still left vacant. Expect welcome mails in the next couple of hours.
So, once again registration is closed, we start with players who applied. USSR team will get a slight advantage to compensate for the lack of 1 player

Doctor E. Carnby knocked on the commanding officer's door. “Come in.”
Doc opened the door and stepped into the room, glad to be out of the cold. The room was cluttered, maps and stacks of paper strewn across the room, almost hiding General Zli. “General?”
The general looked up and smiled. “Ah, captain! You're late!”
Doc glanced about to makes sure there was no one else in the room. There wasn't. “Uhm, sir...”
“Here you go, these are you orders, get to it!”
General Zli handed Doc a manilla folder with a dozen pages inside. “Uhm, sir...”
“Your ship is just out there, your crew is waiting. Let me just say, I am honoured to be your CO, your actions during the first war are valuable learning tools, and are damn exciting to boot.”
Doc furrowed his brow. “The first war?”
“Yes, back in '17.”
Doc blinked. He was only 28. “Sir, I think you might be...”
“Anyways, this mission is of vital importance, and the men are getting antsy. Good luck!”
Doc opened and closed his mouth a couple times, trying to find something to say. Finally General Zli glanced behind him. “Your ship is down at dock 3. Dismissed.”
Doc blinked a couple times and then turned and left. Surely this would all get sorted out before anything got out of hand.
*
The door to General Zli's office opened and a small, decrepit old man stepped in. Every movement made an audible creaking sound, and when he raised his arm to salute, one could hear the cracking and popping of his ancient joints. General Zli looked up. “Ah, doctor! You're late!”

zomg

are you a fan of fantasy RPGs too? :P

Doc's already earning points I see :)

OK, here's an introduction and things that all players and the audience will see:

After every turn something happens, a new map will be posted on forums along with a brief timeline and/or a story that goes with it, you will be able to monitor not only what happens on the sea, but also what is going on in european theatre.
Map looks like this (16061985.jpg) It will be named after the day something happens.
Also, the audience here along with the players will be able to see the closeup of the norwegian and north sea and all the action that is happening here. You will be able to see what is happening and any casualties reported along with the dates. Map looks like this: (ops_map_16061985.jpg)

Both teams will know some things but the audience will be able to learn of this only when it poses no risk to the teams involved or their missions. All will be revealed in one big story after the dust settles :)

After you read all this, a short manual for the players will be presented