REDFOR Ammendments to the Global Thunder Rules

These rules and explanationss are considered to be an official appendix to the Global Thunder Game Guide. (They are provided as a "classified" document in order to preserve the secrecy of REDFOR's identity.) If there are any contradictions between the two documents, these ammendments will supercede.

1. Rulings on forces

From time to time players will request rulings on whether or not certain units or aspects of technology are officially sanctioned by the umpires. While this curiosity is of course understandable, these requests require a great deal of time on the part of the umpires in terms of research and organization.

To circumvent this problem, the following SOPs will be in effect:

1) Any order of battle, TO&E or data on any unit or weapon already included in this game (see the various Orders of Battle at your team headquarters) is considered to be officially sanctioned by the umpires.

2) Any combat forces, units or weapons not already sanctioned by game documents should not be counted on in this MBX unless explicitly allowed by the umpires.

3) Umpires are no longer required to research the availability of equipment that is not already officially sanctioned in this game.

4) If players feel strongly that certain equipment that exists in real life should be included in this MBX they are free to do their own research and present the results of their data and their sources to the umpires. Even then, the umpires are under no obligation to furnish a ruling (due to the required research for verification). If there is no response or ruling, the player must assume that the request has been denied.

Just to be clear, these rules are not trying to dissuade players from requesting forces that should legitimately be included in the game. In fact, such requests should be encouraged, especially if the units or data in question are truly substantial forces. The point is that the players must also furnish the research and make it easy for the umpires to check out in order for them to allow it into the game. If allowing the forces or units into the game means our having to do our own research, it will probably never be allowed.

2. Working with the President and the GenShtab

The General Staff (GenShtab) is your team's sole link with "President Voronov," the Russian government and the governments of other countries. If your team has a request or proposal that requires Presidential approval or an action by the Foreign Ministry it must first be submitted to the through the General Staff.

Keep in mind, however, that such requests are to be regarded as highly unorthodox and should only be made when there is no other option but to involve higher levels of government. While a desire to involve politics is understandable and while there will certainly be times when cooperation with the other branches of government is desperately needed, communication between the REDFOR team and other branches of government, even through proper channels, will generally be discouraged both for game manageability and authenticity reasons. In fact, a continued preoccupation with political matters will be seen as being outside of your area of responsibility and will not be viewed favorably by the General Staff. This could affect decisions of the Staff later on, such as whether or not to give you reinforcements at a crucial moment in the battle.

3. Treaty obligations

1) All REDFOR allies (countries labelled red in the GRU world situation map) are committed to supporting any other ally that is at war. Support could be in the form of openly declared war against that ally's foe, or covertly by secretly smuggling war materiel to that ally. The degree of support will be decided by that country's capabilities and the decision of the country's leader.

2) Once hositilities begin, REDFOR players may assume the following:

a) Any countries deemed neutral (labelled gray in GRU world situation map) during peacetime may become pro-NATO (turn blue) in wartime.

b) Any pro-NATO countries (labelled blue, in World Situation Map) can be assumed to be hostile.

4. Basing rights and overflight rights

a) Russia may base troops or fly through the airspace of any ally (country labelled red in the GRU world situation map).

b) Russia may not move troops or fly through the airspace of a neutral. (gray countries, as labelled on the GRU world situation map).

c) The US and NATO will have basing rights/overflight rights in each other's countries.

d) The US and NATO will not have any basing/overflight rights in any neutral countries (gray countries, as labelled on the GRU world situation map) except for countries where they already have bases.