OPERATION DRAGON ROUGE

Original by Simulations Workshop Inc. 1995
     Design & Development by Randy Moorehead
ADC2 version by Joseph D. Oliver 1999 (Jaydeeo@aol.com)
     ADC2 version 2.07b; P200 mmx w/64mb


INTRODUCTION

OPERATION DRAGON ROUGE is a small but interesting and very well done Desk Top 
Publishing simulation of the November 24, 1964 assault by American, Belgian, and mercenary 
forces to retake Stanleyville, in the Belgian Congo (later Kisangani, Zaire, and today ???), and 
rescue hostages from the Simba rebels, who had held the city for 111 days.

Although it is a quasi-tactical game, and is not perfectly suited to play-by-e-mail, I could not resist 
doing an ADC2 set for it, for several reasons.  First, to my knowledge, it is a unique game with 
regard to the subject matter.  Next, it has easy and quick-playing movement and combat rules, 
especially so for a modern tactical game.  Finally, in spite of its small size, its exceptional design 
combination of rules, hidden counters, and multiple scenarios makes for varied repeated play.  As 
an interesting side note, the map could be done with appropriate zoom level sizes such that the 
entire playing area could be displayed on an "average" monitor (17" 1024x768) at zoom 2. 


THIS VERSION

MAP

The map has been changed only in minor ways.  Color has been added and/or modified for several 
terrain features (the original background/clear was white), and a few terrain features have been 
modified in style or shape.  In the interest of aesthetics, the Simba deployment marks have been 
omitted, but the original map is small enough that it can be used easily as a reference.  The Turn 
Record has been relocated to the right side, and new play aids have been added at the bottom 
(Terrain Key and holding boxes for Air Strike and Massacred Hostages markers).  A map sheet 
provides hex numbers as in the original game.

UNITS

The units have been rendered closely to the originals, with the main difference being a gold, rather 
than a pure yellow, field color for the Simba counters, so as to provide a better contrast to the now 
cream/light yellow background/clear terrain.  Reduced and edited scans were used for the Simba 
hidden side lion face and for the hostage counters, but all other artwork is my own approximation 
of the original.  A bit of color has been added to some of the counters, and a new marker counter 
for recording hostages massacred has been created.

CLASS DATA

#	Name		Type		Notes
1	Fire Value	Numeric
2	Effectiveness	Numeric
3	Movement	Numeric
4    	Massacres	Numeric	only used on new counter for recording total of massacres

All Simba forces and hostage units are hidden, and to the Allied player they will display their 
inverted lion head side, until edited to not hidden by the Simba or Gamemaster player.  On the 
Massacres piece, data field 4 may be edited during play in order both to track these on the map and 
to eliminate the need of recording separately on paper.

FORCE POOLS

Separate and clearly named force pools contain all pieces, with the following exceptions.  The 
Game Turn, Massacres, and Air Strike (of correct level, if available in scenario) markers are 
already in their appropriate off-board locations.  The Ferry Boat is already in hex 1408.  The two 
Barricade markers are deployed in two of three airfield hexes (see below for additional setup info).  
Clearly named empty force pools exist for eliminated combat units and evacuated hostage counters.

SCENARIOS

Six scenarios, corresponding in number and name to those in the original game, are available.

1-Historical.OPS
2-No_Foot_in_Mouth.OPS
3-Hoare_to_the_Rescue.OPS
4-Low_Beam.OPS
5-Heart_of_Darkness.OPS
6-Mod_Plan_519_High_Beam.OPS

An additional file, Dragon_Rouge_SAMPLE.OPS, is intended only for artwork display.

SPECIAL SETUP PROCEDURE

The Simba player must make the required number of random picks from the Simba Forces and 
Hostages force pools and deploy them as required (see original map).  As noted earlier, they will 
appear as hidden (inverted side) to the Allied player.  Also, though they are not hidden, the Simba 
player may adjust the positions of the two Barricade markers to any two of the three airfield hexes 
that he may choose.

The Allied player simply follows the particular scenarios deployment rules.


Have fun.

