The Franco-Prussian War is the last of my collections that require rules for remote games. So, time to get on with it!
In putting these ideas together I had the following principles I wanted the rules to reflect.
1. Ranged fire, whether small arms or artillery, was very significant on soldier behaviour, formation and impact.
2. I wanted units to degrade but not have to do any paperwork.
3. Units supporting others matter.
4. The morale impact of situations is baked in rather than on dice rolls.
At first, I was looking to adapt mechanisms from a board game where different units were reflected on a table. Then according to the situation there was a column shift left or right which led to changing dice roll requirements. What I have currently moved on to is a little different. I have "Results Ladders" for shooting, melee and rallying based on advantages and disadvantages to the active unit.
For example, with the shooting results ladder below, all units firing start at zero then work up when applying relevant advantages and down with the disadvantages. A "DP" is a disruption point. Units are removed on receipt of a third DP.
An example using the shooting results ladder above: A single French unit targets a Prussian skirmish unit at long range. Neither unit have suffered any disruption. The French are grade 2 and roll 3 on 1d3 and rise to five on the ladder. There are no additional advantages. The target now rolls a 1 on 1d3 which puts it at four on the ladder. Further disadvantages are the target being skirmishers and at long range bringing the result down to two. So, the Prussian infantry takes a disruption point and is forced to go prone.
The same process is used for melee but with different outcomes on the ladder... obviously.
The opposed 1d3 rolls represents the element of luck/chance. In the above example, the firing unit enjoyed a lot of luck. Whereas, the target did not enjoy equal fortune. This gives a range of +2 to -2.
Hopefully, it will be apparent that other units supporting the shooter would have made the result more devastating.
This is very much a work in progress, done in the full knowledge that I bring nothing new to the discussion.
Next, a first solo test game.
Looks interesting. Let's see how it plays! Can units remove DPs? Is there no disadvantage for a firer being prone? Your approach reminds me a little of a post I made a long time ago on measuring perceptions of uncertainty. Oh, we all should be thinking about FPW rules on hexes!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jonathan. The second DP can be removed but not the first. No disadvantage for firing prone as it stands, but I'm open to new advantages and disadvantages.
DeleteI always enjoy seeing the process by which your rules come together. I like the idea of disruption points although with only three until a units removal you 'have to react to them quickly.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lawrence. The need to react quickly by getting them out of the frontline or supporting them is what I hope will happen.
DeleteInteresting post and should be good to see how thy play out, always good to read other folks thought processes.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your interest, Donnie.
DeleteLooking really interesting, Richard!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michal. I hope they work. I am quite willing to abandon them if need be.
DeleteLooks interesting, look forward to seeing how the playtesting goes
ReplyDeleteSo am I, Neil.
DeleteAn interesting approach. To me it seems odd that the targets grade has no influence since the system is rolling in morale as a result factor. Looking forward to future developments.
ReplyDeleteOriginally the target's grade was a shooting disadvantage. It still is for melee. All options are still on the table.
DeleteSome good ideas there, I did wonder about making each DP on the target a minus on the shooter - that way units are reduce to near ineffectiveness but are hard to actually get rid of. My impression of the FPW is that shooting contests would peter out as targets become harder to find (surviving losers lying doggo). Then you need a fresh unit to advance and see them off.
ReplyDeleteMy other FPW impression is that once units were committed they were almost completely out of control and just responded to their tactical situation rather than being ordered around like gamers tend to do with their table-top units.
Thanks for your good points, Rob.
DeleteRegarding your first point, shooting is likely to make units go prone and therefore harder to hit. Secondly, my rules allow for advance in rushes. In other words, as a front unit takes hits and goes prone a fresh one can move through.
As for the last point, that would be true of most conflicts across the centuries and is tricky to replicate in a game.
Nice looking figures Richard...looking forward to seeing how your experiment with the rules goes.
ReplyDeleteThanks Keith, so am I.
DeleteAll sound interesting Rich!!!
ReplyDelete