Re: [SG2] Morale Suggestion: Enfilade

Allan spake thusly upon matters weighty: 
> >We play a modified terrain rule for some games; instead of clumps of
bush,
> >we describe the area as lightly treed - visibility 4 Range Bands or
maybe
> >heavily treed - visibility 2 Range Bands. So, Regulars can only see
320m or
> >160m max whereas a SF team (Elites) could see (AND FIRE) 480m or 240m
> >respectively. 

I hope you have some other categories of woods. I've run into woods 
where I'd be lucky to see or conduct effective fire beyond about 20m! 
It would seem to me that rating any given thicket or copse of trees 
with a "woods fire rating" (say 1 to 5? or even 1 to 10?)  
and then dividing unit ranges by this value (to represent limits to 
hearing and sighting imposed by the thick undergrowth) would be the 
most reasonable way to run woods. A similar value (perhaps on the 
scale of 1 to 5 also) would be the "woods movement rating" and would 
be a divisor for movement. A class 5/5 thicket would mean that 
movement through such a thicket was brutally slow and fire was pretty 
much point blank only.
  
> ...which is why I didn't want to get into sighting rules. I have a
number of
> games with sighting rules. I find they drag things a bit. Of course,
an easier
> way to handle it in SG2 terms is to simply force a morale check when a
unit is
> attacked from the rear OR attacked by a heretofore hidden unit. You
don't need
> sighting ranges and such, just a hidden unit. I think I'll incorporate
this
> into my "enfilade" rules.

1. SG2 uses 'abstract positioning' so therefore there is no front or 
back. Given the suggested length of a game turn, it would easily be 
possible for a unit to watch all its flanks even without having the 
figures pointed every which way (assume some movement, scanning 
around etc). 
2. Since everyone (AFAIK) in a unit that has LOS can engage an enemy 
target, and given the abstract nature of unit placement, the unit 
effectively has no front or rear. 

Both of these may change in FMA. Skirmish games tend to represent 
things more as is.  But most range bands will be short!

> >So the idea of a "surprise" morale check for taking fire from an
unknown
> >enemy is very appropriate! Quite reasonable too.
> 
> Yes, I hope Jon incorporates something like this into Bugs Don't Surf.

Fire from a hidden unit, yes. That should cause a morale check. Fire 
from the side or back seems meaningless unless we implement the 
'the-figure-is-where-he-is-and-looking-where-he-is-looking' rules. 
 
On a separate note, I still think any unit fired on (even if 
casualties are not inflicted nor are formal suppressions) may attempt 
to go to ground (and cease moving for the turn). This represents our 
natural reflex to go to ground when fired on. I'm working out some 
draft rules for this. This will help address some of the issues of 
extreme mobility that I have sometimes seen (a unit under fire 
sprinting around the board - not impossible, just pretty unlikely). 
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Thomas Barclay		     
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