[GZG] [ECC XII][For Damo] Thoughts on stress for FMAS - some feedback

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ond,

I understand why you did what you did. The part that got me was this:
the
German MG took most of its fire in the first round or two. Then it
didn't
need any more - it couldn't easily succeed an activation (and Bob's dice
were uncooperative in getting us an 8+ on d10). We couldn't autofail to
clear them either. So even after it stopped taking fire, it sat there
for
three to five rounds. The enemy focused fire on other units (because it
could) and that MG just did nothing - didn't get better, didn't get
worse,
could not act.

Here's my 0.02 on how to fix this:

Any turn you are in sight of the enemy but don't take a stress chit:
Remove
1 stress chit at the end of the turn.

Any turn you are not in sight of the enemy and don't take a stress chit:
Remove 2 stress chits at the end of the turn.

These mean that a stressed unit will unstress steadily if left alone
unless
the enemy continues to cause stress.

On the Grenade Front:

In anything but open terrain (woods or inside a building), there is a
good
chance the grenad may land close enough to hurt you but not in an easy
to
get to location nor maybe even in a visible one. I read about Chosin and
the
Marines in a foxhole throwing back grenades and batting them back with a
rifle like a baseball as the Chicoms threw them from the baskets they
were
dragging on the attack, so some part of your concept is fine, but I
think it
too could use refinement. So I'll suggest something here too:

Test to throw a grenade back:

Roll to beat MOTIVATION + STRESS (if you're pinned in place with your
hands
over your ears, you aren't getting up to throw that grenade) + 1 per 1"
away
the grenade lands. So, a cool hand MOTIVATION 1 with no stress has a
grenade
land at his feet = easy to throw back. A more normal MOTIVATION 2 with
two
stress chits due to fire who has a grenade land 2" away would have to
beat a
6, more of a challenge. I'd also roll a D4 or D6 'cover die' for the
grenade
(D4 in relatively un-dense cover like light woods and a D6 in dense
cover
like thick woods or rubble) and if the throw back roll does not exceed
this
cover die, the grenade isn't found and goes off. So you could still
throw
them back, you'd just have to roll more than 3 or 4 most of the time on
your
dice. Your vets and elites would probably still not have much problem,
regs
would be okay in calm circumstances where they could see the grenade,
but
your greens would probably be hard pressed as would regs in cluttered
surroundings.

Alternative 'Reaction' Action:

Dive For Cover: Character rolls to beat MOTIVATION + STRESS. If he
succeeds,
he dives behind cover (in cover behind whatever is available, or just
simply
prone to cut his target silhouette). In position would give you an
upshift
vs. the grenade dice on the roll to effect (or reduce the range of
numbers
that make the grenade effective - I was a bit vague on what the 'to hit'
roll for the grenade explosion/shrapnel was).

Either of these eat up your next activation even if they fail to produce
a
successful result as the character tried to dive for cover or throw the
grenade back.

I also think you should have 'reaction fire' for unactivated units into
whose frontage appears an active enemy.

Reaction Fire: Character rolls to beat MOTIVATION + STRESS. If he
succeeds,
he may fire ONE snapshot (not two) or execute a melee attack if enemy is
right beside him or throw a primed grenade he holds ready. The attempt
is
really quick to pre-empt the foe and QD is shifted down one. Note that
failing still means you can fire, only after the enemy has completed his
actions. In either case, it costs you your next activation (and you're
only
getting one ACTION instead of a full ACTIVATION).

A reaction move could work with a similar mechanics: Beat STRESS +
MOTIVATION and then allow one combat move (only a combat move - a panic
attempt to move). Succeed or fail, lose your next activation. And get
only
ONE move action if you succeed.

I think with these fixes, you remove
- the issue with stress that never reduces even after people stop
shooting
at you
- the issue with ease of grenade returns (a real dis-incentive to throw
them
back) (they stay simple for good troops in low stress and uncluttered
surroundings, but not for stressed troops, poor troops, or in cluttered
surroundings)
- the problem of being the first one to take up a firing position in a
woodsline (enemies all sprout out of the far woodsline and shoot at you
without having to spot and you can't fire at them even if you have not
activated yet for the round) (in other words, reduces blink monster
scenarios)
- gives people a 'dive for cover' and a 'move out of blast radius'
option
for grenades

Otherwise, I think the scenario played out very well. Next time, be sure
to
say twice that your character sheet has to say "Grenade" on it for your
character to have them. I missed that.

TomB

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