Re: Low Tech Scenarios

Los spake thusly upon matters weighty: 

> Re: Morale rules. (I know another tangent). With most wargames, most
of
> your battles are resolved through attrition, (regardless of the morale
> rules if any). In real battles, you are defeating the enemy's morale
or
> will to resist. Inflicting the greatest shock in the shortest period
of
> time. That's why to me a good set of morale rules would show losses
> inflicted in a very short period of time stopping forces as opposed to
> prolonged losses over a long period of time. For example, a company
losing
> 50% casualties over the space of four hours, might still be combat
> effective, but a company losing 50% casualties in four minutes is
probably
> gonna pack it in.

You think so? I'm not sure, but if you look back historically, many 
units have broken with less than 30% casualties. And even starting an 
engagement depleted (a la Eastern Front WW2) can really impact 
morale. Both long and short term losses have impact, and I hate to 
see units fighting to 50 or 75% casualties when that rarely seems to 
have happened (I did say rarely, not never) in the real world. 

Also, I'd note that we treat morale checks as if the knowledge of 
lost commanders and comrades was immediately known to the unit as a 
whole. If I'm in rough terrain, I may well not know the commander and 
platoon sergeant have been gunned down especially if I myself am 
engaged. I think the point is, a ref is a good thing because he can 
make situational morale calls (so can two mature opponents). 

No morale system is perfect. And no morale system that encourages 
players to do suicidal things is good either. And very few morale 
systems capture the 'momentum' of battles (the short term ebb and 
flow of morale with events - could be casualties, could be a raise in 
morale due to your unit overrunning a tough enemy). But that is such 
a debatable set of rules, its probably not worth the agony.

Tom. 
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Thomas Barclay
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