Re: Movement thoughts for FMA from Mike - my reply :)

>** First: Standard move action (1 action): 6". Standard Combat Move
>Action: d6x2".
>Two actions per activation. Average on combat move is 7", so on
>average you will move farther than a normal move. Also, you will
>certainly have a greater potential - 24" if you do two combat moves
>(unlikely but possible). So there is a quantitative difference.

Where do you get a move of 6" from? I quote from the original email
from
Jon T of 09/07/99:

<snip>

I was using the "typical normal figure" value of 8".

---- I was stepping into SG2 mode there - I thought your discussion
(in that part) referenced SG2 particularly rather than FMA. I see what
you were saying now. But I was still under the impression that the
combat move was 2 dice versus a set figure for a normal move so the
point (though the numbers differ) is the same. Combat move gives more
max range and perhaps a greater average move.

>** Well, if you interpret (as some do) some of the stuff in the
>rulebook, you could conclude that as he is double moving, anyone who
>has not activated can actually fire at him in the middle of a full
>move in view of their unit. But that is another point.

Yes, that’s Reaction Fire.

---- Exactly. Though I was sort of under the impression it only
applied in CC. (though most folk let it apply in full move cases too).
Not sure what the books says (don't have either copy here).

<snip my comments>

While I agree very much with your thinking here, as the rules stand at
the
moment, the combat move is NOT the only form of movement allowed once
combat is initiated. There is nothing to say that you can’t use normal
movement at any time. Hence my previous argument.

Now, you and I being "sensible wargamers" will probably
use the combat move because a) its more realistic and b) the element
of
risk
makes the game more interesting. However, there are some people out
there
who will say "It doesn’t say I can’t do it in the rules". Therefore we
must
legislate if we want to enforce the random combat move once in combat.
Next
problem then: define "once combat has been initiated". After the first
shot
has been fired? What if the shot was from a silenced weapon? Once the
figure sees an enemy figure or is shot at? Now you’re going to have to
track who is "in combat" and who isn’t....

---- Well, I have to agree. There are one or two lawyers (or people
with honestly differing views) in every mix.

>But I don't
>believe the answer is to not reflect the nature of combat or the
>nature of the range of individual choices - rather it is to have
>simple, easily memorable mechanics and let people play with 6 guys
>instead of six squads in SG2.

Couldn’t agree more. So how do we define "in combat" then, or more
specifically, when can and when can’t a figure use normal movement
rather
than combat movement. Any suggestions anybody?

---- Okay, how about this: using the fixed movements is a non-starter
once a unit is in-combat - that can be defined as 1)an enemy unit
within LoS <except in an ambush>, 2) shots have been fired on the
board somewhere with unsilenced arms <you know there is shooting
nearby, you don't march>, 3) Your intelligence tells you (pre-game
brief or comm call) that the enemy is very present in the map grid
(game board) you are in (then its a precaution).

---- Mind you, my other point still remains: In an individual game,
you need to reflect a wider range of movement options than you do in a
squad game. Even combat movements there must be a variety within - as
the fast combat crawl, the A2C up-n-down, the cover-to-cover dash are
all fairly distinct movements, as would patrolling be <cautious
advance - no jumping up and down unless shot at, but being ready to
scatter/go-to-ground>.

---- Anyway, it certainly is an interesting set of problems to wrestle
with. Maybe it calls for (a la SG2 fire combat) a quick system with
combat move/normal move and a more detailed system with a variety of
move types (dashing, cautious advance, march, bounding advance, rout,
crawl). That would kind of let the game run quick and dirty for those
that want a real fast game or want real big skirmishes. For those of
us that like more texture, the more advanced system could be used.