RE: Re: FMA Battalion

Andy C wrote:
>> Each unit has die type ratings for Attack, Defense, and Move,
>Morale?  Why are Attack and Defense separate values?

I thought about Morale but decided it's really part of Attack/Defense,
and I wanted to keep the number of ratings low.  This was before I had
the idea to keep a unit log sheet--it would be easy to keep track of
that way.
And I split A/D because I wanted a possibility of units (eg artillery)
which can dish it out but not take it.

>> HQ's exist to dispense initiative (abstracting both C^3 and supply).
>> The player is the top level of command and rolls a die to determine
>> which (numbered) command gets to move.

>I may have missed earlier discussions,

I mutter on tis topic at a rate of about a paragraph a month

> but why are you dicing to see which unit gets to move?  I'm not
opposed to this, but there doesn't seem to be FMA precedence (that I'm
aware of, maybe the much elusive skirmish rules work like this...)

They don't but it sure would simplify a couple of problems (while
doubtless raising others).
   In this case, I wanted to have a certain lack of command control, and
to keep units organized in subunits.  One problem with PanzerBlitz et
all is that you didn't have battalions and unit boundaries, you had a
lot of completely separate companies or platoons.  This way, if you have
d6 HQ's, you're going to need to limit them to 3-4 subunits or accept
that some of the subunits are going to be underutilized.
   As far as "why roll for which HQ's activate":
a. avoids "I move all my units, you move all your units" (which I don't
like about Ogre/GEV
b. Introduces unpredictability for time and movement (same reason Piquet
uses cards)
c. Does not introduce a new manufacturing/collating issue (you have dice
already, you don't need to buy cards and set up the deck each time)
d. is more unpredictable than cards (ie no card counting)
e. rewards people who keep a reasonable span of control (eg 3-5 units)

>Maybe some sort of mechanism where the HQ must work to maintain
current unit ratings-- better commanders keep their troops supplied
and with high morale, bad commanders keep running out of fuel, have
disgruntled troops with no food, etc...  Troops cut off from the HQ
risk faster degredation, etc...

Yes, I was thinking of HQ as a distributor of supply, and you had to
allocate a supply chit to each attack factor you wanted used (so an A12
unit sucks up ammo in a major way).  But I felt that it might be simpler
to use the initiative system above.  If you roll low, it may not be that
you're ignoring that unit, just that theyir trucks got strafed.

>> As the game wears on, initiative will wear down in one way or
>> another--maybe subtract 1 from the max die roll each turn.

>Why not a down shift on the command die?
I was thinking to do it every turn and you run out of die levels pretty
quick.	On the other hand, there wouldn't necessarily need to be a
"turn."  If I were caffeinated enuogh to think, I'd say this bears
further thought

>> Units which lose a combat (opposed die roll) should lose 1 die type
>> off their Attack rating,

>What about morale?  Seems about as likely to affect morale-- a defeat
or two, and perhaps the unit simply won't stand and fight any longer,
regardless of it's true fighting strength (although, I guess you could
consider "Attack Rating" to be a generalization of combat ability and
willingness to fight-- like I said, I may have missed earlier
discussion.).

That's kinda what I was thinking, yes

>> I say "company" and "platoon" above but it may fit better as
>> "battalion" and "company"...that would make the player a brigade
>> commander.

>I'd say concentrate on brigade...SG2 could conceivably due an entire
battalion (esp. with a little streamlining of casualties).  This would
also allow you some different types of battalions on the table, and
seems more "grand tactical."  Not just big and easy SG2, but a
different game.  That's my 2c.
>It rhymes.  GZG BC.  Shouldn't you jump straight to version 2?  :-)

Might be a shade presumptuous, given that I'm not on v1...more like
v0.01.5 <grin>

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