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

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d Ideas Tomb. Should we take this to the playtest list?

Bob Makowsky

________________________________
From: Tom B <kaladorn@gmail.com>
To: gzg-l@vermouth.csua.berkeley.edu
Sent: Monday, March 2, 2009 6:55:08 PM
Subject: [GZG] [ECC XII][For Damo] Thoughts on stress for FMAS - some
feedback

Damond, 

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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