Posted on 29 April 2013 at 13:16:45 GMT Below are a set of ideas, none of them original, that I've tried to weave together to provide a structure to drive decision making by a Non-Player Army in a solo game. I know that the author suggests that BlitzkriegCommander and ColdWarCommander is suitable to be played Solo due to the randomness of the Order system. I'd suggest that there isn't enough constraint on the natural biases of the Solo Player. These ideas can't of course remove the biases but provides constraints with the randomness that may interdict those biases. I believe that it might be fun to apply these constraints to both sides.
I haven't play-tested these ideas but I think that there is sufficient here to stimulate thought and commentary.
There is second part, an optional set of ideas classifying Officer Corps and the resulting changes to the basic Solo Mechanism. But this forum doesn't seem to handle tables.
So, enjoy. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
A Solo Mechanism with Command Personality for ColdWarCommander
The command system in CWC operates generating a random number of Orders that allows players to undertake one of 4 Activities. The random number of Orders is conditioned by the Command Value, a value between 7 and 10. Players select HQ/CO, in any order, make Order rolls, undertake Activities and pass on to the next HQ by choice or by failing an Order roll. If the CO fails an Order roll, the turn ends.
Command Value – the higher, the more orders that can be issue, therefore the more activities undertaken.
Activities – units may be ordered to Fire, Move, Deploy or Assault.
The decisions to be made by the Solo Player for the Non-Player Army are:
1) the order in which HQ/COs are selected
2) the number of Orders each HQ/CO issues
3) what units to include in the Formation being Ordered
4) what Activities the Formation undertakes
5) where to place the HQ/CO unit
The ideas below are a suggestion as to how these question can be resolved.
The Personality Mechanism
To answer the decisions I propose to give HQ/COs a limited personality, that will have two dimensions – Aggressiveness and Bravery. At the beginning of the Game the Player rolls for each HQ/CO in the Non-Player Army for Aggressiveness and Bravery.
Agressiveness: Roll a D6 - 1 = Cautious, 2-4 = Normal, 5 = Bold, 6 = Rash
Bravery: Roll a D6 - 1 = Cowardly, 2-3 = Reserved, 4-5 = Brave, 6 = Foolhardy
Aggressiveness
Describes the 'Go Forward' of the Commander – it will drive the order in which HQ/COs are chosen, the number of Orders issued and whether they prioritise Fire over Movement.
To allow the Aggressiveness ranking system to drive the Order system there needs to be some restriction on the total number of orders issued. The Order Limit is D6 + No. HQ/COs, but all HQ/COs get to issue at least one order even if this exceeds Order Limit.
The order in which HQ/COs are selected:
HQ/COs are chosen in the following order - Rash, Bold, Normal and Cautious.
1) If the CO is highest in the Aggressiveness ranking it takes the first Order roll, but then hands off to the next HQ in the rank who completes their order rolls;
2) If the CO is the equivalent rank to an alternative HQ, you may chose that alternative HQ. The CO must be chosen before moving on to a lower ranked HQ;
3) However, if the CO is Rash, it is always chosen first and, after other HQs of similar or one rank lower have issued their orders, the Order roll returns to the Rash CO for a second Order roll;
4) The player may then procede through the rest of the Aggressiveness ranking as per the Rules.
As per the Rules, if the CO fails its Order roll, the Order phase finishes.
Individual Order Limits by Aggressiveness:
Rash – Must continue taking Order rolls till it has conducted rolls equal to a half of the Order Limit (rounded up) or it fails its Order roll.
Bold - May continue taking Order rolls till it has conducted rolls equal to a third of the Order Limit (rounded up) or it fails its Order roll.
Normal – May continue taking Order rolls till it has conducted rolls equal to a quarter of the Order Limit (rounded up) or it fails its Order roll.
Cautious – May continue taking Order rolls till it has conducted rolls equal to a quarter of the Order Limit (rounded down) or it fails its Order roll. As noted above, it may always make one order roll.
Activity Priority:
Cautious - Prioritise Fire, then Deploy, Move, and Assault
Normal - No Priority
Bold - Prioritise either Move or Fire, then Assault, and Deploy
Rash - Prioritise either Assault or Move, then Fire, and Deploy
Formations:
The Non-Player Army should be organised with Fixed Formations.
Bravery
Describes the likelihood that the Commander will operate at the at or near the Forward Edge of Battle, therefore the movement and positioning of the HQ/CO unit.
Cowardly - Will never move their HQ/CO in front of their units, indeed will typically remain no closer than 10cm of last unit of the Formation.
Reserved - Will usually move their HQ/CO just behind the last unit of the Formation, and will not move ahead of most forward unit.
Brave - Will typically move their HQ/CO behind the most forward unit of the Formation, and may move in line the most forward unit.
Foolhardy - Will always move their HQ/CO in line with the most forward unit of the Formation, indeed may move in front of the most forward unit. |