Post by thegreyelf on May 15, 2007 10:49:58 GMT -5
Okay, so I just got hold of the three mods last night (thanks, E.T.!) and was reading over the mass combat.
I hate to say it, but so far I think it sucks.
I think it sucks badly enough that we should put our heads together and come up with our own, narrative system as a core part of ZeFRS instead.
I got through "Secretly" assigning units, leaders, and commanders, and placing miniature figures on the hex grid before I said to myself, "I can do this with D&D."
Conan needs to be fast and furious, and above all, NARRATIVE.
Narrative mass combat is not hard to do:
Step One: Planning
Each side--players and their enemies--kibitzes a plan of attack or strategy. The Referee should jot down the enemy's plan and strategy before the players reveal theirs, just out of fairness. After the planning is revealed, the referee grants the players' army bonuses and/or penalties based on the size and power of their force and strategy.
Step Two: PC Effects
Each PC can attempt to affect the battle by making a Fighting Test. Doing so can increase the overall effectiveness of their side, as they lead by example, but also opens them up to pain. A failing result on the Fighting Test means the player suffers 4 points of damage (modified by armor) and a Specific Wound. A basic success means the player adds +1 to his side's modified Tactics score but suffers 3 points of damage, modified by armor. A greater success means the player adds +2 to the modified tactics score but suffers 2 points of damage, modified by armor. An extraordinary success means the player adds +2 to modified Tactics score and suffers no damage. A Heroic success means the player adds +3 to his side's modified tactics score.
Each player can make a roll, and bonuses are cumulative.
Step Three: Battle Test
The players' commander then makes a modified Tactics roll (this would be a new Talent, probably based under the Fighting Pool), with the Combat Differential determined by adding and subtracting not only the opposing side's Tactics score, but all applicable bonuses and penalties granted by strategem, force size, player actions, and environmental and situational factors, and compares results. A failure result means the players lose that round and suffer casualties. A basic success means a stalemate. A greater success indicates the players' side has won this round and inflicted casualties. An extraordinary success indicates the players' side inflicts double casualties this round, and a heroic success means inflicting 25% casualties. The Referee then narrates what happens during this round of combat.
(Note: a round of mass combat is not the same as a round of one-on-one combat; mass combat rounds can take up to ten minutes or more at a stretch).
Step Four: Determine Casualties
Once the result is determined, casualties should be counted. Base casualties are subtracted from the total remaining force and should be first adjudicated based on the narrative of the battle (for example, if the players' strategy held their cavalry in reserve, no casualties will come from the cavalry this round). Otherwise, casualties may be divided up as each side sees fit for their own forces. If the players scored a failure, they lose 10% of their remaining forces. If they scored a basic success, a stalemate is achieved and both sides suffer 10% casualties from remaining forces. If a greater success is achieved, the players suffer no casualties and the enemy forces suffer 10% of remaining forces. If an extraordinary success, the enemy suffers 20% losses to remaining forces and the player characters' side suffers none. If the players' side scores a heroic success, they inflict 25% casualties to the enemy forces and gain +2 to next round's modified Tactics score.
Step Five: Morale
Following each round, each side checks for morale by their commander rolling against his Insight Talent Pool. The winning side of the conflict gains a +4 column shift for this check, and the first side to have its forces reduced to 50% of their original size suffers a -2 column shift; failure indicates an additional 10% of forces turn and run. A basic success indicates the forces stay, but are demoralized; suffer -2 modifier to the next round's Tactics score. A greater success means the troops are solid and ready to continue the fight. An extraordinary success means the troops are rallied; gain +2 modifier to the next round's Tactics score. A heroic success means the troops are rallied, as above, and the enemy loses an additional 10% from panicked retreat.
Lather, rinse, repeat until the battle is resolved.
I hate to say it, but so far I think it sucks.
I think it sucks badly enough that we should put our heads together and come up with our own, narrative system as a core part of ZeFRS instead.
I got through "Secretly" assigning units, leaders, and commanders, and placing miniature figures on the hex grid before I said to myself, "I can do this with D&D."
Conan needs to be fast and furious, and above all, NARRATIVE.
Narrative mass combat is not hard to do:
Step One: Planning
Each side--players and their enemies--kibitzes a plan of attack or strategy. The Referee should jot down the enemy's plan and strategy before the players reveal theirs, just out of fairness. After the planning is revealed, the referee grants the players' army bonuses and/or penalties based on the size and power of their force and strategy.
Step Two: PC Effects
Each PC can attempt to affect the battle by making a Fighting Test. Doing so can increase the overall effectiveness of their side, as they lead by example, but also opens them up to pain. A failing result on the Fighting Test means the player suffers 4 points of damage (modified by armor) and a Specific Wound. A basic success means the player adds +1 to his side's modified Tactics score but suffers 3 points of damage, modified by armor. A greater success means the player adds +2 to the modified tactics score but suffers 2 points of damage, modified by armor. An extraordinary success means the player adds +2 to modified Tactics score and suffers no damage. A Heroic success means the player adds +3 to his side's modified tactics score.
Each player can make a roll, and bonuses are cumulative.
Step Three: Battle Test
The players' commander then makes a modified Tactics roll (this would be a new Talent, probably based under the Fighting Pool), with the Combat Differential determined by adding and subtracting not only the opposing side's Tactics score, but all applicable bonuses and penalties granted by strategem, force size, player actions, and environmental and situational factors, and compares results. A failure result means the players lose that round and suffer casualties. A basic success means a stalemate. A greater success indicates the players' side has won this round and inflicted casualties. An extraordinary success indicates the players' side inflicts double casualties this round, and a heroic success means inflicting 25% casualties. The Referee then narrates what happens during this round of combat.
(Note: a round of mass combat is not the same as a round of one-on-one combat; mass combat rounds can take up to ten minutes or more at a stretch).
Step Four: Determine Casualties
Once the result is determined, casualties should be counted. Base casualties are subtracted from the total remaining force and should be first adjudicated based on the narrative of the battle (for example, if the players' strategy held their cavalry in reserve, no casualties will come from the cavalry this round). Otherwise, casualties may be divided up as each side sees fit for their own forces. If the players scored a failure, they lose 10% of their remaining forces. If they scored a basic success, a stalemate is achieved and both sides suffer 10% casualties from remaining forces. If a greater success is achieved, the players suffer no casualties and the enemy forces suffer 10% of remaining forces. If an extraordinary success, the enemy suffers 20% losses to remaining forces and the player characters' side suffers none. If the players' side scores a heroic success, they inflict 25% casualties to the enemy forces and gain +2 to next round's modified Tactics score.
Step Five: Morale
Following each round, each side checks for morale by their commander rolling against his Insight Talent Pool. The winning side of the conflict gains a +4 column shift for this check, and the first side to have its forces reduced to 50% of their original size suffers a -2 column shift; failure indicates an additional 10% of forces turn and run. A basic success indicates the forces stay, but are demoralized; suffer -2 modifier to the next round's Tactics score. A greater success means the troops are solid and ready to continue the fight. An extraordinary success means the troops are rallied; gain +2 modifier to the next round's Tactics score. A heroic success means the troops are rallied, as above, and the enemy loses an additional 10% from panicked retreat.
Lather, rinse, repeat until the battle is resolved.
