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2 Additions?: Health // Altitude

3 replies [Last post]
Wed, 02/19/2014 - 11:49
X3M
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Regarding my wargame(hobby), my friends would like to see 2 things added.

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-1-
First one is the Health. Currently I apply a Health of 3 for any unit. But my friends would like to see more Health.
The choice has fallen on 8 Health since this one is relatively easy to balance as well. (5 and 10 are very hard to balance actually)

-1a-
However, several tactics become less in play with 8 Health.
Hit 'n Run. Instead of a team of 3, you now need a team of 8.
Other tactics become more useful; suicidal units like mines are more effective.

-1b-
Further more, the "instant" kills where:
3x1,
2x2(33% overkill) and
1x3.

They now would become:
8x1,
4x2,
3x3(12,5% overkill),
2x4,
2x5(25% overkill),
2x6(50% overkill),
2x7(75% overkill),
1x8

-1c-
Here is the biggest issue.
The randomness of the game often determines a battle for even scaled armies. Retreat is often only an option with luck.
With high Multipliers (big army, sniper etc.), randomness disappears.
However, the same goes for having high Health.
Where with 3 Health, chances of randomness is 33% (67% - 133% effect).
With 8 Health, chances of randomness is only 12,5% (87,5% - 112,5% effect).
Less risk, but players will also take less action that way?

*1*
So, should I shift the entire game to 8 Health?
Discard going for 8 Health?
Or should I keep both options open for the players, having 2 different unit statistics tables? Thus having 2 different games in one?

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-2-
Second one is Altitude of the terrain. More games have this. My friends asked, why not mine?

-2a-
What are the best ways in approaching this? Meaning, how to display the altitude when slopes are a big nono regarding pile of unit cards?
Further, I rather keep the board as flat as possible since there are a lot of pieces moving around.

-2b-
What kind of mechanics on the combat can I apply?
Hit chance reduction?
Range reduction (shooting up) or increase (shooting down)?
Movement reduction (moving up) or increase (moving down)?
What is common used in this? And how is the best way? What do players like?

There are 0 range units, they won't get a bonus from this, right?

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Thu, 02/27/2014 - 19:09
#1
X3M
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Joined: 10/28/2013
Mechanics for position height

Any one?

I am mainly searching for mechanics for differences in position height.

What are the best ways for this?

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Thu, 02/27/2014 - 20:15
#2
ruy343
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Joined: 07/03/2013
Well...

Each space could have a few numbers written on it that indicate cover, bonus range, and range subtraction. On top of a barren cliff face, you could have a marked increase in range, but your cover/concealment and the difficulty that others might have with hitting you could be decreased by a similar statistic.

An adjacent space that leads to the space you're on would have a range reducer too, but of a lesser number, so in effect you get a bonus range of one from being up higher on a specific location. this means that you don't have to worry about directional modifiers because it'll all cancel out and work with whatever image is printed on your board.

Cover could also be used to influence the opponents' ability to hit you and inflict damage. By having cover, they could take a minus 1 to hit, or special abilities could be negated, etc.

Additionally, you could include the ability for players to build fortifications or dig in, allowing them to have a greatly increased range or cover (like a tower or a foxhole), so dudes that are standing as sentinels could be using their time to better their position. This grants the defender somewhat of an advantage, and could also allow for some comeback mechanics to enter play (A player that gets destroyed in the beginning could hole up in their corner and be better prepared for the other enemies who had duked it out with each other. However, as in any good wargame, turtling won't get you the resources you'll need to win, but holing up could help a lesser army achieve victory.

And your 0-range units aren't boosted by the height thing, of course.

EDIT: if you use height differences on a static (unchanging) game board, had you considered attacks that take advantage of terrain? Rockslides? Big crushing boulders that move pseudorandomly? could a unit in a particular position pour out hot oil or let loose a cart full of explosives onto an enemy that is downhill from them? Think of what gravity can do for your army.

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Fri, 02/28/2014 - 03:57
#3
X3M
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Joined: 10/28/2013
What about...

Thank you for your reply. You did give me some idea's.

I am trying to have the least possible writings on a region. Things should be clear with pictures.

Ok, this is what I came up with:

Firing from down to up:
I could add a dice throw of 5/6th for each additional height. With an example height of 3; that would leave me with 125/216th.
Every height counts as 1 additional range that is "needed". So a height of 3 effectively reduces range with 3 as well.

Firing from up to down:
Simply no bonuses. Since down to up already has 2 disadvantages.

Firing over high terrain:
This is different then having a forest or mountains blocking the view. When for example firing over a 3 high terrain, there is the disadvantage of 125/216th and -3 range. While a full mountain gives 0.

It feels satisfactory since short ranged units have a lot of advantages too. Now they will have trouble.

I already have the cover option for players. But I didn't thought of applying this with height differences. Only by terrain type's. However, the cover by height: Perhaps 4/6th for each height? Only 64/216th for a height of 3 is about half now.

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Yes I did thought of:
Having terrain being destroyed. Effectively destroying tree's (infantry armor) and rocks (tank armor). Thus creating new paths and better shooting options. However, the map is going to be static. Having over 400 regions doesn't help much.

I did not think of gravity. Where most units are futuristic WW2 designs (Red Alert). How would that work?
I could shoot mountains and cliffs instead and having a "big" gamble. Where with succeeding, there is more damage to your opponent. But with a fail, you have the pain.

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Advantages of a player that have lost:
They become mercenary. Players can hire them. They get a complete mercenary base (no income, no base building) after a pause of 3 rounds (the murderer should get a chance to get away). And can choose a bonus to all of their units. Thus making them specialists from the start:
-A starting XP bonus that equals the costs of the units. If an unit costs 600, it gets 600XP (16,7% increase on average for each unit)
-Further more, the mercenary can buy extra XP for an unit instantly. But only when the unit is trained. Where XP equals money.

When a mercenary dies. That player becomes a mercenary again. Now having twice the XP bonus. And having twice the amount of XP when it is bought. 600 XP for only 300 money is a bargain.

The third time, there is a bonus three times as high.
Etc. etc. Until there is one player remaining from the beginning.

A smart player hides behind mercenary.

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