Author Topic: Rules of Engagement  (Read 2603 times)

beyond.wudge

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Rules of Engagement
« on: 04 June 2012, 00:38:39 »
Hey guys,

I'm just at the beginning of doing some house rules for my Total Warfare gaming group. These rules are about making A Time of War's pilot stuff integrate with Total Warfare, with making Clanners play like Clanners and really bringing a lot of momentum shifting moments to the game based on what is actually happening in it.

I want clan pilots to feel like a heat seeking missile, doggedly chasing an enemy and then ramping up their attack the closer they get. I want 3050 Inner Sphere pilots to be shakey when getting lanced by pulse lasers outside their max range but then greatly emboldened by even one clan mech being knocked out. I want total warfare games to feel like real personalities pilot each mech and real teams man each tank, some going bezerk when threatened and others running when the going gets too tough.

However, having all spent ludicrous amounts of time doing this sort of thing in 40k (to the point of having rewritten rulebooks, codecies, held actual playtesting days, etc) I have realised it becomes all a bit of a furphy if its all about you and what your group wants.

I'm not promising anything but if I could make something other people could enjoy I'd really like that.

So I guess I am wondering what would you guys like to see in a ruleset like this? If you wanted someone else to put together some rules for you what kind of things would you want to see on the table. What sort of things would you want the feel of. How far would you want it to go and what matters to you in a game?

As I said before having clan mechs duel properly is a dream of mine, as is my hunchback pilot getting a rush out of headshoting someone with an AC20 or going nuts at the guy who just lasered him in the face.

What kind of cool things would you like to see?

blackjack

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Re: Rules of Engagement
« Reply #1 on: 04 June 2012, 01:07:40 »
Its fun to play that way some times. played in a group where we were playing mechwarrior second edition but the mech battles were ran more like S7 duels. We were all expected to be in character, it was a lot of fun.
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Paul

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Re: Rules of Engagement
« Reply #2 on: 04 June 2012, 09:05:26 »
I think you have the right objective. Adding that to a game adds a lot in my view, and I try to do that a lot.

But it's not clear to me that you need a rule set for that, really. If you want realistic responses from OPFOR and NPCs, can't you just give them some? Maybe I'm not grasping what you're suggesting. Could you give an example, possibly of 40k if it helps? I haven't touched that game in more than a decade, but I should be able to catch the drift.

I suppose you could look at the Morale rules for inspiration if you want to formalize it some. p.211-213 TO.

Paul

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Weirdo

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Re: Rules of Engagement
« Reply #3 on: 04 June 2012, 09:48:03 »
Morale, honor rules, pilot special abilites, unit abilities...What did you need beyond these?
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Re: Rules of Engagement
« Reply #4 on: 04 June 2012, 11:42:00 »
Morale rules, guh. Randall showed me how absolutly brutal those can be. Those rules by themselves can have a major impact on your game.
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beyond.wudge

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Re: Rules of Engagement
« Reply #5 on: 04 June 2012, 23:30:22 »
Rules which go a step beyond those already existing mechanics. Rules which are about more than running away, for instance.

Example:

"If a pilot suffers a wound through a direct strike to the head location, next turn he gains a -1 against the unit that scored that hit but a +1 against every other target outside of short range (or X hexes or some such)."

This sort of rule represents the natural inclinations of a person during combat. It reflects the tension between his discipline as a soldier and his adrenaline-fueled physiological overfocus on what directly threatens him. He can still choose whatever target you want but he will naturally perform better when you ask him to do what he strongly desires.

This sort of rule also can create interesting tactical choices. It changes the normal distribution of risk and reward and challenges a player to make the best of an ever-changing tactical situation.
« Last Edit: 04 June 2012, 23:57:48 by beyond.wudge »

Scotty

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Re: Rules of Engagement
« Reply #6 on: 04 June 2012, 23:41:37 »
Don't forget Forced Withdrawal rules.  A creative GM can easily put a panicked and green pilot into the cockpit of a 'mech that's lost a side torso and trying to get away from a qualitatively superior force.
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beyond.wudge

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Re: Rules of Engagement
« Reply #7 on: 05 June 2012, 00:09:09 »
Deeper pilot/unit construction rules are also the sort of rules I'm interested in writing. A framework for creating pilots with all sorts of interesting special/unit rules that stay within agreed upon guidelines.

This way arguments people have over the use of well designed pilots/units are minimised as everyone gets the same options. It is about providing an outlet for player role-playing creativity that both really affects the game but doesn't lend itself to getting out of hand too easily.
« Last Edit: 05 June 2012, 00:36:56 by beyond.wudge »

Paul

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Re: Rules of Engagement
« Reply #8 on: 05 June 2012, 00:38:38 »
There's already a bunch of stuff to sample there, between Pilot Special Abilities (ATOW) or the special rules for a given unit.

The solution is just ignore Paul.

beyond.wudge

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Re: Rules of Engagement
« Reply #9 on: 05 June 2012, 00:42:06 »
For the clan honour rules I am thinking of something much more restrictive but also beneficial for clan players than the current system.

I am taking the approach that just because you direct a clanner to do something doesn't mean his sense of honour will always let him. Sometimes it would involve a dice roll. Sometimes there would be consequences for other clanners if their star-mate dishonours himself. However, the clanner would benefit from following the rules and get bonuses of all kinds because he is behaving honourably.

P.s. I'm Australian so please don't mind my profuse use of the 'u' in the middle of words everywhere. British spelling has a few quirks. :)

[Edit: Paul, which one's in your experience have been fun to play with?]

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Re: Rules of Engagement
« Reply #10 on: 05 June 2012, 07:04:53 »
Sounds like special unit abilities would be the way to go for you. There are no rules for designing those, so my advice would be to make stuff up, and if the rest of your players allow it, rock with it.

My favorite unit rues are for the DCMS Penal Battalion writeup you can find on Battlecorps. If the first company ever fails a morale check, instead of fleeing they will attack the command company(their guards), while second company has an even chance of going after the guards or after first company. While playing them would be an isane challenge, seeing a force just self-destruct on the battlefield sounds awesome. O0
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beyond.wudge

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Re: Rules of Engagement
« Reply #11 on: 05 June 2012, 11:34:23 »
HAHAHA :)

That sounds awesome.

Weirdo

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Re: Rules of Engagement
« Reply #12 on: 05 June 2012, 12:42:17 »
Yup. Those unit reports are great for ideas like that, ranging from the professionally competent to...well, they've got more scarves than tanks.
My wife writes books
"Thanks to Megamek, I can finally play BattleTech the way it was meant to be played--pantsless!"   -Neko Bijin
"...finally, giant space panties don't seem so strange." - Whistler
"Damn you, Weirdo... Damn you for being right!" - Paul
"...I was this many years old when I found out that licking a touchscreen in excitement is a bad idea." - JadeHellbringer
"We are the tribal elders. Weirdo is the mushroom specialist." - Worktroll

beyond.wudge

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Re: Rules of Engagement
« Reply #13 on: 06 June 2012, 11:22:08 »
Yeah. I'll have to skim them for inspiration.

By the way how do you guys find the Forced Withdrawal rules?

I've used them but only in 12 on 12 mech games, not in anything smaller.

Weirdo

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Re: Rules of Engagement
« Reply #14 on: 06 June 2012, 11:25:47 »
I like 'em. It adds a new wrinkle into games, especially trying to pump just enough damage to cripple a target, while leaving enough of your firepower to go after others. Same goes for having some of your guys start to hang back when they get close to crippled, so they can still fight without having to withdraw.
My wife writes books
"Thanks to Megamek, I can finally play BattleTech the way it was meant to be played--pantsless!"   -Neko Bijin
"...finally, giant space panties don't seem so strange." - Whistler
"Damn you, Weirdo... Damn you for being right!" - Paul
"...I was this many years old when I found out that licking a touchscreen in excitement is a bad idea." - JadeHellbringer
"We are the tribal elders. Weirdo is the mushroom specialist." - Worktroll