playtesting solo rules |
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uberscooper
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Post subject: playtesting solo rules  Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 8:10 pm |
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Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2004 1:14 pm
Posts: 17
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I've come up with a list of random events/plot devices to make things more challenging for the player. You roll a D6 and depending on the result, different things may be triggered over the course of the battle. Here's an example that would affect your ability to command your fleet:
BEST LAID PLANS Every failed LD roll related to movement sees a communications error between the fleet?s flagship and its subordinate units. This assumes you haven?t rectified the situation with a re-roll. Take the first vessel to botch its attempt that Turn and use the following chart to see what that captain thought you said.
1-2 ?Your Other Left?: Wherever you wanted that vessel to move, it ain?t gonna happen. Instead, roll a scatter die and push the affected vessel in the indicated direction (move it half its top rated speed) while maintaining its current heading. That?s where it ended up.
3-4 ?It?s the Long Pedal?: If you originally issued ?All Ahead Full,? the vessel moves only half of its rated speed. If you issued ?Burn Retros,? it just advanced as if successfully completing a ?All Ahead Full? order. And if you wanted it to ?Come to New Heading,? it made those extra turns. It?s just that every single one was made in the wrong direction.
5-6 ?We Brake for No One?: Conduct your movement as you originally planned (as if everyone passed their roll), but then take the first vessel to botch its attempt and check to see if it?s within 10cm of another friendly unit. If so, place it in base-to-base contact with that unit. Retain its original heading. Now make another LD test. If that test is failed, the two vessels just collided. Roll for damage, but keep the two ship?s orientation in mind (vessels side swiping each other would both roll HALF their hull value in dice).
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stormseer
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Post subject: playtesting solo rules Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 9:39 pm |
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Joined: Fri Feb 14, 2003 9:52 pm
Posts: 4598
Location: Suffolk, UK.
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I remember in WD when they orginally published the very basic BFG rules, there was a letter which suggested that if you failed a leadership test, then you should roll the order dice to see what that ship did.... Might be fun to introduce some more confusion. 
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Tas
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Post subject: playtesting solo rules Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2004 1:11 am |
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Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2003 10:01 am
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Location: Sydney, NSW
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| Quote (CyberShadow @ 15 2004 Oct.,21:32) | | As far as I can tell, there are two types of people that play solo rules - those who want an interesting game (even if they get beaten by a commander that doesnt even exist), and those who want the enjoyment of winning a game. |
Not entirely fair mate, there are heaps of people who dont have gaming partners who play solo to hone skills and learn rules inbetween infrequent live games.
Thats what I do... 
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Tas
My General blog: http://tasmancave.blogspot.com/
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CyberShadow
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Post subject: playtesting solo rules Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:11 pm |
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| Swarm Tyrant |
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Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 6:22 pm
Posts: 9348
Location: Singapore
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Sorry Tas. My first category was supposed to encompass all of those people who just want a good and interesting game, and that this as less important than the actual result.
_________________ https://www.cybershadow.ninja - A brief look into my twisted world, including wargames and beyond. https://www.net-armageddon.org - The official NetEA (Epic Armageddon) site and resource.
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uberscooper
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Post subject: playtesting solo rules Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 1:23 pm |
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Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2004 1:14 pm
Posts: 17
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I like this random event. Don't want to post too much just yet, but here's an addt'l example of what a botched LD roll could do to you (not the AI opponent, just you):
POWER STRUGGLE: Your admiral/warlord/???s ineffectual leadership has encouraged the ship?s commissar, flag lieutenant or some other ambitious subordinate to take action. If, at any point in the battle, you fail a command roll and an attempted re-roll, the fleet flagship (or the applicable acting command ship if we?re talking an Ork fleet with multiple leaders) suffers a ?3 LD penalty for the remainder of game as a ferocious melee breaks out aboard the bridge. Even if the firefight doesn?t last for the rest of the encounter, the carnage wreaked in such close quarters prevents the flagship from contributing anything meaningful until after the action has concluded.
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uberscooper
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Post subject: playtesting solo rules Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 1:36 pm |
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Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2004 1:14 pm
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Finally --
A playtest session (watching a friend use the mechanics) went pretty well this weekend 
He fielded the following:
Lunar
Gothic
Dictator
Dauntless
Firestorm squadron
Against
Hades
Carnage
Two Devastations
Infidel squadron
The game started with the two fleets heading parallel to the two long table edges -- approaching each other but with a lot of space to cover before they came within weapons range.
The AI fleet behaved pretty logically. It wasn't in any rush to close the gap, launching an offensively-minded wave attack craft and proceeding at standard speed. Its Infidels turned to counter the Dauntless and Firestorms, which were rushing forward to slingshot around a planet and catch the Chaos fleet in its left flank.
The Infidels made first contact, and got blasted into clouds of vapor by the Imperial vanguard's lances, but not before advancing into base-to-base contact and launching a combined torp salvo that managed to ding up the Dauntless (the solo mechanics have rules about how escorts will consolidate to form larger salvoes).
I won't go into every stage in the battle, but we were pretty happy with how things turned out. The Chaos ships issued BFI when they should have, the general strategy used by their attack craft made sense and one of the random events rolled up by the Imperial player -- "Infiltrator" -- ended up giving his Dictator a black eye at the worst possible time.
"Infiltrator" was inspired by the novel Execution Hour, and worked out nicely in keeping things off-balance.
Last note: The rules provide a priority list of targets for when the AI launches bombers and/or assault boats, which help speed things up, but I think I will include some flexibility in that AI attack craft winging their way towards their original target should be able to deviate if they come within striking distance of a juicy, vulnerable target (IE a crippled cruiser).
Matt
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