Morale Checks & Retreat
Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 6:56 pm
I'm wondering if units shouldn't fail morale checks more often when they find themselves in disadvantaged situations. As the game is currently programmed, units with superior morale will often stand their ground when a well timed exit might better serve their survival.
Can of worms having been opened, its almost certain that the devil lies in the details. Should a Stuart that's confronted by a Tiger be more likely to fail morale and go full reverse (or forward) than if it's facing an armoured car? Should this behavior be dependent on the quality of the Stuart's crew, and/or some other randomized check based on a differential in weapon quality and quantity?
In the card-game Up Front, some nationalities were more likely to fail morale than others. This wasn't necessarily a negative in the game, so long as the units rallied dependebly. IIRC, the Russians had great staying power, in UF, but were prone to expose themselves to mindless self-destruction, the Japanese, even more so. The U.S. and Germans were rather more likely to fall back, but both rallied effectively, and so were preserved. Lamentably, the Italians neither held nor rallied terribly well. [;)]
Perhaps, PzC could use a shot of the same medicine. Such a system could be automated and require no intervention on the part of the platoon leader. I realize that the suggestion entails endless quibble-fodder, but it also holds open the possibility of relieving the designer of including a myriad of play menu options which he will INEVITABLY be called upon to be include in the game.
It might also desireable to denote differences in the character of retrograde movement, withdrawl, retreat, panic, and so on, the distance traveled to be dictated by the mode.
PoE (aka ivanmoe)
Can of worms having been opened, its almost certain that the devil lies in the details. Should a Stuart that's confronted by a Tiger be more likely to fail morale and go full reverse (or forward) than if it's facing an armoured car? Should this behavior be dependent on the quality of the Stuart's crew, and/or some other randomized check based on a differential in weapon quality and quantity?
In the card-game Up Front, some nationalities were more likely to fail morale than others. This wasn't necessarily a negative in the game, so long as the units rallied dependebly. IIRC, the Russians had great staying power, in UF, but were prone to expose themselves to mindless self-destruction, the Japanese, even more so. The U.S. and Germans were rather more likely to fall back, but both rallied effectively, and so were preserved. Lamentably, the Italians neither held nor rallied terribly well. [;)]
Perhaps, PzC could use a shot of the same medicine. Such a system could be automated and require no intervention on the part of the platoon leader. I realize that the suggestion entails endless quibble-fodder, but it also holds open the possibility of relieving the designer of including a myriad of play menu options which he will INEVITABLY be called upon to be include in the game.
It might also desireable to denote differences in the character of retrograde movement, withdrawl, retreat, panic, and so on, the distance traveled to be dictated by the mode.
PoE (aka ivanmoe)