Unbalanced Scenario Maker

[thejetset]

Hello everyone.   I haven't posted in a long time and had to actually stop playing for about 2 years due to a project I was starting in "RL".   I've been playing some casual H2H games with an old opponent and have been kicking an idea around in my head that I would like to present and get some feedback on.  Then, I will start to play-test it.  

In short, it is a "Unbalanced Scenario Maker".    

The first page of the rules I will post here as it describes the overall objectives.  For those that would like to read the full set of rules, complete with graphs and pictures, here is the link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hOp47nNwMofaVM57eFdJE_W7zlRYLCgwmxzCaxl5Xuc/edit?usp=sharing 

COMBAT MISSION

Unbalanced Scenario Maker / Unbalanced “Mini-Campaign” Maker

Objective

• Tired of playing “Perfectly Balanced” H2H scenarios that are basically a contest to see who can capture the most flags?  

• Worried that there is really no way to do otherwise without at least one of the two players knowing what advantage/disadvantage the other player will have?  

• Wish you could decide to “hold the line”, “retreat”, “attack”, “probe” or just “defend” and have that decision affect future battles?  

This set of rules and simple tools will allow two relatively honest players to “blindly” create and play unbalanced scenarios and simple campaigns without the need for a 3rd party monitor.  Players will be unaware of the amount and composition of the enemy forces.  Decisions made in one scenario will affect the makeup and positioning of forces for the following battle.  

 

Players will have to decide whether it is worth more to “hold the line”, regardless of casualties or, fall back and sacrifice defensive posturing for the next scenario.  

 

PLEASE NOTE

• Objectives will be somewhat ambiguous for scenarios.  Each commander will decide what objectives are best for their interests depending on the lay of the land, enemy resistance, and force composition.  In the end, the objective is to capture territory … but that may not always necessarily mean “attacking” in each battle.  

• The underlying concept is to attempt to provide more realistic objectives under varying conditions rather than a “perfectly balanced” scenario with “flags to capture”.

• The online Play by Email “Dice Rolling” site:  http://www.pbegames.com/roller/  will be used to keep players honest.  

 

What a Player will Need:

1. H2H Gameplay:  Experience with PBEM.

2. Quick Battles:  Experience with setting up Quick Battles and unit selection by points.

3. Basic Scenario Editing:  Only the basics.  Like how to set Deployment Zones, Terrain Objectives, Exit Zones and things of that nature.   

4. Honesty:  The Unbalance Scenario Maker is designed to “Keep Players Honest” and verify their integrity, but there are ways to cheat.  Please make sure you find a player whom you trust and whose main objective is to have dynamic, fun play … not just to win.

 

Setup Steps:  The setup for each game is divided into two parts.  One part will be known and agreed upon by both players.  This includes the map, deployment zones, etc …  The other part is “secret” and only known by the player using those forces.  Each of these steps is discussed in detail in it’s own section.  

 

1. Open Part of Setup:  These steps are known and previously agreed upon by both players.  Basically, this is the map that will be used for the scenario.  

   1. Map:  Select a Map.  

   2. Zones:  Agree on deployment zones, exit zones and objective zones and edit these onto the map. (More on this below)

   3. Sides:  Once the map has been set with all zones and VOs, flip a coin to see which player deploys in which zone.  Again, via pbegames.com can be used to provide an “honest” coin toss.  (More on this below)

 

2. Secret Part of the Setup:  This part is only known by each player.  

   1. Start Force:  2 six-sided die (2d6) are rolled for the “Start Force” points allotment.  These will be the forces that each player starts the battle with.

   2. Reinforcement Forces:   2 six-sided die (2d6) are rolled for the “Reinforcement Forces” points allotment.   These will be the forces that will enter the battle at a later time.

   3. Arrival Time:  2d6 are rolled to see at what time the reinforcements can be activated.   This will be the “later time” that the reinforcements will arrive.  

 

 

These are the basic "outline" rules that show the overall idea of the system.  The mechanics and details are fully explained in the complete Rules set in the above link.  

 

Please feel free to comment, question and suggest.  I really enjoyed playing some of the Tiller Campaigns that Noob hosted a few years back.  I would really like to capture that style of playing dynamic while still keeping the overall game an easy two-player PBEM system.

 

Cheers!

 

[JonS]

Good initiative

[thejetset]

Thanks Jon.  BTW, playing your Seven Winds scenario in PBEM right now.  Still early, but looks to be quite vicious!  

[JonS]

It should be!

By the by, I've updated version that to use some of the stuff from the Vehicle Pack - I think it's on the Scenario Depot III, or the Repository. The updated version is probably harder for the Germans.

[Placebo]

sounds like a very good idea +1

 

[thejetset]

@JonS  Yep.   We have the newest version ...  And shyte, I'm playing the Germans.  

@Placebo. Thanks.  Please feel free to give it a play-test and post comments if you have an open PBEM slot.  The numbers and modifiers and setups are purely "shoot from the hip" at the moment.  We need some boots on the ground!