Variable turns and static flags?

[brycie35]

We have always play fixed game turns and fixed flags in our games.

Can anybody explain to me how Variable turns and static flags work?

What are the differences, and all the pros and cons?

Cheers

[costard]

Variable turns takes away the immediate end to a battle that might leave you one minute away from a good victory. This gives you a little more leeway in planning advances and modifying the plans to suit circumstances. For instance, if your 25pdr spotter gets snotted by enemy artilllery (because some fool sent him to the top of the building when there was no need) and your prep barrage for the final assault goes awol thereby, you can use the extra time to gather and suppress the defenders. Con, if you are the defender and things are getting desperate, you could feel robbed by the game going on.

Static flags? Dynamic flags means either the attacker gets to choose which flag is worth points, the others being "bogus", or the one valid flag is determined randomly. Either way, the defender doesn't know which flag is the real one.

CMBO manual p126

hope this helps.

[brycie35]

How is the end of the battle determined with a variable turn game?

Sorry yes I meant Dynamic flags.

Ok thanks.

Some of my players have been grumbling about fixed turn games resulting in a last turn attack, or sneak onto the flag tactic to try and win the battle. I thought these options may help to fix this problem.

[costard]

CMBB manual p42 -

flag changes hands somewhen near the end of the battle, turns extended by up to 25% or ten turns, whichever is lesser.

So the attacker cannot just jump at the last and grab the points, s/he has to fight for them. Adds to the uncertainty (and hence the realism) of the outcome - IMHO.

It's worth noting that the default value for the dynamic flag is 900 points - you can change this value in the scenario editor.

[Philippe]

Just remember when you're thinking about this that in real life you don't know that a skirmish is going to last for exactly 32 minutes.

A variable turn ending, while not perfect, gives a bit more of that uncertain feel that is part and parcel of real life .

Another alternative would be for a designer to set a 100 turn limit on what are essentially thirty turn scenarios, the idea being that the battles would end by mutual consent rather than by reaching the turn limit. Most units would run out of ammunition somewhere around turn fifty or sixty, so there would be no point in playing to the bitter end.

That, however, prevents battles from being ended by interruption, e.g. one side suddenly gets a massive influx of supplies and reinforcements that make the basic premise of the scenario meaningless. This is one of the things that is supposed to get portrayed in an operation, but I've yet to hear that anyone is really happy with the way this is done.

[GenSplatton]

There seems to be a lot of verbiage flying around to say that variable endings were designed to get rid of last turn flag rushes.

[Joachim]

Static flags are the "usual" flags. Small ones are 100, large ones 300 pts.

With dynamic flags the attacker chooses which flag he wants to grab. This flag gets all the points, the rest is nil. It is used to simulate that the defender usually does not now the objectives of the attacker.

Gruß

Joachim