Still here. One of the posts I put up before the lull was Dragons & Dungeons, on reversing the traditional emphasis, and Red Orc and Jens D. have since given this some more thought. It's worth a look if you're interested in other methods.Suggested reading order would be the original post, Red Orc's follow-up then the latest.
I'm still wondering how it might work in wargaming. Maybe the forces would be set up based on likely unit activity, and the terrain simultaneously? Each force could be divided into a few categories, say Special, Scout, Column, Support and Patrol, which already happens to some degree in various games, with organisational charts, special rules etc.
In the case of a simple meeting engagement, one unit from the Special, Scout or Patrol category might be set up first, in the centre of the table, and have a given chance based on its category of being in cover: a higher chance for a Special, as if on a mission, and lower for a Patrol, as if actually patrolling. A terrain piece would be placed by that player.
This would then prompt the deployment of one or more units from the other force, determined randomly from one of perhaps the two most likely categories: a Special might trigger a Patrol or Support for example, a Scout might trigger a Patrol or Column, and a Patrol might trigger a Special or Scout. The new unit would then be deployed within a certain range of the first, based on category, also with a given chance of terrain.
A turn could be played out immediately between the units present or deployment could continue uninterrupted, with the new unit then triggering another, and that unit another, and so on, until both forces and all of the terrain are in place. Some categories could have a range that allows them to be left off a given table edge as reserves, as if drawn in.
This is actually very similar to the 'Getting out of the boat' approach, with its fluid set up.
In the case of a simple meeting engagement, one unit from the Special, Scout or Patrol category might be set up first, in the centre of the table, and have a given chance based on its category of being in cover: a higher chance for a Special, as if on a mission, and lower for a Patrol, as if actually patrolling. A terrain piece would be placed by that player.
This would then prompt the deployment of one or more units from the other force, determined randomly from one of perhaps the two most likely categories: a Special might trigger a Patrol or Support for example, a Scout might trigger a Patrol or Column, and a Patrol might trigger a Special or Scout. The new unit would then be deployed within a certain range of the first, based on category, also with a given chance of terrain.
A turn could be played out immediately between the units present or deployment could continue uninterrupted, with the new unit then triggering another, and that unit another, and so on, until both forces and all of the terrain are in place. Some categories could have a range that allows them to be left off a given table edge as reserves, as if drawn in.
This is actually very similar to the 'Getting out of the boat' approach, with its fluid set up.
But that's digressing. For now, Red Orc also has some posts Oldhammerers might like, including alternate histories - more topical in these End Times - and Jens is working on an OSRPG, Lost Songs of the Nibelungs, introduced as 'Germanic-Noir Tentacle Horror'.
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