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Battle Mechanic
13 years ago
From the onset I've tried to think of how players would theoretically take to the field in a battle game between the various belligerents & armies in the Realm of Sejhat. While I initially looked at it from a computer game standpoint, I've had to take a step back to try and think of things more broadly, and now I think I have at least a few core concepts that could be preserved in different gaming scenarios, from pen & paper to miniatures to real-time strategy.
First off, I'll address the matter of deployment. In many tabletop games armies are fully deployed at the onset of battle, in full sight of either player. This means that the full strength of each player is always visible. In contrast, computer strategy games tend to make extensive use of the 'fog of war', which greatly conceals the adversaries' resources from each other. With one, you could argue there is too much tactical awareness and with the other there is too little.
Though I have a few different ideas on certain playable missions and battle scenarios, the one I think holds the most appeal is something of a "Vanguard" system. Each player begins the battle with a limited number of mobile or specialist forces collectively called Vanguards. Whether or not they can see each other is dependent upon the geography- units can see each other from across the battlefield if the space between them is open, but if obstacles are in the way then they are unaware of each other until line of sight is achieved.
Vanguards have three responsibilities-- reconnaissance, preparation, and skirmishing. Firstly, vanguard units endeavor to not only locate the enemy but also point out any peculiarities in the geography, such as boggy areas that could slow units down or vantage points that offer combat bonuses. Second, vanguard units like engineers can exploit areas of the map and prepare them for battle. They can lay traps or set up defenses, but as time is limited they can seldom accomplish both. Finally, vanguard units can attack each other to try and sabotage these early attempts to capture vital ground.
Once a certain amount of time has elapsed or either player's vanguards have been routed, the battle proper begins. The main bodies of the opposing armies arrive, and it is only at this point that the full resources of either army are revealed to either commander. Taking advantage of the preparations made by the vanguard forces, the armies then attempt to obtain victory by one means: the destruction of enemy morale. This is accomplished by disrupting the enemy's command structure, placing the main body of the enemy's army in a physical position where it cannot obtain victory, or destroying enemy troops and formations until their will to fight evaporates.
Some units play like 'rock, paper, scissors', in that they excel against specific enemies but are weak against another, but there are also many units that offer balance for those that prefer versatility over specialization. This is a battle setting similar to the Napoleonic Wars, so the forces available to you will be either Infantry, Artillery, or Cavalry. Sorry, no A-10 strafing runs or Predator strikes!
I had certain special battle modes in mind as well, but overall the Vanguard/Main Force dynamics were what I thought would put an interesting wrinkle in the strategy involved. There is no base building, only the troops of the vanguard and the main forces that arrive thereafter, and there are no mysterious shrouds of magic fog blinding troops from enemies more than 20 feet away from them, though gun smoke can have a very similar effect after several volleys. This makes battle less of an act of accountancy and blind guesswork and more of an act of maneuver, exploitation of the terrain, and the preservation of fighting spirit.
First off, I'll address the matter of deployment. In many tabletop games armies are fully deployed at the onset of battle, in full sight of either player. This means that the full strength of each player is always visible. In contrast, computer strategy games tend to make extensive use of the 'fog of war', which greatly conceals the adversaries' resources from each other. With one, you could argue there is too much tactical awareness and with the other there is too little.
Though I have a few different ideas on certain playable missions and battle scenarios, the one I think holds the most appeal is something of a "Vanguard" system. Each player begins the battle with a limited number of mobile or specialist forces collectively called Vanguards. Whether or not they can see each other is dependent upon the geography- units can see each other from across the battlefield if the space between them is open, but if obstacles are in the way then they are unaware of each other until line of sight is achieved.
Vanguards have three responsibilities-- reconnaissance, preparation, and skirmishing. Firstly, vanguard units endeavor to not only locate the enemy but also point out any peculiarities in the geography, such as boggy areas that could slow units down or vantage points that offer combat bonuses. Second, vanguard units like engineers can exploit areas of the map and prepare them for battle. They can lay traps or set up defenses, but as time is limited they can seldom accomplish both. Finally, vanguard units can attack each other to try and sabotage these early attempts to capture vital ground.
Once a certain amount of time has elapsed or either player's vanguards have been routed, the battle proper begins. The main bodies of the opposing armies arrive, and it is only at this point that the full resources of either army are revealed to either commander. Taking advantage of the preparations made by the vanguard forces, the armies then attempt to obtain victory by one means: the destruction of enemy morale. This is accomplished by disrupting the enemy's command structure, placing the main body of the enemy's army in a physical position where it cannot obtain victory, or destroying enemy troops and formations until their will to fight evaporates.
Some units play like 'rock, paper, scissors', in that they excel against specific enemies but are weak against another, but there are also many units that offer balance for those that prefer versatility over specialization. This is a battle setting similar to the Napoleonic Wars, so the forces available to you will be either Infantry, Artillery, or Cavalry. Sorry, no A-10 strafing runs or Predator strikes!
I had certain special battle modes in mind as well, but overall the Vanguard/Main Force dynamics were what I thought would put an interesting wrinkle in the strategy involved. There is no base building, only the troops of the vanguard and the main forces that arrive thereafter, and there are no mysterious shrouds of magic fog blinding troops from enemies more than 20 feet away from them, though gun smoke can have a very similar effect after several volleys. This makes battle less of an act of accountancy and blind guesswork and more of an act of maneuver, exploitation of the terrain, and the preservation of fighting spirit.
I was looking at intelligence and recon. You'd start with say(using modern warfare) a long range recon patrol. You get intelligence reports, which of course justifies you to get more units and expand your base. Units would also come as at least a squad, not individuals. Haven't worked out whether units are reconstituted, but more AI and such so you're more a commander and not a micromanager.