Art De La Guerre

[Nightingale87]

I was wondering if there are some optional rules for weather and time of day. Some simple and elegant rules to match the ruleset would make it deeper and broader. It would be great for friendly games, and maybe even for some tournaments!

[ethan]

I think some weather rules would be great for historical/friendly games, but would not really add anything to tournament games. If you have a random factor not really under any control that causes one side to have a major disadvantage it just isn't adding much to the game.

For an extreme example...The game would be more historical if we included the possibility that your army suffers from some sort of plague. So before deploying roll 4 dice if all come up ones your army has been decimated by a plague and you must eliminate 100AP from your list. This would be historical...but not very much fun.

[Nightingale87]

Now that´s an extreme example isn´t it? DBM has always had rules for weather and visibility (and time of the day and night fighting) and there is no major problem with it.

Of course that the rules should be very basic compared to DBM so the ruleset doesn´t become over complex.

I don´t think that units with bows/crossbows having a -1 penalty to shoot because it´s windy and rainny would really "break" the game balance.
I´dont think that changing the evasion/pursuit distance dice would breake the game, eg. In order to simulate muddy terrain u could set the evade/pursuit dice to: 1-4 -1; 5-normal movement; 6 +1 MU.
A sandstorm can be simulated by the need of a 6 to get a flank march in turns after the second. I really don´t think that would break the game.
I´d love to face the decisión of dismonuting my cavalry (or not) because terrain is muddy.

I don´t think any of this things would break the game, I think it will only make it richer. Again, they could always be optional for tournaments.

I feel AdlG covers every aspect other games have covered in the past, but does so in a simpler, more elegant way, achieving really good results gamewise, history-wise and fun-wise. All the aspects but one...WEATHER!...I think that they developers culd come up with some rules as elegant and efficient as the rest of the rules.

[ethan]

[Nightingale87]

Well then rules should have less impact in the game than the ones DBM had...it´s a matter of finding the right balance.

I think Adlg´s aproach on the representation in general is really good. If they used that same "efficient/simple/elegant still playable in tournaments" aproach they could come up with something great: something playable that adds a bit more flavour.

[lionelrus]

For friendly games, just do your think, you don't need rules for that.
_________________
"Quand on a pas de technique, faut y aller à la zob"
Perceval à Yvain et Gauvain.

[Hazelbark]

[Nightingale87]

There are several ways of doing it. I agree with you when you say that it depends on the impact you want it to have. I say just "the right" impact. Sounds relative, I know but everything has an impact: some people may think that +2 vs everything for pikes is "too big an impact", some would say not enough. Rolling for terrain and the distance you can move it can be considered to have a "big/small impact".

The question we should answer is: Do we want the game to be unwinnable to one side given X wather condition?

I say NO.

Is that impossible to achieve?

I think NOT.

Elegant simple rules, with minor impact but sufficient enough to keep players making decisions.

Would the battle of Hydaspes have been the same under a different weather condition? Agincourt?

Bottom line is: It´s a historical wargame. It could try to recreate some weather conditions without it being a big drama.

[Hazelbark]

So I think I did above what you asked.

[madaxeman]

[Gingerdave]

What about making a weather effect one of the 2-4 terrain choices?

This would simulate an army taking advantage of helpful weather to steal a march on an ill-equipped opponent.

The player would have to roll to get the effect, just the same as they have to roll to get a river or coast, and the terrain adjustment table could be used to change or remove the weather effect. Maybe instead of moving the terrain piece, a 1-2 leaves the weather in play all game, a 6 means it can be removed, 3-5 means it lasts a set number of turns or goes away on a dice roll.

Yes, the effect would have to be carefully balanced, but the more severe the effect, the harder it is to get that effect at set-up.

[Nightingale87]

I already read some good "INITIAL" ideas that need to be worked on to get a balanced and fun set of weather rules.

All i´m saying is I think it can be done. The "weather affecting terrain" seems quite good actually. Weather affecting flank marches doesn´t seem unbalanced either.

Maybe the attacker can chose the "Season", and then roll on the season table for the weather and the terrain influence" Something really basic like rainy season/cold or summer/warm.

Again, I know (and that´s what i love about it ) that ADLG has its own personality. And I think it is within that personality that accurate/simple/balanced weather rules can be written.

[Maverick2909]

[ethan]

[Nightingale87]

Is there anything in ADLG that has a "severe effect"?

I don´t think so. This could work just the same way.