% of front shots - was RE: Well, too interesting to drop all of the posts in this thread...

NOw the high percentage of front shots - is this just an artifact of
small game board so that it's easy to keep the enemy to the front? i.e. on a
40x80 board it would be difficult if not impossible for an opponent to get a
significant amount of his force behind you or to even surround you?

If the rules allowed for flanking or surrounding maneuver before set-up,
would the numbers change?

Most of the dramatic defeats(victories) have been when one antagonist
successfuly flanked or surrounded the opponent, exposing the weak points and
expoiting them.

My understanding from most of the AAR's is that scenarios are generally
balanced, both unit-wise and terrain wise, with little or no ability to
flank or surround an opponet (for instance most games have player A starting
from one side, and player B starting from an opposite side)

If scenarios were designed with unequal terrain (player A is the remnant of
thrust and is surrounded on three sides by player B) or allow "floating" maps
so that units cannot take advantage of the edge to defend their flank.

In my experience of modern re-enactment of medieval battles, it's rarely
the guy in front of yo who kills you, it's the guy to the side or attacking
from behind who usually gets you. Uncertainty should play a larger role on the
battlefield, there are no guarantees such as a hard board edge where you KNOW
no enemy units are or you KNOW that the opponent has no reinforcements coming.

One method is to assign points for re-inforcements, flank maneuvers, or
air/artillery strikes on non-front line assets.

For instance, you might be able to purchase drop troops that can land
near the opponent's off-board artillery unit and take it out and then
move on-board from behind the enemy.  Or call in airstrikes or off-baord
artillery to eliminate enemy Artillery, AA batteries or reinforcements.
Another example might be spending extra points to maneuver your grav
tanks to the flank - the game mechanic would be to force the opponent to
set up in the center of the board, then your tanks set up on either flank.

Some ideas,
--Binhan

[quoted original message omitted]

> --- B Lin <lin@rxkinetix.com> wrote:

> NOw the high percentage of front shots - is this

I believe it was tested on several different boards of various sizes by
completely different groups of gamers. In addition, as OO said, it reflected
RL statistics for Tanks battles as far back as WWII and continuing to more
recent conflicts.

> If the rules allowed for flanking or surrounding

How would you suggest that be done, just curious?

> If scenarios were designed with unequal terrain

Any scenario that establishes specific pre-existing
conditions that give one side or the other a distinct advantage is going to
skew the results of the battle. That will be true no matter what armor schemes
or weapons configurations you use.

> One method is to assign points for re-inforcements,

That's something to consider.

> For instance, you might be able to purchase drop

There definitely needs to be an expansion of the rules
dealing with off-board arty -- both CBR and aerospace
attack.

Or call in
> airstrikes or off-baord artillery to eliminate enemy

And if your opponent does the same? It's an idea worth considering, but I'd be
interested to see what details you can suggest for how the mechanics would
work.