An Entertaining Turn Sequence

When we designed the turn sequence for Warfare in the Age of Madness we didn't start with the theoretical differences between different approaches often debated on gaming forums or pick one particular approach because it was used in other popular games. Instead we started with some basic realities of the type of game we enjoyed and the sort of people we play with. The result is a system than can be summed up in just four lines but which presents players with extremely tough tactical decisions, allows them to react during the opposing player's turn, and represents huge differences in force quality:

- Each Game Turn is divided into a Red Player Turn followed by a Blue Player Turn

- During his Player Turn the player activates each unit, one at a time

- When activated a unit has 2 Action Points and may be given a 3rd AP under certain circumstances

- Each action (eg Move or Shoot) costs 1 or 2 AP

MULTIPLE PLAYERS
We enjoy multi-player gaming, usually with four to eight players. When we tried the traditional IGOYOU sequence with fixed move-shoot-melee-morale phases we ran into two problems. Too often you end up with a lot of players sitting around for extended periods when they don't need to shoot or assault and just two players are engaged in a hot and heavy firefight. And it can be like herding cats trying to keep the entire table coordinated to the same phase. Usually one part of the table is racing ahead to a later phase while another part is bogged down in an earlier phase. Confusion and hilarity ensues.

NEW/CASUAL PLAYERS
Many of us have kids who enjoy gaming, spouses or friends who game casually, and veteran gamer-friends to whom we want to teach a game. Trying to learn, remember and execute a fixed sequence of many phases and sub-phases can be confusing and tedious to them. Kids and casual gamers see their unit and want to DO something with the unit. And they naturally want to finish doing that thing with the first unit before moving on to the next one. Based on our observations players seem to naturally "sequence" from unit to unit. Furthermore, it's easier and more natural for players new to a game system, even hardcore veterans, to move from unit to unit rather than having to learn a specific sequence of phases which may seem arbitrary to them.

TAKING TURNS IS NATURAL
After much trial and even more error we evolved our 3-point action system, the core of our game. We still use a natural, intuitive IGOUGO approach at a high level since every gamer has used such as system from childhood. People naturally "take turns" whether playing a game in pre-school, playing cards in college or navigating a four-way intersection while driving to work (well, they should anyway to avoid accidents!). Thus in Warfare in the Age of Madness each Game Turn is divided into two Player Turns. During each Game Turn the Red Player goes followed by the Blue Player. It's simple, natural, and easy to learn since everyone from pre-schoolers to the elderly are used to taking turns!

ONE THING AT A TIME
As explained above, we decided to eschew the traditional fixed-phase approach for a unit activation approach. During "my turn" I activate or pass each of my units which serve as a mnemonic for my entire turn. Instead of having to learn, remember, and coordinate multiple phases and sub-phases I have X number of units to activate (or pass) and when I've done that with all of my units my turn is over. It's natural, intuitive, and there's very little to remember since the troops serve as a memory aid. This is especially valuable to younger players and players new to the game since all he or she needs to think about is, "Did I do something with all of my guys?"

HOW SHOULD YOU SPEND YOUR TIME?
As the player turns his attention to each of his units he or she has a very simple but challenging decision to make: how should a given unit spend its time this turn? The "economy" of the game is "action points" which provide a simple, easy to learn and remember way to decide how to spend a unit's time during a game turn.

Every unit has its own 2 Action Points (AP) and each action costs 1 or 2 action points. A unit can acquire a third AP from the force's pool of Motivation Points (1 MP can be used as an AP) or by being in "command range" of the force's leader. No unit can use more than 3 AP during its player turn.

A player gets to spend a unit's Action Points in any combination or order. A Move action costs 1 AP. A Shoot Action costs 2 AP. An Assault action costs 2 AP. Other actions such as recovering from the effects of combat, securing Victory Points, and supporting other elements are also available.

So a unit could use two AP to move twice or shoot once. If given a third AP a unit could move and then shoot or shoot and then move. The only thing to remember is that your unit has 2 or 3 AP and each action costs 1 or 2 AP.

During multi-player gaming there's also virtually no need to coordinate actions by players unless they really want to. Technically each unit activates one at a time and you can't "take back" an activation. But this approach frees players up and down the table to keep going until they've "done something" or passed with each of their units.

PAY ATTENTION!
The game's Alert action also provides opportunities for tough decision making and player interaction during opposing player turns. The Alert action costs 2 AP and allows a unit to perform an action during the ENEMY'S player turn in reaction to an enemy's action.

So if a unit spends 2 AP to go on Alert during its own Player Turn it's betting that it will have an opportunity to react during the opposing turn. This opens up all sorts of interesting dilemmas!

Do I shoot now or go on Alert to take an opportunity shot in the enemy turn? I might be missing a chance to shoot an enemy. Do I move two or three times to gain ground? I could be hanging the unit out to dry as an enemy simply moves once and then shoots. But maybe the move prevents the enemy from trying to secure an objective...

The result is that both players are constantly engaged during each player's turn. You must carefully observe how an opponent is spending APs and positioning troops as you prepare for your turn. And of course you must decide if and when to react with your own Alert elements. Sometimes an enemy move is merely an attempt to draw fire...other times it's an opportunity to score a kill against a rash opponent. You must pay attention constantly.

QUALITY AND LEADERSHIP MATTER
The system also elegantly represents the value of good troops and leadership. Anyone who has supervised others in an organization know that some people are self-motivated and others need a kick in the pants just to do the basics.

In Warfare in the Age of Madness each force has from 1 to 5 Motivation Points based on its quality. A Motivation Point (MP) can be expended to re-roll a die or to feed any unit a third Action Point. At the start of a player's turn his MP pool is refilled. This represents units beyond a leader's direct supervision using their own initiative to do more than that allowed by 2 Action Points.

Units within a certain distance of a Command Element on Alert status start their activation with 3 AP instead of the standard 2 AP. That distance represents the force's level of coordination, communication, and control quality.

And some units start their activation with 3 AP without the need to be supervised or to use MP. These includes troops such as Recon forces used to operating independently.

CONCLUSION
Each turn sequence system has its own advantages and disadvantages. The system used in Warfare in the Age of Madness would not work for every type of gaming or gaming group. But if you want an easy to learn and easy to remember system that represents different force types and levels of quality and allows for player reactions then you just might be mad enough to try Warfare in the Age of Madness!

Designer Notes: OpFire in the Age of Madness

THE KILL ZONE
Many games include rules or incentives for what is commonly and generically known as "opportunity fire" or OpFire. The idea is that a unit covering an area of terrain will usually get the first shot against an enemy unit moving into that area. For example, an MG team might cover the street running through the middle of a town. When enemy troops try to dash across the road the MG takes the opportunity to fire at the troops, potentially pinning or killing them. Or as tanks approach a treeline concealing enemy troops, the stationary, concealed troops have the advantage of clear targets while the advancing troops struggle to identify and engage the concealed troops.

This dynamic is central to modern warfare since the late 19th and early 20th century. As individual firepower increased with the widespread introduction of bolt-action, semi-automatic, and fully automatic small arms, movement across "kill zones" covered by enemy infantry became suicidal. This in turn gave rise to tactics such as "overwatch", "suppressive fire", and "fire and maneuver". AFVs were then introduced to allow forces to cross ground covered by rifle and MG fire.

Overwatch tactics entail one element advancing while another element prepares to fire on enemies that might reveal themselves by engaging the advancing element. Fire and maneuver tactics are a little more "pro-active" and assume that the general area containing enemy troops has been identified. That area is subjected to heavy fire in the hopes of suppressing the enemy while another element closes in with the intention of assaulting them while still disrupted by the suppressive fire. Suppressive fire can also be used simply to allow a friendly element to cross ground otherwise covered by enemy troops. It's the antidote to enemy troops camping out and covering terrain.

SITZKRIEG AND WALTZKRIEG GAMING
Not all games include OpFire and some games employ completely unrestricted OpFire. This can result in two extreme and somewhat unsatisfying game experiences: Sitzkrieg and Waltzkrieg.

Unrestricted OpFire allows a unit to interrupt any enemy movement at any time without any prerequisite and to then shoot the moving enemy unit. When OpFire is so powerful and unrestricted it usually results in Sitzkrieg as neither side is willing to risk his troops by moving. This approach is also terribly unrealistic since troops engaging in opportunity shots must generally prepare themselves to do so by limiting their own activity. And enemy troops dashing across small gaps in terrain can present too fleeting a target to engage effectively. Sitzkrieg is also really boring...

On the other hand, a complete lack of an OpFire mechanic allows troops to maneuver without fear of being engaged by the enemy. This is completely contrary to the experience of battle since at least WWI and, arguably, the Boer Wars of the late 19th century. Allowing troops to Waltzkrieg across our miniature battlefields without ANY chance of being engaged gets modern warfare all wrong. When you combine a lack of OpFire with the lethality of modern weapons you allow attackers to easily overwhelm defenders without first establishing local superiority through proper fire and maneuver tactics. Waltzkrieg just ain't modern warfare...

LIMITED OP-FIRE
To encourage and reward proper modern tactics and to provide a more interesting and entertaining gaming experience many rules seek a happy medium. They allow OpFire but with some sort of limitations and/or requirements. And so it is with Warfare in the Age of Madness. Our game requires units to give up the chance to attack in their own turn for the opportunity to shoot in the enemy turn and limits opportunities to shoot targets may be too fleeting to effectively engage.

In Warfare in the Age of Madness, each element (a base of 2-5 infantry figures or an individual vehicle model) has 2 to 3 Action Points (AP). Action Points are expended to move, shoot, assault, etc. It costs 1 AP to perform a move action and infantry move distances generally mean that a single move action is insufficient to cross most gaps between terrain. It costs 2 AP to shoot, assault, or assume Alert status. So there's no special "OpFire" rule in the game. Instead, the costs and opportunity to engage enemy troops while the maneuver is cleverly and elegantly built into the basic rules.

For example, if an infantry element exists one building to cross a street and enter another building it will, due to the move distance allowed, end that first move action in the street. At the end of that first move action, if an enemy element is Alert and has line of sight on the moving element, it may shoot at the moving element.

THE COST OF EATING YOUR CAKE
However, putting an element on Alert status costs 2 AP. Since shooting and assaulting also cost 2 AP this means, by definition, that the Alert element gave up its chance to attack during its previous own turn. It held its fire in the hope that a target of opportunity would present itself in the enemy turn. This simple mechanic requires no special rules or exceptions and works the same way as any other action. Either you spend 2 AP to shoot in your own turn or 2 AP to assume Alert status and hope for a shot in the enemy turn.

Furthermore, Alert status is lost when a unit shoots and, since some gaps may be small enough to cross before being engaged, one must carefully choose a field of fire. So drawing enemy fire is a viable tactic and effective OpFire is predicated on real-world concerns such as good fields of fire.

PLAYABILITY: GAPPY VS REAL-TIME INTERRUPT
Many games allow troops taking opportunity shots to interrupt enemy movement at any point, even if they place other limits or requirements on OpFire. There is certainly a case to be made for this approach, especially if other requirements are imposed such as a minimum amount of distance that a target must be visible to the shooter. This prevents unrealistic, instantaneous shots through tiny gaps at targets visible for a mere instant.

However, real-time interruption of movement introduces practical problems for players. First, it can cause disagreements over precisely how much movement a unit has remaining after being interrupted unless players laboriously mark starting and end points. It's also not all that realistic for a unit engaging in OpFire to know a target's destination before taking a shot. Most importantly, it can slow a game to a crawl if multiple units take shots at different points on a unit's path. This also raises the complexity of shot sequence and commitment since, if a unit is pinned at a point not visible to a potential later shooter, one must decide how to handle shot commitment.

Warfare in the Age of Madness allows Alert units to react to enemy movement (and other actions!) only at the end of the action. This keeps the game moving along faster with fewer interruptions and eliminates the need to worry about marking potential move distances and potential shooters. It's all "binary" and therefore faster and easier to resolve. At the same time it represents both the risks and rewards of opportunity fire. Move distances are also carefully designed around typical gaps between miniature terrain. You can gun the engine on your Humvee to avoid enemy fire as you flit across a gap between buildings. But you won't be able to Waltzkrieg your Humvee into the field of fire of an Alert ATGM team and hose it with your 50 before it can shoot.

SUPPRESSIVE FIRE
So, you're faced with an enemy MG element on Alert and hunkered down in a stout building. What's a modern soldier to do?  Suppressive fire!

To negate or at least mitigate an enemy unit that has decided to camp out in a protected position you need to apply some serious firepower before maneuvering in his field of fire. The best solution is a mortar stonk on his head. A concealed, Alert unit is harder to hit since it's assumed to be taking maximum advantage of the concealment. A concealed, Alert forward observer is extremely dangerous since he's harder to hit and can unleash hell without giving away his position. And mortars, while not very lethal against infantry in buildings, tend to make enemies keep their heads down.

Warfare in the Age of Madness uses a game mechanic called "Friction Points" which represents fear, confusion, loss of control, light wounds, damaged weapons, etc. Friction Points (FP) are usually inflicted by weapons but have other causes too. Even if an infantry unit is well protected in a stout building you can still inflict enough FP to effectively pin and suppress it.

Another excellent source of FP is an MG element. Their high firepower allows them to inflict lots of FP on even well protected infantry targets. You probably won't kill an infantry target in a stout building with small arms fire alone, but with 4 FP on it (the max allowed), it won't be able to shoot your guys maneuvering in the open.

FIND, FIX, FINISH
Your mortars and machineguns have rained down a storm of steel on that Alert enemy element in the stout building. Now's the time to finish it off!

In Warfare in the Age of Madness close assaulting an enemy element that has 4 FP on it pretty much guarantees victory. After hitting the target with suppressive fire, hit it with a close assault. The best elements for this mission are CQB and Assault Rifle elements. Add stun grenades to the equation and elements geared towards close assault will easily overwhelm most enemy elements with 4 FP.


You'll probably need to use a Motivation Point or have your company CO nearby to ensure each assaulter has 3 AP. The first AP will be needed to begin moving towards the enemy. The next 2 AP will be used for the charge move and actual assault. Therefore, if the jump off point for the assault is some sort of cover, the assaulting elements will need to be within 3 bounds (12" or 30cm) of the target unit. Otherwise the assault might still be crossing open ground while the target tries to recover from the Friction Points or supporting units are brought up. You need to move strike hard and move fast and keep pouring on the fire! For assaults covering more ground than 3 bounds smoke is another valuable to option to provide some concealment for the assault troops.

COMBINED ARMS
Another nut-cracking option is a bigger nutcracker: big HE rounds. Use mortar and machinegun fire to first inflict FP on that protected infantry target. This ensures it can't hurt your AFVs even if armed with an ATGM or ATRL. Then roll up with an AFV mounting some serious HE firepower such as a 105mm or 120mm tank gun.

 Even autocannons and ATGMs mounted on many IFVs are useful for engaging infantry in full cover. And vehicles such as the BMP-3 and Stryker MGS were purpose built to dig infantry out of hard cover. Just make sure you've fist suppressed the enemy infantry as AFVs are expensive and RPGs are not.

CONCLUSION
Our goal for Warfare in the Age of Madness was to balance a desire for historical tactics with playability. The rules actually originated in games with our 15mm WWII collection and we've used them for moderns and sci-fi too. So it was very important to us to represent tactics such as overwatch, fire and maneuver, and suppressive fire as simply as possible. Our solution might not satisfy grognards who insist on unrestricted, real-time interrupt OpFire. Nor will it totally satisfy those who hate the thought of their joy-riding Bradley IFV being taken out by an ATGM skulking in a rubbled factory.

But we feel that we've attained a balanced, reasonable compromise that represents the central challenges of modern warfare, provides interesting tactical gaming choices for players, and results in an easy to learn, fast playing entertainment experience.

We've found that players really enjoy having the fate of their troops in their own hands rather than having crucial tactical decisions absent through no OpFire mechanic or an OpFire mechanic so overwhelming maneuvering is simply not an option. You, the player, must balance aggressive movement (not using Alert status to cover your movements) with being overly cautious (always sitting on Alert while the enemy isolates your forces and concentrates his fire on them).

For more information about the game and to purchase Warfare in the Age of Madness please visit our website.

Warfare in the Age of Madness Now Available

We are pleased to announce our first release, “Warfare in the Age of Madness”. Set in a dark near future, the tabletop miniatures game is designed for use with 15mm figures. Each player leads his unique company-sized force in a fight to secure supply caches, gear dropped by casualties, and even the enemy field camp. Battlefield hazards include booby traps, marauders, and hordes of the “Infected” roaming the land. Sound real-world tactics such as overwatch, fire-and-maneuver, and shoot-n-scoot are well rewarded making the game equally useful when recreating past and current conflicts.

Armies usually consist of 9-12 elements with each element being a stand of 2-5 infantry figures or 1 vehicle model. The number of figures on a base and the size/shape of a base don’t matter allowing you to use your existing armies without the need to re-base.

Instead of using pre-set “factions” armies are completely customizable and can represent a force themed on your hometown, your alma mater, or even your former army unit. There are no “blue-on-blue” battles because global civilization has collapsed and every opposing force is an enemy. Gear includes small arms such as assault rifles, MGs, and LAWs, as well as mortars and soft and armored fighting vehicles. The vehicle design rules allow to recreate real-world vehicles or to develop your own using sci-fi models or even mechs!

The game is designed for play on typical dining room and kitchen tables and uses only 6-sided dice. All measurements are in “bounds” with 1 bound being 4″ or 10cm making the game fully compatible with both metric and imperial measurement systems.

For more information visit www.warfareintheageofmadness.com