Generic Events

[Carlos S. Olivares Pérez]

While I was teaching a friend how to play LnL, he said that Events were cool, but once you know the events of a scenario, it would lose the surprise effect. I told him that that was true, but I replied that in that case both players must know the events to avoid some kind of advantage.

After this, I thought that scenarios may have some kind of generic events. I am thinking on designing a matrix of events (Column A: weather, Column B: buildings, Column C: civilians...). The scenarios may have a section called "Generic Events" with the Generic Events that apply to that scenario.

The events would be triggered by some kind of action. Like some die roll for both players. Or some Events may be triggered by some special things like "all units fail their Morale Check sin the Rally Phase".

For instance:

Generic Events for this scenario:
One of these events is triggered when both players roll the same. Roll again to choose the event that is triggered:

• on a 1 or 2 roll: Generic Event A2 is triggered
• on a 3 or 4 roll: Generic Event B3 is triggered
• on a 5 roll: Generic Event C1 is triggered
• on a 6 roll: Generic Event D2 is triggered

This event is triggered when all units of one side fail their Morale Check on the Rally Phase:

• D3

If someone is interested in this idea, please write me.

 

[Carlos S. Olivares Pérez]

I will show you what kind of events I am thinking:

Rain: it starts to rain.
Snow: it starts to snow.
Fog: a dense fog covers all the map.
Artillery fail: strange artillery attack hit the ground. At the beginning of the next Operation Phase (in Turn T), the player with fewer Leaders chooses a hex further than 3 hexes from any unit. That hex and the 6 surrounding are marked with FFE (all its rules apply). At the beginning of the next Operation Phase (in Turn T+1), the other player will choose a hex further than 3 hexes from any unit. That hex and the 6 surrounding are marked with FFE (all its rules apply).
Fire!: the nearest empty building (if it exists) to a unit starts burning. The player with fewer Leaders chooses which building hex. At the end of every Rally Phase, the fire occupies another adjacent building hex. The player with the Initiative chooses that hex. Units there must move to an adjacent hex and are marked with Ops Complete.
Civilian: a civil appears (I do not know where). The one that rescue this civil may count with his abilities. Roll a die: 1-2 medic, 3-4 scout, 5-6 driver?

Reinforcements, Radio, Collapse!

As I told before, not all these events would be available in each scenario. Note that they should not unbalance the scenario.

Don't be shy and tell what events would you like to see implemented.

 

[joneshowarda]

Carlos, I like this idea. A lot. Have you gotten very far with testing it?

 

[Carlos S. Olivares Pérez]

Not really. As the forums of the LnL Tactical Series were losing activity, I stopped my activity developing things for the system.

 

[joneshowarda]

That's too bad. I think it's a great idea and I'm pretty surprised that no one's responded to you. As I was looking over the rulebook I was wondering myself about what could be done to increase playability, and your system seems like the answer. A rather elegant answer, actually. I love that you're wanting to factor in weather as an option as well.

I hesitate to offer suggestions yet because I've not played many scenarios. Maybe after I've played all of 'em in HoN at least once...

 

[David Heath]

Hi Carlos,

Sorry, Jeff got hurt and he has not been able to read or update posts here for few weeks, so these things have been on me and to put it simply I am overloaded. I am not 100% sure when Jeff will be back in full force.

As for your idea it's not bad and I we can look into this. This should be an optional rule I think this way the scenario can be played as is and once played the player can use the optional event table to spice it up some more. I also think there should be an option on this table to have the possible that the event from the scenario may happen again.

This should be a large amount of random options to keep it interesting.

David

 

[joneshowarda]

Hi Carlos,

This should be an optional rule I think this way the scenario can be played as is and once played the player can use the optional event table to spice it up some more. I also think there should be an option on this table to have the possible that the event from the scenario may happen again.

This should be a large amount of random options to keep it interesting.

David

I love it!

 

[Carlos S. Olivares Pérez]

I began to test this with some scenarios I was designing, but I did not play enough games to do a right playtesting.

 

[David Heath]

Ok Carlos,

No biggie can you get back to me on this.

David

 

[Jeff Lewis]

Though I get where you are coming from here, Events are integral to the balance of a scenario. Randomly inserted events like you are suggesting will no doubt throw off a scenario's balance, and many Events play key parts in Victory Conditions. If you've played a scenario once and you know the Event, ok. Next time you know it's there. So what? It's then no different from knowing you get a reinforcement on a particular turn.

Again, I understand your point. I do. But Events are like time travel. You can't go back in time and mess with things and not expect to alter things, for good or bad, in the future.

In my designs, I do my best to make multiple options for each Event, thus giving players at least two different outcomes per Event. And it's also why we don't have Events in all scenarios. They need to have purpose.

I have no problem with what you want to do but it will have to be optional. We can put it up with the resources.

 

[Mark Drake]

A bit late on this discussion but I have done the same thing in my solo plays of HotN scenarios,as well as scenarios of my own design for Nam module. I agree with Jeff that it would need to be playtested if part of an official scenario(s) but is a fun option to use as a house rule whether in solo or competitive play.
My Events were modeled after some of the ones in Solitaire Advanced Squad Leader,with some changes made to fit HotN. If either/both sides roll a 1 on their Initiative determination die roll, then that side will roll 2d6 with colored die as 10's and white die as 1's (with perhaps a +1 or -1 to colored dr depending on situation of Enemy),and results within certain range of die rolls are under one category:

-results of 11 to 66 will generate an Enemy Fortification (Mines,Wire,Bunker,etc. usually manned by a half-squad.
-results of 21 to 26 will generate Infantry Reinforcements
-31 to 36 generates Support Assets (RPG team, RR,Mortar,Engineer/Sapper with FT+Satchel,or vehicle support.
-41 to 46 gets you artillery module and/or air support
-51 to 56 is Morale (Hero generated,one unit automatically rallies,one unit Shakes,etc.)
-61 to 66 is Mission Objectives--usually addition or change to victory conditions (rescue downed helo crew,prisoner snatch,"Kit Carson" scout must uncover VC fortification on map,VC must kill important ARVN SMC, secure bogged down vehicle,or Evacuate all your units off-map before game end.)

Mentioned colored die can be modified -1 if Enemy is defender,or +1 if Enemy is attacker (thus generating more possible Events.)