[Consim-l] Damage models

[Thomas Cundiff]

Howdy Mircea,

And Merry Christmas to you too :)  I know of a game and a gaming system that 
utilizes systems such as you describe.  Way back when Avalon Hill published 
Russian Front, which had a really clunky combat system in which units took 
casulaties in increments.  Units had a printed combat strength and as they 
took damage you placed a simple number marker beneath them to indicate their 
new combat strength.  A system existed which permitted such units to absorb 
replacements thus regaining combat strength.  Presently Khyber Pass Games 
uses the same concept for their Little Big Horn and Rosebud games, though 
here there is no possible replacement of losses.

I have had two results and it depends upon the type of game.  In the example 
of the Russian Front game, the great number of reduced combat strength 
markers running around and the paperwork necessary to keep track of 
replacements, not to mention the fact that stacks of units on the game 
board, caused the game to be awash in markers and just one error could foul 
things up.  Especially the error of bumping the board or accidentally 
dumping a stack (having a domino effect upon adjacent stacks each of which 
had their own doublly stacked groups of units.  After a while you ended 
spending more time trying to reconstruct the board or reconcile the 
paperwork.

These problems don't attend the KPG games as much, mostly because their 
games are limited in scope and thus there aren't that many stacks running 
around.  With no need to worry about replacements the paperwork problem goes 
away too.

So, I've had a mixed bag.  One game stunk (which stunk for a myriad of other 
reasons - Russian Front was a well known stinker).  Two games are good 
games, though lacking in circulation.  Indeed I can entirely recommend KPG's 
whole line of games so far.  They do have a some new games coming up that I 
have reservations about only because their subject matter doesn't much 
interest me (Tonkin, Ici Francaise, and perhaps Russo-Japanese War).

Merry Christmas, Mircea, to you and yours in this Christmas Season.
Tom
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mircea Pauca" <mircea.pauca at gmail.com>
To: <consim-l at mailman.halisp.net>; <boardwargaming at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2007 1:53 PM
Subject: [Consim-l] Damage models


>    It seems a simple, cumulative Hit Point system
> is very widespread in games to represent "life" and
> "damages" to entities from individuals (in RPG's), ships, small and large 
> military units. Either with full firepower
> until "sudden death", or with proportional reduction.
> Restoration coming from "potions", rest, "supply" etc.
>    Are there not too complicated models clearly
> more relevant for the physiology, system resilience and sociology of 
> targeted humans / ships / units ?
>    What are the best examples used in current games ?
>
>    Thank you for thinking about this,
>    Mircea Pauca, Bucuresti, Romania
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