Markko
Posts: 10
Joined: 11/23/2019 Status: offline
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This is more a story to tell about a whole section. The story began when the game interface blocks me from seeing the proposed costs of leader changes. Since the button is tied to AP cost, the player is apparently only allowed to think about leaders early in the turn. So, I decided to read the Manual, and found section 15.6.2 Dismissal and Replacement in the section under Leaders. This section tells me that the Admin costs are displayed and an x + x format, and that sometimes it costs more than other times. But doesn't really provide any more information. Since I had played previous games in the series, the format wasn't new to me, The question to which I was seeking an answer was how to calculate the first x from the ratings I could see since I was blocked from seeing the actual x during portions of the turn. Also, when I reflected on it, and having played these games before, I noticed that it seems rather odd that the words "Political Rating" do not appear at all in this section about manually replacing leaders. It is apparently up to the reader to know from previous knowledge that section 15.3.1 Political Ratings will also talk more about these mysterious x's, although without actually mentioning x's. Unfortunately, even putting the two sections together, I'm still apparently having to make a note to self to check Leader Replacement Costs when I am permitted to do so, as there still does not appear that there is enough information in these two sections combined of the manual to be able to do so. I guess I'm a cranky old retired engineer these days, but in terms of style, I prefer my manuals to be higher on information content. This manual seems to be more on the conversational side. Since the manual is on the screen while I compose this, the following rule caught my eye. quote:
Leaders can serve one level up and two levels down from the optimum rank for the HQ level. No offense, but that seems to be rather less than clear. A more clear and concise statement of the relationship between the leaders current rank and the rank in the table in the manual about 'optimum rank' could probably be composed. If the difference is only 1 level of rank, then I suppose it can work either direction. But when there is a 2 rank difference, then the direction of the difference is going to matter, and this wording is very unclear about that. Is it saying that a Captain can command a Division, or is it saying that a General can command a company? The cranky old retired engineer in me has learned that words like Up and Down only are meaningful when a frame of reference has been established. A clearer wording that establishes this frame of reference could probably be found.
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