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Nibelung -> Discretionary Activation - a suggestion for improvement (7/16/2008 7:25:46 AM)
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I don't know about you, but the Activation Rule, while doing a fair job in reproducing the ACW, itch me on some aspects. Most notably that independent leaders in enemy territory has a far too low chance to do something. Remember Sterling Price for example ... You just can't do what he did in-game.
A poster suggested that non active leader get a bonus as time passes, until they become activated (where the bonus is reset to 0). I find this suggestion really good. Also, as indep leaders don't activate at the same time, attacks remains uncoordinated and thus don't detract from the Army Activation concept.
I would like to suggest another possibility: Each turn a side get some 'Discretionary Activation' rolls, depending perhaps of the aggressiveness of the theater commander. These rolls have a high chance of activating one single, non army, commander of your choice. You would get various modifiers, including being in supply and having too much troops (say -5% chance for each troop attached, we want this kind of activation to favor small to medium forces, not large indep corps).
This rule would too allow a bit more of fluidity and even realism in the game, while keeping the Army Activation concept core to the game.
Overall, what we want, is a game where actions are not done only by Army commanders. The big actions were done by them, sure, but I find that WBS forget far too much the numerous and various engagements at a lower level, because of a too hard activation rule.
You'll also want to recheck how reaction is done against small forces too. This is simply abnormal that there is a 100% chance of having an adjacent infantry leader support any attack against your position, in effect you know that even with only roads, all adjacents enemy forces can potentially counter your attack. This is far too generous and really kill the fluidity of the game. WBS here too has the tendency of considering that the ACW was only '1864 at Petersburg' kind of battles. I remind you that World War I style of combats did not happen everywhere in the ACW, and surely not in 1861...
These two aspects, Activation and Reaction, are perhaps the only things that I don't find 'falling well' in this game. There is not much to have them fit perfectly. I do understand that the authors really wanted to show how it was for the North to mount offensives, but perhaps some more fluidity, advantaging the South too (because we don't want a game where the North is rolling over the South either), would be needed for a perfect reenactement of the ACW.
With respect,
Nibelung.
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