Editor in Chief Bill | 13 Dec 2011 6:46 p.m. PST |
According to Warlord Games' Hail Caesar rulebook
The term 'unit' is admittedly a rather bleak piece of jargon; however, it has the advantage that it allows us to devise rules in an even-handed manner without distinguishing between the various military terms used in different armies. Can you think of a suitable replacement for this 'bleak' term? |
21eRegt | 13 Dec 2011 7:01 p.m. PST |
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John the OFM | 13 Dec 2011 7:09 p.m. PST |
Can you think of a suitable replacement for this 'bleak' term?
No. |
Mr Elmo | 13 Dec 2011 7:09 p.m. PST |
CTE Cohesive Tactical Element |
Chortle | 13 Dec 2011 7:15 p.m. PST |
BTE Bleak Tactical Element |
John the OFM | 13 Dec 2011 7:17 p.m. PST |
Cohesive Tactical Element
Oh, yes. Let's try to out-jargon the jargoneers. Reject the premise! There is ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING WRONG with the term "unit"! |
Wolfshanza | 13 Dec 2011 7:17 p.m. PST |
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whill4 | 13 Dec 2011 7:23 p.m. PST |
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Old Contemptibles | 13 Dec 2011 7:31 p.m. PST |
What the heck is wrong with "Unit"? A part of a military establishment that has a prescribed organization. A perfectly good generic term. |
Camcleod | 13 Dec 2011 7:32 p.m. PST |
How about 'Unknown Number of Infantry Types'. Which shortens to
. :) |
dglennjr | 13 Dec 2011 7:34 p.m. PST |
How about the two sides
'Us' and 'Them'? |
Unlucky General | 13 Dec 2011 7:58 p.m. PST |
Perhaps 'body'? 'Formation' at a pinch? How about a new collective noune such as a 'blunder' of militia? |
Lee Brilleaux | 13 Dec 2011 8:10 p.m. PST |
Let us once again find that thin line between 'clever' and 'stupid' that the sublime Nigel Tufnell spoke so wisely of. |
skippy0001 | 13 Dec 2011 8:17 p.m. PST |
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epturner | 13 Dec 2011 8:23 p.m. PST |
Bunch o' s? Grouping of Schmoes? Conglomeration of Muldoons? I think "Unit" works nicely. Eric |
doc mcb | 13 Dec 2011 9:04 p.m. PST |
"Unit" is short (one syllable, four letters, easy to say and to spell) and applies to all levels of operations: in a strategic campaign it might be a corps, but in a tactical battle it might be a company. Or a bunch of guys following the same war chieftain. Seems to me to be just what is needed. |
Ambush Alley Games | 13 Dec 2011 9:31 p.m. PST |
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Rich Trevino | 13 Dec 2011 9:56 p.m. PST |
Thanks to all for the laughs. How 'bout
"the guys." |
gweirda | 13 Dec 2011 10:16 p.m. PST |
""Unit" is short (one syllable
" umm
; ) |
Ratbone | 13 Dec 2011 10:42 p.m. PST |
Ugh. Being in the Army this is too close to home. I can barely keep up with the ridiculous changes in jargon as is. If I read a game where instead of the simple and concise word "unit" they used something else, I would be predisposed against the game. |
JJartist | 13 Dec 2011 11:58 p.m. PST |
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Space Monkey | 14 Dec 2011 12:00 a.m. PST |
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BrotherSevej | 14 Dec 2011 12:05 a.m. PST |
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GarrisonMiniatures | 14 Dec 2011 12:35 a.m. PST |
The idea that unit is one syllable allows for only one comment: U Nit (Or was that just a UK pun?) |
Martin Rapier | 14 Dec 2011 2:48 a.m. PST |
Unit has a very specific definition, as opposed to formation and sub-unit. Why make up something else? Without units there wouldn't be any jobs for Lt-Colonels:) |
Khusrau | 14 Dec 2011 3:53 a.m. PST |
But in the ancients period it could be a tribe, a cohort or a swarem of light horsemen.. none of these, other than the cohort, really fit with a description as a 'unit'. Group or formation are probably the closest synonyms we have for these various battle formations. |
6sided | 14 Dec 2011 4:03 a.m. PST |
Everyone calls them units. Can't see it needs a "replacement" term. Jaz 6sided.net – Blogs, Directory, Image Galleries |
Connard Sage | 14 Dec 2011 4:09 a.m. PST |
I'm on the side of the folks who aren't trying to over-think the whole thing. The rest of you need to have a word with yourselves. The word being 'pedant'. |
Patrice | 14 Dec 2011 4:30 a.m. PST |
"Unit" is a good word because it can apply to any basic "unit" according to the scale of the game. In a skirmish game a small group of warriors walking together is a unit. In a bigger game it can be a whole tribe if the rules say that all the miniatures of the tribe must say together. I don't see any problem in this. And then you can have sub-units, and troops of 2 or 3 units, etc. |
AndrewGPaul | 14 Dec 2011 4:37 a.m. PST |
"Unit" is short (one syllable, four letters, easy to say and to spell) and applies to all levels of operations: in a strategic campaign it might be a corps, but in a tactical battle it might be a company. Or a bunch of guys following the same war chieftain. Seems to me to be just what is needed.
Or, in more than one game, one guy. At that level, it does seema wee bit unusual, but no-one's suggested anything better thus far.
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Super Mosca | 14 Dec 2011 4:46 a.m. PST |
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Ironwolf | 14 Dec 2011 5:14 a.m. PST |
"How about 'Unknown Number of Infantry Types" Camcleod, hahahahahaha now that is diobolical. I keep chuckling every time I re-read your post. lol |
Condottiere | 14 Dec 2011 5:23 a.m. PST |
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doc mcb | 14 Dec 2011 5:53 a.m. PST |
Sorry, two syllables, you nit. |
Condottiere | 14 Dec 2011 6:00 a.m. PST |
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stenicplus | 14 Dec 2011 6:07 a.m. PST |
The term 'unit' is admittedly a rather bleak piece of jargon How so? On what evidence? Me thinks the writer has his head where the sun don't shine, or just page filling for the sake if it. Or he'a pompous TFL ruleset. Verily Bill you vex us greatly with these inane quotes. I think you do it because you have a twisted sense of humour and know we will rise to the bait Unit: 1. a single thing or person. 2. any group of things or persons regarded as an entity: They formed a cohesive unit. 3. one of the individuals or groups that together constitute a whole; one of the parts or elements into which a whole may be divided or analyzed. 4. one of a number of things, organizations, etc., identical or equivalent in function or form: a rental unit; a unit of rolling stock. 5. any magnitude regarded as an independent whole; a single, indivisible entity. Can't think of a word more apt to cover a group of toys soldiers that could represent any level of organisation.
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Connard Sage | 14 Dec 2011 6:21 a.m. PST |
Verily Bill you vex us greatly with these inane quotes. I think you do it because you have a twisted sense of humour and know we will rise to the bait Say it ain't so Joe. |
Poi000 | 14 Dec 2011 6:27 a.m. PST |
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Martian Root Canal | 14 Dec 2011 6:41 a.m. PST |
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John the Greater | 14 Dec 2011 6:53 a.m. PST |
Since "unit" is so bleak, how about a range of descriptions, from smallest to largest: group, bunch, raft, swarm, mob, horde and load? Hmmm
unit doesn't seem so bad after all. |
firstvarty1979 | 14 Dec 2011 7:50 a.m. PST |
Kind of like a Binet Scale of Human Intelligence, but for wargaming? |
Condottiere | 14 Dec 2011 8:01 a.m. PST |
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Who asked this joker | 14 Dec 2011 9:59 a.m. PST |
Group. It's different but equally "bleak". I can't believe it took until post #42 before someone dropped into the gutter. You guys are slippin'! |
Altius | 14 Dec 2011 10:11 a.m. PST |
Thingy. Whatever, "unit" is fine with me. It gets the job done. |
Gunfreak | 14 Dec 2011 10:45 a.m. PST |
How about murder, like a murder of crows, I think it's fitting, a murder of romans, a murder of greeks. a murder of elephants. |
20thmaine | 14 Dec 2011 11:25 a.m. PST |
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20thmaine | 14 Dec 2011 11:25 a.m. PST |
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JJartist | 14 Dec 2011 11:26 a.m. PST |
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Don Hogge | 14 Dec 2011 12:00 p.m. PST |
Unit Main Entry: army Part of Speech: noun Definition: group resembling military force Synonyms: array, cloud, company, crowd, division, flock, horde, host, legion, mob, multitude, outfit, pack, regiment, scores, swarm, throng, unit Nothing beats using unit to mean unit
Don |
brevior est vita | 14 Dec 2011 12:15 p.m. PST |
Since the HC author didn't see any need to recommend a replacement for the term "unit," I don't either. |