"Orders & Ancients" Topic

Do you prefer your Ancients rulesets to have a mechanism for transmitting orders from commanders to units?

* yes
* no
* no preference
* not an Ancients gamer

Yes as in DBx and Warmaster.

No preference. I like multi-player games. No orders require. Multi-player games create their own command friction.

Yep. Maintaining cohesion of command is one of the key elements of the experience for me when I play clash of thousand swords type games.

What wargamer1972 said.

But those abstract systems are as far as I go; I'm not interested in the old WRG-style systems with highly detailed rules for testing receipt and interpretation of orders.

The mainstream/norm has moved away from specific orders entirely – but I'm not sure there isn't still some room for 'single word' type posture orders (such as were used in 7th Edition, for example) …

No.

Players provide more than enough command inertia on their own to need more rules for the same thing.

Rick

Yes. The mechanism used in Hail Caesar is a particular favorite of mine.

Yes.

There again, the poll needs another answer choice: "Sometimes!"

It all depends upon the scenario design and what is being portrayed. Sometimes it's important to be able to change orders or add something, etc.

Other times, not so much.

There again, the poll needs another answer choice: "Sometimes!"

Ayup!

which ancients rules is the editor playing / thinking of playing?

its a rules question every week just now, there must be a project looming in his mind.

(and undecided, some rules this would be silly, some rules it is an excellent mechanic)

Maybe he is makig his own set-up….

Yes.

Yes. Though I'll still play an everybody-moves game, if it's fun.

Yes

The mainstream/norm has moved away from specific orders entirely

Maybe the popularity of Hail Caesar will redress the balance somewhat.

I usually prefer rules with C3I but have foubd FoG the best set for ancient and medieval warfare.

If we by "transmitting orders" mean something like actually modelling the progress of messengers, that's too much detail for my tastes. But I definitely want some attempt at modelling command and control difficulties.

No. And I love the orders system in Black Powder. For some reason, it doesn't click with me with Ancients. To be honest, I've yet to actually play Hail Caesar, so my preference may yet change. Dean

Orders are irrelevant in ancient games. Mostly its all about set up and perhaps the operation of a reserve, Therefore you don't need orders, they just slow the game down. You need to make reacting to change difficult so wheeling and turning slow so units cannot rush over to trouble-spots. The other thing you need to do is have the general(s) take over a unit and move that unit especially fast, that is faster than other units.
Orders take up time and add complication to get a game to finish in time we need to abandon some elements that are not crucial… orders are non essential and so they can go!!
Roy

I agree with the Joker – who needs an orders system when you can have players like Keraunos instead?

"Oh, you told me to DEFEND with my inferior left wing against the main weight of the enemy army? Oops!".

Not that I cared, I won my bit of the game anyway…

Hee hee

unreliable allies – a much missed part of any ancients rules which I thought I'd do a bit of nostalgia gaming with.

We also have an incompetant subgeneral in our club – give him a command, and his tacts rely entirely on rolling well above odds dice to get him out of every mess he gets into.

who needs orders when we have players like that

Orders do sound great but I have always found it slows the game to boring level.

Caliban are they Caledonian Taleban??
R