"Help with simplifying this mechanism" Topic

XCOM, the computer game, has a mechanism, where the skill of the soldier is multiplied by the accuracy of the gun (both %)

I tried to recreate this with D10s, with mods specific to each.

Too complicated- any way to simplify. I want to keep different hit % for different guns or types of shot (aimed/snapped/auto)

Use a D10 for the figure and a D10 for the weapon? Roll to =/beat both stats (e.g. the figure needs a 4+ to hit, and the weapon needs a 5+ to hit.) Or roll 2D10 and use the total to see if you =/beat the To Hit modifiers.

A couple things suggest themselves.

First if you don't hate charts, shooter's accuracy is rows, gun accuracy is columns. Yield is a To Hit. You could then have rows or columns modified so it is always a straight up roll. So if I'm an average shooter with an average rifle the To Hit is, say, 8+. But My skill is up one for aimed fire, down one for target moving fast, down one for partial concealment. New to hit is 9+ But some gamers hate charts more than they hate root canals, I can't understand why. I like a good chart.

Second, go with a single die. Shooter's skill IS the To Hit. So a bad shot is always a 9+. A crack shot/Dirty Harry is a 6+. This is modified by:

• Weapon Type: shotgun +1, Laser Sight +1, Crappy AK-47 Knock Off -1….you get the idea
  
• Cover and concealment
  
• Snap shot -1, aimed Fire +1
  
• Shooter's morale: Shaken -1, suppressed -3
  
• Range: Over 36" +1 Under 6"-1

You don't need two dice to have two categories of modifiers. BUT you need to use a die with enough granularity to handle all the modifiers. Probably a D20 would be best.

Roll twice, only hit if you roll under both your skill (first roll) and the gun quality rating (second roll). That gives you the same aggregate probability of hit as rolling once against the product of both percentages.

If your raw percentages are limited to multiples of ten, you could roll two different colored dice and require each to roll its target number or lower. You can even color code the numbers to match the dice. This method has the advantage of adding some "story" to the roll. When you miss, you can say things like "I had the shot, I just needed a better gun" or "I couldn't have hit one that under perfect conditions" for appropriate situations.

If you can go with the two d10 method, you could extend it by inverting the skill modifier and making it an opposed roll. The attacker has to beat his target number to hit. The defender has to beat the quality modifier to save. Again, the math for the probability is the same.

Link the weapon bonus to a skill level. I.e. the Mk XYZ sniper rifle gives a +2 to hit (or whatever) to Veteran users or above. If a noob picks it up he doesn't know enough to benefit from its advantages.

I would go for a "bucket of dice" approach.

Assuming a '6' is always a hit, and the more '6s' you roll the worse it makes the day for your target, then a good shot gets more dice than a noob, while a zeroed rifle gets more dice than a musket.

Or go with better dice approach.

Snapshot hits on one only

Normal on ones and twos.

Aimed on one two and three.

A rookie rolls a die twenty.
A regular rolls a die twelve
A veteran rolls a die eight
A hero rolls a die six

You go down a dice quality if you have an inferior weapon. And up a quality if a,better weapon.

Example rookie with tricked up targeting laser sniper rifle gets a die fourteen

Veteran with busted musket gets a die ten.

(Colour coding all dice of a certain type … makes this doable…)

When I used the above system… I have to admit I had some modifiers to dice as well…. so you added one to the dice roll If the shot crossed cover. I had a little table of modifiers.. so huge targets took two off of the roll.

There are several xcom minis games. Google 'x-com miniatures game'.

Make both percentages multiples of 10. Add the percentages instead of multiplying (ie 30 + 40). Roll a d20 to hit.

I originally had 2 d10s, on gun one firer as suggested by Zephyr. There were mods for each, but found it too hard to keep track. I am considering prepared reference sheets.

Another mechanism I'm trying to make simple for the tabletop

Every soldier has an Action Point stat. This reduces either by a fixed amount (ie 4 for moving 1 square, 6 diagonally etc) or proportionally (Weapon Type X uses 25% of total to fire snap, 33% Auto, 40% aimed – different weapons have different %). As a soldier gains experience he gets more AP, so can move faster, take more actions, but the number of shots is fixed.

There is also a 'Reaction%' stat. This is the chance to fire during enemy turn.

There is no 'overwatch' order per se. If a Alien acts in line of sight the chance of shooting is Reaction x % or AP remaining.

So a man with 60 AP and R of 50 uses 20 AP in his turn. 40 of 60 is 66%, so the chance of reacting is 33% (60% x 50%)

A Rookie with R of 40 and 45 AP doesn't move. His chance is 40% (R) x 100% (45 out of 45 AP remaining) = 40%

Now I don't propose having lots of different AP etc, but whats the easiest way to quickly reproduce this, or similar.

That is a completely different system than the one in the OP.

My QILS game uses the dice as physical counters for AP. You get a base movement, then "spend" your dice during your turn to conduct attacks, or move additional distance. For an overwatch like action (which could also include running away a few steps or hunkering down into a more defensive posture during an opponent's turn), you could reserve your dice during your turn for those actions, or possibly spend them "early" for your next turn and take a penalty (as well as not be able to spend them during your turn).

It also lets you integrate things like snap shot into the rules without tables and modifiers during the roll. F'r'ex, if drawing your weapon costs 20 AP (or two dice), then the Pk will go down because there aren't as many dice to roll for the attack. You will still end up with a table or actions and AP costs, but you won't be doing math on the fly during the game.

This suggestion won't work well if you need the granularity of 60 points (if you have 1 or 2 AP actions). But if your 60 points could be six dice, it would be manageable.

That is a completely different system than the one in the OP.

Yep Didn't want to clutter up with a new thread. Perhaps I should demand my own board!

I don't need the 60 AP idea – I was going to go with probably 4-6 AP depending on skill (poss 3-7 or 8, buts clustering round the middle)

At 4-6 AP, I highly recommend using a figure's dice to physically stand in for his AP.

A simpler version of the XCOM reaction mechanic might be to make it "reaction skill + remaining AP" rather than a percentage. Quicker to do on the fly and it makes it easier to evaluate for the player.

Skill + Weapon accuracy = Target Number

Roll d10, get equal or under target number.

I tested a similar system for my game.