"Engineering allocation of resources " Topic

Less contentious this topic. Has anybody got any novel ideas how to take the drudgery out of allocating combat engineering resources. Whatever the period there is often combat engineering. Not just today but the Romans and Greeks with pre assembled siege engines to 'minefields' of caltropes,to fragile pots with stakes in, to bridge laying. Given the number of men the options are vast, how do you make light work of it. You can list the possible engineering tasks and how many men and stores it requires, but it can s t ill be a pain generating an engineering plan to get what you want in the time avilable. Anybody got a bright idea?

During the past decade there have been zillions of boardgames that have the allocation of resources as their prime gaming mechanic. Lots of inspiration to be found there.

List the desired tasks in order of priority, and assign decreasing probabilities of completion to the items on the list. Then dice for each item. There is a high probability that your chief engineer will get the first task done, but he may not have the resources to finish the lower priorities.

Depends on how fiddly you want it to be and what the scope is (putting up a wooden fence or digging a mile long trench section).
One method:
1. Assign a target number to accomplish a task (ie. building a bridge requires target number 25)
2. Roll a number of d6 based on the assets allocated (I'll assign one squad to the task, so they roll 1d6)
3. Keep a running total of die rolls until the target number is reached (on a REALLY good day, I'll reach 25 by rolling a 6 each turn, so 5 turns).
4. you can move assets around as needed (the 2nd squad will work on the bridge during turn 2 and 3, then move on to a different task).

For something less like accounting:
1. Assign a target number to accomplish a task
2. each turn roll a d6 per assets allocated
3. add 1d6 per turn spent working on the project
4. eventually, you'll roll enough dice high enough to reach the target number. This way you don't have to keep a running total, yet keeps some randomness in determining when the job's done.

I think there are two different scenarios

1) achieving something under fire/attack. The thing that comes to mind is assembling or repairing a pontoon bridge to bring more troops into play. You could roll each turn to see whether units can cross or not

2) Pre-placed obstacles etc. I think these should be treated as any other resource. If you are doing points, then they should be treated as points, according to the effectiveness. For instance Chain of Command allows a minefield to be chosen (instead of extra MG perhaps).

You could spice up the obstacles by having to roll for whether they were actually made or not the first time the opponent encounters it.

I prefer simple rules that focus on the results, rather than complex ones looking at availability of raw materials, extra labour (you think all those engineers spent a lot of time digging ditches and hauling rocks ?), weather etc.

Thanks

John

One of the dosen articles in Vol. 3 Solo Secrets of Wargame Design (book number 198833, $19 USD) offers rules for a simplified siege (pre-cannon ancient through renaissance) describing the interaction of time (10, 20, or 30 days -- 1/3 chance each) and Build Points (days x 2) with a d100 to complete a section of ramp or a siege tower. Ladders are automatic (no roll needed), but give a minus on attacks over the wall, while ramps give a bonus for attacks over a wall. The system can be adapted to just about any type of engineering by changing BPs and % rolls needed for completion.

Note that the Siege rules in Vol.1 Secrets of Wargame Design (book number 198831, $19 USD) cover operational movement on a tabletop of from one to four days per roll rather than tactical siege mechanics.