"Force on Force Building Rules" Topic

Let me first start by saying I love Force on Force and have no desire to seriously alter such a well established and effective set of rules.

I do however find the handling of buildings a little odd when coupled with highly detailed building models. In FOF any building can be entered/exited or fired into/out of on any facing regardless of modeled windows, doors, breaches etc. This probably works great most of the time but occasionally brings odd looks and complaints when an apparent blank concrete wall erupts in weapons fire or allows soldiers to emerge or vanish.

Unless concentrating on the universal porous nature of the buildings in the game it can cause unfortunate surprises and hinder or spoil tactics. (Imagine moving along the windowless back wall of a building, apparently without threat only to have units inside open fire through imagined holes or windows… that arent there on the model.)

Surely a systems as established as AA/FOF/TW has some house rules somewhere to this effect? I hate to bother the designers any more than I already have and will shoot out a request to you players. Anyone play tested a remedy to this concern?

In some scenario porous walks make sense, in others they don't.

I define the terrain at the beginning of the game. I usually go WYSIWYG for openings (doors and windows). Tactical movement speed already takes entry and exit into consideration. Size of building determines whether a team has 360° in a building or just covers one side. A large building is usually subdivided into sections, each count like a separate building.

Really depends on your scenario.

Mike

If you go WISYWIG the first question you'll answer is, how do I loophole the walls?

I generally go WISYWIG for movement but treat all walls as loopholed, regardless of the rules I'm using.

A lot depends as Mike says, on the scenario. If I have two isolated farm houses this is pretty easy. Sounds like you're fighting on more of an urban table?

I think the Fallujah book has more detailed rules, I'll check when I put my hands on it.

Yes, urban table and no the Fallujah book has some detailed rules on house clearing but no change to basic building handling.

A simple solution would seem to be just to limit a single or perhaps pair of figures to each aperture. This way a fire team of 5 could only bring 2 rifles to bear through a single small window. This would limit their fire, and in the same way decrease their exposure to incoming fire through that same aperture by allowing only the 2 men to be considered casualties if any are generated. I havent play tested this yet, trying to see if there is a down side somewhere.

OH and it goes without saying a solid wall will not allow units to exchange fire unless it is breached.

I only allow half a fire team to fire from the side of a building if no windows present, unless they are on top of a building or wisywig if it's a large building