"Need some help with terminology regarding the term "units"" Topic

Hello all! I've been tinkering around with some rules and some of the terms I'm using are proving confusing for my playtesters.

The rules are designed for Hollywood style battles (sci fi, action, etc.)

I have two kinds of units referenced in my rules: group units (made up of five models) and independent units (made up of a single model).

Group units represent the various mooks, thugs, stormtroopers, et al that get mowed down in droves by the heroes.

Independent units represent said heroes, but villains as well, and any other type of singular entity that doesn't act in a pack at the small scale of my battles (grizzly bears, tanks, etc.)

The confusion in is cropping up because my rules reference things happening to or by units. "Units" implies a group of figures which is proving confusing to my playtesters who are having a hard time wrapping their heads around individual models (ie; independent units) being a "unit."

I've considered calling individual models "heroes" and "villains", but that doesn't really apply to an unaligned Tyrannosaurus that could come rampaging across the battle field.

Anyone else grappled with this? Any suggestions?

I designed a ruleset which has heroes and extras. Extras just react. Heroes can order groups of extras around to make em do stuff.
A t rex would be an extra of sorts.
It would maybe run away from fire or towards dinner.
My rules use a pips mechanism.
You can spend pips to make heroes or a bunch of extras do stuff or not do stuff they would be inclined to do.

This is Hollywood. You have "stars" and "bit players" or "extras."

"Characters" could also work.

Several decades ago, I worked on future rules for a company and also did one for myself. The small unit terms are squad, section and fire team. The term fire team seemed too current so I went with the term tactical team or Tac Team. Squad is more of a ren man unit term.

In regards to individuals specialists is the generic term. Though I like Andy s recomendation for using the term Hero. You could also use a foreign language term which means the same.

I would have thought that a description of what constitutes a unit, as you have done above would have been sufficient unless "hero" units can act differently to "cannon fodder" units. If they do act differently then you need different names along the lines used by Robert above e.

Yep, but how do you refer to those two types of elements in the rules?

"To attack make a ranged attack, a star or extra must draw line of sight to a target star or extra."

Won't referring to both types at every point of the rules become cumbersome?

Two Hour Wargames uses a similar style of game. In these rules there are heroes and grunts. He distinguishes between units and groups.

A unit is a formal organization from a TO&E i.e. 2nd Squad 1st Platoon. A group is simply that: any group regardless of unit. Groups are formed each turn – a hero can activate a group on his own stats. A group can consist of one model.

Take a look at his free rules and see if that helps.

Won't referring to both types at every point of the rules become cumbersome?

Perhaps. But you could define "unit" as being either a star or extra, and then when referring to both types just use the generic term "unit".

See how the old "Cross of Iron" skirmish rules addressed the handling of largish elements of Soviet conscript infantry.

B

To avoid cumbersome repetition as you describe, why not just say fired and target or attacker and target? It would only be important to differentiate between hero and others for any modifiers and this could be done in the modifier table/chart.

How about the generic term 'fireteam' for the flunky squads?

Would 'element' be a better term for the usage you want? It might be easier for playtesters to accept an element as being an individual character, vehicle, creature or a small group of combatants.

Interesting. I've never met a gamer who was confused by units that had only one member.

If I did, I think that I would do some educating.

For example, when the term "unit" is first used in the rules, I would give it a parenthetical or footnote to the effect of

"The term 'unit' refers to anything that can move under the direction of a player or the referee. A unit can consist of a single individual, such as a platoon leader, or of several figures, such as a family of velociraptors."

Advanced song of blades and heroes does this quite nicely with the units for groups of small things, people, orks, elves. Single things are called characters on single basis, or creatures would work.

I like the terms groups and entities

Us unit is the universal you could call that an element i.e any single base. Then you could refer to multi figure or Group elements and single figure elements.

How about you call the multiple person units a "mob" as in being mob handed. The individuals can be exactly that an individual be they hero or villain. Single person Mobs like a passing Dinosaur are monsters.