A few clarifications on how Optio works.
1. Armies are organised into units which consist of one or more figure bases per square. Units are grouped into commands under a commander. Each unit has an underbase beneath one of the figure bases which records morale, missile hits and which command that unit belongs to.
2. There are no command ranges. A general or subcommander must be with a battleline or column of units to put it in command. Units out of command generally can't do more than move one square every other turn.
3. There are no PIPs. Subcommanders (but not the general) are given order paths at the beginning of the game. In a physical game these are marked on an 'orders card' which has a diagram of the battlefield. The orders paths tell the commander where he himself must go. His command follows as the player sees fit. For example, a subcommander must always be with a battleline to put it in command, but he doesn't have to begin and end the turn with the same unit of that battleline, which means the battleline can go in a somewhat different direction to the subcommander. Orders can be abandoned when a unit of the subcommander's battleline is adjacent to enemy, and subcommanders may range a certain number of squares from the last square their orders took them too. This gives subcommanders plenty of flexibility without allowing them to execute grand tactical manoeuvres that don't correspond to their orders.
4. Movement is by squares (naturally). Cavalry and chariots can move 3 squares; LI, elephants and the like 2 squares, and heavy infantry 1 square. Units can advance directly ahead or diagonally. Wheeling is problematic. Lines never wheeled in Antiquity. Trained infantry or agile units like skirmishers and cavalry would form column which could then advance, wheeling in 90 degree increments as it did so. In Optio all units can rotate 90 degrees if in line but become disordered. Only columns can turn 90 degrees without adverse effects but columns do very badly if charged.
5. Combat is deterministic. One unit scores so many combat hits against another unit which scores so many combat hits back. If both units score the same number of combat hits the fight is a tie; in charge combat nothing happens, in melee combat both units lose one morale (the morale marker is moved one interval to the right on the morale scale on the underbase), which corresponds to the fatigue of prolonged fighting. If one units scores more hits than the other then the lesser hits are subtracted from the greater and the losing unit's morale drops by that many morale intervals. Once morale drops to zero the unit routs. It's really simple to work out.
6. Dice are used only if a general or commander is involved in combat. Normally a 6 will wound him, after which he must immediately throw another die. A second 6 will kill him. If he throws a 6 later on in the game he is killed. This is the only use of dice in the game.
7. A limited number of things can modify combat hits, like presence of general/commander, terrain, whether the unit is understrength and in a thin line (only one base in the unit) or in a deep line (4 bases in the unit), and so on. There aren't many modifiers. Complete list below. Each modifier reduces or increases the combat hits by about 50% rounded off. So a -2 modifier will reduce combat hits by one half. For example, a unit scores 4 hits and gains a +1 modifier. The player looks up 4 in the middle column at the top then moves 1 column to the right, for a final result of 6 combat hits. If the unit scores 2 combat hits but suffers a -2 modifier then the final result will be 1 combat hit. A -3 would drop it to zero.
