"The measure of a man." Topic

…with acknowledgement to M.L. King.

How do you measure movement distance & ranges in your gaming?

1. tape measure
2. measuring stick
3. widget
4. base width

And do you use:
a. Imperial – inches
b. metric – centimetres

Finally, are you allowed to pre-measure?
α. yes
β. no

(that thar be t'ree polls, I'm a figurin'.)

5. All of the above.

Yes.

Apart from widgets and base widths – I convert the latter into proper measurements. I mainly measure distances in grid areas, but if using a rule prefer inches.

1.
6. Common Sense. If someone just measured a range to shoot at your figure as 5" and now your figure can more 6", they can move into base contact (unless terrain penalties affect that), and other such things. This is a great system in an end of game tail chase.

a.
b.
Our rules have abstract movement units, so we typically use inches for 25-28mm and cm for 10-15mm. Back to inches for smaller scales, as they are usually more operational level moves.

α.

5. All of the above, depending on the game and whatever makes it simplest.

Tape measure and mostly inches – there a few games we use cm for but they are the exception

And we allow for pre-measuring but rarely use it

For most games we use our group's bookmark/ruler with metric and imperial measurements. link

I use cm for range and movement and use handy clear plastic rulers made by Westcott. They are 46 cm long and you can see thru them for easy and accurate measurements. Not expensive.

Tape measure and a stick if feeling "Old School". No premeasuring. Everything is in inches.

Always pre-measuring allowed, no advantage given to folks who are better at judging distances accurately or learning the measurements of terrain items on the go.

Otherwise, all the rest of the above depending on game. Not much of a question really, it all falls into whatever the game calls for.

The measure of a man is from his base to his eyes. Used to be from his base to the top of his head. I thought everyone knew that.

As for the other three questions, there are about 20 wargaming systems in the Piepenbunker. You will be amazed to learn that what works well for 2mm WWII is not always what works well for 30mm Napoleonics. A couple of things you missed: "distance and area" may also be measured by using a gridded board. (I see Martin caught that one.) And the "inches/centimeters" dichotomy misses a solution I've fallen back on twice--a painted stick measured off in "100 pace" intervals. So yes, different sticks for 2mm and 6mm SYW--about the only time I use the same rules for two different scale/period combinations, though it may yet come to that for 2mm and 6mm WWII.

Note that "tape measure" covers a lot of ground--sometimes literally. A word here for investing in a good carpenter's steel tape almost an inch wide, which I use on larger tables. For the most part, I use centimeters on smaller scales and boards where a good steel rule is less important, but I'd still pick up a metric equivalent if the local shops carried them.

Pre-measure is not universal, but is widespread. I am (mostly) the commanding general, not the colonel of in infantry regiment or a gun captain. Same thing with ammo. I don't care to spend a game counting fired rounds by type.

All good poll questions, though--especially if you can find a solution to the "more than one game" problem. (Any idea why we haven't had a poll lately? Has Bill escaped?)

"Has Bill escaped?"

Quick! Release the hounds!!

How do you measure movement distance & ranges in your gaming?

1, 2 and 4, depending on the rules.

Imperial and metric measurements, again depending on the rules.

Pre-measuring- not unless the rules specifically allow it.

5. Hex grid
6. Square grid
7. "Zone"/Objective movement
8. All of the above.

Answer:
8.
And "both" for A, B and Alpha/Beta.

How do you measure movement distance & ranges in your gaming?

Usually tape measure, sometimes yardstick or 12-inch ruler, sometimes sticks of pre-measured length.

And do you use:

Imperial and/or metric, as needed.

Finally, are you allowed to pre-measure?

It depends.

The available technology may allow easy determination of distance. For example, today, we have radar, maser, and lidar to determine distance. If a unit has that technology, it can pre-measure.

Of course, there is a risk that using the technology will expose the pre-measuring unit. The most common situation is using a laser to determine range to a target unit that has laser detection capability.

I'm a hopeless judge of distance. However, I believe in the past – before "available technology" – officers were schooled in & achieved the ability to accurately estimate distance.

I know in games I play that don't allow pre-measurement, I get slaughtered by 2 of my pals who are ex-army officers. They're either excellent judges of distance or they secretly measure when I'm not looking….

1, A, B….

However, I believe in the past – before "available technology" – officers were schooled in & achieved the ability to accurately estimate distance.

Not just officers, Ochoin. It was a big part of my infantry training and I know that the other arms corps also teach the various methods to all ranks. Estimating distances +/- 5m, out to 200m or so is (was, as I haven't practiced it in years) fairly easy, even if it's looking uphill or over dead ground.

These days we have LRF and other good toys, but even LRF can give a false return under some conditions. And some rules forget that if the troops can't see a target, eg because of fog, then they can't aim an LRF at it, either.

So, there's no real purpose in *not* pre-measuring?
Not measuring doesn't give any sense of reality but merely advantages players with freakish or trained ability to ascertain distance on a wargames' table.

So, there's no real purpose in *not* pre-measuring?

I wouldn't say that, mate. What it can mitigate are "gamey" actions, eg when players ensure that all their units stop 1mm out of range of being shot at or being charged, for example. That can slow the game down and/or lead to other players getting frustrated.

@dg

Those players ought be rewarded with an "eager to please" dice roll:

1, 2 – drop short 50 metres – well out of range
3, 4 – stay out of range as devised
5 – eager to please – move troops 50 metres closer
6+ – super eager to please – move troops 100 metres closer

Mods: +1 for every time they've attempted the 1mm trick.

We were also taught to range visually, including for occluded targets. Long ranges were done with a gunnery or missile grid, so it was already pre-measured for us.

What it can mitigate are "gamey" actions, eg when players ensure that all their units stop 1mm out of range of being shot at or being charged, for example.

We were also taught to keep out of the effective range of enemy fire as much as possible.

Not a bad idea, Stoppage, but it may actually cause more arguments than the snarled "How long are you going to take this turn?" sorts of questions.

We were also taught to range visually, including for occluded targets. Long ranges were done with a gunnery or missile grid, so it was already pre-measured for us.

We were also taught to keep out of the effective range of enemy fire as much as possible.

An accurate map, whether paper or electronic, is a great way to measure distances. Though with GNSS and other nav aids I wonder how many troops can still read a map? Sometimes staying out of effective range is not an option, either, especially when you're doing the "Seek out and close with the enemy." bit of my old job description.

But we're talking about games in this thread. Making sure the figures are exactly a certain distance from something else takes time and slows the game, whether it may be realistic or not.

You know, there might be a place for an advantage in indirect fire for units in position long enough to know or mark ranges, have established fire plans or be zeroed in on certain targets. Don't know that I've ever seen it done, though.