"Grey Areas: How Do You Handle Them?" Topic

After last night's game, I was thinking about ambiguities in rules – the grey areas – and how they're handled. By their nature, wargames rules are complex, and grey areas creep in.

Last night we (again!) played the WW2 Mouen scenario from Rapid Fire Reloaded. The Observation rules are a bit… opaque (couldn't resist), so LOS and spotting weren't always clear.

A few examples:
Could a Firefly fire smoke? (we said no)
Which unit in a built-up area took artillery fire? (we diced)
Exactly what could be seen from where? (varied by interpretation…)

None of this broke the game but it did raise the broader questions:
How do you handle grey areas? Agree a ruling before play?
Dice for it and move on?
Default to "what's worst for the phasing player"?
House rule it permanently?
Or argue it out (politely… or otherwise)?

Have ambiguities ever caused real problems in your games—or are they just part of the hobby we accept?

Could a Firefly fire smoke?

Yes. But I don't know how many smoke rounds they carried.

As for the grey areas, usually we can make a decision and sometimes write it in to the rules. Other times, particularly if it's a product of a unique set of circumstances, we'll roll the dice.

Assuming the author isn't handy?

1) Spotted beforehand--mutual agreement. No agreement, no game.
2) Spotted during the game--mutual agreement if possible. Failing that, die roll decides for that game but without prejudice to any later agreement following research and/or discussion.

Roll a D6 and carry on. Make that the rule for the rest of the game.

robert & OFM +1 for each

Rolling a D6 is quick—but do you find it ever breaks immersion a bit?
Or is speed of resolution more important than consistency/realism in practice?

Has anyone had a grey-area ruling actually swing a game?
That's where it starts to matter more than just smoothing play.

I had one in a SYW game using Black Powder.

Prussian infantry advancing to contact—French line holding behind a low rise. The question was: when exactly do the French count as "seen" and able to deliver closing fire?

One interpretation: they crest into view early and fire a full defensive volley. The Prussians go in shaken and fail the charge.

Other interpretation: they're masked by the rise until very late and fire a limited & ineffective volley. The Prussians go in relatively intact and carry the position.

We diced it on the spot. The result went against the Prussians, they stalled, and the whole attack unravelled from there. This was probably the key moment when they lost the battle/game.

Same table, same troops—different dice roll and it would have probably have gone the other way. We'd have probably been best to take 5 minutes & talk it out.

Usually a quick discussion and either decide on how to handle for remaining game or a house rule – or roll a die

With a handy computing device in all our pockets these days we typically will look to see if there is wisdom or a prior ruling on the Internet. Lacking that, we discuss what would be fairest and make a call and move on. I have rarely seen anyone argue a table ruling calmly discussed and agreed to. If that doesn't work- roll a die and move on, but revisit after the game for future play now that you have a set of playtest data.

We usually just talk it out based on Inherent Military Probability, or let the umpire decide (we very rarely play without an umpire). I can't remember the last time we threw a dice for something.

For standard Wargames stuff like unusual ammo types, if in doubt or unless scenario specified, I'd give then one shot (of smoke, APCR or whatever).

Rolling a D6 is quick—but do you find it ever breaks immersion a bit?

If one of the options is obviously more silly, realism-wise, than the other, we're unlikely to have to resort to a dice roll, unless I'm playing one of those people, in which case the rules ambiguity is the lesser problem. So the dice-off is normally between two plausible-seeming alternatives.

Jack Scruby offered his wisdom on this topic >60 years ago.

"Let the dice decide"

We run across this type issue all the time. We have a hopefully short discussion about the merits of the disagreement and then the GM decides. Occasionally dice are rolled to answer the question.

If we feel strongly enough it will be discussed again at the end of the game. Then a group modification to the house rules tried going forward if agreed upon.

It depends so much on group dynamics and how much we love the rules.

We just roll a nice a move on.

The GM makes a decision or you roll dice. Don't let it bog down the game.

I find a black undercoat prevents the problem…what this isn't the painting board! Oh well ignore me.

@ Toaster. I had to read this twice to get the joke (I'm obviously slow) but it's a cracker.

Well done, you.