"Fog, Friction & Confusion" Topic

The battle field is mayhem….at least my wargaming ones are.

One of the hardest things for rules to capture is the sheer uncertainty of battle: delayed orders, misunderstandings, hidden movements, units acting unexpectedly or commanders simply not knowing what is happening beyond their immediate front. "March to the sound of the guns, Grouchy!"

What mechanisms have you found work best for representing battlefield fog and friction?

Examples might include:

Hidden movement or blinds
Card activation
Command points / ADC systems
Random events
Delayed or misunderstood orders
Limited communications
Friendly fire or misidentification

Do such rules genuinely improve the game or do they simply add complication? Which systems work for you?

I like card activation. I give each element TWO cards, e.g. red sevens, so it is possible for an element to get activated twice before another is once. Of course that is both good and risky because an element can get stuck in an exposed position with no card left and many enemy still to mo e.

There's a chap here who uses blinds in his SYW games (Hi, Paul!). I've never done it – it seems a bit of a challenge- but the potential for creating game friction is immense.

It very much depends on the scale and period.

For example, Grande Armee is a grand tactical Napoleonic game. A stand is a brigade. A simple friction rule is variable movement. Infantry move 6" + 1d6". BUT you roll and move a unit, then roll for the next.

For fog of war, GA uses command points. You spend them to activate gene4rals. You can roll to activate a general instead but he may not do what you want. The key is you don't know how long a turn will last. You might waste unspent CPs or you might run out and get hammered by an opponent who budgeted his.

These are two critical parts of the game, they are not "bolted on." So I think they work very, very well.

Ok so to declare my bias I play the sma geme lots of times a year one on one so know the rules and understand the pruiod, critical if you want othert than unrealistic play.

Hidden movement
Training beginners we use no blindes (dummy Markers on defence. We then graduate to a limirted number of dummy markers. To many causes analysos paralasis very quickly and as they cannot judge which are in daft places it make it worse.

Fully fledged gamers we use maps for hidden elements based on Maps which is easy with Hexon !! terrain but latterly a Printed Photo works well. Allows hidden movement. mark the distance meoved to objective. Allows delay if you change your mind you know wher they got to.

Avtivation

Cards trided once no gain so abandoned as unwiorkable for us.
Command we have a command system on an IGOYou go soer of element basis, works well but beyond this tread. This involved transmission of orders which is reasonabley reliable but not 100% on time suits us.

Random Events

We avoid like the plauge, quotes of it being FUN has never appealed, ususally implausible and tedious in the extreem for us.

Limited communications/ delayed orders

see above. also our movement system makes instant immediate reposnce to enemy movements not possible as our movement system is more credible than most sytems, forcing some delay, helps if terrain is credible also, mot wargames terrain is not to a realistic ground scale.

Friendly fire

Tryed this a few time but never got a result that was easy it interpret and credible. Dice rolling aloone is not a sutable level of credibility so we don't do it.

I use One Hour Skirmish Wargames as a basis then add rules for visibility:

"Visibility and Spotting
Maximum visibility distance depends on the overall light level.
Full daylight unlimited
Dusk 36"
Full moon 24"
Moonless 12"
Rain or fog ~12" (dependent on scenario).

A figure can see within a 90 degree arc to their front.
Clear visibility distance at night:
Unaided 6"
Torch 12"
Searchlight 24"
Street light or lantern pool of light 6" in diameter

Within these distances targets can be engaged normally. Beyond these distances a target is in the shadows and takes one extra Resolution card in defence.

A terrain item may be designated as either open or dense cover. Open Cover can be seen through up to 4". Dense cover can be seen through up to 2" and additionally the edge of dense cover blocks LOS when looking into the terrain.

A figure that is in any cover or prone (except on a hard surface) is Hidden. A Hidden figure cannot be observed or shot at. The figure remains hidden until he discharges a firearm or moves out of the cover."

and rules for Sentries:

"Sentries
There are three types of sentry: Static; Mobile / Patrol; or Random

Static Sentry
On each activation roll 1D6:
1, 2 Turn 90o left
3, 4 No movement
5, 6 Turn 90o right

Mobile or Patrol Sentry
A mobile sentry follows a defined patrol route. The sentry moves once on each activation, provided there are sufficient APs to do so.

Random Sentry
On each activation, roll 1D12 and apply the "clockface" method for the direction of movement.

Sentries (including those manning searchlights) must always use APs if available, but cannot make multiple moves. If there are insufficient APs to move all sentries then randomly decide which sentries get to activate. "

Personally, I find a referee hosting a double-blind game initially using map movement and two echelons of gamers creates all the fog, friction and confusion any gamer could want. Games like this are resource intensive, take a lot of work to pull off, and have their downsides, but make for great games if you can do them right.

pjm

That's the 'gold Standard', mckrok. Not always attainable but always to be aspired to.

Yes. I do that via email or Skype with my basement table and the two players knowing only what I tell them they can see and it is indeed a time devourer.

Hidden movement or blinds: Movement is normally hidden and plotted if there is no LOS. Agree with mckrok. Can be hidden but spotted when firing or within 200m.

Card activation: No. Every unit is observing and ready to react and issue an order. They don't need a commander to tell them.

Command points / ADC systems: No. Don't need them.

Random events: Not random, but sometimes things do go wrong.

Delayed or misunderstood orders: Almost all orders take time to execute. At higher levels they may be misunderstood.

Limited communications: Depends on the level.

Friendly fire or misidentification: Rare but more common in urban warfare.

Wolfhag

We often use playing cards to determine the order of activation. So everyone gets to go, but the order is somewhat randomised . It generates some entertaining traffic jams.

I often use hidden units for attack/defend scenarios post 1920.

I'm often fortunate enough have to half a dozen or more players, which generates plenty of friction on its own.

As Martin said, run a 6 to 8 player game and you have all the friction you need.

I've run games with several players a side & given them all different – and secret – goals. Those on the same side would share some but, as allies, would have some conflicting.

It works well in making some things *not* work well.

Variable movement, card activation and limited visibility are my favorites for solo or one on one. But Martin and 79th are right--few things produce more friction (or more realistic friction) than sufficient players.

Did anyone mention dice for fire and morale, to go with variable movement? Few things upset a perfectly good plan faster than a good unit having a really bad day, or a second-rate unit hanging unexpectedly tough.

Not my game – the photo was sent by a friend who often uses blinds:
url=https://postimg.cc/rRyZYZdH]