RE: [Epic] Net Epic

From: Andy Skinner <andy.skinner_at_...>
Date: Mon, 03 Feb 97 13:38:00 EST

>I have carefully studied Andy's movement rules and if he is reading
>these I would like him to elaborate further on the relationship between
>order counters and chits I dont quite understand them.The disadvantage I
>see to them is the making of the chits since these will obviously not be
>uniform to everyone who uses them perhaps causing arguments.Another
>disadvantage it would be prefered that whatever rules are used it should
>be one that has similarity to the present system to avoid learning a
>completely different system.

I don't intend to participate too much on the Net Epic
project, but I can answer this. My proposal is a bit
more drastic than some of the alternating methods,
since I don't have an orders phase. I think you may
want to stick a bit closer to Epic rules. But
here's what I meant:

My counters were just little round chips of two colors,
one representing each side. They had no notation on
them. Each side has one counter per detachment/squadron/
unit/formation, all mixed into a cup. This originally
used drawing cards from a deck, but drawing chips let
me take out a chip if an unactivated unit is destroyed
without having to shuffle a deck of cards. The cup
can be stirred in 3 seconds.

I drew out a counter at a time, and placed it by the
unit being activated. The color of the counter specified
which side can activate a unit. The player could decide
whether to activate the unit at that time, or place an
order counter to allow it to activate later. The later
activation has to follow the order given. A charge counter
is probably used to synchronize a group charging together.
A First Fire counter allows a normal unit to interrupt
an enemy unit's activation. Snap fire weapons don't need
a first fire counter to interrupt an enemy. I didn't
allow Advance counters to be placed. Originally,
FF were the only counters I had in mind. But I wasn't sure
how to get a bunch of units to charge together. Actually,
for Orks or IG, being able to keep several units together
is important. This was the most clumsy part of my system.
Could the player keep his units to the end of the game?
That seemed a bit much.

So orders are only used to indicate a delayed activation.
A unit with nothing beside it has not yet been activated. A
unit with a chip next to it has been activated. A unit
with a chip and an orders counter has a delayed activation
still to come--remove the order counter when it has been
executed. At the end of the turn (when the cup is empty),
pick up all the counters and put 'em back into the cup.
If you've removed the counters for any destroyed units,
you shouldn't have to count them.

Clearer? I think this system has some neat effects, but I'm
not sure about it. As I said, delaying can be clumsy, and
some sort of restrictions will help. Maybe some units could
begin the game with counters.

andy
andy.skinner_at_...
Received on Mon Feb 03 1997 - 18:38:00 UTC