Hi guys,

I'm Stuart from Cardiff Wargames Club (www.cardiff-wargames.org) and Great Escape Games. Myself and Mark Wheatley have recently formed the company and are releasing a ruleset for WW2 and beyond called Rules of Engagement, due out April 21st, 2007 at Salute. It is designed for 25-28mm figures in platoon sized formations, with a focus on infantry.

We will also be working closely with Bolt Action Miniatures.

If you are interested I will happily answer questions and you can have a preview at www.greatescapegames.co.uk

Thanks

Stuart McCorquodale
info@greatescapegames.co.uk
www.greatescapegames.co.uk

My, desktop publishing has come a long way. You certainly have mastered this art in your rules set judging from the samples provided (always start off with something positive to say).

Coming from a background of having played a massive number of miniatures games ranging from ancients to future (and even the occasional fantasy game, although my interest there is minimal) including aerial and naval for nearly 40 years now, I doubt seriously that I would have any interest in using your rules set from what was presented. It appears to me to be far more an excuse for being able to showcase your wonderfully painted miniatures in a public setting than a rules set bearing any relationship to the reality of warfare in World War 2.
Don't feel bad about that. Rules of this sort have their place in the scheme of things too. It is just I prefer to play those rules that allow me to learn about history and warfare rather than give me an excuse to debate whether French Hussars had 10 or 12 buttons on their high breeches and whether they were gilt metal or brass.
Finely painted miniatures are a virtual necessity to gaming (no unpainted lead on the table) but, should not be the central reason for the hobby.

On WW 2, the set I currently use 9PanzerKriegsAkadieme) is about as close to 180 degrees from Rules of Engagement as you can get. The focus is on historical and technical accuracy. It allows you to literally recreate and accurately carry out small unit actions right out of a history book. For me, that is what counts.

Wow, that's pretty scathing. Do you not think that well painted miniatures and general presentation have a valid place in wargames rules?

I think I actually agree with what you state you want from wargames rules. See, I'm ex-forces as are a number of our playtesters, and I was really keen to examine the behaviour of trained troops in small actions. However, realism (and that is a term that must be used loosely in conjunction with ANY game) must be considered in conjunction with playability - it is a game after all.

The whole reason we embarked on this project was because of our love of history - around 45 pages focus on real history in the RoE rulebook - and our desire to satisfy our demand for a game that felt like small unit actions in WW2. And I think we have done it.

Now, there is something that I feel I need to challenge you on. Your Hussar example was uncalled for. For one, I agree with you but we do not want to go into micro-detail with every facet of painting your figures. What we do well is to give the reader a taster of what level of detail and research can be done if he or she wants to. I like my figures to have the right colours and the right general markings. Painting reg't badges, etc. doesn't float my boat but there are plenty of people who take a more keen interest in these details than you or I. Nicely painted miniatures means simply that we've got some nicely painted miniatures - the two guys who painted the majority in the book are just good painters, lucky us! By the way, 24 pages are devoted to aspects of painting, terrain making and uniforms. About half that that we devoted to history.

I've heard of most WW2 rules but not 9PanzerKriegsAkadieme. Are they your own? Tell me more about how it allows you to take actions right out of a history book please.

Seems interesting, and a bit of eye-candy never hurt anyone, otherwise why would we even bother to bring out at least the green cloth?

Nice websites, both yours and your club too.

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Thank you. I like to take some pride in my wargaming - there's nothing in the hobby that is better than playing with and against well-painted figures on great terrain.

I agree. Wargaming has many facets to be enjoyed, and as we say over here "the eyes eat as well", so we should derive pleasure from the spectacle we create. Well painted figures on well done scenery is one of the satisfactions to be derived from the hobby.

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Yes, like alot of the serious long time miniatures gamers, I do rules too. PanzerKriegsAkadieme was developed because of my, and others I gamed with, frustration that you could not reproduce results from historical accounts say, like those in Small Unit Actions During the German Campaign in Russia.
In commercially available sets we kept finding either the game mechanics were so artificial that results could not be gotten or, that there were problems with accuracy within the game's technical side that prevented an historic result.



PARTIAL BIBLOGRAPHY

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Well I agree to a large extent, as long as realism doesn't dominate a game at the expense of playability. Have you published PanzerKriegsAkadieme?

A couple of the earlier versions had limited distribution, but not the current version (much improved).

Some Samples:

10.6 SPECIAL CASES FOR MORALE

FRESH TROOPS: THE EFFECT OF SUSTAINED COMBAT ON MORALE AND INITIATIVE
Troops as described above are assumed to be rested and not been action for several days. Troops will normally not be in this condition and their morale and initiative will be lower than it actually is. This is because troops that have been fighting for a sustained period will be tired and stressed resulting in their having lower than normal morale and initiative.
The degree to which one side or the other will be effected depends upon the length and intensity of the action they have recently seen. The longer the period of sustained combat the more the effect on their morale and initiative. Obviously, German troops under hours of bombardment and being assaulted for the tenth time will be at less than their peak of efficiency. Just as US troops being in the line for 2 or 3 months without respite were often at the end of their endurance. Therefore, adjustments of morale and initiative (and attendant leadership ability) for long term combat effects are needed.

PROCEDURE
The following modifiers for morale and initiative are used for prolonged combat exposure:
1. Units have their morale reduced by 1 for each 14 continuous days of action without a break the unit has seen.

2. A unit has its initiative reduced by 1 for each 8 hours of combat that the unit has been in without a break of at least 6 hours. Its initiative is also reduced as in 1 above like morale. Note this that effects a leader’s LF and AF factors.
3. These times are halved for cold and/or wet weather, primitive conditions and, for particularly intense periods of combat.
4. If a unit's morale reaches zero it will no longer fight. It cannot be threatened and will make every attempt to avoid battle. If an enemy unit contacts it, it will surrender. A unit will never have an initiative lower than 1. Note that morale checks causing permanent loses of morale also count toward this situation.

Referees are cautioned to use this rule evenly as truly fresh troops are rarely available and a side as an entirety is usually in the same state of wear (although each side may be in far different states!). This is due to units usually entering combat as a single entity, not piecemeal.



13.0 THE TURN SEQUENCE
The turn sequence lists the order in which actions are to be performed by units. It is relatively straightforward and easy to follow. It MUST be adhered to.

TURN SEQUENCE

ADMINISTRATIVE SEGMENT
Sighting modifier rolls
Up date any paperwork

ACTION SEGMENT
All troops of both sides now move and may fire in the order of their initiative. Units and leaders also perform other operations such as radio contact, rallying, issuing commands and orders and, other game related tasks.



How's that for a simple turn sequence?!

MISIDENTIFICATION
Misidentification of units may occur in the following circumstances normally. Thus, not all sighting attempts are subject to misidentification, only those in special conditions.
* In low visibility such as in fog or at night.
* When units appear from unexpected directions such as a friendly unit appearing from the direction the enemy is expected.
* With green or poor troops in most circumstances.
Other situations may cause misidentification to occur as well. The referee is free to cause a sighting attempt to be made under this rule whenever it is deemed appropriate.
PROCEDURE
When a unit is required to make a misidentification check there is a 1 in 10 chance the unit on which the check is made will be misidentified. If it is night (or low light), raining, foggy or, similarly poor sighting conditions then the referee can up the possibility of misidentification 2 to 5 times.

REACTION TO MISIDENTIFICATION
Unless a unit rolls its morale or less on a ten-sided die then it will ALWAYS return fire on a unit firing on it (see 9.4 also). This roll is always subject to a +3 modifier. No other modifiers apply to this check except leadership, if a leader is present. All firepower directed against what are thought to be friendly units is halved for the first firing phase.

SIGHTING OF FRIENDLY TROOPS
Note that for morale purposes it is frequently necessary to determine whether there are friendly units in sight. Sighting of friendly units IS NOT always automatic, but must be determined in the same manner as other units.

Your bibliography is longer than some rules I know

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Why don't you publish the current rules. Either as hard copies or downloadable?

If you would like a copy PM me with an e-mail I'll forward a copy in MS Word.