Editorials

[arnimlueck]

One thing that I still want to see improved is transforming the AoW into a good textbook that reads comprehensively to people who are non-gamers (before they are convinced ...).

Apart from the discussion on where to put beginners rules and full rueset I would like to see much wording providing an easier bridge from every-day language to wargamers dialect (hey I do not advocate DBx language here!). I tried the Key Concepts part with two victims;-))

After that here is my proposal for a rewrite:
2007-03-11

Some proposed modifications to the Key Concepts sections
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THE KEY CONCEPTS OF THE AOW RULESET

There are several KEY CONCEPTS in AOW that are worth introducing before going into
the main rules.

1. The Representation of Troops:
In the AoW the people fighting battle of ancient and medieval times are diiferenciated as troop types. These are characterized by an overall classification (such as heavy foot, cavalry) the amount of protective armour they carried in battle, tactical combat skills (like e.g. swordsmen) and their percieved experience/quality grading (e.g. Elite or poor). Some troops have an extra characteristica called Shock Troop.
Shock Troops are powerful troops equipped mainly for hand-to-hand combat whose function was to close quickly with the enemy. These troops may charge without orders - a problem for Roman as well as barbarian generals.
In combat the differences between the troops on the field is handled with a "Points of Advantage" (POA) system: This reflects the combination of factors that give troops a relative combat advantage when compared against each other. It is used in preference to giving troops a combat value. A net POA gives an increased chance of winning a combat, whilst a double POA almost guarantees a win.
Troop Experience/Quality is reflected with Quality Re-rolls. In AOW there are four gradings representing quality and skill: Elite, Superior, Average and Poor. Higher grade troops re-roll low scoring dice and therefore score more hits and pass more tests. The converse is true for poor troops who must re-roll high scoring dice.

2. Army Organization:
Armies in the AoW are organized in Bases, Battle Groups (BGs) and Battle Lines. Bases are units of the lowest size visible on the tabletop. Battle Groups are the basic formations, consisting of several units under a single leader who is of a level not represented in the game. Battle Lines are aggregations of Battle Groups into a larger formation for common tactical activity under a generals control.

3. The Simulation of Battlefield Activity:
The flow of the battle is devided in sequences of one players bound, an interbound phase, the opponent players bound, another interbound phase etc. During one players bound troop movement, charges, shooting and melees are worked out. In the interbound phase both sides can move their generals and rally troops. Some of the most important decisions will be taken here.

4. Tactical Movement
All distances in the game are specified in Movement Units (MUs) which can be either 25mm or 1 inch depending on local custom. In AOW we use the same MUs irrespective of scale.
Movement of Battle Groups on the field is limited by the Complex Move Test (CMT). This test must be passed by troops attempting to perform difficult manoeuvres. Undrilled armies will find it difficult to outmaneuver drilled ones. Also troops types depending on deep and ridgit formations such as spear phalanxes are limited by this test on performaing unrealistic movements.

5. The Combat System:
A three phase combat system which separates SHOOTING and IMPACT from MELEE. This allows us to realistically model the different capabilities of historical troop types in combat. It also serves to diffentiate between long slug outs and quick immediate overrun type combats.

6. Deciding the Battle:
Battles in AoW are decided by causing attrition to the opposing army. Attrition is casuesed by destroying the cohesion of the enemies battle groups.
A battle group that suffers during combat is subject to a Cohesion Test (CT). Battle groups start off with STEADY cohesion but through various circumstances can suffer a loss of cohesion, dropping first to DISRUPTED then to FRAGMENTED and finally to BROKEN, becoming increasingly degraded as this happens. If troops start to lose cohesion you need
to get a general to them quickly before they break.
As Battle Groups suffer hits during combat, bases are gradually removed from them following a "death roll" mechanism. If a Battle Group loses too many bases it will break automatically and cannot be rallied.