Notes on gameplay mechanics
Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 9:30 pm
Hello All!
In this post I will be explaining how Warhammer 40,000 Armageddon game mechanics works. Feel free to post your question below, and I'll do my best to answer them and also will be updating this post with new info.
First high-level principles
- Armageddon is a hex-based turn-based wargame.
- Each hex can hold just one unit (this is true for air units as well).
- Each unit has just one movement and one attack action per turn.
- You can use unit's actions in any order, and you can do one of the actions, then give orders to other units, and then return to the first unit and spend its remaining action.
Controls
- Most actions in the game are performed using the left mouse button. You select units with left button and you give them orders with left button too. In the future this will naturally translate to tablets.
- When you are done giving orders to your units, you pass the turn to your opponent with "End Turn" button. This is the button at the top-center of the screen with "Turn X/Y" inside it. This button has three different uses:
-- When you are done with your turn, pass the turn to the opponent
-- When you have deployed all of your units in the deployment phase (prior to the main battle), use it to start the battle
-- When you have won (or lost) a scenario, the map will be revealed and you can review it to see where enemy units were in fog of war etc. After you are done reviewing the battlefield, press "End turn" to finish this mission and proceed to the next (or to return to main menu).
Movement
- Each unit has a certain number of movement points, and a movement type. These together determine how far a unit can go each turn. For example, units with leg movement type (infantry) can enter buildings and other difficult terain while vehicles can not.
Spotting
- Each unit has a certain spotting radius, and reveals enemy unit in this radius.
Combat
Combat is the most important aspect of the game. There are many rules related to combat, and we are still changing and tweaking this aspect.
- Each unit can have from 1 to 3 different weapons. All weapons are shown in the UI together with their stats.
- Each weapon has its own minimum and maximum range, and can be used only against enemy units at a distance between these two numbers. Range is shown as Min-Max, if min range is 0 or 1 it is not shown.
- When you attack enemy unit, you fire at it with all weapons which can reach it. All other weapons do not shoot this turn.
- Note that, unlike Panzer Corps, in Armageddon most units can attack across one or several hexes.
- Every combat is resolved as simultaneous fire: if you attack an enemy unit, the enemy shoots back at you. The only exception is if the enemy has no weapons to reach the attacker.
- Terrain of the map is very important. Some terrain types provide cover for units inside, exact cover value is listed in the UI when you hover the hex. Cover basically reduces accuracy of enemy units attacking this unit.
- Also, some terrain types are so high, they can partially or full block line of sight (LOS) to enemy unit. Information about terrain effect on LOS is also shown in the UI. If there is high terrain between attacker and defender, it can significantly degrade firing accuracy, or (if LOS is blocked 100%) completely prevent the attack.
- Some weapons have "indirect fire" trait which allows them to shoot over obstacles. Game UI does not indicate these weapons yet (but it will!), but these are mostly artillery-like weapons, often with minimum range greater than one, so often it is intuitively clear which weapon has indirect fire trait. Such weapons can be very handy, because you can attack the enemy from behind an obstacle, and not get any return fire from him.
- Some units have an ability to provide fire support to adjacent friendly units. When friendly unit is attacked, such units will fire at the attacker first. These units are not specifically marked in the UI yet. Some examples are: Steel Legion Fire Support, Steel Legion Mortar Support, Wyvern, Shoota Boyz with Big Shoota.
- Some units are specially suited to close combat - assault units. After exchanging fire with enemy unit normally, they will enter enemy hex and attack him with their close (0-range) weapons. Assault only happens if you attack enemy unit on adjacent hex. Assault attack ignores cover, and so is very useful against units hiding in fortifications, buildings etc.
- Units gain experience in combat and gain levels from 1 to 10. Every level is indicated by a skull in the UI. Experience makes units more accurate and harder to hit.
- Also, every unit has morale which is indicated by the color of its strength plate. Morale can be good (bright white), normal (gray), low (yellow) and broken (red). Units with low morale lose combat effectiveness and are easier to destroy.
Other orders
There are some other orders you can give to you units.
- Undo Move - takes back the move if it did not reveal any enemy units.
- Sleep - the unit is excluded from prev/next unit sequence till the end of the turn
- Rest and refit - the unit gains one hit point and gains +10 morale. Supply command does the same action, and will be removed as redundant.
- Replacements - replace unit's casualties. Replacements cost points, and the unit will lose some experience, because replacements will not be as experienced as lost personel.
- Disband - should be self-explanatory.
- Mount/unmount to unit's attached transport. This order can be executed automatically if you give the unit an order to move further than its normal movement range would allow.
- Upgrade - upgrade (or downgrade) unit's equipment. Upgrading costs you points, while downgraiding gives you some points back. Usually upgrade is only available in the beginning of a mission when you deploy your troops.
Resources
- There are two resources in the game - Glory and Requisition Points.
- Requisition Points is your "material" resource. It is used to purchase new units, upgrade existing ones, and give units replacements during combat. They are indicated as "cog" in the UI.
- Glory is your "immaterial" resource - you cannot buy anything with it, this your fame, authority and influence with other characters. Glory is indicated with eagle in the UI. In the current beta glory is only used as a measure of how successful you are as a commander (it is essentially your campaign score).
- You earn glory in three ways:
-- by capturing flags and victory hexes (50 and 100 glory respectively)
-- by killing enemy units (the more high-level unit you kill, and the less your own losses are, the more glory you will earn)
-- every turn all VHs you own give you 20 glory. If you finish the mission with a few turns left, you get this "income" for the remaining turns as well.
In this post I will be explaining how Warhammer 40,000 Armageddon game mechanics works. Feel free to post your question below, and I'll do my best to answer them and also will be updating this post with new info.
First high-level principles
- Armageddon is a hex-based turn-based wargame.
- Each hex can hold just one unit (this is true for air units as well).
- Each unit has just one movement and one attack action per turn.
- You can use unit's actions in any order, and you can do one of the actions, then give orders to other units, and then return to the first unit and spend its remaining action.
Controls
- Most actions in the game are performed using the left mouse button. You select units with left button and you give them orders with left button too. In the future this will naturally translate to tablets.
- When you are done giving orders to your units, you pass the turn to your opponent with "End Turn" button. This is the button at the top-center of the screen with "Turn X/Y" inside it. This button has three different uses:
-- When you are done with your turn, pass the turn to the opponent
-- When you have deployed all of your units in the deployment phase (prior to the main battle), use it to start the battle
-- When you have won (or lost) a scenario, the map will be revealed and you can review it to see where enemy units were in fog of war etc. After you are done reviewing the battlefield, press "End turn" to finish this mission and proceed to the next (or to return to main menu).
Movement
- Each unit has a certain number of movement points, and a movement type. These together determine how far a unit can go each turn. For example, units with leg movement type (infantry) can enter buildings and other difficult terain while vehicles can not.
Spotting
- Each unit has a certain spotting radius, and reveals enemy unit in this radius.
Combat
Combat is the most important aspect of the game. There are many rules related to combat, and we are still changing and tweaking this aspect.
- Each unit can have from 1 to 3 different weapons. All weapons are shown in the UI together with their stats.
- Each weapon has its own minimum and maximum range, and can be used only against enemy units at a distance between these two numbers. Range is shown as Min-Max, if min range is 0 or 1 it is not shown.
- When you attack enemy unit, you fire at it with all weapons which can reach it. All other weapons do not shoot this turn.
- Note that, unlike Panzer Corps, in Armageddon most units can attack across one or several hexes.
- Every combat is resolved as simultaneous fire: if you attack an enemy unit, the enemy shoots back at you. The only exception is if the enemy has no weapons to reach the attacker.
- Terrain of the map is very important. Some terrain types provide cover for units inside, exact cover value is listed in the UI when you hover the hex. Cover basically reduces accuracy of enemy units attacking this unit.
- Also, some terrain types are so high, they can partially or full block line of sight (LOS) to enemy unit. Information about terrain effect on LOS is also shown in the UI. If there is high terrain between attacker and defender, it can significantly degrade firing accuracy, or (if LOS is blocked 100%) completely prevent the attack.
- Some weapons have "indirect fire" trait which allows them to shoot over obstacles. Game UI does not indicate these weapons yet (but it will!), but these are mostly artillery-like weapons, often with minimum range greater than one, so often it is intuitively clear which weapon has indirect fire trait. Such weapons can be very handy, because you can attack the enemy from behind an obstacle, and not get any return fire from him.
- Some units have an ability to provide fire support to adjacent friendly units. When friendly unit is attacked, such units will fire at the attacker first. These units are not specifically marked in the UI yet. Some examples are: Steel Legion Fire Support, Steel Legion Mortar Support, Wyvern, Shoota Boyz with Big Shoota.
- Some units are specially suited to close combat - assault units. After exchanging fire with enemy unit normally, they will enter enemy hex and attack him with their close (0-range) weapons. Assault only happens if you attack enemy unit on adjacent hex. Assault attack ignores cover, and so is very useful against units hiding in fortifications, buildings etc.
- Units gain experience in combat and gain levels from 1 to 10. Every level is indicated by a skull in the UI. Experience makes units more accurate and harder to hit.
- Also, every unit has morale which is indicated by the color of its strength plate. Morale can be good (bright white), normal (gray), low (yellow) and broken (red). Units with low morale lose combat effectiveness and are easier to destroy.
Other orders
There are some other orders you can give to you units.
- Undo Move - takes back the move if it did not reveal any enemy units.
- Sleep - the unit is excluded from prev/next unit sequence till the end of the turn
- Rest and refit - the unit gains one hit point and gains +10 morale. Supply command does the same action, and will be removed as redundant.
- Replacements - replace unit's casualties. Replacements cost points, and the unit will lose some experience, because replacements will not be as experienced as lost personel.
- Disband - should be self-explanatory.
- Mount/unmount to unit's attached transport. This order can be executed automatically if you give the unit an order to move further than its normal movement range would allow.
- Upgrade - upgrade (or downgrade) unit's equipment. Upgrading costs you points, while downgraiding gives you some points back. Usually upgrade is only available in the beginning of a mission when you deploy your troops.
Resources
- There are two resources in the game - Glory and Requisition Points.
- Requisition Points is your "material" resource. It is used to purchase new units, upgrade existing ones, and give units replacements during combat. They are indicated as "cog" in the UI.
- Glory is your "immaterial" resource - you cannot buy anything with it, this your fame, authority and influence with other characters. Glory is indicated with eagle in the UI. In the current beta glory is only used as a measure of how successful you are as a commander (it is essentially your campaign score).
- You earn glory in three ways:
-- by capturing flags and victory hexes (50 and 100 glory respectively)
-- by killing enemy units (the more high-level unit you kill, and the less your own losses are, the more glory you will earn)
-- every turn all VHs you own give you 20 glory. If you finish the mission with a few turns left, you get this "income" for the remaining turns as well.
