{"id":2763,"date":"2014-04-30T12:24:37","date_gmt":"2014-04-30T12:24:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/?p=2763"},"modified":"2014-04-30T12:24:37","modified_gmt":"2014-04-30T12:24:37","slug":"random-enemy-generation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/?p=2763","title":{"rendered":"Random Enemy Generation"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have written a number of blog posts about my use of cards for a new skirmish system I have been developing.\u00a0 I was reading a recent article in Miniature Wargames about generating enemy forces for solitaire play.\u00a0 Now, I’ve never done much solitaire gaming, as I’ve generally been lucky enough to find or build a gaming group whenever I’ve moved to a new area, but this idea intrigued me.\u00a0 The author of the article had some really interesting ideas.\u00a0 I did enjoy Ambush<\/span> some years ago.\u00a0 I was thinking, however, that I could replace the use of charts and tables to generate enemy units, locations, cover status, and activities with cards.\u00a0 The US Army has something called a SALUTE report (Size, Activity, Location, Unit or Uniform, Time of report, and Equipment).\u00a0 If we eliminate “U” and\u00a0“T,” it seems to me that you could divide up the card by the other letters.\u00a0 Then you could use a series of card draws to generate enemy forces.<\/p>\n

First draw:\u00a0 Is there a new enemy unit?<\/p>\n

If so, second draw:\u00a0 What is the size of the unit?\u00a0 A vehicle?\u00a0 A squad?\u00a0 This would cover both the size (“S”) and whether they have any special equipment (“E”), such as a machinegun, flame thrower, etc.\u00a0 I think the results in this section of the card would need to be made generic so that a player would be able to select something “about right” from the figures and vehicles he has on hand.<\/p>\n

Then make the third draw:\u00a0 What is the enemy’s location?\u00a0 (Yes, this is out of order for SALUTE.)\u00a0 I see a dial of some sort like I use in G.A.M.E.R.\u00a0 It seems to me that the randomly-generated enemy should be sort of cover, but perhaps not.\u00a0 I guess I just don’t like the idea of a lots of enemy units popping up in an open field at short range.\u00a0 It can happen, of course, but shouldn’t be the norm.\u00a0 (By the way, just because they’ve been put on the table doesn’t mean that friendly forces have spotted them.\u00a0 Normal spotting rules would still apply.)<\/p>\n

Fourth draw:\u00a0 What are they doing?\u00a0 This might be dependent on the location draw.\u00a0 If the enemy is in cover, then they are …\u00a0 If they are in the open, then they are …\u00a0 Options might have then fire at a nearby player unit, moving toward a player unit, defending something, etc.\u00a0 This needs to be fleshed out.\u00a0 Thought experiments while running will only go so far.\u00a0 I’ll need to put this on the table many, many times to come up with a good list of options.<\/p>\n

When do you initiate this process?\u00a0 Is there a maximum number of enemy units that can be placed?\u00a0 Lots of questions, but it seems worth fiddling with at some point.<\/p>\n

I have too many other irons in the fire just now to spend a lot of time on this, but it will keep me busy on my next few runs.\u00a0 I am thinking about this as a companion to G.A.M.E.R.<\/p>\n