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Author Topic: Stress Rules  (Read 1944 times)

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Offline Clark

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Stress Rules
« on: April 04, 2011, 10:16:15 PM »
Does anyone use Stress Rules?
Are there any suggestions to make them more stressful/workable?
« Last Edit: April 05, 2011, 08:25:40 PM by Clark »

Offline Scoutzout

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Re: Stress Rules
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2011, 11:05:21 PM »
Not as a stand alone concept for a mini game.-  its usually tied into Morale as a modifier. I think most players want to think of PI as unshakeable.

I think there are two basic concepts that impact troop performance

Fatigue - the physical limits of a unit. Perhaps measured by temporary damage and countered by endurance, rest periods or combat drugs/stimulants. The one problem is that negative modifiers to troops in the game can really blow the balance of a scenario so this is usually summarized in morale checks. Assume the troopers can fight without penalty but their chances of breaking are increased. It can also be reasoning for "decimation rules"

Morale  -  The mental state and esprit de corps of the unit. Measured by Morale Rating and modified by leadership, discipline, fatigue, casualties, battle objectives/reason for battle.






Offline YojimboUsaka

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Re: Stress Rules
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2011, 05:19:58 AM »
I have tried to add stress and morale into the RPG/small unit game I was working on.  Stress was directly tied to the experience//quality level of the unit.  Figures picked up stress from all the usual things; extra movement, being shot at, friends being wounded/killed etc...  Stress points could be regained by resting, leadership and a few other things.    When a figure ran out of stress points it's effectiveness dropped and started making rolls to  continue the fight.  It worked well but required some extra bookkeeping for each figure but as we always played with the ammo rules and wounding it was not that much more. 

Had some pretty interesting side effects.  Leaders needed to stay close to keep the grunts on the front line and active.  Troops could get 'fatigued' from being in a prolonged firefight and need to pull back to recover before continuing on. 

Played with an option where a figure would get stress if isolated (no friendly figures nearby) which encouraged squad coherency but not artificially so.

A lot of this could be waived by special attributes such as 'Balls of Steel' - figure gains no stress from being shot at or suppression.  Powered armor gave many benefits in regards to stress.  Wanted to keep them the hard core killing machines they should be.

Charles

Offline Clark

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Re: Stress Rules
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2011, 05:37:55 AM »
I was referring to stress rules in the sense of time limits and rigidly enforced turn sequence and such.

Offline smokingwreckage

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Re: Stress Rules
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2011, 05:51:32 AM »
Never got good enough for it to make sense.

Offline bobloblah

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Re: Stress Rules
« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2011, 11:18:27 AM »
I've used them in terms of Warmachine "Hardcore" play, which has very strict turn time limits. It's an interesting format, and it actually changes the meta-game. Not something that I think is really suited to a friendly wargame, except for situational examples where it's particularly thematic. Space Hulk had a turn time limit, and it was extended based on the number of terminator sergeants or captains present in the mission. I liked it there for the atmosphere it added to the game, but Space Hulk is quite a bit simpler than Legions of Steel or Planetstorm. Moreover, I know tons of people who never actually used it in Space Hulk, even though it wasn't an optional rule.
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Bobloblah

Arfiel

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Re: Stress Rules
« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2011, 11:30:25 AM »
I only like turn time limits when I play against grendel.

but yes realistically if you were to use a timed turn it would have to be points based duration.
I like the idea of it only being used as flavour if scenario calls for it.

Offline grendeljd

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Re: Stress Rules
« Reply #7 on: April 12, 2011, 12:05:50 PM »
I only like turn time limits when I play against grendel.

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Offline YojimboUsaka

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Re: Stress Rules
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2011, 06:42:01 AM »
Ah... sorry.

Once we got comfortable with the rules we used the timed turn stress rules and really liked them.  Leaders added time as well as command points.  When the machines started hunting Sgts and Lt's the games got real tense.

You  had to use it sparingly though as new players just got flustered and frustrated. 

Of course when we really wanted a tense game we played with timed turns and double-blind.  Gives the game a whole different expereince.

Charles

Offline Clark

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Re: Stress Rules
« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2011, 06:46:49 AM »
Double-blind with stress rules! Egads!