Moving Fire in G.A.M.E.R.

This past weekend we played two games using my under-development G.A.M.E.R. system.  Those games gave me a chance to try out some ideas I’ve been kicking around regarding moving fire.  As the game is currently written, figures may either move or fire when they activate, but there is no moving fire.  I have been struggling with the best way to represent the increased firepower afforded to US squads by the M-1 Garand vs. every other army’s bolt-action rifles.

When I was a cadet at West Point, one of the history instructors showed us a film he made as part of his master’s thesis.  It involved him dressing up a full US and German squad with their organic weapons (including BARs and MG-42).  He then took them onto a known distance range and had them engage targets for a fixed period of time.  As I recall he even used the same guys for both squads to control for the possibility of better marksmen in one group or the other.  The result of this experiment was that a US squad had significantly more firepower than a German squad.  Since the BAR is not really comparable to the MG-42, you have to assign the credit to the M-1 Garand.  That has stuck with me for many years.

In Bolt Action, soldiers with Garands are allowed to conduct moving fire, but not soldiers with bolt action rifles.  I have tried to account for the differences in firepower in GAMER by enabling some weapons to fire more than one shot during an activation.  For instance, a submachine gun can fire 3 times at close range, twice at medium range, and just once at long range.  This reflects both the rate of fire and the poor likelihood of hitting multiple times with a submachine gun at long range.

This mechanism of multiple shots still didn’t address the moving fire issue.  While I like the shoot OR move mechanism for cleanness, simplicity, and speed, I understand why players of modern periods want moving fire.  The experiment at JJ CON was only partially successful, because I took away multiple shots from the Garand but allowed moving fire with a full move.

After that experiment, here is what I think I am going to do.  First, I realized that the penalty for moving fire (one column shift) was not punitive enough.  I have been thinking about making it a two-column shift for some time as a result of vehicle play tests.  A figure with a weapon that can fire more than once at the range to the target may instead conduct moving fire.  The number of shots will be reduced by one.  Movement distance will be reduced by two inches.  Moving fire is always conducted as move, then fire at the end point of the move.  Moving fire can be interrupted during the movement, not the firing, by a reaction roll.  I think this will give the right feel.

JJ CON 2015

JJ Con 1981
JJ Con 1981

In 1981 my buddy JJ had a sleepover wargaming birthday party when he turned 16.  A bunch of us got together this past weekend to celebrate with 50th birthday with a weekend of gaming.  We managed to fit in 7 miniatures games and a couple of card games in two days of non-stop gaming.

(In the picture from 1981, most of the faces are hidden, but I will identify the faces you can see.  Most of the faces won’t be familiar to the group, and many of the faces are hidden.  Standing at the left is Mike Janes.  He was quite a bit older than us but often hosted games at his house, and he took us to our first gaming convention.  I have been trying to link up with Mike, but he has no Web presence.  Standing (and waving) in the center is me.  Seated below me is Matt Stone.  We have all lost touch with Matt.  To the left of Matt, seated, is Mark Lauzon.  Standing at the top right, with just half his face visible and the other half behind the Elton John glasses, is JJ.  Other folks who are probably in the picture but I cannot identify are John Bice, David Dziadziola, Jeff Dziadziola, and Steve Jarosz.)

Attendees of JJ Con 2015
Attendees of JJ Con 2015

From left to right, Nick, Dave, Jimmy, Rick, Mark, JJ (the birthday boy), Duncan, Eric, and David (aka Ook).  I took the picture.

The Beer and Pretzels Ironclad game in progress
The Beer and Pretzels Ironclad game in progress

We began the weekend, according to time-honored tradition, with a large Beer and Pretzels Ironclads game.  The Rebs got spanked by the Yanks, having lost most of our larger ships.

A chariot race in progress using Roman Circus rules
A chariot race in progress using Roman Circus rules

Our second game was a 2-1/2 lap chariot race using the rules Roman Circus.  Nick won the game easily, having come from behind.

Red Dragon Inn in progress
Red Dragon Inn in progress

While I was setting up the next game, most of the guys played Red Dragon Inn.

Beginning the GAMER WWII Retrograde Scenario
Beginning the GAMER WWII Retrograde Scenario

I ran a WWII GAMER scenario, which involved the heavily outnumbered Germans attempting to delay the advancing Americans.  The Americans had to get at least 10 figures off the table by the end of the 15th turn.

Americans advancing with a Stuart light tank
Americans advancing with a Stuart light tank

Retrograde missions are hard, but the Germans eeked out a victory, because the Americans only got five figures off the table by the end of turn 15.  Another five figures were close — but no cigar.

Duncan's War of 1812 raid scenario using GAMER
Duncan's War of 1812 raid scenario using GAMER

We set up Duncan’s game for the next morning and then went to bed.  Early Saturday morning we played a reprise of Duncan’s War of 1812 GAMER scenario from Christmas.  The Americans raided a British encampment.  Initially the Brits were outnumbered two to now, but Duncan and I each had a squad of reinforcements that arrived in time to turn the tide of the battle.  It was declared a clear British victory.

Several groups of Americans begin held back by Eric's Brits
Several groups of Americans begin held back by Eric's Brits

The game was quite fun.  Playing a second game with the same rules (GAMER) was good, because it was easier for many of the folks who only game once a year (or even less frequently) during JJ CON.

A long shot of Orc's Drift
A long shot of Orc's Drift

After Duncan’s War of 1812 game, Eric ran his Orc’s Drift fantasy game using GASLIGHT.  It was a tense, hard-fought battle, but in the end the good guys were able to withstand the assaults of the misunderstood bad guys.

The bad guys advance on Orc's Drift
The bad guys advance on Orc's Drift

We cleaned up Orc’s Drift and played another chariot race.

A second Roman Circus chariot race game
A second Roman Circus chariot race game
We even got JJ's wife, Karen, to participate in the second chariot race
We even got JJ's wife, Karen, to participate in the second chariot race

I was set to win the second chariot race, but my last movement roll was dismal and I barely made it across the finish line.  Dave came from second place to win.

Who IS that studly guy?!
Who IS that studly guy?!

Our final miniatures game of the weekend was a thrown-together X-Wing scenario.

A long shot of my thrown together X-Wing game
A long shot of my thrown together X-Wing game

The rebels were attacking to knock out the three laser turrets on the surface of an Imperial station.  This was the first time I had used the laser turrets, and I think they worked well.

TIE Fighters defending a laser turret
TIE Fighters defending a laser turret

The rebels knocked out one turret and damaged the other two, but they did not achieve their objective of knocking out all three.

After we cleaned up, it was about 10:30, so we elected to start a “short” game of Nuclear War (by Flying Buffalo).  The game dragged on until after 1:30 in the morning, so none of us got much sleep.

All in all, it was a good weekend of gaming, laughing, and fun.