Sunday 22 December 2019

Machinas (post apocalyptic car racing) Race Game 03

Introduction
I solo play though a Two Hour Wargames Machinas (post-apocalypse car racing) game with 4 cars.  Machinas does not seem to be currently available (December 2019) :-)

Background
It is early November and I am busy running with too many gaming projects when we as a family sit down to watch the Netflix seriesDaybreak.  The jocks tribe is a homage to Mad Max. And Australians have an affinity for Mad Max :-) I had played a little of Machinas a few years ago and so I was inspired me to give another go. And also the fact that the Car Wars Kickstarter launched.  I was a big 1st Edition Car Wars player and while I know the new one is not that, it is faster and streamlined and so could not help but back it.  Blame nostalgia.  In the meantime, Machinas is on my list of tertiary projects so I felt justified to give it a go.
The game is run completely in a spreadsheet to automate many of the tasks.  All of the car generation and turn narrative is generated by the spreadsheet.  This is third cut of the spreadsheet.  The games in 2017 used a very clunky spreadsheet.  I overhauled this one completely to version 2 and ran a lap before I realised it was too onerous - each task was too uniquely implemented and so was hard to use.  I shuffled things around, streamlined some of the attributes and now have a spreadsheet Version 3 that flows consistently and guides you through the zones.  I need to improve the generated narrative but it is a good start.

Changes to the rules
I tried to limit the changes to the rules as much as possible but here they are:

  • Shoot now has a vehicle size modifier that the target rolls. Cycles are more likely to be hit than rigs.
  • Damage nuance: If 2+ successes for shooting, roll 1d6: 1-3 -1 speed; 4 is -1 tech 5 is -1 savvy 6 is -3 Bonus Dice.  If Tech/Savvy=0 or Bonus dice left < 3 dice then -1 to speed.
  • Out of control has no vehicle mods but each vehicles gets a +1d6 to the Out of Control check (I found Out of Control occurring too often for my liking)..
  • Included Kaptain Kobolds decision for when an NPC will roll bonus dice when being passed.
  •  NPCs only use limited weapons (Molotov Cocktail) on a 4+ or automatically if it is the last lap.
  • A car will always have a weapon it can fire. I changed some of the weapon that are limited use to have less effect instead.
  • I changed some of the weapons and attributes that were very difficult to code into a spreadsheet.
  • Less Bonus dice at start.  Average start number is 3 dice rather than 9 dice.
I am indebted to the Kaptain Kobold’s proposed Machinas NPCchanges for some of these.

Game Start
Note: All Cars were randomly generated but I did pick the better ones. I also made no decisions for each car – all were run as NPCs and decisions randomly generated.  The spreadsheet does allow for player controlled cars but I just wanted to see how it worked.

It is Lap 1 and Zone 1
The track is Straight.  The next zone track is Straight.
There are 4 vehicles in the race.

Vehicle 1 RED: Savvy-3 Tech-5 Speed-4. Sedan. Signature: Scrapper (+1 to car weight limit). Attributes: Gun (standard gun), Clunker (-2 Bonus dice at start), Spiked Wheels (+1d6 for bash), Power Steering (+1d6 when checking out of control), Heavy Armour (+1 for bashing and shot at). Starting Position 1.

Vehicle 2 YELLOW: Savvy-3 Tech-3 Speed-3. RV. Signature: Evader (+1 if shot at). Attributes: Gun (standard gun), Reinforced Posts (-1 to car damage), Ad hoc Armor (+1d6 shot at), AP Gun (1d6 becomes +1 on shooting), Power Steering (+1d6 when checking out of control), Spiked Wheels (+1d6 for bash). Starting Position 4.

Vehicle 3 BLUE: Savvy-4 Tech-4 Speed-3. Sedan. Signature: Gearhead (+1 Tech). Attributes: Tail Gun (May shoot behind), Power Steering (+1d6 when checking out of control), Dropped Spikes (+1 if being passed), . Starting Position 2.

Vehicle 4 GREEN: Savvy-4 Tech-4 Speed-3. Sedan. Signature: Slow to React (-2 bonus dice at start). Attributes: Grenade Launcher (+2 when shooting), Tuned Up (+2 Bonus dice at start), Ad hoc Armor (+1d6 shot at), . Starting Position 3.



Zone turn – Lap 1, Zone 2
Challenge
YELLOW goes In Position.
BLUE goes In Position.
GREEN goes Wide.


Random events
YELLOW receives +1 Bonus Die.
BLUE suffers the brakes locking up!  Drop back.
GREEN receives +1 Bonus Die.

Passing
GREEN attempts to pass RED. RED wins and may act. Action is to Bash. RED attempts to bash GREEN. Both stay in current spot and lane.

BLUE attempts to pass GREEN. GREEN wins and may act. Action is to Hold.

YELLOW attempts to pass BLUE. BLUE wins and may act. Action is to Shoot. BLUE attempts to shoot YELLOW using their Tail Gun. YELLOW damaged. Shooting has damaged the car. Damage inflicted is -1 Speed.

Zone turn, lap 1 Zone 3
Challenge
YELLOW goes In Position.
BLUE goes Out of Position.  Gain one Bonus die.
GREEN goes Wide.


Random events
YELLOW lose 1 bonus die.

Passing
GREEN attempts to pass RED. GREEN wins and may act. Action is to Bash. GREEN attempts to bash RED. Both stay in current spot and lane.
YELLOW attempts to pass BLUE. BLUE as Target wins and may act. Action is to Hold.

Zone turn, Lap 1 Zone 4
Challenge
YELLOW goes Out of Position.  Gain one Bonus die.
BLUE goes In Position.
GREEN goes In Position.


Random events
YELLOW receives +1 Bonus Die.
GREEN may attempt to pass now!
GREEN attempts to pass RED. GREEN wins and may act. Action is to Shoot. GREEN attempts to shoot RED using their Grenade Launcher. RED damaged. Shooting has damaged the car. Damage inflicted is -1 Speed.

Passing
GREEN attempts to pass RED. GREEN as Passer wins and may act. Action is to Pass.


Zone turn, lap 1, zone 5
Challenge
RED goes Out of Position.  Gain one Bonus die.
YELLOW goes In Position.
BLUE goes In Position.


Random events
BLUE receives +1 Bonus Die.
GREEN receives +1 Bonus Die.

Passing
BLUE attempts to pass YELLOW for a tail shot. BLUE  is going for a tail shot. BLUE.Passer wins and may act. Action is to Shoot. BLUE attempts to shoot YELLOW using their Tail Gun. YELLOW damaged. Shooting has damaged the car. Damage inflicted is -1 Speed. YELLOW now at 1 Speed.

YELLOW attempts to pass BLUE. BLUE as Target wins and may act. Action is to Hold.

Zone turn, lap 1, zone 6
Challenge
RED goes Wide.
YELLOW goes In Position.
BLUE goes In Position.


Random events
RED may attempt to pass now!
RED attempts to pass GREEN. RED wins and may act. Action is to Bash. RED attempts to bash GREEN. Both stay in current spot and lane.
YELLOW suffers the brakes locking up!  Drop back.

Passing
RED attempts to pass GREEN. Pass attempts fails.
BLUE attempts to pass RED. BLUE wins and may act. Action is to Pass.


Lap 2 and Zone 1
The track is Straight.  The next zone track is Straight.
Challenge
RED goes Out of Position.  Gain one Bonus die.
YELLOW goes Out of Position.  Gain one Bonus die.
BLUE goes In Position.


Random events
RED suffers the brakes locking up!  Drop back.
BLUE receives +1 Bonus Die.
GREEN lose 1 bonus die.

RED Drops back.
RED out of control? Retain control – stay in current spot and lane.
YELLOW out of control? Retain control – stay in current spot and lane.

Passing
BLUE attempts to pass GREEN. BLUE as Passer wins and may act. Action is to Pass.

Lap 2 and Zone 2
The track is Straight.  The next zone track is Curved.
Challenge
RED goes Out of Position.  Gain one Bonus die.
YELLOW goes In Position.
GREEN goes Out of Position.  Gain one Bonus die.
OOPS - error in sheet means no bonus dice for Zone 2 when there should have been,


Random events
BLUE receives +1 Bonus Die.

Passing
YELLOW attempts to pass RED. RED as Target wins and may act. Action is to Hold.

Lap 2 and Zone 3
The track is Curved.  The next zone track is Straight.
Challenge
RED goes Wide.
YELLOW goes Wide.
GREEN goes In Position.


Random events
RED receives +1 Bonus Die.
YELLOW receives +1 Bonus Die.

Passing
GREEN attempts to pass BLUE. BLUE as Target wins and may act. Action is to Hold.
RED attempts to pass GREEN. GREEN as Target wins and may act. Action is to Hold.
YELLOW attempts to pass RED. RED as Target wins and may act. Action is to Hold.

Lap 2 and Zone 4
The track is Straight.  The next zone track is Straight.
Challenge
RED goes Out of Position.  Gain one Bonus die.
YELLOW goes In Position.
GREEN goes In Position.


Random events
BLUE lose 1 bonus die.
GREEN suffers the brakes locking up!  Drop back.
GREEN out of control? Retain control – stay in current spot and lane.
RED out of control? Retain control – stay in current spot and lane.

Passing
GREEN attempts to pass BLUE. BLUE asTarget wins and may act. Action is to Bash. BLUE attempts to bash GREEN. Both stay in current spot and lane.
YELLOW attempts to pass RED. RED as Target wins and may act. Action is to Bash. RED attempts to bash YELLOW. Basher RED wrecked. Basher Flip back as Wreck.
RED has flipped back right and is now an obstacle.


Lap 2 and Zone 5
The track is Straight.  The next zone track is Curved.
Challenge
YELLOW goes In Position.
GREEN goes In Position.


Random events
YELLOW receives +1 Bonus Die.
BLUE suffers the brakes locking up!  Drop back.
GREEN loses 1 bonus die.


Passing
BLUE attempts to pass GREEN. GREEN as Target wins and may act. Action is to Hold.

Lap 2 and Zone 6.
The track is Curved.  The next zone track is Straight.
Challenge
YELLOW goes Out of Position.  Gain one Bonus die.
BLUE goes In Position.


Random events
YELLOW may attempt to pass now!
BLUE receives +1 Bonus Die.
GREEN suffers the brakes locking up!  Drop back.

GREEN Drops back. BLUE in LEAD.


YELLOW attempts to pass GREEN. GREEN as Target wins and may act. Action is to Hold.

Passing
GREEN attempts to pass BLUE. BLUE as Target wins and may act. Action is to Shoot. BLUE attempts to shoot GREEN using their Tail Gun. Both stay in current spot and lane.
YELLOW attempts to pass GREEN. GREEN as Target wins and may act. Action is to Bash. GREEN attempts to bash YELLOW. Both stay in current spot and lane.


Lap 3 (last lap) and Zone 1
The track is Straight.  The next zone track is Straight.
Challenge
YELLOW goes Out of Position.  Gain one Bonus die.
GREEN goes Out of Position.  Gain one Bonus die.


Random events
BLUE receives +1 Bonus Die.
GREEN receives +1 Bonus Die.

Lap 3 (last lap) and Zone 2
The track is Straight.  The next zone track is Curved.
Challenge
YELLOW goes Wide.  Zone 2: 3 Bonus dice received.
BLUE.  Zone 2: 3 Bonus dice received.
GREEN goes In Position.  Zone 2: 3 Bonus dice received.


Passing
GREEN attempts to pass BLUE. GREEN as Passer wins and may act. Action is to Pass.


YELLOW attempts to pass BLUE. BLUE as Target wins and may act. Action is to Hold.

Lap 3 (last lap) and Zone 4
The track is Straight.  The next zone track is Straight.
Challenge
YELLOW goes Out of Position.
BLUE goes Out of Position.


Random events
None.

Lap 3 (last lap) and Zone 4
The track is Straight.  The next zone track is Straight.
Challenge
YELLOW goes Wide.
BLUE goes In Position.


Random events
YELLOW receives +1 Bonus Die .
GREEN suffers the brakes locking up!  Drop back.

Green Drops back


Passing
GREEN attempts to pass BLUE. Pass attempts fails.
YELLOW attempts to pass GREEN. GREEN as Target wins and may act. Action is to Hold.


Lap 3 (last lap) and Zone 5
The track is Straight.  The next zone track is Curved.
Challenge
YELLOW goes In Position.
GREEN goes Out of Position.  Gain one Bonus die.


Random events
None

Passing
YELLOW attempts to pass GREEN. GREEN as Target wins and may act. Action is to Bash. GREEN attempts to bash YELLOW. Basher YELLOW wrecked. Target Flip back as Wreck..
YELLOW has flipped back left and is now an obstacle.


Lap 3 (last lap) and Zone 6
The track is Curved.  The next zone track is Straight.
Challenge
GREEN goes In Position.


Random events
GREEN may attempt to pass now!
GREEN attempts to pass BLUE. GREEN as Passer wins and may act. Action is to Pass.


Passing
BLUE attempts to pass GREEN. Pass attempts fails.
GREEN Wins!


Verdict
That was actually loads of fun to watch being played out!  Even if I was not specifically running a car it was great to see what the random generator made the cars do. I was secretly hoping for Red to win but it crashed out in lap 2.  Running the game helped me fix a few errors and also helped with the narrative generation.  I am hoping to run a few more games with maybe more cars (the spreadsheet can handle up to 8) and then modify the sheet to be able to run both races and chases. 

Thursday 19 December 2019

WW2 6mm game East Front 1942 testing out my own platoon rules (game 2)

Introduction
This is the second game in trying out my own 6mm WW2 rules.  I converted all the dice rolls to be on a deck of cards (so draw a card to lookup the result).  For more detailed see this previous blog post. The first game went fine and I have now glued the paper sized deck onto actual cards.  I did mention in the previous post that the cards could be improved, but decided the hours invested in doing that were better spent just playing!

Scenario
I have used a modified version of Platoon Forward to generate the forces, terrain and objective (in a spreadsheet).

The table is about 50cm x 50 cm; the figure scale is 1:300 (6mm size) the ground scale is 1:700 so the table is representing about 350m x350m.


The battlefield.  German may deploy anywhere.  Russian enter on the bottom, their objective is the centre top building.
The Russians enter on the bottom of the map and have to take the building in the top centre.

Troops
Russians
Russian forces, 81mm (at the rear) are off map.

Enter bottom of the map:
1 platoon leader (Aminev)
4 Rifle Squads
2 T-70 (Vodyanov)
2x 37mm AT gun + tow + leader (Gorskov)
plus
2x81mm in offtable support

(Russians were supposed to have the second leader with the 4 squads but I bought him on with the 37mm guns so have reflected it here in the list!)

Germans
German forces - on table at start on the left; reinforcements on the right.
Deployed anywhere except near the Russian entry edge

1 Platoon leader (Hahn)
5 Green Gruppe
1 50mm AT gun (Beck)
On a random future turn, enter any side but the Russian entry edge.
1 Stug IIIE (Bergmann)
1 Platoon leader (Horn)
2 Green Gruppe

Germans have better command and control than the Russians.  This means they will get slightly more activations but being Green they are less likely to recover form pins and suppression.

German deployment.
The Germans  deploy the majority of the Gruppe and the AT Gun centrally on the objective.  To the right is a forward defence to slow down that flank.  On the top left is the reserve of two Gruppe that may also act as flank defence for attacks via the woods.

Game
An interesting dilemma.  The Russians have only 4 squads of infantry to take the objective.  Backed up by a few tanks and AT guns, but these latter don't take buildings!  I will move the squads on first to see what may be there and then use the tanks.A bit more risky than normal but they must be able to take up some of the slack from the small number of infantry squads.  The AT guns will come on quickly too - possibly add a little more firepower where they can but also need then in case there are German tanks around.

Russians move 2 squads and Aminev on the right and two squad in the centre for support.  The Germans in the building fire for no effect and the Russians return fire and pin them.

Russian entry of 4 squads.

Close up of right most squads and Aminev.  Just looked good while I was lining up a picture so took it.
One of the squads in the woods catches eye of some gore and is pinned (random event).  The Russians bring on the T70s under Vodyanov's direction to fire on the Germans in the house. The T70s suppress the Gruppe in the house and then Aminev leads 2 squads to assault them and defeat them, losing one squad in the process.

The T70 fires and suppresses the Gruppe in the building, the Russians then assault. 
Beck directs the German AT gun to fire at the T70 and destroys it.  Lucky it was not the one with their leader, Vodyanov.

Russians are in the building (right centre).  Bottom right T70 destroyed.
Vodyanov's T70 decides to stay in the battle (passed morale check for half the tank squadron gone).

Beck's AT gun fires at the remaining T-70 and it is suppressed.

The remaining T70
The Russians in the building fire at the AT gun and pin it. "Heads down." Beck says calmly.
Being pinned, the AT gun will have to fire at closest target (currently the Russian infantry) rather than the T-70.

The pinned 50mm AT Gun and supporting Gruppe.
German infantry next to AT Gun fires at the building and suppresses a squad.

The Gruppe fires and suppresses a Russian squad in the building.
Aminev calls in some 81mm support on the AT gun and the Gruppe.

The off table  81mm mortar support
...and pins the Gruppe.

The AT Gun and supporting Gruppe are pinned.
Beck attempts to unpin the German AT gun attempts but fails.  Vodyanov's T70 unsuppresses and fires at the AT Gun but for no effect; but fires again and suppresses the adjacent Gruppe

The T70 supresses the Gruppe but in return the T70 is suppressed.
AT gun unpins - "Fire at that tank!" screams Beck - and suppresses the T70 again!

Aminev and the Russian squads in building unsuppress but their fire does no lasting damage to either the Gruppe or AT gun at the objective.

The German squad unsuppresses, fire at the Russians in the building for no effect and is suppressed in return!

The Germans unsuppress, trade fire with the Russians and are suppressed again.
The Russians at the rear centre move up and fire for no effect.

The centre Russians move up and fire.  No effect.
With nothing to use, finally it is tie for the reserve to act.  The Germans retaliate with the reserved Gruppe in the woods and suppress both the advancing sections.

The Russians that moved in the centre are now exposed to the unspotted reserve Gruppe in the woods and are suppressed.
Finally, a chance for the Russians to bring on Gorskov's 37mm AT guns!

It is time!  Gorskkov and two 37mm AT guns arrive in the Russian centre.
Vodyanov's T70 unsuppresses and pins the AT gun.

A bit of suppression, pinning and rallying occurs in the centre.

Aminev turns to his sqauds "Get up and go comrades!".  He and the squads (Russian right flank) charge the AT gun and adjacent Gruppe.  There is likely never to be a better chance!

Aminev and 2 squads charge the pinned and suppressed AT Gun and Gruppe in front of the objective.
Beck and crew retreat.  The Russians have cleared the objective of the AT gun and the accompanying Gruppe but are down to one squad now.

The AT Gun is taken and the Gruppe retreat.  Aminev is down to one squad.
The German reinforcements arrive.  Most timely and crazy times ahead!

But then the German reinforcements arrive at the objective an charge in!
Horn and the two inexperienced Gruppe assault and only just manage to succeed, they do lose a Gruppe and need to check morale and are fine.  Aminev managed to achieve a great deal before being forced to leave the field.

Aminev and his remaining squad are routed.  Horn and one Gruppe remain.
 The T70 fires on the Stug and suppresses it.

The T70 fires across the battlefield and suppresses the newly arrived Stug.
The newly arrived Gruppe under Horn fire on the squads in the centre and return fire pins them.  The Russians take this opportunity for Gorskov to call in the 81mm mortars on them (this was one reason I to put the Gorskov here so could call in fire), suppressing them.  And then the centre Russians followup with a close assault!

Horn and the Gruppe are suppressed by mortars and the centre Russian squads charge in!
The Russians win but lose a squad in the process, the remaining Germans under Hahn (on the objective) close combat to push them off.

The Russians win, but then the last Gruppe (and Hahn the leader) charge at them  The Germans lose and the survivors rout.
And lose! Oh dear.  The Russians are the only infantry next to the building, but there are other Germans in the woods ready for a counter attack!  The whole reason they were deployed in the woods was as a reserve for just this sort of contingency e.g. a counter-attack.  They move into close combat with the lone Russian squad....and lose both squads! So unlucky for the Germans.

The two reserve Gruppe in the woods charge in.  How can they lose?  But they do.  The lone Russian squad is next to the objective and the German armour retires from the field.

The Germans now fail their force morale and pullback from the board.  They have only the Stug left.

The Russians win!  They were very lucky - they passed a few force morale tests and should really have lost both the last two close combats.

Verdict
I really like these games with a small number of bases per side (this game was 8 Russians and 9 Germans).  The low density means ever decision and roll of the die (or draw of the card in this case) is critical.  It does remind me of the 20mm games Operation Jupiter scenarios I was playing (will get back to them once renovations stage 2 completes in a few years). More to come in the next few months -  I already have another game scenario generated, just needs to be setup.  I have also added some soldier names to the narrative.  This in to get me used to naming some troops in preparation on running a small 6mm East Front WW2 campaign.

I am also quite liking these rules, even if they are mine!.  Last year I put them together to play quick lunchtime games on a 12x12 grid but they are flow just as well ungridded, the cards are working well and I like the narrative.  They will likely work almost without change for my skirmish 1:1 games (with one base being one soldier) and am thinking on how to use them to play with 20mm company level games (when I have a table to play them on).