Gaming in Pearland

Taking the initiative

Research into tanks and tank combat is proceeding nicely. I have learned quite a bit about how tanks fought, and about how the strengths and weaknesses of the Axis & Allied tanks effected the outcome of the battles they fought in.

While I continue to research, I have started to make decisions about the games mechanics. One area that I think is critical to a good game of miniatures is the method used to determine initiative and turn order. Having played Warhammer for many years I knew that I did not want a I go you go sort of battle. I also think that the use of dice or even cards to determine initiative is a bit over done.

I want a method to simulate command, communication and supply options in the game, and I have decided to use the initiative phase to simulate that. I have thought of a couple of different ways of doing this, but am currently leaning towards the following approach. At the start of the game, each player will receive a number of Command & Supply (C&S) points. These points are used during the game to determine the order of play in each turn. The game will likely be driven by scenarios as opposed to deathmatch style play, and the number of points each player gets should be determined by those scenarios. The specifics remain to be decided.

I decided to borrow a mechanic from many board games I have played and make the initiative phase of the game an auction. Players will use the C&S points they have to bid for turn order. This bidding represents the planning, communications, and general readiness commanders have before this phase of the battle. Beginning with the player who went last in the previous round players can bid any number of there C&S points. Players alternate either out bidding the other player or passing. Once a player passes, the other player pays the number of C&S points bid and takes the first turn.

Turns will likely be made up of a number of action points, determined either by a roll of the dice or by spending additional C&S points. Actions will fall into the move or shoot categories. Actions will come in a later post.

I don’t know of another miniatures game that uses an auction as a means to determine initiative. The nuber of C&S points in the game will be finite, perhaps the game will end after both players have used there supply of C&S points. I think it will add a nice element ot the game requiring you to plan both your moves as well as your initiative phase.