Welcome back. This is the promised second part, and arguably the better half, of "Wargame Mechanics in RPGs: Firepower." In this issue, I'll break down Firepower's Solitaire Rules so that you can use them to drive NPC movement and basic choices. Additionally, I'll introduce one of my 'Directional Wheels' that can give NPCs a further sense of intelligence.
As always, I hope you're doing well. If things aren't going your way, consider changing the way you're going. And if you don't know which way to go, read on, and I'll show you how to pick a random direction using a eight-sided die. Any direction, even an unknown one, is better than sticking to a path that's not working.
Name Change: You might have noticed a name change as well. I wasn't sure what I was doing when I started, and it seems we've taken off in a particular direction, so here we are. I'm not a Buddhist, per se, and I'm not anything in particular, but "Zen" feels more an appropriate space if there ever was one.
Before I continue, a word about Firepower and my intentions here. If you're interested in learning the game, this is not the place. This is more about its solitaire mechanics being used more generally and applied to other genres of roleplaying. I'd suggest taking a look at parts 1, 2, and 3 of these videos from MJL, and this modified playthrough by Geek Gamer, all of which I found quite helpful.
In my last post, I nearly ran out of time and couldn't cover everything I wanted. One of the topics I wanted to cover is the playstyle I use to keep things fresh and engaging. Since I'm playing both sides and know what the other side is up to… or do I?
Honestly, I don't think that far ahead, on purpose. I focus only on the current side I'm engaging with and don't plan anything for the other side until it's their turn. Well, that's not entirely accurate. If there's a possibility that the soldier I'm controlling comes into the line of sight of the opposite side, I roll a 1D20 to see if they've been spotted. I make a mental note of that or write it down in case I forget. Sometimes I'm just passing by, other times stopping right there. Either way, I check to see if they've been noticed and work out the result when I get back to the other side.
No one side has an edge; I play both sides equally and honestly. I always play as though I'm attempting to win or achieve the goal of whatever side I'm working with. Sometimes there's a given leader in the group, assigned or naturally so, and I give them a personality from which I work out their respective choices and actions. I do the same with the various individual soldiers as well and often reincarnate some of them back into the next battle because I enjoy their company. One example is Rick.
Rick is a bit of a hothead and thinks he knows what's best, but he has very little actual military experience. A lot of what he does is ego-based. Such is the case currently. He worked his way forward towards the hills and trees to be the first one to see action. He noticed a target about 50 yards away in a window and decided to take a shot, disregarding the fact that everyone behind him was still trying to work their way to cover. The whole point was to be stealthy until they could get close enough for a better attack. He missed. Now their presence is known, the other side is on high alert, and has set up along the south side of their building, prepared to defend themselves. Trigger-happy Rick put everyone at risk, and now their stealthy plan has become a standoff that could take some time to resolve. Not to mention it's getting dark and it’s started to snow.
I think the most important thing to remember is that no matter what side you're playing, always make choices that are in the best interest of that side based on whatever perspective or personality that side is currently working with, and only based on the knowledge they possess about the situation, not the knowledge you possess. They know less than you do; keep that in mind. When in doubt, let the dice decide for you. Roll a 1D20 and:
1-5: No
6-10: No, but…
11-15: Yes
16-20: Yes, and…
I usually add or subtract one to five points depending on the chances of the event in question. Another option, if your mind doesn't work that way, is to use the actual Solitaire Rules from Firepower itself.
I'm not going to go over them in their entirety; that would require another post altogether. My focus here is their implications and usage for solitaire play in an RPG setting. I'm going to briefly go over some aspects that I think can be useful for solitaire play and can be applied to various genres of roleplay.
If you've read the rules yourself, you may have noticed that the 'defenders' (NPCs) are placed at random using various dice rolls on the Solitaire Placement Table. First, we roll a 1D10 to see how many soldiers we can place based on how many "sequence" phases are available. Sequence phases are like turns; a given scenario may have a certain number of turns per round. During a sequence phase, things like movement, melee, and firing at enemies occur. Who is allowed to move during a sequence phase is determined by the luck of the draw. There are two sets of colored markers labeled A, B, C, D… Mixed together and chosen at random to decide turns. Sometimes the enemy may get multiple turns before you get a chance to move. This simulates a real battle, where sometimes you can't move and just have to stay put and make do.
Let's say we have 4 sequence phases. We roll our 1D10 and check the result under the number 4. If we rolled a 6, we could place one unit in this phase. We roll again for the Reference Hex, and then again for how far away from this Hex a soldier will be placed, and again for the direction, and finally once more for their position; prone, crouching, or standing. These placements represent previously unseen enemies and not enemies suddenly appearing. This continues until the complete number of units is placed. Since these are solo rules, we then have to make some choices, such as picking another nearby hex, which is better if one exists.
"If a number of adjacent hexes are 'better,' the 'best' one must be chosen using the following order of choices in comparison to the placement hex:
First Choice: A hex that is both higher and offers better protection.
Second Choice: A hex that is of equal height and offers better equal protection.
Third Choice: A hex that is of equal height and offers better protection. For equal hexes, choose one that does not contain another friendly soldier in preference to one that does."
I opt to do the same random placement with my own soldiers in cases where I feel like I want to dive into a situation that is already happening, or in cases where I might be dungeon crawling and happen upon an enemy.
In Grey Hollow, for example, battles occur on a 10x10 grid, which represents the general area. Both the player and the enemies are placed randomly based on dice rolls in surprise encounters. This gives the sense of the event suddenly occurring. I think I have some photos lying about of me beta testing this; let me see if I can….
There we go. Not much to see, but just to give an example of narrowing a battle down to a single point that represents a portion of a grander experience. This is a sneak peek into how battles are done in Grey Hollow.
Back to Firepower, the third and final portion of the solitaire rules includes a set of seven priorities that cover melee, firing, and movement. These 'priorities' include making choices as if you were the enemy.
Priority Zero: This is my own personal priority, and it comes into play only if an NPC is capable of healing themselves. This priority should be used only when it's feasibly possible, according to your own ideas of relativity and ability. If an enemy is injured, at roughly 25% of their total hit points, there is a 1 in 4 chance of them attempting to heal themselves. At 50%, a 2 in 4 chance, and at 75% or higher, a 3 in one chance every time a morale check does not result in an attempt to escape.
Priority One: If an enemy is placed in the same hex as a player or player-controlled NPC, melee must begin immediately, preferably as if they arrive from behind. I think this pretty much speaks for itself, and I personally take the same route if placement is adjacent, such as suggested in the next priority.
Priority Two: If a soldier is close enough to enter a hex for melee, do so if there is at least a 50% chance of winning the melee, considering all modifiers. If more than one melee opportunity is available, choose the one that has the higher opportunity for success. If two or more enemies are nearby, they all move together towards the melee target, unless more than one exists. In such a case, pick the best one based on whatever priorities fit "best" for each. If there is no best choice, then simply make a choice.
Priority Three: In Firepower, this priority covers “vehicles” in particular. An NPC is to take any shot with a possibility of a hit, considering modifiers, at the target (vehicle, ship, mech, etc.) that will give the "best" opportunity for tactical/strategic advantage as long as there is potential for damage. A shot, of course, could be a ranged attack or ranged spells such as a fireball or even a dirty look.
Priority Four: This one is basically the same as the previous one, unless the enemy is shooting at vehicles. If nothing that can be classified as a vehicle, the NPC will pick the "best" non-vehicle target that provides them with the most opportunity for tactical and strategic advantage if one exists. This is also one of the more complex priorities in the original rules; however, it has a lot to do with what types of weapons are being used. Let me suffice to say that you use the weapons in priority of damage done.
Priority Five: If no targets exist, then take any possible actions that can influence the situation in positive ways for the enemy. Such as beneficial spells, passing along items to those closer to combat, smoke screens, setting traps, etc. Unless, of course, this is not relevant or plausible, in which case you know what to do. Skip this one and move onto number Six. The second to the last priority, a catchall in case you want to just stay still and don't really feel like moving is the best option.
Priority Six: If the previous priorities have failed, and the best tactic is to sit and wait, then this is where one would do so. An NPC should face the "best" possible direction and use any movement points to crouch down, go prone, climb a tree, or make preparations to camp out for the night. Maybe even do some hunting or foraging. Perhaps collect some herbs for medicine or even spend time exploring the area or doing some Yoga. This priority is good for NPCs that may be helping the player in some way as well.
Priority Seven: Finally, if all else has failed or is not in the best interest, here is where the NPC is able to move. If moving is in the "best" interest of the NPC, then they should use whatever movement points are available and whatever system for movement. Firepower suggests using the Solitaire Placement Table and rolling on the Distance, Direction, and Posture columns, which gives a sort of mindless movement. I personally just make the best choices myself.
That sums up priorities and my interpretation of how Firepower's solitary mechanics can be used in other genres of Role-Playing Games. I hope you find my crude navigation wheel usable in your own games. I'm polishing up some that I feel could be useful, and some that I'm using in my game, Grey Hollow. This is a topic I'd like to explore further and return to sooner rather than later.
I'll be coming back to this topic again in the near future to cover more dynamic battles and explore some of the deeper features of wargame mechanics and how they can be used more directly and indirectly to enhance the overall experience. Of course, I'm aware that wargames are the ancestors of many of the TTRPGs we play today, but I think in many respects, the two have become distinctly different and can benefit from a reintroduction.
Thank you for reading, and if you made it this far, I hope it was worth your time. If not, let me know how I can improve the experience. I'm new here, and I'm always open to new ideas, criticism, direction. And of course, if you have any questions, feel free to comment.`