After our play test last week, we’ve decided to add in more confusion!
The true compass heading on the map points at a 45 deg angle to the upper left. This makes things confusing. Which side do we setup on? Which side do they enter at? Which direction to they attack or withdrawal? People were getting confused on all this.
We made a slight change to keep it simple and clean: we rotated the compass 45 deg to the right. It was incorrect historically but it did make the rules cleaner and more easily understandable. No confusion. A good mistake to make right?
After our play test last week, we decided to change this back to the more confusing, true compass heading. Why? Because more confusion is better. :what:
We played with formal written orders and mixed commands. Complexity and confusion in rules is not good. Complexity and confusion in communication with written orders is FUN! That means there are more opportunities for miscommunication, mistakes and confusion.
Guess what? That is what real commanders have to deal with. Writing clear orders in confusing terrain compass headings. It’s messy. Leads to many problems. It is also a big part of what makes it so fun with live players.
I recall an earlier play test we did on Antietam. Emily ordered Gabe to “Attack down the road to the SW and take town x.” The problem was Gabe sat at a fork in the road. Town X was down the road to the SE. Town Y was down the road to the SW. What is he supposed to do now?
There aren’t any good options. He delays the attack and wastes 2-3 hours while he asks for clarification and gets a response back, or he guesses and runs the risk of messing up the battle plan by going the wrong way and colliding with or blocking another friendly Corps axis of advance.
Now we are talking about real command. SNAFU