dvang
05-02-2007, 10:39 AM
War At Sea – Online Fog of War rules
v1.0
Something I've been thinking about.
The following rules are intended for online play, although they could be adapted for face-to-face play. It would be best to use an expanded map, preferably at least double in both directions (ie, 23 wide x 16 high).
Ex: http://home.comcast.net/~dcvdg/WaS-genmap-large.jpg
It also requires a moderator (and possibly map-maker) who is(are) willing to do some extra work, as well as players willing to PM/email. Tweaks and suggestions are welcome.
Rules changes:
Deployment: Ship deployment is ‘simultaneous’ and hidden. Both players secretly PM/email the moderator with the deployment positions of their ships.
Initiative: There is no initiative. All movement and orders are simultaneous, and secretly PMed/emailed to the moderator. Flagship bonus now affects Spotting (see below).
Spotting Phase: After the Sea Movement phase, but before the Air Mission phase, there is a new Spotting Phase. Each side receives 1 ‘free’ air spotting attempt, plus 1 air spotting attempt per flagship bonus (only a single ship’s flagship bonus per side is used, however). In addition, each side may allocate any available aircraft to perform air spotting. If they do so, however, these aircraft are no longer available for the Air Mission Phase. Players PM/email the moderator with each sector they are sending air spotters into to search for enemy ships.
Spotting:
- Air spotters will identify any specific ships within their sector. In adjacent sectors they can identify quantity and type (ie BB & DD, 2x CA, etc), but not the specific ships.
- Surface spotting: Ships and submarines will automatically attempt to spot enemy ships (not submarines, see below) at a range of 5 sectors from themselves. Each friendly ship gets a chance to spot each enemy ship within 5 sectors. Battleships with active Extended Range get +1 to their Spotting rolls.
o Range 5: On a roll of 5+ the enemy ship is spotted. Only type (BB, CA, DD, etc) & location are given
o Range 4: On a roll of 4+ the enemy ship is spotted. Only type & location are given
o Range 3: On a roll of 3+, only type & location are given
o Range 2 or less: Automatic, specific ship information & location are given.
- Submarine spotting: Submarines are more difficult for most surface ships to spot. Destroyers spot submarines the same as surface ships (above). All other surface ships & submarines only detect submarines using the below chart. One attempt per ship per sub (per spotting phase):
o Range 3: On a roll of 4+ the submarine is spotted.
o Range 2: On a roll of 3+ the submarine is spotted.
o Range 1 or less: Automatic.
- All spotting is rolled by the moderator and then given secretly to the spotting player. Air spotting in the same sector as enemy ships will also give the spotted player a warning that they have been spotted by air. Players get no warning about being spotted by surface ships, although based upon range (if they spotted the enemy) they could have an idea if they have been spotted or not.
Air Mission Phase:
Players may send air missions to any sector, even sectors where there are no known enemy ships. If the sector they are sent to is empty, but an adjacent sector has enemy ships, they may move into and attack that occupied sector. First, the owning player must specify in their Air Mission orders (to the moderator) for those planes that they wish to attack these opportunity targets. If there are multiple adjacent sectors with enemy ships, the air mission will attack one at random (within reason and at the moderators discretion. Ie, an air mission with all fighters will not attack a sector containing only ships they cannot damage). An air mission that attacks an adjacent sector suffers a -1 penalty to attack dice (ie, only hitting on 5+). Regardless whether the aircraft attack the opportunity targets, enemy ships in the sector or adjacent sector get Spotted. (The advantage of using aircraft in the Spotting phase instead of Air Mission phase is that you spot before giving orders to attack with air). Remember, planes used for additional spotting attempts in the Spotting Phase may not be used in the Air Mission Phase.
Surface Attack Phase: Surface attacks can only be used upon Spotted ships. Any ship that fires a gunnery attack immediately becomes Spotted by the enemy (ship & location revealed).
Torpedo Attack Phase: Torpedo attacks are much stealthier than gunnery attacks. Torpedo attacks do not automatically cause the firing ship/submarine to be spotted (unlike surface attacks). Instead, the ‘defending’ player receives a warning that a torpedo has been fired (whether the torpedo hits or misses), and the general direction (N, S, E, W, NE, SE, NW, SW) that the torpedo came from in relation to the targeted ship(s).
v1.0
Something I've been thinking about.
The following rules are intended for online play, although they could be adapted for face-to-face play. It would be best to use an expanded map, preferably at least double in both directions (ie, 23 wide x 16 high).
Ex: http://home.comcast.net/~dcvdg/WaS-genmap-large.jpg
It also requires a moderator (and possibly map-maker) who is(are) willing to do some extra work, as well as players willing to PM/email. Tweaks and suggestions are welcome.
Rules changes:
Deployment: Ship deployment is ‘simultaneous’ and hidden. Both players secretly PM/email the moderator with the deployment positions of their ships.
Initiative: There is no initiative. All movement and orders are simultaneous, and secretly PMed/emailed to the moderator. Flagship bonus now affects Spotting (see below).
Spotting Phase: After the Sea Movement phase, but before the Air Mission phase, there is a new Spotting Phase. Each side receives 1 ‘free’ air spotting attempt, plus 1 air spotting attempt per flagship bonus (only a single ship’s flagship bonus per side is used, however). In addition, each side may allocate any available aircraft to perform air spotting. If they do so, however, these aircraft are no longer available for the Air Mission Phase. Players PM/email the moderator with each sector they are sending air spotters into to search for enemy ships.
Spotting:
- Air spotters will identify any specific ships within their sector. In adjacent sectors they can identify quantity and type (ie BB & DD, 2x CA, etc), but not the specific ships.
- Surface spotting: Ships and submarines will automatically attempt to spot enemy ships (not submarines, see below) at a range of 5 sectors from themselves. Each friendly ship gets a chance to spot each enemy ship within 5 sectors. Battleships with active Extended Range get +1 to their Spotting rolls.
o Range 5: On a roll of 5+ the enemy ship is spotted. Only type (BB, CA, DD, etc) & location are given
o Range 4: On a roll of 4+ the enemy ship is spotted. Only type & location are given
o Range 3: On a roll of 3+, only type & location are given
o Range 2 or less: Automatic, specific ship information & location are given.
- Submarine spotting: Submarines are more difficult for most surface ships to spot. Destroyers spot submarines the same as surface ships (above). All other surface ships & submarines only detect submarines using the below chart. One attempt per ship per sub (per spotting phase):
o Range 3: On a roll of 4+ the submarine is spotted.
o Range 2: On a roll of 3+ the submarine is spotted.
o Range 1 or less: Automatic.
- All spotting is rolled by the moderator and then given secretly to the spotting player. Air spotting in the same sector as enemy ships will also give the spotted player a warning that they have been spotted by air. Players get no warning about being spotted by surface ships, although based upon range (if they spotted the enemy) they could have an idea if they have been spotted or not.
Air Mission Phase:
Players may send air missions to any sector, even sectors where there are no known enemy ships. If the sector they are sent to is empty, but an adjacent sector has enemy ships, they may move into and attack that occupied sector. First, the owning player must specify in their Air Mission orders (to the moderator) for those planes that they wish to attack these opportunity targets. If there are multiple adjacent sectors with enemy ships, the air mission will attack one at random (within reason and at the moderators discretion. Ie, an air mission with all fighters will not attack a sector containing only ships they cannot damage). An air mission that attacks an adjacent sector suffers a -1 penalty to attack dice (ie, only hitting on 5+). Regardless whether the aircraft attack the opportunity targets, enemy ships in the sector or adjacent sector get Spotted. (The advantage of using aircraft in the Spotting phase instead of Air Mission phase is that you spot before giving orders to attack with air). Remember, planes used for additional spotting attempts in the Spotting Phase may not be used in the Air Mission Phase.
Surface Attack Phase: Surface attacks can only be used upon Spotted ships. Any ship that fires a gunnery attack immediately becomes Spotted by the enemy (ship & location revealed).
Torpedo Attack Phase: Torpedo attacks are much stealthier than gunnery attacks. Torpedo attacks do not automatically cause the firing ship/submarine to be spotted (unlike surface attacks). Instead, the ‘defending’ player receives a warning that a torpedo has been fired (whether the torpedo hits or misses), and the general direction (N, S, E, W, NE, SE, NW, SW) that the torpedo came from in relation to the targeted ship(s).