
Guide - How to Play
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This is the main guide of the game, read this first before reading the scenario information. |
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-PBM
UMPIRE- -COMPUTERISED
WARGAMES CAMPAIGN SYSTEM- Copyright
(C) Richard Bodley Scott 1988-91 -GENERIC
RULES-
-PBM UMPIRE- is
a generic system
allowing fully
computer
moderated multi-player
wargames campaigns
in any
period
prior to the development of rail
travel. By providing
the
main program with appropriate scenario data, any
historical
or imaginary campaign may be simulated.
The following rules apply in any campaign run using -PBM UMPIRE-. Scenario
rules
applying only to the campaign in
which you are taking part
are given in a separate section of the rules. -TIME
SCALE:- See
scenario rules. -DISPOSITIONS:-
All troop positions are
listed according to the
province
they currently occupy.
Provinces are named
after their
principal city, where
there is one. (Uncivilised
tribal
areas may have no city). Spy
networks and forces belonging
to the province owner
and his allies
are assumed to
be
inside the city, if any,
unless they sally forth
to give
battle. Hostile
forces are
assumed to
be manoeuvring
somewhere nearby. Revenue
value (RP) and loyalty
rating
(LOY) for each province
are reported only if
the nation
whose forces are being
reported owns that
province. All
movement is from province to
province, following permitted
land or sea routes (see
below). Whether
a province has a
city or not is indicated in the column headed CTY.
Y = Yes,
there is a city.
N = No
City (Tribal area). D
= City
destroyed. -MAP:-
A key to the campaign
map will be found
in the scenario
rules. Terrain
types are also
scenario dependent.
The
prevailing terrain (TER) determines the availability of each
troop type
for recruitment,
and the
effectiveness of different troop types in battle. |
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-TROOP
TYPES:-
Details of available
troop types will
be found
in the
scenario rules. However,
all troop types belong to one
of
the following three categories:
-Fleet squadrons- Fleet
squadrons move by sea
moves. They
can usually transport one
unit of land troops
per fleet
squadron. They can fight
in sea battles, and can usually to
take part in sieges (see scenario rules).
-Army Units- Army units
move by land moves.
They can fight
in land battles and sieges.
-Spy Networks:- Spy
networks are unable to move, and normally
have no combat strength. They:
a) Send intelligence reports on all foreign forces at
their present location.
b) Send news reports on conflict occurring at their present
location or adjacent provinces.
c) Increase the chance of enemy provinces revolting against
their masters. (They do not do this in allied territory).
d) Neutralise the effect of enemy spies on own provinces'
loyalty.
e) Attempt to identify and destroy foreign spy networks in
own provinces.
f) Can be used to offer bribes to enemy garrison officers
(See below). -COMBAT
FACTORS:-
Each unit of each troop type has a combat factor for each of
the following battle situations - Open Sea Battle,
Siege - Regular Siege Operations.
If a troop type is unable
to contribute fighting strength in a given battle situation,
its combat factor will be zero.
Note that defending naval units in assault or regular
siege
operations are only taken
into account (assuming that
the
scenario allows them a
combat factor for
sieges) if they
have DEFEND orders. (see below).
See the scenario rules for the table of combat factors. |
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-SEQUENCE OF PLAY:-
It is important
to consider the sequence
in which orders are
actioned by the computer each turn, as,
for instance, it is not possible to recruit troops and
move
them on the
same turn.
Furthermore, hostile
players'
movement may prevent recruitment
in provinces their armies
enter. Any
orders which are rendered
impossible to carry
out due to enemy action or
other causes will be cancelled.
Conditional orders which depend on future enemy actions
are
not allowed. (Except as
described below). Any
additional
orders left after all valid orders have been processed
will
be ignored. Some
activities only occur in
specific turns.
See the scenario rules for details.
1) Diplomacy
2) Set taxation levels.
(Taxation turns only)
3) Options: (In any
order)
Demobilisation. (Demobilisation turns only)
Found city. (Investment turns only)
Improve/rebuild cities. (Investment turns only)
Sack city.
Transfer funds.
Assassination attempts.
Bribery.
Move capital. (Investment turns only)
Cede province.
Retrain/Convert
Troops. (Investment turns only)
Appoint new general.
Reassign general.
Promote/Demote general.
4) Calculate morale.
5) Movement and Combat
Orders.
6)
Recruitment. (Land units only in land recruitment
turns. Sea units only
in sea recruitment turns)
7) Desertions.
8) Revolts.
9) Disloyal generals.
10) Epidemics.
11) Resolve conflict at
each province in turn (First
determine local supply situation).
12) Unaccompanied
generals captured.
13) Counter-Intelligence.
14) Collect taxes and
pay troops. (Taxation turns only)
15) Devastated
provinces recover one point. (Taxation
turns only)
16) Troops in enemy
territory retire to winter quarters in
own territory. (Only if turn is last turn of the
campaigning season).
17) Feudal troops
disperse to their homes for the winter.
(Only if turn is last turn of the campaigning season).
18) Commanders move to
winter quarters.
19) Tribal nations
muster extra recruits. (Only if turn
is last turn of the campaigning season). 20) Print reports, including current intelligence. |
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-DIPLOMACY:-
Each player must list
all player states that he
considers
enemies. It
will be assumed
that he
regards unlisted
players as friendly. If
one of a pair of players
declares
the other to be an
enemy, both are mutually
considered as
enemies, even if
the other
player did
not. Mutually
friendly players can
pass through each
other's territory
unmolested, and will
combine together
to fight
against
mutual enemies in the same province.
Hostile forces in the
same province may fight,
depending on their
orders. (See
below). Independent
(non-aligned) provinces are
normally
hostile to all players, but
Independents in revolt against
the current
owner of
a province
will assist/accept
assistance from player(s)
hostile to the
province owner. (See below). -TAX
LEVELS, TREASURY AND MORALE:-
CIVILISED NATIONS: Tax
is collected and
troops paid
by
Civilised nations in taxation turns only.
Each province has
a basic tax revenue,
which may be modified by
investment,
devastation of the land, destruction of the principal
city,
etc. Tribal
areas (provinces that have
never had a city)
give a lower revenue to
Civilised nations than to
Tribal.
(The notional revenue applying to Tribal nations
represents
the availability of warriors rather than actual cash).
The
resulting current normal revenue
is reported to the owning
player in his sit-rep. The
level of taxation decreed by the
player can be altered from 0 to 150% of normal.
(Where 0% =
No taxes collected, 100% =
a half times normal
taxation). Any
intermediate level is
allowed. The chosen tax
level applies to the player's whole
territory. It is not
permitted to vary the tax
level from
province to province. In
a scenario where Local
Revolts
apply (see scenario rules)
overtaxation will significantly
increase the chance of provinces
revolting, while reducing
taxation will lower it. In
a scenario where local revolts
do not apply,
overtaxation will
cause economic
decline
resulting in loss
of future revenue
value. Actual
tax
collected will vary
somewhat either side
of the
amount
expected. Tax
cannot be fully collected
in a province if
there are hostile army
units in it, unless it
is the tax
collector's home province (Capital).
Roughly 1 RP of basic
revenue value will be lost for each hostile unit present
in
other provinces
during the
tax collection
phase. Once
captured by the enemy, however, even home province
revenues are lost until the province is recaptured.
The current normal revenue value (in revenue points =
RP)
of each province owned by a player
is shown on his sitrep.
Where the taxes are
not collectable, the RP
is shown in
brackets. If no revenue
value is shown for a province, this
indicates that
the player
does not
currently own
the
province. Each fleet
squadron or army unit costs 1
RP per
taxation turn to maintain.
Spy networks cost 0.5
RP per
taxation turn to maintain.
Recruiting new units
(of any
type) costs 3 RPs each. Troops
who are not up to date with
their pay have reduced
morale and may desert.
They will
also suffer higher rates of attrition,
and fight less well
in battle.
TRIBAL NATIONS: Tribal
nations do not
have to pay
their
troops out of RP income. They
receive most of their revenue
in the form of this
military service. However,
they also
receive a small proportion of
their revenue in RPs.
This
may vary from
scenario to scenario,
and depends on
the
"tribal revenue factor" - ask
your umpire! Tribal
nations
automatically receive recruits at the end of each year,
but
can also recruit troops
for RPs in
the usual way.
Once recruited they do not have to be paid out of RP income. |
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-DEMOBILISATION:-
Any unit may
be disbanded, in a
demobilisation turn only.
Note that this occurs AFTER they have been paid.
Since any
troops that are to be
disbanded must be paid off in
full,
this means that if the treasury
cannot meet the pay of all
troops in
full, disbanding
troops will
result in
the
remaining troops
being even
further in
arrears, with
consequent diminution of
their morale.
If army
units
equivalent in total
to the current
revenue value
of a
captured province are disbanded in the province on one turn,
they will convert the province into
a colony. A colony
is
more loyal (loyalty 2) than a captured province (loyalty 1),
and maximum recruitment is at the
normal level, whereas it
is reduced in a captured province.
This is one of three
methods of forming a
colony - the
others being by rebuilding a destroyed city, or by
founding
a -CITY
IMPROVEMENT:-
It is possible to
enhance a city's
revenue and defensive
strength by investment. An
investment of 2 revenue points
will enhance a province's future revenue by 1 RP.
This can
only be carried out in
an investment turn.
The limit to
which a province's
revenue may be
raised is 150% of
its
original revenue, or 15 RP,
whichever is less.
The extra
revenue does not commence until
the next tax date. Tribal areas cannot be "improved". -CITY
REBUILDING:-
Destroyed cities can be rebuilt (in an investment turn) at a
cost of twice their original tax revenue.
In the case of a
captured province
(loyalty 1),
this will
convert the
province to a colony (loyalty
2). This is
one of three
methods of forming a colony - the others being by founding a
province (see above). -CITY
FOUNDATION:-
Civilised players can
found a
currently without a
city (i.e. tribal
areas or provinces
whose cities have been
destroyed - see below).
This can
only be done in an investment turn.
The cost is 10, 15 or
20 RPs, producing a
city of 2, 3
or 4 RPs basic
revenue
respectively. The
city can subsequently
(in successive
investment turns, NOT
in the
turn in which the
city is
founded) be improved up to 150% of its original revenue,
as
above. Cities
cannot be founded in
provinces where there
are currently any
hostile forces.
The city founder
may
choose the name of his
three letters of the new name do
not clash with any of the
other provinces
currently extant
in the
campaign, and
provided that it is in keeping
with the scenario. Founded
cities have an initial loyalty of 2. -LAND
DEVASTATION AND RECOVERY:-
Provinces which
are the
site of
conflict may
suffer
devastation of their agricultural lands, disruption of trade
and industry and so forth.
This may lower their
revenue,
down to an eventual minimum of half their original
revenue.
It is therefore better to fight
on enemy territory than on
your own. Raiding
forces of as little as one
cavalry unit
or fleet squadron can
be effective in damaging an enemy's
revenue, even if given retreat
orders. 1 point of
revenue
is recovered
automatically AFTER
taxation has
been
calculated on each
following taxation
turn, up
to the
original basic revenue.
Note that
h extra RPs
due to
investment are not
recovered in
this way,
but can
be restored by further investment. -CITY
DESTRUCTION:-
When a city
is captured,
there is
a chance
that the
victorious army will sack the city.
This is more likely to
occur after an assault, after a
prolonged siege, or if the
victors are a tribal nation,
and very much less likely
to
occur if the city originally belonged to the victors.
If a
city is sacked
in this
way, no
booty accrues
to the
victorious player's treasury,
being assumed to
have been
acquired individually
by the
victorious troops.
Alternatively, a
player may
decide voluntarily
to
systematically destroy a city currently
under his control,
provided that there are no hostile
forces in the province.
In this case the player's treasury will gain immediate
loot
equivalent the city's current tax
value. Destroyed
cities
have no defensive value.
Forces ordered to
DEFEND such a
province (see below) revert to RETREAT orders.
The revenue
of a province
containing a destroyed
city is reduced
by
half. Destruction of a player's own (original) cities will
result in permanent damage to the provinces' loyalty. |
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-TRANSFER
FUNDS:-
It is possible to subsidise, bribe or pay tribute to another
player. Simply
state the recipient and
the amount to
be
transferred. The
money can be
used by the recipient
to
raise troops on the same turn. -ASSASSINATION:-
An assassin can be hired to assassinate a named general,
at
a minimum cost of 5 RPs.
Larger payments will
attract a
better class of assassin,
with greater chance of
success.
Death of a player's commander-in-chief
may provoke revolts
in his provinces. Death
of any general will
prevent his
orders being passed on
to troops under his
command that
turn. It
is possible
for a
player to
procure the
assassination of one of his
own generals, if desired.
If
the attempt fails, however, this might provoke the
intended
victim to immediate revolt.
It will usually be
safer to
post generals suspected of
disloyalty to some
unimportant province.
-BRIBERY:-
If a player has a spy network in
a city, it is possible to
attempt to bribe an (un-named)
enemy garrison officer. If
the bribe is accepted, the suborned officer will attempt
to
betray the city to the
besiegers in the event of a
siege.
(Usually by opening a gate to them
at dead of night). The
effect of this is to
significantly increase the
chance of
the city falling to the besiegers.
Note that if a bribe has
been accepted, the besiegers will
delay any assault in the
hope that the city will fall through treachery.
The larger
the bribe offered, the greater
the chance that it will
be
accepted. If the
bribe is refused, or if
the treacherous
officer is apprehended by the authorities,
there is a good
chance that the briber's spy network
in the city will also
be broken. The effect
of a bribe only lasts for the turn in
which it was accepted. Bribery
has no effect on the outcome
of open battles, or on events in subsequent turns.
Thus if
an open battle rather
than a siege occurs,
the bribe has
been wasted. When
ordering a bribe to be
offered, simply
record the city involved and the amount offered (in RPs). -MOVE
CAPITAL:-
It is possible for a player to
relocate his capital (in an
investment turn) to
any other currently
owned city
(or
tribal area, in the
case of tribal nations)
that is not
threatened by hostile
forces. This
costs 10 RPs if
the
player was the original owner of the new capital,
otherwise
15 RPs. The
new capital
becomes loyalty 3.
The old
capital, if
still under
the player's
control, becomes
loyalty 2.
-CEDE
PROVINCE-
A player can cede any
of his provinces/cities to
another
player. Any troops
present will remain under the control of
their original owner. In
scenarios where Local Revolts can
occur, it will be
necessary for the new
owner to rapidly
garrison the province/city to prevent revolt. -RETRAIN/CONVERT
TROOPS-
In some scenarios it
may be permitted
to convert certain
troop types
into certain
other troop
types where
historically realistic. This
can only be carried out in an
Investment turn. It
normally costs 2 RPs
to convert one
unit to another type. Tribal
nations who currently have no
money can instead convert
two units (present
at the same province/city) to one unit of the new type for no RP cost. |
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-GENERALS-
Generals are very important under these rules.
All movement
and combat orders to troops must be issued by a general who
is present in the same
province. In
the case of movement
orders, the general
moves with
the troops. (See
below).
Each general is
assigned to command
either land or
sea
forces in combat.
This does not
affect movement -
any
general can order any forces to move - see below.
It is not
intended to represent a
hard categorisation of
commanders
into generals and
admirals -
which does not seem
to be
historically valid for the
ancient period at
least - but
merely enables to
computer to know
who is in command
of
which section of a combined force.
Forces without a general
cannot voluntarily move, but may be involved in combat.
In
this case the force
will be commanded by
the most senior
unit commander (un-named),
as determined randomly
by the
computer. The standard
of such generalship will tend to be
somewhat lower
than average,
so this
is not
usually
preferable to
command by
a reasonably
competent named
general. Generals
are listed after troop
dispositions on
each player's turn sheet as follows:
Name
Nationality
Location
Land/Sea
Reputation,Loyalty,Activity,Popularity,Health,Age,Seniority.
Reputation (7 high to 0
low) bears a close
relation to a
general's actual military skill (which remains secret),
but
may not
be completely
accurate. It
is affected
by subsequent victories and defeats.
Loyalty (7 high
to 0 low)
represents your
reasonably accurate
estimation of
a
general's loyalty - but
may not be
completely reliable.
Actual loyalty may
alter due to
subsequent events
(see
below), but such changes will not be reported to the player. Disloyal generals may revolt (see below).
Activity (7
high
to 0 low) affects the speed of movement of
forces under the
general's command,
but also
affects his
eagerness for
battle, which may
amount to excessive
caution or (worse)
excessive rashness.
The higher
the general's
military
skill, the less effect his activity
level will have on his decision to engage the enemy.
Popularity (7
high to 0 low)
will have some effect in
several circumstances, notably on
the chance of his troops deserting
and the chance of their following him if he decides to revolt.
Health (7 high to 0 low)
affects
the chance
of illness, and
the chance
of surviving wounds and assassination attempts. Seniority (15 high [king] to 0 low)
governs which
general
will command a force if more than one is present.
The most
senior will command. The
death of a player's commander-in-
chief (i.e. his most senior general
overall) may result in
the revolt of
some of his
cities and reduction
of his
troop's morale. To
some extent the
player is identified
with the C
in C, so
there is no
risk of the
C in
C
revolting. It is up to
the umpire to decide whether death
of a C in C means that the player is out of the campaign - I
would suggest not.
In the event
of generals
being killed,
they will
be
replaced free of charge if,
and only if, the player
would
otherwise be left
with less than
three generals.
New
generals appear in the player's
capital province, if still
under his control, otherwise in the currently owned province
of his choice. New
generals have a seniority level of 0. -APPOINT
GENERAL:-
Additional generals can be appointed, at a cost of 6 RPs each. -REASSIGN
GENERAL:-
Generals can be reassigned from sea to land command, or vice
versa. There
is a
nominal charge
of 1
RP to
cover
administrative costs! -PROMOTE/DEMOTE
GENERAL:-
Generals may be promoted or demoted as desired.
Simply list
their names and new seniority levels.
However, generals who
are demoted may suffer a reduction in loyalty.
Conversely,
if a general is promoted over the heads of previously senior
generals, the loyalty of
the passed over
generals may be reduced. |
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-MOVEMENT
ORDERS:-
As stated above, all
movement and combat
orders must
be
issued by
generals present
at the
starting location.
Several generals
may move
together, under
the overall
command of the most senior present.
Generals moving without
troops (by land
only - generals
moving by sea
must be
conveyed by fleet squadrons),
have their own maximum
move
distance (see
scenario rules).
Generals moving
with
troops/ships move at the speed
of the slowest troops/ships
in the force. The
actual distance that
can be moved
is
modified by the activity rating
of the general commanding.
Generals carried by ships
do not count as units
- thus a
single fleet squadron could carry
one army unit as well as
any number of generals.
More than one set
of movement
orders can be given for a general, provided that he does not
run out of time. For
instance, a general could be ordered
to move to province A.
He can then be
ordered to move,
together with troops picked up at province A, to province B.
He can then embark the troops
on ships present at province
B, and sail to province D via province C. (Provided that
he
does not run out
of time, of course).
It is
similarly
possible to
combine together
forces approaching
from
different directions under different
generals prior to
an
advance into enemy territory. (Note
that when giving orders
in stages as above, the total units currently moving
should
be listed at each stage, not just the units added on to
the
existing force).
In the
case of
complicated troop
interactions, where one
order depends on
the successful
completion of another, be
sure to list the
orders in the
appropriate sequence.
When issuing
orders, list
the
general(s) commanding the force, the troops to be moved
(if
any), the route, and the destination, followed by the combat
orders. IMPORTANT: Do
not list the starting location - the
computer knows where the general
is. If combat orders
are
to be issued to
troops who are
not moving, it
is only
necessary to list the general's name and the new orders.
Example orders:
Troops Moving
Orders GENERAL(S)
SHIPS FOOT HORSE VIA
DESTINATION Fleet
Army Carne,Bari
-
4
6
-
Padua
-
1D Carne
-
11
-
-
Chioggia
-
1R Colleoni
4
-
-
Venice
Chioggia
1D Colleoni
4
4
-
-
Ravenna
1R 3M Sforza
-
-
-
-
-
-
2M Sforza
-
-
-
Bergamo,
Como
-
- Monza
These
orders mean:
1) Generals Carne and
and 6 of horse from
their present location (which
is not
specified, since the computer
already knows it) to
The troops
are given
Risk:1 Default:Defend
orders on
arrival.
2) Carne is then to move on to
of 11 units of foot. (These presumably include the
original
4 units of foot, plus
another 7 picked up
at
3) Colleoni is to
take 4 fleet squadrons
via
(These are in fact irrelevant, since they are then moving on
to
forced to stop at
out of move, or if there were enemy ships at
4) Colleoni is then to
embark 4 units of foot
on his 4
ships and sail with
them to
given Risk:1 Default:Retreat and
the land forces are given
Risk:3 Default:Manoeuvre orders.
5) Sforza is giving orders to the stationary troops at
his
present location - Risk:2 Default:Manoeuvre.
6) Sforza is then moving without any troops via
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-Land movement:-
Army units
moving without ships can move
to
any adjacent province
by the land
routes listed in
the
scenario rules. They
can move several times, provided that
they do not exceed
their movement allowance, and
provided
that the intermediate destinations
contain no hostile army
units. Movement
points are shown as the
first figure in
brackets after each permitted
move listed. Maximum
moves
for each troop type are listed in the scenario rules.
Note
that each type
may have a
maximum multiple move
and a
maximum single move
listed. The
maximum multiple
move
represents their normal maximum
move. The maximum
single
move (if permitted
in the scenario
rules) is a
special
allowance for especially arduous
single stage moves - e.g.
mountain passes - taking up a whole turn's move.
Note that
if the movement points for a move exceed the maximum
single
move for a
troop type,
that means
that the
route is
impassable to that troop
type. Mixed forces
move at the
speed of their slowest component.
As previously stated, the
listed maxima may be modified by the activity rating of
the
general commanding, so may sometimes be exceeded, except
in
the case of impassable routes as above.
Army units under
siege themselves cannot move. Army
units
moving to a province to
relieve a friendly force which
is
under siege -must- fight an open battle to get into the
city.
The garrison of the city
will join in the battle
together
with the relieving force. NOTE
that if an attempt is made
to relieve a besieged city, then an open battle will
always
occur, even if the
relieving force have
retreat/manoeuvre
orders and discover themselves
to be outnumbered.
(Unless
the besiegers themselves retreat/manoeuvre).
Such attempts
should not therefore be made unless
you are sure that your
combined forces will be sufficient
for victory. Attrition
levels are shown as the
second . figure in brackets
after
each move
listed. Attrition
levels greater r
than one
represent hazardous (e.g. mountain or desert) routes.
No l
losses will occur at an attrition level of one.
Increasing
losses d will occur
at attrition levels
above one.
If,
however, either the
moving player owns
both ends of
the
route, or there are
no hostile forces at
either end, no
attrition is suffered. In
the first case this is
because
the movers know the route well,
and may have prepared food
and/or water supplies along the route.
In the second case,
it is because a
proportion of the
attrition suffered
is
assumed to be due to harrassment by enemy forces.
Attrition
levels are increased by
one above normal in winter
turns.
(See scenario rules).
-Sea movement:- Fleets,
and army
units carried
by fleet
squadrons, can move to
any adjacent coastal
province as
listed in the scenario rules. They
can move several times,
provided that they do not exceed their e movement allowance,
and provided that the intermediate
destinations contain no
hostile fleet squadrons. Each
fleet squadron can carry one
army unit, of whatever
type. As previously
noted, fleets
can embark or disembark troops part way through a turn.
If
time permits, the disembarked troops
may then move further
that turn, as may the ships. Sea
movement is not restricted
by sieges in
ancient scenarios. (Oared
ships were
very
crowded, and had to be drawn up on a beach at night to allow
the crew to sleep. It
was therefore difficult to enforce a
e strict naval blockade.) In later scenarios naval
blockade
may be possible - see
scenario rules. Fleets
may suffer
attrition due to ) storms.
Attrition levels depend on the
amount of open sea
that must be crossed
en route. The
chances of being caught in a storm, and the losses
suffered
if this occurs, increase
with the attrition level,
though
losses may
occur even
at an
attrition level
of one.
Attrition levels are increased
by one in spring or
autumn
turns, and by two in
winter turns. (See
scenario rules). Sea attrition is not affected by ownership of the route. -Hostile
forces meeting en route:-
When one player's forces are ordered to move from Province A
to Province B and hostile
forces are ordered to move
from
Province B to province
A, (both by land or
both by sea),
then the smaller force will be
forced back to its starting
point. Note that in the
case of sea moves, only the fleet
squadrons moving are considered in calculating the
relative
size of the forces.
Any army units being
carried by the
fleet squadrons are ignored
for this purpose.
Note also
that these rules apply
to individual forces.
Thus if a
player moves several separate forces
along the same route,
the above rules are adjudicated for each separate force.
It
is therefore possible
for a large
total force moving
in
several separate groups (e.g. three groups of 3,3 and 2 army
units respectively) to be
forced back by
a smaller force
operating in a single body (e.g. one body of 4 army
units).
Consideration should be given to
this when writing orders, and unnecessary fragmentation of forces avoided. |
|
-COMBAT ORDERS:-
Fleet squadrons
and army units
are given
combat orders. If
allied forces are present in a province,
and have been issued with different
orders, they will obey
the orders furthest down the following lists.
Each type in each province has
a -Risk level- and a -Default-
-action-:
i) -Risk level:- This
governs their eagerness
to engage in
open battle. Their
decision is based on
fresh scouting
estimates of the enemy
strength, and is
modified by
the
activity and military
skill levels
of their
commanding
general.
On average:
3 - Will fight if enemy combat value exceeds theirs
by no more than 25%
2 - Will fight if enemy combat value does not exceed
theirs.
1 - Will fight if their combat value exceeds the
enemy's by at least 25%
ii) -Default action:-
This governs what they do if they
are not willing to fight an n open battle:
-M - MANOEUVRE:- Manoeuvre
to avoid battle this
turn.
There is a high chance
of being caught and
forced to do
battle, or they may suffer moderate
attrition. The
chance
of being caught is modified by the relative mobility of
the
opposing forces (see below).
For example, a largely heavy
infantry force is more
likely to be caught
by a largely
cavalry force, and a cavalry
force is less
likely to be
caught by a heavy infantry force.
If a force holding
a province manoeuvres
to avoid
battle, there is a chance that
the enemy will nevertheless
capture the province's city (if
any). This depends on
the
disparity between the opposing forces.
-R - RETREAT-
Retreat to adjacent
friendly province
which is unthreatened
by hostile
forces of the
relevant
type. (To qualify,
the adjacent province
must be
owned
either by the
retreating player, or
by an allied
player
whose forces form part of the retreating force).
There is a
(smaller) chance of being
caught and forced
to do battle
(modified by relative mobility as above), or they may suffer
attrition as they
move as
normal. Independent
forces
compelled to
retreat from
their home
territory are
destroyed.
If no retreat
route is available, revert
to DEFEND
orders if city owned by
own faction, otherwise
revert to MANOEUVRE orders.
-D - DEFEND- Defend the city. Only
possible if there is
an intact city in the
province, controlled by the
faction
concerned. Otherwise
reverts to RETREAT
orders. (DEFEND
orders do not apply in tribal areas or provinces whose
city
has been destroyed).
If a relief force
has arrived this turn,
an open
battle results, otherwise a SIEGE. -SIEGES:-
Attacking fleet squadrons
cannot besiege
a city
unless
supported by army units.
Unsupported fleet squadrons can,
however, defend a city.
Defending fleet squadrons
only
count as taking
part in the
siege if they
have DEFEND
orders, otherwise are assumed
to remain outside.
If the
city falls, fleet squadrons belonging/allied
to the former
owner will only be lost if they took part in the siege (i.e.
had DEFEND orders).
(But note that
other orders may
be
converted to DEFEND orders in an alliance - see above).
Cities of loyalty 2 or
3 have MILITIA who
will help to
defend the city against besiegers.
They will only do so if
their resolve is stiffened by the
presence of at least one
regular army or fleet
unit with DEFEND
orders (or orders
converted to DEFEND
orders - see
above). They will
not
sally forth from the city, so will not take part in any open
battle occurring nearby. They
do not have to be paid.
Loyalty 3 cities have
militia infantry units (of
average
infantry combat value)
equivalent to
their current
tax
value. Loyalty 2 cities
have half as many.
The decision
to attempt
an assault
depends on
the
besiegers' risk level and
the activity and military
skill
ratings of their commander.
Odds are calculated using the
combat factors for ASSAULT.
Average values are:
-Attackers risk level-
-Decision-
3
- Assault if odds at least 3:1
2
- Assault if odds at least 4:1
1
- Assault if odds at least 5:1
The chance of an assault succeeding will depend on the odds,
modified (slightly) by
the military skill
ratings of the
opposing commanders, and
by the
morale of their
troops.
Note that at 3:1 odds, with average modifiers, there is less
than a 50% chance of
success. If repulsed,
the attackers will suffer fairly heavy losses.
If an assault is
not attempted, regular
siege operations
(blockade, battery, mining etc.) are assumed to take
place.
There will be
a chance
each turn
that the
city will
surrender, without loss
to the
besieger. This
chance
increases dramatically with the duration of continuous siege
(including assaults). It
also depends on the duration
of
stored supplies available in the city, which depends on
the
ratio between
the size
of the
garrison and
the size
(revenue) of the city.
(See scenario rules
for relative
supply requirements of
different troop types).
Military
skill ratings of the opposing commanders
and morale of the
troops also have their effect.
Spy networks can attempt to
bribe (un-named) garrison officers to betray the city -
see
above - but do not otherwise affect the outcome of a
siege.
When a city (or
province) falls to a force
of allies, it
reverts to its original owner at
the start of the campaign
if he is one of the allies.
Otherwise it goes to the ally
with the strongest force taking part in the siege.
If part
of the allied force
consists of Independent
rebels, they
will gain possession of the city if they have the
strongest
(or equal strongest) force present, otherwise the
strongest
player ally will do so, even if the city was Independent
at
the start of the campaign. If
a player takes the city, the
Independents will then disband,
their revolt being assumed
to have been in support of the
player taking the city. If
the Independents take the city, the allied player(s)
will be
assumed to have sent
them military aid, but in
subsequent
turns the
Independents will
not welcome
the continued
presence of their
former liberators
in their
province.
Captured provinces have
loyalty 1,
unless converted
to
colonies (loyalty 2 -
see above). Provinces
which were
originally owned by a player, but
subsequently taken by an
enemy, have loyalty 2 if recaptured by the original
player.
|
|
-OPEN
BATTLES:-
In the event of an open
battle (land or sea), the
result
depends on the percentage difference between the two
sides'
combat values, calculated by multiplying the number of units
terrain type (see scenario rules),
and modifying the total
according to the
military skill
ratings of the
opposing
commanders, the morale of
the troops, and
a small random
factor. The difference
is then multiplied by the
relative
mobility of the two
forces. If the
final difference is
small, the
battle is indecisive.
Both sides may
suffer
minor losses. If
the difference
is greater, a
victory
occurs. The defeated
force loses initial casualties related
to the magnitude of the
difference. Their
survivors must
retreat. If they own
the province in which the
battle was
fought, they retreat inside the
city (if any), and, in the
case of a land battle, are besieged by the victors.
If they
were a relieving force to a
city already under siege, they
are assumed to have cut their way
through to the city, but
to have lost any supplies they were bringing, so the city is
likely to fall next
turn unless fresh forces
arrive. If
they do not own
the province, they
must retreat to
the
nearest friendly province (either their own, or their ally's
in the case of retreat by a combined force).
If no retreat
route is available, land forces
may retreat to their ships
if available, suffering increased
losses. If no route
of
escape is available,
however, the losers
are destroyed.
Once again, the
victor's losses are
slight. Note
that
higher mobility does
not increase
a force's
chance of
victory, but renders a
victory more decisive and a
defeat less so. |
|
-RELATIVE
MOBILITY:-
In certain circumstances the relative
mobility of opposing
forces is relevant. This
is calculated according
to the
average mobility of each force,
using the maximum multiple
move allowances of the various troop types.
This is further
modified according to the local terrain.
Relative mobility
affects the following situations:
1) The chance of being caught and forced to do battle
when
attempting to manoeuvre or retreat.
The more mobile force
has a greater than average chance of catching the enemy, and
a lower chance of being caught (and vice versa).
2) The chance of supply lines being
cut (see below) - the
more mobile force is better able to cut off the enemy supply
line, and better able to protect its own.
3) The outcome of open battles.
In the case of victory the
more mobile force will inflict
greater than average losses
on the enemy, being better able
to pursue. In the case
of
defeat they will suffer
lower than average
losses, being
better able to escape.
Note that relative mobility only
affects the decisiveness of a battle. It does not affect which side wins the battle. |
|
-SUPPLY:-
Fleet squadrons and/or army units which (i) are in
conflict
with a hostile force AND (ii) have
no sea supply route AND
(iii) have no land supply route, are considered to be out of
supply and may suffer attrition.
A supply route
(sea or
land) exists when
there is
an
adjacent friendly province
which is not
currently being
contested by hostile forces
of the appropriate
type. To
qualify, the adjacent province must
be owned either by the
state to be supplied, or by an allied state forming part
of
a combined force to be supplied.
(Supplies cannot be drawn
from friendly players
not having forces
present in
the
location to be supplied.)
A supply route
is cancelled
if hostile
forces of
the
appropriate terrain category (fleet or army) in the vicinity
of the force to be supplied outnumber the friendly forces of
that category by at least three to one, after adjustment for
the relative mobility of
the opposing forces (see
above).
In such circumstances
the superior force
is assumed
to
prevent supply ships/ supply trains getting through.
Owing to
the friendliness
of the
local peasantry,
Independents, and the original owners of "home" (loyalty
3)
provinces, can draw sufficient supplies from the surrounding
countryside without
an external
supply route,
unless
outnumbered by at least
3:1 by hostile
army units (after
adjustment as above).
Note that it is possible for both sides in an area to be out
of supply. Losses
due to supply shortages
do not always
occur, and are reported only to the player concerned.
It is
obviously strategically advantageous to cut off enemy supply
lines, and disadvantageous to advance
beyond your own line of supply. |
|
-RECRUITMENT:-
CIVILISED NATIONS: Recruitment occurs
after all moves are
completed for the turn. Each
unit raised costs 3
revenue
points, paid immediately.
Troops cannot
be raised
on
credit.
Army units and
fleet squadrons can
only be
raised in
provinces currently controlled
by the player. Unless
his
home province
(capital), they
must not
currently be
contested by hostile army units.
Fleet squadrons can only be raised in coastal provinces, in
shipbuilding turns.
The availability of recruits in any particular province
is
calculated as follows. The
current normal revenue value of
the province
(as printed
on the
owner's sitrep)
is
multiplied by a percentage factor for each troop type, which
depends on the
prevailing terrain. (See
scenario rules).
The end result is rounded to the nearest whole number
(i.e.
0 to 0.49 are rounded down, 0.5
to 0.99 are rounded up) to
give the
number of
units of
that type
available for
recruitment. Recruitment
is reduced in captured
provinces
of loyalty 1 to a maximum of half the normal amount, rounded
as above. Spy
networks can
be recruited in
-any- city,
friendly or otherwise. There
is no advantage in having more
than one spy network in a city.
TRIBAL NATIONS:
Tribal nations
automatically receive
recruits at the end of
each year. The number of
recruits
depends on the current total notional
revenue value of the
provinces/cities they hold. The
type of recruits depends on
the current composition of
the nation's forces.
Recruits
will automatically
mobilise where
there are
currently
forces.
No recruits will be received if the number of units in
the
tribal nation's forces already
equal or exceed the maximum
that their
territory can
support (i.e.
115% of
their
notional revenue). Otherwise,
on average, one unit will be
recruited per six
notional revenue points
value of their
currently secured territory.
Tribal nations can
also recruit troops
for RPs as
per
civilised nations. -DESERTIONS:-
These only occur if morale is low.
This can occur
(i) if Civilised troops are not
paid up to date (negative
treasury balance).
(ii) if the capital
of a Civilised
nation is in
enemy
hands.
(iii) if a Tribal
nation loses face by
being forced to ransom back a captured general. |
|
-REVOLTS:-
These rules only apply in scenarios where
Local Revolts can
occur (see scenario
rules). The
chance of
a province
revolting depends on
various factors.
Capital provinces
(loyalty 3) do not
revolt against their
rightful owners.
Other originally owned provinces or colonies (loyalty 2) are
less likely to revolt than
captured provinces (loyalty 1).
Taxation levels have a marked effect
on chances of revolt.
Enemy spies foment revolt,
but can be
neutralised by own
spies. Ungarrisoned
captured provinces (loyalty
1) will
soon revolt. Original
or colonised provinces (loyalty 2) do
not have to be garrisoned, but
will be even less likely to
revolt if they are.
The stronger the
garrison the less
likely that a revolt
will occur.
Garrison strength, for
this purpose only (NOT for sieges), is calculated using
the
normal combat factors
for open
battle in the
prevailing
terrain. (Ungarrisoned provinces pose
no obstacle to enemy
movement, and will fall to the
first foreign force, either
Independent or belonging to a player nation, to remain there
during a conflict phase.
Note that allied forces will also
gain control of an
ungarrisoned province, as
the program
assumes this to be a deliberate transfer.) Revolting
forces
do not automatically take
over a garrisoned province,
but
must recapture it in the
normal way. They will
belong to
the original province owner
in the case of
a former home
province, otherwise they count
as "Independents".
Player
states can ally with Independent
rebels - see above. Note
that this is the only circumstance in which players can ally
with Independents. A
good devious strategy, therefore,
is
to put a spy
in an enemy province
adjacent to your own
territories to incite a
revolt, then move
forces to
the
province to support the
revolt. "Independent"
provinces
cannot be induced to revolt against themselves! -ECONOMIC
DECLINE-
In scenarios where Local Revolts cannot occur (see
Scenario
Rules), overtaxation
instead produces
economic decline.
That is, there will be a tendency
for the revenue value of the cities to diminish. |
|
-DISLOYAL
GENERALS:-
Generals may
revolt against the
player controlling their
nation, and attempt to set themselves up as rival rulers.
A
player's commander-in-chief will never revolt in
this way,
but all
other generals may.
The chance of this occurring
will depend on the loyalty of the general, the morale of the
army (increased chance if
morale low
- discontent
with
present leadership
of the
country) and
the size of the
forces under his command (the larger his
forces, the
more
likely he is to revolt).
Only the
senior general
in a
province may initiate a
revolt. If a general
does decide to revolt, his
troops may
follow him, or may reject his offer and kill him.
This will
depend on
his popularity
and reputation and the
troops'
current morale.
If they do follow him, any subordinate generals in the same
province will either follow him or be killed.
Depending on the size of
the revolt
(and the
umpire's
whim), the umpire may decide to allow the rebel commander to
start as a new player character,
otherwise his forces become
Independents. (In
the latter
case the general himself is
removed from play, as
Independent generals are
not taken
into account).
Note: Generals only revolt when in their own territory. -UNACCOMPANIED
GENERALS:-
Generals in hostile territory,
unaccompanied by their own
troops at the end of the conflict phase, will be captured by
the enemy. They may
then either be executed by the enemy or
ransomed back.
This occurs
automatically and immediately,
the decision being made by the enemy forces and not
by the
player whose general has been captured.
It is thus risky to
attempt to get rid of a
useless/disloyal general by sending
him unaccompanied into enemy territory. -COUNTER
INTELLIGENCE:-
If the
owner of a province has his own spy network in the
province, there is a
good chance that they will detect and eliminate any foreign spy networks. |
|
-WINTER
QUARTERS-
After the conflict phase of the last campaigning
move of
the year,
the program
will automatically
retreat troops
currently in enemy territory to their own territory for
the
winter. Troops unable
to retreat
remain in
place, but
suffer
attrition. If
troops retreat, any
siege they were
undertaking is broken.
They may
suffer normal
movement
attrition, if
applicable, as they retreat.
Note that if a
besieged city had fallen during the conflict phase, it would
no longer count as enemy territory,
so the besiegers would
not have to retreat, nor suffer attrition.
Any troop types may be
classified as FEUDAL [see scenario
details]. Feudal troops
do not merely return to the nearest
friendly territory for the winter,
but disperse
to their
homes. Garrisons
will be
left in all provinces currently
containing troops, but all surplus feudal troops who are not
prevented by enemy
action will return home. As
the program
has no means of recording the original home of units, troops
will in practice be
dispersed throughout
their nation's
territory, in
proportion to the size and loyalty rating of
cities/provinces, and the suitability of the terrain.
Dispersed feudal
troops do not have to
be re-recruited,
but will need to be regrouped during the
first campaigning
turn of
the following
year. To
facilitate this,
all
generals not prevented by enemy action may move at
the end
of the
last campaigning turn of the year to any accessible
province belonging to their nation.
There is
no distance
restriction, and generals can
in this instance cross the sea
without using
naval vessels (being assumed to use merchant
ships). It
is not
necessary to
record intermediate
destinations but only the name of the general and his winter
destination. The
order sheet for the
last yearly campaign
turn will have a space at the bottom for this
purpose. Any
generals who
are unable
to move due to enemy action, or
whose destination is likewise inaccessible,
will remain at their previous location. |
|
-INTELLIGENCE:-
Intelligence reports of varying accuracy will
be received
from any
province where
at least
one of the following
conditions applies:
a) owned by the player, either
now or at the start of the
campaign.
b) army units or fleet squadrons belonging to the player in
the province.
c) containing spies belonging to the player.
The more of the above
factors applying, the more
accurate
the report.
NOTE: It can be assumed
that if no report is received when
any of
the above apply,
there are no other troops at the
province. This may be
the only indication
a player
gets
that Independent rebels have been destroyed by attrition.
In addition
to the above,
sporadic intelligence reports
from other provinces may be received from civilian sources -
merchants and the like.
These reports
are often
highly
inaccurate.
If the
revenue value
of the province is reported, this
means that the player whose
forces are
listed owns
the
province. (If it is
shown in brackets, he is not
currently
collecting any revenue from the province). -NEWS
REPORTS:-
Each player receives a campaign newsheet
reporting events
occurring within
range of
his informants.
Up to
date
reports will only be received from provinces where at
least
one of the following conditions is met:
The province itself or an adjacent province (by land or sea
move) must either
(1) Belong
to the
player or (2) Have belonged to the
player at the start of the
campaign or (3) Contain troops or spies belonging to
the player.
Note that a single judiciously placed spy
network may
be
able to send reports of events at several cities.
Brief news
reports will
also be
received from
other regions, but these will be out of date and lack detail. |
|
-ORDER
SHEETS:-
Orders should be written on
the order
sheets provided,
which should be sent back to the umpire, to arrive not later
than the due date.
All other sheets are for your permanent
record. It is
not necessary
to give
stationary troops
combat
orders each turn. They
can remember the orders they
were given! Moving
troops -must-, however,
always be given
combat orders.
The general(s)
commanding, the number
of
units of each type moving (IN
TERMS OF
UNITS -
NUMBERS OF
ACTUAL SHIPS
OR MEN), intermediate
and final
destinations, and
combat orders, should all be
written in
the appropriate
columns. Destinations and
numbers of units
can be omitted if giving new combat
orders to
stationary
troops. Remember
that all
movement/combat orders must be
initiated by a general present in the province concerned.
Combat orders apply to all of a player's troops of the same
terrain type
(Sea/Land) in
that province.
It is
NOT
possible, for instance,
to have part of your land forces at
a given province with one order,
and part with another. If
more than
one set of orders is given, the
last set on the
list will be obeyed. Note
that combat orders apply only to
actions during
the conflict phase of the turn,
not during
the movement phase.
Optional actions may be listed in the
space provided.
Be
as specific as possible. Put
them in order of importance in
case you run out of money.
Recruits should
likewise be listed in order of importance
to you. If
a troop
type is
not shown,
it cannot
be
recruited that turn.
Illegal orders
may be
altered by
the umpire
with
unpredictable results, or ignored.
If there is insufficient room on your order sheet
you can
use a
separate sheet of paper provided that all orders are
written in the same format as on the printed order sheet.
Please note that since the campaign is completely
computer
moderated there
is no point in writing
any special orders
for stratagems and the like, since they cannot be processed.
Suggestions for alterations in the rules,
and additions to
the list
of optional actions, are
received with interest,
but bear in mind that they may not be easy to incorporate in
a computer program. Nevertheless
it is
my intention
to continually upgrade the program. |
|
-SCORES-
Civilised players' scores represent
their current
total
revenue (at
normal 100% taxation) as a percentage of their
original total revenue. Tribal
players' scores
represent
their current
total forces
(as number
of units)
as a
percentage of their original total forces.
Thus a score of
100 means
that the player has
neither lost nor gained any
revenue/forces overall since the start of the campaign.
Each player
is informed
of his
position (scorewise)
relative to the other players.
(In the initial setup sitrep
this is arbitrary). Victory conditions will be found in the scenario rules. -ADVICE
TO PLAYERS-
1) Read the rules (again).
2) Use the different troop types appropriately according
to the prevailing
terrain.
3) Never attack
with a
slight advantage when
you could
attack with overwhelming odds.
4) Diplomatic contact with other players
is essential.
If you do
not make alliances with
other players,
they will probably make alliances against you.
5) Try to avoid getting involved in a war with more than
one of your neighbours.
6) Do not start a war against an equal enemy unless you
have the assistance of allies.
7) Overtaxation provokes revolts or causes economic
decline.
8) Ensure that your supply routes are
secure. Try
to
cut off enemy supply routes.
9) Use your
generals carefully.
A disloyal general may
revolt if put in command of too many
troops. If
possible your commander-in-chief
should command your
largest force personally. Energetic
generals move
faster, but may engage their forces in a battle that
they cannot win if they
are not very
skillful. Give
energetic generals risk level 1 orders,
or avoid
employing
them where
they might
be outnumbered.
10) If you are
Civilised, protect your
capital. Its loss
will severely affect the morale of your troops.
11) Remember that troops in enemy territory must retreat
to their own territory
for the winter. If they are
unable to do so they will suffer attrition.
If they
retreat, they may
suffer normal movement attrition if
applicable.
12) If your enemy has been foolish enough
not to
garrison his cities, you can capture several cities in
one turn with the same
general. This
is done by
dropping off at least one unit at each city en route,
so
that you have forces at each of
the cities during
the conflict resolution phase.
Note that any forces
that are out
of supply
may suffer attrition.
13) Always write your orders clearly,
and in
the proper format. |