Simple Method for interpolating combat values

[RLW]

One more observation. Since the plsu die gets fist dibs on getting its n sided die and that if the minus die has the same n sided value it must use the n-1 sided die instead that typically means that the two die minus die will have one less sides than the plus. However, if only the minus die is rolled then it gets first dibs and may be the n sided die and not have to settle for the n-1 sided die and thus has an added bonus for not having to compete with that plus die. I am finding in test play sometimes with the two sided rolls ones gets to bump up the column, sometimes bump down, and often it is neither. But having even a few extra CV above the min helps in keeping form getting bumped down. . Likewise if one is only a few CV points away from that next column one has a good shot at being bumped up. And if one is sort of in the middle chances are that neither will happen.

[RLW]

I am on turn 9 on my test game, scenario 1 Korean War: Counter Attack and finding these rules are really working well and do not seem to clutter up play all that much. Mostly they do not affect the ultimate outcome of an encounter but do on occasion, causing the loss of a US infantry step once and the added fog of war preventing the NK from  a few impulses via involuntary passes that  led to subsequent  ending of the turn to to fog of war role. So like the proverbial butterfly that flaps its wings in China and thus affects the weather in North America ala chaos theory these rules seem to change the  course of events.

But mostly they don't. So I am seeing this scenario progress much the same as when I played it before, other than I now know better  how to play it for both the US and NK. The added fog  is easy to do in that it requires just looking at the two highest dice roles in the fog of war role to see if they are greater than 10 the moral of both the US and NK over all commanders. The two dice interpolation method adds interest to the  combat dice rolls and occasionally bumps  the column up or down a level. I haven't test the AFV rules yet in that all  the AFVs are to date  standing back waiting for the other side to give them the first shot. And so far there has been no sniper action, perhaps because I missed rolling doubles, for one should about 1/6th of he time..  

The special conditions for rolling just one interpolation die (either the plus or minus) seem to work well and  as I use them they are getting more second nature. Some of the conditions that I have seen were a US motor shot at max range (calling for a minus only interpolation die roll counter by the leader with the two US 8-10 mortars having arty special  abilities (that I arbitrarily decreed it to have before the game)canceling it, even though i rolled a zero for the negative anyway having at first overlooking that leader and his special powers and then a no effect on the CRT (even if it had been bumped up). Even so, outcomes such as these to me just add to the narrative even if they do not always change any outcomes, though they can and  at times do just that.

So I am about getting to the point to declare this test game a success... for what ever that is worth. And what that means is that these are adding to the interest of the game, the  richness of the narrative, proving more satisfying results and all at minimum in crease in game playability... that is for me... but that was my goal all along for doing this test game, to see how I liked these rules in actual play and not just from thinking about them in the abstract.

[RLW]

One issue with a plus and minus die is the following:

If the Direct Fire is exactly 22 factor. The plus die is 8-sided but eight is treated has 0 so it can never go to the 30-column. If you roll a "1" on the d8 and a "3" on the d6, the net is -2 and thus the fire would drop to the 16 column.  I believe there are several ways to solve this issue.

I think the approach definitely has merits if one believes every factor counts (which is a very valid position in my opinion) and/or wants more variability. It will require a more time to play a scenario but maybe only marginally so after the process becomes routine.

I encourage you to submit the process to Avalanche Press as a potential Daily Content column after you test it out.

BTW, on further reflection I did somewhat address this problem and changed my rule so if one has two plus conditions (and no negative ones) then one does not treat  the max die roll number as 0 but by its presented value. This in part addressing your concern. For example if one were the defender on a first time assault and also had a leader with rural assault skills then that would give that defender two conditions for only rolling a plus interpolation die (and assuming there were no negative conditions) if the VF were exactly 22 rolling that 8 could gt you to 30. But if one just had the one, (with no negative conditions) one need not roll at all for as you said, you would have no way of getting to 30. But if you had to roll both the plus and minus the issue then is not whether  you can get the 30 but can you hang on to the 22.

BTW, if  that approach leaves one still a bit unsatisfied one could add the rule that  one always rolls both the plus and  minus die, but if the conditions call for only the plus die only or the minus die only one  reads that other die roll as a zero regardless of what its rolls. However, if that die roll is actually a zero then one treats the other one such that  it's maximum value is not taken as zero but a presented. That way if the negative die roll was a zero (for a plus only role) that 8 would get you that 30, but but if  that negative die roll was  some other value it would still be read as zero but would not give that plus die that added boost.

[RLW]

House rule summary.

I thought I might add a summary here for those who don't wnat to wade through all these post. Here are my house rules that I am now evaluating in my test game.

1. a CRT interpolation rule so every combat factor counts but doesn't  that much alter over all lethality.
2. Two tables of conditions  to  use with the interpolation rule to  reflect special conditions the do not warrant a full fledged +1 or -1  column shift in the CRT but (on the average more like a .5 shift up or down).
3. A set of bug out rules to  assist outnumbered forces to get out of Dodge and avoid being overwhelmed by superior forces.
4. an added fog rule that  can cause a side to have to take an involuntary pass that considers the force leader's ability to command his force at that time based on his state and activity (and  rewards a player to use the commander as a real commander and not just another one of  that side's leaders).
5. Several rules that try to differentiate the capabilities of turreted AFVs vs non turreted plus add a AFV gun duel capability.
6. A sniper rule that abstracts sniper fire but  considers  a number of conditions that might affect that (BTW. this rule probably needs more work)
7. A modification to  the cross fire rule that included movement of the AFV to determine  whether a "cross fire" condition exist (or more precisely flanking fire, for it only requires one shooter to get that flank shot) including the ability for AFVs to employ reverse movement.

.. and maybe a few more, but these are the main ones.

[RLW]

BTW, an update here. I have been further play testing this rule and have greatly simplified it to where I just roll the interpolation die twice, take the difference and add that. Thus say if the total fire is 10 since that falls between 11 and 7 and 11 - 7 = 4 I just roll a 4 sided die twice, take the difference between the first and second rolls and the add that to the the base combat value. Also, I no longer treat the maximum die roll of the n sided die as zero. Thus if I rolled a 4 and a 2 that would be 4-2 = 2. Add that to the 10 gives a 12. I take that 12 to be the same as if there actually were 12 combat factors, thus it does not count against shift limits. If in this example I had rolled a 1 and 4 that would give a 1 -4 = -3 and adding that to 10 would be a 7. I have (for now) dropped any rules that causes one to only role of of those two die rolls. Also if the minus rolls is such that it bumps down the column by 2 I limit it to just one. For example if the raw combat total was 22 for DF and rolling two 12 sided die gave 1 - 12 = -11 which would bump that 22 down to a 11 I would treat it as a 16 instead, the next column down from 22.

I am finding this version easy to do and gives satisfying results. The interpolation can help or hurt or have no effect. The more surplus factors one has the more likely it will either help or have no effect. The less factors one has the more likely that it will hurt or have no effect. So sometimes that 28 or 29 gets bumped up to a 30. Other times that 24 gets bumped down to a 16. Most of the time it has no effect.

So in the end I am going with simplicity and minimum impact on over all lethality. I find the results satisfying in that it is rather easy to do and does make every combat factor count.

[Shad]

I just roll a 4 sided die twice

Why not just roll two 4-sided dice once?