JTS Melee Calculations

[phoenix]

Yes, it's perhaps getting better with the new rules. But I've played a couple of PBEM games with the new rules (in WPW) and the action was much the same. Mostly it was still a question of stack and melee. The new rules mean that every now and then if you do that one of your units in the stack might disorder. But, if the new rules are meant to encourage marching up, forming line and firing, then they fail, I think. Because in order to get within firing range you also have to close to within the auto-disorder range with the new rules, and hence you end up sometimes being randomly disordered even if what you're trying to do is form a line and fire. So it's hard to see how the rules achieve what is the stated aim in the notes for the WPW title - which is to encourage players to 'soften up' units by fire before they melee. If you try to do that then you're equally likely to fail the new disorder check...

It's not the combat mechanics to blame, of course, in the sense that players could choose to fight it as if they were fighting in Napoleonic era, and fire more, rather than melee more, even without any rule changes. But the game mechanics don't encourage that at present, I think.

Thanks for the info on 7 years war being different, TheGRayMouser. I have the title, haven't played it, and didn't realise that. Maybe I should try that.