Semi-random incremental dogfight generator

[Conall]

I came up with a dogfight generator, which combines a degree of strategy and randomness thereby making for some quite fun simple games.

The starting premise is a pre-agreed number of points and planes each. So for an early (1916) scenario my girlfriend and I used 160pts (using the point system here) and for a late war scenario (1918) we tried 300pts with up to three planes each. A variant would be no limit on the number of planes.

Each player starts with one plane & pre-allocates where to deploy them (we simply divided the map edge into zones: L1, L2 – centre – R2, R1). They also pre-allocate the zones & altitude at which reinforcements will arrive. The default altitude is three.
Then at the start of the next turn each player rolls 1D6:
1,2 = no reinforcements
3,4 = 1 plane in four turns’ time
5,6 = 1 plane in two turns’ time.

However, players can bid from their starting point allocation so that:
+25 points adds +1 to the die on the first reinforcement roll for that plane
+50 points adds +2 to the die on the first reinforcement roll for that plane
+75 points adds +4 to the die on the first reinforcement roll for that plane
+100 points allows the player to start immediately with two planes.

They can also bid for altitude (up to one level higher or one lower from a base level of three):
+25 points gives +1 level altitude
-25 points gives -1 level altitude.

Additional planes can either be directly flown or flown using the solo rules according to preference (the latter adds an additional random element).

So here would be an example 1918 game. The British and German players each have 300pts. The German player bids as follows:
Turn one:
Fokker DVII at altitude 1 R2 = 75pts (base cost 100 -25 for one less altitude level)
Fokker Dr.I at altitude 1 L2 = 160pts (base cost 85 +100 for immediate entry -25 for one less altitude level)

Reinforcements:
Fokker Dr.I at altitude 2 L1 = 60pts (85 base cost -25 for one less altitude level)
Total: 295pts

The British player bids as follows:
Turn one:
Bristol F2B Fighter at altitude 1 R2 = 86 (111 base cost – 25 points for one less altitude)

Reinforcements:
1. SE5a at altitude two R2 = 117 (92 base cost – 25 points for one less altitude + 50 points for +2 on the first reinforcement die roll)
2. SE5a at altitude two R2 = 92 (92 base cost + 25 points for +1 on the first reinforcement die roll – 25 points for one less altitude)
Total: 295 points

The game might then go as follows:
Turn 1: The German player deploys the DVII and the DR.I and the British player deploys his now slightly concerned Bristol F2B all at altitude level two in their respective zones.
Turn 2: The German rolls 1 & receives no reinforcements – verdamnt die!; the British player rolls 4 but because he spent +50 pts will get his first SE5a in two turns at altitude two in zone R2
Turn 3: The German player rolls 4 & receives his second Dr.I in four turns at altitude two in zone L1; the British player also rolls 4 & receives his second SE5a in two turns at altitude two in zone R2
Turn 4: The first British SE5a arrives at altitude two in zone R2
Turn 5: The second British SE5a arrives at altitude two in zone R2
Turn 6: no reinforcements
Turn 7: the German Dr.I arrives at altitude two in zone L1.

In this way because of their respective bidding (tactical choices) and the random element introduced by the dice roll the pendulum swings from the German, because of their high starting bid allowing a two plane deployment, to the British because of the combination of their bidding strategy and greater luck (randomness) with the reinforcement die.

The system seems to produce really fun games, which are well balanced (points) and have a random element leavened by bidding strategy. My girlfriend & I played one 285pt & one 300pt game yesterday. In the first, she selected four planes (Aviatik D1; Hannover CLII; Fokker DVII; & finally a Fokker EIII – a slightly strange choice ) & I had three (Bristol F2B B/B; SE5a; & another SE5a) – I won destroying all her planes but losing one SE5a and with the Bristol F2B almost certainly about to succumb to fire damage. In the second game she had a Hannover CLII; a Fokker DVII; and another Fokker DVII while I chose a Bristol F2B A/B and my trust two SE5a’s. I won this game slightly more easily losing only one SE5a (to an unlucky explosion – balanced by one of her Fokkers also dying from an explosion). Both games were excellent fun. We also played an early war 160 points scenario which was even closer with the British only narrowly & luckily winning with a badly damaged Nieuport 11 left.

Let me know what you think. Hope you find it fun & relatively easy to use.

Tom

[Herkybird]

I have a simpler option in my campaign scenario generator, incidentally APES means 'Appropriate Period Enemy Scout'. not a troop of monkeys!
I don't use Altitude, as you can see...

Players have to spend 12 turns in battle with a ‘circus’ – they start
within 12” of the table centre. At the start of each turn throw a D6;

(1) Nothing happens.
(2) 1 random APES appears with D6-3 points of damage enter at
a random table edge. 1 random APES within 12” of any table
edge leaves and is removed
(3) 1 random friendly scout appears with D6-3 points of damage
at a random table edge.
(4) 2 enemy and 1 friendly scout with D6-3 points of damage at a
random table edge. 2 random scouts chosen from those within
12” of any table edge leaves and are removed.
(5) 2 friendly and 1 enemy scouts with D6-3 points of damage
enter at a random table edge. 1 random scout chosen from those
within 12” of any table edge leaves and is removed
(6) (D6: 1-3) A random enemy scout appears at the centre of the
table. Randomise his heading.
(D6: 4-6) A random friendly scout appears at the centre of the
table. Randomise his heading.
NB: Multiple aircraft entering should be within 6” of each other if
on the same side – any opposing scouts will appear on the exact
opposite side of the table.
Players scouts may never be removed by a result on the table
above, do not count them as within 12” of a table edge!

[Conall]

I have a simpler option in my campaign scenario generator, incidentally APES means 'Appropriate Period Enemy Scout' not a troop of monkeys!
I don't use Altitude, as you can see...

Players have to spend 12 turns in battle with a ‘circus’ – they start within 12” of the table centre. At the start of each turn throw a D6;

(1) Nothing happens.
(2) 1 random APES appears with D6-3 points of damage enter at a random table edge. 1 random APES within 12” of any table
edge leaves and is removed
(3) 1 random friendly scout appears with D6-3 points of damage at a random table edge.
(4) 2 enemy and 1 friendly scout with D6-3 points of damage at a random table edge. 2 random scouts chosen from those within 12” of any table edge leaves and are removed.
(5) 2 friendly and 1 enemy scouts with D6-3 points of damage enter at a random table edge. 1 random scout chosen from those within 12” of any table edge leaves and is removed
(6) (D6: 1-3) A random enemy scout appears at the centre of the table. Randomise his heading. (D6: 4-6) A random friendly scout appears at the centre of the table. Randomise his heading.
NB: Multiple aircraft entering should be within 6” of each other if on the same side – any opposing scouts will appear on the exact opposite side of the table.
Players scouts may never be removed by a result on the table above, do not count them as within 12” of a table edge!

Dear Richard,

These look really good – for which many thanks – and very elegant/simple. And I will certainly give them a try for solo play.

I think, however, we devised schemes with rather different purposes in mind:

You’ve, as far as I can tell, created a properly random generator primarily for solo play in which the player has very little agency.

Mine is very different, in that it is designed for two players (it won’t work solo without adding a random plane/deployment generator) and gives the players considerable agency/choice. The random element is, therefore, very much less important and is primarily in respect of what time reinforcements arrive. The purpose of the overall design and use of points is to introduce much more uncertainty, so that each player won’t know what he/she is flying against nor when it will arrive and in what posture. This means that the selection of planes/altitude/arrival is important resulting in a strong degree of player agency/tactical selection but combined with uncertainty/limited randomness to ensure that it doesn’t become boring.

Tom

[Herkybird]

Dear Richard,

These look really good – for which many thanks – and very elegant/simple. And I will certainly give them a try for solo play.

I think, however, we devised schemes with rather different purposes in mind:

You’ve, as far as I can tell, created a properly random generator primarily for solo play in which the player has very little agency.

Mine is very different, in that it is designed for two players (it won’t work solo without adding a random plane/deployment generator) and gives the players considerable agency/choice. The random element is, therefore, very much less important and is primarily in respect of what time reinforcements arrive. The purpose of the overall design and use of points is to introduce much more uncertainty, so that each player won’t know what he/she is flying against nor when it will arrive and in what posture. This means that the selection of planes/altitude/arrival is important resulting in a strong degree of player agency/tactical selection but combined with uncertainty/limited randomness to ensure that it doesn’t become boring.

Tom

I agree, I only enclosed mine for interest! Its only 1 of many different games generated in a campaign I wrote!