Forced Down

[Hu Rhu]

I am designing a WW1 campaign and want to include the option for pilots to disengage from the mission should they meet certain criteria. I have sketched out some potential rules and would welcome comments. I would also like to hear about any existing house rules regarding being forced down.


Forced Down
Once on a mission, pilots will attempt to complete the mission but sometimes discretion is the better part of valour. In order to preserve his forces, the player may be able to disengage his aircraft either singly or collectively. Individual pilots may disengage according to the criteria listed below. Aircraft must exit the friendly side of the board to disengage. If they disengage, they are considered ‘forced down’. The enemy gain a point for each aircraft forced down but not the extra points for an Ace being killed.

Rookie Pilots may disengage if any of the following criteria are met:
• No other seasoned pilots or Aces remain on the board;
• Once they have taken one third of their damage points, rounded up;
• If they are on fire, smoking or suffer any other aircraft malfunction;
• If their guns jam or
• They are wounded.

Seasoned pilots may disengage if any of the following criteria are met:
• No other friendly aircraft remain on the table;
• Once they have taken half their damage points, rounded up;
• If they suffer two or more aircraft malfunctions simultaneously;
• If they suffer a gun jam and an aircraft malfunction simultaneously or
• If they are wounded.

Aces may disengage if they are the only aircraft remaining on the table and either suffer from two or more of the following criteria:
• If they suffer two thirds damage points, rounded up;
• If they are wounded;
• If their guns are jammed or
• If they suffer two or more aircraft malfunctions.

Actions on being forced down
If an aircraft is forced down, the pilot will attempt to land. Depending on the damage sustained and the skill of the pilot he will either force land or crash land. If he crash lands, there is a chance that the pilot and any observer will be wounded or killed. The table below shows how to determine the outcome of being forced down. Roll 2D6 and add or subtract the following scores to determine the result. Conditions are cumulative. On a score of 3 or below the aircraft crashes and the pilot is killed, on a score 4-8 the aircraft crashes and the pilot is wounded, on a score of 9+ the aircraft lands safely and the pilot is unharmed.

Conditions Score Adjustment
Rookie -1
Seasoned Pilot +2
Ace +4
30% damage -1
50% damage -2
75% damage -3
On Fire -2
Rudder malfunction -1
Smoking -1
Pilot wounded -2

[Teaticket]

You have some nice criteria for making pilots not fight until they die.

You can also check out the OTT campaign rules 'HERE' if you haven't yet seen them. It will give you more food for thought.

[flash]

Looks like that would work for you Gary.
This is what I came up with for the OTT solo campaign for both AI & player piloted aircraft, the decision is taken out of the pilot's hands somewhat, so a will rather than a may decision point is dictated by the combat results & the machine is forced to RTB or forced to land if he doesn't think he'll make it back:

Morale:
All aircraft will actively engage until they are:
a. Within 3 of destruction, or,
b. Within 5 of destruction if on fire, or,
c. The pilot’s wounded on A deck 5, or, B deck 3 (includes those with strong constitution) or,
d. The engine is damaged,
They will then disengage and head for the barn at best speed taking whatever evasive manoeuvres are necessary for survival, and shots at targets of opportunity - that's something in range crossing their nose !
If possible leave the board at the nearest friendly edge but in dire circumstances they may just need to escape the battle area so any edge will do (unless stated otherwise in BRF) - they could also dive/over dive out of combat, of course, and head for friendly territory but they should still react to enemy aircraft actions - not fly dumb without any reaction to being shot up. Be the I in AI & do what is best in the situation given.

Wounded pilots:
Wounded pilots bugging out - Rather than they just go we use the damage number to dictate the result ie the potential severity of the wound.
So,on a Wounded Pilot A deck hit of 5, or, B deck hit of 3 the pilots head for home but on a Wounded Pilot A deck 3, or, B deck 1 they will stay in the fight. This means your pilots may fight on in spite of a wound, or, equally, may push off home. The cards will decide.
Two pilot wounds – if your pilot receives a second wound, he is not immediately killed. He is, however, shot down and the appropriate post game results applied to combat die rolls ie 2WIA (+ appropriate EXP/FLM/SD)

Current rules can be found here:
https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sh...Campaign-Rules

[Hu Rhu]

Peter/Dave - Thanks very much for the feedback on the disengagement criteria. I'll look through the OTT rules and see what else I can introduce.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Excellent set of criteria Dave. I will adopt them in my games from now on.
Rob.

[CaptMoonbeam]

Fantastic Gary! It will really help my young flier to fly another day; he may have to spin, spin, spin his way down and out!

"Be the I in AI" - that's brillant Dave, i'll have to borrow that for some mapping I'm doing!
This what i really like about the Areodrome, its innovation at its best.
Cheers!
Terry

[Mike George]

I like the word you did on well done.

[Stumptonian]

Excellent set of criteria Dave. I will adopt them in my games from now on.
Rob.

You mean you've been playing Over the Trenches without them, Rob?

[Hu Rhu]

I like the word you did on well done.

Thanks Mike.

I think I need one more factor. Where did the forced landing take place? - Behind enemy lines, in no man's land or behind your own lines.

Going off the board on the friendly edge means that you land behind your own lines, crossing either neutral edge means landing in no man's land and off the enemy edge means landing behind enemy lines. Whilst this may mean the loss of a pilot, being a POW does rob the enemy of additional points for killing an Ace. It also generates the next sortie as a rescue mission.

[Horse4261]

I use a modified version of the rules from the Canvas Eagles game.
Forced Landing
Roll 2d6; then add all applicable modifiers. If the results after modifiers is more than the required number that aircraft has crashed. If more then one terrain type is present use the type that offers the least chance for successful landing.
Terrain Types Required
Airfield: 11
Clear: 10
River/Railway/Marsh: 08
Woods/Stumps: 07
Trench Line: 05
Shell Holes: 05
Buildings: 03
Roads (as other terrain at +01, except Airfields)

Forced Landing Roll Modifiers
Novice Crew Rating: -0
Average Crew Rating: -1
Experienced Crew Rating: -2
Pilot has an injury: +2
Aircraft flown by Observer: +1
Aircraft is smoking: +1
Aircraft is on fire: +2
Aircraft is gliding: +1
Aircraft has engine or rudder damage: +1

Crash Landing
Roll 2d6; then add all applicable modifiers for each crew member. If the result after modifiers the required number is less then nine that crew member survives but may be injured.
Condition Required
Uninjured: 04 or less
Injury: 05 - 08
Killed: 09 or more

Crash Roll Modifiers
Pilot has any injury: +02
Aircraft flown by Observer: +01
Crashing a Pusher aircraft: +01
Aircraft was on fire: +02
Crashed in Woods or Trench Line: +01
Crashed in Shell Holes +02
Crashed in Buildings +03
Aircraft shot down at altitude 1 +01
Aircraft shot down at altitude: 2-4 +02
Aircraft shot down at altitude: 5-7 +04
Aircraft shot down at altitude: 8+ +06

[Naharaht]

In a document I read about WW1 formation flying, pilots leaving a formation with a damaged plane to fly home were given an escort. You may like to factor this in.