Some suggestions for scenarios design

These are suggestions related to the design (oob, victory, objectives, reinforcements) and of course has not to be taken numbly but they are only starting points for develop own proper ideas and design.

OOB determination

Select a master OOB on what you want work

Assign to every unit a scale in point:

100 points for 100 infantrymen or 50 cavalrymen type 2 or 1 artillery gun
150 points for 50 cavalrymen type 1

Multiply the points for 1.X, where X is the experience level.

Ex. a 500 men infantry regiment of 5 experience will have points 750

If armed with repeater weapons (MROF <=20) multiply the points for 2, for 3 if armed with sharps rifle 1859, if armed with flintlocks or other inefficient weapons, divide the points for 2.

Now think to the minimal number of players you want in game for side and what kind of divisions do you want: a reference a good division with a battery will need 6000-7000 points points, a little division 3500-4000.

Now multiply the number of player for the points you assign per division and you will have the army total points. Make the same for the other side.

Ex: I want a army of three big good division: 6000+6000+6000= 18000, these are the points of my army.

Now assign the regiments to the divisions on the base of points assigned to the master OOB to units and those assigned to every division.

Now if your scenario foreseen reinforcements for the next steps, calculate the points for them, dividing for 3 the army points (so in the previous example, 6000 will be the points for our reinforcements) and take from the master OOB a pools of units to use as reinforcements.

Objectives

They are strictly linked to type of scenario and have to be of the type and to be located in accord to what you think is the “great vision” of scenario. At example in a attack-defense where the defender have to delay a strong attacker, the objective of the defender can be specific locations along a communication road, the more advanced will give more points and morale bonus respect those behind, for the attacker the same locations can be waypoints, which gives more points advancing.
In meeting engagements or “front-line” battle you can place objectives in the tactical relevant place or crossroad, brigdes, etc.

Eventually assign to the control of a objective secondary events out of battle which can permit to activate situation in the next battles.

Determine what objectives have to be considered minor and what major; I suggest to set as major the strategical and minor the tactical objectives.

I suggest to permit the objective activation on the basis of big number of men and with sufficiently wide activation area. This will permit to transform the control of area in a true fighting because you need to have a serious margin of men more than of your adversary for control the objective. Of course also this has to be thought in the wide context of scenario.

I suggest also to place always at least a major objective for each army representing the entry point (aka the line of supply) if the scenario is thought to be linked to successives.

About the points determination, don’t give too many of them if the scenario is not thought for compensate with the objective points the difference in number between the sides; give high points and morale bonus mainly the the objectives with a tactical value on the battlefield, usually the minors (see tactical victory below)

A suggested formula can be divide the army points for the number of activation ticks for objective: at exampe 18000 / (120 minutes of match lenght /10 minutes) =1500, divide this 1500 between all your objective for this army: this mean that for gain own proper value in points the army should have to hold all the objective for all the time.

Regulate the morale and fatigue bonus on the base of difference in numbers between the side: keep it low if the sides are not very different in dimension. (consider that the scale of morale and fatigue is on base 1000).




Determination of victory

I suggest to determine the victory on two levels: tactical and strategical. The first one means has to be used for evaluate the battlefield performance, the use of tactical ground and grade of fitness of army at the end of clash. The second one evaluate the reaching of more ample strategic objectives related to the scenario and the grade of control of battlefield. Usually the tactical destruction of the enemy on the battlefield implies the reaching of also the strategical objectives, but also a failed attack or a unsuccessful defence can reach strategical goals.

For the tactical victory determination use the points at the end of battle:

1:1 is a stalemate
A points difference of 2:1 is a minor victory
3:1 is a major victory
4:1 a total victory

For multiphase battles you can sum the points of the different phases, in multiple or sequential battles scenarios, you can have more tactical victory determinations.

About the strategic victory level, you can determine it on the basis of objectives taken or in your battlefield area: calculate two points for a major objective (strategical) and 1 point for a minor objective (tactical). Evaluate the difference in points between the two side at the end of battle (or of the series of battle) and the % respect the total:


if each side control the 50% of total points is a strategical stalemate
if one side control the 65% of total points is a minor victory
the 80% is a major victory
The 95% is a total victory.

Differently from the tactical victory in multiple or sequential battle scenarios the strategic victory determination has to be done only at the end summing the objectives of different phases.
Remember for the determination of strategic victory the objective has not to be necessarly under direct occupation, but it is sufficient it is covered by your force (aka the enemy cannot reach him without fight us).

Reinforcements

If you create a multiphase or multibattle or sequential scenario you could permit to the sides to have reinforcements between a phase and another one. Of course you can also create a background context for justify the coming of reinforcements: in the OOB determination you have created a pool of reinforcements on the basis ⅓ of army points. You can permit to one side to have access to his pool on the basis of his match points a the end of each phase.

ex. I won with 1000 points, so I can have units from my pool for a total value of 1000.

In addition you can permit to have extrapool units on the basis of objectives occupied: a example can be 1 regiment for every tactical objective occupied or 1 brigade for a major objective.

Some interesting concepts here, Davide.
They may be useful for the administration of a campaign, but as a player I would like not to be bothered by such mathematical details   

I tend to agree with Stefan that a scenario umpire can decide who won and by what margin by taking into account a general view of the battle. Fine tuning by numbers isn't necessary.