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<blockquote data-quote="Philotomy Jurament" data-source="post: 3755082" data-attributes="member: 20854">Personally, I find that the 1E combat system, as written, is wonderful when *not* using figures, but has a level of abstraction (in the position of combatants) that can cause problems when using minis.Basically, 1E defines 10' as &quot;melee engagement range.&quot;&nbsp; Once you're engaged, you're assumed to be moving around within that 10' range during the one minute round.&nbsp; Your character's mini thus defines its general location, but not a precise tactical position.&nbsp; This definition of engagement and abstract position is what makes the AD&amp;D rules for random determination of the target of your melee attack make sense.The engagement range and abstract position assumption seems at odds with the flank/rear diagrams in the 1E DMG; how an abstract position in a 10' range works with flank/rear attacks once the general melee is in progress is not discussed.&nbsp; Personally, I think these are largely artifacts from the game's Chainmail roots.If you're using minis with 1E rules-as-written, you need to make sure that everyone understands that the positioning of the minis is abstract, showing a general, but not precise location.&nbsp; Otherwise you're going to get arguments. The other option is to NOT use the 1E rules-as-written (especially the rules like random determination of the target of a melee attack),&nbsp; house-ruling movement/engagement to be less abstract.&nbsp; (I think this is probably pretty common when using minis with AD&amp;D -- most people probably &quot;house ruled&quot; it without even realizing it.)&nbsp; In that case, you might be interested in the combat sequence I'm using with my OD&amp;D game, which is derived from Swords &amp; Spells (and thus from Chainmail).&nbsp; It allows the use of AD&amp;D missile rates-of-fire, weapon length/reach, facing, movement rates, et cetera, while using more precise positioning of the combatants.&nbsp; The major difference when using it with AD&amp;D would be the spell-casting times; AD&amp;D segments don't really fit into the sequence (the sequence provides a different method for making higher-level spells take longer to cast).&nbsp; <a href="http://www.philotomy.com/combat_sequence.html" target="_blank">Combat Sequence</a></blockquote>

[QUOTE="Philotomy Jurament, post: 3755082, member: 20854"] Personally, I find that the 1E combat system, as written, is wonderful when *not* using figures, but has a level of abstraction (in the position of combatants) that can cause problems when using minis. Basically, 1E defines 10' as "melee engagement range." Once you're engaged, you're assumed to be moving around within that 10' range during the one minute round. Your character's mini thus defines its general location, but not a precise tactical position. This definition of engagement and abstract position is what makes the AD&D rules for random determination of the target of your [b]melee[/b] attack make sense. The engagement range and abstract position assumption seems at odds with the flank/rear diagrams in the 1E DMG; how an abstract position in a 10' range works with flank/rear attacks once the general melee is in progress is not discussed. Personally, I think these are largely artifacts from the game's [i]Chainmail[/i] roots. If you're using minis with 1E rules-as-written, you need to make sure that everyone understands that the positioning of the minis is abstract, showing a general, but not precise location. Otherwise you're going to get arguments. The other option is to NOT use the 1E rules-as-written (especially the rules like random determination of the target of a melee attack), house-ruling movement/engagement to be less abstract. (I think this is probably pretty common when using minis with AD&D -- most people probably "house ruled" it without even realizing it.) In that case, you might be interested in the combat sequence I'm using with my OD&D game, which is derived from [i]Swords & Spells[/i] (and thus from [i]Chainmail[/i]). It allows the use of AD&D missile rates-of-fire, weapon length/reach, facing, movement rates, et cetera, while using more precise positioning of the combatants. The major difference when using it with AD&D would be the spell-casting times; AD&D segments don't really fit into the sequence (the sequence provides a different method for making higher-level spells take longer to cast). [url=http://www.philotomy.com/combat_sequence.html]Combat Sequence[/url] [/QUOTE]

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