A Questions of scales...a campaign design update

 

 I have two posts for today, primarily because this first post is necessary for understanding some of the content in the next, and much larger, selection of my current design notes.

About 18 months ago, I ordered four laser-cut sheets of 2'x2', which were etched with eight by eight rows of 3" squares. They are currently sitting on a table in my 15 degree basement, sandwiched under some weight to keep them as flat as possible. I want to put a finish on them, to protect them from water, but also to give me something that I can apply paint to, without that material being wicked into the wood. I have not yet decided whether I will be staining them or just applying a few coats of lacquer.

It is this set of boards that my design notes refer to as in "tabletop" or "game boards."

Now it comes to the scope and scale of the battle area. Given that this is an imagi-nations campaign, one cut the anchor to historical unit sizes and establish that the formations of troops in this context are a bit smaller, perhaps half-sized counterparts of their real-world inspiration.

With expected advances in technology to deal with, but the size of the squares remaining the same, one must then consider how to address increasing ability with regard to units shooting at greater ranges. The following is the now current outcome of this process.

1 table square (3”) is roughly equal to:

 

Periods of Dominance, Ground Scale, and Era.

Melee Dominance

50 yards

Mythical

Pre-History

Ancient

Post-Fall

 

Hybrid

100 yards

Early Recovery

Late Recovery

Early Modern

 

Range Dominance

200 yards

Early Modern

Modern

 

Tech Dominance

500 yards

Early Technological

Late Technological

Futuristic

 

For ease of transitioning from HC/BP, each square is roughly equal to 6".

A note on dominance. As each era changes to the next, there is a general trend of advancement within the realm of technology, and perhaps in other areas as well. Thus, the dominant form of deciding combats is taken into consideration and the era's categorized accordingly.

This artificial classification is useful for looking at a broad selection of eras and then comparing those to another group of eras to see what type of combat, either melee or ranged, would, in effect, dominate the field of battle.

The Early Modern Era is present in two dominances, precisely due to the massive changes in battlefield technology at from its beginning to its end. While there is an argument that this era should simply be divided into two and renamed, there are other reasons why leaving it as it is also makes a good deal of sense.