Post by Nathan on Nov 4, 2011 6:15:06 GMT -5
Art Of War
Advanced Roleplaying Tactics
Advanced Roleplaying Tactics
Unit-Type/Armour/Speed:
light cavalry = fast
heavy cavalry = above average
light infantry = average
heavy Infantry = slow
Weapons/Ranges:
close-ranged = sword, club, axe, etc.
mid-ranged = spear, lance, staff, etc.
long-ranged = arrows, guns, slings, etc.
Unit Formations:
1 man = 1 unit (N/A)
1 team = 5 units (5 men)
1 crew = 2 teams (10 men)
1 squad = 2 crews (20 men)
1 troop = 5 teams (50 men)
1 company = 2 troops (100 men)
1 regiment = 4 troops (200 men)
1 division = 6 troops (300 men)
1 brigade = 8 troops (400 men)
1 front = 5 companies (500 men)
1 army = 2 fronts (1000 men)
Basically, we've simplified it to a more "beginner" level. There aren't many rules, just a few basics to help you out at the very start of the battle. First off, it is important to note that A.R.T. is in fact a turn-based textual combat system, specifically designed for paraform/paragraph roleplaying in a forum/email type setting. Secondly, A.R.T. was designed for fair battles with equal odds. That means even armies and even 1v1, 2v2, or 3v3 battles. A.R.T. is shortened for "The Art Of War", but it can also stand for "Advanced Roleplaying Tactics" incase that makes more sense. A.R.T. can be used in oddball 2v1 or 3v2 battles with uneven armies having an unequal number of units, but A.R.T. was originally designed for fair-play. Thirdly, the weather and the enviroment does severely effect what happens during a battle. For example:
Enviroment/Weather:
1.) Units travelling uphill are slower than units travelling downhill.
2.) Cavalry units manuever less efficiently in dense wooded areas than infantry units.
3.) Archery units are less accurate during high winds.
4.) Archery units shoot farther when going with the wind instead of against the wind.
5.) Heavily armoured units move slower than lightly armoured units.
6.) Heavily armoured units do not manuever as well when crossing rivers or ice.
7.) Units cannot fire guns or flaming arrows during heavy rains.
8.) Units have less visibility and line of sight during dense fogs and heavy gun smoke.
9.) Units in the forest will take less damage from volleys of enemy arrows.
These are just examples, but the list can go on and on. A.R.T. was designed for ancient/medieval realistic battles, not for modern warfare or magical D&D type battles. A.R.T. is a system which is based on honor rather than technical rules and regulations. There is a lot of freedom involved in this system, but with freedom also comes responsibility and discipline. Players should agree on the terms and conditions of combat prior to the battle. Other than that, I don't think there's much else to say. Example Battle:
CASnelgrove's Army:
200 - light infantry; long-range
400 - light infantry; close-range
200 - light infantry; mid-range
100 - heavy infantry; close-range
100 - heavy cavalry; mid-range
Grandmaster's Army:
200 - light infantry: long-range
200 - light infantry: mid-range
200 - heavy infantry: close-range
200 - light cavalry: long-range
200 - heavy cavalry: mid-range
CASnelgrove's Introduction:
Peaking above the clouds and unreachable even from the tallest mountain the sun bore down on the fields below stealing from them their life and leaving only dead crops in the wake. Through these crops and over the tallest mountains a thousand men had marched. Days and nights passed quicker than any before as the men marched until today where they stood challenged. Ahead of their ranks now rested the general of another army, same in size though different in men. Having rested the day before and marched no more than an hour the men were amply suited to engage.
Two hundred men, garbed in jacks with swords at their belts stood ahead of all the forces. Targes in their left hands were painted red with the black head of a boar cresting the center. Behind them stood another two hundred men, though with bows in hand and arrows at their side. These men were the first defence against an enemy charge, and the first to meet their foes. If needed they could be sacrificed, left to the whims of the enemy allowing the general to find safety among stronger numbers.
This brigade was flanked on each side by a company of spearmen. Light on their foot they could pincer any charges that the swords met and keep at bay the unlikelyness of a cavalry charge into the face of the army. By the leftmost company stood the sole cavalry on this side of the field. They carried lugged spears to pirce the strongest of armour and clips the hooves of enemy cavalry. Among these men the general sat atop a horse a wicked sabre held rather than a spear. He would not face an army from the front, but found no shame in bloodying his own sword and glorifying himself among strong men. On the other side a regiment eagerly awaited the signal of the general. Three troops brandished swords and bossed aspis, the same boar as the front line soldiers brandishing the smooth metal. The last troop was an assortment of once hired, now converted hands. All of them carried weapons of their own preference, mostly sword and axe with long shields to turn away the fire of arrows. Fitted with mail hauberks and the royal boar embroidered onto a red tabard worn above the mail.
Rearing the rear of the army a company of heavily armoured men stood vigilant. Among the men they were known to be the most brash and fierce of men. As account to this they opted away from swords and axes and instead swung heavy flanged maces, bashing through the same armour they wore and tearing apart the flesh of unarmored men. No one dared contest them without blades fit to pierce plate and armour ready to guard against the hammering of their arms.
“Ready yourselves; we march within an hour.”
The general was man of military fortitude. Raised among soldiers, and the odd farmhand, he quickly proved himself through blood, not honour. Granted a chance to prove himself the newly appointed general had mounted a grey ashen horse, clad himself in armour and set forth to march upon an enemy and prove himself worthy of the heraldy gifted. Previously serving under a man of honour and witnessing his pride result in the death of men the general had no shame in flight, retreat, or surrender. He did not seek to quicken his death, only to earn a better nights pay than that of common soldier.
Grandmaster's Introduction:
King Eldin's army had been on the march all morning. Their destination was unknown, but their goal was simple. King Eldin was a barbaric leader whose only dream in life was to kill and be killed gloriously. For twenty years, he had commanded his large forces across the terrain, conquering everything in his path. Today would be no different, he assumed, as his ranks stood lined up in perfect orders, looking out across the flat plain towards an enemy army who appeared to be of equal size and strength. Both armies were positioned roughly one mile apart, with only a few dead shrubs, patches of grass and sun-baked earth between them. The sun was shining brightly directly up above them all, as they stared at each other quietly over great distances.
King Eldin was a war-loving leader who prefered to be at the front of his ranks. He showed no fear whatsoever as he guided his all-black desert horse back and forth amongst his ranks, waving a crimson flag for everyone to see, including the enemy general who watched from a mile away. King Eldin's mouth was already parched, his lips dry and his nostrils flared, eager for bloodshed. In his mind, he could already smell the taste of victory, and his eyes were red with fury. Despite the fact that his army had marched all morning, King Eldin did not appear to be fatigued at all. He drove his horse back and forth amongst his ranks, roaring and waving the red flag. Despite his barbaric behavior, however, King Eldin was no fool. Far from primitive, he actually had a list of all his men, and knew exactly where each man was positioned in his encampment. Drawing the list from his sleeve, he stopped his horse at the front and center of his army, and reviewed what he had, thrusting the red flag pole deep into the ground where it stuck.
Directly with him and behind him, formed in a perfect square, shoulder-to-shoulder, was a regiment containing exactly 200 men on foot. This was a heavy infantry regiment divided into 4 troops, each troop containing exactly fifty soldiers. 50 of them were armed with standard two-handed longswords. 50 of them were armed with single-handed war axes and round shields, each shield fitted with a central iron stud or spike. 50 of these men were armed with single-handed broadswords, also carrying round shields, and the remainder of their heavily armoured regiment were carrying spiked war maces. The entire regiment wore crimson tunics supported by leather armour, covered by full-body chainmail skirts which even covered the head and neck, exposing only the bearded face of each warrior. All of them were also wearing visored helmets which protected the top of the head, the nose and the cheeks, but left the eyes and mouth open for an attack. Although it restricted each men's movement, every warrior amongst them was also wearing another set of chainmail beneath the first set, making them less susceptible to enemy weapons. These heavily armoured men stood directly at the front and center of King Eldin's army, in perfect square formation.
To the immediate right and left of this cubed formation were other, smaller square formations, each a company of 100 foot soldiers. Unlike the huge regiment in the middle between them, these companies were madeup of lightly armoured infantry units carrying average sized halberds and spears fitted with hooks that could be used to trip an enemy horse, trap an enemy's weapon, or peirce an enemy's armour. Unlike the heavily armoured regiment in the center, these lightly armoured spearmen wore simple black tunics with scalemail chestplates that were easy to distinguish from the other units around them. Not a single spearman wore a helmet, but instead painted his face, each man in a different way according to how he pleased. Many of them wore knotwork in their hair, with long braids or tails hanging down to their shoulders. There were both men and women amongst their ranks, and in many cases it was difficult to tell their genders apart, as the women were just as rough looking and as war-ready as the men.
Standing directly behind both companies of spearmen, on either side, was another company of lightly armoured infantry units, also standing in perfect cubed formations. These units looked exactly like the spearmen, in both costume and facepaint, only they wore platemail chestplates instead of scalemail chestplates like the spearmen. Also unlike the spearmen, these companies were not carrying halberds but instead were armed with longbows, dawning quivers on their backs that were fully loaded with wooden arrows. Each arrow was fitted with a metal point, designed for peircing flesh and armour. Altogether, there were 200 bowmen spread out on both sides of King Eldin's army. The tips of their bows were fitted on both ends with razor-sharp points made from antler, bone or sometimes metal blades that could be used in hand-to-hand combat. Every archer in King Eldin's army also carried a small boot dagger as a last resort weapon, but their primary expertise was not close-quarters combat, and many of them were not fit to survive in such face-to-face encounters. They were trained for long-range skirmishes.
At the very front of the line were 2 companies of light spearmen, one on the right side and one on the left, whose appearances have already been described. Beside the company on the left, there was another company madeup of 100 light cavalry archers on horseback. Beside the spearmen company on the front-line to the right side of King Eldin's army, was yet another company of 100 light cavalry archers on horseback. Every equestrian with a bow and arrow was riding an all-white desert horse, while wearing an all-black tunic. All of their horses and faces had been painted for battle, yet none of them appeared to be wearing any sort of armour whatsoever. In fact, they did not even have saddles, but instead steered their horses by the mane on the back of their necks. These were professional riders with no concept of fear, each having captured his own horse out in the wild before learning how to ride it. King Eldin's cavalry archers were fast and diehard, standing at both ends of his army on the front line in perfect column formations which spread out like wings amongst his ranks.
If that wasn't enough to strike fear into his enemies, King Eldin had one more regiment, also divided into 2 different companies on opposite flanks within his army. These two companies were madeup of heavy cavalry armed with long-abled spears and lances. Riding all different colored horses, King Eldin was able to distinguish these riders by the heavy armour that they wore. Even their horses were wearing armour, some of them dressed like unicorns or other mythical animals, having metal spikes or horns coming from their noses and heads. Their spears and halberds were very similar to the ones carried by the foot soldiers, only longer and more specially designed for horseback. Every single one of the 200 spearmen on horseback was wearing full-body armour similar to the platemail worn over the chainmail tunic of black knights. Unlike the soldiers on the ground, these heavy units did not wear visored helmets with a nose-guard, but instead wore full fleged metal buckets on their heads with only a small slit opening for their eyes. Their whole entire face and head was protected, including thier mouths and noses. These were medium ranged units designed for blunt-force aggressive actions.
"Today, we face an army!!!" King Eldin shouted, snickering fearlessly as he picked up the red flag again and waved it before the front-line of his widespread army, and also before the enemy army who was watching from a mile away. "Tomorrow, we will face a dead army!!!" He shouted across the battlefield, turning around to look at the mass of laughing soldiers who were now cheering and roaring. The sound of their shouting was so loud, it could be heard even by the enemy's ranks. King Eldin had often used a sense of humour to rally his forces and boost their morale. His soldiers knew that many of them would not survive the night. They knew that the field in front of them would soon be covered in the blood of hundreds within the hour. They knew, but yet they did not fear it, because King Eldin himself showed no fear, and instead was laughing at the enemy. "Men!!!" He shouted, raising his fist in the air to show authority. His men instantly started pounding their chestplates with their weapons and shields. "And women, sorry!" He apologized humorously, causing a few more laughs throughout their ranks, as even the women amongst them had been screaming and roaring along with the men. "Today is the day of our reckoning!!! Today, we strike fear into the hearts of their gods!!!" And with that, he pointed the red flag forward in the direction of the enemy army. Then as one whole unit, King Eldin's army began to march slowly across the sun-baked terrain, each regiment and company staying in its exact square formation within their ranks.
The "Art of War" (aka A.R.T.) RPG battle system is hereby authenticated @ 2011 by Nathan Dexter, the curator of the Textual Combat Museum (TCM). Copyright © 2011 CASnelgrove and Grandmaster, all Rights are reserved. Special Thanks goes to Transcendent Al, RequiemX and GreviousKhan for their contribution and good ideas, and for helping to support the creation, preservation, development and evolution of Textual Combat as a whole.