V.E.G. - A Game World for CGME

Version DRAFT pre-1.1

The Basics

V.E.G. (or VEG) is a game world for the CounterMoves' Generic Microgame Engine (CGME), representing slightly-futuristic armored ground combat. V.E.G. means “Virtually Exactly like that other Game”, a reference which many wargamers will probably immediately catch. The premise is simple: Late-21st-century armored combat. Blow up the Other Guy. Enough counters are provided to create a wide variety of units and scenarios.

Free maps compatible with this gameset can be found at:

http://countermoves.sourceforge.net/treasures/

The playing pieces are in image files which should have accompanied this document.

Reads should first read the CGME core rules before reading these, as these simply build off of the basics laid out there.

Disclaimers & Legal Stuff

The graphics for the VEG counters were largely created by Francisco “Cisco” Cestero, who has graciously given his standing permission to destribute them in the context of CounterMoves games. They are the copyrighted works of Francisco Cestero, used here with his explicit permission. Further distribution, outside the copying of this game, is in violation of that copyright. The graphics may be reproduced in full in the context of copying this game, as long as no money is exchanged for them.

Cisco has, unfortunately, disappeared from the net – i have no current contact information for him. :(

All other content in this game – the rules and the maps - are released into the Public Domain. The rules maintainer is:

Stephan Beal <sgbeal@users.sourceforge.net>

but general feedback should go to:

the CounterMoves list <countermoves-general@lists.sourceforge.net>

Basic Rules Extensions

Unit Stacking

Up to 6 units may stack in a given hex. Infantry squads count as normal units for stacking purposes unless otherwise noted in their descriptions. Units may freely move into a hex containing enemy units, as long as the movement does not violate the 5-unit-per-hex limit. Thus a hex packed with 5 enemy units may not be entered – it must first be “cut down” a bit.

If players agree, stacking rules may be ignored altogether – they largely exist to help keep the playing area from becoming too crowded! They do, however, add an additional strategic element to the game, and are recommended.

Combat

The weaponry used in these battles is assumed to be high-powered military gear – to the extent of small-scale tactical nuclear armament. Thus even a near-miss may obliterate a target. To represent this, attacks only need to roll 1 or higher than the defender to succeed, instead of the normal 2 or higher.

An ATT score of “x”, e.g., “ATT X” or “Ax” means the unit does not have any offensive capability, and may not initiate attacks.

Spillover Effect

Any unit in the same hex as a unit undergoing an attack also undergoes an attack at the same time, but at -3 ATT. This is from blast effect, shrapnel, stray rounds, EMP, etc. Each unit in the hex undergoes a seperate attack, with a separate attack roll.

Combining Attacks

Units may combine their ATT scores into a single attack against a defender, except as noted below.

Optional Rule: Attacks During Movement

Computerized weapons systems allow for amazing accuracy even when firing from a high-speed platform such as a hovercraft. A unit may declare an attack at any point during it's movement phase. If a unit does so, other units may not combine their fire with the attack unless they are in the same hex as this unit. After the attack is resolved, the unit may continue moving if it has left-over MPs. The unit may not attack again in the standard attack phase.

Units moving together in a stack may move together and combine fire with each other.

Special Unit Notes

Infantry

Infantry counters are provided in groups of multiple infantry ease of play, but they are treated as separate units for all purposes. For example, a Destroy result against a stack of 3 infantry only kills one of them – though the others will undergo a spillover attack, as described above. Infantry counters can be split up or combined at any time during play.

Infantry units get a +1 ATT when attacking units at range 0.

Terrain Effects

Terrain modifiers for various unit types and terrains are listed in the table below. The effects are abbreviated as follows:

# MP – the hex costs # Movement Points to enter. Unless otherwise noted, assume that the MP cost is 1.

# DEF or # ATT – the hex gives a modifier to ATT or DEF.

Roads

Units entering a hex on a road may ignore the underlying terrain for movement purposes, paying the same cost as for Clear terrain – normally 1 MP. Combat bonuses are affected as per the underlying terrain. Combat or movement penalties for underlying terrain may be ignored.

To reflect the movement benefit from good roads, any unit traveling along a road gets a +1 MOV for each 3 full MP it spends on the road. It may use this bonus MP however it likes, but it is lost of it is not used during that movement phase. The extra movement need not be spent moving along the road. Road-bonus MP do not count towards the 3 MP required to get a bonus MP. Thus, a unit with MOV 5 will not get a second +1 MOV when it moves along a road for 3 hexes, then stays on the road for it's remaining 2(+1 bonus) MOV.

Example: a unit with MOV 3 starts on a road and spends all of it's MOV moving along the road. When it's 3^rd MOV is spent on the road, it gets a +1 “road bonus”, which it may then use to continue it's movement one additional hex if it wishes.

Sample Units

To make the VEG counter set more flexible, the counters come in the form of unlabeled images. Some example units are defined in this table:

Players will certainly come up with their own, and should feel free to modify the above units to suit their tastes. In play it is often useful to place a chart similar to the above one next to the playing area, and place counters next to each unit description, so that players may easily remember which (unlabeled) counters are really which unit type.

Misc. Rules and Options

Buildings

Many buildings are hardened structures, capable of withstanding several attacks. These buildings are assigned a DEF score and a number of Structural Points (SPs). If an attack is successful, it does an amount of SP damage equal to the ATT score. A wound result does 1/2 damage, rounded down. When a structure reaches 0 SP it is destroyed.

Optional rule: a successful attack does SP damage equal to the difference between the attack and the defense rolls. e.g., winning the roll by 5 would do 5 damage.

Transporting Infantry in Vehicles

Some mobile units may be used to transport a number of infantry, as defined in the unit's description. To ride in a vehicle, infantry and the carrier must be in a common hex. The loading action requires 1 MOV to be expended by the carrier and all participating infantry – military units are trained for quick load/unload operations. The carrier may continue it's movement afterwards if it has any remaining MOV.

Unless stated otherwide, infantry may not attack while riding in a vehicle, and are destroyed if their carrier unit is destroyed.

Unloading may be done at any time during the movement phase of the carrier or the infantry, at the cost of 1 MOV for the infantry unit. Since the infantry are battlesuited, they are assumed to be able to eject from a moving carrier unit with no particular problems and no special movement costs for the carrier unit. A dismounting infantry unit unloads into the same hex as it's carrier.

“Mounted” infantry do no count for unit stacking purposes, but they may not dismount if their hex is “full.”