test of Solo rules and paper logsheets: a lengthy AAR

[fredmiracle]

Hi all, what follows will be a long AAR, which I hope is fun to read.

The scenario is that a small British force (HMS Goliath, flag, and HMS Bellerophon), in line and with the weather gauge, have come alongside an equal French squadron (Fougueux, flag, and Duguay-Trouin). The British, naturally, leap to the attack, and the French accept battle.

The game was designed to be a test of the 4-quadrant A-B-C solo rules (the latest version I had posted). Thus I kept many pics to allow the solo behavior to be scrutinized closely

I also used this game to test use of paper log sheets to reduce table space and chit-towers. To that end, I modified the statistics spreadsheet to allow a log sheet containing any 4 selected ships to be printed out.

Notes on rules:
- Although this is 2 SOLs vs. 2 SOLs, I still used the standard solo chart. If the turn chosen was too sharp for the ship to accommodate it, then I just used the sharpest available turn. I did use the +1/+2 modifiers when in proximity.
- I didn't have any AI ships try to go offmap, so resolving that issue did not come up in this game
- I wanted to give the paper logs a workout, so I used advanced rules, including actions, critical damage, etc.
- This meant I was planning movement 2 cards ahead--and it showed.
- I used the solo rules in the rulebook for which actions to apply for AI ships.
- I allowed pre-planning of preventative extinguish-fire actions, and gave the AI credit for having done so if a fire broke out.
- I did NOT give the AI ships "prescient ammo" as indicated in the solo rules in the rulebook. All shots for both sides were with standard ball ammo.
- I did not use continuous fire or first-broadside, because I don't like them.
- I did use forced aim, although I'm not that keen on how it works.
- For collisions, I made possible entanglement the only consequence
- I continue to be unhappy with the collision resolution rules, and they did come into play in this game in annoying ways

Now to the game...