Definitions

This page consists of definitions I'm using to describe items in this blog.  There are many games, and many use the same term to describe different things.  I will attempt to keep the terms consistent in my use to the definitions explained below.

Air - Describes a unit which moves through and attacks from the sky.

Armor - Describes a vehicular unit which is resistant to most small arms fire.  Depending on the era, 'Armor' may include some units not usually considered 'armored'.  For example, during wars occurring from 3000 BC to about 100 BC the Chariot could be considered "armored".  It is not as maneuverable as foot soldiers, and the horses and rider were given additional protection from missile weapons.  In modern times chariots would not fit the armored designation.

Cavalry - Describes the military role of a unit.  Typically, cavalry consists of mobile units which provide reconnaissance duties before the main body of troops, can harass the enemy as it marches to the field of battle, and can follow up on a retreating enemy to inflict more casualties.  Cavalry units usually cannot last in a toe-to-toe battle with the main body force, but are instrumental to outflanking the enemy.

Fortress Australia - A board formation found in some games.  A position which provides a definite benefit, is easily defensible, and is obvious upon first seeing the board for most people.  This usually results in the majority of players attempting to control the position from the outset of the game. (See Stronghold Kansas for comparison)

Infantry - Describes a unit which travels by foot, under its own power (thus differentiating from Horse), and attack from the ground.

Hex - For much of this blog, a Hex is the smallest amount of space a unit may occupy.  Hexes are the measure which units move and the range by which they attack.

Hex Terrain - The 'terrain' effects caused by using hexes as the unit of measure in games.

Horse - Describes a unit which travels by horse and fights from horseback.  This differs from Horsed Infantry, which generally traveled by horse but fought on foot.  Most consider this to be the traditional "cavalry", but with the goal of a single definition per word, I've chosen cavalry to describe the military functions usually assigned to cavalry.

Horse Infantry - Describes a unit which travels by horse, but fights on foot.  In many cases the modern equivalent of 'horse Infantry' can be considered 'Armored APC' or 'Armored Infantry'.

Hovercraft - Describes a unit which travels on a cushion of air, allowing transport over both water and land.

Natural Terrain - The 'real life' terrain which a hex is supposed to represent.  This is such things as Hills, Mountains, Plains, Forests, Swamps, etc.

Naval - Describes a unit which travels on, in, or below, water.  Most commonly used to describe "ships" or boats.  There are many classes of Naval vessels.  I hope to classify them on another page.

Ship - Describes any unit which travels in, and attacks from, the surface of water.  This differentiates them from submarines.

Stronghold Kansas - A board formation found in some games.  It is characterized by being situated in an unlikely position (like the middle of the board), yet is approachable from a relatively few number of locations.  It takes its name from a theoretical game of Risk using the borders of the states of the United States as the board spaces.  In this theoretical game, Kansas sits in the middle of the United States, but is approachable from only 4 other states, whereas all other surrounding states may be attacked from 6 or more directions.  Often times these board formations are tricky to spot unless one puts forth the effort to look for it, or it is pointed out by another player of the game.  (compare to Fortress Australia)

Submarine - Describes any unit which generally travels, and attacks, under the surface of the water.

Terrain - Terrain is something which affects either Combat, Movement, or both.  Usually terrain which has a 'real life' counterpart is considered 'Natural Terrain'.  'Hex Terrain' describes the effects the hex grid system used in games has on combat/movement.

Unit - Used to describe a 'generic' unit.

Zone of Control (ZOC)

Zone Of Control (ZOC) - The six hexes surrounding a unit.  There are four types of zone of control, with varying degrees of effectiveness.  For a further description of Zone Of Control, please see this entry:  Zones of Control.

Game Mechanics

Advance After Combat

Many games have an "advance after combat" rule.  Usually found in Move and Shoot Games, these games permit a unit to move into an enemy space immediately after the combat if the opposing unit was destroyed/forced to retreat.  In some games the units may only move into the same location the opposing unit occupied.  In other games, the distance units may move after combat differs based on the type of unit.

Follow Up Attacks

Similar to an Advance After Combat, except in this case the attacking unit may engage in another combat.  Another well used concept is found in Napoleonic games.  In these games, if the attacker has a cavalry unit adjacent to the enemy unit which retreats, the cavalry unit may 'follow' the retreating unit, inflicting additional damage on the unit.

Move and Shoot Games

Most games follow the "Move and Shoot" variety.  In these games players take turns.  During a player's turn, the player moves all of her units and then, after the movement, all resulting combats are resolved.  These type of games benefit the defender in the game, as if a breach in the defensive line occurs, the player has the ability to react to the attack.  If units are lost, the defender has the ability to move other units into position.

Objective Based

Objective based games end when a certain condition is met.  This may be one side occupying certain hexes, the destruction of a number of enemy units, or some units exit the map.  These games end immediately when one side achieves an objective.

Production

Production games, such as Weewar, involve the introduction of new units at cities or bases.  This differs from most games, where the number of units available to a side is fixed.  Fixed side games may have reinforcements, which arrive at a specific turn, or when a specific condition occurs and from a certain location, but these are not Production games.  In Production games, there effectively is no limit to how many units may exist on a side.  Production games pose a set of unique issues.

Time Based

Time based games end when after a certain number of turns.  At the end of this time, the players add up their "score" based on reaching objectives (towns taken, units exited, etc.), and the player with the highest score wins.

Unit By Unit

Unit by Unit games are where a player selects a unit, moves the unit, combats the unit.  After finishing with a unit, the player selects another unit and repeats the process.  Many computer games provide Unit By Unit style mechanics.