Chris Brantley
08-17-2005, 01:26 PM
Here's a suggestion for an exercise to help fine tune your DBA generalship skills.
Next time you sit down to play a friendly game, start by sketching out two quick maps of the game board after deployment of terain and selection of base edge. Record the deployment of both armies on both maps. Set one aside.
With the other map, sketch out your plan of battle by drawing lines with arrows showing how you plan to advance and maneuver the various elements of your army. Draw similar lines to reflect how you think your opponent will advance, and mark where you think the key battle(s) will be fought. When you've completed this map, your vision of a victorious battle, set it aside out of view so that your opponent can't see it.
Then start the game with the second map handy. Mark the actual movements on the second map as they unfold. Don't refer back to your original map but use (and adapt) the battleplan that is in your head. Play the game out.
After the game, compare the two maps and ask yourself a few questions. Were you able to remember and execute your plan of batle? Did the plan work? Where (and why) did you deviate from the plan? Did the enemy manuever in a way you didn't expect? Did an unexpected combat outcome screw up your plan or facilitate it? How pip intensive was your plan (did it require 2-3-4-5 or more pips each turn to execute)? Did you have insufficient pips to execute the plan? Did the terrain faciliate or interfere with your plans in ways you didn't expect? What were the flaws or holes in your plan?
While answering these questions, try to assess what elements of your plan worked and what didn't, and why. Turn the map around, and look to see how your opponent adapted (either successfully or unsuccessfully) to your plan.
It can be even more interesting and helpful if your opponent does the same and you can compare notes after each of you does an initial post battle assessment.
No plan is perfect, and the purpose of the exercise is to learn from the planning process, so don't worry whether you win or lose. The intent is to get into the mindset of planning and executing a battleplan or strategy. Once you have that focus, then you'll be able to fine-tune your plans based on experience and your inate common sense. With that in mind, this exercise has four basic goals:
First, to get used to the idea of having a plan.
Second, to help you focus on implementing the plan as you play.
Third, to emphasize the need to maintain the initiative in the battle, otherwise your plan will give way as you are forced to adapt to the enemy's plan.
And finally, to illustrate the old military maxim that most battleplans fail to survive contact with the enemy. You will need to be flexible and adapt once the fur starts flying.
You also can do the exercise without the second map by taking pictures of the game board at key junctures of the battle, although you may need to take a few notes unless you have a better memory than I do.
[ August 17, 2005, 12:01: Message edited by: Chris Brantley ]
Next time you sit down to play a friendly game, start by sketching out two quick maps of the game board after deployment of terain and selection of base edge. Record the deployment of both armies on both maps. Set one aside.
With the other map, sketch out your plan of battle by drawing lines with arrows showing how you plan to advance and maneuver the various elements of your army. Draw similar lines to reflect how you think your opponent will advance, and mark where you think the key battle(s) will be fought. When you've completed this map, your vision of a victorious battle, set it aside out of view so that your opponent can't see it.
Then start the game with the second map handy. Mark the actual movements on the second map as they unfold. Don't refer back to your original map but use (and adapt) the battleplan that is in your head. Play the game out.
After the game, compare the two maps and ask yourself a few questions. Were you able to remember and execute your plan of batle? Did the plan work? Where (and why) did you deviate from the plan? Did the enemy manuever in a way you didn't expect? Did an unexpected combat outcome screw up your plan or facilitate it? How pip intensive was your plan (did it require 2-3-4-5 or more pips each turn to execute)? Did you have insufficient pips to execute the plan? Did the terrain faciliate or interfere with your plans in ways you didn't expect? What were the flaws or holes in your plan?
While answering these questions, try to assess what elements of your plan worked and what didn't, and why. Turn the map around, and look to see how your opponent adapted (either successfully or unsuccessfully) to your plan.
It can be even more interesting and helpful if your opponent does the same and you can compare notes after each of you does an initial post battle assessment.
No plan is perfect, and the purpose of the exercise is to learn from the planning process, so don't worry whether you win or lose. The intent is to get into the mindset of planning and executing a battleplan or strategy. Once you have that focus, then you'll be able to fine-tune your plans based on experience and your inate common sense. With that in mind, this exercise has four basic goals:
First, to get used to the idea of having a plan.
Second, to help you focus on implementing the plan as you play.
Third, to emphasize the need to maintain the initiative in the battle, otherwise your plan will give way as you are forced to adapt to the enemy's plan.
And finally, to illustrate the old military maxim that most battleplans fail to survive contact with the enemy. You will need to be flexible and adapt once the fur starts flying.
You also can do the exercise without the second map by taking pictures of the game board at key junctures of the battle, although you may need to take a few notes unless you have a better memory than I do.
[ August 17, 2005, 12:01: Message edited by: Chris Brantley ]