I introduced a friend to Ambush Z last night, spent an hour explaining the rules and the mechanics of the game and then off we went.

Turn 1

Him "OK so one of the blokes in my squad has a grenade launcher under his rifle?"
Me "Yes"
"...and it has all but unlimited range across the board?
"Yes."
"...and the zombies are atracted to any noise the weapons make?"
"Yeah..."
"So, OK, I'm going to fire just the grenade launcher at that building right across the map, the explosion will be louder than the launcher and all the zeds will have to react to that and not the squad?"

silence...

Me "Yeah, OK. Lets make the rolls for the zeds, hotspots etc. and carry on..."

Turn 2

"Right, I'm going to fire just the grenade launcher again at that building right across the map, the explosion will blah, blah, blah..."

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And so the game dragged on, did I miss something? Just as long as he never exposes his squad to line of sight to the zeds and those zeds are not in close assault range he could move without worry of the zeds getting him. All he had to do each turn was fire a grenade and move.

I have played many games with other friends and my Son and no one has ever come up with this idea before. The only answer I can think of is to open up the boards when we play again to reduce his chances of cover or ban the UGL's?

Any views would be welcome, and I'm sure I missed something.

Jim

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What is the difference between God and a Para?

God knows he is not a Para.

Limit the grenade rounds (say d6 rounds)? TQ check for zombies closer to the shooter than to the target to determine if they detect the firer? Smelling brains for their next meal is more attractive than the sounds from the field? Those would be my first thoughts. That last again could use a TQ check, opposed or unopposed. I'd use opposed for sensing the firer, unopposed for smelling fresh meat. If limiting the number of rounds available doesnt sit well, have the shooter do the TQ check each turn to see if he has another round available. Failed check means one is not available. Failed twice in a row means he's out or weapon is damaged and can't be fired for the rest of the game. Knowing how many rounds you have might make him use them more wisely, but that edge of the seat thing about not having one available at a critical moment might make the second option a bit better.

Tom Oxley

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Tom Oxley
OD Green Old Fart
FoF: RtB, EF, AV, CWGH, DotR, BW, DMA, Fal, C-SOM, SOG

There clearly were not enough zombies on the table if he was NEVER in awareness range. :p

If someone tries that again you are certainly within your rights to limit the number of rounds they can fire. You can also play the rules to the letter described. Depends on how your friend reacts to such things. But the rules state:

Zombies always notice regular gunfire and will move towards the last direction from which it came unless they hear nearer gunfire or notice (or have already noticed) a living unit.

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Hang on, everybody - I wanna try something I saw in a cartoon once!
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My 2 cents:
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice...then the dice hate me.
The first grenade shot would definately attract the zeds, a second explosion would get quite a lot of attention. I would roll for a table edge away from the explosion where a group of zeds would appear. The zeds might cut off the squad, or more through the squad to the exposion.

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You don't need a parachute to skydive,
You need a parachute to skydive twice.

Thanks for all the replies folks. I'm hoping he doesn't want to play again as he is a "serious" ancients player and only played because we were in the middle of a game when he arrived.

I think I will take the ideas and add them to the "house rules" that me and my Son play.

Jim

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What is the difference between God and a Para?

God knows he is not a Para.

Jim
we should take this guy out before he gives away the chink he found where does he live again.....Mikey

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"All Men for the rights of Every man, every man for the rights of all Men"

That is just a great idea! (fits in with the spirit of the genre too)

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My Wargaming Blog Land War in Asia

Thanks.
I have received compliments on my ability to keep table games moving without restraining the players, or their choice of actions, chalk that up to playing D&D for 30 years. I learned long ago that players will do whatever they want, which is usually not what you were planning on them doing. If I do not have at least three different, bizzaro, solutions to what may happen, I feel that I did not prepare for running a game. This is the philosophy I bring to the wargaming table.

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You don't need a parachute to skydive,
You need a parachute to skydive twice.

Almost a month late, but I move at zed speed...

I'm too lazy to go upstairs and look, but does firing weapons create a chance for spawning new zeds?

That might solve the problem.

Every time you fire an unsuppressed weapon there's a chance of a Pop-Up Zombie!

(Every time I type "Pop-Up Zombie" the tune from "Pop-Up Videos" runs through my small, pop-culture drenched mind).

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Shawn Carpenter
Game Designer, Ambush Alley Games

"I don't wanna be remembered as the guy who died because he underestimated the threat posed by a monkey."

I have an interesting idea. (or so I hope) Seeing as how Zeds are attracted to noise and assuming you have enough Zeds (figure wise that is.) have 2d6 Zeds automatically (maybe more if you really want to teach him a lesson) enter the board every time a grenade is fired and roll a direction dice to see which edge they come in. That could create additional suspense as he could very well draw Zed right down on top of his head... sorry couldn't resist.

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Hawkins: Leary, you got that missile. You might wanna think about using it.
Leary: I would if I could figure the damn thing out.
Rexer: It's a one shot deal.
Leary: What?
Hawkins: You miss, we die.

geekmeter11 suggested much the same thing several posts back.

Jim

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What is the difference between God and a Para?

God knows he is not a Para.

Another solution would be to severely limit the LOS. Let say for example that your scenario takes place in an urban environment with lots of narrow streets, and/or under heavy fog. Or you can design your own zombies, who will not be attracted by loud noises but by the scent of living flesh.

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"That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach." - Aldous Huxley

Sadly my friend got "bored" with the game after being resoundingly thrashed several times by my Son

Despite his remenstrations of pooly written rules, multiple interpretations of the most simple of rules (his interpretation of course always in his favour and even contradicting his own arguments several times), and my Son letting him off with some real shonky calls he still failed to win even one game against him

He went off to continue his wargaming fun with the easy to understand DBM ancients rules...

Jim

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What is the difference between God and a Para?

God knows he is not a Para.