OVERVIEW

The ‘Fight the War’ Campaign recreates the conditions under which the United States of America and the Confederate States of America engaged in the War of the Rebellion between 1861 and 1865.

It is a cooperative enterprise which depends upon the active participation and interaction of two groups; the “Administrators” and the “Players”.

The non-player, Administrators monitor all communication between players; create custom scenarios; assess the results of battlefield wins and losses; track the movement and development of individual regiments and officers; calculate the gains and losses of men and resources, and mediate all disputes.

The Players, organize themselves into opposing ‘governments’ which assign commands, formulate a “grand strategy” for prosecuting the war, manage a war-time, industrial infrastructure, and distribute men and resources as needed to ensure the successful outcome of the war.

The game itself is divided into four distinct phases, the Pre-Movement Phase; the Movement Phase; the Pre-Battle Phase and the Battle Phase.

The Pre-Movement and Pre-Battle Phases are provided to give the FTW Administrators the opportunity to calculate the effects of wins and losses, assign resources, track movement, create custom maps and design scenarios.

The Movement and Battle Phases are provided to give the FTW Players the opportunity to distribute men and resources, plan strategy, issue general orders to their commanders in the field and engage in single or multiplayer battles, the results of which will be carried over from one phase to the next, as the game progresses.

Play will continue until one side admits defeat, and a winner is declared.

FTW PARTICIPANTS

1. FTW Administrators

As their name implies, it is the duty of the FTW Administrators to coordinate, manage and monitor the FTW project to ensure that the game proceeds smoothly from one phase to the next, until the war reaches its final conclusion.

The titles and responsibilities of the non-player, FTW Administrators are outlined below:

1.1 The General Manager (GM)

The GM is the senior FTW Administrative team member. The duties of the GM shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Assign duties and responsibilities to the other members of the FTW Administrative Team.

2. Monitor the activities of the FTW Administrators to ensure that all duties and responsibilities are carried out in a timely fashion.

3. Coordinate the activities of the FTW Administrators to ensure that game play proceeds smoothly, from one phase to the next.

4. Communicate regularly with the members of the FTW Administrative Team to ensure that all members are aware of any changes in rules, duties or procedures.

5. Calculate the increase or loss of men and resources during the Movement Phase and ensure that they are distributed to the OOBs of the players in accordance with the procedures governing: Reinforcements, Weapons and Supply Wagons.

6. Create and maintain an FTW Master Game Map (MGM). The MGM will be a general map of the entire theater of the war, indicating the location of states; cities and ports; rail, and road connections; shipping lanes, and navigable rivers. The MGM will indicate whether each city or port is loyal to the Union, Confederacy or remains Neutral. The GM will update the MGM as needed to track the position, movement and OOBs of all FTW players, as well as unassigned men and resources.

7. Determine, from orders received from player Presidents and ‘out of contact’ Generals, where battles will take place and their duration, and communicate this information to the Scenario Design Manager, the OOB Manager and the Communication Manager in accordance with the procedures outlined in Rules of Play: Communications.

8. Establish administrative and player deadlines and determine when all conditions have been met, before announcing the start date for the next phase of play.

9. Arbitrate all Player and/or Administrative disputes.

The GM may delegate any or all of these duties as he sees fit. However, it will remain the responsibility of the GM to ensure that those duties are carried out.

1.2 The Communications Manager (CM)

The CM is responsible for monitoring all communications between FTW players, and for coordinating the transfer of information between the players and the appropriate members of the FTW Administration Team. The duties of the CM shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. The CM shall create a system to manage all FTW player communication.

2. The CM shall route all player communication in accordance with the procedures outlined in Rules of Play: Communication.

3. The CM shall route all pertinent game information between players and the members of the FTW Administration in accordance with the procedures outlined in Rules of Play: Communication.

4. The CM shall post regular updates, in accordance with the procedures outlined in Rules of Play: Communication. Updates shall also be sent to the Players and Administrators whenever the following conditions have been met:

a. The end of an FTW Campaign Phase has been reached.

b. The start date for the next FTW Campaign Phase has been set.

5. The CM shall control the access of players to any of the closed FTW forums in accordance with the procedures outlined in Rules of Play: Communication, and shall notify the GM of any player violations.

The CM may delegate any or all of these duties as needed. However, it will remain the responsibility of the CM to ensure that those duties are carried out.

1.3 The OOB Manager (OOBM)

During the Battle Phase of FTW, the OOBM shall monitor all turns between players engaged in combat to ensure that the following aspects of player OOBs are tracked accurately:

1. The loss of regimental troops as killed, wounded or captured.

2. The loss or capture of artillery.

3. The loss of individual commanders as killed, wounded or captured.

During the Movement Phase the OOBM will coordinate with the GM to ensure that:

1. The OOBs of each Army has been updated to reflect the receipt of new replacements and equipment.

2. Quality upgrades or downgrades for individual officers and regiments have been performed.

3. Accurate OOB information is transferred to the SDM prior to the Battle Phase.

1.4 The Scenario Design Manager (SDM)

The SDM shall be responsible for creating custom scenarios for FTW battles, which should reflect, as historically accurately as possible, the actual terrain conditions during the American Civil War.

The SDM will be responsible for maintaining a file of current FTW maps.

The SDM will train, as necessary, any new Scenario Designers to ensure that scenario maps are always readily available at the commencement of the Pre-Battle Phase.

The SDM will be responsible for altering the terrain of FTW maps to reflect player-induced changes during the course of the game. For example: A player may commit to fortifying a city or position during their turn. These additional changes should be reflected in later scenario maps of the area.

In coordination with the GM and OOBM, the SDM will populate the custom scenarios, positioning the OOBs of each player.

With the approval of the GM and OOBM, the SDM will transmit the scenarios through the Communication’s Manager, to the FTW players at the start of the Campaign Battle Phase.

2. FTW Players

2.1 Participation and Personal Responsibility

All FTW players will have an unparalleled level of freedom to control their own destinies within the framework of the FTW game system.

As a group, they will create their own ‘governments’ and military command and control structure; assign responsibilities and duties; develop and distribute men and resources, and formulate their own grand strategy for the successful prosecution of the war.

As individuals, they will act upon the General Orders received from their Presidents or Superior Officers as they see fit. They shall maneuver and fight in the manner of their choosing and at their own discretion. They shall work to achieve objectives while conserving their men and resources, and be wholly answerable to their respective governments for their successes and failures.

2.2 FTW Code of Honor

All FTW players are expected to abide by the guidelines set forth in this manual, especially in the area of communications and to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of honesty and fair play.

A judicial review board shall be established by both governments to investigate, evaluate and render judgments against Officers who fail in the performance of their duties either as a General on the field or as an FTW Player. The FTW Game Manager (GM) will abide by the judgments of these courts martial, which may impose penalties up to and including Dishonorable Discharge from the Army (and from the FTW Campaign).

2.3 Personal Risk and Development

While in command of an army on the battlefield, all FTW players shall be represented by a personal icon. Players are encouraged to exercise extreme caution when maneuvering their personal icons on the battlefield. While cowardice before the enemy is always discouraged, players should be aware that during a battle they can be personally wounded, captured or even killed, eliminating themselves temporary or permanently from active participation in the FTW campaign.

2.3.1 A Wounded Player

If a player is wounded in battle, the GM will make a determination during the Pre-Movement Phase of how many game turns the player will be ‘in recovery’ and out of play and contact.

2.3.2 A Captured Player

If a player is captured, he will become the ‘prisoner’ of the General who captured him, and will immediately turn over all documents currently in his possession. These will include all messages and reports received since the end of the previous Campaign Movement Phase, including a copy of his current General Orders. He will be considered ‘out of contact’ and may not send or receive messages while in custody.

If the capturing General is considered ‘in contact’, then during the next Campaign Movement Phase he will direct where the prisoner is to be sent to await further movement, exchange or the end of the war.

Once transferred from the capturing General, the prisoner will become part of the opposing government’s POW system, which will be managed at the direction of the President. The President, or his designated representative, may order the prisoner held, exchanged or moved to another location during the Campaign Movement Phase. Directions for the disposition of POWs will be included as part of the President’s GM Report.

Careful management of the POW system is important, as the prisoner is considered a ‘spoil’ of the city where he is held captive. If the city falls into hands of the enemy, then the prisoner will be considered ‘rescued’ and returned to active service.

If a player is captured by a General who is currently ‘out of contact’, then the prisoner will remain in the custody of the capturing General until such time as he reopens his lines of communication.

If the capturing General is himself captured or surrenders his army on the field, then the prisoner shall be considered ‘rescued’ and restored to active duty.

Negotiations for the exchange of prisoners may take place during the Campaign Movement Phase, and shall be conducted by the Presidents or their representatives. If the terms are met, prisoners may be exchanged and restored to active duty within the same month upon notification of the GM without penalty or delay.

2.3.3 A Killed Player

An FTW Player who is killed in combat will be removed from active participation in the FTW Campaign. For this reason, players should avoid needlessly exposing themselves to enemy fire.

2.3.4 A Fate Worse than Death

Depending upon his technical skills and his conduct during the war, the former FTW Player may be offered the opportunity to continue his association with the FTW Campaign as an FTW Administrator.

2.4 Meeting FTW Deadlines

As stated at the outset of this manual, the success of the FTW Campaign will depend upon the cooperation and interaction of everyone involved. A key element of this cooperation is the timely response of all Players and Administrators to the deadlines set by the GM.

It will be the responsibility of the Presidents to monitor their player’s level of participation, and to take such action as they deem necessary to ensure that deadlines are met. Officers who are chronically late with reports will not be tolerated.

2.5 Absent from Duty

It is expected that real life issues will occasionally arise that will temporarily interfere with an officer’s ability to perform his duties. It is also expected that unforeseen circumstances may arise that will cause an FTW player to withdraw from the FTW Campaign entirely. In either case, players should notify their President immediately so that temporary or permanent replacements can be found.

2.6 Record Keeping

All FTW players will maintain a computer file folder containing copies of all turns and communications sent and received by the player. This will provide a means to resolve disputes, to recover lost files in the event of a computer crash, and to provide information to capturing Generals, should the Player be captured on the battlefield. Players are also encouraged, if they have the necessary equipment, to occasionally burn back up disks of these files, which can be used to restore files, in the event of an accident.

In addition, all FTW Players will be expected to maintain accurate OOBs for their individual armies, and update them, during every phase of play. This will provide backup files for the OOBM and GM, should their Master Files become lost. It will also provide the basis for resolving disputes, should questions arise about discrepancies between the OOB Master Files and the Player’s OOB files. In the case of OOB disputes, the GM will serve as the ‘Court of Final Appeal’ and his judgments will be considered final.

Restarting the FTW Campaign

3. FTW Campaign Restart Phase Procedures

The following procedures will be utilized solely for the purpose of restarting the FTW Campaign. Once the FTW Campaign Restart Phase has ended, play will be governed by the terms set forth in Rules of Play.

3.1 A House Divided: Player Registration

The Players will register their intentions to participate in the FTW Campaign Restart by September 15, 2006 at the “A Call to Arms” thread located on the FTW Open Forum at http://www.acwgc.org/acwgc_admin/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=10 . Upon registration, the players will provide the following information:

1. Name

2. Current email address

3. Intention to fight for the Union or the Confederacy

3.2 A House Divided: Player Confirmation

Once the registration period has ended, the CM will send an email to each player to confirm that they have registered to participate in the FTW Campaign Restart as either a member of the Union or the Confederacy.

Upon receipt of an email response from all players, the CM will restrict access to the closed FTW CSA and USA forums to the FTW players and the FTW Administrators.

On September 24th, the CM will contact each of the players by email and inform them that the appropriate permissions have been granted by the FTW Webmaster to allow them to enter their respective closed Union and Confederate forums. The deadline for Player Reorganization is October 15^th, unless an extension is requested by one or both of the player groups.

3.3 A House Divided: Player Reorganization

Once sequestered in their respective closed forums, the CM will provide each group of players with access to the following information:

1. A copy of the Game Map, indicating the current status of cities as either loyal to the Union, the Confederacy or Neutral.

2. A complete OOB List for their side. The OOB List will include the following:

a. The location of all regiments and newly recruited troops both assigned and unassigned.

b. The type of troops, as infantry, artillery, cavalry or horse artillery.

c. The quality of all troops and individual officers by regiment.

d. The numerical strength of all regiments.

e. The type of weapons and equipment carried by each regiment.

f. The current level of munitions available for each regiment.

3. A recap of the locations and industrial capacity of factory sites.

4. The sites currently selected for recruitment.

It will then be up to the players, communicating within their respective closed forums, to reorganize themselves by:

1. Selecting a ‘President’ and forming a ‘Government’

2. Establishing a military chain of command.

3. Assigning commanders to the various armies.

4. Allocating available resources.

5. Formulating a ‘Grand Strategy’ for the successful prosecution of the war.

Once the Reorganization deadline date has been reached, all access to the closed FTW forums will be temporarily suspended. From that point forward, except in very special circumstances as outlined in Rules of Play: Communication, all further communications between FTW players will be routed through the CM, with copies to the FTW Administrators.

3.4 A House Divided: Marching Orders

The CSA and USA Presidents will then compose a series of reports for the GM and the individual officers under their command.

The GM Report will include the following information:

1. A general description of the government and the hierarchy of the military organization, along with a list of the players currently filling those positions.

2. A list of players currently commanding armies.

3. The allocation of available resources.

4. Assignment of new recruited soldiers to individual commands.

Each President will prepare a set of General Orders for each officer under their command, directing them to fulfill certain duties or attain certain objectives. The General Orders may be broadly or narrowly focused, depending upon the needs of the situation as determined by the President.

Each President will email the GM Report and General Orders directly to the CM, with copies to the other FTW Administrators.

3.5 A House Divided: Decisions, Decisions

Upon receipt of their General Orders, the Army Generals will respond in a reply message to the CM stating whether they intend to follow their General Orders as written, amend them as necessary, or ignore them completely.

If a General intends to amend or ignore his General Orders, then he must provide the CM with a detailed report of what he intends to do, with copies to the other FTW Administrators.

Generals considered ‘out of contact’ will receive no General Orders during the FTW Campaign Restart phase, and will be expected to file an independent report of their intentions directly with the CM, with copies to the other FTW Administrators.

In either case, Army Generals are free to act upon their own initiative. However, it should be remembered that their choices and the resulting consequences of their actions will rest entirely upon their shoulders.

3.6 A House Divided: Ending the FTW Campaign Restart Phase

Upon receipt of the replies from all Army Officers, the CM, at the direction of the GM, will post to the Open FTW Forum and the MDT Tavern that the end of the FTW Campaign Restart Phase has been reached, and will set a date for the start of the FTW Campaign Battle Phase.

FTW RULES OF PLAY

Editor’s note: It is assumed that all participants in the FTW Campaign already possess a working knowledge of the HPS combat system. Therefore, this Player’s Guide and Manual will only concern itself with those elements which are unique to the FTW Campaign.

The FTW Campaign in divided into four distinct phases; an administrative, Pre-Battle Phase; a Campaign Battle Phase; an administrative, Pre-Movement Phase and a Campaign Movement Phase. The rules governing play during each of these phases will be discussed in the following sections.

4. Battle Phase:

4.1 Preamble to the Battle Phase:

The Battle Phase will commence as soon as the GM receives the following information:

GM Reports from both Presidents
The replies of all Army Commanders stating their intentions to follow, amend or ignore their General Orders. Officers, who intend to amend or ignore their General Orders, must provide the GM with a detailed report describing their intended course of action.
Reports from Army Commanders currently declared ‘out of contact’.

Upon receipt of this information, the GM will plot the movements on the Master Game Map and determine if, where and who will be fighting during the upcoming Campaign Battle Phase.

If it is determined that a battle will take place, the Players involved will be contacted and requested to reply with a preference for the length of the upcoming battle and the start time. The lengths of the scenarios are divided as follows:

1. Skirmish: 6-9 Turns

2. Light Battle: 10-15 Turns

3. Moderate Battle: 16-21 Turns

4. Heavy Battle: 22-27 Turns

5. All-Out Battle: 28-33 Turns

Upon receipt of this information, the GM will determine which player will receive the ‘Initiative’. The player who gains the ‘Initiative’ will determine the length and the start time of the scenario, though this information will not be provided to any of the players involved.

Once the Initiative and Scenario time and length have been determined, the GM will contact the SDM, who will be responsible for providing a scenario map, and the OOBM, who will be responsible for compiling the OOBs for the Armies that will participate in the battle.

Once the OOBs have been compiled, the OOBM will transfer that information to the SDM, who will place the armies on the field at the locations indicated by the GM. The players will be positioned as follows:

1. Meeting Battles: Both players will enter the battlefield based on the direction they were heading on the Master Game Map.

2. Defensive Battles: In this case, one player is defending an objective, like a city. The Defensive Player’s Army will be placed in a defensive position around the objective. The Offensive Player will enter the battlefield from the direction they were heading on the Master Game Map.

3. On-going Battles: In this case, both players have elected to continue a battle which began in a previous Campaign Battle Phase. Each player will begin in the positions they occupied at the end of the last Game Battle Phase. Reinforcements and fresh supply wagons will arrive from the direction they were heading on the Master Game Map.

Once the SDM has placed the troops on the field, the scenario will be reviewed by the GM. If the scenario meets with the GMs approval, the GM will forward the game files to the starting player and the Game Battle Phase will begin.

Note: The Campaign Battle Phase will not begin until all Game Battle Phase scenarios have been created and approved by the GM.

4.2 ‘In-Game’ Communication:

In order to simulate the difficulty of communication during the American Civil War, and to allow FTW Administrators to track the progress of battles, all communications sent between players during the Campaign Battle Phase, including all PBEM files, shall be routed through the Communications Manager (CM), with copies to the other FTW Administrators.

Messages between players participating in a Game Battle may be sent at the end of each player’s turn, and should be forwarded to the CM, with copies to the other FTW Administrators, as an attachment to the PBEM files.

All messages sent between players during a multi-player Game Battle must include the name, title and command of the sender; the name, title and command of the recipient and the game ‘time’ that the message was sent. Improperly addressed messages will be lost.

4.2.1 Messages: Odds of Receipt

Unless sent between players occupying the same hex, messages sent during a Game Battle may be:

1. Received during the next game turn.

2. Delayed up to 3 turns.

3. Lost

4. Intercepted by the enemy.

The GM will determine when or if a message is received based on the following odds:

1. Messages sent within the same hex: 100% R

2. Messages sent while both Officers are within Line of Sight: 80% R, 20% D

3. Messages sent within 10 hexes: 70% R, 20% D, 10% L

4. Messages sent at 10+ hexes: 50% R, 30% D, 20% L, 10% I

5. Messages sent across enemy lines: 50% I, 30% L, 20% D, 10% R

Except in the case of ‘same hex’ communications, Players will not know if their messages were received unless they request a confirmation message from the receiving Players. Confirmation messages are susceptible to the same odds of receipt as the original message.

In addition to messages sent by courier, FTW Players may also attempt to relay messages thru the use of an alternative method such as semaphore. If a Player intends to use an alternative method to send a message, this must be clearly stated in the message. The GM will make the determination of whether the message was successfully received.

All player messages sent to the FTW Administrators will be delivered and responded to without fail.

4.3 ‘Out of Game’ Communication:

All FTW Players, during any phase of play, even those declared ‘out of contact’, are permitted to post, without prior review or approval by the FTW Administration, FTW related ‘newspaper’ accounts, diary entries, idle gossip or novellas in the Mason Dixon Tavern or the FTW Open Forum. However, players are restricted to describing events which have already occurred, and may not disclose information about their future intentions, except in the most general sense. For example, “On to Richmond!” is acceptable. “I intend to flank them on the right”, is not.

Players posting information to any open forum that is deemed by the GM to be an attempt to circumvent the rules governing ‘player to player’ communication will be stricken with dysentery and ‘hospitalized’ for a full FTW Campaign Turn.

4.4 Pre-Battle Preferences:

Prior to initiating the first turn, the player should select the following game preferences:

1. Phased turns (if involved in a single player battle)

2. Regular turns (if involved in a multiplayer battle)

3. Auto defensive fire

4. Flank morale modifier

5. Quality fire modifier

6. Quality melee modifier

7. Partial retreats

8. Weak ZOC

9. Isolation rules

4.5 The Maneuver and Battle Turns:

As stated earlier, each General participating in a battle will be given the opportunity to request a length for the scenario. The player, who wins the ‘Initiative’, as determined by the GM, will be allowed to determine the length and the start time of the scenario, though this information will not be disclosed to the players.

4.5.1 Maneuver Turns

Once the battle has begun, each side will maneuver their armies on the battlefield until two infantry regiments from opposing sides have exchanged fire and one or both have received casualties.

4.5.2 Battle Turns

As soon as two opposing infantry regiments have engaged, the battle phase will begin and continue for the number of turns specified by the player who won the ‘initiative’, or until the following conditions have been met:

1. A message is sent from one General to the other, requesting his terms of surrender. The ‘odds of receipt’ rules do not apply in the case of armies being surrendered to the enemy. Any such requests will be processed immediately.

2. One side abandons the field.

3. The Players are notified that the end of the scenario has been reached.

4.6 OOB Tracking

Under no circumstances are Players permitted to open the OOB file sent with each game turn, as it contains the forces for both sides. However, Players are required to create a paper or computer form upon which to list all the Officers and Regiments under their command at the start of play.

The non-Player Officers should be listed by Quality, Corps, Division and the Regiments under their command.

The Regiments and Artillery batteries should be listed by Quality, Type, and Weapon.

During each phase of play, the player should carefully note any losses experienced by his Officers, Regiments and Batteries, listing them as either killed, captured or wounded.

Note: Soldiers lost through “overstacking” will be considered captured and must be so noted in the Player’s OOB Tracking Form. Soldiers lost through “overstacking” who are not so listed in the Player’s OOB Tracking Form will be considered killed.

Artillery lost through Melee will also be considered captured. However, the Player who captures the artillery will be required to assign a 25 man artillery crew to operate each piece at the conclusion of the game battle. Assignments for the new artillery crews will be made by the Player in his After Action Report following the battle.

If the opposing Players are in agreement, individual units may be surrendered during the course of the game battle. The losing Player will form his Infantry units into columns and limber his Artillery and move them in the direction of the board edge as indicated by the winning Player. Once the units have been surrendered and formed into the appropriate formation, no additional penalties will be assessed if they are accidentally fired upon by friendly or enemy units.

At the conclusion of his turn, the player will attach a copy of this running OOB total to his PBEM game files and forward them to the GM (via the CM).

The GM will review the turn and confirm the losses indicated, adding them to the OOB Master List. It is critical that each player maintain a current and accurate record of his OOB, so that it can be carried forward from one Campaign Phase to the next.

4.7 Living to Fight Another Day

FTW Battles can be resolved in one of four ways:

Victory and accepting the surrender of the enemy
Defeat and surrendering your army
Digging in to fight another day
Running for the hills

The following sections describe these results, and how they are resolved:

4.7.1 Victory and Defeat

At any point during regular play, the Players involved may send messages through the FTW Administration offering or requesting terms of surrender. If both sides are in agreement, then the battle is concluded and all hostilities will cease immediately. The actual terms of the surrender agreement are worked out between the players themselves. However, it is generally understood that unless specifically prohibited, the winning General is entitled to the following:

1. All officers and soldiers, to be taken as prisoners of war.

If the winning Player is currently ‘in contact’ he may direct, in his After Action Report to the FTW Administration, where these surrendered soldiers will be sent, during the Campaign Movement Phase to await exchange, further movement, as directed by the POW Department of his government, or the end of the war.

If the winning Player is currently ‘out of contact’ he will be required to provide a guard for the prisoners until such time as he reopens his lines of communication. 100 men are required to guard 1,000. Assignments for the prisoner guards will be made by the Player in his After Action Report following the battle. During the Campaign Pre-Movement Phase the player’s OOB will be adjusted to show that the required number of men are now guards, and are considered non-combatants.

2. All supplies, including weapons, artillery, supply wagons and horses.

These items may be distributed within the winning General’s Army or, if the General is ‘in contact’, he may direct them to be sent to the city of his choosing to be re-distributed by his government’s War Department during the Movement Phase. The disbursement of any captured resources will be made by the Player in his After Action Report following the battle.

3. All communications currently in the possession of the defeated General, including his last set of General Orders.

If the winning General is ‘in contact’ the captured intelligence can be sent to the President and/or the Players of his choosing during the ‘Movement’ Phase.

If the winning General is ‘out of contact’ then the captured intelligence will become part of his personal papers, and will be turned over to the enemy if he himself is subsequently captured or surrenders his army before he reopens his lines of communication.

4.7.2 Digging In

Even though a Player may be in a desperate situation, he is not obliged to accept an offer of surrender terms. Instead, he may elect to hold his ground. If neither player has surrendered by the end of the scenario, then the battle is concluded. Both players will be given the option to remain on the field or move during subsequent Campaign Phases.

4.7.3 Running for the Hills

If faced with insurmountable odds, a Player may choose to withdraw from a fight before the end of the scenario. In order to accomplish this, there must first be a friendly or unoccupied city adjacent to his current position on the Master Game Map. If there is no friendly or unoccupied adjacent city available, then the player must stand and fight, or surrender. If a friendly or unoccupied city does exist, the Player must move his army to the board edge that corresponds with its general direction. In FTW play, the outside board edges are considered ‘out of bounds’ so if the player can reach the appropriate board edge, and then place his infantry in column and limber the artillery, they will be considered ‘skedaddled’ and no further damage will be assessed even if they are accidentally fired upon. Having taken this position, these troops are now considered ‘out of play’ and may not re-enter the battle under any circumstances. Note: Under no circumstances, should players exit units off the board. Troops exiting the board will be considered permanently lost and will be deducted from the player’s OOB during subsequent Campaign Phases.

Cutting Your Losses:

It may not be possible for the withdrawing Player to skedaddle every unit in this manner. Some units may be unable to reach the necessary board side and safety. It will be up to the withdrawing Player to determine when he has gotten every unit that he can out of harm’s way. Once that point is reached, the Player will move his personal icon onto a board edge hex and inform the FTW Administration, that his army has ‘Skedaddled’ and the battle will be concluded, except in the case of multiplayer scenarios (see below), with all non-skedaddled units becoming the prisoners of the opposing player.

Rescuing remaining ‘non-skedaddled’ Soldiers:

In the case of Multiplayer Scenarios it is permissible for one General to “skedaddle” from the field, leaving the other General behind to continue the fight on alone. In this case it may be possible for the remaining General to ‘rescue’ the remaining ‘non-skedaddled’ units, who would otherwise remain fixed on the field.

Before the remaining General can move any of the abandoned units, he must first make physical contact with them by entering the same hex with either an Officer or a unit from his own command.

Once the abandoned unit has been ‘tagged’, the remaining General will then be free to move them, as he would his own soldiers. Once the battle is concluded, the remaining ‘rescued’ soldiers will be added back to the skedaddled General’s OOB.

Movement Restrictions on Skedaddled Armies:

If an FTW Player abandons the field before the end of the scenario, his army will be considered ‘in transit’ during the upcoming Campaign Movement Phase. If he reaches his ‘safe’ city unchallenged, he will remain there until the next Campaign Movement Phase.

However, if an opposing Army chooses to enter the ‘safe’ city during the Campaign Movement Phase, both Players will fight a ‘Meeting Battle’ at that location during the next Campaign Battle Phase.

Any reinforcements of men, equipment and fresh supply wagons sent to the ‘safe’ city during the Campaign Movement Phase, will be added to the ‘skedaddled’ General’s OOB, before the battle begins.

4.8 After Action Reports

At the conclusion of an FTW Game Battle, the Players involved will be required to file an After Action Report (AAR) with the FTW Administration. The AAR will include the following information:

1. A complete recap of the losses which the Player suffered during the Game Battle. The recap should list any losses of Officers; the loss of any Troops and Artillery (by individual regiment and battery), as well as any supply losses. The FTW Administration will review these figures and compare them to the OOB Master List. Any discrepancies will be resolved by the GM, whose judgments are considered final. If changes to the Player’s OOB are made by the GM, the Player will be notified.

2. Instructions for the disposition of any prisoners captured during the Game Battle. And the assignment of units to guard prisoners by ‘out of contact’ Players.

3. Instructions for the disposition of any soldiers rescued during the previous Game Battle.

4. Instructions for the assignment of units to man batteries captured during the previous Game Battle.

5. Instructions for the distribution of any resources (weapons, horses and supply wagons) which occurred during the Game Battle.

6. If he so chooses, the Player may also include dispatches to his fellow Players, which will be delivered at the start of the Campaign Movement Phase, if deemed appropriate by the GM, in accordance with the rules governing FTW Campaign Movement Phase communications. Like Battle Phase communications, all dispatches sent with the AAR must include the sending Player’s name and command and the receiving Player’s name and command. Incorrectly addressed dispatches will become lost.

4.9 The End of the Battle Phase

As soon as all Game Battles have been concluded, the GM will set a date for the start of the FTW Campaign Movement Phase, allowing adequate time for the FTW Administrators to complete their Pre-Movement duties.

The CM will inform the players that the FTW Campaign Battle Phase has now ended and inform them of the date for the start of the FTW Campaign Movement Phase, allowing adequate time for the FTW Administrators to complete their assigned duties during the Pre-Movement Phase.

5. Pre-Movement Phase:

The Pre-Movement Phase of the FTW Campaign is provided to allow the FTW Administrators the opportunity to perform the following functions:

1. Adjust Army OOBs to accurately reflect the results of the previous Battle Phase.

2. Initiate the movement of captured POWs, as directed by the ‘in contact’ Player in his After Action Report (AAR) to the FTW Administration.

3. Adjust Army OOBs to accurately reflect the assignment of units to act as guards for captured POWs for Players who are currently ‘out of contact’.

4. Initiate the movement of ‘rescued’ soldiers, as directed by the ‘in contact’ Player in his After Action Report (AAR) to the FTW Administration.

5. Adjust Army OOBs to accurately reflect the disposition of Officers and men who were ‘rescued’ by Players who are currently ‘out of contact’.

6. Adjust Army OOBs to accurately reflect the distribution of assets captured during the previous Battle Phase.

7. Initiate the movement of captured assets, as directed by the ‘in contact’ Player in his After Action Report (AAR) to the FTW Administration.

8. Adjust Army OOBs to accurately reflect the assignment of units to man batteries captured during the previous Game Battle, as directed by the Player in his After Action Report (AAR) to the FTW Administration.

9. Determine when and if dispatches sent by Players as attachments in their AAR will reach their intended recipient(s), in accordance with the rules governing Pre-Movement Communication.

10. Determine whether any Armies are currently ‘out of contact’ as a result of the previous Battle Phase, and limit their access to forums and websites.

11. Determine whether any Army has restored its lines of communication, as a result of the previous Battle Phase and restore their access to forums and websites.

12. Adjust the Quality Ratings of all Armies and Officers to accurately reflect the results of the previous Battle Phase.

13. Calculate the effects of the previous Battle Phase on recruitment, equipment and supplies, to be distributed during the upcoming Movement Phase.

14. Establish the ‘current’ location of all units on the Master Game Map (MGM).

A detailed explanation of these duties is provided in the following sections:

5.1 Preamble to the Pre-Movement Phase:

The Battle Phase will commence as soon as the GM receives After Action Reports (AAR) from each of the Players involved in Game Battles during the previous Campaign Battle Phase. These AAR will include the following information:

2. Instructions for the disposition of any prisoners captured during the Game Battle. And the assignment of units to guard prisoners by ‘out of contact’ Players.

3. Instructions for the disposition of any soldiers rescued during the previous Game Battle

4. Instructions for the assignment of 25 man crews to operate batteries captured during the previous Game Battle.

5. Instructions for the distribution of any resources (weapons, horses and supply wagons) which were captured during the previous Game Battle.

5.2 After-Battle OOB Adjustments:

Upon receipt of each Player’s AAR, the FTW Administrators will review the Player’s final OOB Tracking Report and compare it to the totals on the OOB Master List. Any discrepancies will be discussed with the Player, with the final determination to be made by the FTW Game Manager (GM). Once a determination has been made, adjustments will be made, either by the Player or the OOB Manager (OOBM), to ensure that both files are identical.

5.3 Prisoner related OOB Adjustments:

Once the After Battle OOBs have been reviewed and adjusted, if necessary, the FTW Administrators will review the Player’s AAR instructions for the management of any prisoners captured during the previous Game Battle.

5.3.1 Prisoners captured by ‘In Contact’ Players

Players who are considered ‘in contact’, will devote a section of their AAR to the disposition of any prisoners captured during the previous Game Battle. At the Player’s direction, the prisoners will be moved to any city of his choosing to await further movement or exchange by the War Department, or the end of the war.

The prisoners will be considered ‘arrived’ at that location at the start of the Campaign Movement Phase, unless they are deemed by the GM to still be ‘in transit’, in accordance with the rules governing movement during the Campaign Movement Phase.

Once ‘arrived’ at the city designated by the capturing General, the prisoners will fall under the control of the War Department. The President, or his designated War Department representative, may order the prisoners held, exchanged or moved to another location during the Campaign Movement Phase. Directions for the disposition of POWs will be included as part of the President’s post Campaign Movement Phase GM Report.

Careful management of the POW system is important, as prisoners are considered a ‘spoil’ of the city where they are held captive. If the city falls into hands of the enemy, then any prisoners held there will be considered ‘rescued’ and returned to active service, unless they are ‘recaptured’.

5.3.2 Prisoners captured by ‘Out of Contact’ Players

If prisoners are captured by a General who is currently ‘out of contact’, then the prisoners will remain in the custody of the capturing General until such time as he reopens his lines of communication.

While holding prisoners, the ‘out of contact’ Player will be required to provide for the assignment of guards in his AAR. The guard assignment rate is 100 men for every 1,000 prisoners. During the Campaign Pre-Movement Phase, the Player’s OOB will be adjusted to show that the required number of men are now guards, and will be held ‘off the board’ as non-combatants, along with the prisoners, until the Player reopens his lines of communications and transfers the prisoners into the custody of the War Department.

If the Army of the capturing Player is itself surrendered before re-establishing communication, then the prisoners in his custody shall be considered ‘rescued’ and restored to active duty.

5.4 Rescued Soldiers related OOB Adjustments:

Once the disposition of Prisoners has been determined and the Player’s OOB has been reviewed and adjusted, if necessary, the FTW Administrators will review the Player’s AAR instructions for the management of any soldiers rescued during the previous Game Battle.

5.4.1 Soldiers Rescued by ‘In Contact’ Players

Like prisoners, an ‘in contact’ Player will devote a section of their AAR to the disposition of any soldiers that were freed by him during the previous Game Battle. At the Player’s direction, the ‘rescued’ Officers and soldiers will be moved to any city of his choosing to await further disposition by the War Department during the Campaign Movement Phase.

The rescued Officers and soldiers will be considered ‘arrived’ at that location at the start of the Campaign Movement Phase, unless they are deemed by the GM to still be ‘in transit’, in accordance with the rules governing movement during the Campaign Movement Phase.

Once ‘arrived’ at the city designated by the rescuing General, the prisoners will fall under the control of the War Department. The President, or his designated War Department representative, will make whatever dispositions they deem necessary to rearm, reassign and restore the rescued Officers and soldiers to active duty. Directions for the disposition of POWs will be included as part of the President’s post Campaign Movement Phase GM Report.

5.4.2 Soldiers Rescued by ‘Out of Contact’ Players

Any Officers and soldiers ‘rescued’ by a Player who is deemed ‘out of contact’ will remain under the ‘protection’ of the Player and are carried on his OOB as ‘unarmed combatants’ until such time as he reopens his lines of communication. ‘Rescued’ troops may not participate in any subsequent battles, and are kept ‘off the board’ until they have been safely turned over to the War Department for debriefing, rearming and reassignment.

If the Army of the ‘rescuing’ Player is itself surrendered before the lines of communication are reopened, then the ‘rescued’ Officers and soldiers will revert to their previous ‘prisoner’ status.

5.5 Captured Artillery related OOB Adjustments:

Once the disposition of Prisoners and Rescued Soldiers has been determined and the Player’s OOB has been reviewed and adjusted, if necessary, the FTW Administrators will review the Player’s AAR instructions for the assignment of 25 man crews to operate artillery pieces captured as a result of Melee during the previous Game Battle, and adjust the Army’s OOB accordingly.

5.6 Captured Weapons, Horses and Supply Wagons related OOB Adjustments:

Once the assignment of artillery crews has been accomplished, and the Player’s OOB adjusted accordingly, the FTW Administrators will review the Player’s AAR instructions for the management of captured resources during the previous Game Battle.

5.6.1 Resources captured by ‘In Contact’ Players

Players who are considered ‘in contact’, will devote a section of their AAR to the disposition of any resources captured during the previous Game Battle. Resources will include the weapons that any surrendered units carried, their horses (if cavalry units were captured), and their remaining Supply Wagons.

At the Player’s direction, any or all of these resources may be distributed among the units under his command, or they may be moved to the city of his choosing to await further disposition by the War Department during the Campaign Movement Phase.

If the resources are distributed among the units under the Player’s command, his OOB will be adjusted accordingly.

If the resources are transferred to a city selected by the Player, then they will be considered ‘arrived’ at that location at the start of the Campaign Movement Phase, unless they are deemed by the GM to still be ‘in transit’, in accordance with the rules governing movement during the Campaign Movement Phase.

Once ‘arrived’ at the city selected by the Player, the captured resources will fall under the control of the War Department. The President, or his designated War Department representative, may order the resources held at that location, distributed to an Army at that location, or moved to another location during the Campaign Movement Phase. Directions for the disposition of captured enemy resources will be included as part of the President’s post Campaign Movement Phase GM Report.

Careful management of the resource system is important, as unassigned resources will be considered a ‘spoil’ of the city where they are held. If the city falls into hands of the enemy, then any resources held there will be considered captured and turned over to the capturing Player.

5.6.2 Resources captured by ‘Out of Contact’ Players

Players who are considered ‘out of contact’, will devote a section of their AAR to the disposition of any resources captured during the previous Game Battle. Resources will include the weapons that any surrendered units carried, their horses (if cavalry units were captured), and their remaining Supply Wagons.

At the Player’s direction, all capture resources will be distributed among the units under his command and his OOB will be adjusted accordingly.

5.7 Adjustment of the Master Game Map:

At the end of the Battle Phase the FTW Administration will review the current placement of Players on the Master Game Map and prepare a separate map for each side showing the current locations of their ‘in contact’ Armies and resources.

These updated, side-specific, versions of the Master Game Map will be placed in each side’s closed Website at the start of the Movement Phase.

5.8 Determination of ‘Contact’ status and Communication Restrictions:

At the end of the Battle Phase the FTW Administration will review the current placement of Players on the Master Game Map in order to determine which Players are currently ‘in contact’ and ‘out of contact’. This determination is made based on the following rules:

Players who are considered ‘in contact’ must have a clear, uninterrupted line of friendly or neutral cities between themselves and the current location of their President.
Players who can not trace a clear, uninterrupted line of friendly or neutral cities between themselves and the current location of their President will be deemed ‘out of contact’.

Note: It is possible that two or more players could find themselves ‘in contact’ with each other, but ‘out of contact’ with their governments.

Once this determination has been made, the FTW Administration will temporarily impose the following access and communication restrictions:

5.8.1 Access and Communication Restrictions for ‘Out of Contact’ Players

Players who are deemed to be ‘out of contact’ will lose access to their closed FTW Forum until they reestablish their lines of communication.

Players deemed ‘out of contact’ during the Movement Phase will be required to send Player to Player messages through the FTW Communications Manager, with copies to the FTW Administration.

Odds of Receipt for ‘Out of Contact’ Players:

All Movement Phase messages sent by Players to Players ‘across enemy lines’ will be forwarded using the same Odds of Receipt used to calculate the odds of sending messages across enemy lines during a Game Battle.

All messages sent by Players to the FTW Administrators will be received and responded to without fail.

5.8.2 Access and Communication Restrictions for ‘In Contact’ Players

Players who are deemed to be ‘in contact’ but not in the same location as the President will temporarily lose access to the FTW Forum.

Players deemed ‘in contact’ during the Movement Phase will be required to send Player to Player messages through the FTW Communications Manager, with copies to the FTW Administration.

Odds of Receipt for ‘In Contact’ Players:

Messages sent between Players deemed ‘In Contact’ during the Campaign Movement Phase may be:

1. Received

2. Overheard by the enemy.

3. Intercepted by the enemy

The GM will determine when or if a message is received based on the following odds:

1. Messages sent within the same city: 95% R, 5% O

2. Messages sent within 5 cities: 85% R, 10% O, 5% I

3. Messages sent 5+ cities: 80% R, 15% O, 5% I

Players will not be informed if their messages have been overheard by the enemy.

Players will not know if their messages have been intercepted or received unless they request a confirmation message from the receiving Players. Confirmation messages are susceptible to the same odds of receipt as the original message.

All player messages sent to the FTW Administrators will be delivered and responded to without fail.

5.8.3 Access and Communication Restrictions for ‘With the President’ Players

Each President will retain access to their closed FTW Forum throughout the Campaign. The closed Forum will be designated as the President’s official headquarters and will be located wherever the President is currently residing. Players who are deemed to be ‘in contact’ and in the same location as the President will also retain their open access to the FTW Forum and Website and are free to converse ‘in real time’, with the President for the duration of the Campaign Movement Phase.

All messages sent from Headquarter to Players not ‘with the President’ must be sent through the FTW Administration. The applicable ‘odds of receipt’ will be applied to all messages sent from Headquarters to Players not currently ‘with the President’.

5.9 Post Battle Phase Quality Related OOB Adjustments:

Once all other OOB adjustments have been made, the FTW Administration will calculate the quality changes for Officers and soldiers resulting from the previous Battle Phase, based on the following conversion rules:

5.9.1 Quality Conversion Rules for Infantry Brigades

The quality of infantry brigades are listed from poorest to highest quality based on the following scale:

1. 0 – F

2. 1 – E

3. 2 – D

4. 3 – C

5. 4 – B

6. 5 – A

The quality of an Infantry Brigade, which participated in the previous Game Battle, will be increased by one level if they sustained casualties of 5% or more.

An Infantry Brigade, which participated in the previous Game Battle, but sustained casualties of less than 5%, will have a 50% chance of increasing their quality, as determined by the FTW Administration.

5.9.2 Quality Conversion Rules for Cavalry Brigades

The quality of Cavalry Brigades are listed from poorest to highest quality based on the following scale:

1. 1 – E

2. 2 – D

3. 3 – C

4. 4 – B

5. 5 – A

The quality of a Cavalry Brigade, which participated in the previous Game Battle, will be increased by one level if they sustained casualties of 5% or more.

A Cavalry Brigade, which participated in the previous Game Battle, but sustained casualties of less than 5%, will have a 50% chance of increasing their quality, as determined by the FTW Administration.

A Cavalry Brigade with a quality rating of C or above, whose units participated in the previous Game Battle, will be given a 33.3% chance of increasing one level their units suffered casualties of 5% or more, as determined by the FTW Administration.

5.9.3 Quality Conversion Rules for Artillery Batteries

The quality of Artillery Batteries are listed from poorest to highest quality based on the following scale:

1. 1 – E

2. 2 – D

3. 3 – C

4. 4 – B

5. 5 – A

The quality of an Artillery Battery, which lost one or more guns during the previous Game Battle, will be increased by one level.

An Artillery Battery, which participated in the previous Game Battle, will have a 50% chance of increasing their quality, as determined by the FTW Administration.

An Artillery Battery with a quality rating of C or above, whose units participated in the previous Game Battle, will be given a 33.3% chance of increasing one level, as determined by the FTW Administration.

5.9.4 Quality Conversion Rules for Brigade Commanders

Brigade Commanders may increase their quality in two areas, depending on the performance of their brigades during the previous Game Battle. One area is Command, the other area is Leadership. Both qualities are listed from poorest to highest quality based on the following scale:

1. 0 – F

2. 1 – E

3. 2 – D

4. 3 – C

5. 4 – B

6. 5 – A

A Brigade Commander, whose units participated in the previous Game Battle, will increase one level in Command and/or Leadership quality if 50% of their units suffered casualties of 5% or more, as determined by the FTW Administration.

A Brigade Commander, whose units participated in the previous Game Battle, will be given a 50% chance of increasing one level in Command and/or Leadership quality if 50% of their units suffered less than 5% casualties, as determined by the FTW Administration.

A Brigade Commander with a quality rating of C or above, whose units participated in the previous Game Battle, will be given a 33.3% chance of increasing one level in Command and/or Leadership quality if 50% of their units suffered casualties of 5% or more, as determined by the FTW Administration.

5.9.5 Quality Conversion Rules for Division Commanders

Division Commanders may increase their quality in two areas, depending on the performance of their Brigade Commanders during the previous Game Battle. One area is Command, the other area is Leadership. The base quality of a Division Commander is 1 level higher than their lowest quality subordinate officer. This base level will not change if the Division Commander is transferred to the command of a Division with better quality brigades. Any increase of his initial base quality must come as a result of his performance on the battlefield.

A Division Commander will increase by one level in Command and/or Leadership quality if 50% of his Brigade Commanders participated in the previous Game Battle, and 50% of their brigades suffered casualties of 5% or more, as determined by the FTW Administration.

A Division Commander will receive a 50% chance of increasing his Command and/or Leadership quality if 50% of his Brigade Commanders participated in the previous Game Battle, and 50% of their brigades suffered less than 5% casualties, as determined by the FTW Administration.

A Division Commander with a quality rating of C or above will be given a 33.3% chance of increasing one level in Command and/or Leadership quality if 50% of his Brigade Commanders participated in the previous Game Battle, and 50% of their brigades suffered casualties of 5% or more, as determined by the FTW Administration.

5.9.6 Quality Conversion Rules for Corps Commanders

The Corps Commanders will be rated by their SE rating…???

5.9.7 Effects of Promotion on Officer Quality

When openings in the ranks occur, the highest ranking subordinate officer will be promoted to fill that position, with a loss of two quality points in his Command and Leadership.

5.10 Calculate the economic effects of the previous Movement and Battle Phase:

Once all the Officer and unit quality adjustments have been calculated, approved, and incorporated into the Player and Master OOB Lists, then the FTW Administration then determine what effects the previous Campaign Movement Phase (from orders issued by the President in his post-Movement Phase GM Report) and the previous Battle Phase have had on the industrial output (Men, Equipment and Supplies) of each country, and prepare a State of the Government Report, to be issued to each country’s President at the start of the Campaign Movement Phase.

5.10.1 State of the Government Report

The State of the Government Report will include the following information:

1. A Treasury Report providing the total income generated since the previous Campaign Movement Phase, to be disbursed as needed to provide for various war related expenses by the President or his designated Representative.

2. A Recruitment Report listing the total number of soldiers recruited by city and state since the previous Campaign Movement Phase.

3. A Weapons Output Report listing each weapons factory by location, and the total amount of equipment (by type) generated since the previous Campaign Movement Phase.

4. A Munitions Output Report listing each munitions factory by location, and the total number of Supply Wagons generated since the previous Campaign Movement Phase.

5. An Infrastructure Report listing all ongoing war related projects, like fortifications, shipbuilding, etc. etc. and their expected completion dates.

5.11 The End of the Campaign Pre-Movement Phase:

Once all the previous elements have been completed, the FTW Administration will inform the Players that the Campaign Pre-Movement Phase has ended and the Campaign Movement Phase has begun.

6. Movement Phase:

The Campaign Movement Phase is provided to allow Players the opportunity to perform the following duties:

1. Exchange and receive Player to Player messages in accordance with the rules governing communications during the Campaign Movement Phase.

2. Disburse Treasury Funds to provide for the purchase of essential war-related necessities such as weapons, munitions and uniforms; and to provide funding for building a wartime industrial infrastructure like ships, factories, fortifications etc.

3. Outfit and equip new recruits.

4. Assign new recruits to Army Commanders.

5. Manage the affairs of the War Department with respect to the reparation of rescued Officers and soldiers.

6. Manage the affairs of the War Department with respect to the custody of P.O.W.s.

7. Develop new plans and strategies for achieving a quick and successful end of the War.

8. Prepare GM Reports to direct the movement of men and material, in accordance with the rules governing Movement Phase communications.

9. Issue General Orders to subordinate Players in accordance with the rules governing Movement Phase communications.

A detailed explanation of these duties is provided in the following sections:

6.1 Preamble to the Campaign Movement Phase:

At the start of the Movement Phase, the FTW Administration will:

Provide each President with a copy of the “State of the Government” Report which was compiled during the Pre-Movement Phase.
Deliver all Player to Player dispatches that were submitted by Players as attachments in their “After Action” Reports at the conclusion of the previous Campaign Battle Phase, in accordance with the rules governing Movement Phase communications.
Post updated Game Maps which were compiled during the previous Pre-Movement Phase, at each side’s closed website.
Post updated OOBs at each side’s closed website, in accordance with the rules governing the Determination of Contact Status and Communication Restrictions.