Rules Tweak: Turn Sequence

I am quite happy using alternate turns (I fire & move; you fire & move) as it allows stationary elements to get the first shot on advancing units and precludes elements firing at the end of whatever charge move the unit may possess. However, I gather this method is looked upon as being old-fashioned, unrealistic and/or (lawks!), clunky, so I decided to see if I could make any system improvements.

I made some notes and had a couple of goes at drawing up timelines for the complete turn to see if I could break it down into parcels of different activities which could be allocated certain portions on the timeline.

I concluded that high speed factor or stationary weapons could pretty much pick the optimal moment for firing, whereas lower speed factor guns (in single man or low traverse speed turrets) should perhaps be restricted by having to be discharged in the middle of the Action Phase, in other words, neither at the start of the phase when targets could be prevented from moving at all, nor at the end when advancing enemy may have reduced the range.

I noticed that all the movement parts of the turn could be pulled together into the middle of the turn, which

was something I had thought about several months ago, whereby the fire and movement phases alternately overlap. The actual order of movement of elements may be determined by speed, for instance, FT17s committing their movement before SdKfz 232s due to their much slower speed

Similarly, I am working on integrating morale & comms phases of the turn into the schematic and some sort of 'speed factor' for main (perhaps all) armaments. This will take into account such factors as the manpower in turrets (very detrimental for many French & Belgian tanks), electric gun traverse, etc. and may be result in penalties for one-man turrets or restricting them, even if stationary, to only one shot per turn.

I think I need another playtest soon...