Why choose FOGN over another gaming system?

 

An old question from TMP: 

"Recommend a set of rules for single-day club games" Topic

My answer:

Your answer was ultimately the best – what does everyone else in my area play. (Because that's the one way to actually get a game).

 

After playing about a Dozen games of Field of Glory Napoleonic, I think it does fit a lot of your criteria.

1) Plays well on a 6x4 or 8x4 table with up to 28mm (if we stick with that), 15mm or 10mm figures – The rules are based on what size you play, so it covers all your sizes (6mm/15mm/28mm). A 6x4 table works for 15-18mm.

2) Can be played to a reasonable conclusion within a few hours, say around 3 or so. – The game is designed for 3 hour games between 2 people. It's great for club or tournaments were you can play for 3 hours in a standard corps sized game of 800 points. There are variant online rules for 500 point games on a 4x4 table in 15mm, which would be quicker.

3) Allows us to play larger battles but not full-scale battles; we want to do more than a small clash but not the entirety of Waterloo or Austerlitz. I think this translates to Brigade level or one level higher (Corps?) but that terminology is confusing. – The game calls itself as being regimental level, but you play as one Corps commander. Each base of figures works out to one regiment/2-3 battalion's and you have 20-40 stands per army. This also means you can easily refight an entire historical battle with 2-4 players a side. I played in a Battle of Taravala with 3 a side, each player controlling 2-4 divisions of troops and it went for about 5 hours.

4) Rules are reasonably straightforward, none of us want a dissertation or having to do a ton of setup or complex mechanics. This is one game among a few that we will play so we'd prefer something that we can pick up reasonably quickly without constantly referring to the book to see how to play. – FOGN got re-written to much more clearer. However, the interactions of rules can be a bit hard to learn and it takes sometime to learn. I do think they are vastly better laid out and written than Black Powder. The book does lack an index which is maddening when trying to work out what rules apply to what units. Once learnt the game can be players with reference to 5 pages of tables (movement, firing ranges, firing dice etc).

5) Doesn't require a ton of setup; as mentioned above we get together roughly monthly on a Sunday for a few hours so we want to maximize our game time. – Unlike a lot of other games, the setup is part of the game! Each player chooses what terrain they want on the table and then roll to see where it goes – so a good general will choose his ground carefully. It's pretty quick to setup though, and if you don't want much terrain on the table it's very quick (you might only have 4 pieces to place). Units deploy on the table as entire divisions, so you only placing 2-4 groups of units on the table each time for each player, and if one side is attacking and the other defending, you put your entire army down at one time without needing to alternate.

6) Has at least some period flavor; it doesn't have to be a huge amount but it should feel like a Napoleonic game and reward at least some adaptation of period tactics. – I've found I started to win games with my Peninsula army only after I started to read use Wellington's tactics. Place your infantry on the reverse slope. Put Cavalry on the flank but you need artillery or infantry if you force the enemy into square. Cavalry that charges too far can be counter charged when there are spent and blown. Cavalry can slow down the enemy advance and force them into square. Attacking infantry need artillery to good firepower to disrupt the enemy before charging and need flank and rear support. I think it leads to very historical tactics and outcomes, but you still get out of the ordinary events that make battles memorable (My Portuguese conscripts held the line! The Polish Lancers wiped out a division with one decisive charge. The Highlander infantry charged the town and took it despite being outnumbered).