Penalizing units towards your objective?

In the long search for examples of rules to adapt to my own System, Pas de Manoeuvre!, I always try to consider computer games of the eighties and nineties that, despite its primary aspect, have in most cases a level of realism in the development of its rules that we not found in many games today.

One of the most original ideas I've found these years is the BATTLES OF NAPOLEON by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) in 1989-91.

In rulebook, Point 5.0, it contemplated the use of intermediate objectives at division level and penalty units if these deviated from the target, more or less it penalizes the unit or units that are "away" from the target point.

5.0 OBJECTIVE PHASE

"Because of the sheer size of battles in the Napoleonic age, high level commanders generally gave fairly vague instructions to their subordinates, who in turn gave more detailed instructions to their subordinates, and so on. In this game, however, you will be able to play the parts of both the high level commanders and their subordinates. You will give objectives to your Division leaders which will tell them generally where you want them. This is what the Objective Phase is all about, and represents the orders given by the Army commander to the Corps or Division commanders saying such things as, “Move your Division to that hill over there and wait for further instructions.”

A unit’s objective is in direction 3 on a standard movement compass*. If the unit was to move in directions 2, 3, or 4, there would be no movement penalties. However, if the unit moved in either direction 1 or direction 5, there would be a one movement point penalty for moving in that direction. If the unit was to move in direction 8 or 6, there would be a 2 point movement penalty. There is a 3 point movement penalty for moving in a direction opposite to that of your objective. Note that this penalty is per square entered. Units within 5 squares of their objective square my move in any direction without penalty.

In our case possible movement penalties are given by the cell color and orientation and they add to the cost of MP for each cell by type of terrain:

- Green cells: 0 MP (Movement Point)
- Orange cells: -1 MP
- Brown cells: -2 MP
- Red cell: -3 MP
- Grey cell: Unit location





The direction towards the objective/target, case A, 0 degrees, and case B, 45 degrees.



A "half-wheel" of positions of a blue unit oriented to target. In an hypothetical
movement towards the target, green cells don't have any penalties.

For example, if a infantry unit has a 8 MP any game turn, and plain cells have 1 MP of movement cost, what means 8 cells of total movement or distance in the turn, if it withdraws in a opposite direction without changing previously the target cell, only can move a total of 2 cells. 

Another example: if a heavy cavalry unit  has a 12 MP any game turn, and plain cells have 1 MP of movement cost, what means 12 cells of total movement or distance in the turn, if it turns 90º to the left without changing previously the target cell, only can move a total of 6 cells.

A template example:

Obviously, the computer automatically records the coordinates of each target and units, so that the calculation is immediate, but I think that could be adapted to the game with miniatures, especially with not very big battles. In any case, it's an idea that I intend to polish these days...




(*) movement compass by rulebook, but the designation of each coordinate can be varied according to the needs of each one.