Morale Hit for movement orders

[Martin James]

Edit - moved this post here from a technical post on countermanding courier orders. Con20or

Here's a different (and perhaps whacky) take on this issue. I think we're all agreed that it should be possible to countermand orders. After all it could clearly happen in real life. Perhaps there should be some negative consequence in terms of unit morale though?

We’ve probably all seen people react badly at work when management gives orders and then reverses them. It frustrates staff and causes them to question management's ability. Troops on campaign will typically be pretty frazzled anyway.........tired, scared, irregularly-fed etc. How much worse are they likely to react if ordered to march one way, and then sent in another direction even before they get there? Do their generals know what is going on, are they competent etc? Understandable questions. Could a smallish morale penalty be automatically be imposed in this case?

I'm thinking here specifically of move orders. My guess is that troops in combat would recognise that circumstances can change pretty quickly in action, and would expect that senior officers might often need to change things around at short-notice.

Appreciate this may not be easy to implement. It may also have unintended consequences. Here's one oddity it would throw up........I doubt troops would react any better if they actually reach their objective, and are then ordered back again! I don't see a simple way of handling that one however.

Would welcome any thoughts I've never been in the armed-forces, so would be particularly interested in vets' take on this.

Martin

PS this may well be the wrong thread for this, if conversation develops to any length.

[con20or]

Interesting idea Martin - and probably even moddable.

They would have to be orders that were close together in time though, but it's a nice idea! Would really eliminate clickfests.