I'm into simultaneous action in games- I feel it negates a lot of issues you can run into: Kingmaking and turn order advantage to name a couple.
For my current design I was working on a simultaneous movement mechanic that doesn't requires minimal bookkeeping. I get the sense that most if not all simultaneous movement/deployment games require writing down orders. I hope this removes the need, though it would only work in a grid based map (squares, hexes)
I mocked up a quick image to demonstrate- but the idea is any group of units or "troop" has a flag attached to it. The flag would be designated in some way with a number, color, symbol, etc. (it also obviously doesn't have to be a flag). A second flag with the same designation (same number, color, symbol) is on a hex apart from the board- a "command hex."
The matching flag can designate which direction the troop will move by being placed on the hex side you wish the troop to move (see picture). Additionally other actions can be placed on this command hex, which my current design does, and you can give a troop actions to complete on the hex if they are not moving. Actions like "Build" "Harvest" "Recruit" "etc.
This allows players to secretly "program" all their troops movement and actions fairly quickly and efficiently without the need for a pencil and paper.
This makes for (potentially) interesting decisions each turn, as it turns each troops action into a mini-worker placement game. I'm still refining the actions and making them equally viable, to make the actions more rewarding and more interesting to decide between. As is it's usually an obvious choice in situations...
Anyway what do you think? Also have you seen this done before? I feel it's a novel idea but also realize others may have done this and I am unaware.
Yea, behind a screen of some sort.
I do think I did a poor job describing this. Part of my education on this forum is learning how to communicate more clearly.
There is only 1 command hex, or order hex. On that hex are all the various orders you can give your troops, including each edge of the hex which represents a movement order in that direction.
In order to give orders --component wise-- you need TWO identical indicators for each troop. Flags are more thematic, but for the purposes of explanation lets say they are different colored cubes. Red, blue, and green. ONE of the cubes is put in the squad, to indicate that is the GREEN SQUAD (or red, blue, etc) the matching GREEN CUBE is used to give commands/orders on the order hex. If you want to move the GREEN SQUAD, place the matching GREEN CUBE on the edge of hex that is the direction you are moving them. Presumably, in the center of this hex is space for other actions a squad can preform. So hypothetically say there are four boxes in the center of this hex that have the different actions of COLLECT, RECRUIT, DEFEND, SUPPORT. Instead of indicating movement by placing the GREEN CUBE on one of the edges, it could also be placed on one of these action spaces.
I have ideas on how to move 2 or more hexes. But in my design at least, the board is small enough that one squad moving 2 hexes in a turn is a special ability. In this case it can be preformed after the simultaneous movement. I haven't completely worked out corner cases of two "special movements" interacting with each other... the best I can come up with so far is a second hidden movement assignment after the first resolves but that seems too fiddly.
Anyway... hope that's more clear.