Simple, Reasonable Disengage/Retreat Rule

[dmm]

Here is a suggestion for a simple, reasonable disengage/retreat rule:

When one player chooses to retreat, the other player is given the option to pursue. It he says no, then retreat is successful, obviously. If he says yes, then the chase is on, but only via equations. The chase is figured by the computer based on initial distance, relative speed, and amount of supplies remaining to each fleet. (One complication: when a player's supplies get low, he should be given a warning and the opportunity to stop retreating (or stop chasing).) If retreat is unsuccessful, then combat ensues, with appropriately reduced supplies for both fleets. (So if the retreating fleet runs out of supplies, then it's a sitting duck. No movement, no weapons.)

The nice thing about this system is that it is fairly realistic but puts little extra programming burden on MM. It will work for both strategic and tactical combat. It doesn't require a scrolling battle map.

The other nice thing is that this system doesn't guarantee successful retreats to inferior fleets. It doesn't allow an invading fleet to avoid decisive fights with a defending fleet, unless it is both faster and better supplied. And even if the invader succeeds in retreating, it will have used up a lot of its supplies doing so.

What do you think?