Semi simultaneous movement idea.

[Last Hussar]

Blue sky idea, not tried it.

Determine initiative for the turn.
Winner states
1) who has action priority
2) which end priority starts.

Moving along the table from that end activate each unit as it comes up.
Where two units are equal distance from start the the side with priority goes first.

Where units are in melee then they all activate when the last one does.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Looks interesting but would like more detail.

[kustenjaeger]

I have a feeling I've seen something like that somewhere -  can't remember where.

Edward

[Last Hussar]

Kermit, that is all I literally gave- came up with it and immediately posted. No idea if I've seen it before.

The original idea is "winner of initiative nominates end, ,over along from that". The rest is just actual wargamer thought, looking for immediate problems
 

[Last Hussar]

This idea is completely rules agnostic.

So in Black Powder you might have three commanders per side- it is those you are activating, not the actual units. Now you can "game it" and put them right on the edge, but that will then cause you problems with command distances.

[Keraunos]

The idea of simultaneous movement always appeals to me.  Once troops have been set in motion, unless ordered to stop they tend not to stop until something bad happens to them.  Allowing this to work without a lot of argument about where units come into contact, when they fire or when they have to make a morale test is quite easy when you only have a few units to manage.  As the numbers tick up you need to be careful and put down markers to remind yourselves who has moved and who has pending fire or tests, but it is still doable.  Keeping both sides engaged in the game at all times is an added benefit from simultaneous movement.  However, all that is said on the basis of not a lot of experience, mostly solo, with limited rule sets.

[Ithoriel]

My experience of simultaneous movement is that it works fine while units are approaching each other but once firing or charge reach it bogs down into two players trying to be good sports each insisting the other go first or into two players determined the other should not get an unfair advantage insisting they should go first.

Alternatively you wind up with troops so bound by their orders you might as well not have players at all.

I have, many moons ago, taken part in a game where the two generals spent their time desperately grabbing individual units to point them at the enemy while the two main bodies deployed secretly and on opposite edges of the table followed their Advance orders to the letter and march stolidly off their opponents side of the table. A giggle but hardly a realistic outcome.

Over the decades I have come to believe that IGOUGO, for all it's faults, is, like democracy, the least worst option!

[sunjester]

This is reminding me of when I first started wargaming (mid-70s). Most of the rules used at the club I started with, at least Napoleonics and ACW) involved writing orders for each unit at the beginning of each turn, then declaring charges, them simultaneous movement for the rest. I can't remember what rules they were using for this.