Re: Zone Combat
Purple Haze's suggestions can work well, but I think your idea has merit as well. I wouldn't break it down by physical zones, but by groupings of combatants. That is, don't worry about the details of where everyone is placed, just say "Orc #1, Orc #2, Bash McFighter, and Stabby McThief are all engaged in melee in front of the door. Wizzy Wizard and Hawkeye the Scout are together 12 yards behind the melee."
Then just let anyone in the melee hit anyone else, use the 12-yard figure as the range for all bowshots and spells, and if anyone wants to move from one group to another you say it takes 2 turns for the Move 6 Orcs, 3 turns for the Move 5 Wizard, and 4 turns for the heavily armored Move 3 Fighter.
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