While I wait for more talented people to supply my ideal skirmish game, I've started to make a Mordheim-esque game on this blog. It will be completely "unplaytested" except by yours truly, and make no claims to balance.
I do recommend Frostgrave but it doesn't quite scratch the itch the way I wanted it too, so....
I'm more interested in the process rather than the results, but you're welcome to add your 10c, and if it turns out playable I'll do up a neat copy with gameplay examples, etc.
Here's the design goals I jotted down whilst bored on the bus....
Design Goals:
*Fast playing - handles ~20 minis per side in an hour or so, so you can play 2+ games in an evening.
*Interactive. No wandering off, getting coffee in your opponent's turn. (opposed rolls, reactive moves)
*Plenty of opportunities to make decisions - tactics during the game > army building/dice rolling/initial deployment.
*Initiative is not IGOUGO but an opportunity to make yet more decisions
*Resource Management or some similar "5th Element" (like Might, Will and Fate in LoTR; or managing the card deck in Malifaux) to add another layer of decision making
*Very little in-game record keeping or counters; limited to maybe 4-5 heroes only. I dislike clutter on the gaming table though not as much as I hate pen-and-paper record keeping...
*Few special rules (~20). Special rules and abilities are universal, and (reasonably short) stat lines are used to describe fantasy units. Magic is also limited to ~20 spells.
*Optional horde game mode - similar to Space Hulk - one player takes over a band of the local inhabitants/critters. Horde is balanced against current warband points. Perhaps a simple solo-play mechanism for melee-only "NPC" units.
*Recognizable/quick-to-resolve game mechanics
*Build-your own character/unit rules (point system). Use d10s to simplify this? "Official" lists for more recognizable fantasy armies would be comforting for some, and an attempt at balance could then be made (I'm unlikely to bother with this.)
*Advancement rules are capped. Maybe only heroes can "level up" and even if they do, they cannot increase a stat more than 20%; and maybe only get 2-3 extra special rules. Advances are done mostly randomly to prevent powergaming. (Mordheim dual wielding anyone?)
*Maybe non-hero "grunts" simply level up in overall quality i.e. rookie->trained->elite which stops every man and their dog having special rules, which can make playing with/against experienced warbands confusing.. I'd also like to see a set campaign length (6-10 games?) this would allow advancement to be "balanced" at a reasonable rate.
I want the game to be "evolutionary" not "revolutionary" - I'm not including the best mechanics or coolest ideas I've seen or thought of, but stuff that is approachable enough that the average ex-GW player can quickly grasp it. Kind of an "airport novel" type of ruleset, with a few interesting ideas.
Disclaimers:
1. How far I'll get with this depends on my enthusiasm (I've got a lot of projects on the boil..)
2. Playtesting of rules will be nominal - my focus is chatting about theory first, whilst making a playable game
3. Feel free to try them; if there is any interest I'll type them up properly
4. Don't expect them to be good. I like to think I know what good games are, but it doesn't mean I can make one, just like you can recognize a good football player whilst having two left feet yourself.
I'd like to have a look, regardless...
I'll stick up my collection of ideas on the Delta Vector google group.
This is an experiment by me to see if the rather chatty readers of this blog are interested in sharing rules, ideas etc. See here for more information on how to join.
I do recommend Frostgrave but it doesn't quite scratch the itch the way I wanted it too, so....
I'm more interested in the process rather than the results, but you're welcome to add your 10c, and if it turns out playable I'll do up a neat copy with gameplay examples, etc.
Here's the design goals I jotted down whilst bored on the bus....
Design Goals:
*Fast playing - handles ~20 minis per side in an hour or so, so you can play 2+ games in an evening.
*Interactive. No wandering off, getting coffee in your opponent's turn. (opposed rolls, reactive moves)
*Plenty of opportunities to make decisions - tactics during the game > army building/dice rolling/initial deployment.
*Initiative is not IGOUGO but an opportunity to make yet more decisions
*Resource Management or some similar "5th Element" (like Might, Will and Fate in LoTR; or managing the card deck in Malifaux) to add another layer of decision making
*Very little in-game record keeping or counters; limited to maybe 4-5 heroes only. I dislike clutter on the gaming table though not as much as I hate pen-and-paper record keeping...
*Few special rules (~20). Special rules and abilities are universal, and (reasonably short) stat lines are used to describe fantasy units. Magic is also limited to ~20 spells.
*Optional horde game mode - similar to Space Hulk - one player takes over a band of the local inhabitants/critters. Horde is balanced against current warband points. Perhaps a simple solo-play mechanism for melee-only "NPC" units.
*Recognizable/quick-to-resolve game mechanics
*Build-your own character/unit rules (point system). Use d10s to simplify this? "Official" lists for more recognizable fantasy armies would be comforting for some, and an attempt at balance could then be made (I'm unlikely to bother with this.)
*Advancement rules are capped. Maybe only heroes can "level up" and even if they do, they cannot increase a stat more than 20%; and maybe only get 2-3 extra special rules. Advances are done mostly randomly to prevent powergaming. (Mordheim dual wielding anyone?)
*Maybe non-hero "grunts" simply level up in overall quality i.e. rookie->trained->elite which stops every man and their dog having special rules, which can make playing with/against experienced warbands confusing.. I'd also like to see a set campaign length (6-10 games?) this would allow advancement to be "balanced" at a reasonable rate.
I want the game to be "evolutionary" not "revolutionary" - I'm not including the best mechanics or coolest ideas I've seen or thought of, but stuff that is approachable enough that the average ex-GW player can quickly grasp it. Kind of an "airport novel" type of ruleset, with a few interesting ideas.
Disclaimers:
1. How far I'll get with this depends on my enthusiasm (I've got a lot of projects on the boil..)
2. Playtesting of rules will be nominal - my focus is chatting about theory first, whilst making a playable game
3. Feel free to try them; if there is any interest I'll type them up properly
4. Don't expect them to be good. I like to think I know what good games are, but it doesn't mean I can make one, just like you can recognize a good football player whilst having two left feet yourself.
I'd like to have a look, regardless...
I'll stick up my collection of ideas on the Delta Vector google group.
This is an experiment by me to see if the rather chatty readers of this blog are interested in sharing rules, ideas etc. See here for more information on how to join.