While the RPG is taking a back seat for the moment (so I can work out the way its world will work and then develop the magic that would be available in a world like that) I’ve been thinking about the next game in the development line. This is a standard way of working for me – any time I get stuck on something, I switch to something else while I mull over the original problem in the back of my mind – and I highly recommend this process as a way of dealing with writers’ block.
The next game I want to develop is a wargame. Ideally it will be a relatively streamlined, skirmish-level game rather than a huge rank-and-flank army game; although I would like to attempt one of those as well some day. The idea I have is that the rules will cover one or two pages, with any specialist rules on a second sheet, again covering only one or two pages. This would mean you could print the rules out in their entirety and have them sat at the edge of the gaming table, ready to be consulted where needed.
The game will, of course, be free to download. I’m very much interested in “giving back” to the community; which is why the RPG I’ve been developing is free and all the games I make on Live Game Coding are free, too.
So before I can lay out the specific rules for the wargame, I’ve been thinking about the basic questions that need to be answered in order to lay the groundwork. This is a set of questions I think every game developer needs to be able to answer in order to keep a game focused and easy to master. It doesn’t mean these are set in stone (any game will inevitably change as it is developed and playtested) but they are good for guidance, especially at the start.
What is the game trying to accomplish that isn’t already covered by other games?
This is the big question and, for me, I can’t say no other game will be covering this because I’ve not played enough to be able to answer this. I envisage the rules I develop here being capable of use as the rules set for the series of sci-fi novels I’ve been writing in my spare time for years now and no other game I’ve played quite manages to cover one main factor: every single character in those novels is functionally immortal.
I have yet to play a wargame that can handle characters who can’t die. This will be the main challenge to overcome when writing these rules. I do not have an answer to this conundrum myself yet, but I’m working on some potential mechanics and we’ll see how they play out.
What dice will be used?
I’m not a fan of specialist dice or asking people to source a bag of weird-shaped polyhedrons just to play a game; especially one I’m trying to keep as accessible as possible. So for now I’m going with 6-sided dice, because anyone with access to a basic board game will have some already and if they don’t, they can get some from a cheap board game in a charity shop.
What is the turn order and how will turns function?
This one is of major importance. I play Warhammer 40,000 a lot and I find the “I go, you go” system annoying when the game gets above 500 points because one side is moving all their units, then shooting, then charging, then fighting. Meanwhile, the other player is doing little more than rolling saving throws.
This game will remedy this in two ways: at the start of each round, all players roll for initiative. The one who rolls highest goes first, then the one who rolls second highest, and so forth until all players have taken their turns.
In addition to this, the player whose turn it is does one thing, then play moves on to the next player in the initiative list. The thing they do can be: move, shoot, use a special ability, heal a downed unit, etc. They could also choose to hold their turn in reserve until after a specific player has taken their turn; or do nothing at all this turn, if that’s their desire.
Each unit can be ordered to do up to two things per round, but they are not compelled to. Players can choose for a unit to do one or even no things; which leaves plenty of room for strategy.
Once all players have taken a turn, play returns to the first player in the initiative list and they all go again, in turn, until everyone has either run out of things for their units to do or everyone decides to do nothing. At that point, the round ends and they all roll initiative once more.
What special rules will there be?
I really want this to be a streamlined, straightforward system so special rules will be limited as much as possible. I am considering special rules for terrain, and special rules for energy/magic shields, as well as for flying units but that’s pretty much everything right now.
Terrain can slow movement down, and also affect combat. I’m envisaging special rules for rough/wet terrain, which would slow movement down significantly. A rule where fighting uphill gives a disadvantage, while flanking gives an advantage. A rule where energy/magic shields can only take so many hits before their defensive abilities are fully drained. Basically things that will make the game more interesting and varied, without adding too much to the administrative side of things.
With regards to flying units, that needs to be fleshed out more in my mind before I can go into too many details because I want flying to be a useful skill for a unit to have, but I don’t want them to be too overpowered, or so useless that they don’t get played much.
How will special abilities be handled?
I like units that have special abilities but I don’t like how special units can become “auto adds” when building army lists, so their abilities need to make them stand out from the crowd without overwhelming the game. As a result, I’m considering something akin to a limited use system, so playing abilities is encouraged but players don’t get overly reliant on them. This one will need a lot more fleshing out and playtesting to achieve the balance I’m really looking for.
Will there be a random factor?
Absolutely. I love adding a random factor to both setup and the results of incredible successes/failures. I’m therefore envisaging either a printable set of effect cards; or maybe some look-up tables. These would be consulted at the start of the game, to determine any random conditions for the game (extreme weather, active volcanos, etc – stuff that will change how tactics are determined). A separate deck would also be consulted when a complete failure (rolling all 1s, for example) or a complete success (rolling all 6s, for example) were achieved. In those cases, maybe the effect of whatever is being undertaken is more effective when the player rolls a success, or is disastrous for their own unit when they roll a failure.
I love the idea of putting these into the game as cards because then the random conditions card could be placed by the game board as a reminder but I’m also wary of this idea because it’s something else to print out and cut into individual cards, which not everyone will either be able to do or enjoy. Maybe I’ll provide cards and a look-up table and the players can decide which they prefer?
This is all still very much at the planning stage but I like the ideas presented here so far and I’m looking forward to developing them further. When I do, I’ll keep you posted.
