Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hi folks,

Many years ago when I was at uni (when the world was flat and in black and white) one of my gaming group devised a game which was akin to a love child of Diplomacy and a matrix game, but based on the Dune backstory. In essence each player took the role of a house (major or minor) and we would attend short Landsraad meetings where we'd make alliances and other skulldugery, we'd then submit our weekly orders to the GM where we'd include details of plots etc we we hatching and could spend currency (mega sholari ) on making our plans happen. The more we spent on a scheme, the better it's chance of success. Money was generated from our trade holdings, which would fluctuate turn to turn based on our plans and those of others. We could have wars etc, but I can't recall how those were resolved.

I'm wondering if anyone has ever done something similar for 40k? I think it would be quite good, and some of the alliances could really change the back story, which would generate some interesting game dynamics.

LavuranGuard wrote:Hi folks,

Many years ago when I was at uni (when the world was flat and in black and white) one of my gaming group devised a game which was akin to a love child of Diplomacy and a matrix game, but based on the Dune backstory. In essence each player took the role of a house (major or minor) and we would attend short Landsraad meetings where we'd make alliances and other skulldugery, we'd then submit our weekly orders to the GM where we'd include details of plots etc we we hatching and could spend currency (mega sholari ) on making our plans happen. The more we spent on a scheme, the better it's chance of success. Money was generated from our trade holdings, which would fluctuate turn to turn based on our plans and those of others. We could have wars etc, but I can't recall how those were resolved.

I'm wondering if anyone has ever done something similar for 40k? I think it would be quite good, and some of the alliances could really change the back story, which would generate some interesting game dynamics.

iI actually have a campaign suppliment from a user on another board that is pretty epic. Allows for diplomacy and backstabbing. Buy units based on holdings and attempt to capture planets.

It is a lot of work but a lot of fun.

Hmm.. I like the idea

But to me it'd be like combining monopoly and risk. Both games which can run on indefiently and never quite feel fufilling in the end.


Actually now I think about it, it sounds quite good and opens many many routes for possible humour.

'No, [insert Ultramarine player here] you don't pass go and collect 200 geneseed, you go to stasis!'

Tau and IoM... maybe add Eldar... and different IoM factions.

The campaign addon sounds good, although I think that that you could do this standalone. I've run a few wargames campaigns, and the battles can really bog it down unless you know you can get at least one done a week (at a club etc).

Agreed they can run on, with Dune we had an apocalyptic event after one year which pretty brought an end to things as they were and we got some information from as to how our houses we placed for the future. Yes the Kwisatz Haderach arrived, but it wasn't the same person as in the books!

I reckon you could add orks, DE and necrons too. A Ghazghul type character could lead a faction which could negotiate etc, DE are ideal because they are so treacherous and the necrons have plans, they are just dark and mysterious, and in any case the C'Tan scheme and plot.

A Blood Axe warboss would make Orks possible
DE could do it easily...
Necrons would be almost impossible unless you had the Deciever leading them...
The thing is though DE and Orks would be more of a mercenary thing rather than actual politics...
Maybe they are people you can ask to attack others for a price e.g. wepons, people etc but if you use them no one else knows about it... unless the DE or Orks fail.

Mercenaries were a part of the Dune game too, so that's totally possible.

All you need for each faction is an agenda, which is usually building "currency" and hence power (you expend currency to make things happen).

For the DE, they have to obtain slaves so they will raid other players holdings, this gives the DE "currency" whilst depriving the raided player of what ever he would gain from that holding (if no-one's there, no-one's making anything).

If you have the idea of a universal medium of exchange, so players can trade, you can actually represent that as different items for each faction.

just for example

DE = Slaves, luxury good
Orks = Teef, guns, vehicles
Guard = Food, munitions, cash!
Marines = Relics, captured traitors
Inquistion = almost anything
Sisters = Holy relics etc

Yes it's a bit contrived but it's just a mechanism to get the game to work.

I really like this idea... might suggest it down at my FLGS so we can do some more work on it.

Thats a really cool idea, but I agree the battles would really bog a system like that down. I have been trying to come up with a campaign system for years that would involve diplomacy and trading that would work with the battle aspect. But I can never figure out how to make it work.