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Hello everyone,

I’m working on a project called “Tabletop Wargames Builder” – a universal rules system for all miniatures.

The concept is to be able to mix together every miniature from any collection and make them interact naturally as well as building new characters from scratch or transferring favorite ones from video games, storybooks and movies to the tabletop.



I’ve always liked the idea of setting themed factions from various storylines (which could never meet under other circumstances) against each other to find out who is the ultimate fighting force. Historical Mongol hordes versus the might of Mordor, perhaps?

I want to create a single universal game system that will be able to answer every gamer’s needs and will act as a common language allowing all miniature collectors and wargamers out there to communicate through means of tabletop battles.

CHARACTER BUILDING

The basic idea is that you can take any model and implement it into the game by attaching a stats and equipment profile.

For example, with the same model I can have a sniper skilled in climbing that deploys before combat hidden atop hard-to-reach terrain features and specializes in making long-range headshots without disclosing himself. Or I can build a character that will infiltrate the board during mid-encounter, occupy a good firing position with the help of his stealth and pathfinding skills, and pick off vulnerable targets. Depending on my playing style and the goals of the scenario I might opt for a stationary unit covering a certain area or make mobile firepower a priority.

GAMEPLAY

I first tried my hand at writing home rules 15 years ago in high school. Since that time a lot of new publishers made names for themselves. On the one hand, you have some nice and creative rules to portray unique creatures here and there. On the other hand, a common orc or a regular knight still dominates the wargaming field. It is slightly better with wizards or clerics. But I want to forsake the idea of something “common” or “average” altogether and describe every model or unit by the means of unique in-game abilities.

AVAILABILITY

I wanted to provide new players with an easy access into the world of wargaming, meaning being able to play adaptively outside of demanding “armylists”, using whatever models they have and staging small scale battles as well as large ones.

The rulebook will be officially free to download. By default you’ll need only this one book to play tabletop battles with most of the world’s popular characters. Elves, orcs, undead, space troops, cyborgs, mutants, you name them. If you’ve ever ventured into the depth of forgotten dungeons, on these pages you’ll find rules for lots of creatures you’ve encountered, as well as your trusty allies: clerics, rogues, paladins and so on.

FEATURES

ABILITIES. I reorganized the attributes system by dividing all challenges between 3 Abilities: Physique, Perception and Willpower. Having more creates unnecessary complications and makes way for generally useless Skills that you can see in other games such as aiming your bow with Wisdom instead of Dexterity or casting Spells with Charisma instead of Intellect. Useless – because they add nothing to the gameplay except switching abstract numbers. I prefer to dump these entirely in favor of Skills that are fun to play with and better depict, let’s say, a dexterous fencer – for example, making a long reaching lunge attack with a sword and a free sidestep after that.

The same 3 Abilities also double as Saving Throws (endurance/reaction/will), meaning yet fewer numbers to keep track of and more dynamic action instead.

DICE ROLLING.

With TWB it is easy to execute most actions such as close combat. Yes, players roll only once simultaneously to determine the winner in hand-to-hand compared to a common precedent in wargames when each side has to make a separate attack or even multiple rolls just to get the chance of armour penetration. AP roll still exists in TWB but only a single winner is ever eligible for it per combat. This helps speed up the game quite a bit.



You also don’t have to consult additional tables to see if you scored a hit or not – just a quick glance at the dice gives you all the info you need.


REAL TIME.

TWB system features a strong real-time aspect allowing players to constantly meddle with each other’s turns and battle plans.



As long as a model has unspent Actions, it can react to any action declared by an opponent’s model this model can see. After your opponent declared an Action, you can declare a Reaction of your own. For example, an enemy model dashes from cover and into melee while your model responds with burst fire to kill or pin it down.

And there is still more to it…

Work on Tabletop Wargames Builder is currently in progress and new chapters are added. At the moment I’m writing this, the next chapter is being prepared for publishing online and it will elaborate the concept of Line of Sight, Front, Rear and Team View. For example, this is the only rules system I know that allows you to “accidentally” move your model into contact with the enemy model it can’t see (What? It’s not cheating. He just wanted to go in that direction!) without it being unfair ‘cause you’ll get a special surprise for doing so.

So please stay tuned and post your questions. Any support to this project is much appreciated, including sharing the info with fellow gamers and leaving comments.

You can always read the latest chapter for free on my project page: https://www.patreon.com/nazarets

I have to wish you good luck, there have been many endeavors in creating exactly that, both fun and commercial, none has created a good result, the discrepancy in technology and feel of each setting is such that a one system to rule them all will create a huge impractical rule-set or create a disjointed experience.

I am not trying to scare or intimidate you, but I want to warn you on the scale the project you want to do is and maybe forewarn you on the previous attempts that have been done.

You could create a core system and modify it for each period creating a closed system for each category, they would not be compatible with each other though.

Thanks for your support.

It is too early to make the desicion to split the system based on ages, settings, etc. Rigth now I'm working on the "laws of physics" of the game world that will govern how movement, size, mass, momentum, force - etc. will be represented on the table. These are kind of universal regardless of the setting and save a lot of work in the future.

At the moment it is safe to assume that the core rules are "modular" for the players' convenience. Two major examples are: you can choose not to use "Real-time" rules and play a classic turn-based and you can apply rules for Regiments throughout the entire army or mix them with skirmishers and solos. Regiments sacrifice uniqie traits and skills of characters in favour of formations bonuses and speed up the game a lot.

Thanks for flagging it up - I haev a go at this now and agian messing about with various systems

off to check out your site !

Thank you.

It will be updated on regular basis.

I wish you luck, will check in from time to time, I've brewed up a couple of my own simple rule sets and its not easy.

That said so far it looks like you have a soild base, looking forward to more updates!

Thanks. Hope you enjoy it.
I'll try to make it ready for open testing as soon as possible.

Meh, it need not be perfect, just fun.

For cross genre games, you just have to figure out what the major actions a model can do are and a rating system. Players can assign ratings based on personal preference, with better rating raising the overall "price" of the model. Unified Theory Games does a good job of this with their Vortex rules.

Good luck.

Dont forget to add wacky things otherwise it becomes stale as hell.

holy hand grenades and alien blasters please.

Meh, it need not be perfect, just fun.

For cross genre games, you just have to figure out what the major actions a model can do are and a rating system. Players can assign ratings based on personal preference, with better rating raising the overall "price" of the model. Unified Theory Games does a good job of this with their Vortex rules.

"Fun" is always the idea. You can forgive a game some design flaws if it is fun, a game that's not enjoyable is done for, regardless of technical quality.

One of the purposes for which TWB is intended can be summarised by this post: http://www.comicvine.com/forums/battles-7/geth-mass-effect-vs-vex-destiny-1614309/ - the author wonders, how two simlar alien races from differents universes would fare against one another and which one would come out on top. I say the only way to find out is to make them actually fight within a test environment that will allow to simulate their strengths and weaknesses as close to the original as possible. Anything else would be just an assumption. I think there is certain amount of fun in it as well. Dropping Roman legions into Forgotten Reals or 'eadbutting Waaaagh Ghazghkull into the Morat Supremacy.

Dont forget to add wacky things otherwise it becomes stale as hell.

holy hand grenades and alien blasters please.

The nature of the project itself is "possibility" and suggests that I try to include pretty much everything real and ureal for the players to choose. Last time I checked there were jacketed hallowed point bullets somewhere to go vampire hunting with a six-shot revolver )

This is quite the ambitious project, and I hope to see it completed. Best of luck!

Thanks! At this point I'm looking forward to releasing enough content for open testing and getting feedback.

Yesterday TWB saw a big update covering movement and most of the Real-time features: https://www.patreon.com/posts/4391909

For the rest of the month I've scheduled two more updates to deal with special movement options and the "shooting phase".

As always feedback is greatly appreciated. Enjoy reading.

Hey, this sounds really nifty. I will be sure to follow.





...Trey

Two massive updates coming up on schedule! It was a busy month, and at some point I had doubts I'll be able to pull it off. But here you have them. Two whole chapters covering special movement and basic ranged combat. Why not publish them separately earlier? Because I wanted to give you all pieces of the puzzle called "real-time combat" at once.



Chapter 4½: Faster. Higher. Stronger
Chapter 5: Fields of Fire

I also revised the previous chapter to optimize the way Fast models behave in real-time and to improve the way movement works when dealing with blind spots. You may notice that there were minor changes and certain paragraphs moved to Ch.5:

Chapter 4: Things in Motion

So, I hope you enjoy reading. As always, your feedback is most welcome!

In fact they were ready 2 days ago, but I didn’t publish them until I finished polishing the exclusive patron edition downloadable .pdf (available monthly as a reward on the project page) to make it one of the best official rulebooks in terms of looks and design in the world.

TWB Advanced rules for shooting available.

Now you can check "empty" rooms for enemy presence with grenades, call ordnance support from beyond the battlefield, reduce shelters to dust and ruin, and more.



Chapter 5½: KABOOM!

Enjoy reading, leave feedback and support the project in its growth and expansion.

Hello everyone,

A new chapter is out, covering the basics of hand-to-hand combat and tactics.



Chapter 6: Close and Personal

The updated Patron Edition in pdf is also available for download to all Patreon supporters.

Enjoy reading and post your questions and comments!

Hi .
Just to check these rules are for individual based model skirmish games right?

They do not cover massed unit interaction, Eg the rule sets using 6mm to 15mm dealing with Re-enforced Company/Battalion and higher level games?

If this is the case , perhaps a 'Universal skirmish rule set '.Might be a more accurate title?

Lanrak wrote:
Hi .
Just to check these rules are for individual based model skirmish games right?

They do not cover massed unit interaction, Eg the rule sets using 6mm to 15mm dealing with Re-enforced Company/Battalion and higher level games?

If this is the case , perhaps a 'Universal skirmish rule set '.Might be a more accurate title?

Hi Lanrak,

The rules will include a section describing the use of large regiments and covering dozens of formations from antique phalanxes to modern mechanized infantry squads.

Regiments rules have undergone testing and it took about 30 minutes to play a classic pikes-crossbows-knights setup with 150 models per side. Deployment included. What's fun, the game length hardly increases with bringing more troops to the table. You can deploy vast armies and still have time for a few matches the same evening. Using a lot of terrain and special troop types can take some extra time, but the game shouldn't become overencumbered.

You can also mix regiment and solos without issues.

The book is pretty much modular. Skirmish are the basic rules easy to explain the game and get started with. From there you can go "RPG" for more character detail or "Regiments" for fast-paced meat-grinding of hundreds of models, or a mix of those.

TWB will support specific games such as space and naval fleets warfare.



Automatically Appended Next Post:
And here's a belated announcement of the latest update - Chapter 6½: Quinte. Riposte. Headbutt!, covering advanced rules for hand-to-hand combat.

Enjoy reading and share your thoughts!

Read the latest Chapter 7: Eye for an Eye, covering in details types of damage and a range of negative and positive conditions.

We also updated the project Goals, be sure to check them out as well.

New update available. TWB Chapter 8: Hide and Seek. Read about sneaking up on the enemy, ambushes and surprise attacks. This chapter also covers the mechanics of orders and stratagems that enhance troops or bring in entire new gameplay abilities. Finally, I've detailed the deployment of the main force and reserve force, infiltration, and other less conventional ways to arrive into the thick of combat.

This chapter almost completes the basic rules and the skirmish section. Special classes of models and types of terrain are the last remaining pieces before we can see how all of this works with massive regiments I've been talking about on this and other forums.

The biggest update up till now is here! This chapter opens the second part of the rulebook and offers a lot of rules for specific types of models. TWB originally paid a lot of attention to the physics of tabletop environment, and with the introduction of Big models it goes even further. Smash petty foes and send them flying like a Sauron or stampede them into dust like a herd of rampaging gnues; squash the meek and ram the worthy ones head-on.



While dominating the land, it is no longer safe to neglect the skies. Flying deathbringers from above will pluck out unfortunates' eyes while bigger ones will snatch riders or even horses from the ground only to send them screaming and tumbling through the air towards wet and splashy doom. This is but the icing on the cake.

For the main dish Tabletop Wargames Builder actually takes your battles beyond the table. Literally. The concept of the Sky featured in this section allows flyers soaring high above to pick any target on or off the battlefield, such as troops held in reserve, meaning no one is out of harm's way anymore. Bombers hum ominously preparing to drop their payload and fighters from both sides zoom towards each other to engage in games of cat and mouse.

Tabletop wargames just got a whole new dimension.

Oh, and there is cavalry too!

The latest update covers the remaining classes such as all types of vehicles, artillery, and heroes.
Chapter 9½: Full Throttle

Tabletop Wargames Builder Chapter 10 is out, featuring complete rules for using terrain and weather conditions in your games as well as fighting in exotic environments, such as underwater, for example. This chapter also explains how to garrison, assault and bring down buildings that don't allow to physically place models inside.



As always, it is complete with illustrations, and a special PDF edition for 2 people out there who actually support us on Patreon.

Two more updates are scheduled for this month. "Regiments" and "Formations" will cover the aspect of the game you've been asking about the most: fielding large armies and fighting 100 vs 100, 300 vs 300 and even bigger battles.

TWB is an independent game engine (and is intended to remain such) that runs on enthusiasm and community support. If you like what you see and want the project to have a bright future, there are many ways you can contribute. Inviting your friends to check out TWB and making a donation are just a few. Because every single voice and every single dollar counts. What we aim for is nothing short of top-grade content spiced up with great-looking themed art and full-colour page designs.

Chapter 11 has arrived, and skirmish engagements will turn into full-scale war with column after column marching to be ground between the rolling dice.



It took a bit longer than expected but I was able to verify a lot of possible issues and put in some words for each. Now, this must leave some questions, particularly about modern age combat, which will be answered shortly in the upcoming “Formations” chapter.

TWB remains an independent project aspiring to the highest standards, and community funding is vital for it to grow and evolve. What I believe in is that we are creating not just another game but a different perspective to look at wargaming industry as a whole.

Enjoy reading and thank you for your support.

Hey man, looks very cool! I've got a similar project-- not as professionally presented as yours, just a spreadsheet at the moment -- but rather than trying to make a ruling for each specific thing I've just got a bunch of abilities with point values assigned to them, and modifications you can make to those abilities that increase or decrease their value.

For instance a ranged attack might cost 10 points which will give you a default range attack that does 1 point of damage when successful. You could then modify that buy getting +1 damage for another 10 points, and reduce the range by half for -5 points to make sure your unit doesn't get too expensive (wack on cone aoe for 5pts and you've got a shotgun!). It's fun to make weird combos, like I made an army that consisted of a single mushroom that could duplicate itself and release a cloud of spores when it did so but couldn't move. The actual mechanics behind that have nothing to do with the flavour I added but I thought of the flavour first and used the mechanics to model that.

Is your system quite generalised like this? It seems like you're going into more detail about specific kinds of interactions which seems time consuming but will probably produce a cool product at the end if you get through it. Definitely different kinds of games but with the same general idea. Good luck to you.

PS. If you were interested I could pm you the spreadsheet as it stands. The point values aren't really balanced and the general attacking / defending mechanics probably aren't set in stone yet but it might be of interest.

hobothehero wrote:
Hey man, looks very cool! I've got a similar project-- not as professionally presented as yours, just a spreadsheet at the moment .

This is totally OT, and you should create your own thread here, rather than hijacking his. Thanks.

 JohnHwangDD wrote:


This is totally OT, and you should create your own thread here, rather than hijacking his. Thanks.

My apologies, I'm not really looking for feedback on mine I was just interested to get a better an idea of this approach and the ways it differed from mine which is why I explained mine. If that's not what thread is for then my bad.

And pm'ing my spreadsheet to them was just in case they might find it helpful for their development, not trying to distribute it.

As I understand it, these game design threads are about comment / suggestion / critique / feedback on whatever the OP has created. If you have created something similar / related, I would suggest you to create your own thread, and then link it or reference it. You may find that others can provide useful input if you do so.

Or, you can create a generalized thread about tabular systems / point values, and compare different things.

Anyhow, good luck!

hobothehero wrote:
Hey man, looks very cool! I've got a similar project-- not as professionally presented as yours, just a spreadsheet at the moment -- but rather than trying to make a ruling for each specific thing I've just got a bunch of abilities with point values assigned to them, and modifications you can make to those abilities that increase or decrease their value.

For instance a ranged attack might cost 10 points which will give you a default range attack that does 1 point of damage when successful. You could then modify that buy getting +1 damage for another 10 points, and reduce the range by half for -5 points to make sure your unit doesn't get too expensive (wack on cone aoe for 5pts and you've got a shotgun!). It's fun to make weird combos, like I made an army that consisted of a single mushroom that could duplicate itself and release a cloud of spores when it did so but couldn't move. The actual mechanics behind that have nothing to do with the flavour I added but I thought of the flavour first and used the mechanics to model that.

Is your system quite generalised like this? It seems like you're going into more detail about specific kinds of interactions which seems time consuming but will probably produce a cool product at the end if you get through it. Definitely different kinds of games but with the same general idea. Good luck to you.

PS. If you were interested I could pm you the spreadsheet as it stands. The point values aren't really balanced and the general attacking / defending mechanics probably aren't set in stone yet but it might be of interest.

Yes, as the name "Wargames Builder" implies, it does consist of components from which virtually unlimited combinations can be assembled, and yes I'd like to see what you've got. In my turn I'm also publishing a sketch which might look like what you are talking about. It's an old one - the current system uses somewhat different math, but the idea hasn't changed.



I've also published my opinion on the points (see Facebook https://www.facebook.com/twbgame/posts/335746210089704 ), so discussion is welcome. I've dissect... reverse en-gi-ne-er-ed quite a few game systems in my days to discover original formulas used by the creators. I use my own approach which I will reveal gradually in the coming updates. In a few words, this approach is about evaluating every piece not out of context, but in its generic environment.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
And announcement of the latest update:

Chapter 12: Formations - the concluding part for mass miniature combat designed with ultimate gaming experience in mind. This time more tactical options and more personality to your regiments. Indomitable phalanxes and shieldwalls, a wedge that cuts through enemy ranks like a knife through a cliche, a stomping and bellowing or perhaps shambling and moaning horde, and more. Nothing forbids your dwarves to form a testudo to frustrate elven horse archers swarming around in Cantabrian circles, or assemble musketeers into boxes with 360° field of fire which can also move in any direction. There's also modern warfare, 'cause, you know, duty calls.



This officially wraps it all up. 12 chapters from the basic concept of wargaming with individual miniatures to fielding mighty armies on and off the table. The 12 labours are complete… Wait, it's just the beginning. Next comes the biggest and the sweetest part of the book: weapons, skills, spells and lots of character profiles, complete with points value, so that you can just pick any miniatures you like and start playing.

As always, stay tuned for regular updates and please support the project if you like it. TWB is an independent creation for the greater good of wargaming, and everyone's support is what keeps the boat floating. Also follow us on Twitter (@IGamesDesign) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/twbgame/) for more updates like work in progress and such, and share the news with fellow gamers. We're steadily moving towards open testing, so let's keep the discussion going.

P.S. Chapter 11 on Regiments has been revised, so don’t miss the post preceding Chapter 12 with a list of changes.