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So, I've started on the road to developing a Miniatures game. I'm not going to out details just yet until I have got the basis protected under IP laws, but I just thought I'd ask:
-What sort of things attract you to Miniatures games?
-What sort of things would you LIKE to see?
-What sort of things do you hate?

Nevermind what I originally said here, just go with what you want.

Here's the thing.

Don't - DON'T - ask what we want. Instead, make what YOU want to play. A consistant theme of rulebooks that I happen to own are, essentially, rules that people wrote for themselves or a small audience, and then gave them to the public.

Not only will you enjoy writing your ruleset when it comes straight from your own interests, but it will be better written because of it. Tweaks from the audience is fine, but at the end, it should be YOUR creation.

Someone, deep in these forums, is the skirmish-scale game I wrote for Assassin's Creed. I didn't ask, 'Hey, what rules do you guys want?' and someone didn't reply, 'Assassin's Creed!'. I wanted those rules, and I started to write them.

 Thesneakycyberman wrote:

2.) There are TONS of wargamers nowadays that want to create their own games and that's perfectly fine, what's not fine is the games most of these companies are making. Small, squad-based skirmish games. They are everywhere you look in the wargaming world. Sure they are cheaper and can be a lot of fun, but skirmish games aren't going to draw many people in. What drew everybody to Warhammer/40k and DzC? Massive, awesome battles. When you come into making Miniature games you can say : "Hey, you only need 10 models to play" It's a good idea because everybody wants cheaper games right? Wrong. Most people would answer: "I don't want a game where only small squads fight for an extensive period, I want a hundred guys with tanks and airplanes fighting an epic battle" especially newcomers. There are already plenty of Skirmish games out there that cover every genre, there isn't any need for another one. I already mentioned this, but, cliches.

Also, this is just silly. 40k itself started as a 'skirmish' scale wargame that was half RPG. It's had 25 years to grow into the bloated game that it is now. And I can rattle off half a dozen - or more! - 'skirmish' scale games that each have a higher player population then DZC.

^^ This.

And I don't know what "IP law" you are hoping to make use of. In actual fact, you are more likely to be protected if you share your ideas with us now, as you post is time stamped in the public domain, granting you instant IP rights over any original content.

Note, however, that game mechanics cannot be protected by copyright, only the way in which they are expressed.

Generally speaking, if you want to write a game, just write it. Don't muck about with opinion polls or attitude surveys. Just write the bloody game. Then playtest it relentlessly and change what needs changing. Recruit a couple of friendly enthusiasts to proof read and do their own playtesting. Then release a public beta for more feedback or, if possible, get a local club to help out with playtesting.

R.

That's true. Well, this is the general idea:

I'm pleased to announce:
"Hunted:Tactical Miniatures Game"

In Hunted, you control units from one of four Factions:
- United Terran Defence Force, humans who are stranded on an unknown planet.
-SESHIMAI (SEed SHIp Modulator AI), AI control robotics whose corrupted information has listed Humanity to be killed rather than protected.
- Carnivores, the local Carnivore population of Earth circa 100 Million Years before 2500AD.
-Herbivores, the local Herbivore population of Earth circa 100 Million Years before 2500AD.

Overview of an average turn:

Beginning of turn:
Draw card.

Optional draw - roll die. On a roll of a 1, discard a card from your hand. On the roll of a 6, draw an additional card.

Turn steps: Move and action. Each unit can take these steps, separate of other units (IE Unit A can move, followed by Unit B shooting. Unit A can then shoot and Unit B can move).

Move: Move the model its speed value in inches.

Action: Take an additional move action, OR, play an action card, OR, initiate an attack.

Cards:
60 card deck. Only 4 types of any single card allowed. A deck is composed of 3 card types. Attack, Defence or Action.

Attack cards: When attacking, a model can play a number of cards equal to or less than its attack value. Split into:
- Attack, which can be used for any attack,
- Attack - Ranged, for use with ranged attacks.
- Attack - Melee, for use with close combat attacks

Defence cards: When defending, a model can play a number of cards equal to or less than its defence value.

Action cards: Counts as an action. Covers other cards.
Split into:
- Action, any action.
- Quick action, does not take up action step (only one quick action allowed a turn),
- Slow action, also uses movement action.

Control Humans, Robots or Dinosaurs. What's not to like? =D

Sounds like a fun, silly game. Do you plan for the cards to be print-and-play?

R.

I agree with omega. Just write it the way you think it should be. I am making my own zombie game, some people have given me some good feedback, the majority of what I have is all from my own ideas and playtesting. Sounds like a really cool game btw. Are the armies point based?

Taken advice and making it how I want to make it.
We have an artist, web developer and two more designers now. =D

Units will be point based, yeah.

And cards will be included with the models. =)

Not going to lie, I also thought Dino Riders, but that is not a bad thing!

This sounds fun!

I'd certainly give this game a go.

Well, glad other people are interested. I have a Pre-alpha testing on Thursday.

We currently have a web developer/webmaster, artist, quality assessor and other developers on board now. Still looking for a sculptor.

I'll let you know what's happening as I do.

Until then, here's a bit of fluff:

Journal of Col. Levant Mayne.

October 28th, 2552.
It’s been twelve days since we landed. Or crashed is the better word for it. The only word for it. Looking through the old security tapes is hard without SESHIMAI to help. I still have no idea how to pronounce that right. I’ll just stick to calling It MAI like the rest.
Whatever we hit, black hole, wormhole or whatever the geeks are calling them nowadays, corrupted all AI programming as we went through it. Then it listed us, those they were supposed to protect and look after, as hostiles. The Seed Ship we were on, ‘Hope’ had a population of one million divided into blocks of 1000. MAI jettisoned us all into the atmosphere as Hope was plummeting to the planet. Without MAI to help, we’re completely alone and isolated from the other blocks. And we have nothing to help us rebuild other than what we know.
All was not completely lost. Some of my old squad were in the block with me, thank Odin. Each block has basic supplies, too. I kitted them out with the armaments there. The civvies didn’t mind, and in fact we’re the only ones to take any form of charge over our group. They looked up to us for help and we instructed them on what to do. Even without MAI, I think things might be alright. I hope they are, at least.

October 29th, 2552
We lost Rogers today. A scout party went out to searching for another block. Anders said they were attacked from the jungle. Monsters he said. Came out of nowhere and tried to take them one by one. The civvies are scared, they say they are missing people too. Say monsters came and took them, but without a manifest or log I can’t see if they’re just being paranoid. I’ve told them to stay together, but people want to leave and get out of the jungle. I don’t blame them. I’ve said we’ll move out tomorrow. I’m not a dictator, and not going to force the majority to do what I want. There’s not enough food in the stores to last more than a few days anyway. We’ll have to find a more permanent location.
October 30th, 2552
Lost another trooper today. Saw what they meant with my own eyes. It came out of the jungle and struck like a snake. One with big claws on its feet. Two more came out of nowhere. Anders was ripped apart, but I managed to kill one of them before he took me. That scared the other two off. About a third of the civvies scattered during the attack and we heard screaming in the distance about an hour later. I hope that Hlín helped some of them got away. Or at least some of them found salvation in death.
We’ll keep pushing on until we can find somewhere we can fortify and build upon.

October 31st, 2551
We found a natural cave system in a cliff face. Very easily defendable and large enough to hold us all. It was home to some pretty nasty bugs, but Murdock was able to burn them out with the flamethrower. We double checked but didn't find anything else in there or any other entrances where our scaly friends could get in.
We started building a defensive perimeter straight away. Whilst doing so another scaly came out, fat with three horns on its face. It was bigger than the ones we fought off, but didn’t seem to be interested in us. It looked like something out of one of those old vidcom films. Dinosaurs or something they were called. But they died out, didn’t they? What are the chances of them evolving on another planet? Regardless, it left after a little while and we got back to work.

November 1st, 2552
We met one of MAIs helpers today. A recon bot. Murdock spotted it first and pointed it out. MAI has fitted them out with some kind of weaponry, and Murdock was gunned down in an instant. Before we could shoot it down, one of the scalies we had fought off appeared and tore into the thing like it was made of paper, ripping and tearing through the metal. The gunfire scared it off. Looks like we have more than one concern. I never expected MAI to be actively looking for us, but it seems we’re being hunted by multiple things now.

We have the choices for three of the four factions!

Herbivores: Ankylosaur, Triceratops, Pachycephalosaurus, and the Therizinosaurus

Carnivores: Utahraptors, T-rex, Troodon's and the Majungasaurus

Humans: Tracker, Scout, ‘Heavy Weapons Guy’, 'Support'

MAI: -waiting on developer-

Also have a sculptor and talking to several artists and more sculptors - including one sculptor at Weta Workshop!

Sounds fun!

How about some lizard people..

or

Apemen..think planet of the apes -- new movie-- but with primitive weapons..

 infinite_array wrote:
Here's the thing.

Don't - DON'T - ask what we want. Instead, make what YOU want to play. A consistant theme of rulebooks that I happen to own are, essentially, rules that people wrote for themselves or a small audience, and then gave them to the public.

Not only will you enjoy writing your ruleset when it comes straight from your own interests, but it will be better written because of it. Tweaks from the audience is fine, but at the end, it should be YOUR creation.

Someone, deep in these forums, is the skirmish-scale game I wrote for Assassin's Creed. I didn't ask, 'Hey, what rules do you guys want?' and someone didn't reply, 'Assassin's Creed!'. I wanted those rules, and I started to write them.

 Thesneakycyberman wrote:

2.) There are TONS of wargamers nowadays that want to create their own games and that's perfectly fine, what's not fine is the games most of these companies are making. Small, squad-based skirmish games. They are everywhere you look in the wargaming world. Sure they are cheaper and can be a lot of fun, but skirmish games aren't going to draw many people in. What drew everybody to Warhammer/40k and DzC? Massive, awesome battles. When you come into making Miniature games you can say : "Hey, you only need 10 models to play" It's a good idea because everybody wants cheaper games right? Wrong. Most people would answer: "I don't want a game where only small squads fight for an extensive period, I want a hundred guys with tanks and airplanes fighting an epic battle" especially newcomers. There are already plenty of Skirmish games out there that cover every genre, there isn't any need for another one. I already mentioned this, but, cliches.

Also, this is just silly. 40k itself started as a 'skirmish' scale wargame that was half RPG. It's had 25 years to grow into the bloated game that it is now. And I can rattle off half a dozen - or more! - 'skirmish' scale games that each have a higher player population then DZC.

Ill agree on both counts.

Heres my addition to the second. Look and see how many large army 28mm games are on the market...not many. Look back and see how many tried and failed...quite a few. Its an idea that sounds cool, but the realities of it end up chasing people away. The cost is huge, lots of models equals lots of money in a scale that large. Then theres time, lots of models equals lots of time to build and paint. Thats why for 28mm and similar scale games skirmish level is so popular...its affordable both money and time wise. Should be noted that for large army games 15mm is spreading like wildfire. Its small enough in scale to keep the time & money aspects down, but large enough to still have decent detail...something that the previously popular 6mm lacked.

Ooh, adding a CCG/deckbuilding component? Haven't seen that in a game since Clan War! It's a great feature that allows for even more army customization and to do tricks during a battle.

Just write the rules and no minis.