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I think I have fleshed out and finished the campaign elements to my Space Game with Altitude Bands. The game is done.

Next up is some play testing (hence the paper templates) and sourcing better pictures. Right now the pictures are VERY uninspiring.

I also did some work on the campaign elements on a different skirmish project I have been working on.

After watching a little video from a small publisher I follow, I got energized to go back to working on my own things which I haven't touched for about a year due to "real life" getting in the way (mostly, hating my job so much that it sucked all my energy, but I started a new day job about a month ago and I'm recovering ).

So did a little bit of card clean up and art wrangling on my "big project," an ambitious miniatures game with a full bespoke line of models. Yes, getting art and commissioning sculpts is expensive, so it's taking quite a long time.

But also went through my list of game ideas. I keep a Google Doc around that I throw a little blurb into whenever I have some half-cocked idea for a game. Some (most) will probably never see any real development, but it's good to keep those seeds around just in case. This time, seeing a couple of ideas on that doc, it sparked an interesting combination of a couple of them, so I started drafting out that combined idea: a co-op/single-player minis-agnostic game (yeah, I know, there's a ton of those so far...) set in a Victorian/Lovecraftian/Gothic horror setting. Seeing some of the popularity of games like Rangers of Shadow Deep, Sellswords & Spellslingers, Walking Dead, Fallout, Horizon Wars: Zero Dark (shout out to Robey!), it feels like the small co-op skirmish games have a reasonable market, plus it felt like it might be a fun thing to do.

I think the market for small co-op and solo wargaming is going to be growing exponentially! I too have been looking in that direction a bit more, but not started any "new" work in that arena.

I worked on the campaign side for my post-apoc skirmish game. I find that these skirmish games are murder on my design time/resources because the campaign elements take so long to build! The Mechanics I can pop out in a about a week or less. Adding on the campaign layers takes me months.... and I love campaign games!

 Easy E wrote:
I think the market for small co-op and solo wargaming is going to be growing exponentially! I too have been looking in that direction a bit more, but not started any "new" work in that arena.

I worked on the campaign side for my post-apoc skirmish game. I find that these skirmish games are murder on my design time/resources because the campaign elements take so long to build! The Mechanics I can pop out in a about a week or less. Adding on the campaign layers takes me months.... and I love campaign games!

Agreed, mechanics alone aren't too much work (though finding some that fit the "feel" of what you're going after can take a little experimentation, but the rest is just math).

I also want to add a campaign system to my newest idea, and I'm partially dreading how much work that part will be. I think that will also require the most playtesting work, to see if the progression makes sense, is "balanced," and so on.

I'm working on importing Titanomachina into Tabletop Simulator. This card template is just awful.

Ran through the first playtest session on my current solo/co-op project. As expected there is still a lot of development work to do, but I was pleasantly surprised that the engine seems to work pretty decently. Mainly noted I wasn't getting bad guy activations frequently enough (I'm using a modified ASOBAH style activation), so I'll tweak that. Also I completely forgot to deal with a couple of situations that clearly cropped up a lot.

And I only had one very basic encounter with only one very basic type of bad guy (zombie) because writing an AI table for zombies is pretty easy...

For the longest time, I have wanted to design a 40k version of axis and allies- with the exception that it takes 3 hours instead of 12. I finally started laying the ground work today. Sketching out the pieces I will need from Vanguard miniatures, gaming aids like acrylic cubes, mdf hexegons, ect...

I want it to have an element of diplomacy as well, so I will be set in the age of Strife, between warring houses of the Imperium, with Orks as a 4th faction.

Long way to go on this one, but I just watched a youtube video on Twilight Imperium, so am super pumped. Axis and Allies really is one of my all time favorites, I just don't know a soul who has the time to complete a game. Looking to find a happy medium but with grim dark stuff.

Ran a few more playtests with some numbers tweaked after spending most of the morning messing around in anydice.com to get some maths. Felt pretty good, I think the base system is more or less there, now to develop more bad guy AI types and encounters and so on. Then eventually the campaign system.

Lately, campaign systems have been killing me! They take three or four times longer o build than the actual core game mechanics. Especially now-a-days when the expectation for them is so high. You need injuries, experience, advancement, base building, resource management, special treasures, etc. It gets to be too much!

Speaking of which, i built and worked on the campaign system for my Space Game with Altitude Bands, and also my Post-apoc skirmish game.

Yeah, campaign systems are definitely a lot of work, but there's a pretty strong expectation to have one, as you mention.

I am currently working on a weather system for the RPG me and a friend have been working on for the last 3 years. Running a calendar is very important to the system, I had figured a weather system would allow differences for when players can do down time/training or special effects during missions.

After a couple of months of inactivity, I got back to work on my skirmish fantasy game. Cleaned up a bunch of rules, made a quick reference sheet to fit all in 1 page (easy as the main rules are 9-10 pages total ) and seems like now have to do a lot of playtesting. After that (anywhere between many months and a few years), I think this will be ready for publishing. Here's to keeping up the motivation.

Started doing historical research on another project that has been on my radar for some time now.....
Korean Air War

Added some initial thoughts about my Korean Air War up on Dakka for some discussion.

I also added Psychological trauma to my Post-Apoc skirmish game. That one is almost in a play-testable campaign state.

Finally, I also created the start of about 4 batreps for the blog. Now I just need to actually.... you know..... play the games!

I'm working on LOS for a mass battle game, specifically terrain effects on LOS.

Sketched together a couple more scenarios for my latest thing. Haven't playtested them at all, so I'm sure they suck.

Other than that just some minor editing/proofreading/corrections kind of thing.

Yesterday was a good day - playtested a really simple card game I thought up and it worked a treat. Mechanically it's smooth and consistent, now I just need to come up with a lot of artwork for it and it'll be a good starting point for me to test the waters of kickstarter & self-publication!

I'm also working on an exploration style game with my partner, which is really capturing our imaginations. Hoping to get a rough draught of the rules together this week, draw a dodgy board on a sheet of wallpaper in pencil, and have a go at it!

 Easy E wrote:
Space Game with Altitude Bands

I keep biting my tongue on this, but I really gotta ask - what does a space game get from altitude bands?

I've seen many people ask for a three dimensional space game, I've even played a few, but none of them have ever truly made a compelling argument for the inclusion of a third dimension of gameplay (and in my experience most 3D space games play effectively the same way in 2D, meaning that the inclusion of the third dimension is extraneous and unnecessary). Theres only one game that I've found that really makes a compelling argument for altitude considerations - Dropfleet Commander - and it isn't "really" a space game according to most that have played it.

Altitude bands matter in atomosphere, because altitude matters in terms of energy-maneuverability theory and the myriad practical considerations associated with aerial combat. Altitude is also limited and bound by technological and scientific considerations, its possible to occupy an unreachable high ground as a result that tangibly translates into a form of advantage in combat. In space, altitude is irrelevant, there is no energy-maneuverability advantage gained from occupying a different altitude than an opponent, nor is there any limitation or bound that allows for a "high ground" to be attainable (or for that matter, unattainable)*.

There is an argument to be made that 3d orientation matters in terms of weapon arcs (and a few games include 3d movement/combat on that basis), but IMO its far too fiddly and complex to get into angular declination etc. when determining whether your little ship is able to target another ship above you. Besides that, I think realistically two warships or fleets that engaged eachother in space would pretty quickly re-orient themselves towards a more or less planar engagement in the opening moments of a conflict (orbital mechanics notwithstanding) - ie even if your enemy is on a vector 3-dimensionally perpendicular to your own, once battle was joined the forces would end up reorienting into an arrangement that was effectively 2 dimensional - not by intent, but out of simple practicality.

*TECHNICALLY - there is a point where "altitude bands" become relevant from a realistic point of view - orbits (and lagrangian points), but it doesn't require three dimensional gameplay (realistically most motion in such an environment would be mostly/roughly planar) and I don't think is a game that most people looking for a space wargame want to play.

chaos0xomega wrote:

 Easy E wrote:
Space Game with Altitude Bands

I keep biting my tongue on this, but I really gotta ask - what does a space game get from altitude bands?

There is more info in this thread...... https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/778348.page

Edit: Slightly longer answer. I am not trying to simulate "reality" I am trying to simulate "Mecha Anime" reality. In that medium, attacks come from all over and unexpected directions, and some of them are directions that can not be countered by firepower, only maneuver.

Ahhhhhh that makes a bit more sense in that regard, but I'm still inclined to think that the third dimension isn't strictly necessary.

BUT, I would think that something like Blood Red Skies "advantage" system would be a good stand-in for altitude bands in this case. You aren't really concerned with "absolute" altitude (i.e a specific height "level" above an arbitrary point) so much as you are a "relative" altitude in relation to other mechs/craft - BRS advantage theoretically represents an infinite range of possible "altitude bands" broken down into just 3 bands (advantage, neutral, disadvantage) which can change dynamically depending on who is attacking who (forcing an advantaged aircraft/mech into disadvantage under certain criteria, etc.). Based on what I read in that other thread, it sounds like you're already mostly there.

I started fleshing out our new game somewhat, it's gone from a rough concept to a rough game, with a pleasingly interlinked progress tracker concept which, if it works, will be very smooth and easy to use.

biggest upcoming challenge will be to make a board, tiles, and all the markers/buildings for a playtest. Fortunately I have a load of white & green glass beads, which I can write on using marker pens, and they work really well for playtesting games!

chaos0xomega wrote:
Ahhhhhh that makes a bit more sense in that regard, but I'm still inclined to think that the third dimension isn't strictly necessary.

BUT, I would think that something like Blood Red Skies "advantage" system would be a good stand-in for altitude bands in this case. You aren't really concerned with "absolute" altitude (i.e a specific height "level" above an arbitrary point) so much as you are a "relative" altitude in relation to other mechs/craft - BRS advantage theoretically represents an infinite range of possible "altitude bands" broken down into just 3 bands (advantage, neutral, disadvantage) which can change dynamically depending on who is attacking who (forcing an advantaged aircraft/mech into disadvantage under certain criteria, etc.). Based on what I read in that other thread, it sounds like you're already mostly there.

Yes. That is a good idea as well. I frankly do not know enough about Blood Red Skies so I may have to look it up for more info.

I spent some time making Mecha markers for playtesting the Space/Mecha game.

I also worked on my Post-Apoc game to add some Base-building as that seems to be a big deal for folks now-a-days.

Finally, I did some work on my Korean Air War game to document aircraft, get some tech specs, and start to put it all in a Spreadsheet.

i also completed a week long, slo-mo playtest of the Wars of the Roman Republic rules.


Working from Home rules..... but I would probably be able to do the same stuff from my office too. LOL!

The basic BRS rules are available free here: https://store.warlordgames.com/products/blood-red-skies-pdf-starter-rulebook

I don't really have too much experience with the game myself, but the rules are simple and very elegant in their design and I *think* you might be able to find some inspiration in there for your design

Threw together a draft of campaign rules. Ugh, that's gonna be a lot of work testing that stuff out.

Also, for no reason other than I was amazed I didn't have any sitting around, I put together, and got primed and started painting, a bunch of old GW zombies for use in a couple of the scenarios for my latest game project.

chaos0xomega wrote:
The basic BRS rules are available free here: https://store.warlordgames.com/products/blood-red-skies-pdf-starter-rulebook

I don't really have too much experience with the game myself, but the rules are simple and very elegant in their design and I *think* you might be able to find some inspiration in there for your design

Cool! Thanks!

Just some marketing online for most of the day today.....

Edit: Downloaded and started reading the BRS booklet.

I've spent this weekend working with my partner on our exploration game, it's coming along nicely - we have the basic rules, the factions, the board, half of the tiles cut out (if you want to playtest a game with over 400 hexagonal tiles, heed my warning - make them square instead!)

Hopefully we can have the necessary elements finished tomorrow and have our first rough-playtest on Thursday!

More playtesting over the weekend and last night. Found I needed some tweaks on ranged weapons (both in how they function and ranges, etc.). Added a couple ideas on terror and faith rolls (it's a horror-themed game), and so far kind of like them, but will take more testing (as everything does) to see if they slow things down too much, too harsh, etc.

Still have a couple other scenarios to test out, and of course all the campaign rule stuff is yet-untested.

I worked on my spreasheet of Korean War aircraft. Some of the info I want for the NK/Chinese/Russian forces can get a bit spotty.

There is definitely a big change in performance between 50 to 53!

My current issue is the implementation of "trigger" tiles in a game where the trigger tile could well not be on the board... My options are either to group several trigger tiles together to increase the chance of the event triggering, or to make it compulsory to include said trigger tile.
That, or treat it as a feature of the game that the triggers may never go off (as they are not key to scoring).

I have three projects on the go, besides my normal work and I worked on all of them a bit.....

1. Korean Air War Game

2. Post-Apoc Skirmish game (I know, the world needs another one of these, but there is some twists, I promise!)

3. Bronze Age MvM Skirmish

Plus, I still have Wars of the Roman Republic Playtesting to finish and major edits on Castles in the Sky.

I think things are starting to get a bit out of hand.....