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Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland


Oh boy, where do I start?
Magic and Tech sets place in a fantasy realm, set in a near-timeline. Huh?
Let me explain it this way. Star Trek is near 100% sci-fi. Lord of the Rings is a near 100% fantasy. Star Wars is like 75% sci-fi/ 25% fantasy. Magic and Tech is the opposite. It is more like 65% fantasy/ 35% sci-fi.
The world this takes place in is primarily the island of Certau. On this massive continent, there is a power struggle. Almost half of Certau belongs to the Penar Providence. 2000 years ago, they began an expansion of their territory and they forced people who did not submit to their "Immortal Emperor" (Not a warhammer 40k reference!) who seeks immortality and to do this, his strength and longevity is based on those who will worship him as a god. By not wanting to spill un-faithful blood on soil reserved for those who are faithful, he sent them north to the great desert to die.
Well, long story short, nomadic tribes helped them through the desert and to unknown land where they settled and built up. Fast forward a few centuries, the Penars discovered the exiles are in fact alive. With the entire island but them conquered, easy pickings. Fast forward 1500 years, on and off wars and no. The nation of Narata still exists. But that did not stop this emperor from spreading his influence and convincing nations across the seas that he is numero uno. Still, not everyone likes how the Penar Providence does things but there has been no major war in the past 100 years since the last one but there are a few skirmishes and such. The game will coincide with a four-part anthology series I am writing up that will explain in greater detail the background of this world and such briefly.
Enough of that, the game I hope can be played either as a squad vs squad skirmish to mass combat with at most, a platoon of infantry, vehicles, air support, on and off map support, etc. As of now, the rules are still being written and thus not much to show. Scale of the minis and material is unknown. Concept art for a key unit that will make this game stand out is being worked on. Basically, expect infantry units that range from ultra-modern to near-future ranging from humans, elves, dwarves (imagine a dwarf in a exoskeleton armor that is standing as tall as an orc), orcs, even fairies to anthropomorphic races on both sides. Armor, weapons and squad build-up will vary from the key two sides with "pure" races will have their own designs, squad build up, etc.
With the aim of a kickstarter in one to three years, I will primarily focus on just what we see in Part One of my 4, maybe 5 part anthology.
So please leave your thoughts and feedback and such as I am sure your comments will help improve the project as a whole.

This message was edited 7 times. Last update was at 2018/02/14 22:24:48


Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in us
Second Story Man





Astonished of Heck

Interesting.

So, tech-timeline would be Shadowrun-level, more XComish (I saw the mention of a Dwarf in exo-armor), or will it be more diesel punk?

How much magic development has occurred and how prevalent is it? Are there magic devices that any trooper can use and easy to create, or will they be relatively obscure and only available to adepts? Will the adepts be individuals in the army or would their be whole squads available?

Are you a Wolf, a Sheep, or a Hound?
Megavolt wrote:They called me crazy…they called me insane…THEY CALLED ME LOONEY!! and boy, were they right.
 
   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

[user]Charistoph I have no idea what any of those are.
Magic is pretty much non-important on the grand scheme of things but down on a personal level, it is still very present. Normal humans for the most part cannot use magic cause they were not born with it. This doesn't stop the Penars though from doing some god-awful experiments.
There are a few expectations. Combat Witches use GCMA (Ground Combat Magical Apparatus), ACMA (Aerial Combat Magical Apparatus), and UCMA (Underwater Combat Magical Apparatus) to bring forth firepower, protection and maneuverability unlike any trooper and are used either at the front of an assault or to hold ground alongside their non-magical combatants.
This is a subject of a blog update. Especially when my artist gets done with his rough sketch.

Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in us
Second Story Man





Astonished of Heck

Shadowrun (and Cyberpunk) has advanced tech that allows for cybernetic enhancements that allow direct interface with machines to the point that many bodyguards have reinforced skeletons and outright limb replacement. If you've seen the PC Game Deus Ex, especially the latest ones, that's roughly it.

X-Com has our tech level and then researches alien tech and makes a homogenization out of it so that they like almost like figures from Infinity, though you go through some mid-level steps between there.

Diesel Punk is kind of like Steam Punk, but with diesel engines instead of steam engines. More WWI-WWII with more robots and stuff.

So, it looks like magic is rare, but very useful, and the practitioners are closer to being what a Warcaster in Warmachine or a 40K Librarian. You look to have one or two out on the field at a time, depending on the size of the army, then? And it looks like the tech has advanced with that in mind.

Sounds interesting overall and look forward to seeing more information and artwork on it!

Are you a Wolf, a Sheep, or a Hound?
Megavolt wrote:They called me crazy…they called me insane…THEY CALLED ME LOONEY!! and boy, were they right.
 
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut






Cheltenham, UK

You're clearly having fun with the setting, and why not? It's worked well for 40k and Shadowrun to do the whole "fantasy in the future" schtick.

But this is, after all, the game design forum. So tell us more about the overall concept for the game. A system that can manage skirmish and mass battle is something of a Holy Grail for game designers. A few games have tried to do it, but most of those compromise one end of the scale or the other.

So, what's your expected table size? What scale will your minis be? Will it be analogue range-finding (tape measure) or digital (grid-based)? What randomizer do you expect to use and with what mechanic? What troop qualities will you be capturing (i.e. stats, skills etc)? What will determine victory (i.e. missions with objectives, kill points; area control; a combination of these; or something else)?

As you're thinking about a commercial launch on Kickstarter, what's your on-selling strategy? Is this a one-off, "buy it on KS, then it's gone" game? Or do you plan to put this onto shelves in a starter-box format? If so, in addition to miniatures, what other tools do you expect players to use to make the game work? Cards? Counters? Screens?

Sorry to bombard with questions. Please don't try to answer all of them now - I'm certain that a lot you don't and shouldn't know the answers to. But if you can answer some of them, it will give us a sounder platform from which to offer suggestions and constructive criticism.

   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

I plan on a points system that takes into account defender 's attacker. Attackers will always outnumber defenders cause we as gamers know how tough it is to break a line with equal forces.
That is the plan. It also depends upon the scenario selected.
Basically, what I envision is that 2 players agree to the scenario then select their missions based upon who is defender and who is attacker.
Table size will vary but a 2x2 foot or a 2x4 foot should suffice for a squad v squad game as a 4x6 or a 4x8 be recommended for the larger battles.
I am not entirely sure though if I should use points and just have squad vs squad mechanic with squad points being allocated towards upgrades.
Initiative will be as follows. Each squad will roll a D6. This is their order they will go in for that turn. Once that is done, the two sides will roll a D6. This represents whose side will go first. For instance, side A rolls 4, 4 and 2. Side B rolls 6, 4, 3. Side A wins initiative but they don't have a 6. So side B moves the squad that has the 6 first. Then we get to the 4s. Now we go with Side A's 4s then side B. I developed several games with this random system to great likes.
Shooting will be like flames of war but no saving throws. Basically, if you hit them despite terrain and their level of training, you hit them and theyvl are going down.
Movement will effect shooting as well. A stationary target hits better but is easier to hit as a fast target that is moving shoots badly but is harder to hit as well.
Snipers can hit anyone they choose.
Light infantry go down easy but there is a wounding mechanic. One hit, they wound but if the roll was a 6, Insta kill.
If an MG fires, any 6s can hit anyone 6" behind.
HE and other big gunned weapons works in 2 ways. The easy way; roll this number is D6 for this squad or the other way, everyone under the template is hit by this many dice. Grenades can be chucked at distance!
Vehicles, I am not sure yet. Like I said, this is still in development but that is the basics as of now. I am done outlying what I want to cover ruleswise so I can begin writing. My #1 pic for artist seems thrilled and will have a rough sketch of a key unit that highlights how different this game will look. Anime fans will recognize the reference and where I got the idea from immediately but I DID NOT COPY! If anyone says so, I will refer them to Infinity and Relic Knights.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I plan on continuation with potential boxes and such in the future after the kickstarter but I have a year or 3 to figure it out. It is so easy to spiral out of control with units that I think I will build up to it by creating figures seen in the anthology that I am writing. By the time of the kickstarter, the anthology will hopefully be done and finished and more stories will be in the works. The war is building up and I wish to highlight this by releasing figures that are seen as they come out.
I do fear however that this approach may not be the correct way to go about it. I was told that there has to be more than 2 factions to make a game likeable. As much as I agree with this, I am limited as to what I can afford my artist to do.
The ultimate goal is hopefully plastic miniatures that are in multiple parts so they can be built and armed in different ways. That is the goal. I may however have to stick with resin as a beginning. Metal limits this option I believe but I could be wrong.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
As for fluff, magic like raining fire from the sky is entirely rare. Especially where snipers can kill a sorcerer in one shot. But give that sniper either magic infused bullets and he can kill a tank. In game terms, that will mean re-rolls or If I go with a damage track, a lot of damage being crossed off.
There are however Combat Witches. Instead of flying around in broomsticks and making potions, they use leg mounted and backpack mounted devices to move around the battlefield and they use their magic to erect protective hexagonal barriers and do healing or buffs to allies or to use magic infused ammo to quickly bring down targets. They are not rare but will be in smaller numbers. A platoon is 16 including command, split in groups of 4 as an infantry platoon, based on modern TO&E charts, will be like 8 to 10 a squad, a 3 to 5 man platoon command team with 2 to 4 squads plus add ons and weapon squad totalling like 30 to 50 plus. Armor will support infantry but not sure if I should have a platoon of them on the field.
I am aiming at either 20mm or 28mm or even 32mm miniatures. Unknown at this time.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/06/02 03:08:07


Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut






Cheltenham, UK

Hm. OK. 20-32mm means individual basing. d6 means relatively compressed distributions. Rules sound gamey rather than simulationist (not a bad thing, just a question of taste), with aim to Kickstart...

Anime aesthetic sounds cool for your science high fantasy/cyberfantasy setting and some good quality concept art is always a worthwhile investment. Investment scale is sounding 40k-y in terms of numbers of minis.

You'll be needing at least six figures to go to market, from the sound of it, which you're unlikely to extract from KS (not impossible, ofc, but not probable) so do you have private finance to back up the public investment?

   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

so do you have private finance to back up the public investment?
I do have a limited funding to go towards artists to help create the designs for the figures. The plan is to key one to two drawings approved and put up to draw attention to my patreon to get more funding to get more drawings done up then get more art done. That is the plan.
Investment scale is sounding 40k-y in terms of numbers of minis.
I was hoping that with the skirmish level, it be just one set straight out of the box but I have not made the rules up yet to test the feasibility of this idea. That and the feasibility of massed battles. The rules will come about in a month or two. Maybe later but how to test them is unknown.
Scale I am still debating but I am leaning towards 20mm cause of vehicles, mechas and air support. It be cheaper to make and sell at 20mm than 28mm or even 32mm. But I loose details that I would love to see at 28mm to 32mm but the vehicles will become bigger thus more expensive to make thus more expensive to sell.
Yet again, the plan is to start off with resin and/ or metal and work my way up to plastic but plastic is REALLY expensive.
You'll be needing at least six figures to go to market
The current figure list is a lot. Besides the Combat Witch Squad, a squad of 4, there is also gonna be a regular infantry pack of 9 that is planned with a platoon command set of for both Combat Witches and regulars. The Infantry is 5 man set with the witch command set begin 4 as well. That's 4. There is also race add-ons. For the combat witches, they will be joined by elves as there will also be an elven infantry add-on. I am thinking making the elven combat witch add-on a single figure set but with parts to put them in any position. For the regular infantry, I am thinking a male and female pack of 2 but with parts to put them in any position. The same for dwarves but the orcs will be just two males cause of how their culture is but with parts to put them in any position.
Outside of the infantry, there is the Weapons Support Squad which will be 2 MMG's and their handlers with either a sharp shooter or a sniper to join the platoon, a war-dog handler, anti-tank unit, mortar, forward observers and a choice of heavier AT support. A railgun system but is a cumbersome system that needs a vehicle to get its power and requires 2 turns to build a charge and fire but can kill just about any armor but useless against infantry to ATGM, a wire-guided system that is a bit more mobile, can fire every turn and can kill just about anything if the rolls are good. At least that is the current plan.
Vehicles I will admit I have a problem with. In past games, I want everything on the table and run over everything but I always run into that little problem of too much on the table syndrome. I want vehicles to play a critical part in supporting infantry but not be overly dominant. The same will be true for monstrous creatures or creations.
Creations? Magic is still in play here so there is a wide range of magical creations to choose from. I am thinking of golems; giant rock based magically produced creation that is rather hard to kill without the big guns and cause it is a magical creation, can unleash bolts of magic. It may not kill a tank but can kill anything less. At least that is the thought.
There is just so much to play test and to figure out and such. I am starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. I have plenty of time to figure out the scale but need to figure out what I should focus first and what I truly want. That will be a subject for another day.

Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut






Cheltenham, UK

Well, if I may offer what modicum of value my experience may have given me:

1. Get the game written and designed first. A playable game is a marketable asset, even without bespoke miniatures. Cyberfantasy is a a popular-enough genre that there are plenty of minis already that players can use. If the game makes an impact, you can use that as leverage to drive towards minis.

2. Good art is a good investment. Mediocre art will just make your game look mediocre, however well designed it is. No art is better than mediocre art.

3. Don't spend money on developing miniatures that you can't afford to lose. The battlefields of the industry are littered with the corpses of businesses that looked like they were doing all the right things but which still failed. And explaining why the ones that succeeded did so is still very hard. Why did Warmachine prosper but Confrontation failed? Why did Ex Illis die horribly (twice) but Malifaux ascended? Why did AT-43 crash and burn, but there's no stopping Infinity?

Everyone has there theories, but no one knows for sure. Our market is fickle and unpredictable.

   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

It is a shame about AT-43 but as a wargamer, I love to build and paint my own minis. Thank goodness Dust Tactics is going that way with their newer kits.
I can utilize modern infantry to begin playtesting but the combat witch is a highly unique unit that has no equivilent miniature. Wait til the concepts are done, you'll see.
With immediate expenses a concern, I will get a squad of 20mm troops and 28mm troops and fight human sized golems and other infantry units and mutants and what not.
I am currently busy not only doing what I can to make this a success but also with painting commissions that are racking and stacking. More on that for those that are curious.
My wargaming group, the HAWKS are prepping for Historicon in Fredericksburg, VA next month followed by Barrage in January in Havre De Grace, MD and Fall-in 2017 in Lancaster, PA in November. I will be working on the rules and such and may even have a few prototypes to show off but don't expect a playable alpha until December. That will mean it will be the slowest development of rules I have written to date.
Until next time.
(Update) Time ha opened up for me. I may be done by around September. If not, earlier.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/06/10 14:47:05


Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

Alas! A rough drawing of a portion of the Combat Witch is completed! ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the Ground Combat Magical Apparatus!



The GCMA or Ground Combat Magical Apparatus gives any female magic user that can fit into the devices unprecedented protection, maneuverability and firepower that has no equal on the battlefield.
Protection is given by amplifying the magical strength of a combat witch and by command or automatically can erect barriers that for the most part protects the Combat Witch. On top of that, it has conventional protection in the form of armor to protect the inner workings that convert magical energy into mechanical energy that controls the wheels that give the Combat Witches their maneuverability.
Firepower is provided by, not pictured, armatures that either hold a heavy machine-gun or an auto-cannon.

A basic squad is 4. A team leader, a gunner, another regular witch and another gunner. The gunners will either have a heavy machine-gun or the auto-cannon or both can be equipped with the same weapon. It depends upon the mission. They will have an enlarged command radius that will allow a small platoon of 2 to 3 squads then the command squad of 4 more room to spread out and cover a larger portion of the battlefield. Besides the heavy weapons, the squad leader and the other regular witch will have basic assault rifles.

As an update, I am currently writing a more refined version of the rules but still far from finished. Once I have a copy typed and printed, I will post on my FB page a copy or by request on the forum here.

On a side note, I did told the artist who is doing the official designs to do what he likes with the feet as long as they visually fit into the leg design.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/06/14 19:33:45


Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

Alas. Another Wednesday is upon us. This one though is special because it is my birthday. But there is still work to be done so lets get to it.
Since this is the game design section of the forum and not a fluff forum, that will be todays topic.
The rules are being written still but while I mash my head up against the wall, trying to write it, I decided on the principals of the game.
Scale is still yet to be determined and I wish to hear your thoughts on what you think? 20 or 28 or to some degree, 32mm.
There is a skill test and morale test to accomplish tasks and morale and pinning and such but I am seriously considering a system that allows no saving throws but in exchange, it's harder to kill with concealment and gone to ground like options a player can use. With that, a D10 To Hit system will be used that will take into account movement, concealment and such but stating off on a base pending upon skill level of the unit being shot at.
LoS is from either the edges of the base or from the widest two parts of a vehicles hull when looking at it from an angle to the edges of a base or widest points of a vehicles hull. Ranges from edge of a base or turret front edge to base or hull of vehicle.
The only saving throws that will be allowed will be for vehicles with anti anti-tank defenses or even magic spells but this comes at the cost of not moving and with a D6 Initiative System, possible to allow a headshot from a sniper or MG fire.
The D6 Initiative works by rolling for all squads or sections; playlets will tell, then the two sides roll to see who goes first. Side A says rolls 2, 3, 5, 3 and Side B rolls 5, 6, 1, 3. Side A wins and thus 6s go first but Side A has none so Side B goes first. Side A goes first with their 5s then Side B with their 5s. At the end of each turn, this is reset thus prevents a I go, You Go game from allowing a one sided lucky kill streak but also adds randomness to the game.
Grenades are a throwable weapon and can be thrown over terrain. Nice. There will also be, as planned as of now, smoke grenades and other goodies that can kill stuff when the hardware is not around.
That is it for this update. What do you guys and girls think of this so far?

Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut






SoCal, USA!

 precinctomega wrote:
Hm. OK. 20-32mm means individual basing. d6 means relatively compressed distributions. Rules sound gamey rather than simulationist


Given that it's fantasy races with magic and hypertech, simulation seems somewhat out of the question.

If I were he, I'd look at deciding what a battle should look like, how big the playing field should be, how many figures per side, how far they engage, and so forth.

   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut






Cheltenham, UK

Are you being obtuse on purpose, John? Because it's not coming across in your post.

"Simulationist" isn't a synonym for "mundane". It refers to the level of granularity you're seeking to achieve in the rules. For example, Mordheim is more simulationist than Age of Sigmar. Shadow War is more simulationist than 40k.

At one end of the spectrum you have abstract boardgames. At the other, you have VR computer simulations. Obvious, with pulp games there's only so far one can go on the simulation scale, but the most simulationist pulp games are RPGs where you have to track your food and ammo, and keep careful note of your encumbrance level, because it'll interfere with how easily you can get over that wall, etc.

There's nothing inherently good or bad about either end of the spectrum, although they will appeal to different degrees to different people. I tend to prefer miniatures games that veer more towards simulationism, but that's mostly because I'm cheap, so I prefer skirmish games right now. And skirmish games tend to encourage simulationism to make the game more complex and tactically engaging.

A battle game, such as Bolt Action or Lion Rampant, favours more abstraction because otherwise the game would grind to a halt over tracking the minutiae of so many participants.

Some people (myself included) have tried to create a system that accommodates both ends of the spectrum. Generally speaking, though, it's good to know where on the spectrum you plan to put your game. That lets you understand quickly what sorts of things you will and won't need rules to manage.

R.

   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut






SoCal, USA!

Dude, as I see it, he's still very early conceptual, aside from it being a tweaked d6 40k-ish thing - that right there makes it "gamey", not sim-like. That said, for the verbiage you're throwing at him, it's rather amusing to me to see you mistakenly conflate detail with simulation, in a believe that there cannot be an abstract simulation, when a good simulation necessarily abstracts out unnecessary detail.

   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut






Cheltenham, UK

you mistakenly conflate detail with simulation


That is a fair point, although I think the word I used was "granularity" rather than "detail". As you rightly point out, you can throw a lot of detail into an abstract game and, equally, too much detail can undermine the simulation experience of a less abstract game (for example, the drawn out combat play of D&D4e totally broke my suspension of disbelief, when a more abbreviated form of combat would have done a better job of simulating the lethal cut-and-thrust of mortal combat).

Yes, I do get bogged down in semantics, but I'm a big believer in clearly articulating at the outset of any project what it is you're trying to achieve with it. Otherwise, you can find yourself heading into design dead-ends and spiralling rabbit holes. And semantics, for all the bad press it gets, is ultimately the art of clear expression of thought into words.

gyro5 is getting very excited about the imagery, setting and miniatures of his game - which is great! And if he were just a hobby designer I'd shrug and nod and follow along with vague interest. But he's explicitly said that he aspires to develop a commercial game and miniatures line.

A lot of us aspire to do that and very, very few succeed (I nearly bankrupted myself a few years ago trying to develop a line of miniatures). So I'm doing my best to help him articulate his design vision.

No, it's not a game I'd play. But that doesn't mean it can't be wildly successful, and I'd love to see that happen. So I'm trying to help gyro5 towards that clear articulation of his design goals before he heads too deep into the weeds of mechanics.

   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

As detailed orient as I am, I wish for this be to fun and easy and thus I am afraid that a bit of abstraction is in order. Not everyone can afford loads of terrain to keep LoS blocked for games that deal with no ranges like Skirmish Sangin which is a fun game but it's a bit too detailed and it is slow. Still, on a personal note ... REVENGE SHALL BE MINE! Lost two games as Seals against Achmed, the Dead Terrorists living fellow terrorists.
Ahem. Anyway, I have worked out an illustration that I think best achieves what I want. A slightly detailed shooting scale that starts at a base score to hit then add up and down pending upon actions and terrain factors but have it where a D10 will work or in my case, multiple D10s.

This will also help with the issue of having mixed races as part of a squad.
Orcs will have higher wound count and those assigned to him will be subtracted by 1. This could mean that an Orc will be assigned more dice that will be scaled down but certain weapon add 1 to their scores when they hit so I think it will be ok in the end.
Elves will obviously hit better so either any dice that fail to hit are re-rolled or bring the score of one die up by 1. This again will deal with Orcs in other factions but also demons.
Dwarves will obviously be harder to hit and unlike an Orc that lowers dice that hit, will have theirs already included as a modifier or shall the Orc be a modifier as well? I feel that if I do that, then I remove the purpose of their toughness but there will be lists that will have all-orc squads. Opinions.
I have paper cut-outs of bases ready. The base sizes are 20mm, 25mm and 32mm. I am still deciding whether this will be 20mm or 28mm or for that fact 32mm. Opinions again please.
That is it for now. Hope to update this again next week.

gyro5 is getting very excited about the imagery, setting and miniatures of his game - which is great! And if he were just a hobby designer I'd shrug and nod and follow along with vague interest. But he's explicitly said that he aspires to develop a commercial game and miniatures line.

I do have a nasty habit of getting excited at first, only to be crushed by reality but I am dead serious about this. I found a new artist that I hope will make my vision before reality. At the moment, I have him working on a generic Combat Witch that will help get the ball rolling on this.
No, it's not a game I'd play. But that doesn't mean it can't be wildly successful, and I'd love to see that happen. So I'm trying to help gyro5 towards that clear articulation of his design goals before he heads too deep into the weeds of mechanics.

Eh. Not all games are for everyone so I do not take it personal. I really do appreciate the help sir.
Generally speaking, though, it's good to know where on the spectrum you plan to put your game. That lets you understand quickly what sorts of things you will and won't need rules to manage.

I wish to have this a quick, fun game that is also believable and realistic but not get too dragged down with EVERY detail. The only thing there is to track will be wounds and that will be on stat cards that I will need to develop along side the rules.
If I were he, I'd look at deciding what a battle should look like, how big the playing field should be, how many figures per side, how far they engage, and so forth.

I envision and hope my game will be flexible enough to allow squad vs squad but be able to handle a full platoon with assets added on to support. I am still not sure how I will handle aircraft though.
Hm. OK. 20-32mm means individual basing. d6 means relatively compressed distributions. Rules sound gamey rather than simulationist

D6s are for Initiative, Skill and Morale tests. The D10s are the ones that do the blasting.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/07/07 03:25:40


Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in us
Incorporating Wet-Blending





Houston, TX

Penars. Heh. Definitely need to keep that faction!

-James
 
   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

Penar Providence. Use to called Peninsula Providence but since they are fighting over a continent a bit larger than Australia, I thought it as ironic and changed the name to Penar Providence. Something that totally came to my head.
I envision their play style as like cold war to modern Russia. Lots of cheap troops but little flexibility.
Basically, Narata will always be outnumbered but they have great flexibility to make up for this. I am still debating over having wizards that can rain down fire and brimstone when a good sniper shot or arty can kill this asset on turn 1!

Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

It is Wednesday again and that means another rules update! That is as they are right now.


Next week! TO&E Chart.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I was beginning to make up a player aid called Target Silhouette which helps in determining if a target has cover or not when I realized that a draw at 20mm would be 10mm or larger than 1/4" but smaller than 1/2". That be incredibly TINY to paint. Thus the game scale determination is now 28mm or 32mm.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/07/13 02:00:10


Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

It has recently came to my attention that I have some serious world building to do but will this slow down this already slow progress? Most likely not. So hopefully will update this again ... probably in 2 weeks.

Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

My commissioned artist, Meganerid, https://meganerid.deviantart.com, has released his initial and rough versions of the Combat Witch and the Ground Combat Magical Apparatus. Nothing is finalized as I want to hear your opinions first.


First up is a rough sketch of the combat witch. Meganerid wanted to get the GCMAs down first before moving on to the combat witch.


The first iteration of the Ground Combat Magical Apparatus (GCMA).


Alternative designs to the GCMA. The artillery ones on the bottom are not to my liking for that defeats the whole point of the Combat Witch. What are your thoughts and opinions?

Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut






SoCal, USA!

"Combat Witch"

Question: Is this just a Strike Witches (ground) game?

Are you going to do specific homages of WW2 tanks? That would probably be your best choice.
___

Sorry, nevermind. It's already been done, but better:



Google "Tank Witches" and you'll see what I mean.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/09/18 23:52:21


   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

Neither. This is inspired by Strike Witches but yet it takes place in my own fictional setting.
Combat Witches are a specialist troop but are like Spartans from Halo. Troops Morales are raised at their presence and their combat prowess is legendary. Yet both sides of a LONG on/off 1500 year war to super shorten things have them. They are not special ops but can be trained and fielded with them. They are found in all branches of the Naratian military.
I don't want to call them elite nor say they are rare but they provide multiple battlefield duties based on what their familiars or magic type or even preference is. This ranges from scouts to snipers to healers.
Their Ground/ Aerial/ Marine Combat Magical Apparatuses are not based off of any known vehicle for that I feel will sink me.
Instead I am focusing on protection and function.
Combat Witches are to, as I am trying to write the rules, work with regular troops but not have them ridiculously OP.
Any suggestions on both rules and design would be helpful.

Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut






SoCal, USA!

OK, right, it's a Strike Witches expy. That's fine.

   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

No aliens. Just other nations, demons, beasts, etc.

Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut






SoCal, USA!

That is quite the fine hair you're trying to split between "aliens" and "demons & beasts".

From a gameplay perspective, it won't matter at all.

   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

Demons; either by magic or from the underworld are usually more powerful than beasts that are natural but don't expect dragons. They are endangered and really not that useful anymore. A sign of progression in technology.
Also, combat witches are proper military age. As much as I like Strike Witches, I took the concept and matured it. Hey, isn't most works of fiction is basically taking a concept and working it as your own?
But I know I will be getting criticism of me basically "copying" but there are so many examples of "copying" out there.

Only in death does duty end! 
   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut






SoCal, USA!

There is nothing wrong with doing a child soldiers vs alien/demonic menace game or theme in general, nor a paper-thin reskin of another game. In fact, I think it's generally a good starting point for a first design, simply because there is a reference point to build from.

For your game, the game itself will matter more than the background story, at least, until you spend a LOT of time writing and editing your game fluff. You can have a great concept or re-concept, with an mechanically unplayable game. If the game is bad, I won't play it, no matter how good the story is.

   
Made in us
Corporal





Northeastern Maryland

That is something I am working on. Taking my time cause I estimated 3 years to get all the designs done and prototypes made. By that time, the rules will be hopefully done and locked.

Only in death does duty end! 
   
 
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