Why 15mm are great:
Firstly, they are pretty kid-proof/cheap. A fall from the table may separate them off a base but rarely cause damage unlike a resin LoTR which will explode. Key criteria when you have an enthusiastic 9 year old.
Secondly, they are cheap (see above).
Thirdly, they are (usually) easy to paint; also you need to use brighter colours with smaller sizes which is fun.
Fourthly, I and my son watched Lawrence of Arabia + The Mummy (cool FFL opening scene)
Finally, they are the best scale for vehicles (big enough to be cool - sorry 1:300 - small enough to be affordable) so are the scale for my Tankhiem rules
So in between 21 IKEA kits (hopefully that's it for this house) I did some painting:
These Taureg have not been washed and highlighted yet, but are nice and bright as needed for 15mm scale
More Arabs in a different paint scheme - they can be opposing clans or mixed together...
This helps work towards a few 2025 resolutions:
- finish 3 unpainted projects
- update, playtest and play homebrew rules with my son
Sommer's 1999 The Mummy is one of my favourite movies, and when I found the Foreign Legion (yet unpainted) I wondered if I had..... yep. I also have these guys. Back when postage from USA was affordable and not more than the actual cost of the order.The undead seem a reasonable mix in the world of Tankheim...
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Quick rant: While postage seems a lot, at least I can see reasons why it costs (fuel, manpower etc). I'd like to know why STLs or resin 3D prints cost more than GW's finest. Yeah, Spectre Miniatures, I'm looking at you - $13 for a 3D print edging out Killwager's $10 a print; or $50 for a 5-man STL. In 28mm. And that doesn't include postage. I get my MESBG sculpts commercially 3D printed and they do licenced minis (so the sculptor still gets their cut) for $3 each... so there's no need to be charging $13 for a 3D print... it's a tiny chunk of resin - not even metal....
While I'm at it - what's with the price of PDF's? It's literally a download which would be fractions of a cent in overhead. I was browsing on wargamesvault and $20USD ($30AUD) is about the norm for indie rules, and I noped out. (A pity, because stuff like this looks interesting).
It's crazy a handmade PDF costs the same as a physical, hardback bestseller from the bookstore which actually had to be published physically and printed.... I mean I get people would like to write the rules as a full time job, but really guys....
I'd love to test and support more rules and miniature lines, but they literally have priced themself into the "crazier than GW" zone. It's like wanting to support your local theatre group but they charge more than tickets a Broadway production...
/rant
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Anyway, talking about home-made rules, I've done my annual meddle with my Tankheim rules. You know, when the poison gas and chemicals of the Great War turned 1930s Europe into a wasteland of mutants, cannibals and roaming tank pirates? Where convoys of halftracks fend off both wolfpacks and tank bandits, and private militias of fortified city-states war among the ruins?
These rules are a bit more complicated than my usual fare, as it's kinda a tank-RPG/skirmish - "Tank Mordheim" if you like - with 4-8 tanks per side, all with characterful crews and custom WW2 tanks.
After reading through Titanicus, I added "cinematic deaths" and increased the focus on firing arcs.
Here's the rough premise:
Each 'turn' has a movement phase and a shooting phase. Players alternate activating tanks within each phase. So far, so simple. But.....
Currently I use what I call 1.5 activation - you get 1 action each phase with the possibility of a 2nd bonus action if your crew is good. It's an extra, perhaps unecessary, dice roll, sure, but I like that better crew can react more predictably and reliably under pressure - do 'more stuff' than an oblivious or panicking rookie crew.
Also, you always get to do something - just better crews can do more. I dislike rules where 'friction' means you lose your go - which is just unsatisfying.
A Panther performs a simple move action - which includes up to 45d change of direction.
A movement action might be a normal move + 45d turn, a 45-90d pivot, or a reverse at half speed or less. Also speedy sprint moves to allow more flanking and discourage baseline camping. So an good crew would pass a crew check on a 3+ and often take two actions, outmaneuvering weaker crews.
A combat action might be shooting, aiming, or acquiring a target. So far, this is pretty similar to games like FoW and indeed mechanics are pretty basic; roll d6 over 3+ at 12", 4" at 24", 5+ at 25"+ etc etc. As you can see, a better crew might aim more carefully or pump out more shots (up to RoF limits).
However, you may perform actions out of phase - a combat action in the move phase and a move action in the combat phase - it just costs as a double action (a single shot in the movement phase for example would need both actions)... this is to allow more decisions.
The PzIII is in the Panther's rear 90d arc. Not only is the Panther's armour weaker, but it must also spend an action to acquire the PzIII by travsersing it's turret. Perhaps the Panther is a D with a slow, handcranked turret and cannot engage the Panzer III anyway.
Acquiring is where the facing comes into it. Tanks have a 90d front and rear arc. Targets within the frontal 90d and within range (varies depending on target size/cover) are automatically spotted. Light/recce/open topped vehicles have wider arcs/greater range.
Any target outside this arc/range must be acquired. This means the commander and gunner work together to spot the target and traverse the turret (if it has one). This costs an action. Obviously armour is also weaker through their side and rear arcs, so flanking should be powerful.
The other complicated/er than normal bit is the damage. There's a 3+/4+/5+ d6 roll to hit - so 40K - and a then a roll to damage (based on relative armour vs gun - thanks Warcry) which can result in a now-more-cinematic instakill "brew up" or location damage.
Damage sounds complicated but is pretty easy. Roll a red d6 for location and place next to the tank. Shots can hit engines, tracks, crew compartment, turret rings/optics etc. This renders the element inoperable until repaired (change the red damage d6 to a black d6 to denote the repaired state). A damaged-but-repaired engine might restrict a tank to half speed, for example. Subsequent hits to damaged locations usually destroy the tank. So if I want I can roll 3 dice all at a time; a white hit dice, a blue pen dice, and a red location dice.
The aim of this more complex system is to give more cinematic battles, where a Cromwell is
tracked and slews around, a Tiger gets it's turret jammed, a burning Sherman plunges on and rams into a building, or a ammo-racked T-34 explodes and takes out a nearby ally.
I'm also making a bunch of special rules. Not normally my thing, but it's tank RPG, so *shrugs* - I'm including rules like Slow Reverse, Busy Commander, No Radio, Slow Loading, Slow Traverse, Wet Ammo Rack, Superior Optics, Open Topped, Flammable Engine, Neutral Steering, etc - each of which is a simple rule with descriptive text. Basically things to help add flavour and differentiate your T-34 from your PzIV from your Sherman...
My son is enjoying the 15mm focus, and has ordered his own medieval knights plus some rather nice Uruk Hai in 15mm. While in a dollar shop he bought this castle from the garden aisle:
I spent literally 5 minutes adding a bit of colour and it's perfect for 15mm if not precisely to scale everywhere... He's pretty pleased with it. Once we paint his Eureka orcs I'll post them here - they're pretty movie-accurate actually and I'd recommend them for anyone who wants to play the now OOP War of the Ring...
Anyway, back to my IKEA pile before my wife gets home and sees my (lack of) progress...
I really love that castle! Looking good.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the prices of PDFs, considering it takes me 2-5 years to get a set of rules together I guess the cost is based on the time it takes to make them? Plus, sometimes art can be expensive too? However, I also think they are crazy if they are charging more than $10 American for a PDF.
That said, no one is going to make a full-time living out of wargame PDFs no matter now much you charge. I know some folks try.
A fellow indie-author once told me that (everyone has heard this story a million times, so ignore the rest if you have heard/read it before) that you publish one book, congratulations. If you want to make any money, publish 50 more.
Eric Farrington
Of course it is poorly paid $/hour, but if someone wants to be compensated for their time/effort, surely there's more lucrative things to do? I mean it's a niche area of a niche hobby so the upper end is capped regardless....
DeleteAnd if it's to boost your hobby budget... ...well the same applies.
I could work 2-5 years on a rulebook or I could casually tutor kids an hour a week... at even at $50/hr I suspect that I'd make more 'hobby budget bonus' in a year than 99% of the warwamesvault rules ever make.
In the 'old days' I'd rationalise a $5 or $10 ruleset as 'a cup of coffee' but at $20-25+ they are competing directly with physical rulebooks. (Not to mention the additional cost of printing/binding the ones I use a lot, which can push them into GW hardback territory)
If the motivation is to have other play their rules/be an author, surely a lower price would have more folk 'test the waters' - if the motivation is to make $, surely anything else would be better...
-eM
Oh yeah. I get it. I often say that if I wanted to make money, it would be a better idea to go recycle cans from the side of the road.
Delete@eM - pay attention to bundling, where rules are part of a game system. Release a "free" PDF of basic / starter rules as marketing to drive interest, but make money selling the minis and printed rulebook. Without minis, like Osprey, they have to charge something for the printed book.
Delete- GG
Nice castle!
ReplyDeleteI like "15mm" 1/100 to 1/144 scale for firearms, as it gives a sense of distance and scale. It's a good match for a platoon-size battle. Railroad terrain works, but it's a little spendy.
As for the PDFs and such, it's the lack of scale. Bookstores do HUGE print runs, so the upfront setup costs are minimal compared to incremental produciton cost. Indy games have no scale advantages.
Yeah 15mm firearm ranges actually look reasonable on the table. The classic 24" rifle range doesn't look as stupid. Miniatures are still are OK as individuals as well as a group base... In fact I think I prefer these, rather than the FoW method...
Delete....."As for the PDFs and such, it's the lack of scale. Bookstores do HUGE print runs, so the upfront setup costs are minimal compared to incremental produciton cost. Indy games have no scale advantages."
But there is no 'print run'. There's no physical staff, delivery, production, storage of stock. It's a bloody pdf! :-/
Unless perhaps it's bespoke artwork, 'production costs' should be little more than the effort to press the upload button...
-eM
Besides art, the other big production cost is miniatures for photographs. The game itself usually only takes about 1 week to write the basic rules, two years to make it a full game and test it, and another two years to do all the art, lay-out, and miniature pictures. At least for me.
DeleteAgain, it's upfront vs production cost. For a PDF, the production cost is low, but someone had to set up the server. And as EF notes, creating the PDF took time. How much is the author's time worth vs how many people are buying the PDF?
Delete- GG
"Again, it's upfront vs production cost. For a PDF, the production cost is low, but someone had to set up the server."
DeleteWargamesvault is already set up.
"And as EF notes, creating the PDF took time. How much is the author's time worth vs how many people are buying the PDF?"
But if someone is looking to be recompensed for their time, it's the wrong business. Almost ANYTHING else is more profitable/hr. So even looking at it from that angle seems silly.
Dunno, just if anyone is going "better jack up the price from $5 PDF to $20 PDF so I can get a good hourly wage for my years of work on these rules" ... I'm raising my eyebrows skeptically at the optimism.
I remember folk sometimes used to send me rule mechanics and say "don't tell anyone else this cool idea or they'll steal it and - presumably - profit from it" and I'm thinking "what? people only steal things that are valuable - and a wargame mechanic isn't it!"
If motivation for $ publishing is "I need to cover the cost of my art in my book/I want people to play and enjoy my rules/I like the thrill of being published/my wife approves of me making money from my hobby regardless of amount" ....I get it.
If it is "I need to make a good hourly wage from this" then.... yeah.
-eM
I'm not sure the issue. eBay exists, Amazon exists, and they charge fees for hosting things that get sold. It's not uncommon for things to be priced higher or lower for any or no reason. Making games is no less of a profession than writing books, albeit with narrower reach. If something is too expensive vs the value I perceive, I might try to haggle, or I don't buy. Finally, NEW rule mechanics CAN have significant monetary value, such as the "Tap" mechanic in Magic: the Gathering, along with the "AI deck" mechanic in Kingdom Death: Monster.
Delete- GG
Maybe it is just me, and it's normal to pay more for a slapped together PDF than a glossy hardbacked rulebook. *shrugs*
Delete....I'd be curious to know if MtG could enforcably sue someone from turning their card sideways; but I suspect they operate in a completely different stratosphere to the wargamesvault. I.e. they already have something that might have financial value to imitate.
.....If you want to get rich, bootlegging Elden Ring makes more sense than Submarine Titans. <- btw thanks for the suggestion, it's real old school era RTS! I think I broke the tutorial though...
-eM
It's not for me to worry how much people charge for a thing. People sell NFTs with less effort and higher pricew, right?
DeleteWotC / Hasbro have extremely deep pockets, and can absolutely bury you in the courtroom to protect the cash cow that literally prints money. That said, it's been 30 years, and it's probably unenforceable today. Nevertheless, if they sent me a demand letter with implied threat of legal action, I would immediately concede, because I cannot afford the time and money needed against them.
I really enjoyed Sub Titans back in the day, strong concept and theme, but not as well-executed as Dark Reign.
- GG
I have pursued a three level strategy myself. Some free rules that have copywritten source material or IP, some Pay What You Want games, and then the games I actually make some money on to finance the next games. The idea is that you can get a feel for my design style for free, but if you want more you pay for it. Basic Drug-Dealer stuff..... :)
DeleteIf I had to do it all over again, I would drop the Pay What You Want games. They do not help move people through the pipeline and are perceived as worthless because very few people will pay no matter how good they are. I am no exception! It would be better to charge some nominal fee like $1 to show that your designs are not worthless.
Just some random thoughts on the topic of Indie Wargame Design pricing.
EF
The castle is awesome. Not only very characterful but also very playable for wargames.
ReplyDeleteYeah it's nice and flat for basing. Currently it's hosting some Dreadball(!) teams who are fighting each other (my kid is 9, so don't judge him!)
Delete:-P
-eM
Completely different topic, but I was interested by your thoughts about Friction and Elite crews. I am a big proponent of "Friction" in wargames, but ultimately I agree that losing your ability to do anything is a no-go. I prefer friction that reduces the effectiveness of the choices you can make instead, or even limit your options to standard options.
ReplyDeleteI have also used the system you are advocating for where everyone gets 1 action of Move, Shoot, Combat, Etc. but additional actions require some sort of activation test or risk. If failed, then play moves to the other player. Therefore, as a player you could do a bunch of basic actions at no risk to your initiative, but to try to create chains you might lose initiative to the other player.
If you couple this activation method with End Phase resolution of shooting, it creates a lot of interesting decisions for a player and a layer of Fog of War and Friction through core mechanics. No special rules needed yet.
Eric Farrington
Nice art.
ReplyDelete