Game Design #83: Generic Settings & Backgrounds (bad) vs Familiar Mechanics (good)

Yes, this post is out of sequence - it's something I wanted to discuss in an unfinished post about lame campaigns (#82), and I felt it merited its own space.

Folk sometimes take umbage on my preference for simplicity and familiar mechanics.
"Won't all games be like 40K?" 

Familiar mechanics make a game easy to learn; but does not mean the game itself is identical to the rules it borrows from. By changing activation and "chrome" (the extra elements like resource management and magic) and the "how" you act, you can create completely new games while retaining much of a familiar, easy system. I could use 40K roll d6 to hit, roll d6 strength vs toughness, roll d6 save throw on a spaceship game and have it play nothing like 40K.  Indeed, I could make it play nothing like any other spaceship game you've ever played. A preference for easy to learn games with predictable mechanics does not mean I want to play an identical game - because dice rolling mechanics don't set the tactics or determine what makes a game fun or dull.

The focus of this post is to point out another issue - how the "generic setting" and the "do-everything toolbox ruleset" beloved of indie devs tends to create uninteresting, samey bloated rules - far more harmful to variety than sharing some dice rolling mechanics.

In many cases this stems from a praiseworthy desire to allow players a free choice of models. This is great! But sometimes in trying to allow players to use every model and game very setting with one set of rules, designers detract from the appeal of their game. You end up with a bloated, generic game - just like every other bloated, generic game of the same genre.

It's very important to have a clear setting and background in mind. This helps set up how you want your games to play out on the table and informs design decisions. It keeps your game more narrowly focussed and helps you concentrate on what makes it unique.

- Having a clear setting/theme makes a game more appealing with background fluff

- Having a clear setting/theme does not mean locking the rules to particular minis

- Having a clear setting/theme means designers do not attempt too much with the rules (diluting or bloating them) and allows them to focus on what makes their game "special"

We often notice mechanics and rules that get adapted for what they are ill-suited to, i.e. we have WW2 navy in space copy+pasted to be a space game. Or a melee-based fantasy (WFB/40K) ruleset used for modern infantry combat (Bolt Action).

Making a "universal spaceship game" that attempts to cover all TV shows/movies or a "universal fantasy game" that tries to cover every aspect of fantasy is just another aspect of the same problem. In an attempt to create a universal toolkit allow people to use any minis (good), designers often create a universal, generic, uninteresting background that copies common tropes (bad).  In attempting to allow players to game every conceivable setting the rules do nothing well, and merely become one of the many similar generic fantasy or sci fi rulesets.

You can have completely different mechanics and still end up with the same end results. Rolling 4+ on a d6 or under 11 on a d20 still has the same effect. And if you shared the same activation method and spell list, then your fantasy game isn't actually any different. Dice resolution mechanics seldom determine tactics or the feel of a game.

Designers can create a strong theme without locking players into using specific miniatures. You just need to focus your rules on a specific aspect or element of gameplay. What will your rules do to set themselves apart from the 101 similar games? This doesn't necessitate 'exclusive' minis.

Example:

My homebrew "Middleheim" rules focus on psychic knights riding dinosaurs. The "magic" system is very focusssed and specific - telekinesis, mind control, etc - and it's "different" as psionics is more associated with sci fi and is rare in fantasy. The emphasis on dinos as both mounts and as mind-controlled "not-Warjacks" is also very specific and gives a strong theme.  

Even then there is still some flexibility - when I say how English longbowman and their ankylosaurs defeated the French velociraptor knights at Agincourt, it creates a different image of my game world then one where a last alliance of men and elves, assisted by sentient pterodactyls, use dino-controlling psy-amplifing rings to oppose a mighty psychic dark lord.

While I am not claiming everyone will like my background (it's merely what I wanted to play) there is certainly a strong theme/setting.  By focussing on a narrow less standard brand of "magic" (psychic powers) and a clear focus - on hacking/controlling dinosaurs - it can create a more unique game experience. Spell (power) lists can be more carefully streamlined and balanced as we aren't attempting to make rules cater to every fantasy trope.

But there is still a lot of flexibility in miniatures - you could use anything from Age of Sigmar to LoTR to Perry's War of the Roses; and I'm using a range of toy dinosaurs from the $2 shop whilst you could buy 3D printed ones.  Having a strong theme/setting does not automatically mean locking players into specific models.

 A Specific Setting/Narrower Focus Cuts down on Bloat & Improves the Rules

Trying to cover too many settings compromises your rules. You will bloat the rules by adding special rules trying to cover every possible contingency. By trying to make your game work as a 'universal system' you risk making it bland and similar to every other 'universal system.'

Regarding bloat: if you want to game every aspect of sci fi skirmish, you will need an enormous range of weapons, gear, skills and special rules as you attempt to cater to all possible sci fi media. And if you are an indie dev - how do you plan to playtest them all?

Example:

With my homebrew "Delta Vector" starship rules I was inspired by Lost Fleet and EvE Online. Important gameplay hooks were the ability to warp jump on the tabletop; vector movement, relative velocity and lightspeed impacting accuracy, and reaction mechanics. There was a kinetics-missile-laser approach that focussed on missiles as AoE denial. The game was relatively simple and streamlined, and relatively unlike other space games.

Then I decided I wanted to be able to replicate BSG, Star Wars and Star Trek using the same rules. So more rules crept in to cater to this. More recording. More bloat. I made the mechanics more generic "WW2 in space" (matching the TV shows) - the very thing I originally had been trying to avoid! I could no longer play battles of more than 4 ships as things got too cluttered with recording shields, hits, detection, etc.

Then along came Firefly/The Expanse. I finally realised something had to give and finally split my game into two games: one game aimed at PT-boat sized gunships (a la Rocinante) with a strong Descent vibe focussed on detection and crew skill; and I trimmed the original big starship game back to its EvE/Lost Fleet roots. I made two better, more focussed games instead of one generic game that was poor at everything. No, I couldn't replicate Star Wars settings any more - but I could still use any minis.

You don't need to be somewhat good at everything to be unique; you can just be good at one or two things in a way no one else is.

I recently reviewed Dracula's America - it wasn't a bad game, but I was disappointed it did nothing I could not already do with Deadlands/Savage Worlds.  It was just another generic Weird West game - it changed the dice and cards (mechanics) a bit; but in the end result was the same. Different rules, same gameplay.

Activation & Chrome: Keys to Differentiation

Dice mechanics are just a way to find percentage chances of things - for movement, missile, melee, morale -  which tend to be what I'd class as "core" mechanics. But if dice rolling isn't the key to differentiation - what is?  Here are some suggestions:

Activation/Initiative - "when" and "how" you move/act/react is far more important that the dice methods you use to determine the outcome. To avoid going over this again I'll refer you to my game design series (see sidebar). The decision between IGOUGO, alternate activation, reaction mechanics etc - it's more important to the flow of the game than you might think.

Chrome - this is what I'd class as "everything but the core mechanics." This includes the "5th Element" - maybe magic, or hacking - or something unique to your setting.  If your magic is just like every other generic magic - then you've missed an opportunity to differentiate.  Resource management (dice pools, tokens, etc) also fits into this category but could be applied to applicable areas - like even morale.

^For example: I'm keen to avoid my homebrew 15mm sci fi rules being just another Stargrunt or 40K clone.  So I'm making the game focus on demon-possession; basically like Warmachine, only your warcaster (demon) is a pile of off-table resource tokens and anyone can be possessed/buffed - and your opponents human models can be possessed/hijacked. Robots are immune to enemy possession but cannot be demonically boosted either, and are vulnerable to EMP/hacking - sort of a paper-scissors-rock of flesh hacking vs electronic hacking. Detection/stealth/darkness and fear is also a focus as it's a horror flavoured game taking place in unlit space station corridors.  It might not appeal to everyone, but it's not just rebadged Stargrunt or 40K with a bunch of generic special rules and background.  It has a specific setting and theme. Yet I can still use any 15mm minis - any "alien" looking ones are just bioengineered humans.

Tactical (Gameplay) Focus What have you decided is important? What tactics do you want to emphasize? How do you want your players to play your game? A typical decision is move vs shoot. If you want maneuver or close combat to matter more; then double movement ranges and/or reduce gun range/accuracy. If you want shooting and cover to be supreme; make weapons long ranged and lethal but give big defensive cover bonuses.   Imagine we are using 40K mechanics, but doubled movement and -1 to all shooting rolls; vs another game where we doubled gun range but allowed cover saves to be re-rolled. Same dice mechanics, but both would play very differently.

All these choices to differentiate (activation, chrome, tactics) are driven by the background/setting. The setting should determine your choice of special rules/chrome/tactical focus. What to include and (more importantly) what to leave out. While historical games are more constrained; but for sci fiction and fantasy - why should two sets of rules play in similar fashion?

TL:DR

Rules that share dice rolling mechanics are not always the problem that creates generic "samey" games. The game's setting is also important.

A generic fantasy ruleset which attempts to cover every possible generic fantasy trope using generic fantasy spells, weapons and tactics won't differ appreciably from another generic fantasy ruleset trying to do the same thing, regardless if one is using d6s and the other d20s. Using the same ruleset for every possible era and situation is another side of the same problem (fantasy 40K =? WW2 Bolt Action).

A unique, engaging background/setting should lead to unique, engaging gameplay. A generic, copy+paste background will probably lead to generic copy+paste gameplay.

Rules that try to cover too many eventualities or eras can be bloated and end up being a "jack of all trades, master of none" - and similar to the other jack of all trades rules from that genre.  A pair of rulebooks can use similar dice mechanics and be wildly different games - but if a game is designed to "play" every TV spaceship battle, then it probably will play like other games with a similar design brief - regardless of the dice mechanics you use.

A unique setting/background helps you trim down the bloat, and focus on what you think is important - what make your game better or more unique than others in the genre. Having a unique setting does not mean prescriptive models - a game focussed on medieval dinosaur riders could still use any dinosaurs and any fantasy/medieval rider.

What is your game's "hook" - What about your setting and background is unique and cool - what makes the game play differently from other games of the same genre?  If the answer is "it uses cool d10 dice rolls not oldskool d6" (cough Warlord Games cough) ....then you probably missed the point.

Dracula's America (Rules Review) Weird West/Gothic Horror Skirmish

Not a bad set of rules - but I feel like I could have skipped these and saved my money. It just feels like house rule/simplified Savage Worlds/Deadlands with lots of stuff removed.   Remove all the SW stats and replace them with a single "do everything" stat called "Grit."  Prune away most of the spells, skills and abilities. Add in a generic Necromunda-lite campaign system like most skirmish games are doing nowdays.Voila! In fact, this could have been an Osprey Blue Book - I don't feel it needed 137 pages and a hardback version. It's not a bad set of rules though.

The Shiny

It's a 137-page rulebook, hardbacked, which is very generously spaced out (easy to read). There's decent art and pictures of minis, a nice table of contents and a quick reference which I always appreciate. It's an easy rulebook to use and looks pretty. The fluff is pretty cool - Dracula assumes control of the Union after Lincoln is assassinated, the Confederacey dabbles in zombies, railway occultists clash with Indian skinwalkers...   Even better, the fluff does not get in the way of the rules which are laid out logically.  Well laid out, pretty rulebook.

Overhead

You need 6+ each of d6, d8 and d10s, you roll a number of the specified dice with 5+ being a success. Your dice is determined if you are novice (d6), veteran (d8) or hero (d10). Modifiers are applied by adding or removing dice. If you get the max score on a dice (6 on a d6) you can re-roll another failed dice. You count up your successes. You also need some tokens for overwatch, jammed weapons, and "done acting" etc. 

Instead of a "long line of statistics to determine how tough, accurate or brave a model is" - the book is proud of how it makes them all a single stat, Grit. I'll spare you the full rant on how illogical this is but merely observe this merely means (a) either all models are the same, or (b) the author relies on a "long list of special rules" to differentiate each model.  Yeah, you guessed it. Each model gets a literal paragraph of explanations and special rules under them, and it somehow makes it 'simpler' than using evil stats. I mean, it's not like wargamers would understand stats like Move, Shoot, Fight, Defence and Will. Lucky we avoided those complicated stats, boys!

Despite my gripes, with only about 30 pages of main rules (and pretty consistent mechanics) it's not complicated to learn.

Given its a skirmish game, mini requirements (6-10) aren't high. It's pretty simple/logical in its mechanics, and most people have a range of dice nowadays. I'd say it's pretty accessible.

 

Activation

It uses a playing card activation system, probably because all Wild West games have one, but it doesn't accomplish much for the extra work it adds. Players get cards = their leader + 1/2 their warband. They can activate one or two minis with each card draw. Players play cards with high cards going first.  Facing matters (which is good) and models can move, shoot, fight or lookout (hold/overwatch).

While the cardplaying aspect does add some choice (i.e. play your best card to try to go first) I don't think it's worth the effort.  

Movement & Combat

All models move 4" (but I'm sure there's extra special rules for faster and slower models) and the usual charge/climb/jump/fall rules that exist in most skirmish games. Models are impacted by their 180d facing/vision arc which is good and adds tactics. Models can hold an action to react later to opponents.

Models Shoot at the closest enemy target (but may attempt to override this with a test) and you can pre-measure to see if the target is in close/medium/long range. The shooter makes a 3-dice test based on their Grit (basically d6, 8 or 10 depending on their level of experience). There are modifiers for range and cover. Some weapons need to make a Jam check.  Weapons have the usual 40K ranges ie. 24" for rifle, 18" carbine/bow, 12" pistol and naturally they all get their own special rule.

If a target is hit, it also rolls "save" using its Grit, modified by the successes the firer inflicted.  

When models Fight, both models roll 3 dice and compare their successes; with the winner doing the damage (and a possibility for draws). The loser makes a save as per shooting attacks. The winner can choose to "pushback" opponents which could add some cinematic moments. 

When rolling for damage, the 'degree of failure' determines if a model is shaken, downed or removed completely. I.e. you need a 7 and roll a 5 you might be shaken, but if you rolled a 3 you would be downed. 

Morale is very simple; once 50% casualties, the highest ranked model makes a test.

There are rules for mounted combat, dynamite, bystanders (including human shields) random events and unusual terrain like gunpowder barrels. 

The actual combat mechanics are pretty straightforward. Not bad, not great. "OK"

 

Campaigns & Other Stuff (aka the other 100 pages)

You start with a d10 hero and d6 novices. You arm your models and add "skills" from a list of 18. Which is less than you think as most of these skills do things like add +1 Fight and +1 Defence, and +1 to Shoot tests (cough cough...  acting just like stats). <- is the horse dead yet? Let me whack it again

There is a decent 8 scenarios and there are rules for team games.  There are optional "Agendas" (like assassinating an enemy boss) which are kinda like side-missions to earn extra Victory Points. Although I can't test this, I suspect this game would shine in a multiplayer demo/club-game format with competing gangs. 

There are the usual campaign tables for injuries and advancements - the advancements are somewhat randomized - sometimes you can choose, and sometimes you can't. Your gang has income and it has a "encounter" chart where you can roll for random occurances. (You can also use a supernatural encounter chart instead). You must roll for new recruits and may get novices or veterans based on circumstances - but getting better recruits if you win seems likely to "snowball" things so better gangs get even better - not wise in my opinion. Underdogs do get extra funds.

There are rules for hired guns (specialists who must be paid each campaign turn) who of course each come with their own paragraph of special rules. You can buy and sell weapons, horses and gear from a list of about 30 choices- from snake oil to telescopic sights. 

There is a list of supernatural models (which can be summoned by some gangs) and arcane powers - the 11 spells seem to be culled from Savage Worlds but this is probably a coincidence. 

There is a list of factions - vampires, monster hunters, skinwalkers, railway cultists, voodoo abolitionists, Confederate necromancers, etc - each with their own benefits and rules.

There are rules for in-game supernatural events (which can replace unexpected events) - such as zombie outbreaks.  Finally there is a bestiary of monsters and supernatural hired guns, as well as supernatural gear like silver bullets, grimoires, holy symbolsetc.

Actually this is one of the best/most comprehensive Necromunda-esque campaigns I've seen in a while, with lots of charts and stuff to do.

TL:DR Recommended? Maybe

As the owner of Savage Worlds/Deadlands I feel this is a bit of a wasted purchase (i.e. it's an expensive yet stripped down version of what I already have), but this is by no means a bad game. The rulebook is well laid out. While I'm not a fan of the card activation or the "single stat does everything" approach; combat mechanics are straightforward enough, and it has a campaign system which is more in-depth than most I see. I can certainly see it working very well in a club/multiplayer setup where you can play 1v1s, 3-4 player free-for-alls etc - depending on who wants to play.

Zona Alfa (Rules Review) for STALKER/Metro 2033 Skirmish

Probably my initial favourite of the 3 Osprey books to land on my doorstep lately, Zona Alfa is a a pretty straightforward game for playing 28mm S.T.A.L.K.E.R and Metro 2033 skirmishes - you know, post-apoc Russia in "The Zone" - home to mutants and radioactive artifacts.

The Shiny

It's a typical 64-page Osprey Blue Book - softcover, with bits of Osprey art and photos of minis. It was quite dense with a high text:image ratio. It had a good table of contents and I found it easy enough to use and navigate. 3.6 roetengen - not great, not terrible.

 Overhead

It plays on a 4x4 table, using 4-12 minis from any company. The rules are cheap and it uses d6 and 4+ d10 dice. It's pretty cheap.  You'll need 4 types of tokens for status markers. A fair bit of terrain would be good, but you could use most WW2-modern or ruined buildings. The rules are pretty consistent, simple and logical.  Models have 4 stats - Move, Combat (a mix of shooting/melee skill), Armour and Will. A good mix. The core rules are 24 page long and there's only a dozen special rules. These rules are cheap and very accessible.

Initiative & Activation

It's alternate activation, with no rules for mitigating bigger forces (i.e. the more numerous side tends to get a tactical advantage with unopposed moves). It revives the old (early 2000s?) "action point" system; basically rookies get 1 action (move or shoot); a regular 2 and a veteran 3. Basically, better troops can do more stuff, and start with more skills. 

Once activated, soldiers can choose to shoot, move, aim, climb, reload, remove pins, etc as an "action" or reserve an action for later (aka overwatch) at the cost of two actions. Some complex skills like defusing bombs require a "Will Check." This is all logical and solid without being amazing. 

 Movement

Models get a 360 FOV (I prefer 180 as it adds more choices at the no real extra complexity). Obstructions, soft and hard cover add modifiers to firing and even Will. Troops move individually except pack of rats, etc which have a 1" coherency. There are climbing and jumping rules. Again, very simple.

Combat

You roll a d10, and score equal or less that the (modified) Combat stat. Rolling low is a little odd, but I can't complain as I've just been using it for my own homebrew rules. 

Any hits can be "saved" by the defender rolling equal or under their Armour (minus any weapon bonuses).  

Melee is simultaneous - a defender gets a free "fight back" - which means both models can take each other out at the same time - which I'm not a huge fan of. Attackers (active player) can use their hits to cancel defender hits which should favour the attacker.

Rolling low is a bit unusual, but rest is simple & consistent - but not a huge fan of the melee rules.

The rules are quite dense at times compared to other Osprey Blue Books.

Damage

There are successful damaging hits, and those deflected by an armour save. A successful hit wounds which knocks out/removes most non-hero models (mitigated by medikits). A deflected hit causes a Will Check - failing this roll collects a pinned token. A hero with a wound halves their speed and combat stats. Pinned models cannot do anything except defend themselves and remove pinned tokens by using actions in their turn.  This is again, simple and straightforward.

Gear, Skills, Squad Creation (Necromunda-esque stuff)

There is a decent, logical range of armour and weapons from teeth, claws and machetes to assault rifles, flamers and HMGs and grenades. There are 8 weapon special rules but they are logical - like "Reload" - the weapon (say a RPG) must reload after each shot.  

Troops choose from a restrained 11 special skills and can choose from 15 pieces of equipment like binos, gas marks, anomaly detectors etc. 

Crews are bought/balanced based on total actions (i.e. a squad of 4 rookies would be worth 4, while 4 veterans would be worth 12). You can also "trade" an action and raise a single stat of a model by 1. I.e. instead of paying 3 for a 3-action veteran, you could pay 3 for a 2-action regular with a +1 combat stat.

Factions include traders, scientists, military, independents, cultists and bandits which come with their own squad pros and cons. They can be allied, neutral or enemies to other factions. 

Crews collect "advances" (like XP) and can improve stats, equipment and skills; which can also be purchased with cash. Wounded/downded models can collect injury effects. You can buy new gear and weapons for cash and hire new recruits.  It's a typical Necromunda/Mordhiem system, but on the light side.

Missions

The missions themselves have "threat levels" based on how far you go into the Zone. "Hot Spots" are marked places on the table that can contain loot or threats - more dangerous missions have more hot spots with more risk vs reward dilemmas. Hot Spots can be triggered by base contact or a "bolt toss" (a tribute to STALKER) and spawn random hostile mobs which must be eliminated before the area can be searched for salvage. Sometimes a hot spot can trigger a dangerous but valuable anomaly. This must be cautiously searched using a Will Check (and a detector) to collect rare artifacts - or suffer dangerous effects.

The missions themselves are more suggestions - Zona Alfa is designed to be played with mates, creating your own stories and missions, rather than competitively. There's a mere three fully fleshed out mission examples.  The hot spots and Zone threats are cool and give a STALKER vibe, but there's nowhere near enough "proper" missions. 

TL:DR Recommend? Yes

There's nothing new or exciting but it does what it says on the tin - deliver a simple, unobtrusive set of rules that don't interfere with playing a game. Its consistent mechanics and sensible amount of special rules means it is an easy game to teach to newcomers or as a club game. It has a reasonable campaign system and interesting "Zone" mechanics, but lack of proper missions are a drawback. It's not an exhaustive, complex ruleset, and is clearly aimed at narrative, not competitive play. If you want to get minis on the table, and game a campaign in the "Zone" - then I can strongly recommend Zona Alfa.

Creating 15mm Sci Fi Rules "The Forgotten" - Shooting, CQC, Morale

This will conclude the 4Ms - the core mechanics of the rules. I'm not 100% happy with the morale/suppression rules and this will probably be tweaked, but at least now I have something I can playtest. This is "Stage 1" -  how you fight, shoot etc - which should be simple and easily resolved. It should be all "under the hood" and strive to be simple, familiar and straightforward.

The difficult game design stage will be the demon possession resource mechanic (a kind of Warmachine-esque magic/buff to troops), and how to incorporate hacking/cyber war - it's like two magic systems in the same game.  

SHOOTING

I've tried to keep a consistent mechanic - rolling high on d10 is good. Cover should be important. The soldier's facing should matter. Not too many modifiers to remember.

Each soldier has a SHOOT stat. You must roll equal or above the stat to hit a target. The dice roll can be modified by things like range or the firer’s stance, or the target’s cover.

Firer

+1 Stationary

-1 Normal move

Target

+1 close range

+1 facing away

-1 long range

-2 in  cover/obscured

Cover & Flanking 

A target counts as in cover if it is touching/ within 1” (a baselength) of the cover; if the firer is in its rear 180 the cover does not count.

Suppression/Shock

Two or more near-misses (shots that fail by 1) or non-damaging hits may trigger a SHOCK test.

Aimed Fire

A soldier who is stationary or moving cautiously can choose to fire a single shot that is either +1 to hit, or +1 to damage rolls.

Blind Fire/Spray n Pray

This is firing fully automatic (Rof3+) or blast weapons and may be used against a not fully-visible target at medium ranges. You may attack any targets within 3” (Rof3) or 4” (Rof4) of the nominated point – you “share” the shots but may nominate where extra shots go. All rolls are -1 to hit.

Grenades

These are thrown using the CQC roll and range is PHYS x 2. A hit means the grenade is placed where you want; a miss means it scatters 1d6” randomly.

CQC (MELEE)

I've tried to keep it simple and consistent with the shooting while allowing some choices. Inspired a little by LOTR:SBG.

Each soldier has a CQC stat. Both combatants get to roll when the attacker moves into base contact.

The attacker must roll equal or above their CQC stat to hit; before this roll, the defender can choose to block (rolling to cancel out any hits) or counter (rolling to hit and damage - AFTER the attacker); which they execute by also rolling equal or above their own CQC stat.

+1 Target facing away

-1 Outnumbered

Pushback & Breakaway

The successful fighter (or the one with the highest roll if they both succeeded) can choose to pushback an opponent 1” or disengage themselves backwards 1”. Otherwise they remain in CQC for their next activation.

Two handed weapons, Shields and Dual Wielding

Shield – you can throw a second dice which is only used to block hits; adds +1 DEF vs shooting

Dual weapons – you can throw a second dice, but both will either be -1 to hit or -1 to damage rolls

Two handed weapons – you can choose to power attack; add +2 to damage rolls, in exchange for -1 to hit roll

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Original DAMAGE v1 (using d6s)

I borrowed this off Kill Team but I will probably swap this out for a d10 based mechanic.

Shooting – compare the weapon’s Damage to the target’s Defence and roll a d6.

Melee – add the weapon’s Damage to the wielder’s Strength, compare to target Defence and roll d6.

Defence is 2x or more better = 6+ kills

Defence is better = 5+ kills

Both equal = 4+ kills

Attack is better = 3+ kills

Attack is 2x or more better = 2+ kills

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New DAMAGE v2 (using d10, more consistent following of rules)

My original idea used d6s, so I've swapped it out so the d10s and mechanics are consistent.

Shooting - roll above weapon's ATTACK POWER to kill.

- defender armour level (i.e light armour -1, heavy armour -2)

- cover level (soft cover -1, hard cover -2)

Melee - Roll above attacker's PHYS to kill

+ weapon ATTACK BONUS (i.e. sword +1, 2H axe +2)

+1 if attack from rear

- defender armour level (i.e light armour -1, heavy armour -2)

 ----------------------------------------------

Death & Injury

Most models are automatically “killed” (or “downed”) – basically a kill is an incapacitatingly serious injury.

Wounds & Heroic Saves

Some heroes (and possessed models) may roll an extra “save” to avoid being “killed” This is tested against PHYS or even other stats as directed by the special rule.

Some extremely tough or bulky models can be “wounded” – absorbing damage that would incapacitate or kill a lesser being. A wounded model is -1 to all rolls and halves movement permanently and receives a red token under its base.

-----------------------------------------------

MORALE/SHOCK

Troops will not always do as they are told – especially if demonic entities are about! The ability of a demon to override its hosts’ fear becomes a useful boon. “Shock” is a catch-all for disorientation, terror, concussion/blast from non-penetrating hits, and temporary impairment of a units capability.

I'm not happy with these rules - as fear will be a major factor in rules involving dark occult forces.

*A unit must test for shock if:

1. A member of their fire team or the overall leader is downed

2. It receives 2+ near misses or a non-damaging hit

3. A special rule applies – e.g. fighting (or attempting to fight) a possessed enemy in CQC

*A shocked unit can choose to:

1. Duck back (if in cover) and forfeit any actions/held actions – and avoid a shock token

2. Sprint away from the enemy that gave shock (if it does not result in moving closer to other visible foes) – and avoid a shock token

3. Accept the shock token and take other actions

*A unit who has received a shock token

1. Must defend and attempt to disengage from CQC

2. Has -1 to all rolls and must fire at the closest visible enemy

3. Cannot move towards enemies

*A unit can remove a shock token by

1. Forfeiting their activation when in cover/not in CQC

2. Moving away from all enemies at full speed

3. Having an ally forfeit their action to “rally” them

Basically I want it so "shock" is a catch-all for fearful or disorientated troops who will not act under the gamer's control, and make certain predictable automatic reactions. I'm not sure if this will work in practice.

Well, the easy bit (core mechanics) is done. I'll need to stat up some model and weapon profiles and play a game to see if the core mechanics work, then I can try to do the harder part - Stage B - aka demon rules, hacking/cyberwar - which is really what makes the game unique. Right now "The Forgotten" could be used for any generic game system with few tweaks - it's basically a slightly improved 40K.

Creating 15mm Sci Fi Rules - "The Forgotten" - Activation, Detection, Movement

Bear in mind these are typed in 30min bursts and I have not carefully proofed them. Also I am copy-pasting from Libre as I refuse to pay ongoing "rental" for programs like Office 365. So formatting may be a bit weird.

I decided to switch to d10 (I originally planned d6s merely as I had a handful sitting on my desk + it's easy to extrapolate odds based on LOTR/40K/Bolt Action experience.) However d6s are just so clunky - you can't fit enough modifiers "on the dice" and end up doing extra cover saves and rolls etc.  

The core mechanics I'm pretty relaxed about. They just need to be simple and consistent. Things that concern me more are activation, morale/suppression, and the "demon" system and cyber/hacking/drones. Using a d6 or d10 for rolls is neither here nor there. It's all just a way to produce percentage chances of events occurring.

Looking at the activation, I'm concerned how it handles "fire teams" - what happens if one model is suppressed/knocked out and the other isn't?  I'll have to play it once the core 4Ms (move/missile/melee/morale) are in place as I already have some concerns about "holes in the rules."  I suspect I would be better off with 28mm using independent minis instead of 15mm in fireteams.

ACTIVATION

It’s alternate activation, with extras. It’s not meant to be amazing or innovative, just simple with enough player choice and a bit of friction allowing better troops to control the move sequence.

Activation is performed by fire teams of 2-4 troops. Players take turns holding the initiative (choosing which fire team to activate). Units make a combat quality test to activate – usually a 4+ (skilled), 5+ (regular), 6+ (green).

1.If a unit fails the roll, initiative instantly passes to their opponent. The unit can be re-nominated later by either player.

2.If they pass the roll their unit may either act, hold or choose an opponent in their line of sight to act.

If one side has already activated all its units; the other side must continue to make troop tests to continue activating; once one unit fails, the rest of their troops are placed on HOLD.

HELD ACTIONS (overwatch/reactions)

Troops can reserve their actions for later (aka overwatch) to interrupt enemy actions. They can declare the interrupt anytime, but must pass a combat quality test – if they fail it they act AFTER the move they were trying to interrupt. Held actions are only in response to the active player – you can’t interrupt a held action with a held action.

As held actions are “hurried” reactions in response to opponents, they are -1 to shooting rolls.

Any movement is halved.

FIRE TEAM “COHERENCE” aka FORMATIONS

This is the old 40K “all models in a squad must be 4” from each other” slightly rebadged.

Keeping squad together is encouraged (but not forced); via troops out of contact with their fire team suffering some disadvantages:

1. Must pass a quality check to move towards enemies ; if fail will HOLD.

2. Must pass a quality check to engage anyone except the closest enemy

3. Must pass a quality check to move out of cover; if fail will HOLD.

4. -1 to all dice rolls on Will checks

DETECTION/FACING

I want models to have vision arcs as it is both logical and allows more tactical positioning without too many extra rules. The light/dark mechanic may be overly complex, but I want it to fit the darkness theme with demonically possessed stormtroopers running around in unlit space station corridors.

VISION ARCS

Models “see” in a 180d arc. This should marked on the minis base with a strip of paint to prevent confusion. If there is an argument, players roll a dice – the highest decides what arc it is.

-If a model cannot see another, it cannot attack it or use a held action against it 

-If it is attacked by an unseen model, it is +1 to be hit as it does not take cover and react normally.

VISIBILITY RANGE

Range is assumed to be unlimited to any in LoS unless:

Stealth – target is stationary or using cautious slow movement that ends in cover – halve detection or 18” max range, whichever is shorter.

Low Visibility (steam, dog, semidarkness) – 12” max detection range
Darkness (nearly pitch black) – 6” max detection range

Light Sources

Light sources can cancel low visibility or darkness in a radius around them. Most weapons create a light source when fired. I.e. if you shoot everyone in LoS can see you.

Spirit Vision (to be expanded on later; this is more a placeholder to remind me)

Possessed models can detect the life force of models (in a 360d arc) within 12” – regardless of LoS or cover.

 

MOVEMENT

This is just a quick framework – I’m not wedded to any of the ideas. Units move in fireteams. Their movement is videogame-esque. The climbing and jumping rules probably won't be playtested much and they are more a placeholder than anything else.

Cautious Move – half move. Allows stealth or accurate firing; crawling or crouching.

Move – usual movement. Allows firing with a penalty. (-1?)

Sprint - +50% move. No firing.

 

Climb, Jump & Fall

A model can climb 1” without a ladder. Take a Physique test – pass = halve move; fail = stop at top of climb. A natural ‘1’ = slips and falls.

A model can drop 2” without a ladder. For longer drops, roll a Physique test – a pass = can drop 2-4” without injury.  Falling Damage = attacked at 1:1 attack/def each 2” beyond the first 0-2”.

A model can jump 1” horizontally. For longer jumps, roll a Physique test – a pass = can jump 2”.

 

Okay, my 30min is up - it's storytime for my kids soon. Perhaps I should do a blog on "time management for hobbyist dads." Perhaps I'll get time to do combat mechanics later tonight. It should be easy as I'm trying to keep it simple as possible. I want to be able to focus on the demonic resource management, not complicated combat mechanics.

Creating 15mm Sci Fi Rules "The Forgotten" - Design Brief, Game Requirements

 This came from a desire to experiment with a shared resource mechanic and a desire to use my 15mm sci fi for something that isn’t merely Vietnam-in-space or rebadged Rogue Trader.

The fluff: 

The Rapture spoken of in the Book of Revelation has come. The holy have ascended to heaven, and the earth has been destroyed in fire. However, Revelation didn’t mention the unbelievers who were in space stations, asteroids, or terraforming colonies….

Twenty years on, darkness and horror stalks the remnants of humanity – the “Forgotten”. The Forgotten form factions, warring for valuable resources, usually under the patronage of powerful demons who compete for resources, followers and prestige. The small populations of these colonies and bases do not support large armies. Instead, small special ops teams are aided by their demonic patrons in desperate strike missions and boarding actions, as resources (and potential vassals) are rare and previous. Something along the lines of Alien meets Mass Effect and Demon: the Fallen.

Possession Mechanic

Demons are incorporeal spirits, only able to influence the world via a willing Host.  A demon can grant a portion of its essence to a Host, "possessing" them and boosting them to inhuman feats of strength and endurance, channelling miraculous powers. However this is not without risk – when a Host is destroyed, any demonic essence within is banished, leaving the demon weakened compared to its rivals until it can be later restored through complex rituals.

Another twist in this future is that the weaker a character’s Will, the easier they are to possess; but the weaker also their morale, resolve and susceptibility to hostile possession.

GAME DESIGN BRIEF

I want to keep the mechanics (activation, movement, combat, morale) simple and familiar so as to focus on possession mechanics without too much mental overload. Currently I am using 15mm so I am using them in fire teams of 2-4, as the 15mm infantry look better in groups rather than as stand alone pieces.

I want the game to work as a standard, simple cyberpunk/near future game first; then “bolt on” possession mechanics on top. These possession mechanics will work a little like an off-table Warmachine warcaster. Hacking and drones will be a separate layer which is independent of the possession mechanics (i.e. mechanical objects cannot be buffed or debuffed by spirits) but will be more basic.

WHAT DO YOU NEED/KNOW TO PLAY 15mm Models. I’m planning on “squad-to-to-platoon” scale - the basic “maneuver unit” is fireteams of 2-4, and the rules should handle 4-8 fireteams – so between 8-32 models. Gear A handful of of d6s at the moment (may later switch to d10s); Tape measure (2” = 5cm) A d10 is handy for scatter dice (the top of the triangle of the top number shows direction) EM4 tokens for HELD (white); SHOCK (yellow); WOUNDS (red); and POSSESSION ESSENCE (black), Stealth (green) which should fit under the 15mm models bases neatly. For testing, I'm using a 4x4 or 4x3 table with plenty of cover. Dice Rolling Usually you need to roll equal or above a stat to succeed i.e. if your SHOOT is 3, you need to beat 3+ on a d6 to score a hit. Character Stats (M) Move = how fast and far you run (CS) Combat Skill = training, reactions, initiative under fire – roll equal or above to pass (SH) Shooting = firing accuracy – roll equal or above to hit (CQC) Close Quarter Combat = hand-to-hand skill – roll equal or above to hit (PHYS) Physique = muscles, physical ability – modifies CQC damage and some moves (DEF) Defence = combination of natural resilience, bulk and armour (WIL) Will = willpower, morale, resolve – also used to resist demonic influence A trained, baseline human marine in light armour would be M 4”, CS 4+, SH 4+, CQC 4+, PHYS 3, DEF 4, WIL 4+. A “normal” assault rifle is:  12/24/36, RoF 3, Damage 4. Bot/Remote Stats (CYB) Cyber = processing power, AI capabilities, bandwidth, i9 vs i3, etc (FIRE) Firewall = both software and hardware defence

As you can see, there's nothing spectacular here. So far, so very 40K. I will probably later switch to d10s for all resolution to make things more "granular." 

Next up, activation, detection and movement.

Spider & Quad GZG Mechs (Diary of an Average Painter)

In my hunt for suitable mechs - inspired by Gamma Wolves - (actually, I've decided to make my own hitpoint-free house rules) I've gone back to my 15mm sci fi roots (originally, this scale + spaceships was the main focus of this blog).

These are some old GZG "Krusties" I quickly re-based and touched up in the 40min I had spare today.

 

There are small, medium and large mechs - enough for a small battlegroup.

 

I prefer relatively neutral colour schemes so I can swap mechs between several forces. 

 

 I may remove the orange stripes leftover from my original paint-job. I think I wanted a District 9 vibe.

 

A better size comparison of small-med-large mechs.

Anyway, digging through my 15mm boxes (I've got about 5 unpainted armies.. from 2015!) has got me musing about 15mm rules again. I think 15mm is best at platoon level, as the infantry look good in squads with a few vehicles; but less impressive at squad level skirmish where soldiers move individually - that's where 28mm toys are worthwhile.

I've recovered my old SSD and have discovered drafts of two old 15mm projects where I attempted to get away from both gritty Stargrunt Vietnam-in-space and traditional Rogue Trader sci-fantasy.  One was a very cyber-hacking-drone centric game emphasizing flesh vs machine (basically, prettier cyberpunk if I'm being honest) but the other is more unique - where demons (represented by a "magic resource point pool" a bit like an off-table Warcaster) direct (and possess!) special forces teams that battle through space stations and mining colonies. Think Mass Effect meets Demon:The Fallen meets Alien meets Warmachine.

I'm probably going to construct the second game on this blog - it's not a unique thing to do, but the only time I see folk do this is when they are peddling their Kickstarter game.