Wargame Design: A Glimpse at My Process

 

The most common question I get, is "How do you become a game designer?"  I have answered it elsewhere, but the key thing is that you need to have a complete game for people to play.  If you don't complete a game, it is really hard to get other people to play it.  In other posts, I have talked about the basics of game design like the 4Ms, Activation Methods, Chrome, etc.  However, the most important part of getting a game completed is having a process and following that process.   

What is a Process?

A process is just a series of activities that transform the inputs into the outputs.  In the case of a game, it is how you transform your idea/concept into an actual game. The inputs are your ideas, mechanics, influences, software, and other things that you need to create a finished game.  The outputs are the rules, templates, scenarios etc. needed to actual play the game.

There is good news and bad news about the Process.  The good news is that there is no single process that works for everyone.  The bad news is that there is no single process that works for everyone.  If you follow or read 10 designers you will find 10 different processes.  

1. Mike Hutchinson likes to put minis down on the table first

2. Jervis Johnson likes to use headers as an outline of what to fill in

3. Joseph McCullough sets aside at least two hours a day to write everyday

4. Ash Barker writes things on legal pads first

5. I like to make a potential cover first

No two designers have the same process.  The important thing is to find a process that works for you.

Inputs - Your Pre-Work

The inputs are the work you do to prepare to design a game.  I have often said a great first step to being a game designer is to play and read a lot of games!  Here is where you will find out a lot of important tools you can put into your tool box of designs.  Nothings springs out of your mind like Athena from the head of Zeus.  You first need a box of tools that you can draw from, and reading, playing, and exposing yourself to a lot of different games gives you the tools you will draw from. 

Second, you need to expose yourself to a lot of media.  What?  A whole lot of wargame design is based on "Vibes" (As the kids say today).  Therefore, exposing yourself to a lot of media helps you tap into the right "vibes" for a game.  You could call it inspiration?  I say Media because it can be movies, music, art, literature, and not always genre or miniature related.  Again, this gives you the tools you will later need to draw from when it is time for you to engage in the process of creation.  

Now, you are ready for you Concept.  I literally have folders full of concepts, and 95% of them will never get further than the concept folder.  Another 4% will get some fleshing out, but not enough to go further, another 0.8% will get some basic rules, 0.1% will get into post-production, and 0.1% of that pool of Concepts will become a finished work.  Knowing that concepts are the easiest part, you are now ready for the Process to begin. 

Getting Started

If you read my blog, you would think that I pick a concept and then write down the design goals for the game.  After all, I harp on the importance of them all the time, and I constantly refer to using them as the guiderails for a project.  I almost never start with the Design Goals.  

My first step is to weed out the Concepts I am going to work with first.  I do this by creating some make-shift covers for the work in PowerPoint and/or Canva using Wikimedia Commons (or similar tools) to get a feel for what is out there for public consumption.  I often also look at my existing miniature collection that I can use for a given concept OR decide which model range I would use to fill in the artwork for a project.  Very practical concerns.  If I can not find a model range I am interested in for the concept, I will often put the Concept straight back into the Concept folder and it will go no further.  Many a game has died thanks to this step.  

If any of you have read Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People you may recognize what I am doing here.  This is called Starting with the End in Mind.  The idea is to eventually have a rulebook and game that I can play.  Therefore, I will need miniatures to play it.  Why start a project in which I won't be able to play it by the time it is done?  Therefore, if I can't find inspiring minis for a concept I don't bother pursuing it.  

From there, I imagine what a player will need to play the game.  Again, looking at my intended miniature line is very useful for this phase of the project.  It sets the parameters.  I also look at other sources that are relevant.  Obviously, historical games I need to use reference materials to determine what a fighting force looked like.  This helps me gauge the scale of the game and begin to understand the POV I want to press for in the game.   

For me on a project, I often start with the units that make up the game and then work backwards.  I think about "If I have unit X, and they have Unit Y how do these units interact on the tabletop?  How does X shoot at Y?  How does Y know if they are injured by the shooting?  What happens?  

This helps me start to do two things.  First, I start to flesh out the core stat blocks.  This also helps me quickly fill out the 4Ms.  This is where I lean into the toolbox and start pulling out tools and applying them.  These are still making use of my Inputs.  I now have a basic idea of how things will work in the game.           

Now that I have the concept, a cover, some basic thoughts on stats, some core mechanics, and an idea of the miniatures I will need for the game, I write the Introduction page.  Sometimes these make the final cut, and sometimes they don't.  However, this is where I lay out what got me to think about this concept, my influences, and finally at this stage I am typically ready to write out my Design Goals.  It is important to note, that these Design Goals are not set in stone yet, but they rarely change significantly from here.  

Grinding the Gears Together

I now have an idea of where I am going with the game.  The first thing I do, is I write out the "Core Concepts"  This is typically 2-6 pages that lays out the key ideas or mechanics that the rest of the game hangs on.  I often also have a handful of units or combinations of units.  It is often enough to play A game, but lacks a lot of the things people would expect in a fully-fleshed out game.  

This is where I start grinding the gears of the machine together.  My first go through of Play-testing often happens at this stage.  If you have read about my approach, most of my initial work is all pencil on paper or just blocks moving around on a PowerPoint slide.  No miniatures are on the table, no paper templates are made, and no money has been invested at this stage.  

This is the first stage where I take an axe to my darlings.  Here is where I cut out things that do not work, re-interpret the rules, and sometimes put the project back into the Concept folder bin.  At this stage, I am evaluating the game on several levels: 

1. Is this a game that has something interesting to bring to the table? 

2. Is this a game that I am excited about?

3. Is this a game I would want to play?  

4. Is this a game I can finish the work on? 

The most common reason a game does not proceed is because of #4.  The core game maybe fun, I maybe excited about it, but when I look at what it takes to "finish the game" I decide that it would take more effort and time than I can put into it.  For example, if it would require me to make a lot of tables of results or cards to draw; I often scrap the project as too much work.   Similarly, if a game would require a lot of unique or interesting artwork, miniature lines, or components than I will also often scrap it at this stage.  

My projects all ready take 3-6 years to complete, so adding a lot of additional challenging elements beyond paper, dice, and measurement device can be beyond my scope.  Know your limits and I do not have the expertise, time, or money to invest into games that require a lot of those more challenging elements. 

The Core Writing

Now that I have the Core Concepts of the game, now comes the writing.  If a game manages to get this far, it is pretty easy for me to grind out the 4Ms of the game in 24-72 hours.  I have written enough games now, that I practically have a template and can re-use material from other rulesets about terrain, Line-of-sight, etc.  I also tend to use a Bullet Point fashion of writing and limit the amount of flavor text I put into the rules sections and a lot of the 4Ms can use similar steps even if the specific mechanics may vary.   

Keep in mind, at this point there are no scenarios, campaign rules, terrain placement, deployment rules, etc. that elevate a game beyond the 4Ms.  This is just the Core Concepts expanded out into a usable format.  This point is the second big hurdle for a game to cross.  At this point, I usually make some paper templates and start exposing it to some of my play testers in-person.  I ask the same questions again, but I also get some outside feedback.

1. Is this a game that has something interesting to bring to the table? 

2. Is this a game that I am excited about?

3. Is this a game I would want to play?  

4. Is this a game I can finish the work on? 

At this stage, a game can stagnate if the playtesters do not find the game of interest, or once on the table I realize it doesn't deliver the experience I was hoping for, or I realize that it needs extensive re-writes the game is at risk.  It is not uncommon for a game to die at this stage.  I simply lose interest in it, or there is too much work to get it across the finish line.  These can all lead to the project getting shelved at this point.    

And The Rest

If the game survives the Core Writing, the next step is adding all the things Players need and expect for a game to be a complete game.  This is where I add in the Scenarios, Terrain Placement, Deployment rules, army lists, campaign rules etc.  I actually recycle a lot of this material, and re-fluff it unless there is a very compelling reason NOT to recycle the material.  

I do not really enjoy filling in the blanks on these parts of the game.  One of the hardest things to do is write good scenarios!  Therefore, this part also takes a lot of time as I have to test and re-test it on paper and with paper templates on the table.  If I can do the Core Writing in 24-72 hours, this stage can take me up to a year to finish and I am recycling a surprising amount of it.             

This section I tend to do in spurts.  I tend to write mostly on Friday afternoon or Monday morning, because that is when my schedule allows me to write.  However, my writing isn't always focused on game rules.  I have to write blogs, Patreon posts, and other social media content too.  I may not always focus on rules, but I always write something on those two days.  Sometimes it is even good, but mostly it is bad.  

Post-Production

This is the longest part of my process.  Most of the heavy edits, re-writing, and slaying of darlings has been completed at this point.  I am not a huge fan of post-production.  In my mind, this is composed of the following steps: 

1, Final Play-testing

2. Painting the miniatures

3. Making terrain/tables

4. Taking photos

5. Sourcing art

6. EDITING (Bleh!) 

7. Lay-out

I mostly do all of my writing straight into PowerPoint to save time on lay-out, editing, and re-writing.  This is an easy lay-out tool that I am familiar with and have access too.  

Some of the longest parts of the process is sourcing miniature photos and artwork.  I tend to buy and paint what I need, because then when I am done I can at least play the game myself.  However, there are some projects where I have been able to get photos from a manufacturer, and that is much easier.  Sourcing artwork can also take a long time to commission an artist, get them to finish the project, and then get it into the lay-out.

One of the most troublesome aspects of Post-Production is this is the stage you need to commit resources.  All the other stages primarily just took your time and effort.  No game gets to this stage if there is any doubt that I will be releasing it.  I need to release it to re-coop any money I have put into it for post-production.          

This is also the stage in which I start to consider shopping the game around, or if I am just going to put it up on Wargame Vault.  The main considerations here are if your connections have interest in the genre, if they have similar rules in their stable all ready, if you are offering something of interest to the market, how soon you need the money, and how tired you are of working on this project.  Some people do this much earlier in the process, but when editors ask me to see the rules I prefer to have a complete set to show them, often with placeholder images and lay-out all ready complete.  This gives them confidence you can hit the deadlines they need.        

Congratulations You Have a Game

Normally, this has been a 3-5 year process at this point.  You have probably put in at least $200-$500 (or more) dollars in post-production that you will want to earn that back.  However, you have a game!  

If you are lucky, you have all ready sold it and gotten an advance, but most of the time that is not the case.  Instead, you made it because you wanted to and because you could. 

The last step is getting it to people to play.  This could be giving it away for free, self-publishing, electronic distribution, physical stock, or shopping it around to publishers.  There are benefits and downsides to all of these approaches, but that is a topic for another day.  

Final Thoughts

That is a brief look at my process.  However, there are no two designers who go about this the same way.  Everyone is different and what works for me probably does not work for you.  The key thing is to either know your own process, or be conscious enough to develop one before you start.  The process is what will get you through on days your muse has left the building.  The process is what will take something from concept to final product.  Without a process, it is really tough to complete a game for people to play. 

Bonus Content! 

As you probably know, the True Crit Gaming Guild has been playing through a simple Warzone control campaign for Kill Team.  We are entering the final campaign period, so things are heating up between our Chaos and Imperial factions.  After a Chaos heavy Turn 1, the Imperium roared back in Turn 2.  Going into Turn 3, things are looking pretty tight.  

At this pivotal time, I brought my Chaos and Imperial Kill Team to a couple of planned Guild days.  I managed to play a couple of games, both of them against Chaos Black Legionary lists.  This would be my second and third time playing against the Chaos Marines as my Imperial Sisters of Battle.  The Order of Saint Augustine Martyred was deployed away from the Cathedral and into the city proper as the Siege became more desperate and reinforcements and troops became limited.  

The Order was painted as part of my 5-Day Painting Challenge.  They are a compendium list, and are relatively straight forward to use.  They do not have a lot of special rules, and they are almost all equipped with bolters and power armor.  They struggled with the 3 APL of the Chaos forces, despite having a 10 Sister sized Kill Team.  

Despite killing off half the Chaos forces, it was not enough and they easily beat me on VPs, 6 to 12.  They were able to get to the Objectives much faster than I could, and I couldn't do much to stop them.  Once again, my Melta and Heavy Bolter did yeoman's work.  My Storm Bolter underperformed.  The Relic was worth its weight in gold.  Straight-up Bolters were very underwhelming against Chaos Marines with Mutagenic Flesh and other toys.   On the plus side, I was not tabled and ended the game holding some objectives.  However, if the game would have progressed I am pretty sure the Chaos Marines would have easily killed me off.           

The next battle the Chaos forces had a slightly different make-up on a different board.  Both sides were able to grab their objectives early, and hold onto them.  This time, my Melta-gun and Storm Bolter both disappointed me.  Heavy Bolter did it's job and caused plenty of fear and area denial.  

I got tabled at the very end of Turning Point 3 this time.  However, despite getting tabled, by a unusually powerful Chaos Acolyte Fireball; the game was much closer than the first game.  Even after getting tabled, the Chaos forces were only in a position to grab 1 new objective and win the game by 1 VP.      

I again struggled with the speed of 3 APL Chaos Marines that were tooled up for close combat fighting.  I maybe got 1, regular shot off at them before they were in my base shredding my dudes.  I tried to use Sisters as speed bumps, and it worked but I couldn't kill the baddies fast enough.  I managed to take out 3 of the 6 Marines again.  However, it wasn't enough.  

The Order of St. Augustine Martyred are 0-3 vs. Chaos Space Marines now.  Of course, Compendium lists are under-powered compared to actual Kill Team lists so I am not surprised per se.  I haven't quite figured out how to make better use of my numbers and a good way to negate the 3 APL of the Elite baddies.  I actually like the SoB's relative simplicity as a Kill Team, and I rarely have to look up how they play. 

Ultimately, the Imperium really needed me to win!  However, they will have to make due with my extra points for being fully painted instead!  

Until next time! 

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On The Painting Desk: Kill Team - Octarius Boxed Set

I have been playing a lot of Kill Team with my local Gaming Guild this year and last year.  I had primarily just been using old Warhammer miniatures, but also picked up and painted a few Kill Teams in the last few years as palette cleansers.  I painted up the Corsairs, Hand of the Archon, and some Sisters of Battle.  Through all of these games, I had been bumming tokens and other brick-a-brack for the game from others.  I didn't expect the popularity of Kill Team to go away, so I decided to bite the bullet and get the Octarius boxed set.  It was pretty cheap.  However, from that boxed set there was a decent amount of "stuff" to paint up.  This ranged from barricades, widgets, terrain and two new Kill Teams!

I got to work on it pretty fast so I could clear the work out of my queue.  This had not really been on my Goals and Objectives for 2024.  I wanted to keep it freed up for a larger project later in the year.  What exactly was still a bit unclear.  

The first thing I painted up was the 6 barricades.  Nothing special, just some quick primer and some Speedpaints to get them done and ready.  I needed them pretty quick for some games!  I also primed the Widgets via brush, but didn't bother painting them beyond that.  The Prime would help me know which widgets were mine! 

You can see a barricade in action in this game!

From there, I assembled the Kill Teams.  I had to make some decisions early on, and here are some of the key ones.  For the Vet Guardsmen, I decided not to use all the fancy guys I could.  I went with a Vet Sarge, two vet guardsmen, a Medic, a Spotter, a Hardened Veteran, a Melta, a Plasma, a Sniper, and a Zealot.  I skipped out on a few of the special dudes.  Controversially, I had to do some conversion work as some of the gunners re-used parts from others, so it was tough to get the load-out I wanted.   

For the Orks, I also made some controversial choices like skipping the Power Klaw on the Nob, ditching the Comms boy, and skipping the Burna.  Instead, I used like 4 standard Kommando Boyz.  Orks have gotten a LOT bigger than when I started with them in 1st edition- RT days! 

Then, I managed to get a sunny, warm-enough day and got them all primed with Grey Seer from a spray can.  This was the Orks, Vets, and the Octarius scrap terrain.  From there, I followed my usual approach of Dark Grey wash and then dry-brushed with white.  This was to prepare them for a good Speed painting! 

I decided to start with the Vet Guardsman.  After all, the Siege Perilous campaign I was part of was Imperial vs. Chaos.  Sure, my Orks were Blood Axe mercenaries and have been since 'Ere We Go days, but I figured the Imperials might get used first.  Plus, they were much more uniform in color and would be easier to batch paint.  

I actually started painting their boots, and just kind of worked my way up the models as I went.  A slightly different approach to how I usually paint.  I typically start at the lowest level, i.e. exposed skin;  and then work up from there.  Since they don't really have any exposed skin I figured this approach was as good as any.  I pretty much made up the color scheme as I went, using the Armypainter Speed Paint colors I had.  These guys took me about 10 hours to completely paint, wash, paint the base, and seal.  The bases came-out way too dark though, but I am not going back to fix them.  These guys are perfectly usable in games now.  

Next, I turned my attention to the Blood Axe boyz.  I figured I would tinker with the Ork terrain as I went along too.  Again, I didn't really start off with a color scheme in mind.  One of the fun "ideas" about Blood Axe boyz from first Edition was that they tended to wear camo colors, but combinations that weren't very effective!  I liked that idea, but was not sure I could pull it off.  Plus, my older Ork boyz were a combination of Bright Blue and Light Grey.  I figured I might want these new ladz to blend in with that force a bit.   

These guys were a bit of a bear to paint.  They are much bigger than the Vets, and they have a lot of stuff going on with them.  A simple speed paint ended up painting the boyz themselves, and then their packs.  It was like painting two different models there was so much going on with their packs!  These guys will fit in just fine with the rest of my Ork Boyz.  

The only parts left to do were the terrain bits.  Honestly, an air brush would have made short work of these, but I don't have one.  Therefore, I decide to brush the majority of it with Speedpaint using Fiery Orange and Grim Black for the bulk of it.  I could have really gone into detail, as these scrap piles had a ton of it.  Ultimately, I decided that I didn't need terrain to overshadow my minis, so I skipped most of the finish work. There is too much detail and I question if "scrap piles" was the best choice for a starter box.  Something that you could paint easier might be a better choice in the future.  Something like crates and barrels, craters, or rock spires maybe?  These were a bit of a chore and slowed down my ability to just play some games.     

There you go.  All the terrain done and ready to game with! 

Final Thoughts

Well, there you go!  That wrapped up my Octarius Boxed Set.  I think the whole thing took me about two months from purchase to finishing the painting on it.  Of course, I am an experienced painter who has spent a lot of time learning how to paint quickly, and who has most of the proper tools.  

As a place for a beginner to start on Kill Team who hasn't played miniature wargames before?  I am not sure this is a great place to get started.  The minis are awesome, but not that easy to paint or assemble.  The terrain is mostly big pieces, but not easy to paint.  The play mat will tear in a matter of days playing and would be better served with a folding, thicker board.  You know, like a Blood Bowl board.  The basic rules are solid and not too complex, and the way they introduce the rules via scenarios is good.  However, each Kill Team has a lot of special rules with individual models often having something unique about them.  

Is this a good place to start wargaming?  Without a mentor or local gaming group?  Probably not.  If you do have a local store, group, or a fellow experienced gamer though it is a pretty good value.  

Could I make a better starter box to attract existing gamers and be good for complete newbies?  Nope.   

Until next time.         

Become a Patron and get access to all the cool stuff, a peak behind the curtain of Blood and Spectacles, and early-access to playtest games!  

Blood and Spectacles Patreon! 

You can follow Blood and Spectacles Facebook page or Instagram for more fun! 

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Battle Report: Hostile Space - Raid on the Red Knight Base.

 

The following is a battle report for my latest game, Hostile Space: 

The trading contract for the Freehold of New Arcadia will expire and come up for re-negotiation in the next rotations.  Traditionally, these contracts have been held by corporate interests aligned with the New Olympians, and New Arcadia was considered within the New Olympians sphere of interests.  However, the free hold is located in the Asteroid Belt, which the Earth Alliance views at its territory.   

With the contract set to expire, elements of the Earth Alliance have begun aggressively courting New Arcadia.  They have offered lucrative incentives, and coupled them with veiled threats.  In fact, some smaller trading and prospecting vessels from New Arcadia have gone missing in the region.  The Earth Alliance has cited this as a prime reason to change contracts, as the New Olympians have failed to properly protect and enforce the expiring contract.

The powers that be on NeOlympus have deemed it necessary to reinforce their alliance on New Arcadia.  To this end, they have deployed a patrol ship and a compliment of suits to New Arcadia space.  A Carrier arrived and dropped off just such a ship before continuing on its route.  The New Olympian commander on the scene has pledged to find the cause of the missing prospecting vessels.    

After chasing down leads to the Outsider Confederacy aligned Liberty Pointe, New Olympian agents were able to uncover that the Red Knights Mercenary Company was involved in the attacks in New Arcadia space.  The Red Knights are closely aligned with the Earth Alliance.  

New Olympian agents using a combination of espionage, human intelligence work, and predicative analytics believe they have located a possible location for the Red King base in New Arcadian space.  Therefore, the New Olympian patrol ship quickly deployed to neutralize this enemy base.  To avoid detection, they deployed their Combat Suit and Marine Landers at great distance.  These forces slowly closed the gap on their own power.  

However, the New Olympian attackers were detected inbound, and Red Knight forces scrambled to intercept them.  They needed to buy their comrades time to destroy any potential intelligence to their employers, evacuate the base, and attempt to evade capture.   

Forces:

New Olympians

3 Ares Space Combat Suits

- 1 Upgraded with #1 - Heavy beam Cannon

3 Hephaestus Lander

Red Knights

1 Shepherd Suit

- Upgrade- Combat Shield

4 Bulldog Suits

- 1 Upgrade- Rocket Tube   

3 Mongrel Defense Platforms

3 Beagle Defense Satelites

Mission

We will be using Mission 11- Assault the Base found in the main rule book.  In this scenario, the Attacking New Olympians are trying to land troops to take the enemy base.  Meanwhile, the New Olympians will gain extra VP if the Transport manages to land troops. 

Set-up   

We will be playing on a 72 x 48 MU board the long way.  1 MU is equal to 1 inch.  

The Red Knight side of the board is a large asteroid.  This is 6x6 MU and covers altitudes 2-4.  The base in the center of the asteroid and at altitude 4.  This large asteroid is 12 MU in from the deployment zone, and 12 MU in from one of the board edges.  Attempting to fly through the asteroid at height 2-3 will result in a collision and the unit being destroyed.  4 can land on the asteroid.  5 Smaller asteroids are set-up in the battlespace at various heights.  They only apply to that height.  

The Red Knights are deployed anywhere within 12 MU of the base.  The Mongrels are on the base as a last line of defense.  The Combat Suits and Defense Satellites are trying to make a perimeter to stop the attack.  The Suits are going full-speed to intercept.  

The New Olympians are coming in from the opposite side.  They are approaching with a Suit escorting each Transport. They are spread out to try and get past the defenders.

As usual, I won't be detailing every move or shot fired.  I will try to focus on the highlights.  I have broken the game down in the Maneuver Phase where both side close, the Battle Phase where most of the shooting takes place, and the Disengagement Phase as the battle winds down.    

Maneuver Phase

The New Olympian forces shift to their right to close in on the Red Knight base.  The central transports stay high to try to avoid defenses, while the right tries to duck under the Mongrel on the asteroid.  The Red Knight commander and 1 escort try to hang back to catch stragglers.  

Battle Phase

The battle heats up fast as the two sides quickly close and engage across the front.  The Red Knights take the worst of it, with two damaged Suits, but 1 Ares is also damaged badly in the initial exchange. 

The Red Knight Mastiff slipped in behind a transport, but a dead-eyed shot from the Ares with the Heavy Beam Cannon vaporized the Merc.  First kill to the New Olympians!  However, it doesn't all go the New Olympians way as a Mongrel platform blasts a Ares from space. A Defense satellites damages another Ares as well.  A Bulldog manages to rotate and hit a Transport too.  

The Heavy Beam Cannon strikes again and takes out the Rocket Tube armed Bulldog before it can fire!  A Mongrel ground platform manages to snag the damaged and trailing final transport, but not enough to kill it. A Transport uses its Beam cannon to destroy the Mongrel defending the target asteroid.  

It looks inevitable that the New Olympians are going to land and storm the base.  The Mongrel Defense Platform has been destroyed, and an Ares Combat Suit has landed to support the attack.  However, a Bulldog scoots across and uses the last of its ammo in a burst to destroy one of the New Olympian Landers!   

Disengagement Turn

Two New Olympian transports land on the Asteroid, supported by a landed Combat Suit.  The marines make quick work of the outside defenses and quickly breach the base.  The remaining Red Knights quickly signal their surrender.  The Red Knight base has been secured, so the Patrol Ship begins the slow approach towards the asteroid cluster.  

. 

Conclusion

The New Olympians easily win by taking the base.  However, it was a close run thing, with the Red Knights managing to take out 1 Combat Suit, damage two others, and destroy a transport.  The Red Knights lost their Mastiff, 1 Bulldog (with Rocket tube), a Mongrel, and two damaged suits.  Landing two transports made it easy to overrun the base and score the +50 VP to seal the game.  

I think the big question of the game was, how did the non-Combat Suits do?  The answer is.... pretty well!  The Mongrels managed to take-out 1 Ares, and a Defense Satellite survived and attack and damaged another.  The Transports also managed to take out a Mongrel.  Of course, the Hephaestus Landers actually won the game by managing to land on target.  The Mongrels managed to consistently get shots up, the Beagles were a bit less successful, but as a threat in being it forces the New Olympians to maneuver around them.  Better placement may have seen them play a bigger part in the game.  

As the breaching charges blasted through the airlock to the Mercenaries' base, a general surrender chirped through the open channels.  This aligned with the Concert of the Solar Systems Conventions on Mercenary and Military Activity.  From there, it was a simple matter for the Marines to secure the prisoners.  

The big question was, would the New Olympians find what they needed to link the Red Knights back to the Earth Alliance.  With the base secured, the New Olympian Patrol Ship was able to come in closer, and shuttle technical and investigative staff to the base.  The Red Knights were professionals so it was not easy to dig out the details, but the New Olympian investigators were also very good at their jobs.  The attack had been enough of a surprise and swift enough for them to discover a treasure trove of data.  

With a journey back to New Arcadia, the New Olympians had plenty of time to go over the evidence and prepare their case.      

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Battle Report: Hostile Space- Escort to Liberty Pointe

 

The following is a battle report for my latest game, Hostile Space: 

The trading contract for the Freehold of New Arcadia will expire and come up for re-negotiation in the next rotations.  Traditionally, these contracts have been held by corporate interests aligned with the New Olympians, and New Arcadia was considered within the New Olympians sphere of interests.  However, the free hold is located in the Asteroid Belt, which the Earth Alliance views at its territory.   

With the contract set to expire, elements of the Earth Alliance have begun aggressively courting New Arcadia.  They have offered lucrative incentives, and coupled them with veiled threats.  In fact, some smaller trading and prospecting vessels from New Arcadia have gone missing in the region.  The Earth Alliance has cited this as a prime reason to change contracts, as the New Olympians have failed to properly protect and enforce the expiring contract.

The powers that be on NeOlympus have deemed it necessary to reinforce their alliance on New Arcadia.  To this end, they have deployed a patrol ship and a compliment of suits to New Arcadia space.  A Carrier arrived and dropped off just such a ship before continuing on its route.  The New Olympian commander on the scene has pledged to find the cause of the missing prospecting vessels.    

 Investigating the last know location of one of these New Arcadian Prospecting ships, the New Olympians had unusual activity on their scopes. The New Olympians engaged the hostiles and drove them off.  Post-battle analysis allowed the New Olympians to identify that the suits engaged were of Earth Alliance design.  However, the Earth Alliance is well known for selling their tech to anyone with the currency to buy it.  Identifying their suits would not be enough to link them to the loss of the Prospecting Ships from New Arcadia.  

Therefore, the Patrol Craft tracked their potential telemetry to a nearby Asteroid that could house a forward operating base.  En route, unknown suits were identified attempting to transit from the area.  Again, a vicious dogfight ensued, but the apparent lead suit escaped while the new Olympians lost one of their heavier suits in the fighting.   

With their leads running dry, the Captain set course for Liberty Pointe.  The Pointe was a well known haven for freebooters, criminals and smugglers, just the type of place where pirates would try to off load their ill-gotten gains.  The New Olympians hoped to pick up the trail there.  

After travelling through open space for several weeks, the Patrol Ship finally was able to contact Liberty Pointe.  Technically, Liberty Pointe was under the protection and aligned with the Outsider Confederation.  However, they graciously allowed a single New Olympian transport escorted by a few suits to enter dock at their Free Hold and pursue the investigation.  

Members of the New OIympian Diplomatic Corp as well as a criminal investigation team boarded the shuttle with their honor guard of marines.  The transport left the dock, and her escort of Ares suits soon joined her on the transit to the Pointe.  

As they approached, the traffic from other ships in Docking Orbit and their transports also increased.  When they were outside of the protection of the Patrol Ships guns, but before they were in close orbit to the Pointe calamity struck.  A Cold-Void Storage Container en route to the Pointe burst open and unknown Suits swarmed out of it and towards the Transport.  Someone didn't want this investigation to continue!  The New Olympian Escorts scrambled to engage the enemy suits. 

Forces:

New Olympians

3 Ares Space Combat Suits

- 1 Upgraded with #1 - Heavy beam Cannon

1 Hephaestus Lander

Red Knights

1 Shepherd Suit

- Upgrade- Combat Shield

4 Bulldog Suits

- 1 Upgrade- Rocket Tube   

We will be using Mission 5- Escorts found in the main rule book.  In this scenario, the Attacking Unknowns earn extra VP for destroying the transport.  Meanwhile, the New Olympians will gain extra VP if the Transport escapes the opposite board edge, or avoids getting destroyed. 

Set-up

This time, we are playing on a 72 x 48 MU board.  That means 1 MU is 1 inch in today's battle. I have placed large "shadows" on the board that represent other freighters, cargo containers, and other craft.  They all cover a single altitude that was randomly determined.  Each has a dice next to them for Height.  The large frieghters cover all the altitudes for this battle.  If a Suit or transport enters the area of a shadow and is at the same altitude, it is considered destroyed. 

The New Olympians deploy on a short board edge with the transport in the middle at Beta and speed 4 about 4 MU in.  The rest of the suits form a triangle around the Transport at various altitudes all at speed 4. 

The Unknowns are on the opposite side of the boards.  They are at various altitudes and speed 6 and all deployed 6 MU from their edge. 

Maneuver Phase: 

Generally, the first few turns are the Maneuver phase and cover the to sides coming to grips.  I won't detail every action but lump them all together an touch on key points.  

The two sides closed in on each other quickly.  They converged in the center of the board, while the Transport tried to slip around the New Olympian right in the shadow of a large freighter.  By Turn 2 the furball had started.  The initial exchange one Bulldog suit was smoking.  

Battle Phase: 

Now that both sides are stuck in, the bulk of the rest of the game will be fighting.  This is the Battle phase, and I won't detail every move, just the highlights.  

As the Earth Alliance Suits try to close in on the New Olympian transport, an Ares manages to get a solid lock with his Heavy Beam Cannon and obliterates the attacker with a single shot!  Scratch one Earthling!  The New Olympian Transport's move to the right flank has caused a few Earth Alliance suits to be out of position.

The Rocket Tube equipped Bulldog dutifully chased the New Olympian Transport, sending rockets after it, but failing to find the mark.  However, Bulldog #1 managed to scratch-up and damage Ares #4 in a close-up firefight. 

End Phase:

Bulldog #1 managed to get into a Tailing Position on Ares #4 and blow him away with his MAS Rifle.  No escape pod was detected.    

Despite the loss, the New Olympian Transport is very close to the defensive umbrella of New Liberties port guns.  It is now or never for the attacking Combat Suits.  Ares #3 manages to damage the Rocket Tube equipped Bulldog as it stays with the Transport and tries to line up a last shot.  

The Shepherd gets the drop on the Ares with the Heavy Beam Cannon, and blasts it with a Swarm of Missiles.  However, some deft flying and defensive fire manage to keep the Suit alive but in rough shape.  Return fire from the Heavy Beam Cannon cuts through the missile swarm and burns the Shepherd out of space.    

The Earth Alliance lines up its last shot with the Rocket Tube, tries to wait for a solid lock, but time runs out and he fires wildly.  The rocket goes wide of the mark.  The Bulldog's rocket tube is dry.  

Disengagement Turn: 

The Transport manages to get to safety, escorted by the damaged Heavy Beam Ares. After some swirling and shooting, both sides break-off the attack.  

Conclusion: 

Victory for the New Olympians as they blasted their way through the ambush on their transport and managed to land their diplomats and investigators on Liberty Pointe.  The New Olympians had the better of it, by scrubbing two enemy suits and damaging two others, to the loss of 1 of their own and 1 damaged.  A clear Victory.     

It is tough to tell in this report, but this battle had a lot of strafing, rotating, flying backwards, and maneuvering in space that you don't see in most airplane games.  The Erath Alliance were hindered in this mission by their shorter range weapons.  Once the Transport broke past, they were stuck chasing and had a tough time closing the distance on the fast New Olympian shuttle craft.  However, the Rocket Tube kept it interesting!  The Lower Pilot ratings moving first, and better ones shooting first also hampered the Earth Alliance a bit.  However, that didn't stop a Bulldog from getting the drop on a Ares and being able to use Tailing Fire to wax it.  Maneuver was key in this one.       

The mysterious attackers blasted a EMP detonation to cover their escape.  A few days later, the Earth Alliance Combat Suits were discovered by Liberty Pointe authorities magnetized to the side of a cargo container.  Their pilots were no where to be found.  It could only be surmised that they abandoned their suits and were later picked up by confederates at the station.  The suits had been careful scrubbed of identifying markers or data.  It could only be assumed that their Mercenary pilots were still somewhere on the station.  

New Olympian investigators on Liberty Pointe eventually were able to root these Mercenaries and their collaborators out.  However, diplomatic red tape meant that they could not take them into custody.  Liberty Pointe was neutral territory.  However, simply identifying them as part of the Red Knights Mercenary Company was useful.  The Red Knights had known ties to official Earth Alliance personnel.  The case against the Earth Alliance meddling in the negotiations with New Arcadia was stronger than ever before.  

New Olympian intelligence used this new bits of information, along with their other details to piece together the potential staging point of the Red Knights in the New Arcadia region.  The New Olympians priority was to get back and disrupt that base!  New Olympian personnel scrambled back to their Patrol Ship and set course for their new target.   

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