Battle Report: Castles in the Sky - Club Med Adventures

 

The Austro-Hungarians are back and looking to blow-up some more British ships!  Their last face off had the Austro-Hungarians defend their borders against a British attack.  I am not sure they still count as freshly painted, but the Dual Monarchy is looking to see what their bigger ships can manage! 

After the Sudova Riviera Incident, the Royal Navy still had a bad taste left in their British mouths.  They had paid reparations, but it was the HMS New Zealand that had been lost with all hands.  This distaste made some captains in the Air Navy Service look for the chances to make the Austro-Hungarians pay.  

The Austro-Hungarian fleet was on maneuvers above the Mediterranean, clearly in international airspace, far enough away from any shores.  They had been careful to chart their path to avoid any international incidents.  However, the British Navy heard about these maneuvers and moved to shadow the Hapsburg fleet.  

On the third week of maneuvers, the British used a squall as cover to move close to the Austrian fleet.  The British ignored all attempts to communicate, and their ensigns signaled that they were intent on battle.  The Austrian admiral decided to indulge them.  

The Forces

The British

Queen Elizabeth class- Battleship - HMS Valiant- Comm 4

Duke of Edinburgh class - Cruiser - HMS Black Prince - Comm 4

Warrior class - Cruiser - HMS Ajax the Greater - Comm 3 (Green Die) 

Shah Class - Escort - HMS Trout - Comm 2

 

Austro-Hungarians

Erzhog Karl Class - Battleship- SMS Kaiser Max - Comm 3

Novarra Class - Cruiser - SMS Custoza  - Comm 4

Novarra Class - Cruiser - SMS Schwartzenberg  - Comm 3 (Red Die)

Zenta Class - Cruiser - SMS Spalato - Comm 4

Huszar Class - Escort - SMS Leopard   - Comm 1

Huszar Class - Escort - SMS Panther   - Comm 3 (Red Die)

Mission

This is a standard Patrol mission from the main rulebook.  Therefore, it will be 6 turns and use Armor Loss as the victory conditions.  

Set-up

The table is a 48 x 48 MU board with 1 MU equal to 1 inch.  This battle takes place far out over the Mediterranean.  Therefore, there is no ground-based terrain.   However, there is one large cloud bank, a left-over from the squall between the two fleets at Altitude 6.  

The Dual Monarchy is moving at an angle across the board in a general Line Astern formation between 3-6 altitude and 4 speed.  The British are coming in Line Abreast in the center of their deployment at Altitude 6 and Speed 5.  

As usual, I will be splitting the battle report into three broad sections to give an overview of the game, and not every detail and altitude and speed change.  This division will be the Maneuver Phase, the Combat Phase, and the End Phase of the overall battle.  

In addition, this will be my first game using my snazzy new Cigar Box Battles mat #105 Ocean.  I have 1-inch hexes put on it in case I use it for other games that may need them.  However, this game does NOT use the hexes for play.  This is my fourth mat I have gotten from Cigar Box Battles and I really love my fleece mats.  I have a general ground mat, a space mat, and an urban mat.  They are easy to fold up and store, light for easy transport, and stand-up to wear and tear really well.  Plus, I am in a cold region and in a pinch you can use these fleece mats as an emergency blanket!            

Maneuver Phase   

The Austro-Hungarian fleet had solid command and control.  They were able to dictate the operational pace during this phase of the battle. 

The Royal Navy eschewed subtlety in their approach and barreled forward just under the cloud heights.  The HMS Trout moved to try and get in front of the Dual Monarchy battle line.  The forward guns of the British fired at the enemy fleet ineffectively as they closed. 

The Austro-Hungarians were less eager to mix it up and tried to get the British to close into their broadsides.  However, return fire from the SMS Kaiser Max went catastrophically wrong when both main batteries jammed!  

The SMS Schwartzenburg also rocked the HMS Ajax the Greater with a barrage of torpedoes early in the maneuver phase, causing two serious hits.   

Battle Phase

The two fleets get to the action surprisingly quickly.  The HMS Valiant manages to get the SMS Schwartzenburg into her port arc.  The admiral gives the order to Fire for Effect, and the Austro-Hungarian cruiser is pounded by the big guns of the battleship for 1 hit and 5 friction.  

This means the Schwartzenburg can not fire her Torpedoes.  However, her sister ship the SMS Custoza has the HMS Ajax the Greater all lined up and fires away.  The Warrior manages to avoid the worst of it, but still is hit by three, and one finds a home.  Thankfully, they had prepared for impact and the damage was minor.

The British frigate blasted through the squall and fired her two torpedoes at the trailing SMS Spalato.  Eagle-eyed gunners manage to take out one, while the armored belt absorbs the follow-up shot.  In a similar fashion, the SMS Panther manages to hit the HMS Black Prince with a torpedo as the Austro-Hungarian escort manages to maneuver around the British fleet.   

The SMS Spalato and the SMS Kaiser Max pour damage into the little HMS Trout causing the ship to rock and flounder from friction.  In the exchange, her Rudder is jammed.  The Kaiser Max manages to clear the jam from her main guns. 

It is clear that the British are trying to cut-off the Austro-Hungarian command ship, so the admiral makes a decision and decides to Come About and plow into the Squall.  However, the British ships are able to close the gap and get into short range and line-of-sight.  

 In desperation, the Kaiser Max splits her fire between the HMS Valiant and the HMS Black Prince.  The Valiant absorbs the hits on her armor but takes Friction.  The Black Prince tries to Prepare for Impact but fails!  She takes friction and two more penetrating hits.   The British Admiral smiles wickedly, but the grin is wiped away as his command ship is rocked by the desperate Austro-Hungarian fire.  He can not Fire for Effect, but he is still confident his battleship outmatches his foe.  The big guns roar out and riddle the Austro-Hungarian command ship causing 6 friction and 4 hits.  

The SMS Leopard fires on the HMS Ajax the Greater, but the PD takes out two and the last torp misses.  The Ajax adds more to the Kaiser Max damage with two more real hits and additional friction.  The SMS Spalato targets the Ajax in retaliation but only causes friction.  The Austro-Hungarian Air Torpedoes had trouble hitting anything due to the winds from the squall. 

The fire from the Kaiser Max managed to unseat the forward Medium Battery of the HMS Black Prince, making the forward main gun inoperable.  In return, the Kaiser Max blew-up completely from the furious firepower from the Valiant and Ajax the Greater!  The detonation of her magazine is enough to engulf the three main British ships, and the SMS Leopard and Spalato.  The HMS Black Prince is damaged from the blast and has her screw fouled, however her captain decides to stay in the fight.  The HMS Ajax the Greater's bridge was destroyed in the blast as well.  The SMS Leopard caught on fire, and her bridge was also destroyed.  The HMS Valiant and SMS Spalato weather the blast unscathed.  

The HMS Trout manages to repair her rudder.  The Captain of the SMS Spalato takes command. 

End Phase   

Despite the loss of the command ship, it is still a close game based on Armor loss.  However, the Austro-Hungarian fleet is out of position, while the British are still in a solid formation.  Many of the Dual Monarchy's ships reload their Torpedoes, while the SMS Spalato Crash Dives to try and get out of the kill zone of the British fleet's guns.  

The SMS Panther drives straight for the HMS Trout and fires its bow battery at it, causing a hit.  Meanwhile, the British Admiral again fires for effect on the diving SMS Spalato and manages to tag it with a hit.  The SMS Custoza manages to sink a few long range air torpedoes into the HMS Trout as well.  However, the HMS Ajax the Greater also manages to hit the diving Spalato, but jammed her forward battery in the process.  

The SMS Spalato had its screw fouled, slowing it in its sprint to escape.  Meanwhile, the HMS Trout was crippled from the Torpedo and gunfire.  The Captain strikes her colors to avoid destruction.    The Leopard fails to put out the Fire on board.  

The SMS Schwarzenburg and the Custoza decide they are not done with the British just yet, and line up for an Air Torpedo attack.  The British HMS Valiant decides to Prepare for Impact.  The two cruisers launch a withering barrage that manage to overwhelm the point defenses of the British and hit the Battleship and the Cruiser.  The damage is enough for the HMS Ajax the Greater to Strike her Colors.  

With that, the Captain of the SMS Spalato signals for his ships to scatter and return to base.  

Conclusion

The British were left with the field of battle but took some serious damage in the process.  Let's go to the big board.  It looks like the British lost 17 Armor, to the Austro-Hungarian 13 Armor loss.  Technically, a win for the Austro-Hungarian forces.  However, the British can take some solace in destroying the Dual Monarchy Flagship and Battleship.  The late "loss" of the HMS Ajax the Greater and HMS Trout shifted the balance.  

Once again, the value of Air Torpedoes pays off.  Their ability to snipe from lower or higher altitudes is great.  The pair of Novarra class cruisers paid-off, and the Escorts were not bad either.  Too bad the SMS Leopard had a command rating of 1, so I had them on Battleship escort duty.  The SMS Panther worked great though.  The rest of the ships in the Dual Monarchy did their job but were not nearly as useful.  

The Queen Ellizabeth class battleship is terrifying to face.  Those powerful main batteries combined with the almost automatic ability to Fire for Effect can ruin any ships day.  It basically one-shotted the Kaiser Max!  If the British have one, eventually it is going to get a powerful broadside off.  It the HMS Ajax the Greater had not have struck their colors, it would have been a tie.  

The Royal Navy sense of pride had been satisfied as they sent the Austro-Hungarian fleet scurrying back to port.  Their control of the skies over the Mediterranean was confirmed for all to see.  However, close analysis by the Admiralty after the fact revealed the truth.  The Royal Navy had not covered itself in as much glory as they had hoped.  

At the Concert of Europe, the other powers looked upon them as the aggressors.  The Italians in particular were displeased with this show of forces in their desired sphere of influence.  The Foreign Office had hoped to pry them from the Triple Alliance by humiliating their traditional foe the Austro-Hungarians, but doing so over the Mediterranean only made the Italians suspicious of British intentions in the region.  

For the Austro-Hungarian point-of-view, this helped rally their balkanized people behind a united front.  National pride had been hurt by the aggressive British moves towards them.  The Dual Monarchy was more united than ever, and their ties with the Italians actually improved, despite territorial disputes between them.  The loss of the Kaiser Max had been a terrible loss of life and air naval power, but the boost in unity may have been a fair trade.  The crew became post-humous National heroes.

Until next time!

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RPG Review: Adventures in Rokugan- Asmodee/Edge Studios

 

I have always enjoyed Legend of the 5 Rings.  The 3rd and 5th edition books for the core rules are in my collection, well they were until my pigs got loose and ate them.  The 5th edition I quickly replaced but I have not been able to track down a good price on 3rd edition yet.  However, there is something about playing a game with a strict set of social rules, established culture, and where the characters are supposed to represent and uphold that order.  It is a very different experience than playing in a rough frontier setting.         

A few years ago, I ran a game and wrote out the module that I used to introduce my players; One Year in Rokugan.  It went well, and my players enjoyed it, but not enough to revisit the setting.  One of the primary reasons was that the game required a decent amount of system and lore mastery that they did not want to take the time to learn.  They were used to Dungeons and Dragons 5E and its tropes and had a hard time adjusting.  Plus, they felt that third edition was getting a bit creaky with age and the mechanics felt a bit... dated.  

I still want to go back to Rokugan, and when it is time to pitch the next campaign, I wanted to be ready with a Legend of the 5 Rings pitch.  If the move away from D&D 5E was a challenge, this seemed like a good way to bridge the gap.  I knew the Legend of the 5 Rings - 5th Edition rules would be a bridge too far for some of the members of my group.  This seemed like a good compromise that would make my pitch more likely to be accepted.  

With that said, strap on your Daisho, tune up your shamisen, and prepare to face the forces of the Shadowlands!

Things That I Liked

This book does a good job introducing you to the very complex world of Rokugan in a few short sections. I had a better understanding of the different Faiths in Rokugan than I had after reading both the 3rd edition and 5th edition books.  I had a better feel for the geography too.  Rokugan history and cosmology also clarified things very nicely for me.       

Backgrounds in this game are much more relevant in this book compared to traditional D&D 5E thematically and mechanically.  They are tailored to the world in and around Rokugan.  This includes guidelines to help create some "quick-builds" of classic archetypes in Rokugan.  This includes custom feats, ability score preferences, and details on which class and level benefits to take when.  I think some example or pre-gen characters would have been helpful here as well.   

There is an excellent section on motivations in this book.  Each character is expected to have two.  This will help with the role-play aspect of the game as they focus on duty, fear, ideals, desire, bond and regret.  In the GM section, they also have some ideas about how to tailor your campaign to fit with the desires your characters choose.  This is a good way to help the group make interesting characters to will fit with what the GM is looking to explore.  

There are a ton of unique techniques, invocations, and background specific feats.  These were clearly designed with a tactical battle map in mind.  This is a strong contrast to Legend of the 5 Rings - 5th Edition which leans into a narrative approach.  Martial characters like Bushi and Duelists earn Focus points to pull off Techniques, while Invocations (spells) use Favor to attract spirits.  Magic in Rokugan is not as powerful as in core 5E.  

There is also a unique take on magical gear.  It is a low-magic setting.  However, everything has a spirit and your weapon and armor spirit maybe awakened by triggering events to act like magical weapons.  This is a change from the GM handing out a ton of magical gear, a common trait of D&D.  

Things I Did Not Like

The Bushido Code is really downplayed in this game.  This code and the society around it is very unique and compelling.  It is the "secret sauce" that makes the L5R experience unique to other settings.  However, I think that flavor is lost in this book let.  I know Bushido is kind of verboten and linked to Japanese Nationalism and Fascism, but what they offer around here is the "Code of Akodo" just feels really watered down and uncompelling for the proper role-play in this setting.  They also play down the role of ritual suicide to maintain honor, and ask players and GMs to avoid using it as the topic is fraught with cultural and psychological land mines.  The game also went out of its way to make it accessible to players who did not want to be part of the Samurai class more than I have seen in other versions of the game.  

They allow you to play non-human and non-Rokugani types.  This is a pretty big departure from the Rokugan, and human-centric L5R.  There is a lot of information in the backgrounds about playing folks from the other nearby kingdoms and non-humans.  The book also goes out of its way to tap down on the xenophobia of Rokugan.  

The book also goes out-of-it’s-way to be inclusive.  In old versions, players could choose disabilities like missing an arm, blind, etc.  This book, has a side bar about how such disabilities would have no effect mechanically in the game.  In addition, if you have a language you know how to speak it, write it, and sign it.  Listen, I know American English pretty well but that does not mean I know ASL (American Sign Language). 

Many of the ways to best represent the Great Clans in Rokugan require a good deal of multi-classing.  I know not all of my group are into that.  However, most of the Rokugani character types make extensive use of this to get the right "feel" and abilities for the backgrounds.  Not a fan of this approach, and it makes an all ready rules heavy game extra clunky as you are layering on special rules with more special rules.  Ugh.  We really need a Powered By The Apocalypse version of this game with a ton of simple playbooks.       

There does not seem to be any mention of the corrupting influence of the Shadowlands.  This is a big departure, probably to allow a more hack and slash approach to dealing with the Shadowlands.  Plus, the name has since become problematic; the Taint.  The sample adventure takes place primarily in the Shadowlands further reinforcing that they want to make the Shadowlands simply a place to go "A-venturing" as opposed to the corrupting and insidious realm of chaos it is in other versions of the game. 

The Dueling rules are a bit scattered and do not make a lot of sense to me.  Also, it looks like they expect all duels to be to 0 HP, which makes even less sense.  Like the Duelist is going to square up against a monster and fight it, while everyone else does something else?  Duel rules have always been a bit of a challenge but they do fit a big part of the setting.  Here, they are still struggling to make them work in the D&D-5E rules structures.  I mean, these rules are just not as lethal or attritional as this system usually is.     

  

Meh and Other Uncertainties

I was happy that I had seen every movie that they recommended watching to get a feel for what this game was trying to capture.  I must be the target audience for this game! 

This game glosses over the Yasuki moving from the Crane to the Crab.  The Mantis are also not a Great Clan at this point either.  This aligns closer with 1st edition and 5th edition L5R lore, so they ditch some of the everchanging and living L5R lore.  Probably a good idea to help people transition from D&D into L5R.  The background used to be tied to the results of big tournaments for the Living Card game so it could get pretty complicated.  

As always, they bring awesome artwork for this book.  It is really evocative of the setting and makes it jump off the page.  Again, its background as an RPG, Wargame, and CCG help greatly in this regard.  I am sure some of this stuff comes from these other sources, but much of it was new to me.  

The book has an adventure for 3rd level players and above set in the Shadowlands.  This game was an adaption of a previous L5R adventure (at least I think it is from some of the blurbs in the book) but it feels very D&D in its lay-out and goals.  I am honestly not sure I like it as an introduction to the setting at all as it is very hack and slash focused, go slay the obviously evil dudes, and takes you away from Rokugan civilization and into the Shadowlands.  It seems to lean away from what makes Rokugan great in the first place in an attempt to be just another semi-generic D&D "solve all your problems with violence" type module.        

Final Thoughts      

Wow, this was not what I was expecting at all.  It is basically a new game that just uses the d20 D&D core mechanics as a base.  About all it keeps the same is the very basics.  The backgrounds, fighting styles, and classes are all new and different.  It still keeps the combat-oriented RPG approach that D&D has, and downplays some of the societal restrictions and social aspects of traditional L5R.  However, it is a mistake to think this is just a re-skin as it goes much, much deeper than that.  In a sense, this is L5R 4.5 Edition! 

If my players felt the rules and lore mastery for L5R was too much before, I am not sure this book makes that transition any easier.  Sure, the basic dice mechanics are the same, but the way the classes, techniques, and backgrounds interact make a completely different experience.  It is not like a Bushi is just a re-skin of the fighter class.  Shugenja are not just a re-skin of clerics.  They are all new and unique classes, abilities, and special rules, with the same learning curve about how to use them in the game.  I think Renegade Studios G.I. Joe: The Role-Playing Game might be a closer re-skin to D&D 5E than Adventures in Rokugan and that game uses the Essence 20 system! 

I am glad I picked this up because I love Rokugan and the setting around it.  However, I am not sure this product is the bridge between D&D 5E and Legend of the 5 Rings that it wants to be.  The transition will still be a difficult one.  Rokugan is not for newbie GMs and players, and this book touches on exactly why.  There is a lot of nuance, lore, and detail to this setting which is partially why I really love it.  It delivers an RPG experience unlike many others.      

Until next time.            

 

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RPG Design: The Essential Question of all RPGs

 

Most of you reading this post have probably been Role-Playing Gamers for a long, long time.  As a veteran gamer, it can be hard to put yourself back in time to that first time you picked up the dice and gave them a roll.  To think back to those first RPG experiences that led you down the path to playing these games for years to come.  I know I can barely recall those days, well at least with any accuracy.  They are all filled with the sepia toned tint of nostalgia.  I can't really remember what I was thinking or what if felt like the first time I met a Medusa in their lair, the first time I faced off against a Super-villain, or the first time I infiltrated a Corp lab.  

Thankfully, I don't have to remember.  Thanks to the True Grit Gaming Guild I encounter new players all the time.  These are folks new to the hobby or adventure gaming, whether it is miniature wargames or role-playing games.  I know the first thing that they think about when they play these games, and it is NOT the same thing that veteran players are thinking.  They always have one question, and it is up to a good set of RPG rules to be ready to answer it.  

The Essential Question?

Many veteran gamers will tell you that the most important question and the most interesting question is:

Why is my character doing this? 

This is essentially, the actor asking the director; what is my motivation?  This is an excellent question and one that experienced role-players will generate answers for.  Skilled GameMasters will tie into these motivations with their hooks and story lines.  However, the truth of the matters is that this question should not be answered by the rules of an RPG.  The answer to this question is intrinsic to the table, the players, and the GameMasters.  They are the ones who drive the answer to this question.  

It is a great question.  However, it is not the essential question for designers to consider.  For a designer, that is a different question.  

The Essential Question!  (For Designers) 

Okay, smarty pants if the Why is not the essential question that RPG Designers need to think about what is it?  I am glad you asked.  

Again, you have to go back to those first halcyon days of being a player.  The days when the broad world of RPGs was fresh and new, and you are taking your first steps into the world of cooperative story-telling and role-playing.  

The first question I hear come out of player's mouths is usually this one:  

Can I do X?

Initial role-players know why they themselves, as players are going to do something.  They are not interested in the why.  Often, they are not ready to Role-Play beyond the broadest archetypes such as fighter tough, rogue is sneaky, cleric heals, and wizard casts spells.  They are busy trying to absorb the fantastical adventure they have found themselves in.  

Instead, the focus of new players is often What?  The standard RPG response is, you do whatever you want as you control your character.  This is an unhelpful answer.  The paradox of choice overwhelms them, and instead they focus the question to the Essential Question of All RPGS.  Even experienced players trying a new game will face this same question.            

This is a question that designers CAN answer!  The answer is not intrinsic to the players of the game, but to the rules of the game.  They are what sets what CAN be done in the gaming space.    

Answering the Essential Question of ALL RPGs

Therefore, as a designer of RPGs you need to be able to answer "Can I do X?" in your rules.  Of course, those of us who have played a lot of RPGs know that the list of what X is can be very, very, very long.  It would be impossible to try and think of every single thing a player could come up with to try and do.  No matter how many things you write down and cover, players will come up with a new one.  It is impossible to out X players.  

If it is impossible to list and anticipate all the potential Xs a player can come up with, how can rules answer the Essential Question of All RPGs?  

There are three things to consider when contemplating this question: 

1. The Core of All RPGs 

This refers to the endless play loop of Situation + Player Action = New Situation

2. The Types of Scenes in RPGs

The idea that all scenes in an RPG have focus to them which suggests the action within them

3. Unified Rules Mechanics

The concept here is that all games should run on one basic mechanic that all other mechanics derive.  

These three concept work together to outline how an RPG Designer can help any player answer "Can I Do X?"  

Here is how these three concepts interact together during the nuts-and-bolts of playing a Role-Playing Game to answer the Essential Question.  Every scene is a Situation that your rules need to be able to "process" from point A (inciting incident) to point B (end of scene).  The Player asking the essential question is the supplier who begins the process of playing out the Situation.  Their input is any information on their character sheet that could apply to the situation such as attributes, skills, equipment, etc. or even information about their character from going beyond the numbers.  The heart of the GMs job will be to process those inputs into the outputs, which is the world's reaction.  If your game has a universal mechanic, than this process will often be a ruling or dice check that aligns with those Universal Mechanics.  The output will be how the scene reacts.  This is all for the benefit of the initial Player who asked the Essential Question.    

Therefore, as an RPG Designer your rules need to be able to reflect and set guard rails for this game play loop.

The Essential Question in Play

Here is a quick example of how this would work using Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition as an example.  The Dungeon Master explains that some Orcs have been sighted ahead on a distant ridgeline, carrying the stolen halflings with them.  The characters being run by new players are in pursuit.  The DM says that the Orcs are about 600 feet away, or two football fields and uphill above where the players are.  

The new player looks at the sheet for their Elven fighter and sees he has a Long Bow and says, "Can I Shoot them?"  They want to know if they "Can Do X?"  

The DM knows that the scene will react to what the players do no matter what.  They also know that this scene is intended to be a Chase scene where the main objective is to get closer to their target by overcoming some obstacles using either skills like Athletics or Attribute Checks to close the distance.  They also know that the Long Bow in D&D 5th edition has a maximum range of 600 feet with disadvantage, because that is what the Character Sheets tells them. Therefore, the answer to the Essential Question in this case is Yes, you can shoot them BUT you will have disadvantage (Mechanic), notify the Orcs you are in pursuit (Reaction), a Critical Failure could hit one of the Halflings instead of an Orc (Mechanic), and you may need to make additional skill checks to close the distance (Scene).  

The DM, with the help of the Designer and an understanding of the Core Gameplay Loop; has been able to answer the Essential Question. 

Tips to Make Sure Your GMs Can Answer the Essential Question

Here are some tips when designing your rules to make sure you are helping GMs answer "Can I Do X?"  

1. Be Clear about your Gameplay Loop

Be very upfront with the GM about how to structure a scene and the intended gameplay loop of your game.  The Players need to explicitly know how the mechanics translate to action resolution.  Do not be subtle about this process, be crystal clear.  That does not mean that you need to make a chart of resolution for all key actions, but you do need to be clear about what success, partial success, critical success and their opposites mean in your game.  

2. Be clear about the type of scenes your game is supposed to play out

Is your game focused on combat and chases?  Is it primarily sneaking about and subterfuge?  Is it about crafting for the big art show and running a local gallery?  Be clear what types of situations and scenes you expect your players to experience as they play your RPG.  Will the challenges be Social, Political, Spiritual, Physical, Combat, Crafting, etc.  Of course, it maybe some of all, but be clear about the mechanics involved in all these scene types and which ones are the focus of the gameplay loop. 

3. Avoid Mini-games, keep to unified mechanics! 

If your rules always roll a dice pool of attribute + Skill looking for a number of 4+ success threshold to determine success; always use that same process to determine a success.  Do not make tracking a coin flip, stealth a game of paper, rock, scissors, and combat a d20 looking for a TN = to the Armor rating of the target.  Always use the same method of resolving a test so no matter what happens the Players can fall back on that for any tests not specifically called out in your rules.  Make the resolution mechanic universal! 

4. Give guidance in your game

Where possible, explicitly give guidance on how to resolve the most common scene types.  If the game is focused on tracking and avoid detection from big, bad, scary things than make sure as a designer you are very clear about how this is resolved.  

5. Make Inputs That Matter

Players are looking to their Character Sheets to understand what they can and can not do.  Make sure they can get a feel for what is possible from the sheet itself.  Make the details on the sheet relevant to the gameplay loop you are creating.  In our D&D example, the range of a Long Bow was needed to answer the Essential Question.           

Final Thoughts

People playing your game will be looking to the rules you design to understand the Essential Question.  Players need to know "Can I Do X?"  Do not make them guess, where possible tell them explicitly in your rules. 

Of course, you can not tell them the answer to every "Can I Do X?" question, because someone will always come out of left field.  However, your rules can give the information and structure to help the Players decide for themselves if they "Can Do X?"  These tools do not accidentally end up in a rulebook, they have to be built into it by you, the designer.  

If your rulebook does not guide players on how to answer the Essential Question of RPGs, than you need to go back and revamp it from the ground up.  

Until next time! 

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Battle Report: Heroquest- Race Against Time

 

Aerlin, Wizard of the Cresecent Moon and apprentice to Mentor; leaned against the bar and watched his companions.  Barco the Dwarf was working up to the big face-off with Wardoz in his story.  The people in the inn were wrapped around his little finger.  Lin Min-May and Rosemary were eager to pipe in side comments here and there.  The people of the Kingdom knew that Zargon and the forces of Dread were on the march.  Aerlin knew this tale told from the member's of Hope Reborn would lift their spirits.  All was not lost, for the King, his knights, and Mentor's heroes were still battling back against the darkness.  

The bartender slid Aerlin his own piping hot cup of tea as a man in a worn travelling cloak entered the inn.  He scanned the room before setting eyes on Aerlin.  He approached, a look of fear in his eyes.  The man quickly shared a tale of woe to the Wizard.  His family had been abducted by the forces of Dread, and only Hope Reborn could save them.  He knew a nearby dungeon ruin where they had been taken too, and he begged Aerlin for help.  

Now was a chance to lift the spirits of these downtrodden folks once more and Aerlin took it.  He gathered up his companions and they set off with the man leading the way.  Sure enough, he led them to an overgrown ruin from a time long ago, the ancient carvings of where or what this place had been had long ago worn away.  Only some moss covered stone and a stairway leading into the earth remained.  

Hope Reborn lit torches and descended into the dungeon, their guide still with them and bravely leading the way.  Their guide led them deep into the dungeon perhaps an hour had passed.  Lin Min-May and Barco exchanged looks as the dungeon went deeper and deeper, but Aerlin was not dissuaded.  

Eventually, Hope Reborn came to a room with three doors.  The guide turned to them and smiled wickedly, his face distorting into an unnatural rictus grin, "Good luck.... Heroes," he rasped.  He snuffed out his torch with a wicked laugh and disappeared into the darkness.  They had been led into a trap!  

Hope Reborn

Welcome back to the Quest.  We are on Quest 9.  This will be Hope Reborn's third quest after the Fellowship of Destiny was shattered.  You may recall that Hope Reborn is composed of Aerlin the sole-survivor from the original Fellowship, Rosemary the Fae-Druid, Lin Min-May the Monk from the Temple of the Way, and Barco Hamilcar of the Margonid line.  

Barco had a Potion of Strength in reserve, and Rosemary had a Heroic Brew.  Barco had a Helmet, Hand Axe and Shield to tank as needed.  Aerlin was also well-equipped with Wizard gear such as the staff, cloak, and wand.  Lin Min-May had recovered the Talisman of Lore from the Dread Wizard Wardoz.  They were a fairly well-equipped group but so was the Fellowship when it was broken.  Their biggest problem so far has seemed to be dealing damage quickly.   

With that said, let's try to find and exit to the Maze Zargon's treachery had led our heroes! 

The Guide's Trap

Hope Reborn immediately sprang into action.  Barco opened the door nearest him and was faced by some greenskins waiting for him.  Lin Min-May sprang into action, and quickly incapacitated them.  The nest three rooms were a similar story as the Monk tore through Zargon's ambushers using all of her elemental abilities.  It was only after the carnage and seeing no way out, that Rosemary realized that they must have entered the initial room via a secret door.  

From there, the heroes made their way through a long hallway, an Ork sentry guarded a door and moved to block them.  Once again, Barco was not able to fight past him quickly and bottled up everyone else.  

Going through the doorway the orc guarded, Hope Reborn was shocked to find a blue-clad Dread Warrior!  Once again, Lin Min-May leapt into the fray.  Her elemental technique quickly took out the goblin guards, but the Warrior of Change was made of sterner stuff.  Soon he was fighting off all of the heroes, avoiding blows and dishing them back out.  However, eventually he fell when Lin Min May unleashed her Fire Elemental death beam on him.  

Little did the Heroes know that this would not be the last Dread Warrior they would run into in this trap.  They moved safely through a few rooms, using springboard tactics and careful to check for traps.  They were getting room clearing down to a science, and after some initial bad treasure draws, avoiding tempting fate.  No one else needed to find a hazard the hard way!  

The adventurers mojo was thwarted by a room full of Abominations!  First a Dread Warrior and then these huge fishmen!  Rosemary shape-shifted into her wolf form, and Aerlin buffed himself with Rock skin.  The Heroes did not plan on taking any guff!  Their defenses were up to the task, and soon the Abominations were bested, again by Lin Min May's Elemental blast.  I think she used all her techniques and meditated to re-load about four times in this dungeon!  She was the star of the show, dishing out hits, tanking hits, and unleashing with her full power! 

Hope Reborn made their way through the maze and found some loot.  However, it was guarded by a Dread Warrior clothed in silken and purple robes who smelled of the sweetest incense.  Once again, Lin Min-May went on the attack, but she coordinated with her peers to lure the mighty warrior into a trap.  Aerlin used Tempest to stun the warrior momentarily, while Rosemary finished him off in her wolf form.  

Barco managed to disarm the trapped chest, and inside Hope Reborn found a pearly liguid.  Rosemary quickly identified it as an Elixir of Life!  She careful stowed in away.  This would literally be the difference between life and death!  In addition, they netted 200 gold coins from the other chests!  Maybe enough to get Barco something with more hitting power than his hand axe?  

From there, the group was once again navigating winding hallways.  A lone orc sentry again manage to hold up the escape as Barco was unable to best the mighty orc warrior.  

From there, the Heroes opened a doorway full of goblins.  The group performed a fighting retreat, funnelling their foes into the same hallway a single Orc had bottle them up in.  Lin Min-May was the rear guard, fighting of the Goblin horde.  Barco led the way and smashed his way past an Orc guard so the group could work around the Goblin bottle neck.

Daylight from the realms above beckoned as they Heroes tumbled through a door, with goblins in hot pursuit.  Escape seemed imminent when an Abomination leapt from the shadows and tried to cut-off Lin Min-May's escape.  However, she was too fast and skilled for it.  She easily bested the beast with a mighty Fist of the Falling Avalanche that crushed its heart in its chest, killing the beast.

 

Hope Reborn managed to escape up the stairway, leaving the goblin horde howling below, sheltering from the noon day sun.  Zargon's treachery had been foiled once more!     

Conclusion

As Aerlin told the tale of their daring escape to Mentor, he could tell by the look on his master's face that he was not amused.  A lengthy lecture about impulsiveness and not doing due diligence followed.  Meanwhile, Rosemary studied the strange new alchemy she had discovered in the maze.  It was unlikely that Zargon had intended them to walk out of there with such a find!  As Barco boasted about the number of greenskins he had slain, Lin Min-May simply nodded with a wry smile.  She knew that with out her, her old friend might still be lost in that maze.  

Aerlin has about 100 Gold coins, but is well equipped with plenty of gear.  Rosemary kept eh Elixir of Life, maintained her Heroic Brew, and has about 183 gold.  Barco kept his potion of Strength with his 198 gold.  Finally, the Monk has 133 gold and the Talisman of Lore.  The group will have to consider pooling their resources to see if they can get a better weapon for Barco.  

Final Thoughts

Hope Reborn seemed to steamroll this one.  They were working like a well-oiled machine and were doing a good job complimenting each other.  They came out mostly unscathed.  Rosemary transformed into her wolf form and managed to stay in it the rest of the maze.  Aerlin put Rock Skin up and never lost it.  Lin Min-May also showed off what a great tank and frontliner the Monk could be!  I even nerf them a bit by making them take no other action to recharge her abilities once there are no monsters on the board.  

Rosemary did have to use Lifeforce to help Barco towards the end of the Quest.  However, there was still plenty more healing left by the end.  Not the deadliest Quest we have faced yet, and the monsters were not hitting as hard as previous adventures.             

Well, we will keep in questing.  Until next time all! 

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!  

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Or purchase all out games at the Blood and Spectacles Publishing Wargames Vault Page!                        

  

Wargame Design: So You Want to Make a Game

 

A long time ago, when I was building Only the Strong Survive I created a series of articles about the basics of Wargame Design.  This included looking at the Concept Phase, 4Ms, Activation Methods, Turn Sequence, Adding Chrome, Playtesting, etc.  It was everything you needed to get you thinking about how to design your game.  I have also talked a bit about what it takes to be a Game Designer, my own process, and Post-Production aspects of the process.  

I like to think that some people are reading these posts and getting their games out into the world.  Right now it is easier than ever to be a Game Designer.  Since there seem to be a lot of Indie games and publishers out there now, I am heartened to be part of that community.  I like to think this blog has helped a few people out.  In theory, everything you need to get your game out of you head and onto the table exists on this blog.  However, I do not think I have a post that puts it all together into one place. 

So, who wants to make a game?

The Concept and Design Goals

I happen to think this is the easy part.  Everyone has a folder of games they want to make.  Perhaps it is historical, perhaps it is fantasy, perhaps it is big battle, perhaps it is Sci-fi.  It doesn't matter.  What matters is you have an idea of what you want to make!  

It is no secret that I like Naval and Space Naval games.  It is also no secret that I struggle with them for a lot of reasons.  I spend more time thinking about this genre than I do writing for this genre, but today I want to fix that!  

Concept: A Space Naval Game that is nothing like Battlefleet Gothic or Victory at Sea.  Instead, I want to focus on how big Space really is!

A fine concept, BUT it tells me more about what the game is NOT going to be rather than what it IS going to be.  This is where you start working away at your concept in order to build the proper design goals.  I like to think about three things at this stage of the game before I write any design goals.  They are:

1. What is my POV
2. What is my Hook
3. What I think will make it FUN

Before You Write Anything Down

This is a Sci-fi game of the far future, so I won't have the luxury of leaning on a lot of scholarly works or primary historical sources to help me understand how this game is going to work.  However, there are a lot of Sci-Fi space combat games out on the market, and a lot of Naval wargames out there too.  Therefore, those will be my primary sources as I start to think about my POV or how I think this game should work.  Since, I know a couple games I DO NOT want it to look like, what are games I DO want it to look more like?  These elements will be my Hooks.  Finally, I think about factors I think are FUN and if this game can incorporate those into game play.  

POV: If you get a fleet in orbit above an enemy planet, the war is essentially over.  The High Ground of Space theory will play a big part in how the commanders in this reality would think about strategy.  Therefore, the game will be about how to interdict enemy fleets from getting into orbit around your planet. 

Secondly, space is really, really big.  Once an enemy fleet gets to your planet it is all ready too late.  A Battle in your system would be devastating.  Therefore, you have to stop enemy fleets from reaching your home.  That means you have to find, fix, and destroy them before they get there.  If you are attacking, you have to get your fleet to sneak into enemy orbit.

Finally, in this game everyone will be using roughly the same technology base.  Therefore, no one has any super-tech that allows them to just insta-win.  The specifics will vary alot, but in practice there is no easy "I Win" technology out there.  

Hooks: Based on that POV, it is clear that detection and interdiction will be a big part of the game.  Therefore, when I think about how this game will play there will be two components I will want to consider; Stealth (like Submarine games) and Strike/Defense Balance (Like Pacific Command).  Games will be more like a Chess match, as once your Fleets are destroyed your Homeworld is open and the war is lost.  A Fleet in Being is vital.  

Fun: I know what I think is fun.  I do not try to design for anyone else.  So, here is what I think would make this game fun.  Decision Making of where to go, when to engage, how to locate the enemy, and how to balance defend vs. attack will be key.  This will be a game where having 2 vs. 1 match-ups will pay dividends, but setting up those types of plays is hard.  This leads to playing to "find out what happens" when you implement those decisions, does it make sense to spread your fleets out to locate early?  Consolidate them?  Block and tackle?  When is a sacrifice worth it?  Finally, with such a dramatic win conditions, there is fertile ground for stories to unfold on the tabletop as the existence and independence of whole civilizations is at stake. 

Design Goals

Now that our Pre-work is done, it is time to build some Design Goals that will be guard rails for our concept before we even begin write anything for real.  I often will take this time to create a cover, a working title, and an Intro page about what got me interested in the concept in the first place.  

Our working title will be Vastness of Space which will probably change and evolve as the game progresses.  The cover practically makes itself with that title! 

Based on our POV, Hooks, and Fun we can settle on the following design goals: 

1. This game will focus on how big and empty space can be! 
2. Therefore, this is not a miniature wargame, it is a game that miniatures can be used to play.  The primary driver will most likely be cards for approximate locations of things. Think more Blucher than Black Powder.  
3. Space as the Ultimate High Ground Theory is in play, therefore the win condition is to get a fleet in orbit over the enemy planet. 
4. The focus of the game will be in detection and locating enemy forces, and keeping them away from your homeworld.
5. Units will be groups of ships and not focus on individual ships, crews, or commanders.  Individual ship capabilities is irrelevant, as is class size
6. Balance Attack vs. Defense capabilities
7. Abstraction will be at the fleet scale level with similar capabilities across fleets.

Congrats, NOW you can start writing your game.  

The 4Ms

There are 4 things you need to be able to do in every wargame.  That is where I start to think about how the game will play.  In a game like this, the "Units" will be fairly cookie-cutter to start with, so no need to worry too much about what makes up a fleet or army yet.  Instead, we can think about how they will interact at the higher scales.  

Movement: The hardest part of this game will be how to keep movement hidden.  I have some experience with this in White Star, Red Star.  Therefore, I will likely steal some of the ideas from there.  I also want space to be VAST!  Therefore, fleets won't "move" in a traditional sense in this game.  Instead, they will "Jump"!  Here are the two forms of movement to match my design goals: 

1. Hidden Movement - Fleets are not deployed on the board at all, and may essentially be anywhere until detected.  There will have to be some guard rails here to keep Fleets from simply appearing in orbit over an enemy planet.  Discovered fleets will also need to be able to become Hidden again within the rules.  

2. Jump - Fleets that have been detected and are deployed on the board will be able to "Jump" a certain distance.  They will literally be picked up and moved to the new location.  Fleets will not be able to jump through obstacles or other fleets in a straight line.  Jump distances will be limited.      

Melee: This will be how fleets will fight when they get up close.  In this case, we can assume they are using Drone swarms, missiles, torpedoes, and direct ship-to-ship weapons like gun batteries.  This will be abstracted with simple die rolls that reduce capabilities until a fleet is scattered.  Capabilities will be abstracted by a depleting dice pool.  

Missiles: This one will be similar to Melee, except at a greater range.  Again, simple opposed rolls between detected fleets only.  Allocate dice to attack vs defend and make opposed rolls with reduced capabilities until a fleet has no capabilities left and is scattered.

Morale: In this game, Morale will be abstracted at a high level.  Once an enemy fleet comes into contact with the Homeworld card, the game is over.  The Planet and their civilizations gives up the fight in fear of being annihilated from orbit.  Fleets scatter when their capabilities are reduced to 0, and they can no longer fight effectively.  

Turn Sequence and Activation

Now, we have a general idea of how the main operational unit of the game will function, how do we structure the game into a playable method?  How do players hand-off action between each other?  

A normal turn sequence needs to be able to do the following, but not necessarily in this order: 

1. Who gets to take actions first i.e. Initiative
2. Who gets to move when
3. Who gets to fight when
4. Wrap up before continuing play in the next turn

One thing is for certain, this game will need a special section of the rules for Detecting enemy fleets.  Since most actions can not occur until a Fleet is detected and placed on the board, this seems like it should occur early in the turn sequence.  Perhaps, even before initiative is determined?  

Perhaps something like this: 

1. Detection Phase - Place any detected Fleets on the board per the Detection rules
2. Initiative- Players determine who can fight and act first? 
3. Missile/Melee Phase - Fleets can interact with other detected fleets
4. Scatter- Remove Scattered Fleets
5. Movement - Fleets can try to move away or Evade enemy after action 

Initiative for this game could pose a question.  By default, you want to be stealthy.  Therefore, having detected fleets is bad.  Therefore, how do we create rewards for having your fleets off-board still?  The easy way is to let the player with the fewest detected fleets activate and attack and/or move before the other player.  However, this could be too much of an advantage?  Make a decision and let playtesting figure it out!  In our case, we will have the Player with the fewest Fleets be able to declare melee/missile attacks first and the second player to respond.  Most melee/missile results will be determined at the same time with a single opposed roll.  Combat will take the least amount of time in this game compared to maneuver and deployment decisions.  

Unit Profiles and Resolving Dice Tests

At this point, they can be very basic.  For example, we could give all Fleets a simple base of 3 6-sided Dice for all dice tests.  The target number of six will determine a success.  

Therefore, we know all rolls are opposed.  Two fleets engage in a melee so they each roll 3 dice looking for a 6.  Fleet A rolls 1 success and Fleet B rolls 0.  Therefore, Fleet A reduces Fleet B from 3 dice to 2 in capability.  You could actually just keep the dice on the card for any given fleet to track damage as well. 

Missile would be a bit different, as Fleets in a Missile Duel would declare how many of their 3 dice they defend with vs attack with.  Fleet A defends with 2 and attacks with 1, Fleet B attacks with all 3.  The Defender rolls their defense dice first, and any 6 reduces the attacker by 1.  The Attacker then rolls their Attack dice to score hits with a 6.  In our example, Fleet A rolls 1 6 to defend and removes Fleet B to 2 Attackers.  They roll 1 six and reduce Fleet A's total dice by 1.  Fleet A has two dice back but scores no hits.        

Why did I choose a d6 and a 6+ target number?  I choose a d6 because it is easy to have a lot of them.  However, and argument could be made to use different dice mechanics here.  Ultimately, the dice mechanics themselves do not matter all that much, it is the result that matters.  These can be tweaked in playtesting, as you tinker with target numbers, dice types, mechanics, etc.  What we see now gets a result.  

Detection is Chrome

Detection for this game is Chrome.  It is what makes this game stand-out from other similar games on the market.  It is a unique mechanic.  As written so far, this game could function using the 4Ms, but Chrome is another layer of rule mechanics beyond the 4Ms that give your game its own soul and flavor.  

In our game, we will make it simple.  In the Detection Phase, both players roll a d6 per fleet that they control that has not been scattered.  On a 6+, they have detected an enemy fleet and it must be place on the board.  Fleet A has three fleets in hiding, so rolls 3 dice.  Fleet B has 1 fleet detected and 2 in Hiding and rolls 3 dice.  Fleet A gets 0 and Fleet B scores 2.  Fleet A has to deploy 2 fleets to the board.  

A Detected fleet must be placed within the "detection zone" anywhere by the fleet commander.  The Detection zone will be an area that slowly expands inward from the table edge a set amount every turn.  I.e. let's say it starts out 6 inches in, and every turn it expands another 6 inches onto the board until eventually it would encompass anywhere on the board.  As the game progresses, hidden fleets are slowly infiltrating your space unless they are detected.  They could even place them in missile attack range or Melee range of an enemy fleet.   

We can also place some other guardrails about a ship must be detected X distance before it can enter orbit of the Homeworld, and other rules.  However, such details can be fleshed out in Playtesting.  

More Chrome

This game has the potential for a lot more Chrome to flesh it out and make it unique.  These items can not be put in place until you have a firm understanding of the basics game functions though.  If you do not know how the core mechanics operate, Chrome will be ineffective at building out the game in a usable way.  

Some sample Chrome for this game: 

1. Since Fleets are used you could base them on a playing card, and make all measurements related to the length of a playing card. 
2. You could allow a player to customize fleets with advantages and disadvantages as racial or tech differences.
3. You could add obstacles and more objectives with colony planets
4. You could add rules for repairing fleets, and gathering new fleets based on the objectives above  
5. Adding a campaign or experience system
6. Planetary defenses                 
7. Scenarios other than Total War
8. Multi-player or Solo-Play rules

Fleshing It Out

You do not have a fully playable game yet.  There are a lot of smaller elements that are needed to flesh the game out.  For example, how big of a play space are you allowed to use?  Are there rules for setting up the play space?  How many fleets per player?  These are details that turn a game into something fully playable.  

For this game, I think it would play on a 3x4 up to a 6x8 board.  Players would place their Homeworld card in the center of a short table edge.  I think the size of the table would impact the number of fleets per side?  Perhaps, 1 Fleet per square foot of table space being used divided by 2?  So a 3x4 table would have 6 fleets per player?    

You may want a duration to timebox and limit the game length, or you could just go until a homeworld is taken.  Much of the areas that need to be Fleshed Out will become obvious when you try to play-test for the first time.  

Playtesting

You are now at a point, where the game is ready to hit the table.  I usually recommend just playing it yourself first and see where there are big huge gaps, note them, list potential solutions, pick one, and keep playing.  You will then go back to your draft document and fill in the gaps, and play again.  

Once you have filled in the gaps you can see, then it is time to let someone else try it out with your tutelage.  Repeat the same process as above.  This time a new set of eyes, ears, and fingers will reveal gaps that you have unconsciously papered over.  Brainstorm how to fill them, choose one, and keep going.  Add the solutions to the draft.  Once your partner and you do not see gaps, it is time to move on.  

The next group of playtesters should be fresh eyes who try to play it just from your documents.  They will reveal gaps.  Follow the same process as above.  Choose solutions and tweak solutions and then have them play again.  Do this until the gaps are filled.  

However, as you expose your game to new players keep in mind that ultimately this is YOUR game.  you do not need to follow any of the feedback they give you.  Ultimately, you have the vision and final say on what it looks like upon release.  

However, sometimes you have to kill your own babies.  Simpler is always better than complex.  It is easy to add complexity and detail, but your goal should be to strip out complexity and streamline your game to the simplest functions possible to get the correct result that matches your Design Goals.  

Post-Production

So, you think you have a game?  Now comes the hard part!  How are you going to make it look good?  You have to take that draft document you have been tinkering on, scribbling in the margins, and editing with version control and turn it into something someone would actually want to pay money for!  That requires a lot more work.  

You will want to make some decisions about lay-out.  Do you want images in this thing?  Of course you do!  The question is are they going to be art pieces, models in action, diagrams and charts to ease play; or some combination!  Of course the answer is YES to all.  Now, you have to source them and pay for them.  This is where Game Design gets tricky and can take time.  Often times, you can design and build games but can't also do all the other aspects of the job like editing, lay-out, artwork, etc.  

Final Thoughts

Wow, you made it all the way through the process.  If you are lucky, it only took you a few months.  However, it normally takes me between 2-5 years per game.  Some game designers it takes even longer!  However, the first one is the hardest.  Once you have that one done you can start building off the materials and work you have done previously.  You start to develop a certain process and style of game.  The third is even easier.  

Remember, to be a Game Designer you only need two things: 

1. A finished game

2. People who play it

Good luck out there!  I hope this helped you see how to go from a simple concept all the way to a finished game.  You too can be a Game Designer! 

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! 

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Check out the latest publications and contact me at our Blood and Spectacles website