Help with Ideas for Wargame???

[Maenoferren]

some of us have the original boxed games 

space hulk
blood bowl
man o war
advanced heroquest
talisman

mothers bless em never throw anything out

(still can't find adeptus titanicus or space marine though)

all of ther above except talisman and adeptus titanicus, but I do have Dark Future too

[AdamCurry]

As to selling the Rules, I am not planning to make a profit. I will probably put them online so people can download and use them, but i don't plan on making money from it.
I may sculpt suitable models for the rules, which i would sell, but not the rules themselves.

If we can take a step back and you tell us what the rules are intended for:
a) in house gaming group
b) publishable set to make some pennies

then game size
a) skirmish between a few creatures a la GW
b) mass armies as per Hordes of Things

then unit size your bases represents. Is one base:
a) a squad size unit, c10 men/creatures
b) a battalion or regiment, c500 men
c) an entire Group, c5000 spearmen or 4000 archers, or 2000 cavalry

then game size. Do you intend a game with:
a) 10 bases a side
b) 30 bases a side
c) simply humongous amounts of lead 

then dice. Do you want probabilites to fit the dice, or do you use a variety of dice to fit the probabilities? IE is it all D6s, or do you like using D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, D20, D% as required?

Tell me the answers to these and I'll be able to input mechanisms.

Mark
(who uses his own rules, and Fire & Fury derivatives for everything pre-20th Century)

1.The game will be for mass armies.
2.One unit represents a small regiment of between 100-400ish infantry, 50-250ish cav, or a group of monsters/ chariots.
3. A small game will be about 15 bases a side, representing a small part of a larger battle. A Gigantic apocalyptic battle would be about 60 bases aside, with anything in between fair game.
4. For, dice, Would you guys rather just d6's or d6's and d20's. (these are the only dice we use in my gaming group.

Thanks Again,
Adam

[sultanbev]

Command
Allocate forces into "brigades" or "wings" of 3-6 units under a general
Each side has an overall CinC
For specificl scenarios or more randomness roll a D6 for each commander: 1 = poor, 2-5 = average, 6 = exceptional, or alllocate the ratings based on scenario.

Get two sets of card counters, say one lot green, one lot red. One for each side. The first two counters are marked "1". The next two are marked "2". The next two are marked "3". And so on.

For every average-exceptional commander in the force, place one counter in a small tub, starting with the lowest numbered counters. If the CinC is exceptional, add one next-highest counter.
Eg, a mixed "good" force has:
Exceptional CinC
2 commands each of 3 Dwarf foot regiments (one poor, one average)
1 command of 4 wood elf archers and 2 elf spearmen units (average command)
1 command of 4 human heavy cavalry regiments (exceptional command)
would get 5 markers, numbered 1, 1, 2, 2, 3

The opponent "evil" horde has:
average CinC
6 commands of orcs (2 poor, 4 average)
2 commands of trolls/ogres (average)
1 command of guard warg cavalry (exceptional)
would get 8 markers numbered 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4

These are placed in a tub/cup and shaken, shuffled. One is drawn at random. The player whose colour it is then Activates that numbers of commands indicated on the counter. An activated command can move all units, shoot and charge as required. Target units shot at can shoot back, if not at the firer, then any other enemy. Charged units get support fire from the nearest friendly unit that is in range and arc. Once that command has activated, another counter is drawn. The appropriate player can activate that many commands, including ones that have activated that turn.
Once all the counters have been drawn the turn ends, roll for reinforcements, weather, do any morale tests, as appropriate to the game/scenario/combat rules.

[sultanbev]

Shooting
The shooting and movement ratio should be correct, this is most common failing with a lot of rules, eg tank warfare rules.
Your movement rates should be such that a foot archer unit gets at least 2 salvos before they can be charged from the maximum range of the bows by foot, probably 4 salvos. And by 2 salvos if charged by cavalry.

For the level of game you are doing, I would use a comparative hit system. that is, one dice roll determines hits and damage. Roll a D6, add the shooting value of the archers, subtract the enemy armour value, a net 4-6 disorders the unit, a net 6 also causes a casualty on the regiment.

If the net result cannot exceed 3, then instead roll 2D6 and an 11-12 disorders the target regiment.

A disordered unit should either halt or be slower, and have reduced combat and shooting ability. Disorder should be rallied by some kind of morale test at the end of that command's activation.

[AdamCurry]

I was thinking that for shooting, you could roll d20 +/- The units shooting statistic to cause damage on enemy units?
The Altered roll would be the casualties caused once you overcome the enemy save.

[sultanbev]

Using a D20 is good, you can put in factors that alter shooting without ruining the dice roll.

If say all units are 12+ to hit, then you can add as modifiers:
+2 elite shooters
-2 target heavy armour
additional -2 if target is barded horses
-1 target shielded
-2 militia or other poor shooters
-4 if over half range (-2 if Longbow, X-bow perhaps)
-2 if target in skirmish order
-3 if target in woods/BUA/fog/smoke/shield spell
-2 if shooter moved
For example

or it might be add shooting class, subtract armour class, get net 10 to cause a casualty. Or whatever.

On a D6 system you couldn't have all that variation.

Mark

[AdamCurry]

Yeah,
Either that or I was thinking a units Shooting Statistic could be A type of dice with a modifier. For Example some Merchant Archers may have a shooting value of d8+1, so you would roll a d8, add one to it, and that is the numbers of casualties caused. the average value will be about d8.
Then we get talking about Saves....