"Table Top Tactical Wargaming" Topic

Hi everyone, I've just released a game that I've been working over the last few years, which is a table top tactical role-playing game that you can play with either miniatures or action figures. The game is partly inspired by the computer game Jagged Alliance. There's a free version of the game available on my website thewayofwar.net

Thanks!

If you wanted to get a free version of the miniatures manual that has measurements for miniatures instead of action figures, I now have that posted in the products section of my site. thewayofwar.net/products

Tabletop 'tactical' role playing game…. errrr.. does not compute.

Zardoz now that was a weird movie. So what a Table Top Tactical Role playing game means in its basic elements is you play with your figures on a table like usual, and each figure represents a single character rather than a figure representing a bunch of different guys. Now each character fulfills a different function in the group such as one might be a sniper, machine gunner, leader, etc. With the roles that the characters play is where the role playing side of the game comes in. Instead of having figures all with similar stats, you might have a team of 5 or 6 figures each with different stat sheets. Then of course as they go into combat together they gain experience and they improve their combat abilities.

I hope that explains things a little better. I don't think I have such an explanation on my site, and perhaps I should put that up on there too. If there's something more specific that you're curious about, feel free to ask.

"Squad level skirmish" perhaps?

Yeah that works well as a simple description too.

Sorry, just to quantify my cheeky comment. Any RPG that includes figures, prioritises tactics over 'role playing' and especially has the player running more than one character is NOT an RPG in my book…. it's a wargame. It might be a skirmish wargame, but it's definitely a wargame – just my personal opinion.

Hey I noticed I'm getting more attention on this post then any of my others out there, so I thought I would pose a question to any of you that have downloaded the free version of my manual. How are you finding it? Someone suggesting reorganizing how I've laid out the rules, which is something that I'm considering, however, doing so will take me some time so I wanted to see if other people felt the same way.

Dersham,

Here are some of my thoughts on your game. Be aware that I have only looked through it briefly.

- For organization, I suggest that you at least clearly define sections of each chapter for things like talents. Just marking the overall chapters alone makes finding specific rules time consuming.

- If possible, you might want to look into creating a "cheat sheet" to help beginners get adjusted to your game as your rules are far more "wargamish" then what normal RPG players are used to playing. Warhammer 40k has a pretty good example of this.

I won't comment directly on your rules as I have not read through it completely.

Good job on actually completing your game!

Thanks for the advice Ganbare. One way I'm thinking of reorganizing my manual is based loosely on the style of the original Squad Leader game books. They have their sections organized by numbers, and then decimals for each rule that fits underneath it. Would an index work as a cheat sheet?

Dersham,

I haven't played Squad Leader, but I do have Panzerblitz. Are they similar?

It might be easier to remember abbreviations like those used in the military. It would also stay within the theme of your game.

- As an example: 3SkSp (short for Chapter: 3 , section: skills, rule: Skill points).

An index is not quite what I was going for.

What I was suggesting is a quick-play guide to give new players a tutorial on how the game plays.

I might also recommend separating your examples from your rules and putting them in text boxes (keep them appropriate section of course). It would make reading and referencing a lot more enjoyable.

It would also make any rule adjustments you would like to make easier to edit.

Looks like I'm on course for the text boxes. As for the quick-play tutorial, I'll probably have to whip up a separate file for that. I have no idea if Panzerblitz is similar to Squad Leader, but it sounds like it might be.

Squad Leader is not similar to Panzerblitz.

All the best,

John.

The update I've been talking about it is finished. You did look at the manual before and couldn't make heads or tails out of it, check out my new manual. Like before I have free version you can peruse to give you a handle on what the game has to offer. My site again is thewayofwar.net

Okay I've got that Quick Play Tutorial Guide up on my site now. I made the file as short as I could, but its still 10 pages long. You will also need to download one of the manuals for the reference sheets. Here's the link to my site where the manual is located: thewayofwar.net/products

Thought I would post a new update on some additions to my game and site. This may not appeal to you modern wargamers, but those of you into scifi/fantasy my first campaign book is out, called Zombie Apocalypse, which as you can imagine involves fighting zombies. The campaign book uses the same rule system, but includes more rules and campaigns on fighting zombies. Zombie Apocalypse is actually made up of 3 smaller campaigns that are linked together. I'll describe the three campaigns below, but for you modern wargamers I've included another Combat Search and Rescue mission example called CSAR mission 2 it has lots of pictures and a play by play, which you can find at the link thewayofwar.net/csar-mission-2

Now for those Zombie Apocalypse campaigns

The first campaign is called Suburban Nightmare, which is about a group of survivors trying to survive in their suburban neighborhood. They have to go out and gather supplies in order to ensure their own survival as well as fight off zombie hordes. There's a fair bit of item creation in this campaign as well as you can design items and defenses for your neighborhood.

The second campaign is called The Convoy and is about a group of survivors driving across the zombie wasteland trying to get to a place of safety. You'll have to find food and fuel to keep the convoy going and you don't have time to make anything. Everything that keeps your people going is what you can scavenge.

The third campaign is called Out of the Ashes. Here the survivors of the Convoy make it to the Suburban Nightmare and the two groups form a civilization that has to compete with two other factions that are aiming to take control of the wasteland. You'll have to take locations and hold them against enemy attack. You'll have to decide carefully which faction you trust. The Ex-Patriots a group of ex-military survivors or the Snakes a group of raiders, thieves and thugs who've banded together.

Check it out all at on the Products section of my site.
thewayofwar.net/products

I've made another new campaign book called Raiding "Operations: Hit and Run on the Drug Trade". This campaign was inspired by Vietnam LRRP (Long Range Recon Patrol) missions and Special Forces raiding attacks. You lead a small team behind enemy lines to locate and destroy enemy bases. Much like in the real world your team can call on air and artillery support from offboard. The campaign takes place over three separate grid maps and as you progress the campaign grows more difficult. The rules are for both miniatures and action figures.

For this campaign I had to make a lot of new scenery so I set up a How To section on my site so that you can see how to make these things for yourself. What I made was for 1:18 scale, but you can easily copy what I did for miniatures you just have to make things smaller. Check out my how to section at: thewayofwar.net/how-to

For information about the new campaign book click thewayofwar.net/products

I'm happy to report that I've made some rather significant changes to the game and come out with a new manual I like to refer to as the Easy Edition V1. It's the same turn based strategy RPG style of game, that the original was just a whole lot less complicated.

What I did was to change the combat system that I used so that it no longers uses percentages or multiplication, now it simply has just addition and subtraction.

As usual I have a free version of the manual out and of course the full version. Check it all out at my website

thewayofwar.net/products

I've just finished updating the two campaign books Zombie Apocalypse and Raiding Operations: Hit and Run on the Drug Trade, so that they are now compatible with the new Easy Edition version of the Way of War. You can get your hands on my campaign books from my website thewayofwar.net/products or from rpgnow.com