Jerboa | 31 Aug 2016 8:35 a.m. PST |
Preliminary call for in-game advertising I'm looking for sponsors for a new Ancients game AWE 10, without dice, cards or rulers. This will be a completely new gaming system, nothing to do with what exists at this moment, so it might appeal to people how currently dismiss wargaming because of the dice throwing aspect. Rules will be Ancient only at this stage, 200BC-500AD and will be a pdf published on Wargames Vault (maybe exclusive). The target cost will be about 10 USD. The new system is also appropriate for Renaissance and Napoleonic periods and if a sequel is published the first will be about the Napoleonic period, generic or Peninsular. Sponsors may pay what they see is justified, each with a ¼ page advert that will be included in the booklet; a pdf link may be provided. Payment is only due just before publication. The cover is planned to be by Guisseppe Rava (secondary publication) that will also be invited for sponsoring. The playing surface will require rectangular templates, without a flat square look. It is a large scale game 10mm to 1m with 40mm as the basic frontage for 15mm. As there are no measurements other scales or non metric approaches are perfect also as long as proportions are kept. It will be primarily a mind game, not a random game, though luck can still play a role as it does on Chess, Pocker or Stratego. It might feel more like a mix of Pocker and Stratego, but without the random card drawing. The table will look clean, without chips, markers, dice, cards or post-it's. Sorry I cannot disclose more technical details at the moment as I'm checking what rights should be preserved first. Wargaming related adverts are welcome: - Miniature model production (main focus is 15mm) - Wargaming Magazines - Model making Magazines - Web gaming related pages - Terrain industry Planned release date: December 2016. J |
MichaelCollinsHimself | 01 Sep 2016 9:09 a.m. PST |
Have you seen "Ebb and Flow" Napoleonic rules ? A diceless system. |
Jerboa | 01 Sep 2016 1:46 p.m. PST |
|
Marshal Mark | 01 Sep 2016 2:16 p.m. PST |
Out of interest, have you done any research to indicate that there is a market for a set of ancient rules without any random elements? My guess is that this isn't something that a lot of people would want, for two main reasons: 1. It doesn't reflect reality, as a commander can't say for certain how well his troops will perform. 2. It would mean that the best player would always win, which might make games rather pointless unless the players are of similar ability (I'm thinking of games between regular opponents in gaming groups here, rather than tournament games against strangers). it might appeal to people how currently dismiss wargaming because of the dice throwing aspect. Are there really a lot of people who do this ? Of all the reasons that people might dismiss or be turned off from wargaming, this doesn't seem a particularly likely one to me. It will be primarily a mind game, not a random game, though luck can still play a role as it does on Chess, Pocker or Stratego. There is no luck in chess (except for maybe tossing a coin to see who plays white). From my knowledge of Stratego there are no random elements and hence no luck in that game also, although my knowledge is limited so I may be wrong. Are there really no random elements at all in your rules? What about terrain set-up ? How can you do that without an element of chance ? |
Jerboa | 02 Sep 2016 5:14 a.m. PST |
I do not write games for the market, I write for discerning players, which are in fact a handful. I did one experiment with publishing a book requiring a small market, Ambush – Blitz WW2, and that taught me not to try again. Better lose money on publicity. The main objective in this project is to have a game I'm willing to play, as I lost interest in dice games. A d6 in historical games has the same meaning as a d6 in pure fantasy. And there are people I know that dismiss wargames because they are dice games, but nothing guaranties that they would purchase AWE 10. |
Extra Crispy | 02 Sep 2016 3:24 p.m. PST |
Ebb & Flow is an old set, probably from the 80s, published by Anschluss. I have a few of their campaign modules but, alas! do not own the rules themselves. |
Marcus Brutus | 02 Sep 2016 4:34 p.m. PST |
Considering that Caesar and Napoleon both said that they preferred lucky subordinates to skillful ones I think you're a bit off base Jerboa. Successful generals are able to try and hedge against the unforeseen but every great commander in history understood that battle was always a crap throw. |
Jerboa | 03 Sep 2016 2:04 a.m. PST |
E&F has a reference in Boardgamegeek of a Peninsular Campaign N3 supplement. But no reference to the rules let alone a synopsis. This game is not related to hydroponics, but flow applies because there will be a kind of flow chart, feeling a bit like if-then-goto programming lines. I have a name for the tech Columbus egg physical part but still cannot describe the whole system in few words. |
Codsticker | 04 Sep 2016 12:27 p.m. PST |
This game is not related to hydroponics… Good idea… keep it legal. tech Columbus egg… … perhaps it's too late… |
Jerboa | 05 Sep 2016 10:04 a.m. PST |
I dug some info on E&F. The rules are very difficult to find. Some people have the campaign booklets but not the rules. I've read that booklet 1 includes rules but booklet 3 does not, only amendments. It relies on heavy paper work, including written orders. The game is situation driven only, meaning that it qualifies as a simulation but hardly as a game. |
normsmith | 06 Sep 2016 2:08 a.m. PST |
You obviously have a very workable idea in mind, which no doubt makes the system viable though I prefer dice as it brings the chaos of contact into play in an easy way and I have only come across one dice less game and I was not keen as it seemed a bit formulaic and of course was not solitaire friendly. using a grid will limit interest, I know because I do hexes and that seems a rather niche interest, although Simon Miller's game To the Strongest seems to be going great guns and he even sells his own gridded game mats now, so maybe the time is right to see grids go out to a wider audience. Anyway, the world is full of dice based games, so to bring something different to an audience is a good thing. Good luck with your endeavours. this all rather reminds me of a WWII tank game that was VERY simple and as such, took liberties with armour penetration and general tank performance. Keen tank gamers jumped all over it, but it rather missed the point that there are plenty of good tank sims for gamers to use and that this game was trying to do something else, for a different audience. |
BigRedBat | 06 Sep 2016 6:41 a.m. PST |
I was very nervous about lunching a grid-based set of rules. Fortunately most people have been very accepting, especially when the grid is not obvious to the eye. Selling loads of gridded mats was an unexpected side benefit! I don't think the grid aspect will be a great obstacle if the rules engine is good. |
Jerboa | 06 Sep 2016 11:59 a.m. PST |
Norm: The system is still experimental and I'm hoping it will be workable as you said, maybe you're more optimistic than me! Correct that it will not be everyone's cup of tea and it is likely impossible to play solo. Again right about the proper audience. But… ABlitz is a simple game yet included true combined arms, both infantry and tanks cooperating, plus introduced the ‘no alternate turns' concept. For me WWII is not about tank fights, as there were like 10 inf. Div. for each armoured Div. Many wargamers have inspired me over the years and now I'm set to pay back their brilliance by divulging a new idea, a new game. I do not believe I can make any money out of this. BigRedBat: Your site is gorgeous and it humbles me. The rules seem so good that I must get them, maybe I can adapt them to my new templates. If I do not like the card system I can still droll over the pics. Just wished I could display such images on my game! |
BigRedBat | 06 Sep 2016 1:11 p.m. PST |
Thanks, that is too kind. If you'd like to chat about ideas later on, or publication, feel free to drop me a line. |
RetroBoom | 10 Sep 2016 8:44 a.m. PST |
Jerboa, I'd like to advertise my wwii rules if you're still looking. |
Jerboa | 10 Sep 2016 1:45 p.m. PST |
Cheesesailor: if your rules were about Ancients they would fit. But WW2 in this case would seem out of place? I would like to advertise my own Ambush-Blitz WW2 but will refrain from doing so. Thanx vm anyway |