Game Organization Proposition

[Blackronin]

Hi all:

Still with the flew, still in bed, still in confinement by my wife and unable to go to the drawing board, I start thinking about the system organization of a modular cheap game with these proportions to be downloaded. I organized it this way (please refer to organization chart):

Core Rulesbook 1: Strategic game - downloadable free (it will be a hook to maintain interest in other games). It deals with economics and movement in strategic ways, teaches how to make a campaign and maps.

Core Rulebook 2 to 4: Deep space Combat, Planetary Assault, Ground Assault. These books will be the core tactical books. They offer background, rules and models for the two first races in conflict.

Race Expansion Books: In these books all the special rules and models will be done for news races to add depth to the game.

Tech Expansion Books: New tech, ships, models, buildings, etc that all the races can use.

Novels: The infinite is our goal....

So, this is my feverish vision of the organization that is necessary to build a game of this size. My two cents, really... With 38º celcius on my body. :rolleyes:

[cgutzmer]

I rather like the idea of a free download to explain the overall game.

I dont think we will need all that many core rulebooks though. I dont want the ame to be overly complicated like a role playing game. I want it to remain fairly simple so people wont have to keep referring back to the rules all the time.

My hope is that it will kind of be a cross between magic the gathering style play and your typical board game (bare table top for space conflict, table top and board for planet conquest, board for ground battle) I figure it will be hex based like most ground based board warfare games.

I forsee each player having one info card for each unit that will have all the required info for that unit type. Damage will be tallied on this card somehow - maybe even a series of boxes on the card to show individual units of same type.

I think one reference on adding races and units to the game will suffice as well. Our main issue there will be maintaining game balance

You forgot to include movie deals ;)

[Blackronin]

It is your game, so it is your call, but I advise you to look around the type of games that deal with the miniature-card configuration and you'll see that those that work aren't simpleton, though they may be at the core simple.

But do what you may choose to do, don't forget that the choices you will be making now will create a path you will not be able to stray much without break the building of the rules. And broken rules die fast.

This is not destructive cryticism, its just for you to think about.

[cgutzmer]

This is why I asked for many people to help me....I dont have much experience with miniatures style games....

I am in no way saying it has to be a game that is ultra simple (even pokemon that my kids like is fairly complex compared to some games) I just want to make it so that once the game basics are learned they wont have to continually refer back to a rules book like RPG games. :)

I am open to anything right now - hence the discussion!

[Blackronin]

The 3 core rule books were not to make it less easy to learn and play, it was to make it a light game to aqquire. Imagine that someone just likes tactical ground combat games. Well he just have to buy a cheap good and simple game. But he likes what he's playing and he downloads the strategic game. It's free, so... And then he thinks, "why am I playing just part of the game?" Or maybe not. He just likes ground combat games, so he will buy only the ground minis and the things that he wants to play with. You don't loose a costummer having a strategic game, you win a costummer that don't play strategic games...

[cgutzmer]

marketing genius! Very good - see, now I understand and I like it! :)
Chris

[Blackronin]

Nope. I just like to see both sides of a coin.

[ginogiw]

Definitely FF7. I mean, Ive played Crisis Core Ive tried to replay the American version, but couldnt. I had already played the JPN version of Crisis Core, one time only I guess. But crisis Core is a really in-depth game. It really added alot to the whole story line of FF7. Amazing really, also was a revolutionary game for the PSP when it came out. Awesome graphics, good gameplay, long lasting story is only like 7 hours while missions are like 40 hrs good CG animations on par with advent children. Loved Zacks personality :

FF7 you can just play again and again. It just has that fun factor you cant get rid of. There is always something to do in the game.