Entropy City: Making a Wargame

Of all of the games people have created why is there none that is purely just based around the motorcycle, I mean Motorcycle gangs exist, motorcycle movies exist, there’s enough races, enough video game concepts to draw idea’s from.

Actually on that note, why don’t motorbike’s in a game ever actually feel like a motorbike? Someone should do this, hell maybe one day I could do this…

That conversation started around 9 years ago, between me and a few friends evolving into my plans on how it could work. I mean why not use templates like in that new X-Wing game it would work well for a motorbike game right? And what if the police turns up as you know NPC’s to get in the way of your missions?

This is how the idea started, friends suggested that NPC police would never work, and then Frostgrave prove it could. Gaslands proves a fanbase could be there for this kind’ve idea even if their concept was different to my own it proved atleast to me I could be on to something.

Nine years later….?

Podcasting opened my eyes to a lot of what the industry had to offer, before that you guys all did, not to suck up or anything but the fact is I’ve been following you guys since the office above a certain store many many years ago, into the shed, Warren wearing a funny orange wig and I like many have played a LOT of games since then. But it wasnt until maybe 3 months ago that I actually decided to sit down and actually begin working on the idea that had been in my head for so long.

The problems I immediately knew I needed to face.

• Miniature limitations:
  • There just isnt a lot of motorbike miniatures that fit the “real world” aesthetic I wanted to aim for and, well I’m not a scupter, this would make creating a miniature agnostic ruleset harder.
    • Okay then, but thats a problem for later Jason, you need a game first.
• You’ve never created a game ruleset before
  • No but I’ve played many of them, hell I know what I enjoy in a game why not start there and then begin to find your own nieche.
• Yeah but you’re not a big name, you’ve got no big connections
  • Well does that really matter? This is about creating a game of my own not being famous. Concentrate on getting a ruleset that works first and THEN worry about the what if’s

First things first, yes those are my TERRIBLE drawings haha

So both of these are proof of concept images the first being for a group I am calling “Komodo” which is based on sportsbikes, definately an underground criminal organisation extremely losely based on several real life and fictional groups.

The second is a concept for a group I am calling Hades, which is the traditional bikers gang most people would think of, but definately not based on any real world groups at all I swear… *shifty eyes*

At this point if you include the law I have 4 factions, enough to test idea’s when I get that far and Ive stopped on purpose, to me I feel its important to get the GAME first before I get over excited about the fluff etc.

I really do not enjoy D6’s in games, yes I know Im weird but theres a reason and its because theyre evil horrible things that should all be destroyed…..

Okay maybe thats an exageration 😛

No look D6’s generally have never treated me well, its like I have a curse with them and its frequent enough and without enough witnesses that I know its not just in my head.. But in saying that as much as I understand that D6’s are common and popular theres just not enough variation there to me, Wild West Exodus showed me this and its a game I felt did a different die type well, Malifaux is another different concept and honestly maybe my favourite.

But as much as “everything has been done before” I wanted my own thing, D10’s was easy but it was going to pick up pizza where it hit me.

What if it was blackjack but with dice? Okay okay let me show you what I mean.

In this example lets just pretend the pink dice are attacking the purple dice.

Stress: How distracted is your current model, stress is to be added to the result of any test performed on the table, and must be managed to prevent busting.
[So if you roll 18 for example but also have 6 stress it would make your total 24 causing you to bust.]

Protection: A smart rider wears protection to prevent injury in the case of a crash, in the middle of a turf war that protection can play a dual role, after all hitting someone in the head is less effective if they’re wearing a helmet.
[In game this would raise the target number of the test by the protection stat, aim is for this to be 1-3 at this time.]

Busting: You have rolled over 21 during a test, this is a critical fail causing your miniature to crash out of the game.

Bike Speed: Did you know that a vehicle’s don’t always move the same speed? OMG right?!

• 8 inches, minimum of 4. Attacks as normal
• 12 inches, minimum of 8, lower attacks target number by 2
• 16 inches strict, minimum of 12,lower attacks target number by 3
  [This is all placeholder for the purpose of testing the concept. Instead of lowering the target number for attacks this may change to a penalty on the defenders sum.]

Turn & Templates
[All of the following distances and risks are placeholders that require testing. Template design itself is yet to take place.]

• 3inch
  • Low risk at Speed1, medium risk at Speed2, extreme risk at speed3
• 5inch
  • No risk at Speed1, low risk at Speed2, medium risk at speed 3
• 7inch
  • No risk at speed 1, low risk at speed 2, medium risk at speed 3

Each template is to be created making a 90 degree turn, the distance determining the angle the turn is made at, the difference between these are former templated is that these will have the distances actually marked on them for measurement, a player may choose only to make part of the turn should they wish to. A turn may be used at either the beginning of the movement or at the end of the movement but never half way or at both occasions, a player must plan ahead to avoid obstacles where possible.

Attack Type:

Game of Chicken: you make a deliberate near miss on the enemy bike to stress them out Winner of dual takes half stress (rounded down) . (15 success required) 1-7 stress from 15-21.

If you roll 21 and succeed you take no stress from the manoeuvre, on all other successes you take half, rolled down.
[So a 15 is 1 a 21 is 7. Also if the losing player takes 3 stress, you half that to 1.5, then roll down, and add 1 stress to your character used]

This attack can only be performed approaching the opposing bike from their front. Successful dual will allow a 2inch side movement at the completion of your movement, this can be taken in either direction left or right.
[This is to represent having swerved out of the way at the last moment but is optional.]

Attack Melee: To perform a melee attack at least half of your base must be beside the opponent and you must be within reach of chosen weapon. This will be an opposed test.

Defence Melee: when being attacked in melee you have 2 choices, dodge or attack. If you choose to react with an attack of your own then you may NOT attack next activation.
[Unless a skill says otherwise.]

Dodge still being worked on.

Attack as melee.

Surprise Melee: When attacked from behind defensive player immediately adds 3 stress and rolls for dodge only, unless a skill states otherwise.
[A surprise attack is only achieved from behind unless a skill allows it another way]