#Lancer Division - The Strategic Large Scale Combat TRPG - WIP

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

late dirge
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This looks really cool, and I'm excited to see more as it progresses.

worldly dew
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I've seen a similar concept posted to Reddit that I really wanted to work with, and I'm glad to see another one as well!

I'm about to leave for work but I'll give some ideas later on!

warped quiver
worldly dew
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Alright, read through it and I have to say, it's ambitious.

The Romance concept is a difficult one, I think, to try and get across. It might feel a bit more Dynasty Warriors if the infantry is particularly squishy.

How are you going to map the field? Is it going to be like Battlegroup with its Gyre? Just pieces moving on a board?

I also want to say that the multiple resources to track might be a bit much. If simplified, it might make things a bit easier to manage and contain, letting you work all branches of the combat with few moving parts.

I wrote a bit of a word-salad of takes/ideas on it if you'd like it, but it's about as coherent as a Zheng in a bouncy castle.

warped quiver
warped quiver
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Like Energy and Materials? Energy and Supplies?

worldly dew
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I'm always for simplicity as a baseline, makes it much easier to pick up and still can provide depth of combat.

Like, look at Charge and Flight counters in Battlegroup. Functionally, they're the same thing, countdown to weapon firing/hitting. Both are count downs to boom.

Then there's Reload, which is similar, but allows you to have the shot banked. It's the same idea, a counter, just applied in different ways. A good skeleton to run off of.

For resources, if you're making logistics a major core feature, it's more realistic to have materiel and munitions, sure, but that's double the work for half the gain. At least in my opinion.

I thought you the concept of Fatigue when talking about this the first time, and I honestly think it might be a good approach. Units get tired, low on supplies or manpower, or just lose morale while in the field. The higher their fatigue, the lower their combat rating and defense, the easier they are to kill.

warped quiver
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Hrmmm. Ill have to think about that. You make valid points.

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Fatigue or stress could be something to consider.

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The primary goal of supplies is to encourage logistical planning and give a unique strategic feel, as players have to plan accordingly to ensure that they have their bearings before engaging.

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Cause in lancer the core book, you have to be strategic in your load outs and managing equipment.

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I think maybe giving tags to the weapon might help. Like supplies are the base unit for everything, but say a gun has (reloading 4) then you can spend supplies to speed up the clock.

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Actually @worldly dew I like your idea a lot.

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Engines can be a tag for vehicles, meaning every move order given adds a token to this tag. Once enough tags are given it has to spend a turn refueling.

worldly dew
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Glad you like it! Thought it was a good overall abstraction.

The way I saw it, Fatigue is how you force the player to rotate forces in and out of combat. Jets need to fall back to rearm/refuel. Tanks need gas and shells. Infantry need to RnR. Lancers need.... well, a lot.

I dunno about weapons on cooldown spending resources to speed it up. I think Limited might be a better way to work that, use existing infrastructure. The difference is, Limited systems could be refreshed by falling back to a resource dump to rearm.

I don't know why, but I'm seeing this as a cycle/supply line kind of situation. Infantry holds the line, but needs a Logi to drive up and dump resources. Cavalry pushes hard but can't stay out for long. Artillery can engage at a distance but is fragile if exposed.

warped quiver
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Well it’s still early beta. I have a skeleton framework for combat at the moment.

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I’ll probably release the combat update later this week.

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For supplies, units have to carry them. So logistics units primarily carry additional supplies, give boosts, terraform, build buildings, and more expensive units set up teleport gates.

worldly dew
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What if Logi's could 'share' Fatigue? Similar to Lancaster?

Effectively, logi vehicle gets adjacent to unit with high fatigue. It 'takes' their fatigue, drives off and recuperates at a FOB or some kind of HQ?

warped quiver
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Fatigue is a good system

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Or “stress” I think

worldly dew
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Abstraction being that the Logi is dropping supplies, food, ammunition, etc.

Logi would have severely poor defense and CR, making them very exposed if a cavalry unit rolls up

warped quiver
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Because tanks and mechs don’t get fatigued

worldly dew
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'Fatigue' is just the abstraction. You could count it as being low on fuel, low on ammo, low on food, low on medical supplies, what have you

warped quiver
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Well I’ll show you the combat system I’m working on, is it cool to DM?

worldly dew
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Sure is!

warped quiver
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The Beta Combat system is finally finished somewhat. I'll write a complete combat turn order cheat sheet and add other minor details

foggy ginkgo
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Gonna pop in here and see this project as it develops

warped quiver
foggy ginkgo
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Yeah I get ambitious projects

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I wish you luck on yours

warped quiver
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Well I think just adding a bit here and there will keep garnishing interest

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But thank you

warped quiver
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Alright getting a demo board down. This is what the game will probably look like (I’ll add terrain tokens later)

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slim sorrel
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Let's schedule a session to play

warped quiver
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Alright I’ve been working on the campaign phase and am scheduling a playtest event sometime soon. If anyone is interested please let me know.

warped quiver
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The game isn’t dead thankfully, but I’m working on the units next.

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The Living Document is out and so far I’m working on completing units and section 0 of the core book.

grim turret
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yippee!

warped quiver
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Combat has been worked on. Some changes we’ve made is that instead of buying units one by one, it’ll be a framework you purchase. As a kind of literal middle ground

warped quiver
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Combat has updated, I made it four steps like battlegroup. Added more details as well. But logistics here is at the end and special abilities activate a turn later. Allowing for strategic play and counter play.

warped quiver
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Combat I want to say is about 85% done.

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I need to add UPTIME ACTIONS, RESERVES, KEYWORDS, and WEAPONS

warped quiver
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Next Friday or Saturday I’ll have the UPTIME ACTIONS released

warped quiver
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Uptime actions have been released. Combat is now in play testing mode.

warped quiver
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Okay so I’ve demoed the game a couple times, I’ve learned that combat is a bit big and clunky, so I’ve managed to rework combat again into something extremely basic and capable of having 4 players and a GM finish in an hour.

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Here’s a demo board for play irl

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warped quiver
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Sorry for those who think the project is dead, I took a break but I finished keywords and definitions. Now I need to work on unit frameworks. The game is going to have brigade frames you buy, and you can mix and match frames with units to make a custom brigade.

edgy scaffold
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Ooooohhhhh đź‘€

warped quiver
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Been working on the units. It’s a one man job mostly and I need to play test again.

warped quiver
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if anyone’s interested in demoing a game or seeing the current unit list please DM me

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Still very much WIP, but if anyone is interested I have a system down and demo units are being made

warped quiver
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Here however is a preview of the first unit.