Robot Sketches from today for the Sci-Fi Game.

Going to do yet another playtest for The LAWW later today, but Nothing too exciting to show just yet. In the meantime here's some development artwork for another, more heavily sci fi themed game.

Meanwhile...

Still messing around with the rules for The LAWW. Haven't had a chance to play-test with them yet, busy week. I DID get the new Fantasy Flight game: "RELIC" set in the Warhammer 40K universe and am loving it. However it is a 4+ hour game, and it's strengthened my resolve to make the games I create quick playing (30 mins to an hour tops).

I've got a whole Google Docs file full of game ideas, and that's where the majority will be staying. There's a couple that have a strong pull on me though,  and I'd like to get them out there after The LAWW.

First is competitive/co-op game of Giant Robot management inspired by the upcoming film "Pacific Rim", I['d like to have it playable by the time the movie is in theaters.

Secondly, I was only recently introduced to pocket mods:

http://www.pocketmod.com/

I'd like to put together very short, solo role-playing adventures, inspired by my love of the old Fighting Fantasy books, but again, VERY short adventures. The pocket mods are sort of self limiting which will help keep my imagination reigned in.

I AM (making) THE LAWW! part three

Got in a bit of a test game last night. Only a bit, but a big bit.. an hour long bit. Since I want this to be a quick playing game, this is obviously a clue that things aren't working right just yet.

Here are a few notes I came up with during the test:
1) Need a track for keeping track of the budget. Stopping to count the open Budget spaces each turn is time consuming and BORING. It's also hard to see the Budget Icon under LAWW counters sometimes.
2) Originally the player could build a precinct anywhere on the board as long as they had the Budget for it. But I quickly realised that the player could build a precinct right next to the Kingpin and make a really short game.

My solution for now, is that the player can burn a LAWW counter and place a Precinct on that spot. This made for an interesting situation where the LAWW would be wadding into criminal territory and then setting up an outpost from which to launch future attacks. Which was pretty exciting.

3) The game is WAY TOO SLOW. The LAWW units need more movement per turn. Like WAY MORE. it took 4 turns before there was any contact between forces, and if I want it to be a quick playing game, well... That dog won't hunt.

4) It took way too long to mop up the Perps after arresting a Big Boss. So I've added a BURST which wipes out any Perps surrounding the Big Boss when he's arrested (They lose moral and run away when their boss gets nabbed). This also had the added benefit of feeling really satisfying.

5) Originally the Budget was a resource that could be spent each turn to buy more and more officers. Instead I think I'd like to beef up the stats of the officers, and make the Budget represent how many points the player can field at any time. I think this will cause the player to get out there quicker and take down bosses so they can.

Putting together a new rules sheet tonight, with Budget and Crime Rate Tracker.

Best,
Steve.

I am (making) THE LAWW! part two.

Did not get around to that test game last night, but I did get the prototype built.

BABY PICTURES!

 

Bit's an pieces: The map and counters. A sheet of Foamcore from the dollar store, a jug of white PVA glue for pasting one onto the other (and snacking) and the hammer... well, the hammer is for when things don't... cooperate.

 

 Here are the counters, glued onto the foamcore and awaiting the kiss of my blade.

 

And afterwards. Glued onto foamcore and cut out the counters will be easier to pickup and move around the board.

 

Finally, here's the board, trimmed, and glued together on a piece of foamcore. This i guess I could have just left as paper on the table, but I enjoy the chunkiness and heft of the mounted board, even for these test games. 

Hopefully I'll get to a test game today/tonight.

Best,

Steve

I AM (making) THE LAWW! part one.

Watched DREDD with the missus a few days ago, and got that tingly feeling.
Thought it'd be cool to play a game where you were one of the Mega City one dispatchers sending Judges out to fight crime, having to choose which crimes to focus on, and which ones to let go.

Sounds fun right?

I went another way. Please, someone feel free to make THAT game.

The game I came up with is a little more straight forward. I've got a bad habit of over-complicating games so much that they never get past the design doc phase. So this one, I'm purposely hamstringing myself. I'm only creating the basic mechanics, and once it's done and playable, I'll create a more advanced "Expansion" that tags on all the other cool Ideas I have.

But yeah, I'd like to have a game ready for anyone reading this blog to play.

I'm going with the title: "The LAWW" for the moment. I think it evokes what I'm going for. It's a solo game, but can be played with two players. I think, for the most part I'm going to design games with a focus on solo play, because I am a very lonely man.

I whipped up some counters in the Google Docs drawing app:

I'm using the Drawing app as a way to limit myself. I'm double plus visual by nature, and if I try to do full out counters and artwork right away I'll NEVER get to the game itself (but I'll have shiny counters to not play a game on).

What's with the numbers? Just preliminary stats for how I *THINK* the game will play.
$1-M1 means the LAWW officer will cost $1 to hire, and (M)ove 1 hex per turn. The 2+ etc... on the criminals is the roll needed on a d6 to arrest them. Like I said, keeping it simple first time out folks.

So yeah, simple, but usable and not too ugly counters. I'll add the art later right?

And I imagined the game taking place over an entire city, so I whipped up a game board using Flash, Photoshop and more Google Draw.

 Here's the city. I'm calling it "Libertaire" at the moment, because I'm slowly developing a story about a Libertarian City State gone terribly wrong.

Anyway, you can see it's broken up into Districts, the way I figure it,if the criminals completely occupy a District then bad things'll happen.

The $'s you see around represent the LAWW's budget. If criminals occupy that hex, they lose that from their budget. Representing... I dunno, the Oversight Committees concern that they're not fulfilling their contract.

I'm putting together a prototype right now (Waiting on some glue drying) But I'll give the game a play though (I'd like it to be a quick 30-45 minute game) and let ya'll know how it goes.

Best,
Steve.

Welcome to the Capering Homunculus (CPH) design blog.

Right now, CPH games is just little 'ol me Steve Sloan. I'm an animation artist and amateur (double plus  amateur) game designer.

A lot of times I'll see a movie, or read a book and want to continue the experience by playing a game with the same theme. Most of the time, some thoughtful company has already developed a game that'll scratch the itch. But sometimes, I get a bright idea all my own.

As the specter of death creeps closer with every passing year, I look for ways to get these ideas out of my head and into the real world. I'm hoping CPH lets me do a little bit of that.

Most of my games are gonna be Sci-fi. I eat and breath the stuff, though a side order of fantasy might make it's way in as well. I could also see some gritty Noir, or a little cosmic horror finding it's way onto the plate as well. Like i said it all depends on what I'm consuming as a... well, consumer at the time.

Anyway, thanks for taking a look! I'll try to keep this updated with my efforts at least once a week.

Best,
Steve.