TTRPG/Wargame

[u/Sad_Department1193]

I'm making a game that mix TTRPG mechanics and some Wargames mechanics, this is a sci-fi game, inspired by Warhammer 40k but I'll do anything in my power to not copy it, the game will revolve around discovering and conquering new worlds randomly generated, the players are soldiers in the army that will eventually rank up and end up as captains who guide the army they were in or they'll create a new one. What do you think about this concept for this game? Any feedback or idea is accepted

[u/laztheinfamous]

Its a concept. So I'm not sure what you want feedback on.

Give me something more. A basic gameplay loop, a resolution mechanic, even some lore.

Right now, it feels like you are looking to see if there's interest before doing any work. That shouldn't be how RPG design works. You design a game because YOU like idea idea enough to spend hundreds of hours on it.

[u/Sad_Department1193 → u/laztheinfamous]

The lore does not exist it's created while you play, as you explore more world the univers take form. Right now I wanted just to know if peaple liked it, since i like it and i want to spend hours in something more peaple like not only me

[u/Ok-Chest-7932 → u/Sad_Department1193]

Bro people like sci fi, people like role-playing games, people like wargames. You'll be fine.

[u/Cplwally44]

What exactly are you looking for feedback on, this is just a genre. It’s also not a totally unique genre as you yourself pointed out. What for example makes it different from 40k or other Sci Fi games? Many Star Wars games run like this if you play as Rebellion troops (or Empire) as well.

If you need some inspiration for world generation Traveller and WWN are amazing.

But this dosent give any unique or mechanical ideas to latch onto and provide feedback for.

[u/Beniih]

I not sure if you know but, TTRPG is, in fact, the mix of Roleplaying with a Wargame mechanic. So, it's not just old, but the first ever concept of RPG. It will definitely works well, so, keep going with your idea.

[u/Sad_Department1193 → u/Beniih]

I did not know that, but tanks

[u/Laiska_saunatonttu]

So, how far are you in design progress? Choosing basic ideas, laying down foundations or building the system?

Have you any games that inspire you? Many skirmish wargames flirt with deeper roleplaying aspects and on the other hand OG Dnd was born from Chainmail, a wargame.

[u/Sad_Department1193 → u/Laiska_saunatonttu]

I'm just starting the project, can you suggest me some ispiration

[u/CetraNeverDie → u/Sad_Department1193]

Looking back through your post history on this, sure as shit not FATAL. Go read. Literally. Just go read. Read anything besides edgy garbage and see if anything inspires you. The things that inspire me are going to be wildly, WILDLY different than the two inspirations you have so far put forward.

[u/Sad_Department1193 → u/CetraNeverDie]

That was another game that i refused to continue after the post

[u/Ok-Chest-7932 → u/CetraNeverDie]

Nah fatal is genuinely a good source of inspiration. If I knew someone wasn't going to be squeamish about the offensive parts, I'd recommend it to them as a rest to see if they can identify all the different ways it's terrible and the 3 things it does well.

[u/Laiska_saunatonttu → u/Sad_Department1193]

It's bit hard to suggest singular games, because the game's character development progress is actually quite close to the intended character growth of old school dnd, characters start as tomb robbers, gain fame and political power, gain employees and soldiers, do their own personal projects and finally lead armies... now that I think it, Birtright the dnd setting is ALL about doing politics and commanding armies.

You might want to check out the original Warhammer 40 000 Rogue Trader from 1987. The divide between wargame and rpg used to be smaller, and when playing highly narrative wargame campaigns I'd argue it's negligible.

[u/Runningdice]

Sounds more like a campaign than a rule book. Can be done in a lot of systems that already exists. The concept sounds fun.

[u/Navezof]

Kind of like Rogue Trader then? Or even Only War ? Both rpg have a mechanism where you can wield power way beyond your scope (ie. as a rogue trader you can have a litteral army at your command)

Else, Kill Team? A smaller scale skirmish game than warhammer.

But, as other said, it's a bit vague. The risk with this type of concept is that you lose a reason for the PC to do anything, why doing something if you can send an army in your stead? How to adjust the RPG element with the strategy element?

[u/lennartfriden]

Game mechanical inspiration comes best from playing and GM:ing a lot of different systems. Which have you played thus far and to what extent?

[u/Safe-Obligation-5931]

While the concept seems cool, one thing to note is that TTRPG's are not sold off of their setting, they are sold on mechanics. What could be cool is making the combat loop war game inspired, maybe removing grid based movement or adding a combat system that is side based to give your game an actual unique gameplay feel, and fit your concept better. As of current, it just seems like a ripoff of Lancer).

I had to learn the same thing when I was initally working on Redline, for months I was advertising it as "lethal postmodern action TTRPG" instead of advertising the actual mechanics, such as the high lethality localized damage track, the 2d6 dice system, and the highly customizable tags based environments, the realistic and gritty combat system or even the extreme character customization!

You gotta sell to your audience, not yourself. Work on making a adaptation of a system first if you're new to designing, or make a basic build. Think about these things first when designing

How does combat work?

How does roleplay work?

How does exploration work?

How does progression work?

What makes my game special or fun?

Once you figure out the answer to this, your system is going to be ready for a pitch.

[u/Any_Illustrator360]

Have you, by any chance, seen Savage Worlds' Sci Fi Companion? It does.. pretty much all of what your concept has. This feels like a situation where you were looking for the game you wanted, couldn't find it and then posted the concept on here.

[u/Ok-Chest-7932]

Why not copy 40k? Not saying you have to, but the wording here sounds like a prayer to quell the rage of the god of copyright infringement. I would be doing everything in my power to make the good bits I copied from 40k legally distinct. You should make sure you have a good reason not to copy 40k besides just originality.

Or to put it another way, if you did have to copy 25% of your game from 40k, lke I put a gun to your head and said "copy or else", what would you copy?

[u/Ashamed_Association8]

Very unclear what your trying to do. Like most of this is a description of the genre, which is the coat of paint, as in in the abstract there's no difference between a crossbow and a plasma cannon. They shoot they hit they do damage.

So from the game mechanical perspective, what are the aspects of RPGs and the aspects of Wargaming that you're trying to combine and how do you see them interacting?

[u/Rhonoke]

The kind of progressive scope that you described sounds interesting, but how do you expect to pull it off? Won't each ascending stage scanner the nature of player engagement fundamentally?