My vote is for #2 (whatever that's worth... )

Dan

@FM: Can you tell me more what you mean by more accessible?

Thanks!

Also, I should note that creating the Customizer open source will require either a) a computer program, or b) lots more math to be done with a pencil and a calculator.

-Demian

You're talking about "giving away" the mathematical formulas used to generate the frame tables in the DVG book in order to promote the DVG mechanics for other games (the illustrious Dan "Grumpel" Earp didn't instill his, shall we say, self-assured view of the universal application of points costing tools in you, I hope )? While that would probably also serve to make Defiance a more tempting option for converters (the weapon ranges for example tend to be a lot smaller in many games compared to DVG), I'm not quite sure if this is the most viable first priority. Can't see much call for "licencing deals" on Defiance as it seems that every minor miniature company (with the notable exception of the Cold Navy guys) likes to make their own rules as well as background and minis.

Other than that, I suppose it would be sort of logical to pursue the #1 option first and develop the #3 option on "backburner" meanwhile. The public has been trained to associate expansions and add-ons (codexes, army books, whatever) with a living game. With the production of DVG minis moving rather slowly (for my tastes anyway), expansions would give the impression that something's going on.

Well, #2 if you're willing to do it, for the same reasons FlakMagnet cites.  Not sure there's much money in it for you, though.

Rich

I would kind of like to see something that might work with Army Builder or like army builder.

A non-exel customizer would be nice. Open source... hmm... maybe not. I am not sure on that one.

Lots of traditional army lists would be nice.

Things like Historical, classic sci-fi (which aren't basically the 40K armies), and similar things. Something you might talk to small miniature companies is making armies for their minis to promote their figures.

Just some ideas.

My newest idea is this: update the Customizer to include PV's for game play on small and/or very heavily terrained surfaces, add some new augmentations and grenade/CDW options and a bunch of army lists, hopefully some of them player-submitted.

So, anyone have ideas about new augmentations, grenades or army list templates?

-Demian

a 4 inch radius AoE ????

Sounds like a fair compromise between option #1 and #3.

An aug mentioned previously would be some sort of "paratrooper deployment" allowing models to enter the game making a sort of single use Jump move instead of deploying normally. This could represent a variety of unorthodox entries from actual parachuting to teleportation to tunneling to lying dormant in a cocoon in the ground until the enemy approaches.

Of course if one wanted to get pedantic then real paratroops should be vulnerable to enemy fire while they descent while troopers using more exotic modes of insertion shouldn't. So perhaps the differentation should exist under the super realistic genre option at the very least.

Another one you mentioned yourself in context of the Starslayer is the "walking through the walls" ability.

For the army lists, you might want to ask Kev White if he was interested in allowing a DVG army list be published for the Grymm and whatever he's been coming up with. He might well be reseptive to the idea. The problem would be that it doesn't look a lot like he has a stuctured plan about the "armies" he is putting out -- he just seem to be making what strikes his fancy. Makes writing an army list a bit pointless as it's going to be obsoleted during the time it's being edited for publication.

The same might apply to the Pig Iron Productions people. It may be that they don't have a game of their own planned yet, although like I said almost everybody does.

Further thoughts: fixed emplacements. Possible?

And of course there are several more suggestions from players and builders here:   http://www.mj12games.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=143

tnjrp, you mean like in WW1 where a trooper issued with a bayonet would instead cobble together a mace out of bits and pieces in order to wreak vengeance on the enemy should he make it to their trench?

Since it's been clarified that option #2 isn't a computer program to assist players in designing armies, that it is instead an open-sourced approach to the points system, I have less interest in #2.

With that in mind, I'd rather see #1 than #2.

Of course, if #4 was a customizer program... I'd be all over putting my vote on that one!

--Tim

A bit late in coming, but this occured to me just this morning...

Tinkering. Some armies (well, in them other sciffy games at least -- and of course there are the Boers in DVG) allow and even encourage battlefield modifications to be made to the weapons and armour. This can be represented by an aug that works randomly by rolling a D10 at the start of the battle and applying the effect to the frame in question (infantry, vehicle or weapon):
1-3 -- +1 to AR or -1 to hit
4-7 -- no effect
8-10 -- -1 to AR or +1 to hit
Points cost should be 0 pts, or at least nominal. Maybe some limitations as to the frames (say, infantry/vehicle +4 > AR > -2, weapon effector limitations...) might apply.