Here's the latest...WARDOGS! v0.45

Cleaned it up and organized it a bit better.

Switched the to hit and damage methods.

Added and modified many frame and weapon enhancements and SU costs

Added an infantry squad type.

Added pilot and gunner skill levels and advancement rules.

I think this is stable enough that I'm going to begin work on the naval and air unit stuff and hostile environment additions over the next week (as work allows)

One thing I changed after the I zipped and posted the file was regarding the ballistic enhancements for added launch tubes.  It now reads thus:

Extra Launch Tube/ Barrel (Ballistic weapon has x number of additional launch tubes/barrels with a single shot)  x1+0.50 per extra tube/barrel SU

Enjoy!  and as always...comments are welcome!

updated to v0.50 pg 8

Okay...
..so I missed the logo thing for the 'Aces' game, I gotta do one right for this one....

:-)

Yup. Technical specs will likely be added to the ready mecha in the book.  The sample mecha I'm doing are as much for my edification as anything.  Let's me see the comparative abilities and defenses of various sizes.  So far it doesn't seem to have many glitches...or at least...obvious ones.

One of the things I'm thinking on the sheets is including the firing arc diagrams for the different mountings at the bottom of the sheet.  Label them with A, B, C, and so forth.  A space on the weapons data for firing arcs would allow entering in the appropriate arc designator for fast reference.   Otherwise, as long as the information such as I've included on the sample mecha is shown, how it is organized certainly isn't set in stone as yet. :wink:

I'd not thought about counters as yet, but I suppose that is something to start thinking on. That and a couple battlefield map boards possibly...augh...I need to finish the rules first. *chuckles*

Believe me...I'm a serious fan of simple and stupid myself.  Civil Engineering Tech by day and all I deal with is rules, regulations, laws, formulae, and a large number of idiots. :roll:   Brain candy is GOOD!!!! :mrgreen:

Aren't we all that age at heart? :wink:

Maybe a "WARDOGS! logo contest", eh?  Then you don't have to feel as if you're on the spot Dugan.     Believe me I appreciate the voluntary contributions ('specially since I'm not set up with all the artsy programs n stuff and would end up doing so-so hand drawings and scanning). Possible prizes: I put up for a $20 gift cert from MJXII or such...or maybe a free copy of the final game.  (this is thinking out loud...so please don't get too excited as yet folks.  )

Hey Dan...what do you think?

This is kind of what came to mind when you posted that college team logo Dan... :twisted:

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Well, the Hostile Environment rules are complete.  I don't know if anyone has done this before in a game, but there is a possibility of 900+ different battlefield types. (If I have that figured right)  This obviously is going to be for more advanced or campaign type games since there are additional modifiers and conditions to keep track of...still...it doesprovide for some serious variety.       I'll post them with the next update version. :twisted:

Just an example though....environments are identified by class number.  So a Class 2 (moderate rated VERY HOT) environment can be run...or combine it with a Class 23 (low rated HIGH GRAVITY) environment.  Some cannot be combined with each other for obvious reasons...such as Very Hot with Very Cold...but still...it's some great options from the same old static battlefields.  8)

Alright, let's see if anyone can better this...

Okay...I'll tweak the name of the inventor some.

I LOVE the logo work.  Do you have the aftershock debris font by chance? Just seems to scream WAR to me for some reason is all.  :wink:

I figured the main nations are unlikely to change though the Immigration Wars definitely changed boundaries.

I didn't run out of steam...just had been working at it for a few hours and had to get ready for my night shift on the construction site...Definitely got more to go with things when my brain is fresher. 

Put it together jygro and I'll take a look at it.  Part of what I've done so far also limits the unit type able to partake in the battles based on severity of conditions.  It's purposefully abstract...the flexibility only hit me after I had gotten about half way done with it.

I'll have to post the update when I wake up in the morning...

I can live with 'purposefully abstract!'  I was just giving you a way to sort all the specialized environments that you have been dreaming up to make it easier to determine what the world would be.  Once you post all the ones that you have created, if you need help I can start to sort them the way I envisioned.

-Bren

I was toying with a few of the construction rules and while working on the movement of mecha, I realized something.  There are three stats that all mecha will need to worry about putting points in (from a SU standpoint, but probility victory points as well). Those three are Mobility, Offense and Defense and depending on how the rules are set up, all should play equal parts in the game (that's the tricky part).

Under that idea, a completely 'well-rounded' mech at any size should spend ~33% of its total SUs between those three stats.  So, for example a 'balanced' size 4 bipedal mech, ~7 SU should be used for each of the three. If they are all equal from a play standpoint, it gives players a hard choice on which stat to best at (allowing a lot of playing styles and the hard design choices).  It is under that assuption that my following thoughts arise.

Movement points:  I noticed that the current SU costs for movement are fairly cheap. A size 10 spends 4 SU for the ability to get a MP of 4 (not bad to double the speed).  Perhaps using the movement formula in Starmada (or a modified version) to create the speed of the mecha would be better than assigning it by the current calculation (12-size).  It works great for starmada and I think that same formula for speed would work here.  Unless you really wanted to, you could skip the EP costs for walking movement (stating the needed EP for movement is included in the cost in SUs).

Armor considerations:  At current cost, a +4 armor only costing 2 SU is way underpriced.  All heavy mecha will have armors of +4 (since its only 4% of the total SUs) and I can see lights will have +4 (~10 to 20% total).  In that light, I would make the price be based on total SUs.  Also, I wouldn't have any base armor, but have players buy up to the total armor they want to have.  The main reason for this change is so players can create mecha that are large, but have very low armor (like a size 10 with an armor of 2). I would make the maximum armor a mech could have is equal to size x2 (So people can't go overboard).

Oh, the DMG rolls would be done in d10 and not d6 as stated in the rules.  That makes it easier to do damage and allows the same die for to hits and damage.

That's all I got at the moment, hope this makes sense, I'm pretty tired...
-Bren

As promised: Here's WARDOGS! v0.50.

Mecha Critical Chart expanded slightly.

Hostile Environment Rules.

Surface Naval Units and Close Air Support design added.

corrected a few typo's and bad keystrokes.

Additional work to follow will concentrate on game background fluff, sample units and technical readouts.  Artwork, counters, and mapping samples are definitely down the pike a ways.

I LIKE questions...

No. The handheld limit is for Ballistic, Energy, and Kinetic Weapons.  It doesn't affect Melee Weapons since by their nature they are hand held.
The space cost modifier it has actually makes the weapon take up less space than it would if it were mounted otherwise.  So someone wanting to do a range 15/rof 3/ dmg 3 Extra Damage weapon only costs 2 SU vs 19 SU.  Ammunition/ Energy costs should be free (which I'll have to clarify when polishing and editting things later)  :wink:   The idea is to allow for a BFG with limited capabilities.  If applied to smaller sized weaponry, such as a Range 9/ rof 1/ Dmg 2 Armor Piercing/ Handheld the SU cost is 0.  Don't forget too that an arm with hand frame enhancement adds an SU, so any weapon with a cost of 1 is essentially a freebie anyway. 

Yes. (If your mech can survive long enough to GET to melee range...it deserves all the crunchitizing capability it can get, eh.)

Yes. Just remember it takes a turn to reload. So you get three turns of shooting. one turn of switching out energy packs or whatever. three turns of shooting. etc.  It can't be taken more than twice though. (something else I'll be adding in the later version.)  I'll have to adjust...or rather...edit...the SU cost so that it's clear that the reloads are the standard weapon size with a modifier of x0.25 instead of x0.10.  Meaning, that Rng 15/ROF3/DMG3 Extra DMG Handheld reload cost is the 19 SU cost x0.25 rather than the 2 SU cost x0.25.  Protected storage space for the ammunition pack carried by the mecha.  The initial ammo is part of the weapon carried.

I hadn't thought of the Hostile Environment enhancements...mainly cause I figured a mecha could deal with it...but the suggestion has significant merit.      Something else to add into things later...and thanks for the vote of confidence.

Well glad I gave you Paws for thought. (sorry had to say that)

hehehe which reminded of another question I forgot
:oops:

When using the percing ability for Melee weapons is the AR value consider 0 for the damge roll?

:twisted: I am hopeing so cause that makes a real nasty weapon.