DragonMech Battles: Designer Diary #1
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- Hard-Bitten Adventurer
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DragonMech Battles: Designer Diary #1
DragonMech has a lot of cool things going for it: Fascinating steam-driven equipment. Creepy lunar monsters. Richly detailed setting. But what's the coolest part of DragonMech? Fifty-foot-tall mechs swinging axes at each other while catapult shots fly by and spells thunder. So we're making a game all about that. Prepare yourself for DragonMech Battles.
A setting with mechs screams for a tabletop combat game. We're happy to oblige. DragonMech Battles drops you into the mech jockey's seat, makes you the chief coglayer, and gives you command of the boarding parties. You'll stomp all over the landscape of Highpoint, battling other mechs and building your own. With simple rules and detailed outcomes, DragonMech Battles lets you turn steam engines, arcane power, and pure muscle into victory.
So much for the marketing copy. You true fans on the message board might like knowing that this game is a joint effort between Dieter "mythfish" Zimmerman and me (Matt "walrusjester" Sprengeler). We're working under the guidance of Joseph "goodmangames" Goodman, creator of Dragonmech and the driving force behind DragonMech Battles. These designers' diaries let us tell you about it in advance, and let you watch how we build it.
For example, we're trying to do two things with our design. We want a simple game. Lots of tabletop combat games have rules with too many details and exceptions, forcing you to spend your time looking things up instead of playing the game. And we want a detailed game. You should have enough options, both in combat and in mech design, that it can be different every time you play. How will we do both things at once? Well, keep watching this space and see. Next time, maybe I'll talk about how I'm reversing all my usual game-designing habits for DragonMech Battles. Or maybe Dieter will explain his combat system. What do you think, sirs?
A setting with mechs screams for a tabletop combat game. We're happy to oblige. DragonMech Battles drops you into the mech jockey's seat, makes you the chief coglayer, and gives you command of the boarding parties. You'll stomp all over the landscape of Highpoint, battling other mechs and building your own. With simple rules and detailed outcomes, DragonMech Battles lets you turn steam engines, arcane power, and pure muscle into victory.
So much for the marketing copy. You true fans on the message board might like knowing that this game is a joint effort between Dieter "mythfish" Zimmerman and me (Matt "walrusjester" Sprengeler). We're working under the guidance of Joseph "goodmangames" Goodman, creator of Dragonmech and the driving force behind DragonMech Battles. These designers' diaries let us tell you about it in advance, and let you watch how we build it.
For example, we're trying to do two things with our design. We want a simple game. Lots of tabletop combat games have rules with too many details and exceptions, forcing you to spend your time looking things up instead of playing the game. And we want a detailed game. You should have enough options, both in combat and in mech design, that it can be different every time you play. How will we do both things at once? Well, keep watching this space and see. Next time, maybe I'll talk about how I'm reversing all my usual game-designing habits for DragonMech Battles. Or maybe Dieter will explain his combat system. What do you think, sirs?
DragonMech line developer, freelance writer, tall guy named Matt.
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- Cold-Hearted Immortal
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I've been waiting for this since I bought my first DragonMech book. I cannot WAIT to see the real thing.
Any chance we'll get sweet mech minis to go on our hex maps?
//H
Any chance we'll get sweet mech minis to go on our hex maps?
//H
The lucky guy who got to write some Dungeon Crawl Classics.
DCC Resource thread: character sheets, judge tools, and the world's fastest 0-level party creator.
DCC Resource thread: character sheets, judge tools, and the world's fastest 0-level party creator.
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- Chaos-Summoning Sorcerer
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My understanding is that there will be no minis with the first release. The box will come with cardboard standups in classic Battletech fashion. But I do recall Joseph saying that minis were a possibility in the future if the game does well...and, you know, if enough people keep bugging him about them.
Dieter Zimmerman
[[Faceless Minion of the Dark Master]]
[[Faceless Minion of the Dark Master]]
woohoo
This is awesome
The world has needed a new battletech for a long time. I hope this is it.
Can't wait to hear more.
Mouse
PS I loved the cardboard cut outs from the original box battletech, but you still need to have mini's.
The world has needed a new battletech for a long time. I hope this is it.
Can't wait to hear more.
Mouse
PS I loved the cardboard cut outs from the original box battletech, but you still need to have mini's.
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- Ill-Fated Peasant
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- Hard-Bitten Adventurer
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- GnomeBoy
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Just had a thought...!
What if this game had minis?
Pretty cool idea, hunh?
Even so, minis would be cool.
What if this game had minis?
Pretty cool idea, hunh?
Even so, minis would be cool.
...
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
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- Hard-Bitten Adventurer
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*grin* I can't promise minis. We have to work within our budget for the initial release, and we don't want to include minis unless we know we can afford to make them cool. The more people who buy the game, the more money we can put toward production values. Not that I'm hinting or anything.
DragonMech line developer, freelance writer, tall guy named Matt.
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- Cold-Hearted Immortal
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Hmm... while we're waiting, it might be cool to try to make some of our own. *gets out epoxy, old minis & hobby knife*
I'll let you guys know when the lead poisoning sets in.
//H
I'll let you guys know when the lead poisoning sets in.
//H
The lucky guy who got to write some Dungeon Crawl Classics.
DCC Resource thread: character sheets, judge tools, and the world's fastest 0-level party creator.
DCC Resource thread: character sheets, judge tools, and the world's fastest 0-level party creator.
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- Gongfarmer
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I am really looking forward to this. This is a great idea and from a great company! My store will have a blast with this game. I work for a FLGS in Northern California and we have an active Battletech group. Many of the players are looking to get into another Mech-style game that has quick execution and a relatively inexpensive buy-in. Which is what this game sounds like it has. Plus it has that awesome steam-punk fantasy feel, which is a huge bonus. Need any help with the playtesting?
- Mike_Ferguson
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- Gongfarmer
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Minis are a must! I would totally want some cool minis for this game. Have you given it any thought to partnering with an existing minis manufacturer and having them produce the minis for the game? That way you guys don't have to worry about the overhead of producing minis.walrusjester wrote:It's great to see all this enthusiasm, but tell me - do any of you want minis?
- GnomeBoy
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I'd imagine GG would still need to think about the overhead, just in a round about way....bigjdunham wrote:Have you given it any thought to partnering with an existing minis manufacturer and having them produce the minis for the game? That way you guys don't have to worry about the overhead of producing minis.
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Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham