Op-En - A New Skirmish Game by Prim
Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2023 6:57 am
Hello all, and welcome to this new subforum of NagoyaHammer.
For a while now, I have had some ideas knocking around for a new skirmish game, or more accurately games (we'll get to that in a moment). So, this summer, rather than painting, I have been busy typing away at my keyboard. After several drafts, edits and a couple of proofreads by the exceptionally helpful Underdweller and Kojibear, I finally have something to present to the world. Now, this is a long way from being complete by any means, but it is enough to start playtesting with. I still need to add diagrams, fluff and some artistic decorations. Plus I am sure there are probably a load of balance changes, grammatical fixes and other tasks to do. Ultimately though, my end goal is to create a working set of games (there it is again...) and self-publish them online, probably with DrivethruRPG or similar. To do that, I require some people to actually try playing the game and give some feedback on it.
So, what is Op-En? Well, it is short for Oppose-Engage, which is the starting point for the rules. A lot of the game will involve making opposed tests against your opponent. None of this 'I can walk away from the table for an hour while you play out your turn', nonsense. I want players to feel engaged by the system. It is designed as a skirmish game with maybe 10 or so figures on each side. Rather than dictate what you can use or what your models do, I have opted for a VERY open-ended design system. You can custom build your own force based on a set of themes. Each model can be a unique character in the game. As of this version, there are over 170 options to pick from, though most of those aren't available to the rank and file of your force. You won't find a human army, a dwarf army and a goblin army. You will instead have the options to build them if you want to, or even go for something else entirely. You can even have a force that is made up of humans, dwarves, and goblins if you like.
I mentioned games, plural above, so I guess I should address that. As someone who loves playing games, I have picked up a LOT of rule sets over the years, and aside from GW's earlier efforts to make EVERYTHING work with the same system (no matter if it is a Titan in a 5000 point Apocalypse game or a Skaven-slave in Mordheim), the one thing I have found is that I had to learn a new system every time I wanted to try out a different genre. So, as well as making a game that would keep people engaged in playing, I also wanted to make a system that could cope with multiple different genres. Now, this doesn't mean that I wrote it so that your Titan can fight a Skaven-slave. Those two things are very different and shouldn't really overlap. Instead, I wrote a core set of rules that covered the basics like moving, taking actions, and resolving dice rolls. On top of that there will be various setting documents. Each will include themes and special rules specifically for that setting, abilities and weaponry that fit the genre, missions that make sense within the narrative and so forth. So players will be able to hop between their favourite genres and know the majority of the rules without having to learn a whole new game system every time.
So feel free to download the files below, give them a read and try a few games if you want. I would appreciate any and all feedback, be it about my dreadful butchering of the English language, or my complete inability to write rules that make for a fun game. Below you will find the Core rules as they currently stand, the first Setting book and a blank roster to build your force with. The first Setting is called Honour and Glory and is based around the theme of High Fantasy, think D&D, Tolkien, MtG and Willow and you'll be in the right area.
Thanks for your support!
Prim.
For a while now, I have had some ideas knocking around for a new skirmish game, or more accurately games (we'll get to that in a moment). So, this summer, rather than painting, I have been busy typing away at my keyboard. After several drafts, edits and a couple of proofreads by the exceptionally helpful Underdweller and Kojibear, I finally have something to present to the world. Now, this is a long way from being complete by any means, but it is enough to start playtesting with. I still need to add diagrams, fluff and some artistic decorations. Plus I am sure there are probably a load of balance changes, grammatical fixes and other tasks to do. Ultimately though, my end goal is to create a working set of games (there it is again...) and self-publish them online, probably with DrivethruRPG or similar. To do that, I require some people to actually try playing the game and give some feedback on it.
So, what is Op-En? Well, it is short for Oppose-Engage, which is the starting point for the rules. A lot of the game will involve making opposed tests against your opponent. None of this 'I can walk away from the table for an hour while you play out your turn', nonsense. I want players to feel engaged by the system. It is designed as a skirmish game with maybe 10 or so figures on each side. Rather than dictate what you can use or what your models do, I have opted for a VERY open-ended design system. You can custom build your own force based on a set of themes. Each model can be a unique character in the game. As of this version, there are over 170 options to pick from, though most of those aren't available to the rank and file of your force. You won't find a human army, a dwarf army and a goblin army. You will instead have the options to build them if you want to, or even go for something else entirely. You can even have a force that is made up of humans, dwarves, and goblins if you like.
I mentioned games, plural above, so I guess I should address that. As someone who loves playing games, I have picked up a LOT of rule sets over the years, and aside from GW's earlier efforts to make EVERYTHING work with the same system (no matter if it is a Titan in a 5000 point Apocalypse game or a Skaven-slave in Mordheim), the one thing I have found is that I had to learn a new system every time I wanted to try out a different genre. So, as well as making a game that would keep people engaged in playing, I also wanted to make a system that could cope with multiple different genres. Now, this doesn't mean that I wrote it so that your Titan can fight a Skaven-slave. Those two things are very different and shouldn't really overlap. Instead, I wrote a core set of rules that covered the basics like moving, taking actions, and resolving dice rolls. On top of that there will be various setting documents. Each will include themes and special rules specifically for that setting, abilities and weaponry that fit the genre, missions that make sense within the narrative and so forth. So players will be able to hop between their favourite genres and know the majority of the rules without having to learn a whole new game system every time.
So feel free to download the files below, give them a read and try a few games if you want. I would appreciate any and all feedback, be it about my dreadful butchering of the English language, or my complete inability to write rules that make for a fun game. Below you will find the Core rules as they currently stand, the first Setting book and a blank roster to build your force with. The first Setting is called Honour and Glory and is based around the theme of High Fantasy, think D&D, Tolkien, MtG and Willow and you'll be in the right area.
Thanks for your support!
Prim.
