I'm building a multiplayer wargame / engine

[wargaffer]

Hi folks! I’m building a multiplayer wargame/engine that is tailored to the wargaming community. The plan is to bring traditional wargaming into the digital age. Too many digital wargames are still exclusively single player. The beauty of wargaming is the social aspect of it, the camaraderie and rivalries that you get from playing against other humans. It’s a shame that we still don’t have quality multiplayer wargames in 2023.

In the long run, this project aims to serve as an engine on which to build additional games customized to the community needs. Think of it as a Tabletop Simulator with an Umpire, customizable rules and automatic game setup. In the short term, I’m building a game that will serve as a benchmark for the engine.

What makes me think I can accomplish this? Well, I’m a software engineer with more than 10 years of experience working for small to large businesses and I have plenty of experience developing scalable software and infrastructure. I also own a software development company.

The project is still at an early stage but progressing well. I’m still working on the base mechanics and have many ideas for the gameplay. However, since I’m developing the game for the community, I would love to have your input on the following questions:

(copy/paste the questions in your post and write your answer underneath each question)

What is the most important thing for you in a wargame?
Do you prefer solo or multiplayer games and why? (for both physical and digital games)
How would you describe the state of the hobby?
What is the most challenging thing about the hobby?
Where do you play wargames with other people? (at conventions, at your friends, online, on Tabletop Simulator, etc.)
What is your favorite ruleset and why?
What is the ideal duration of a game for you?
What do you like or dislike about campaigns? (campaigns are a series of scenarios that usually influence each other)
What is the most important thing for you in a campaign?
How long do you expect a campaign to last in total?
What do you like or dislike about randomness mechanics in wargames? (activation, movement, dice, cards, random number generators, etc.)
Have you ever tried tools to create scenarios? (for example, Memoir44 and C&C have a scenario builder that you can download)
Do you like playing custom scenarios or do you prefer playing official ones? (either created by yourself or others)
Do you enjoy setting up your games? (for example, I like to setup the terrain and figure out where the strong positions are)
Did you develop tricks to setup your games? (for example, I use a lot of sticky notes)
How often do you talk in a game with your friends or strangers? (in person or online)

I’ll keep you posted on this forum. Also if someone would like to help, give feedback or ideas, please let me know and I might create a Discord or something. Cheers!

[bayonetbrant]

hey there!  Looking forward to seeing what you come up with

[bayonetbrant]

let me know and I might create a Discord or something. Cheers!

scroll to the very bottom of any of our forum pages, and there's a Discord icon there you can hit....

[wargaffer]

let me know and I might create a Discord or something. Cheers!

scroll to the very bottom of any of our forum pages, and there's a Discord icon there you can hit....

Great thank you!

[Tolstoi]

Howdy Wargaffer,

I meant to answer some of your questions back in March and didn't. Better late than never, eh?

What is the most important thing for you in a wargame?

Ultimately, the game needs to be fun. If I'm not enjoying my time with the game, than what's the point? However, I don't think that is what you meant. After the fun factor, a wargame should reflect supply, fog of war, and appropriate decision making for the level of command the game is representing.

Do you prefer solo or multiplayer games and why? (for both physical and digital games)

Prefer multiplayer, over solo; however, solo is fine. I enjoy the social aspect of multiplayer, as well as playing against a thinking opponent, or with a thinking teammate, if playing co-op or on a team.

What is the most challenging thing about the hobby?

Time. Too many games, not enough time.

What do you like or dislike about campaigns? (campaigns are a series of scenarios that usually influence each other)

Likes: Decisions made during the campaign influence/impact what happens in the individual scenarios.
Dislikes: People lose interest and the campaign isn't concluded

What do you like or dislike about randomness mechanics in wargames? (activation, movement, dice, cards, random number generators, etc.)

Randomness is good. Limiting the ability of the players to control every aspect of the game is a bonus. Games that allow me to move every piece are fine; however, games that potentially limit what I can move, and when those pieces move, provides a decision making experience that can be more fun and thought provoking than getting to move everything.

Have you ever tried tools to create scenarios? (for example, Memoir44 and C&C have a scenario builder that you can download)

Yes. If the tools or guidelines are clear and well thought out, it is fun. If the tools are not easy to use, or disorganized, that is not good.

Do you like playing custom scenarios or do you prefer playing official ones? (either created by yourself or others)

I guess it depends on who is creating the scenario and how well tested it is. Scenario creation is not as easy as it sounds. It is easy to create something that looks good and then while playing you discover it is not balanced, not interesting, or just not fun. Hopefully, official scenarios have been play tested to ensure they are good; however, after a couple times playing the scenario, people will want something different. Custom scenarios can fill that space and they may not be tested as well as official ones.

How often do you talk in a game with your friends or strangers? (in person or online)

Often. Not much fun if you don't communicate.