VBAM Games Forums

As you likely got from the heading, I'm interested in building a game with a fantasy/oriental background. I've been playing alot of "Total War: Shogun 2" lately, and I really wanted to bring Legend of the 5 Rings into the game. My computer modding skills are a lil lacking, so I thought I'd try a slightly different approach. L5R meets VBAM!

I'm just curious if VBAM can even work in this gameplay? Anyone whose played Shogun 2 should have a good idea of what I'm shooting for. Any ideas would be great.

One last thing, I'll be honest... while I love VBAM, I dislike the combat system. So for my space games, I've always modded in Starmada. It works simply enough. However I don't know of any ground-based, toolkit wargames for fantasy gameplay! Anyone know of a good way to go with this?

I bet running a modded feudal Japan (or any other Total War) campaign game using VBAM would be pretty easy; substitute Provinces for Systems, Roads for Jump Lanes, drop starships and give players long ground unit Force Lists.

Supply, intel, diplomacy, economy, population, productivity: I think these would all work as written. Not sure whether you'd want to model research and technological change at all, but if you did I'm sure you could pick ISDs for units equipped with better weapons and armor.

Would your plan be to resolve the battles using skirmish mode in the computer game?

TalosX wrote:One last thing, I'll be honest... while I love VBAM, I dislike the combat system. So for my space games, I've always modded in Starmada. It works simply enough. However I don't know of any ground-based, toolkit wargames for fantasy gameplay! Anyone know of a good way to go with this?

Old, but pretty complete: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgamee ... ttlesystem

The fantasy version of DBA/DBM: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/ ... the-things

This is effectively the Starmada equivalent for fantasy miniatures: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/16533/atherverse
It's out of print, but really cool - if you can't create the army you want with these rules, you're not trying.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/ ... tasy-rules

Two Hour Wargames take on the idea: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/ ... ior-heroes

Majestic Twelve's (Starmada) take: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/ ... the-masses

Good luck, sounds like fun!

virtutis.umbra wrote:I bet running a modded feudal Japan (or any other Total War) campaign game using VBAM would be pretty easy; substitute Provinces for Systems, Roads for Jump Lanes, drop starships and give players long ground unit Force Lists.

Supply, intel, diplomacy, economy, population, productivity: I think these would all work as written. Not sure whether you'd want to model research and technological change at all, but if you did I'm sure you could pick ISDs for units equipped with better weapons and armor.

Would your plan be to resolve the battles using skirmish mode in the computer game?

Yeah, I think VBAM could be converted fairly well. Research and Tech won't be a part of this game, so that's not an issue.
I plan to resolve combat using an alternate wargaming system.

Charles Lewis wrote:Old, but pretty complete: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgamee ... ttlesystem

The fantasy version of DBA/DBM: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/ ... the-things

This is effectively the Starmada equivalent for fantasy miniatures: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/16533/atherverse
It's out of print, but really cool - if you can't create the army you want with these rules, you're not trying.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/ ... tasy-rules

Two Hour Wargames take on the idea: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/ ... ior-heroes

Majestic Twelve's (Starmada) take: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/ ... the-masses

Good luck, sounds like fun!

Thanks, this is just the type of help I was looking for. I'll review each and make another post when I decide on a system.

Chyll wrote:[quote="Charles LewisMajestic Twelve's (Starmada) take: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/ ... the-masses

As an aside, I'd be interested in any application of this one, as a co-author of the system

Chyll wrote:As an aside, I'd be interested in any application of this one, as a co-author of the system

That's kind of amusing actually. After reviewing all of them, I just went with the company I trust for my spaceship wargames, Majestic Twelve. I already bought and downloaded "For the Masses" at DriveTruRPG. I'll let you know when I've finished reading it and start on my L5R clan creations.

If For the Masses doesn't work out, since you already like Starmada, you might be able to somehow reconfigure it towards a fantasy setting. It would be a stretch, obviously, but the Hull sizes would become Army sizes, the different weapon systems would represent the types of equipment each unit has available. It would definitely be a kludge, but I am sure it is one that could be made to work.

The one thing that I know you would probably need to mod to a certain degree is sea trade. That would be fixed in 1E by giving naval trade fleet a larger range than the conventional trade fleets (which would become caravans). Instead of connecting three systems, the naval trade fleets could connect up to three coastal cities that are located X hexes apart. I would be tempted to make X be 9 or 10 "sea" lanes.

Tyrel Lohr wrote:If For the Masses doesn't work out, since you already like Starmada, you might be able to somehow reconfigure it towards a fantasy setting. It would be a stretch, obviously, but the Hull sizes would become Army sizes, the different weapon systems would represent the types of equipment each unit has available. It would definitely be a kludge, but I am sure it is one that could be made to work.

For the Masses looks like it should work fine. I haven't gotten to sit down and read much of it yet (12 hour work shifts right now) but I skimmed it. I'll be able to read it tonite and know for sure then.

Tyrel Lohr wrote:The one thing that I know you would probably need to mod to a certain degree is sea trade. That would be fixed in 1E by giving naval trade fleet a larger range than the conventional trade fleets (which would become caravans). Instead of connecting three systems, the naval trade fleets could connect up to three coastal cities that are located X hexes apart. I would be tempted to make X be 9 or 10 "sea" lanes.

Honestly, I hadn't really thought about naval trade and warfare yet. Guess that's something I should definitely look into. Your suggestion sounds simple enough to employ so that might actually be easy to fix.

TalosX wrote:For the Masses looks like it should work fine. I haven't gotten to sit down and read much of it yet (12 hour work shifts right now) but I skimmed it. I'll be able to read it tonite and know for sure then.

It has been on my to-do list to work out a system to link the two for so long.......

Chyll wrote:It has been on my to-do list to work out a system to link the two for so long.......

I am running into a bit of a snag at the moment. I want to differentiate the units a bit more then what the system typically allows. For instance, Crab Clan samurai tend to wear heavy armor. I'd like a way to add this in without just increasing their defense (an extremely boring way if you ask me). It's these little niche things that really make each clan in L5R stand out, but few games allow for such diversity.

TalosX wrote:

Chyll wrote:It has been on my to-do list to work out a system to link the two for so long.......

I am running into a bit of a snag at the moment. I want to differentiate the units a bit more then what the system typically allows. For instance, Crab Clan samurai tend to wear heavy armor. I'd like a way to add this in without just increasing their defense (an extremely boring way if you ask me). It's these little niche things that really make each clan in L5R stand out, but few games allow for such diversity.

Admittedly, we left the system simple.

There should be some special ability to help with that. If not in the published rules, I'll check the unpublished 2nd edition set for you.

Chyll wrote:Admittedly, we left the system simple.

There should be some special ability to help with that. If not in the published rules, I'll check the unpublished 2nd edition set for you.

I'm not finding anything in the special abilities section. Although I imagine I can adapt a Starmada rule to help. The first roll is to-hit and the second roll for armor. Admittedly I started a new class at school, so I haven't had as much time to work out the kinks as I'd like too. Don't worry though, it's still something I definitely want to finish.