So sadly Blue Max is no longer on this site. Its been quite a few weeks since I made a post. Its been a time for reflection on what Blue Max was, what it could have been, errors made, lessons learned and things accomplished.
Prior to its going I had started on two new projects based on original IP. They were on the back burner for the last couple of months while I worked on improving the games I already had. The huge hole in the site left by Blue Max has motivated me to attack these projects with new vigor.
Because these games are original one of the hurdles has been their lack of existing rules. Having complete and tested rules makes the process of writing code possible. I was going to say ‘easier’ there but really, without finalised rules coding is not just harder, it is impossible.
Rules on paper are much easier to tweak and change than rules tied up in code. One of my first priorities has been to come up with complete sets of rules that can be play tested with bits of cardboard, stand-in models, pens and paper. At the same time I know that eventually these games will be online so I can make rules that work for that medium from the outset.
So let me introduce the games
Momentum
Momentum is a game of fleet combat in space. Movement follows Newtonian physics (but not in an incredibly strict way) and players will have to balance how their ships divide their resources between thrust, weapons and shields.
The first draft of the rules is complete. All I have left to do is commit the ship designs to a form I can distribute. I am keen to get some play testing done, so if you think you are up for it drop me a line.
Juggernauts
Juggernauts is a game of giant mecha combat in a steampunk setting. Set in an alternate history where the War of the Worlds was not a fiction, the nations of Europe have taken inspiration, if not the technology, from the Martian tripods and built their own walking, fighting machines.
A friend and I developed Juggernauts as war game over a decade ago. Now I am updating them to be played on a hex grid with simultaneous movement. It seems to work well as one of the features of the game has always been that these massive machines are ponderous and difficult to manage.
A big advantage with this game is that it is a collaboration so there is someone to play-test with and in this case Marc, my partner in crime, is an excellent artist who can help with collateral for the game. The disadvantage is that it is a collaboration so for anything to happen we both have to find time in our hectic lives, and have that time mesh.