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Explanation pages

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Sat, 02/13/2016 - 12:00
X3M
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I think that having pages explaining the story and usage of certain fighting machines. Will help a lot to the theme of "futuristic yet traditional" war feeling.
(samurai meets dragon meets Abraham tank meets spaceship,...I am sure you get the chaotic idea)

I certainly enjoyed going through the first book of Warhammer.
But I am trying to look something that would be befitting my kind of games.
I also like the MtG set up on the cards. Perhaps I can come up with something similar that is in between. Since cards are to small. And a real book is actually to big.

I am going for a A5 page size for each unit.
It would contain all the variables. But also an explanation in how to use the unit. Some special properties when needed. And of course some background history aka flavour text.

Sure I can cook something myself. But I am wondering which games have this as well. So that I can work up inspiration. And learn from other recipes.

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Sun, 02/14/2016 - 07:46
#1
JayProducer
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Whats your question?

Whats your question?

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Sun, 02/14/2016 - 11:33
#2
X3M
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Examples for inspiration.

Examples for inspiration.

Games that have written information and special rules. Including flavour text. For individual game pieces.

MtG is a good example. But I am in search of bigger examples.

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Wed, 02/17/2016 - 04:43
#3
gilamonster
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you could randomly generate it

Hi there

A slightly oddball suggestion, but you could try to randomly generate unit descriptions
(subject to certain rules, of course, so that the descriptions make sense and are within the context of the unit). Of course it won't have the writing quality and feeling of consistency that properly manually written descriptions would, but it might at least be a good starting point or inspiration.

There's a small free program called "dada" which makes it quite quick and easy to do this. An alternative example that is easier and may be more accessible for evaluation, I came across a website which can generate all kinds of fantasy-related military units/characters/objects/fighting techniques the other day, while looking into methods of automatically generating written fiction:
http://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=fantasyunit
Not directly applicable to your case, but it gives some idea of what can be done.

You can probably do something like this in excel too, though it might be laborious.

ps. one day when I have a lot more time I'll get back to work on that rts...

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Wed, 02/17/2016 - 04:52
#4
Chordcommander
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Check out Dust Tactics unit

Check out Dust Tactics unit cards (https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/dust-tactics/axis_...), this is the old version. They dont feature flavour text but it could easily be added. I think the size is about the size you are going for.

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Wed, 02/17/2016 - 12:08
#5
X3M
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I hope this isn't tldr ;)

gilamonster wrote:
Hi there

A slightly oddball suggestion, but you could try to randomly generate unit descriptions

http://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=fantasyunit

Seriously.
I almost pissed my pants. :D

I think I will work from a picture down to description/flavour text.

***

Chordcommander wrote:
Check out Dust Tactics unit cards (https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/dust-tactics/axis_...), this is the old version. They dont feature flavour text but it could easily be added. I think the size is about the size you are going for.

Examples are always welcome.
My aim is A5 as size though. That example was still a card.
But the fact that they put in a table with numbers surprised me. I always thought that it would be troublesome to do such a thing. Yet they did.

Is the game successful? (<-- or is that a stupid question that I am asking?)

***

The page layout will be a bit like:
- A big picture. Going from left to right entirely. Don't know yet about the height.

- A smaller picture that is exactly the same as on the game board. Will be a cut out of the big picture. And placed in the downright? corner of the big picture. A bit shifted to the down right too. As if you have a second picture attached to the "file".

The rest of the page also has to contain:
- Flavour text. "When the empire was founded... blabla.... a support unit of extreme measurements was needed to aid commanders in their conquests."

- "Best of use" text. "Once an enemy commander uses anti infantry weapons, this unit will need to take cover immediately because of its weakly protected hull. Even your infantry will enjoy more durability that this unit."
or
"The damage is negative because this unit is an healer."
or
"The projectiles are artillery type, this unit ignores the effect of terrain. And the projectile will only be reduced in range by higher grounds.
Additionally, weapon names when needed will be placed here or in the flavour text.

- An awful lot of statistics:
++ Name, Class, (mk2 and mk3 after the name if the version is an alternative[*])
++ A list of costs (7); €, size, stats, XP health, XP speed, XP damage**, XP range[**]
++ Body information (5); unit type, armor, durability(or agility), health, speed
++ Weapon information (5); weapon type, multiplier, damage, accuracy, range

[*]
If units need doubles, the doubles will be having the same big picture. But the smaller one has to be different (a different cut). Further; both text might be a bit different if the statistics differ much. But the question here is, where to put the maximum allowed number of these units? With several versions, you might mix this up. Leave it to the players to find out the most optimal solution?

[**]
The weapon information might be needed twice or tree times if an unit has multiple weapons.
The same goes for XP damage and XP range. I was thinking on putting these XP costs together with the Body or Weapon information.
New: 3+7+7 and +7 for each other weapon.
Old: 7 and +2 for each other weapon +5+5 and +5 for each other weapon.
The now smaller list of costs can be placed horizontal.

***

I already made several examples for myself. But I am still searching. Somehow it doesn't feel right every time.
Perhaps I should allow myself to customize the box sizes every time when designing a page? Most units have only 1 weapon. And I simply add boxes when new weapons are added?

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