Navy R.A.G.E.

[warlordgarou]

Now this is where I start another SHIPS ARE BIG post...

Oh, I know. That's why, for the Warlord scale, the ships involved would not be ships of the line, but would still be about 1' in length, with some 2' or more. At 1/72 scale, or thereabouts, a Viking longboat would be about 16", as would the Mayflower.

 

Building the HMS Victory, howver, would involve a ship better than 3' long, so you'd need a big table.

 

I probably would fudge a bit on the sizes though. Building truly to scale would have long, narrow boats, which, while accurate, just wouldn't look "right".

 

At any rate, I think a naval engagement would take a larger table - instead of 4' x 6', I would think you would want closer to 6' x 8' or even 8' x 12'. It would be more of a con event, or a rare game club event, than a normal game, at least for larger ships.

[Steven Page]

I would recommend a device used in the wonderful "Space 1889" series. Build small ships to runs the "chase and shoot" phase, or a map;and use 28mm scale deckplans for the "boarding" phase.

 

I would also recommend going with the R.A.G.E system from step one of anything you do here....Establish a small river mercant or flute as having no "armor"(DV 7) and two damage tracks(no movement with one hit). Go from there: a sloop might have more speed, Three DT's and some artillery;a brig, slower, woth four DT's, and more guns or catapults. The size of the ship could also limit the boarding and defense party sizes.....

 

Just a few thoughts.....I'm really interested in seeing this carried out.

[vejlin]

I would recommend a device used in the wonderful "Space 1889" series. Build small ships to runs the "chase and shoot" phase, or a map;and use 28mm scale deckplans for the "boarding" phase.

So basically you are talking about using two scales. Small scale for ship action and 28mm for boarding? One could use two playing tables. Sounds like a very good idea if you have room for it.

[Steven Page]

If you want anything more com plex than simple "one-on-one" boarding actions, and con't have agymnasium available, it seems to be the best solution.

 

I've tried developing and playing "age of sail" with 54mm figures and "compressed" ships(about 18-24 inches long. It took the Warrroom's ENTIRE gaming area. Enlightened insanity......

[vejlin]

But in essence you'd be playing two different games then at same time, where each game can affect the other. You should in this case be able to use different rulesets for the two games. For example Warlord (R.A.G.E) for the 28mm boarding action game, and you favorite naval rules for the ship action game.

[vejlin]

Although it would probably be easiest to choose which of these two games was to have the main focus, and then use some simpler rules for the other game. Unless ofcourse you have a lot of time and a group of players entusiastic about both games.

[SaintRigger]

I've played some WWI and WWII naval games with the lads from my group and we use 1/1200 scale ships (Battleships are about 2 inches long)

 

They are a homebrew based on Fletcher Pratt's rules (see.. total geezers) Basically, you have a set of moves you write down at the top of the turn on a card. Then everyone makes their moves, fire is resolved etc... golf tees are used to mark shots, torpedos often carry on for turns... quite fun, but not my cup of tea really as I know very little about naval history.

 

HOWEVER - I think a RAGE set of naval rules could be developed for 1/600 scale ships that would work quite nicely and with only minor modifications could be used for sea and space games (since most space battle games are played ona 2d plane)

 

I guess a good analogous system would be the old "Man of War" game for naval and "Battlefleet gothic" or "Full Thrust" for space.

 

Although, there is nothing stopping someone from modding the existing warlord rules for 28mm ship-ship boarding actions, which might be quite fun.

[SaintRigger]

But in essence you'd be playing two different games then at same time, where each game can affect the other. You should in this case be able to use different rulesets for the two games. For example Warlord (R.A.G.E) for the 28mm boarding action game, and you favorite naval rules for the ship action game.

Ha! We finished writing at the same time and said the same thing. Great minds.. ;)

[warlordgarou]

HOWEVER - I think a RAGE set of naval rules could be developed for 1/600 scale ships that would work quite nicely and with only minor modifications could be used for sea and space games (since most space battle games are played ona 2d plane)

 

I guess a good analogous system would be the old "Man of War" game for naval and "Battlefleet gothic" or "Full Thrust" for space.

Well, I have BFG, MoW, and Harpoon, plus Wooden Ships and Iron Men, and a couple other wet navy rules hanging around somewhere, as well as few space navy rulesets. When I start thinking large fleets, I'll be looking to those.

 

For smaller ships and boarding actions, I was thinking along these lines:

 

Ships all have DTs, but (most) will also have the SA: Vessel. Normal models will only be able to affect a vessel on a roll of 10*. Ship weapons would also need a name, so they could affect ships normally. Ship weapons could also ignore Toughness - when a 6 foot harpoon goes through you, you tend to go down and stay there.

 

Ship abilities could also include Clumsy (does not turn as often), Agile (turns more often), Sail (affected by wind direction), Oars (unaffected by wind direction).

 

Ship weapons should be reasonably effective against other ships, but not so effective that boarding never occurs. I wanted heavily wounded ships pulling up alongside each other and fighting boarding actions, not dancing around and shooting each other all the time because it is more effective.

 

* Yes, I know that you can go belowdecks, and with a decent axe make a mortal hole on a ship in a couple of minutes. But, during combat on the decks, severe damage to a ship is unlikely, as least damage caused by most crewmen.

[Akela]

The very first thing that the Damage Track mechanic was developed for was naval combat.

 

There is, actually, an Age of Fighting sale version of RAGE that I work on in my spare time. However, the needs of CAV and Warlord must be met first before I can fully focus on this.

[SaintRigger]

You are a closet historical player aren't you. Your plans are to lure the kids in with a fantasy and sci-fi game and then turn them to historicals. Well bully for you, sir! ;)

[Erion]

I think a lot of us are closet historical players. If I could find enough opponents I'd play Flames of War constantly.

[SaintRigger]

I'm out and proud!

 

Thats right, babies! I not only know about the russo-japanese war, I've gamed it!

 

I know there were death's head units LOOOOONG before WWII (earliest I've found were the prussian hussars durng the napoleonic campaigns)

 

My TV tuner is broken and stuck on the History Channel, but if I hit the TV hard enough if flips over to the new Discovery Military Channel.

 

;)

[Akela]

Closet? Heh. Nay those that know my gaming roots know that they are firmly planted in the 19th century.

 

My backgrounds are The Sword and The Flame, Heart of Oak, Close Action, Napoleon's Battles, Volley and Bayonet, Empire and more recently Volley and Bayonet, Flames of War, and Grande Armee.

 

As for the other (get kids hooked on fantasy and sci-fi).. absolutely.

[Qwyksilver]

As for the other (get kids hooked on fantasy and sci-fi).. absolutely.

I'm working on it!!!

 

I started teaching my 7 y.o. nephew how to paint minis a couple weeks ago.

 

Friend of mine and I are teaching his two kids AD&D and are sporadically playing a campaign (they are in 6th and 7th grade now). Hard to schedule with work and all their crazy afterschool activities. Have to thank Neverwinter Nights and LOTR for their interest. All our figures are Reaper. I made them look there first to find chracters