Feedback/Playesters wanted for Ancients Rules

[everwill]

20 years ago, I wrote BattlestorM, a fantasy tabletop game for Ral Partha.  Today, I'm working on a game I call Blood of Ancients. Blood of Ancients is contracted to be published by Military Miniature and my editor wanted to begin the layout/beautifying process. 

Before that happens, I thought it would be a good idea to reach out to playtesters and groups who enjoy ancients, but from groups where I have no opportunity to answer questions during game play or while you're reading rules. A potential playtester/commenter, strongly recommended the Pendraken group as both friendly and very sharp. 

Comments are welcomed here, but also in the actual Google document which I will link below.  The game assumes 28mm figures and a hex-based grid for play.  That said, the game also works without hexes with any scale including (of course) 10mm.  In brief, if you are using 10mm figures each stand of figures has the same value as 1 28mm figure. Whether using stands or individually based figures, each stand/figure represents about 50 men. Each hex represents 4 inches of movement.  I already believe that I might need more verbiage in the rules regarding conversion, but maybe not?  You tell me. 

Blood of Ancients

[FierceKitty]

I see you found us.

[everwill]

Thanks for the recommendation!  I'm looking forward to reading feedback from the group.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Wuz 'e lookin ?

[Ithoriel]

Welcome to the forum, everwill!

Having read the rules through a couple of times I'll give first thoughts.

Firstly, the caveats - I don't like 28's and above for anything other than skirmish, don't like hexes, do like rules that aim to reflect the historical.

Those things said, the rules are well written, easy to understand (for an old grognard like me, at least) and will, I'm sure, achieve your stated aim of giving a fun game with an Ancients flavour.

There are a few typo's (e.g. "the" instead of "there" in the shooting modifiers section ) and at least one grammatical error - it's "adjacent to" not "adjacent with" you get it right in some places but not others. Find and replace?

Bailiwick - Medieval term in an Ancients game grates for me. YMMV.

Others of my age may understand if I say,"I'll give it five but I won't buy it." 

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Others of my age may understand if I say,"I'll give it five but I won't buy it." 

No doubt in a Brummy accent. 

[Ithoriel]

Indeed, "Oi'll give it foive!"

[FierceKitty]

I've sent a lot of stuff to you on FB, by the way.

[everwill]

Welcome to the forum, everwill!

Having read the rules through a couple of times I'll give first thoughts.

Firstly, the caveats - I don't like 28's and above for anything other than skirmish, don't like hexes, do like rules that aim to reflect the historical.

Those things said, the rules are well written, easy to understand (for an old grognard like me, at least) and will, I'm sure, achieve your stated aim of giving a fun game with an Ancients flavour.

There are a few typo's (e.g. "the" instead of "there" in the shooting modifiers section ) and at least one grammatical error - it's "adjacent to" not "adjacent with" you get it right in some places but not others. Find and replace?

Bailiwick - Medieval term in an Ancients game grates for me. YMMV.

Others of my age may understand if I say,"I'll give it five but I won't buy it." 

Firstly, and mostly I appreciate your feedback.  Google docs has a nifty "post-it note"/comment feature that allows you to highlight text and make a comment.  Especially on typo's this is VERY handy.  I'm more than happy to lose bailiwick.  I selected that word primarily because it's more archaic than command.  If you have a better term I'm all ears. 

The rules were written presuming 28mm's since that's what I have in my collection.  I only learned of Pendraken very recently and were it not for painting and basing duties, I would instantly switch to 10mm.  That hurdle in mind I still might make the switch. 

One of things that probably needs more fluff is the explanation of how to play without hexes and with other scales.

[everwill]

I've sent a lot of stuff to you on FB, by the way.

Received and I sent you replies via FB.  If you take the time to comment, I'll take the time to reply.  I did incorporate some of your suggestions.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Skim read them. They look interesting but the need to use hexes is off putting.

[Raider4]

No doubt in a Brummy accent. 

Tsk! Black country, if you please.

[FierceKitty]

Will, you may note that few posts fail to go off the rails within ten minutes. On the other hand, nobody's insulted you yet, which may be a record.

[Ithoriel]

I'm more than happy to lose bailiwick.  I selected that word primarily because it's more archaic than command.  If you have a better term I'm all ears. 

OK, they are your rules, if you are happy with bailiwick don't let me put you off.


That said, using an archaic term for flavour is something I would do myself so +1 internets for that!

However using an archaic terms from another era is jarring, IMNSHO.

Given it's in a section about Command & Control I think Command would be a perfectly reasonable word to use. Personally I might go with Imperium but it's a bit Romano-centric and not something people are familiar with.

If you want something with an air of the old-fashioned how about Within the Ambit, or Out of the Ambit, of the leader?

Perhaps others better qualified can take this ball and run with it?

[everwill]

Thanks for the feedback. Your reply very much appreciated. And you've educated me just a bit today.  I knew the word imperium but until a few moments ago, I didn't know the second meaning which  dictionary.com provides below.

• command; supreme power.
• area of dominion; sphere of control or monopoly; empire.
• a nation having or exerting supreme power; superpower.
• Law. the right to command the force of the state in order to enforce the law.

I would love to use imperium rather than bailiwick, but I feel pretty certain that as it's used to describe a nation or emperor, rather than a general. 

I like ambit as a word, but I think an ambit is more a sphere of influence rather than an area of command.  So, I think I'm left with either command or imperium, neither is a perfect choice. I'd love for you or some clever gamer to come up with something better.