Launch!
over 3 years ago
– Tue, Mar 23, 2021 at 07:19:40 PM
Aaaaand we’re off! Took quite a while to get here. Looking back through old documents and notes, the first version of what would one day become Ages of Conflict is dated March 26, 2016. Much different game at that point as the game was still nothing more than a hobby that we’d dabble with occasionally. It wasn’t until two years later, April 5, 2018, that we met to form Bad Goblin Games and take a serious look at game development.
It’s been a crazy few years. Writing. Testing. More writing. More testing. Conventions. (Or lack thereof.) Covid. Hasn’t been easy and sometimes it has been downright trying, though we’re finally here.
We want to reiterate that while the rules are “complete,” we want everyone to be involved. Please be sure to check out the demo copy of the rules and let us know of any questions, suggestions, or comments you have. This is your game!
Thank you, All!
One week update!
over 3 years ago
– Tue, Mar 23, 2021 at 07:18:37 PM
We're a week into the Ages of Conflict Kickstarter campaign. We've successfully funded and are pushing toward the first stretch goal - WWII!
We've had a few requests to include other time periods, which we're striving to do. To that end, we've begun work on the pike & shot era. This was a period of warfare that started in the late 15th century and lasted until the 17th century. So not a long period, though pivotal as it was known for the use of combined arms and standardized army organization. (Military standardization had existed prior, such as with Rome and Assyria, though wasn't really the norm.)
Thank you all for your support!
Funded!
over 3 years ago
– Sat, Mar 13, 2021 at 05:38:18 AM
Victory!!!! A big thanks to all of you who have backed Ages of Conflict. You helped us win the first battle! Ages of Conflict is funded! We are now aiming at our first stretch goal. When we hit the $4,000 level of funding, the World War II supplement will be created with additional rules, equipment and army lists of the major Allies and Axis powers.
Share this news so we can reach our second stretch goal also, the Sci-Fi supplement.
Charging in Ages of Conflict
over 3 years ago
– Tue, Mar 09, 2021 at 02:48:38 PM
As part of our regular updates, we'll be talking about different rules aspects of Ages of Conflict.
To begin, let's talk about how we handle charges in Ages of Conflict.
Dealing with charges in a big battle wargame is problematic. Most wargamers utilize charging due to an expectation that the charging unit receives a bonus to the first attack. That bonus represents the shock attack value of the charge. There's little to no regard to what happens to the target unit as a result of the charge or if the unit intended to charge actually undertakes the charge.
And we also have the Hollywood influence showcasing huge numbers of infantry and cavalry running 100 yards at a full sprint before slamming into the enemy with zero regard for their own safety. Of course it did happen, though it was the exception rather than the rule. Soldiers and horses (Particularly horses not trained for war.) weren't keen on running into a hedgerow of spearheads, pikes, etc.
For all the consideration around "command and control," these are concerns that are nearly always ignored in miniature wargames. If you want a unit to charge, it charges regardless of what it is charging into. And the unit being charged holds its ground unless the controlling player voluntarily gives way.
These are areas we set out to treat differently with Ages of Conflict. Our goal with AoC is to treat morale as the key component in victory rather than slaughter. Nearly every commander in history has preferred to win battles by making the opposing army flee rather than engage in a battle to the last man standing. To that end, we treat charging a bit differently. First, charging units are not granted any sort of bonus to attack in the first round of hand combat simply because they charged. There are some weapons that grant a bonus with a charge, such as lances, though the act of charging itself does not grant a bonus.
Rather, we're endeavoring to create the true value of a shock charge, which is to force your opponent to fall back and possibly rout from the battle. In game terms, if a unit with a higher Presence charges a unit with a lower Presence, the target unit makes a Command Check. If the check fails, the target unit falls back and receives two Break tokens as a sign that it is wavering. If the Command Check succeeds, the unit has the option to hold its ground. (At which point the charging unit may halt its charge as its intended tactic did not succeed.) This tactic is best used with combined arms - spend a couple of turns casting missiles at the enemy to inflict Break tokens and then charge with the goal of forcing the unit to fall back and gain more Break tokens possibly putting it over its Break Point, at which point you ride down the fleeing unit.
This is our goal with charging in AoC and I think we've achieved that goal. What are your thoughts on charging? What is your preferred method for handling charges in big battle wargames?
