Imagination Wars! An overly complicated PBP strategy game

   DISCLAIMER: I wrote the rules for this up in about two hours yesterday, and a such there are probably massive problems/Game Breakers/things that are left out. If you see one, let me know, and I'll fix it.   

Alright, to start out, this is going to be slightly different than most forum games. It's a little complicated, but I'm hoping that won't turn too many people off. It's a game for five people- four players and a GM (me). The four people will sign up and the slots will be given out on a first come, first served basis.

So, Imagination Wars is a PBP strategy game, set in your Imagination! A PBP strategy game is exactly what it sounds like: A turn based strategy game played by post. The fun part is this: Because Imagination Wars takes place in your Imagination(!), you can create any unit you can think of, as long as you have the Imagination Points (IP) to pay for it. Here's how it all works out-

There are two ways to win imagination wars. The first is to destroy all of your opponents fortresses. The second is to have the maxium amount of units out (10) while your opponents all have zero.

The basic rules-

• Each player starts out with 250 IP
• Every turn you gain 10 IP (from your Fortress's ability)
• To build units, you must spend IP
• Each player may control no more than 10 units at a time

More details:

UNITS:

• There are two types of units: Buildings and Creatures
• You can create any type of unit, with any stats and buildings you want, as long as you have the IP to spend for it
• Every Unit can have a maximum of three abilities
• A Unit takes IP cost/10 turns to build, minimum one turn

CREATURES:

• Creatures are a special type of unit that can move, attack, and use abilities.
• Units have four stats:
  • HP - 100
  • ATK - 10
  • DEF - 5
  • SPD - 3
• Each Unit has a weakness and resistance, selected from one of the following damage types: Fire, Ice, Lightning, Dark, Psychic. The unit takes x2 damage from special attacks of damage type that is it' weakness, and x.5 from ones that it's resitant to.
• If you wanted to build a Unit with just these stats as they are and no abilities, it would cost 10 IP. Adding/Subtracting from stat amounts and adding abilities.
• Modifing stats changes IP costs as follows-
  • HP: +/- One per HP
  • ATK: +/- 5 per ATK
  • DEF: +/- 5 per DEF
  • SPD: +/- 10 per SPD
• stats have the following uses:
  • HP: When a Unit has zero HP, it's dead. HP cannot go over starting HP
  • ATK: Modifies how much damage you do when attacking normally
  • DEF: Decreases how much damage you take when being attacked
  • SPD: How many squares the unit can move per turn

• CREATURE ABILITIES
• Each Creature can have up to three abilities. Here is a list of some you may use. Remember, you can come up with any ability, even ones outside of this list. As a general rule, a very weak ability is +5 to the final IP cost, a weak one is +10, an average one is +15, a powerful one is +25, and a very powerful one is +50
• There are two types of abilities: Activated and Continuous. Activated are split into two further types: Ones that stay on when activated (Activated C) and ones that do one thing then stop (Activated S). You can only activate a creatures ability during your turn and only in place of an attack. In other words, if you couldn't attack, you can't activate an ability.
  • Flight(15): A creature with the flight ability can move through other Units, and can only be attacked with a special attack or another creature with flight
  • Special attacks: A special type of Activated (S) ability. You cannot move in the same turn you use a special attack, and you cannot use a special attack if you used one last turn. There are three types of special attacks: Ranged, Cone, and Area. With a ranged attack, you can hit anything in a straight line within your range number of squares. With a cone, you automatically hit anything in front of you in the cone. The cone increases in size as it goes forward up to range. With an area, you automatically hit anyone in the square around you with dimensions equal to the attack range. The range of a special attack is always at least three, but can be increased for a higher IP cost.
    Damage from a Special Attack is unaffected by your ATK. You purchase damage when buying the attack for IP.
    To make an attack, choose what type it is. Ranged attacks have a base IP cost of +5, Cone has +10, and Area has +20. Then, choose the amount of damage you want the attack to deal. For a ranged attack, the cost is +2 IP for every 1 damage, for a cone it's +5, and for an area it's +10.
    Finally, you choose your range. Your range is automatically set to three, and you can keep it at this if you choose. If you choose to increase it, it cost +Base cost for every +1 range. So for a Ranged attack it's +5 per range, for cone it's +10, and for area it's +10.
    Finally, you choose the Damage type from on of the weakness/resistance types mentioned above.
    Example: A ranged attack would cost +5 to start, then +10 if you wanted it to deal 5 damage, then +10 if you wanted it to have a range of five, for a final increase of 25 to the Units IP cost.

BUILDINGS

• Buildings cannot move, or deal damage in any way.
• Buildings have two stats, HP, which starts at 50, and DEF, which starts at five. They act the same way as they do for a Creature.
• Your fortress is a special building that doesn't count towards your Unit limit and has HP 100, DEF 5, The ability “You gain 10 IP each turn”, and the ability “If this is destroyed, you lose the game”
• The main point of buildings is abilities. Unlike creatures, a building can have any number of abilities
• The ability cost for a building is the same as for a creature

THE TURN • In each turn there are two phases- build and act • In the build phase • * Declare if you want to start building a unit, and the details of the unit • * Put any units that have finished construction into play • * Note that you can only build a Creature in your start zone, and a building with three units of a creature. • In the act phase: • * For each creature • ** Move if desired • ** Attack or use an ability if desired • Combat: There are two types of combat, normal and special. In special you use a special attack. In normal, you attack a unit in one of the eight surrounding units. • * Normal: Pick a unit in the eight squares surrounding the attacking unit. Roll a d6, and add the result to the attacking units ATK. Then subtract the defenders DEF from the result, and the final number from the defenders HP • * Special: You can only perform a special attack if you do not move in the same turn and didn’t use a special attack last turn. Perform it the same way as a normal attack, except the possible targets are different and you use the special attacks damage instead of the attackers ATK. At the end, before subtracting from the defenders HP, multiply the result by any applicable weakness/resistances.

Final note: There will be a board. I will be drawing it, and it will be awesome.

edited 5th Oct '11 10:03:17 AM by LolipodDistortion

Underneath the bridge The tarp has sprung a leak And the animals I've trapped have all become my pets

Oh yes. I am all over this shit. Sign me up.

Though I recommend expanding the list of damage types. Doesn't feel like there's enough room for creativity.

Here's what I recommend: Burning, Freezing, Energy, Crushing, Cutting, Toxic, Corrosion, Psychic, Dark.

I also recommend that the Abilities be given a "Origin type" - things like mundane, magical, divine, technological, biological, etc. I could think of an ability that, say, nullifies Magical abilities in the area through a mana dampener.

edited 7th Oct '11 8:29:05 PM by Aniventerie

Need a tall, brawny fella to come by and inspect your pickle? Perhaps I may be this fella.

Dibs, if I can find the time for this.

"The Stick has sentimental value. It's like an enormous, hideous teddy bear we can kill things with." -rikalous

OUT OF THE GRAVE, AMAZING THREAD!

"The Stick has sentimental value. It's like an enormous, hideous teddy bear we can kill things with." -rikalous