Project: Nexus War

[Mileposter]

I

t has been mentioned a few times where I've had the chance to see or participate, many-to-most of us like Campaigns to play some of our 40k in. To have a narrative, however, brief, to shape our scale and scope so that we can visualize our achievements beyond simple tally marks on a win count. Something that we as players can involve ourselves in, and have a visible impact on. A method that we can have feedback from the differences we've made both on the battlefield and with our choices. In short, many of us like having some war with our war game. Go figure, right?

Yet, when such campaigns do take place, they are so often simply fancy score card events. They are often limited to a pre-set number of rounds. The only narrative being provided is who won or lost The victor of the Campaign is inevitably selected by the number of battles won with no notion to whether they've achieved their objectives or if those battles even mattered to the war as a whole. Missing from these Campaigns so often is a story.

So I sought to correct that. I built a Campaign where the length and scope of the narrative was determined by player interaction - both on the battlefield and with the Campaign Map. The campaign continued until the story was over, and players achievements and decisions would either speed or slow that progression. Characters existed within that story to give the narrative life. The gains and losses over the Campaign were persistent and real enough to provide drama. All of the Campaign's systems were web-based and accessible anywhere so as to minimize time commitment. And my gaming group ate it up.

So it occurred to me, if my group loved it - maybe yours might too.

Thus, I present one of my projects: The Nexus War. This web-based Campaign system provides a faction-focused narrative that could theoretically scale to any massive number of players. It's not quite far enough along to showcase the system itself (still building user management. >.>) , but I am seeking interest and feedback and - most importantly - discussion regarding the concepts.

The Idea[/skullheaderhalf]
Inspired by the first Dawn of War and its expansions, The Nexus War was designed to give an 'interface' with which to interact with the Campaign. It utilizes several systems to manage story progression, attacking and defending, campaign bonuses, and the like. It needed to both provide a quick at-a-glance view of the campaign as a whole while also offering a way to delve deeper into what was transpiring in the war. It needed to manage multiple people in one gaming group wanting to work together in any given moment without penalizing other players for allowing it. And most of all - it needed to be readily accessible.

Spoiler 1: The overall map of Ialdon, marking which faction owns which Holds and where bonuses are located.

I came up with this interface design, and built from there. I didn't make the planet art, but I did make all of the other graphics bits myself.

The Story[/skullheaderhalf]
Continuing to abuse my own fictional segment of a fictional universe - the story is set on the Imperial Agri World of Ialdon, in the Marilith Zone of the Veiled Region, Segmentum Pacificus. The world has recently been destabilized as a result of Xenos attacks and is threat of being lost to the Imperium for good.Each of the Factions available in the game have their own motivations for arriving and unique interactions with the Campaign Characters. For example, the Imperium forces arrive to retake the planet for the Emperor while Chaos Forces show up to stake a foothold for a larger assault on the Marilith Zone. Aeldari are seeking lost artifacts, Orks want a trophy world to start their WAAAGH!, Tyranids just eat things without regard, etc. The climax of the story sees the world claimed for one faction or another and a unusual shifting of alliances in the process.

Spoiler 2: Information provided on each Hold showcases not only the gameplay impact it has, but its lore too.

Beyond just the story of who players bring to Ialdon is the story of a world that was already there before the players arrive. I tried to create as much of a living environment as possible without stuffing down a players throat: the background lore of areas is available in the information of each Hold so as to be out of the way for those who don't care as much.

Gameplay

Each player in the Campaign creates a 'Token' to represent where their Warlord is on Ialdon. Like Dawn of War, they can move about the territory they control, select who to attack and which territory (called 'Holds') they will try to capture. Actions taken on the game board and games played earn 'requisition' which is what is used to capture Holds or spent on other interactions such as blockading opponents or bolstering defenses. Each player selects a 'role' for their token to represent their playstyle or strength, and are awarded unique abilities based on that selection.

Spoiler 3: The Action menu showcases what abilities are available to a player. (Data Mining is a placeholder testing action, not in the final game)

This represents the very Risk-like 'at-a-glance' visual that can give a player who is not as interested in delving into the lore and plot the escape they need to keep participating without being forced through the extra bits. Interaction with the game board can be as minimal or as expansive as a player desires.

Transitioning from game board to tabletop is fairly simple. Like any other campaign, once a round begins players select whom they wish to attack and make their selections. The game board asks for confirmation that these are the matchups they desire. Then players coordinate among themselves and games are had. The game board asks both players to confirm the outcome of the game, gives the appropriate rewards/consequences, and players are once again free to interact on the game board.

Spoiler 4: A Commander chooses where next to move their Token.

Capturing territory increases the area available to a player and the potential adversaries they can interact with on the board. Also like Dawn of War, certain Holds confer bonuses to the armies of the Faction that controls them. This ranges from providing a single extra Command Point to allowing unique movement on the game board.

[skullheaderhalf=190E00]Characters

The main vehicle for delivering the story of The Nexus War is through character conversations - aside from whatever players derive up during a battle, of course. These conversations were written specifically to change based on what happens on the game board and in the battles players have. There are a small smattering of these characters: one each for the given factions and then a few static characters that players can encounter regardless. Conversations can trigger upon declaring a battle, completing a battle, or finishing actions on the game board depending on the state of the Campaign. In some cases, the conversations present a decision to the player that can alter the progression of the story.

Spoiler 5: Speaking with story characters changes based on your performance on the game board.

Each of these characters can be encountered regardless of faction, and their allegiances will determine how they interact with the player in question. Some can have their disposition improved, while some are static in their storyline. While the story is the same, replaying the campaign with friends should feel different each time.

[skullheaderhalf=190E00]Going Forward

This is an ambitious project. Even without it being up to the standards of other games, it still incorporates a range of concepts that I believe are both fairly unique and enjoyable. But it has a ways to go yet. I don't anticipate being finished with the project for several months yet.

I could run the campaign locally, and have once so far. But there are systems to build that you don't have to worry about when you're in complete control of the Campaign versus unleashing it onto the internet.

That said, once those systems ARE complete, I intend to host the Campaign so that any group can sign up and create a game to use the story for themselves.

What I'm looking for as stated at the beginning: interest, feedback, and discussion. So lay it on me: What looks good to you? What would your concerns be? Does this even look feasible for a group you play with? If you were wishlisting, what would be added? What would you avoid? What can be brainstormed, as this project is being brought into the larger audience?

[Arganias]

I love narrative campaigns! I am about to run one for my local group, but would not mind contributing when I can when this gets going!

[Custom Hero]

Would you be able to insert your own characters into the campaign?

 

Can the system be modified for a multitude if world types? If so, would this turn into a system campaign, or even design your own system/sector?

 

Is terrain and habitation if area by player arranged game or a pregenerated map?

 

Lots of ideas from your current status. My group enjoys the "campaign that never ends" approach. It allows us to buy and sell armies according to our whims and the latest releases as well as inserting them into the campaign world with little to no fuss.

[Mileposter]

Wonderful questions! I suck at exposition, so having questions like this give me a good foundation on where to start with info dumps. I'll take these one at a time.

 

Would you be able to insert your own characters into the campaign?

When creating a token to be on the Campaign board, players name that token whatever they want - The narrative treats that name as the character the player is bringing to the story. So, yes, the Campaign is built under the assumption that you are inserting your own commander/shas'o/warboss/farseer/whatever. Several conversations allow you to choose your response - allowing you to represent the attitude/disposition of your character in the Campaign.

 

Can the system be modified for a multitude if world types? If so, would this turn into a system campaign, or even design your own system/sector?

If it's successful? Yes.

 

I want to build a storyboard for several planets, which are themselves a part of a larger narrative for the Marilith Zone. it would be awesome to build out this system to showcase the entire Zone and have groups choose what planet(and thus, which story) they wish to play in their Campaign.

 

If popular, I will keep building. If it doesn't take? I'll polish the story and system for the planet of Ialdon, but that's where it'll stay.

 

Is terrain and habitation if area by player arranged game or a pregenerated map?

Starting territory is determined by the number of factions participating in the Campaign (set by whoever sets up that Campaign), with a set number of Holds evenly distributed. The 'region' that each faction starts in is relatively static (For example, the Aeldari Faction will always start headquartered in the north eastern area) so that some location-based elements of the narrative make sense. Consider Dawn of War 1 for a moment - each faction you would play as would always start in the same spot even if the game path and outcomes were vastly different each time.

 

This may be different for other campaigns if it is popular enough to make another. I love switching things up so things feel different, so the next campaign may have a dynamic starting location built into its narrative.

 

Lots of ideas from your current status. My group enjoys the "campaign that never ends" approach. It allows us to buy and sell armies according to our whims and the latest releases as well as inserting them into the campaign world with little to no fuss.

This narrative is built to have a definitive end - though a group of players who are enjoying themselves could certainly drag it out a while. That's not to say, however, that I couldn't add in a mode where the system and the map are used, but the narrative is not - allowing groups to simply contest over territory and resources forever. I wonder how many would desire such an approach? What is your opinion? Others?

 

It does bring up a note I haven't been able to address yet - how the narrative deals with a faction no longer being represented in a Campaign, or how the Narrative will adjust if one arrives. From a story-telling point of view, it's simple, but the mechanical side. Gotta settle it out.

[Mileposter]

I was involved in a rather painful car accident early last week which has left me unable to paint for a period of time, and makes typing slow at best. I am recovering well and will return to 100% - but in the meantime updates here will slow pretty dramatically for a few weeks.

 

This campaign is first on my list to get online on the Index: Mechanicus Playground once I'm able to put less painful time into coding, and likely will have a significant amount of focus while I'm unable to paint. I'll have lengthier updates and description here, but smaller and more frequent updates will be on Index: Mechanicus.

[Mileposter]

A basic test server has been put online over at http://indexmechanicus.com

 

Right now, all it allows it move actions as I build more content into the map, but it should help give a better understanding to put something in your hands.

 

My big priority at the moment is filling out the lore and location bonuses - that should be done quickly enough - and then getting the challenge/capture system in so people can test out taking territory.

 

The project is competing for time with the Wound Tracker and building out my Guardsmen, but it's the higher priority so things should be updating rather regularly.