OP4S/BETA

[VoodooInk]

My OP4S/BETA has gone live today on Wargame Vault.
LINK_ http://www.wargamevault.com/product_info.php?products_id=94392


Here are some of the current features_

/THE [RTS] GAME ENGINE

The RTS game engine allows you to emulate real time strategies, tactics games, and even first person shooters through the use of resources, tactical + strategic objectives, and the Overdrive mechanic. It utilizes a system of hard counters, soft counters, and pushes that will be intuitive to those who have played these genres.

 

/THE FORCE

The Force is a list of over 25 individual unit+model types that can be further modified through the use of COMMAND DOCTRINES and TECHS. These include_ Infanry Squads, Weapon Teams, Scout+Recon Vehicles, Dedicated Ground Transports, LAV, Powered Armor+EXO Suits, MECHA+Walkers, TANKs, AIR units, + Emplacements.

 

/COMMAND DOCTRINES

20 unique Command Doctrines allow you to define the overall ideology of your force. There is even a Custom doctrine for those who just have to do it themselves. And let’s face it… everything custom is better!

 

/TECHS

Currently, there are 60 TECHS that provide a means to further customize your force. Including_ HALO, Grenade Launchers, Jump Troops, Propaganda Towers, Suppression Fire, and more!



/HEAVY SUPPORT

OP4S has the support of some of the best in 6, 10, and 15mm miniature manufacturing.

//15MM.CO.UK
http://HTTP://WWW.15MM.CO.UK/

//ACP GAMES [ART CRIME PRODUCTIONS]
 http://HTTP://WWW.ARTCRIMEPRODUCTIONS.BLOGSPOT.COM/

 
//COMBAT WOMBAT
http://HTTP://WWW.COMBATWOMBATMINIATURES.COM/

 
//EUREKA MINIATURES
http://HTTP://EUREKAMIN.COM.AU/

 
//GROUND ZERO GAMES  [GZG]
http://HTTP://WWW.GROUNDZEROGAMES.NET/MAMBO/

 
//MICROPANZER
http://HTTP://WWW.MICROPANZER.COM/

 
//OLD CROW
http://HTTP://WWW.OLDCROWMODELS.CO.UK/

 
//REBEL MINIS
http://HTTP://WWW.REBELMINIS.COM/

 
//ZOMBIESMITH
http://HTTP://WWW.ZOMBIESMITH.COM/

There’s more to come through the BETA process including_ multiple play modes, Commandos, and unique model profiles.

If anyone has specific questions, then I will be more than happy to talk about the game.

Thanks!
Brent

[basaint]

I brought this back up just to say if you haven't tried it, its a fun system-well worth the trial.  Its quick, easy to grasp and we get more games in a half day than we used to get in almost a whole day.  Not that long games are bad...

[colin_baillie]

I concur. Nice set of rules with a whole load of potential.

[basaint]

If anyone's interested, Brent posted the 2nd version.  This one has the RTS elements in it.

[des loup]

If anyone's interested, Brent posted the 2nd version.  This one has the RTS elements in it.

Alright, so I picked up the rules. My first impression is that I think I've found a game to use Germy's micro miniatures for! I'll proxy for a couple of games but thinking that it'll shine at the smaller scales.

I was worried when I saw it wasn't the same system as Havoc. Need to wrap my head around the overdrive but I like what I see so far.

[dijit]

Anyone care to give us some details as to how the system works, the size of forces involved, etc? The decription doesn't say all that much.
Duncan

[VoodooInk]

Anyone care to give us some details as to how the system works, the size of forces involved, etc? The decription doesn't say all that much.
Duncan

Hi Duncan

I’ll see if I can give you some more specifics.


The Turn
I’ll start with the turn architecture. There are no specific phases [ie move, shoot, etc.]. Conceptually, you can think of the game as alternating activations. You can do anything you choose in your turn as long as you have the resources available.


Resources, actions, and Overdrive
No matter the mode, the one resource that is constant throughout the game is Command Action Points- or CAPs for short. This is the currency you use to give your troops orders and perform actions. You have a base of 6 CAPs to spend each turn. Movement has a cost of 1 CAP while all other actions have a cost of 2.

Example 1: To perform a ranged attack with a Fire Team would be 2 CAPs.

Let’s say that after performing the ranged attack that you wanted to move the unit behind cover. That’s where Overdrive comes in. For each action that a unit takes on a given turn, the base cost is doubled, tripled etc.

Example 1 continued:  To now move the Fire Team, it would require 2 CAPs. It cost 1 CAP to move, but since it is the unit’s second actions, we could double the base cost.

There are some other wrinkles, but the focus here is that of choice. Do you move 6 units? Do you move 2 units twice? Move one unit 3 times? The choice is yours on when and how to use your units.

Infantry units differ fundamentally from other units in the game in that they become less effective as their numbers dwindle, while vehicle, MECHA, and the like are always effective but require more resources as they are damaged.


Strategic and Tactical Objectives
Tactical Objectives can be captured and controlled to yield more CAPs.

Strategic Objectives can be captured to yield victory points, supplies, grant Techs, or trigger events.


Statistics and counters
The profiles for units are simple, and even though there are many options, you’ll have most everything memorized after a couple of games.

The focus is on counters [anti-infantry/vehicle/flyer] and getting the best possible match-up [soft and hard counters], or you can try to overcome a mismatch through some other mechanics.


Force size
This can vary quite a bit depending on the mode of play.

If playing in Classic Mode, then the force size is simply a matter of how many points you are playing at [and what units you choose]. From what we’re seeing in testing, a 300 point game will last around 60-90 minutes.

If playing in RTS Mode, then you quite literally build your force during play. This includes choosing your Command Doctrine and Techs. The pace of the game and resources is dependent on what Base Level you play at. An Outpost level game will not require many miniatures [especially since you can recycle your models], and the resource progression is slow. There are quite a few options to tweak this to your preferred game size, time, and taste.

Of course, there's a lot more. If you have any specific questions or areas of interest, then don’t hesitate to ask!

Brent

*also, the beta does come with some great paper models from Dave Graffam

[VoodooInk]

Alright, so I picked up the rules. My first impression is that I think I've found a game to use Germy's micro miniatures for! I'll proxy for a couple of games but thinking that it'll shine at the smaller scales.

I was worried when I saw it wasn't the same system as Havoc. Need to wrap my head around the overdrive but I like what I see so far.

Glad you're liking it!

The small scales [2-6mm] work really well. This is especially true when using larger Bases in RTS Mode. There will be another addition in the next update that is a nod to the tiny scales.

[dijit]

Thanks for that Brent. I'm guessing 300pts is roughly platoon sized? And is it D6 based or other dice?

[basaint]

dijit
For us, 300pts is more like a Mixed Company like a Armored Cav Troop (tanks, Brads, troops)
Ex.
4 man Inf teams; either troops or suits
vehicles-tanks mechs, etc.
One 300 point army was 4 inf teams, 2 Mechs and 2 tanks.

I like the game as it tends to play faster than our normal games of say Vor or SST.  We squeeked out 3 games in 3 hours and they were still good games.

Brent changed it up a bit in V2 so this weekend we're going to try out the changes.

[VoodooInk]

Thanks for that Brent. I'm guessing 300pts is roughly platoon sized? And is it D6 based or other dice?

Yes, D6 only.

On game size and time, basaint's examples were good. I'll expound a little on those.

At 300 points:
If you took only Fire Teams with varying specialties, then you would have 8 units. By traditional military definition that meets the requirement of an infantry platoon.
If you took only Battle Tanks, then you would have 5 Tanks.

This assumes that you are playing at 15mm. If playing at the 2-6mm scale, then you would be playing a 'larger' game even though the point limit and unit options are the same. Using a bit of abstraction, you simply rely on your basing to confer the strength and type of models. Instead of having a single tank, you would have multiple tank models on a single base.  Conversely, you could model a single 'mega' tank on a base at the smaller scale- this is no different than having 3 smaller tanks. The stat line would be the same.

Also, you can play the game with stand basing. We've even had players play a stand based force against an individually based force. Since measurements for ranged attacks are done from the approximate center of the unit, the issue of 'universal' basing is mostly moot.

Hope this helps!
Brent