Forum games aside, we know little about Armokian Tacticus. I wanted to share my thoughts on the game and see what the forumites think.
First the basic ideals of the game:
-Based on a mixed of real-world games, particularly Chess and Go, so that it can be familiar and simple.
-Has multiple opportunities for dwarves to decorate and craft fine pieces, but does not require fine craftsmanship to make.
-Has elements of the overall gameworld integrated, and may include callbacks to the history of DF.
-Potentially, can have mutable elements that allow for randomization.
Working with those, this is what I've come up with:
-Pieces: Each one has a speed, attack, and defense, and some ability.
Pick: 2,1,1; crosses borders
Spear: 1,1,1; fast and 2 for one.
Bow: 2,1,1; attacks distant units and takes damage last.
Sword: 2,2,2; decent unit all-around for countering others.
Shield: 3,1,3; very strong defender, other units cannot move past.
Hammer: 3,3,3; most powerful combattant, don't know special ability.
Septer:2,3,2; loss loses the game? May not include as too chess-like.
Board:
WALL RIVER
North _____|______|_____
Centr _____|______|_____
South | |
Units can only cross or fire across the wall or river allong the center row.
Each section is composed of five by five grid of lines; units stand at the vertices.
Moving:
During his or her turn, a player may make 5 moves. A unit's move value stands for the number of moves it takes to move one space, or attack a piece. After attacking, that unit must make no more moves. Moves may be split amongst units.
A Bow, for instance, may move one space and fire, may move two spaces, or may stand and attack once.
A player could instead choose to move a Spear five spaces, may move it three spaces and attack, or attack with a Bow, then move the Spear one space and attack.
When a unit attacks annother, they deal their attack value to each other; once a turn is complete, all damage that had been dealt disapears.
Note that three Spears that are all adjacent to a Hammer can take it, as they can each attack for one move each.
This is all beta. I'd like to get more Go like elements in there (currently only multi-piece caputures and Vertex Placement are in, I'd like something like flanking or perhaps having pieces arrive over the game) Also, Picks could be removed or given some ability like making new paths or allowing movement over the north or south rows of the River and Wall.
I do feel that a dwarf-made set for this would look great, with the cris-crossing grids on the surface and stone-carved Spears and Swords and Bows of opposing colors facing off from across the river.