Writing my rules

This is an update on what is presently occurring with the rules I have been working on for my SCW miniatures. I have called them Al Front! (which means "to the front").

Over the years I've seen lots of rule sets and used most of them in one game or another. When I used to play 6mm WWII at a friends', they used a set that was written by a local master-gamer called Micro 300. I didn't wish to use these rules for this game, as there was some bookkeeping involved and a lot of dice rolls and charts. When we used to use them, they were great, but we had a lot more time and ability to leave a game set up for months. That is no longer the case.

I did an internet search, and had a look at lots of various sets out there at the present. There were bits and pieces in most sets which I liked, but none seemed to have the 'flavour' I was looking for. So, I did what all old wargamers eventually do, and decided to write my own.

By the time I was finished, I had 24 pages of a word document, including 5 pages of tables. I am presently working on cutting back the verbosity, and simplifying generally. I was going to post them up to a free rules site http://www.deepfriedhappymice.com/html/gamers_world.html but am again going through them to simplify and rewrite. There are a couple aspects of the rules which I took almost whole from other sets and, even if I don't originalise these bits, I need to make sure I'm not done for copywrite.

The process has been real interesting, I have had to delve deep into assumptions and design theory to work out exactly what it is we wish to achieve with our simulation/game. It was a joy to find someone who has covered much of this intellectual territory and found words to express it http://www.simmonsgames.com/products/Austerlitz/Diary.html as well as the fact that many gamers this decade seem to be moving the way I am in their rules (simpler, quicker, less complex, single dice roll, card involvement).

The next scenario I'm thinking of, by the way, is the initial military coup of the SCW - in Morocco. Will involve elite Foreign Legionairres and Moroccans seizing a town centre and airport while worker militia and regular army mobilise to try and prevent.