Heroscape Campaigns

[Elstree]

This thread is a place to discuss ideas relating to long-term, multiple battle Heroscape campaigns. The basic idea is to provide some kind of overarching framework or storyline that ties together multiple battles on multiple maps, with accompanying rules or game mechanics.

This idea has its precedents. Heroscape Quests and Epic Heroscape come to mind as attempts to inject more story into individual battles as well as link one battle to the next. More recently chief posted his ideas for a Risk-type game here.
Kenjib has made similar suggestions for a campaign of conquest here.

This new thread is a result of discussion in the End of Heroscape thread.

[Elstree]

As a jumping off point for discussion I'm reposting the following from the End of Heroscape thread:

Originally Posted by Elstree

This is along the lines of my thinking too: there would be some kind of master map, with different locations on the map corresponding to different battlefields. The game would start with a battle somewhere in the middle of the board. The winner of that battle would then chose where the next battle would be. I had in mind a more constraining structure than a Risk board. I wanted the campaign to have a loose storyline to it as well so I was imagining choices limited in "Choose Your Own Adventure" style. This would be something to play over a period of months (say, a map a week) and I thought it would be best to minimize the amount of bookkeeping necessary to carry over from week to week.

My idea was for a basic two-sided campaign, Utgar vs. Jandar. Each player would start with a small pool of strictly Utgar or Jandar units from which they could draft. As the campaign progressed they would be able to add additional units to their draft pool. (Perhaps possession of a Wellspring territory allows you to summon new units to your side?)

Victories at certain key locations would allow a player to add units from one of the other three generals to their draft pool. The initial phases of the campaign would thus focus on taking Wellspring territories, using those to expand your army, and winning crucial battles that allow you to bring in Einar, Vydar, or Ullar allies to your side.

There would probably be an inherent bias so that Jandar was slightly more likely to win over Ullar as an ally and Utgar would be slightly more likely to win over Vydar as an ally. Both Utgar and Jandar would have even odds of securing Einar as an ally, but I think the there should be a strong possibility of Einar switching sides during the campaign. For some reason Einar strikes me as being opportunistic like that.

Once the alliances had stabilized the next phase would be characterized by taking (or defending) certain fortresses and outposts. Ultimately one army would advance on the home fortress of the other for the final battle.

I've probably given "story" type elements more thought than actual mechanics. I like your idea of assigning points to different territories each turn and those point values determining the size of an army you can draft at that location. I would add to this a mechanic where possession of Wellspring territories determines how many points of new units (or reinforcements to replace lost units) you generate each round of the campaign.

I also like the idea that once a unique is dead, it's dead and out of the game. This fits in well with the idea of an overarching frame story. (Of course possession of the right territory might give access to a one-use artifact that allows a unique hero to be brought back from the dead. I think there should be plenty of story-type elements like this to give the campaign flavor.)

Hmm...just brainstorming here...what about a campaign mechanic something along the lines of this:
1. At the beginning of each round players receive "reinforcement" points according to the territories they occupy.
2. Players then secretly decide to which territories they wish to deploy these points. (I suppose points could be moved among adjacent territories as well at this point.)
3. Players reveal where they have deployed these point values.
4. Players secretly chose one battle they wish to fight (i.e. a territory they wish to invade) that round.
5. Both players reveal their choices and the two battles are fought.
6. Players receive spoils of victory and begin the next round of the campaign.

Ok, enough. This is probably going to be one of those overblown thread-killing posts, I'm sure.

[kenjib]

Here are some more rough brainstorm ideas:

1. One player starts with Jandar, the other starts with Ullar. They may also win the allegiance of one of the other three generals during the resource-allocation phase. During the resource allocation phase for each turn, each player can secretly spend any amount of their resource points on gaining the loyalty of any of the various generals. These are revealed simultaneously. For each general, the player who has allocated the largest cumulative amount in that general over the course of the game has that general's allegiance and as a result may draft units from that general's armies during play.

2. A set of five territories near the middle of the map have wellsprings in them. These territories grant additional resources each turn to the player who owns them and also set the victory condition of the game.

3. Each player starts controlling only one territory at the opposite respective ends of the map. Any uncontrolled territories can be invaded without any battle, casualties, or cost. This means that the beginning of the game will consist of a short land rush and allocation of reinforcements phase without any heroscape combat until the two sides meet in the middle.

4. When invading, the attacker must determine how many points to leave behind guarding the territory they leave and how many to send in to assault the contested territory.

5. After a battle, all casualties (including fractional costs for individual figures in a unit) are deducted from the point totals allocated to the respective regions. Any attacking units which successfully retreated can be restored to the territory they attacked from.

6. Resources are gained depending on the number of territories controlled with a hefty bonus for any territory that contains a wellspring.

7. Resources can be spent on the following:
a. Reinforcing a territory with more points. There will be a limit to how many can be placed in a single territory on one turn.
b. Moving points from one territory to another. (There is a logistics cost to move them, but it is cheaper than reinforcing).
c. Building or upgrading a castle in a controlled territory.
d. Buying the allegiance of one of the 3 neutral generals.
e. Buying one or more glyphs in a controlled territory. These are one-time use items that are lost after used in a battle. Their owner can decide whether or not to use them in a given battle, but if they lose the territory any unused glyphs in that territory leave play.

8. There are three levels of castles: Watchtower, Keep, and Fortress. The watchtower is just one castle piece with a ladder and battlements on top. The Keep is a larger one level tower with a door guarding the ladder and room for several figures on top. The fortress is a full castle with a two story gatehouse similar to the one in Hasbro's castle scenario. You have to buy a watchtower first, then upgrade to a keep, then upgrade a keep to a fortress. You can only do one of these things each turn so it takes 3 full turns to build a fortress. When you defeat your opponent's territory housing one of these you gain the fortification along with the territory but it is downgraded one level due to siege damage. Watchtowers are destroyed outright in this case.

9. There is a limited number of rounds for each battle. If the attacked is not successful before the round limit has been reached, all of their surviving units automatically retreat back to the territory from which they launched their attack. The player is free to attack that territory again on the next turn.

10. To win the game you must control all of the five wellspring territories.

[bunjee]

Oh my, what is going to be like when the two of you are actually sitting in the same room planning these things?

Remember Elstree, you are booked every 3rd Saturday of each month for HS game day.

OH, and your stockings are hung by the chimney, with care...

[Kepler]

Originally Posted by bunjee

Oh my, what is going to be like when the two of you are actually sitting in the same room planning these things?

With those two I imagine nothing short of world domination.

[fracguru]

Although I have yet to play my first game of HS, I've been thinking about this particular topic.

Work has already been done in this area, specifically GW's campaign setup, fleshed out in the General's Compendium for Warhammer campaigns.

After I get started with HS I'll see if I can come up with a system that makes sense. However, I like some of the brainstorm ideas already listed in this thread.

Lots to think about....

[hobbesthebrainslug]

warhammer does something like this.
in the warhammer rules book there is a section on campaign design going one of two ways

the ladder campaign:
the campaign goes in a straight line, battles to not affect gameplay in the future

the tree campaign:
battle DO affect gameplay in the future. becuase of the outcome of certain battles, players might have an adventage, or they may not be allowed certain units. or they may simply play a different scenario altogether.

[SlikkRikk]

I would like to see a Community effort done for a solid campaign, something like what was done for the Worlds of Heroscape project.

Any thought on that?

Campaigns are a great way to play Heroscape. I am dying to have a chance to play the 'Siege' campaign series made by a great fellow who's name I have forgotten.