Scenarios

When inventing a scenario, it’s always best to keep things simple. One special rule or twist is usually enough to make a game substantially different. The more complex you make a scenario and the more special rules you invent, the greater the likelihood that things won’t work out as you expect. When inventing rules for scenarios I always say to myself ‘What’s THE rule for this scenario?’ and then try to avoid adding too much else. Good ideas can always be used in new scenarios after all.

It is always a good idea to play both sides of any scenario you have invented otherwise it’s all too easy to invent a game that’s fun for one side but frustrating or dull for the other. Playing both sides gives you a better perspective on the game as a whole.

Always try to make scenarios winnable for both sides – but don’t worry if you can’t make things exactly even. If you want to play a perfectly fair game then play an Encounter Battle – scenarios are about doing things differently. Sometimes that might mean a game is easier for one side to win than the other – so be it. You can always play twice – once with either side – and compare overall results to establish the true winner.

There are several useful ways to even up a game or make it more balanced. The points values ensure that armies are roughly comparable in fighting value. This works well in most situations, but in some scenarios certain kinds of troops will sometimes prove more or less useful depending on circumstance. For example, if a game takes place in a forest, cavalry will prove much less useful than they would in a game on an open plain. Points values can’t be perfect for every situation. As scenario designers we can get round this by specifying troops for a scenario or limiting choices from the army lists.

Another way of altering game balance is by changing the usual withdraw levels so that more or fewer units are lost before one side withdraws. For example, because Dwarves are especially dour and stubborn and love gold you might decide that a force made up of Dwarf gold prospectors has a withdraw level of 75% of its units rather than 50%. Of course you could dispense with the withdraw level entirely and fight for a fixed number of turns or until some special objective has been reached – for example until a specific unit reaches a predetermined point on the battlefield.

It is very important to describe exactly how the game ends and how players score Victory Points (VPs). Both sides will work towards these objectives during the game. The usual method for working out VPs provides a good basis for most games, but you might want to award extra VPs if one side accomplishes a predetermined task. For example, if the objective is to escape from the table with a wagon full of treasure then the game might end as soon as the wagon leaves the table and the player could earn an extra 100 VPs.

Write things down! This should be obvious but it’s surprising how hard it is to read hastily made notes once a battle is over. Make notes during the game and write down suggestions to consider later. Once you are happy with your scenario, write it up property and include an accurate map – that way you can play again or swap scenarios with other players if you want.

Remember that the most important thing is to enjoy your gaming, if you invite another player to take part in a scenario that you have invented, don’t be too defensive about comments or suggested changes. Designing games is teamwork – never be afraid of pooling ideas and using the best. Similarly, if you are playing a scenario invented by another player don’t be too ready with alternative ideas of your own; your role is to try and help the designer realise his ideas not to press for your own. Most importantly, always analyse things from as a dispassionate point of view as you can. Try and figure out why things work out or feel a certain way when you play.

Here are some outline plans for different scenarios inspired by the characters and places described by JRR Tolkien in The Hobbit. They are not complete games by any means – that would require far more space that we have within this book. These plans will hopefully inspire at least a few players to have a go at working up their own scenarios and hopefully we will be able to compile the best examples onto our website.