PAHD Log 009 - The Combat Problem Solved

     I mentioned in my last PAHD log that my first play tester, D.C. Corvino, didn't like the combat system; she said it removed the player from the scene.

    I've been thinking about that a lot since then, trying to come up with a combat system that I like and that players would like. The main problem I was having was that I didn't want to complicate character creation with skills or levels, so having combat based on skill modifiers wasn't possible here, but I think I've got it now. 

    Combat based on weapon modifiers.

    So, when looting a weapon, players will roll 1d3 to find out that weapon's modifier (and when buying a weapon, they'd roll before buying it); the math for this will be simple, if you roll a 1, that weapon's modifier is +1, roll a 2 and that weapon is +2, and so on with 3. 

    When running into enemies, the player will still roll 1d3 to find out how many enemies there are, but before starting combat, they will also roll 1d10 for each enemy to find out each enemy's level. Then, the player must roll 1d10 above the enemy's level to make a hit. If the player rolls under the enemy's level, the PC takes a hit. The damage will be the difference between the enemy's level and the number rolled. 

    (roll+modifier)-enemy level=Damage dealt/taken

    Lets say the PC's weapon has +2, the enemy is level 8, and the player rolls 5. In this case, the PC takes one damage. (5+2)-8= -1

    Or the PC's weapon is +2, the enemy is level 8, and the player rolls 6. In this case, both the PC and the enemy miss. (6+2)-8= 0 

    I think this is a good solution to not using PC skills, and balancing combat.

    Before signing off, I want to mention that this idea was taken/inspired by Solo Journaling Rules (SJR) by Basunat.

    That's it for now; thanks for reading and have a great rest of your day.  

What is Post Apocalyptic Hexcrawl Deck (PAHD)? Plus Links

     PAHD (to be renamed once I think of something cool or catchy) is an in development post apocalyptic, hexcrawl sandbox, card based rpg. In it, you choose your character's and the world's background, then set off on an adventure. Draw cards, chart your map, fight, and survive.

 

    The goal? You choose that too; it is a sandbox, after all.  

    I do, however, have plans in the future to work with a writer to put together a storyline as an option for those that don't like sandbox games. 

    It can be played multiplayer (up to 6 players, in theory) or solo, and is available as a print and play or as a Tabletop Simulator mod on the Steam Workshop (Links to both below).

 Print and Play Version 

Tabletop Simulator Version 

Print and Play @ itch.io (itch will give you a warning about suspicious files; they are just pdfs. I don't know why I've been quarantined on itch, but I suspect it has to do with my VPN)

Play Tester Discord Server 

    

     

PAHD Log 008 - Instruction Updates From First Play Tester

     I've had my first play tester, writer D.C. Corvino, and she gave me lots of good feedback and things to think about! 

     Firstly, she didn't read all the instructions before starting to play, and ended up confused because of the order I had laid out said instructions. That is 100% on me; I can't just assume players will read the instructions in full before playing. So she helped me reorder the instructions to make more sense for those players that tend not to read through the instructions before starting. And that leads into the content of the instructions. Apparently they weren't all that clear, so Corvino worked with me to clean them up.

    She also pointed out little things in the game that I had overlooked, such as being able to fish at bodies of water or drink from the river. So I'll be adding those things to the cards. Also, D.C. didn't really like the way I handled combat, she said the way the damage table is set up takes the player out of the scene, and suggested a different way to calculate damage. I tried her suggestion, didn't really like, so I'll wait to see what other play testers say about it.

                                                             ^ D.C. Corvino's map ^

 

    It was really fun seeing how someone else played the game; she thought of things I never would have thought about. For example, on Corvino's travels, she chose to go to the forest simply because she wanted to see the forest animals. Or, when she ended up at a city zoo, she saw starving animals, and made a plan to buy them some food (She wasn't able to because she didn't have enough resources to pay for the food, but I loved that that was her first thought upon meeting them). 

    D.C. Corvino's most important comment, though, was that the game felt like it's still in a middle ground. I totally agree with that, but wasn't sure how to fix it on my own, so her comments were a big help.

    I've updated the instructions on itch.io and the google drive folder; I'll be updating the TTS version later today. 

    That's it for now; thanks for reading and have a great rest of your day. 

PAHD Log 007 - Tabletop Simulator Version 1 of PAHD is Done!

Alright, I've published PAHD on the steam workshop Link so that anyone that doesn't want to print out the deck themselves can play (provided they have TTS).  

It was about 30 hours to convert everything I had into something that would function in TTS, but I enjoyed the work and I think it will be well worth it. 

PAHD Log 006

 Progress photo on the Tabletop Simulator version 

 It took a bit of work to adapt the game to the confinements of digital, but I'm happy with how it's turning out.

PAHD Log 005 - TTS & Map Icons

   I’ve discovered that Tabletop Simulator allows a lot of customization, so I’ve decided to make a TTS version of PAHD. 

Also, photo dump of map icons below. 

PAHD Log 004 - Quarantined on Itch.io & Added Multiplayer

    So, Post Apocalyptic Hexcrawl Deck has been quarantined by itch.io.

    I assume it was because I uploaded the game updates the same day as publishing the game (I was too excited to wait). I've contacted support, and hope it gets resolved quickly, but until then I've uploaded the files to google drive for people to download. Here's the link. I'll also add the link to the sidebar on the right.

    Also, I've updated the rules to accommodate multiplayer.

    That's it for now; thanks for reading and have a great rest of your day.