Duplicated Efforts

I hate it when I get an idea for a game, or for how a specific genre of game could be done, so I start writing away, only to realize a few pages in that I am re-inventing the wheel.

It all started when I was looking at how the old D&D rules had been adapted for other genres. There’s a few who do low-magic Sword & Sorcery, and even one that does Science Fiction (Stars Without Number). As a long-time fan of Mack Bolan, aka “The Executioner,” I have always wanted an RPG that would replicate that genre. There are a few that I know of, but, since I am a broke tinkerer, I thought about doing my own version.

Well, as I started thinking about it, I decided to ditch the actual D&D system, and create my own. I knew I wanted something simple, fast-paced and cinematic. So, I started writing down some ideas and building from those. I was chugging along pretty well, coming up with some cool ideas and concepts.

Then yesterday I bought the PDF of Dogs of W.A.R.. First off it’s a great game, based on the system used in another great game, Barbarians of Lemuria, which I own a printed copy of. However, I realized while reading it, I was duplicating a lot of what the author had done already. Granted there are some things I am doing differently, but basically, my game is the same as DoW.

So, now what do I do with all of this stuff I just came up with? I’m thinking about creating a hybrid RPG/Tactical game. I’ve seen it before. When I worked at ACD they had a game that I wanted that was a Sword & Sorcery RPG that, when you got into combat, became a miniatures wargame of sorts. I never got a copy of it, so I don’t know how successful it was (or even what the name was).

This idea came from finding my copy of Space Hulk in one of my storage bins, and remembering that I had once (many years ago) written rules for adapting that game to use other troop types (specifically the Imperial Guard Storm Troopers) and other foes, like Orks and Eldar. And rather than using the Space Hulk tiles, I used large sheets of graph paper to draw maps for exploring and assaulting.

So, will I finish my little game? Eh, I dunno. I have literally dozens of stalled projects like this, so what’s one more? Now, maybe if someone came along and said “Hey, that’s a great idea!” I might be more inclined to finish it…