StolenMadWolf
locally escaped lab wolfess
- Location
- The soggy place called Britain
- Pronouns
- She/They
ARCBOTS - A TACTICAL WARGAME WITH COMBAT ROBOTS
PLAYTESTING RECRUITMENT/OOC THREAD
The year is 1990 AC, and the world of Arkaris is a very different kind of Earth to our own. It is a world where the advancements in automation and artificial intelligence meet the newfound capabilities of powerful 3D fabricators. It is the beginning of the first steps to a newfound societal order, as these two developments allow for a greater deal of automony amongst individuals... or the means to allow others to gain an ever increasing level of power. But most of all, it is the combination of these technologies that allow for the creation of the most advanced combat machines in human history, the first Adaptive and Regenative Combat Systems, or ARCS.PLAYTESTING RECRUITMENT/OOC THREAD
Most however, know these bots as Arcbots.
Their emergence has rendered almost all other forms of warfare obsolete through their superior combat abilities, and led to the reshaping of societies worldwide. For the first time, a single individual and their bot can defend and hold their own territory. When the nations and the corporations of the world attempted to clamp down on the spread of ARCS technology, it triggered a wave of rebellion. The Great Revolutions.
Thirty-Five Years have passed since then. Arkaris has mostly stabilised, with traditional capitalist states co-existing with entities with new and old ideologies. Socialist and communist states, anarchist communes, powerful mega-corporations and the wildly diverse hybrid states. Some areas of Arkaris have become lawless or outright quarantined, where Arcbots have been known to go rogue or rather, primal. Between this, and the sheer power of Arcbots, a fear has spread amongst humans that the bots could wipe out humanity in a matter of moments.
To stem this fear, Arcbots are paired with human partners through the Arclets, advanced tactical computers that allow humans to assist an Arcbot in battle. Humans authorise the weapons and equipment, and the Bots fight to protect themselves and their partner. A mutual partnership.
You and your Arcbot are one of these dyads... will you rise to become a tournament champion? A helper to the people? A mercenary out for a quick buck or a soldier in the wars that are surely coming?
That's for you to decide...
Righto, well, it's been a long time coming, but I figured the time had come that I went ahead and put something more concrete up regarding a much larger project I've started working on. Arcbots is a large worldbuilding project that I've been working on, using a combination of a roleplaying game, art and writing to create an expansive setting. Naturally, this focuses on the Arcbots, advanced, custom-built combat machines that can fabricate nearly any weapon or equipment on the fly.
This thread is specifically for the tabletop roleplaying game I'm working on, specifically a tactical wargame. Running on a custom D20 plus D6 combat system and calculations that I'm developing, Arcbots has three principle aims in mind as a game.
- To be simple and quick to play - Unlike most tabletops/wargames/roleplays, games shouldn't take weeks to complete. Turns are quick, engaging and fun with minimal fuss and brutal combat. Yes, calculations are needed, but the game is supposed to be easy to follow and process, especially with computer sheets to help handle all that for you!
- To be tactically deep - Just because the games are intended to run quicker than default doesn't mean the game is shallow! Different weapons, terrain, ranges and a wide range of mechanics will force players to adapt and change up their strategies on the fly. The map, your loadouts and how you use them together along with allies and enemies will help determine the outcome!
- Have a huge degree of customisation - Unlike most wargames, you only control a single character. Unlike said wargames, your one Arcbot has a near stupid degree of customisation available to them, with a full combat circle, different builds, Arcbot stats, weapons and their stats and perks that will allow you to customise your Arcbot to your personal tastes and playstyle! Want a swift, agile sniper? Get that scope out. Want a gatling cannon armed walking tank? Nothing stopping you there! Want a flying bird bot with the mysterious Vi-Type abilities, such as ice attacks? Go for it.
And boy, is the Arkaris setting getting expanded with different factions and interesting lore. Such as the cold war in the Cascades between nations of the Allied Defence Treaty Organisation (ADTO), such as the Republic of Manchester on one side, or the Bel-Shan Federation on the other.
But this is where I'm going to need some help. I have playtested a few sessions, mainly with myself and a few others, but with this combat system, I'm going to need all the help I can get to get this game system of the ground and with the potential it has. It is currently optimised for 1v1 fights, but I hope to allow for larger Free-For-All fights, team battles and more complex missions and operations to eventually creep in, perhaps with traditional RP elements mixed in.
So this is a playtest recruitment thread, if you are interested, please let me know! And I can send through a gameguide and battlesheets so you can create your own Arcbot character. I hope to reach a point where I can test the waters of the game on SB proper, and perhaps even release physical, professional copies of the guide and lore with free versions available for those who want to just get into the game. Even more so if a serial story I'm planning can get off the ground, featuring human-Arcbot dyads as they make their marks on Arkaris.
Again, if you are interested in helping with playtesting the game, then please let me know!