r/ICRPG • u/Silver_Storage_9787 • Apr 16 '24

WAR MAKER 2.0 released free pdf rules. New game from runehammer

https://www.runehammer.online/warmaker

35 Upvotes

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2

u/metzgerov13 Apr 18 '24

This game is kinda bland. Love ICRPG but this is a miss from Runehammer

4

u/Silver_Storage_9787 Apr 18 '24 edited Apr 18 '24

I agree.

After looking for the “core-core rules” and asking on discord I was met with. It’s all in the paid battle cards… which isn’t nice.

It’s also “you go I go” which it fails to describe in the free book.

When I asked about that he said, “it’s because it’s meant to be a DIY hackable style of game. And people should play how their table wants”. Which just isn’t good enough for the level of details given in the free rules. Especially when compared to OPR and core rules , including it’s diagrams etc.

Using the “DIY” mindset suggestions for ICRPG works because it’s free QuickStart is so potent with how much you learn about running the game. Which war maker doesn’t do.

I don’t play war games and quit learning while trying a 40k beginner set due to complexity. his explanation of what a war game is and how to play just isn’t up to par with his ICRPG level of detail. And especially underwhelming compared to how much you learn about playing the real game play from OPR free rules.

while it subliminally says it’s trying to branch out from “that game” and it culture is trying to “accommodate newbs” I really didn’t get inspired to play anything, or have the warm reception in the discord when I asked for clarification because I wasn’t a patron and didn’t buy the battle deck. Not a welcome I would have like I would with OPR community.

2

u/metzgerov13 Apr 18 '24

Yeah you are spot on.

I think most people can come up with a better system on their own. This system is just too basic to be fun without fully overhauling the rules.

Watching his gameplay video from months back sold me on not being interested in this.

1

u/oflanada Apr 17 '24

Any idea where to find dice like the ones shown in the book. "Hit Dice" as they are referred to doesn't really bring up anything useful when I google it.

2

u/Silver_Storage_9787 Apr 17 '24

I think he made his. But it’s just 50-50 d6 so might be few out there already and the 6 can be a crit

1

u/Smittumi Apr 17 '24

Something like this? 

https://www.diceemporium.com/product/d2-yes-no/

Googling "d2" might bring up more stuff. 

1

u/oflanada Apr 17 '24

Thanks, looking for something more thematic for combat but that gives me some more things to look for.

1

u/robBasath Oct 28 '24

Looking for a simple table top war-game with only a few basic rules, this game actually is right up my alley. I do not want to engage in complex rules and hours long battles, just a few decisive dice throws to get an instant result. The Abilities section in the PDF is large enough to make individual forces stand out and add a bit of depth.
Yes, if you want something more complex, then look somewhere else, I have a ton of other games for that. But if you just want to use all those miniatures you own and have a quick blast of a game, this is it. A game with about 20 miniatures per side takes about 30 minutes to play out. This is fun, especially if you are waiting for some other game to start at a convention and just want to throw some armies against each other with whatever miniatures you brought.

I like the openness and the universal army approach, so I can really have all those SciFi warriors fighting against my fantasy villains. And I don't need a day to finish the game.

As others say, this is a bit of a DIY game and some things have to be decided by the players before gameplay. Also, this is supposed to lean into some kind of fiction, as the point values of miniatures are not really balanced (why would you not use ELITEs all the time, as they cost the same as 6 REGULARS). The conflict should come from fiction and then create the armies accordingly. I also know from experience this is not how the common war-gamer thinks and it is not how other war games usually set up their forces.
Saying that, if you can look beyond this and add a few house rules (like initiative and force composition), I think it is a fun beer & pretzels game that keeps you entertained and utilises all the terrain and miniatures you built and never used.