SMG: Sloth Mage Games

Today, I’d like to talk about my created game: Miniature Field Manual. As the name suggests, Miniature Field Manual is a set of operational guidelines that help miniature soldiers understand how to act once they hit the battlefield. It includes things like knowing their strength, how to traverse the battlefield, how to attack and defend in their favor, how to take down enemies,  and, in the unfortunate event that they fall, whether they can stand up and continue fighting, or sashay away from the battlefield... Jokes aside, in short, this is a small-scale skirmish wargame. Players use their collected miniatures to form a squad and face off against another player's squad. The game is turn-based, where one player activates all their units in a turn, and then it’s the other player’s turn. It also introduces an activation point system, where each soldier must spend an activation point to perform two actions. These activation points are generated through Discipline Tests, which represent...

Before introducing the Wargames I recommend or have created, I’d like to first discuss the game mechanics I’ve encountered over the years in various  wargames . The turn structure and unit activation mechanisms are often the first aspects I look at, as they determine the flow of the game, the psychological load on players, and the time it takes to play. You might wonder: I understand how these mechanisms determine the flow of the game, but why would they affect the psychological load on players and the time it takes? Let’s begin by exploring the different categories of mechanics and the games that implement them. Alternative Activation This is a mechanism favored by skirmish-type games, where after you activate one of your units, I activate one of mine. The main advantage of this system is the back-and-forth interaction between players. As long as you make the right decisions, theoretically, you can respond to any of the opponent's actions. However, this mechanism is typically used...

Welcome to the Sloth Mage's Wargame-zardry Tower! I am the Sloth Mage, a devoted player and (self-proclaimed) miniature wargame designer. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a curious beginner, I hope you'll find something here that resonates with you. Let’s explore the endless joy brought by boundless imagination. What is a Wargame? What exactly is a wargame? It’s a game where players move game pieces—representing combat units—on a playing surface to battle against their opponent and attempt to claim victory. These game pieces could be flat tokens, character standees, or finely crafted miniature models. The battlefield might be a simple board with some simple obstacles set on a coffee table, a sprawling diorama occupying an entire dining table, or even a meticulously recreated map of a real-world location. Outcomes of battles are determined in various ways: rolling dice, drawing cards, or referencing charts. Some wargames aim to precisely reenact historical battles or exp...