Wing Commander for d20?

Natsuumi

Spaceman
I've been an avid table-top roleplayer for many years and played many systems/genres. One thing that has saddened me is there is no Wing Commander roleplaying system (at least nothing official). My group and I ran a Wing Commander game once by the seat of our pants using the BESM 2nd edition system. It was a very flexible and quick system for us to make it up as we go, but I'd like something more set in stone.

I've been already running it over in my head this weekend and think I got what it takes to do something about it. I was thinking of designing, converting and /or expanding upon the rules presented in the d20 Modern/Future books (from Wizards of the Coast) to create what would be needed to run a Wing Commander roleplaying game.

What I'd like to know right now is community interest. I'll definitely end up doing this project from my gaming group anyways, but if there was a good interest in the WC community I think I'd feel better motivated to jump on the project right away, instead of just a thing I do here and there and whenever I feel like it.

As a small example of what I've started, here's an image from the write-up for the Kilrathi race. The write-up, of course, is incomplete, but it's a start. Obviously, if you don't know the d20 system it may not make much sense, but any and all opinions are still welcome.



I've already been looking ahead for stumbling blocks and have found a few that I'll have to take into consideration when making and designing for this project. Because of the way certain rules work in d20, some things will have to changed from how it works it the games, either because of mechanics or a desire to not make things more complicated than they need to be. For example, the difference in speed and maneuverability between a Ferret and a Broadsword is quite obvious in the games, but may not be so clearly well defined using the d20 mechanics, mostly because of the abstract nature of some of the ship values. Also, there are some rules that they list (especially for ship construction) that would either conflict or not allow me to fully create Wing Commander ships as we see in the games. Some of the possibilities is that I could either modify or ignore such rules/restrictions (obviously trying to keep game balance in mind). Of course I'll jump those hurdles when I reach them.
 
I created a D20 WC game for play with my friends. It took alot of work finding/creating/altering rules to fit the setting.

The resources here at the CIC are incredibly useful for source material.
 
If it doesn't fit very well, why use D&D as a base then? Its not even a good RPG system.
 
If it doesn't fit very well, why use D&D as a base then? Its not even a good RPG system.

Well, I never said it didn't fit very well. To do this would simply require some adding, modifying, and possibly removing certain elements from the system as it stands to better fit Wing Commander. I think that is part of the nature of any conversion.

And just for the record, I don't like the D&D system. I look at their books and can't stand them for some reason, but I've dealt with other d20 systems (d20 Modern/Future, BESM d20, Star Wars D20[both RCR and Saga edition]) and they do a more than excellent job of "getting it right", in my opinion.
 
Those are all D20 systems. you should use one that is better adapted for space combat in the first place. Like west end games starwars.

Or better yet, make your own.
 
The d20 system is incredibly awful. Its ponderous, full of unnessessary skill checks and bad implementation. The old WEG d6 system is not only way faster and fluid, but there are fewer checks and far easier rules.
 
Well, I can see I have my answer for interest, or at least the direction it's going. Guess I won't worry about doin' anything for now.
 
Lehah,

Are you referring to the WEG d6 Space game? I'm actually a club officer in a Wargaming club with some fellow employees...we might be up for trying it! Any opinions?
 
I wouldn't go getting overly dramatic. I don't think I have ever turned down a roleplaying game with any mechanic. I was merely stating that you'd be better off running an action game like wing commander in an action system like WEG D6 or even Savage Worlds. Especially if it ends up being a play by post game over a forum, since those are typically much slower than player with player groups.

I'd be interested to see it complete even if it does end up with D20, I just wanted to caution you against it if possible.
 
I did have my own rules, brewed up in my own head several years ago, but the game was created for my friends. They are very fickle about learning yet another game system (not that big on the few serious gamers, but as we have gotten older it has taken more of a sideline to other things), so I adapted them to the
D20 rules because our group understand those.

It actually works pretty well with some altering and a Hexboard, especially when players understand the basic concepts and rules.

I am an old player of WEG SW and it could have worked quite well. Another D6 fest (already a shadowrun player), just had some bad memories of how unbalanced (or, balanced with the source material) the archtypes were once you got some character points under your belt.

I almost took it to a pure wargame level with simplified rules (would have made it alot easier) like Battletech, but I wanted to make this an RPG, with opportunities outside of thier planes to interact with people or combat outside of thier cockpits that would require other tests.

It was alot of work, came out to nearly 200 pages with the ships included.
 
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