The WarpSpawn
Big Book O’Games
Edition 27 Sep 2004
Compiled by P. Cobcroft
Send corrections to curufea@yahoo.com
Introduction to Warpspawn Games
Article by Tom Higgins (tom@wsmf.org), Main editor of Countermoves.
There are many ways to game as there are gamers to play them. There are focused gamers who pick a theme and stick with it most of their lives. There are die hard role players, hard dice roll players and anti dice hard tech players. There are board game aficionados and card game fanatics. There are folks who like to move around the hexes and those who wont map the territory of their playing.
Then there are those who like to mix it all up.
Precious few resources exist for this type of gamer, one such resource though is Warp Spawn Games (http://www.angelfire.com/games2/warpspawn/index.html) Warp Spawn is home to a motley crew of game developers and players who revel in creating games as much as they do in playing them. The lead mad scientist in this laboratory of gamming is Lloyd Krassner who has been running this site since
1997.
The site itself is spartan but what it lacks in graphics it makes up for in game rules. Lloyd and the Warp Spawn regulars have been churning out game rules at a break neck speed for the last few years, the count for 2001 is now over 200 and climbing. Game types range from your pure card game to your roll and move board games to hex game to role-playing to combinations of all of the above. There are lots of different types of game mechanics to choose from as well. The rule sets are broken into thematic sections; there are sections for SF, Fantasy, Historical and the infamous Other as well as a place of Universal Game Systems. More on this last one in another article. Each of these sections is further broken down by time period of subtype.
Many of the rule sets you will find are mostly straight text files. Very few have any sort of graphics, maps or unit counters. These are left for others to work on. In some cases there are graphics available either as image files or as Thoth game sets. The big advantage to a Thoth game set in this case is that the individual graphical items are not hidden in the gamebox, they are available to be manipulated and customized in directories.
The good news is that over time and with more people using Warp Spawn games the more ready-made graphics there are to play with. If you cant find these ready made gems for the rules set you are wanting to play then its up to you to create them and hopefully offer them up to the site so that others can use them as well. A lot of what goes on at Warp Spawn is centered on this act of causal collaboration and sharing.
Sharing the games or variants you have created with the rest of the Warp Spawn crew gets the game played more and thus it becomes a better game for the playing. Play testing games is a powerful tool in the developmental cycle of a game.
The act of making a game has become a game for the Warp Spawn game makers. Trying out combinations of types, tweaking rules sets, merging different mechanics and methods all are evident in the rules sets found here. You can get a glimpse of what goes on in one game developers mind on Llyod’s Brainstroming page. There is also an open channel of discussion between the users and developers. This comes in the form of a message board. It’s a simple text only web message board but it works to get the conversation and critiques flowing.
A Review and Essays page gives players and developers alike a place to work out the workings of the games; the good, the bad and the ugly. Often what doesn’t work can be has helpful to making a better game as what does work. Hearing from the developer and the players is a great way to get a look into some of the games.
The biggest strengths Warp Spawn has going for it is not its flashy graphics (there are none) or its professional publication ready games (these games are as raw as they come, rivaling even CheapAss Games) or even its detailed rule sets (some of these games are as abstracted from their source material as a Pollack canvas). What Warp Spawn has is a down in the muck attitude where the game comes before the detail and the developing is as much fun as the playing. It’s a schloberknocker no holds barred game development site that offers as wide a range of game styles as I have seen represented in any one place.
It has a core group of members who are quick to help and very into the idea that everyone is a game developer just looking for a chance to come out and play.
Contents
Introduction to Warpspawn Games 2
Warp Spawn Games by genre 6
Warpspawn Cast 1174
ADVENTURERS 104
ADVENTURES IN TALISLANTA 72
AFRIKA KORPS 84
AFV 63
AIR FARE 108
ALIEN EMPIRES 58
ALIEN SKIRMISH 96
ALPHA CENTAURI 47
ALPHABET PIRATES 93
AMBER 112
AMULETS 117
ANCIENT GENERALS 69
ANCIENT WARFARE 100
ANTHILL 89
ARCHMAGI 120
ARCOLOGY 134
AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS 37
ARTIFACT: DEPTHS OF THE EARTH SCENARIO 138
ASIMOV'S FOUNDATION AND EMPIRE 403
ATTRITION 144
ATTRITION: PORK CHOP HILL 757
BASEBALL OUTS 152
BATMAN 201
BATTLE DICE ADDITIONAL RULES 156
BATTLE FOR HOTH 527
BATTLE FOR THE UNIVERSE 162
BATTLE OF BERLIN 176
BATTLEFRONT 167
BEAUTIFUL GIRLS WITH SWORDS 164
BEES 205
BERSERKER 228
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA SKIRMISH 189
BIOMECHANOIDS 171
BIRTHRIGHT CONQUEST 182
BLOWN AWAY 150
BOER WAR 210
BORDERKEEP 212
BOX CARS 180
BUCCANEERS 193
BUCK ROGERS 219
BUJUTSU 224
CANNONADE 272
CARRIERS 278
CASTLEKEEP 248
CELLULAR 281
CELTIC SAGA 265
CHALLENGE OF THE SUPERFRIENDS 254
CHINESE WARLORDS 285
CITY STATES 288
CIVIL WAR POKER 270
COLONIAL FLORIDA 244
COLONIALS 296
COMBAT DICE 239
COMPANY COMMANDER 234
CONAN 1126
COSMOSIS 301
CRACK OF DOOM 250
CRO MAGNON 304
CTHULHU SKIRMISH 257
CULTURE & CONQUEST 308
DAISHO 348
DARK CONTINENT 351
DARK SUN EMPIRES 1153
DEATH RACERS 324
DEITY 355
DESTROY THE RAIL ROAD BRIDGE 327
DEVASTATORS 3000 358
DIAMOND TRADERS 318
DODGE BALL 313
DOOM TROOPER EMPIRES 1156
DR WHO 344
DRACULAS CASTLE 364
DRAGON POKER 367
DRAGON SLAYERS 329
DROP TROOPS 334
DUNE CCG VARIANT 369
DUNGEON MASTER 320
DURABLE GOODS 316
DWARFLAND WARP PLAY 1064
EAGLES OF GLORY 379
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 370
EAST FRONT WEST FRONT 374
ELDER THINGS & OUTER GODS 387
EMPIRES OF MYSTARA 696
EMPOREX 392
ESKIMO 1161
EVOLVED 396
FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS 436
FALL OF THE AZTECS 147
FANTASY FIGHT CLUB 405
FANTASY FLIERS 410
FANTASY SKIRMISH 430
FEDERATION 440
FEUDAL LORDS 422
FIEFS 444
FIREBASE NAM 401
FIVE ARMIES 34
FLEETS OF THE IMPERIUM 425
FLOWER POWER 447
FREUDIAN SLIP 451
GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS 455
GALAXIAN TREK 479
GAMBLER 486
GAMMA CHESS 489
GENGHIS KHAN 585
GERRYMANDERING 491
GLADIATOR SCHOOL 469
GLADIUS 494
GO JOE 460
GOLDEN AXE 1164
GOLEMS 498
GREAT MOMENTS IN GAMING 459
GRECOS 503
GREEN PLASTIC MASSACRE 467
GROGNARDS 506
GROUND WAR 3000 481
GUNDAM WING 473
GUNSLINGERS 509
HEAVY METAL MAYHEM 513
HERCULES & XENA 520
HERO WITH 1000 FACES 25
HOLYQUEST 516
ICE LORDS 532
ILLUMINATI NEW WORLD ORDER 539
IN NOMINE 535
IN THE NAM 541
INTERZONE 544
IRON FANTASY CHEF 530
JAIL BREAK 555
JAVELIN 553
JEDI WARP DUEL 558
JOUST 562
JUTLAND 564
KINGS GAMBIT 567
KINGS OF HYBORIA 572
KNAVES & KNIGHTS 568
KUNG FUSION 589
LEGEND OF THE FIVE RINGS SKIRMISH 595
LENSMAN 603
LIGHTER THAN AIR WARFARE 599
LINEAR PROGRESSION 605
LUNATECH WARP PLAY 1066
MAD SCIENTISTS 650
MAN O'WARP 642
MANIFESTO 657
MARTIAN CLOUDSHIPS 610
MARTIAN INVASION 689
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE 637
MATRIX REPLAY 662
MEGA TANK 669
MEGIDDO 1918 606
MEK LEADER 625
MEKA TAC 671
MEN OF SUMER 939
METHUSELAH 677
MIDDLE EARTH EMPIRES 613
MIDWAY 680
MILITIA GROUPS 616
MINIONS 619
MOBSTERS 631
MORIA SKIRMISH 692
MOVIE SCRIPTS 695
MUSKETEER SKIRMISH 31
MUTANT TROLLS WARP PLAY 1067
NAPOLEONIC EMPIRE 705
NATIONS AT WAR 699
NAVAL DUEL 709
NAVAL ENGAGEMENT 703
NOIR 712
OPERATION BLITZKRIEG 719
OPERATIONAL 799
ORBITAL ESCALATION 716
OUT WORLDS RPG 1167
OUT WORLDS RPG 722
PANTHEONS 745
PARTS IS PARTS 815
PEARL HARBOR 729
PERIPLUS 749
PHASERS 752
PIRATE ISLAND 732
PIRATE WAR 739
PIZZA PIE MAKER 755
PLANET BUSTERS 726
PLAYSETS 736
POMERIUM 1131
POWER UP 737
PRIMEA RPG 759
PU PU PLATTER 735
QADESH 774
QUICKIE FIGS 771
QUIDDITCH CUP 779
RANGE WAR 808
RAVENLOFT QUEST 793
REAL TIME CARNAGE 1169
REBEL SPACE 811
RENAISSANCE FAIR 786
RING WAR 816
ROCKETS & RAYGUNS 799
ROCKETS & RAYGUNS 801
RUSSO-GERMAN WAR 790
RUSSO-TURKISH WAR 804
SCOOBY DOO MYSTERY GAME 839
SCORE 894
SEA BATTLES 908
SHARED UNIVERSES 910
SHIPS OF THE LINE 868
SHOT, SHELL & GRAPE 782
SILVER SURFER 1171
SIMULCHESS 916
SKYIE WARP PLAY 1065
SLIMED 917
SMART GAMING 861
SOAPBOX 866
SOLAR INVASION 2100 852
SOLITAIRE CONQUEST 829
SOLO RULES 369
SORCERY CHESS 918
SPACE 1889 EMPIRES 1150
SPACE BLAST 207
SPACE CRUISERS MATERIAL 832
SPACE INSURRECTION 548
SPACE SCOUTS 897
SPACE SCOUTS: NON-CARD VERSION 903
SPEED RACER 923
SPELLJAMMER SKIRMISH 855
SPICE RAID 870
SPIDER-MAN 927
STAKK CHESS 930
STAR BLAZERS 824
STAR COMMAND 931
STAR CRAFT SPAWN 834
STAR FLEETS 841
STAR TREK RPG 884
STARSHIP TROOPERS 881
STARWARS DOGFIGHT 890
STORMBRINGER 935
STRATASTAR 876
STRATEGIC 801
STRATEGO WWII NAVAL 893
SUPERHERO SLUGFEST CARD COMBAT 873
SUPERHERO SLUGFEST RPG EXPANSION RULES 848
SWAMP FIGHTERS 943
TALES OF ARABIA 119
TANK KILLERS 970
TAVERN BRAWL 977
THE DIET GAME 361
THE FIRST BALKAN WAR 196
THE GREAT TRAVELING CIRCUS GAME 951
THE HORDE 954
THE MYSTIC WARRIORS OF THE PLAINS 646
THE QUEST FOR ISCANDAR 824
THERMOPYLAE 921
THIRTY YEARS WARFARE 26
THUNDERBOLT 981
TITAN ATTACK 986
TLATELOLCO 990
TO BOLDLY GO 947
TRANSFORMERS SKIRMISH 961
TRAVELLER TRADERS 964
TREASURE HUNTER DUNGEON RULES 999
TREASURE HUNTER 993
TUNNEL RAT 959
UNDERDARK ADVENTURES 1000
UNIVERSAL GAME SYSTEMS 1006
VICTORIAN VILLAINS 1011
VIETNAM AIR FURY 1007
WAR GAME 403
WAR HAMMER SPACE EMPIRES 1054
WAR IN HELL 523
WAR OVER THE REICH 1059
WARBAH 1080
WARGAMMON 1089
WARP EMPIRES 1039
WARP PLAY 1090
WARP SKIRMISH 1078
WARPQUEST 1070
WARRIOR DICE 1018
WH40KARDS 1042
WING COMMANDER FIGHTERS 1091
WIZARD SKIRMISH 1074
WIZARDLY 1095
WIZARDS & WARLORDS 1137
WOLF PACK 1099
WORD POKER 1068
WWII COMBINED ARMS 231
XANTH QUEST 1107
X–FILES 1101
YOUNG WIZARDS DUEL 1114
ZEPPELIN BATTLES of the GREAT WAR 1117
ZOMULGUSTAR GALAX 484
ZOO 1123
ZULU SPEARS SOLO 1120
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