With my philosophy of no surprises and listening to players, I thought we should put up early what will be happening next year. 

I have been quiet for about 6 months, for which I apoligise.  Alas this was due to me having two injured hands in splints for 4 months.  But I am back and busy now. I am enjoying thinking, typing, painting and rolling dice again!

2020 will be a big year for MeG, and will see the launch of some of my other rulesets.
By listening to the input of 100s of players, the MeG team has created a game that is rich in its play, where armies feel very much in character, and with a points system that is truly balanced. For my part I am enjoying the feel and character of ancient armies more than ever - indeed I am itching to run a campaign based on the rules (if anyone would fancy being a facilitor for a 6-nation fictional campaign get in touch). 

In 2016 I launched MeG in a "cottage industry" manner, based on my belief in the system I had invented but also in using the combined input from players to optimise a set of rules. Something that had never been done before.  Mission accomplished.  The time has now come to put MeG into a more commercial form and get more people playing the game.

2020 will therefore be a year of minimal changes to the game you know.  Mostly little fixes to issues that have been raised.
Instead it will be about setting up MeG for a big push over the next 5 years.  I want an annual Skull Rollers with over 100 players from over 5 countries.

Here are the main things that will happen:

MeG COMPENDIUM
The main purpose is to tidy up everything through to 2019, and then have all three sizes of game in a single book.  These will be called:

•   MeG Maximus = 15mm on a 6'x4', typically 80-1000 & 3 hour game
•   MeG Magna = 28mm on a 6'x4', typically 40-60 bases & 2 hour game
•   MeG Pacto = 15mm on a 3'x2', typically 20-30 bases & 1¼ hour game

For those who have not seen these smaller versions, it works because all we are doing is redefining how many bases form a TuG. So the same mechanics and dynamics exist in all three games. So we then have products to compete with AdlG and double DBA, and a version for 28mm play. 

The compendium will be a 120 page hard back A4 book shrink wrapped to contain our current QRS set, plus a QRS for Pacto, plus 4 ready printed armies so people without any figures can play Pacto (and everyone with figures can magnetic base them and create travel sets with them).  It contains 20 hi grade art plates for eye candy. So it is a shelf ready product that can sit with other books, making use of its dramatic cover to grab attention.  We can then get it much more visible at shows.  And you can all point people to it more readily.

RULES - WEBSITES - FORUMS
MeG will move from TWZ onto its own dedicated website.  All rulesets going forward will have their won dedicated traingle of rules, websites and a forum with their own colour and identity. I am hoping some of you who blog and post your games will agree to being new authors and posting your news on the site to make it live (Will, Nigel, Dru and Pawel all post fantastic after battle reports).  I will have links to a lot of tutorial videos for all three games along with a full game of each of Maximus, Magna and Pacto using my Sassanids against my Byzantines.

THE COLOUR SYSTEM
My central invention is actually the colour system.  I already have rules working pretty well for pretty much every period using the system. Its how you use it that changes the feel to match the period.  Some of you have tried the WW2 version and the Rennaissance version adapted by Alasdair had its first public outing last weekend at Britcon.  So I am planning to change TWZ and create something called CCC Wargames or 3C Wargames (Colour Command & Combat).  We will then make the gadgetry for the system that can be used with ANY set of SAH rules, and that allows us to keep the tables looking great at all times. 

I really want to make a push to improve the look of all the games.  Many of you have the battlemats I had printed with grass on one side and colour on the other, and the printed terrain sheet I put together.  From next year there will be a CCC system set that is a draw string bag with two options of a) preprinted command counters and b) cards that are smaller than today.  These will not have the MeG symbol on the rear.  Instead they will have patterns that match exactly the grass and desert patterns on the battlemats (grass option first and desert in due course). They will have a thin grey edge to make them findable but they will largely disappear on the table top when you are looking at it overall, or taking a photograph.  So then we have lovely looking tables.

Rules for any period can then be sold with a set.  But this same set can be used for any colour system rules.  I have a SciFi game (called Invasion Earth) coming out which just uses the dice initially and then uses the cards in an advanced set.  The dice are fun for the non-wargamer or the 40k player.  So I am hoping we can use this fun game to draw more players into historical wargaming. 

TERRAIN IMPROVEMENT
We are also going to encourage everyone to bring some nice terrain pieces along and place them on the table after deployment just for show. These are just to enhance the look of the game.  We are also removing uneven and replacing it with Good Going so that we can have patched of terrain on the table that do not affect the game but that give the table an interesting look.

So we will be looking for everyone to bring a small wooded copse, or a farm, or a piece of rocky groun, and place it in every game and then just move them out of the way of any action.  There will be prices for the best Show Piece at my own competitions.  We can never make ancient terrain alone as exciting as FoW as the period is different, BUT with the beautiful armies we have if we go 1/2 way to the terrain quality our tables will look stunning.  A line of beautiful shields is something FoW can never do, so lets present this in a great way as a game.

I will post a separate stream for the 2020 rules changes and list changes so you can all comment.  As usual we will be listening.  But i think you will find it a short list that is going to be universally healthy and that resonates with the comments from players over the last 12 months.

To 2020 and beyond

Simon

matching the cards to the grass may lead to a lot of cards being left around ... its difficult enough with the purple ones

Quote from: DracoStandard on August 12, 2019, 05:45:54 PM
matching the cards to the grass may lead to a lot of cards being left around ... its difficult enough with the purple ones

Switch to discs and its easier.  Its worth if for the sake of the look of the table.

Si

Sadly, discs are no longer for sale on the MeG Storewebsite. My first set has gotten a bit dingy with use. I'd like to get a new set and put a couple coats of varnish on it so they would last longer.

Quote from: AntiokosIII on August 12, 2019, 07:09:19 PM
Sadly, discs are no longer for sale on the MeG Storewebsite. My first set has gotten a bit dingy with use. I'd like to get a new set and put a couple coats of varnish on it so they would last longer.

Try here - https://lasercraftart.com/cube4/mortem-et-gloriam.html?page=all

Aww my blog got a mention! 

The four of you post some great stuff so it will be good to put it all to better use still.

Si

Quote from: nikgaukroger on August 12, 2019, 07:17:50 PM

Quote from: AntiokosIII on August 12, 2019, 07:09:19 PM
Sadly, discs are no longer for sale on the MeG Storewebsite. My first set has gotten a bit dingy with use. I'd like to get a new set and put a couple coats of varnish on it so they would last longer.

Try here - https://lasercraftart.com/cube4/mortem-et-gloriam.html?page=all

Geoff has several designs of counter available

Some people want to stick to cards. Do not forget it .I prefer tokens but it is not a generality .

Yes, if it goes to "tokens only" in competition I will be playing something else.

I only take tokens now, but offer, and defer to my opponent for choice.
Simples.
Lance.

Quote from: Lanceflint on August 15, 2019, 06:51:04 PM
I only take tokens now, but offer, and defer to my opponent for choice.
Simples.
Lance.

I take both but prefer tokens. I really don't like it when people put all their cards on a single card holder on the board edge. No idea what is going on and which command has what. Apart from that, I'm ambivalent.  I think the table looks better with tokens amd therefore it depends how important Simon feels the visual appealis is to the development of the game for the greater good etc etc

Will the structure of condium be in three sections so you don't have the main 15mm game interspersed with rules for the other two sets.

Personally I would find it very annoying to have for example the movement section showing rules for all three sections?

Will it be possible to only get a printed version of maximums/15mm as I would prefer not to spend money on the other two size versions as no plans to play them?

Maybe as a paid pdf for just the 15mm version through kindle?

Quote from: rayfredjohn on August 15, 2019, 07:04:36 PM

Quote from: Lanceflint on August 15, 2019, 06:51:04 PM
I only take tokens now, but offer, and defer to my opponent for choice.
Simples.
Lance.

I take both but prefer tokens. I really don't like it when people put all their cards on a single card holder on the board edge. No idea what is going on and which command has what. Apart from that, I'm ambivalent.  I think the table looks better with tokens amd therefore it depends how important Simon feels the visual appealis is to the development of the game for the greater good etc etc

I will accept either tokens or cash. Are we talking about the same thing?