Scenario Toolbox

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introduction

This collection of ideas, reflections and considerations is meant as a guideline for the creation of scenarios - be it for Final Round or any other wargame. These are of course no strict rules or recipes and a good portion of creativity, common sense and the much feared playtesting will always be required to build good scenarios.

General

For the creation of a scenario we will look at a number of criteria. Several things have to be considered and the more aspects we can cover, the better.

First of all there is the historical background. There is also the big question of how to recreate this background on the tabletop. We will see which aspects of the scenario will be influenced by history and which will not. We continue with a look at possible objectives, the choice of terrain and the balancing of forces. Finally we'll see how the Final Round rules can help to recreate aspects of the background which cannot be covered by the above.

Of course, you do not have do go home without taking something with you - there's a set of images for creating scenario maps waiting to be downloaded.

Overview

This is a step by step guideline to the creation of a scenario. While some elements may be true for wargames in general, the focus is on creating scenarios for Final Round. These steps are meant as a guideline or collection of things to consider when creating scenarios. It is not a "recipe" for magically creating scenarios out of nothing. The biggest part has still to be done by the designer and cannot be put into straight rules.

The following aspects are covered:

1. History
   we have a look at the historical background of a scenario and how much of it should be included in the game
2. The Story
   every scenario tells a story which seperates if from a game without scenario background. We briefly have a look at how to retrieve that story from the background and represent it in the game
3. Playability
   a good scenatio leaves room for decisions on the players' part - here we collected some guidelines on how to achieve this
4. Objectives
   the very core of a scenario - give them the attention they deserve
5. Terrain
   often ignored but with a large effect on the game. We look at the implications of the terrain setup
6. Game Length
   A short guide to determining the length of a scenario in terms of game turns
7. Deployment Zones
   where does it say that all wargames must use the opposite tableedges as deployment zones? "Nowhere"" is the answer - we discuss alternatives
8. Forces
   in a game without point values the balance of forces plays a major role in scenario desing - but also if point values are given these are rendered pointless by more complex setups
9. Triggers
   triggers add dynamic and complexity to the game. We discuss how to implement them while at the same time maintaining playability
10. Final Round
    the Final Round rules offer some nice ways enhance a scenario. An overview of how the rules can be used and modified to match the character of a scenario

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