What is the simplest format to create a game in?, Someday, I'll produce the ultimate Vietnam game Options

[Wounded Ronin]

So, these days, and for the past couple of years to be honest, I have been screamingly ultra busy. It's all good and I count myself blessed because I have things to strive for.

However, I always thought that some day I'd release an awesome game.

I am beginning to think that someday I could release the best Vietnam War game ever. Why? Because there aren't that many awesome and realistic Vietnam war games. I have read so many Vietnam War memoirs, after-action reports, and histories on the subject that surely I could make something more realistic and awesome than most of what is out there.

For example I was just reviewing the old game, "The Lost Patrol". It's an interesting concept, but doesn't seem very realistic. How do I know? From reading a metric assload of memoirs.

Someday, maybe years in the future, I will sit down and make the most awesome historically accurate Vietnam game ever by a one-man part-time team with no budget. That is to say a cool game that is low budget but is realistic and shows an underlying passion for the subject that is fun and educational to play.

What is the best format for the game? Obviously I could so a pen and paper campaign using D20 modern or something and just type it up, but probably no one would bother to play that. I couldn't do an Avalon Hill style strategic monstrosity because the day for such a game has passed.

What is easiest to learn and yet maximum ease of use for the casual end user? Would the solution be to make some kind of Flash game? Assuming that in several years I decide to sit down and write something that is as historically inspired as possible?

[Blade]

This completely depends on what you want to do.
Don't forget one thing: the medium is the message. The format of your game is part of the overall experience. Player probably won't approach the game the same way if it's a flash game than if it's a board game or a downloadable game.

[nezumi]

Choose your own adventure. I drafted one up pretty easily here:
http://www.maskedmolluskmedia.com/p/octoje...ime-robots.html
(brag)

But then, that's VERY scripted. You can incorporate dice rolls if you want; I've seen some CYOAs that do that.

Next to that? Yeah, tabletop. You can do a tactical tabletop with no particular skills. Bundle it up and sell it on a few sites, you can get some traction.

Next to that? I'd probably say programming. If you're doing what I think you're doing, I'd tend to go Java. Flash usually runs in the browser, which puts some limitations on it. Java is a lot more versatile, and just as portable. Remember that Minecraft was made in Java by basically one guy. However, it'll take some time to learn it well enough, and I have no idea how he marketed it. There are probably also some other 'design your own computer game!' type programs around. It sounds to me like a 3/4 bird's eye view like the old Fallout games would probably meet your needs, and I've seen at least one program which lets you make games in that style with minimal code knowledge required. The issue there is, you're limited by your tools, but the standup time is MUCH shorter.

(Full disclosure here; I've been thinking about doing something in Java for a Napoleonic War game for a while, tracking infrastructure, supply lines, and shifting politics; i.e., the boring stuff generals worry about that no one puts in a game.)

Board games are certainly doable, and not too hard to design, but they cost a lot of cash to get going. Then again, $500 or whatever it costs is probably a savings compared to the few thousand hours you'd be spending programming, so take that for what it's worth.

You could also consider reworking a miniatures game to support you. I've seen a lot of combat miniatures games (mostly WWII), so there's already a market. An alternative ruleset puts minimal cost on you, and leverages an existing player base with a similar focus to your own. However, that's really focused on skirmishes, so maybe not exactly what you want.

[Wounded Ronin]

Thanks for the thoughts. Someday I hope to be able to present you all with the most Vietnamilicious game ever.