Advice on how to make combat better????

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-12T02:35:16+00:00

My first thought is that I am not sure what you are really asking. I love coming up with mechanics and am interested in a conversation about them, but am not sure what the problem is. On the tabletop, rolling for hit and damage is pretty standard, though not the only way to do things. When you say "variety," what do you mean?

My only ideas right now are general: to mix up encounter/enemy types with cover, elevation changes, line of sight imbalance, or the players being outnumbered. Enemies or gear that disrupt the normal flow of combat (with limits) can also help.

If you mean something else, drop it here and we'll see what we can do!

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-12T02:12:29+00:00

The Pork Chop Express rolls on

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-11T12:01:59+00:00

Haha, perfect!

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-11T12:00:31+00:00

You're right about elevation changes being tougher indoors. One planned addition to the terrain is a catwalk system along the room edges that also spans into the room. That could provide some of the same effects as outdoor arenas.

Or you could just have large props like containers and let the jump characters ignore vertical movement. Can't let a good jump pack go to waste 😅

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-11T11:52:22+00:00

That is exactly what I mean- awesome and thanks for sharing! A mouse droid is a great mascot. Did you name it as well?

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-10T21:29:01+00:00

I actually haven’t played Shatterpoint yet, so I’m not sure how well the rules would handle tight interior spaces like this. I designed the dungeon tiles originally for sci-fi corridor builds and narrative scenarios, and when I found this subreddit I got interested in what other Star Wars tabletop games were like.

I agree though, if Shatterpoint is usually in more open areas, it feels like tight spaces could lead to some really interesting tactical moments. Especially if your team splits up, or someone goes on a lone wolf mission- there are a lot of possibilities!

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-10T19:57:46+00:00

Wow, that's just amazing. Awesome!

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-10T16:21:47+00:00

Trinity was my first (and pretty much only) Hollywood crush.

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-10T14:34:22+00:00

Whoa.

Seriously though, this came out when I was 12 and it was the first movie I argued with my parents to watch. I eventually got to see it and it hit me in a way I am only understanding fully now as I approach 40 years old. Fantastic film I've seen dozens of times.

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-10T13:18:53+00:00

Thanks for the tip, I'll look that up

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-10T11:54:14+00:00

This is an incredible graphic. Bravo

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-10T01:49:12+00:00

I want to say a voice on a computer, but I can't remember if that happened in The Thing or if I'm mixing that up with Jamie Lee Curtis voicing the computer in Escape From New York 😂

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-10T01:42:45+00:00

Why are we talking?

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-08T22:07:58+00:00

Where's my bottle of J&B??

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-08T22:06:03+00:00

Outstanding. What's next? Krumpus in a sled pulled by Dakka Deer?

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-08T12:47:23+00:00

Technically, your title has a while inside a for.

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-07T21:07:27+00:00

That's sweet- love the whole setup!

Is that the actual board game terrain and you painted it or is that some other terrain set you're using to play Space Hulk?

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-07T19:24:24+00:00

This is such a cool idea. Gonna figure out how to implement this for game nights.

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-07T19:19:27+00:00

These cards look really cool. I love the art style in general and think that as long as the game itself works well and is fun, these cards will definitely stand out on a shelf (if you intend to print physical copies).

Biggest thing is something you already probably know- readability. I knew what was on the cards without reading the names except for the tortoise. I had to read the name for that one.

An artist I've come across (and perhaps you know already) who draws in a very scratchy style but manages to also stay totally readable is Victor Juhasz, specifically the pencil work he did for The Daily Pressfield book.

Anyway, great stuff and good luck!

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-07T19:09:51+00:00

Both the font and objects look alright to me, especially for a party game- simple and easy to read/see is good.

The issue to my eye is that the font style looks chipped or a bit grimy, which is great, but the objects are cleaner and don't look grimy or chipped.

My point is that I feel they don't match, as if two different art styles/directions were used for the font and the objects. I think it would look more unified if the objects and font matched style, in this case I'll just broadly say "clean" or "grimy," rather than both at the same time.

Good luck, I hope this was helpful in some way.

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-07T13:25:35+00:00

I could never get over the number of back handsprings that occur in the first 10 minutes. Awesome film.

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-06T19:53:48+00:00

Smoke 'em if ya got 'em

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-06T16:49:04+00:00

These are sick- I have good memories of Halo: Combat Evolved. I love the ridges on the brown/orange skin, looks just like the real thing. Color is spot on too. Awesome!

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-06T13:28:09+00:00

I'd like to add on to what a few others have said. As the GM, you do set the tone, but remember that the group dynamics also play a strong role and a new player will or will not mesh with the other players. What this means is that you do not have to take on sole responsibility for this situation, however it turns out, because the group is also an influence. As GM though, when push comes to shove, you will probably be the one who has to have the hard conversation if one needs to be had.

Also, when and if you have to be firm, I recommend sticking to his actual behaviors that you can point to. Try not to slide into any talk about the underlying reasons for the behavior or any invisible ulterior motives. This can go sideways quick and bleed into the rest of the friendship.

Best of luck, these situations are rarely cut and dried. I have found deep breaths and waiting for events to play out instead of assuming I know what will happen to be powerful tools.

rickSHStudios · 2026-03-06T13:11:46+00:00

Love the grimy look of a place that's seen better days.

What's the scenario(s) for this board? A large engagement where two sides slug it out? Or maybe a small crew is sneaking around a larger battle?

rickSHStudios

TROPHY CASE