Can AI Write Wargames Rules?

A friend and I were playing with Chat GPT, and wondered if it could effectively write a set of rules, and I was especially interested to see if it would produce any new or interesting game mechanics. I suppose I was also wondering how long it was going to be before all Warhammer Rulebooks and Codices are produced by AI?

Probably not as long as I would have thought. Here are all the rules with some ‘NOTEs’ from a human…

1. OVERVIEW

This is a simple tabletop wargame set in a science fiction universe. Players command armies of futuristic soldiers, vehicles, and alien creatures, using a D6-based system to resolve actions.

2. GAME SETUP

• Each player assembles an army with units worth a predetermined point total (e.g., 500 points per player).
• A standard 3’x3′ or 4’x4′ battlefield with terrain is recommended.
• Players deploy their forces within a designated deployment zone.
• Roll off to determine who takes the first turn.

3. UNIT STATISTICS

Each unit has the following stats:

• Move (M): How far the unit moves in inches per turn.
• Attack (RA/MA): Number of dice rolled when attacking.
• Defense (D): The number that must be rolled equal to or higher to successfully hit the unit.
• Armor (AR): The number that must be rolled equal to or higher to reduce damage from a hit. NOTE: This makes no sense, especially when you see the unit profiles the AI created. Tanks have higher armour values than infantry, I’m guessing because it thinks high = good, however in this context obviously lower is better. So to have this make sense, instead have the attacker roll the die trying to equal or beat the armour.
• Wounds (W): How many hits the unit can take before being destroyed.
• Special Rules (SR): Unique abilities or weapons the unit possesses.

4. TURN STRUCTURE

Each turn is divided into phases. NOTE: I found this set up of a turn quite interesting, still dividing it into four set phases but having individual unit activation within those phases, kind of a 40k and One Page Rules mash up.

1. Initiative Phase – Players roll a D6; the highest roller chooses who goes first.
2. Movement Phase – Players take turns moving their units up to their Move (M) value in inches.
3. Shooting Phase – Players take turns attacking with ranged weapons.
4. Melee Phase – Units in base-to-base contact engage in close combat.
5. Morale Phase – Units that lost models check for morale.

5. MOVEMENT

• Infantry units move up to their Move (M) value.
• Vehicles have a designated movement range and may ignore terrain penalties.
• Flying units can move over obstacles freely.
• Units may choose to sprint (+2” movement, no shooting) or take cover (reduce movement by half, but gain +1 Defense against attacks). NOTE: I’ve never seen this mechanic in a game before, sprinting is common, but moving more cautiously to gain a cover bonus I’ve never seen, I assume it still applies if you don’t move the unit at all.

6. SHOOTING

• Each unit in range can fire with their weapons.
• Roll Attack (RA) number of D6 per unit.
• Compare rolls to the target’s Defense (D) value; rolls equal to or higher than the Defense (D) value score a hit.
• If a hit is scored, roll a D6 for Armor (AR); if the result is equal to or higher than the target’s Armor stat, the damage is reduced by 1. NOTE: As stated above, have the attacker try to equal or beat the armour, each fail reduces damage.
• Each successful hit that is not blocked by Armor causes 1 Wound unless otherwise stated.
• Cover grants +1 Defense if the unit is behind terrain.

7. MELEE COMBAT

• Units in base-to-base contact fight in melee.
• Attacking units roll Attack (MA) D6.
• Hits occur on rolls equal to or higher than the target’s Defense (D) value.
• If a hit is scored, roll a D6 for Armor (AR); if the result is equal to or higher than the target’s Armor stat, the damage is reduced by 1. NOTE: As stated above, have the attacker try to equal or beat the armour, each fail reduces damage.
• Each successful hit that is not blocked by Armor deals 1 Wound unless otherwise stated.
• If a unit charges into melee, it gains +1 Attack (A) die for the first round of combat.
• If a unit is outnumbered (e.g., fighting multiple opponents), it suffers -1 to Attack (A) dice for each additional enemy beyond the first (max -2). NOTE: How does this work with multiple model units fighting, is the reduction applied to each model on the outnumbered side, or is the reduction applied to the entire unit? I think the AI has combined an opposed roll system with a roll to hit, roll to wound system. The fact that the rules haven’t properly defined a ‘unit’ probably doesn’t help either.
• Units may attempt to retreat from melee by rolling a D6. NOTE: Does this occur after combat, if a unit survives, or can they do this instead of fighting?
  • 1-2: The unit is locked in combat and cannot move.
  • 3-6: The unit successfully disengages and moves up to its full Move (M) value away.

NOTE: Rolling 7s or higher on D6s. If the rules require a 7 you need a 6 followed by a 4+. For 8 you need a 6 followed by a 5+, for a 9 or higher you need a 6 followed by a 6.

8. MORALE

• If a unit loses 50% or more of its models in a turn, roll a D6:
  • 1-2: Unit retreats 6” towards the closest board edge.
  • 3-4: Unit fights at -1 Attack next turn.
  • 5-6: No effect; the unit stands firm.

9. ARMY LISTS

Imperium of Man

Space Warriors – Elite human warriors trained in both ranged and close combat. (15pts)

• Move (M): 6
• Ranged Attack: Energy Rifle – 18”, RA 3
• Melee Attack: Power Blade – MA 3
• Defense (D): 4
• Armor (AR): 5
• Wounds (W): 2
• Special Rules (SR):
  • Precision Strike: Once per game, re-roll all failed attack rolls in a single shooting or melee phase.
  • Resilient: Space Warriors ignore the first wound suffered each game.

Imperial Sentinels – Heavy infantry clad in power armor, forming the backbone of the Imperium. (20pts)

• Move (M): 5
• Ranged Attack: Heavy Reaper – 24”, RA 4
• Melee Attack: Shock Baton – MA 2
• Defense (D): 5
• Armor (AR): 6
• Wounds (W): 3
• Special Rules (SR):
  • Bulwark: Can reroll failed Armor saves when in cover. Note: Opponents reroll successful armour rolls.

Templar Assault Troopers – Close-combat specialists wielding energy blades and jump packs. (18pts)

• Move (M): 8
• Ranged Attack: Energy Pistol – 12”, RA 2
• Melee Attack: Energy Sabre – MA 4
• Defense (D): 4
• Armor (AR): 5
• Wounds (W): 2
• Special Rules (SR):
  • Jump Assault: Can ignore terrain penalties and move over obstacles.

Crusader Tank – A heavily armored mobile fortress, built for devastating long-range firepower. (45pts)

• Move (M): 4
• Ranged Attack: Siege Cannon – 36”, RA 6
• Melee Attack: Ram – MA 1
• Defense (D): 6
• Armor (AR): 7
• Wounds (W): 5
• Special Rules (SR):
  • Siege Engine: Ignores cover bonuses when attacking.

Alien Swarm

Mutant Brutes – Monstrous warriors driven by primal rage. (12pts)

• Move (M): 6
• Ranged Attack: Toxic Spikes – 8”, RA 2
• Melee Attack: Brutal Claws – MA 4
• Defense (D): 5
• Armor (AR): 4
• Wounds (W): 2
• Special Rules (SR):
  • Berserker Rage: Gains +1 Melee Attack (MA) when below 50% health. NOTE: Or unit is strength?

Hive Warriors – Bioengineered killing machines. (18pts)

• Move (M): 7
• Ranged Attack: Acid Spitter – 16”, RA 3
• Melee Attack: Bio-Blades – MA 3
• Defense (D): 5
• Armor (AR): 3
• Wounds (W): 3
• Special Rules (SR):
  • Acid Spit: Ranged attacks ignore Armour. NOTE: This seems OP, maybe a minus to the target’s armour stat.

Bio-Terror Beast – A massive, nightmarish alien monstrosity. (50pts)

• Move (M): 9
• Ranged Attack: Terror Roar – 12”, RA 2, Forces morale test.
• Melee Attack: Crushing Jaws – MA 5
• Defense (D): 6
• Armor (AR): 5
• Wounds (W): 4
• Special Rules (SR):
  • Regeneration: Heals 1 Wound at the start of each turn.

Screamer – A terrifying, psychic predator that feeds on fear. (25pts)

• Move (M): 8
• Ranged Attack: Psychic Blast – 10”, RA 1
• Melee Attack: Mind Claws – MA 3
• Defense (D): 5
• Armor (AR): 3
• Wounds (W): 2
• Special Rules (SR):
  • Psychic Screech: Forces enemy units within 6” to make a Morale check at -1. NOTE: When? As a shooting attack, or when units naturally take morale tests?

So that’s it. You can probably imagine that currently it’s basically impossible to kill anything. Those tougher units with a defence of 5 and armour of 6 statistically require 18 attacks to deal a single wound to them, and they’re multiple wounds each too, so the game plays out pretty slowly (yes I’ve tried playing with proxies):

To make a viable game we’re going to get Chat GPT to add AP values, so things can be more easily killed, however it’s still a little confused about how armour should work:

The Armor Penetration (AP) stat represents a weapon’s ability to bypass enemy armor. When a unit is hit, the target’s Armor (AR) is reduced by the attacker’s AP value before rolling for damage reduction.

How AP Works

1. Attack Phase:
   • The attacking unit rolls Ranged Attack (RA) or Melee Attack (MA) dice against the target’s Defense (D).
   • Any rolls equal to or higher than the target’s Defense (D) result in a hit.
2. Armor Save Phase:
   • The defender rolls a D6 for each hit.
   • The target’s Armor (AR) is reduced by the attack’s AP value before rolling.
   • If the modified Armor value is met or exceeded, the damage is reduced by 1.
   • If the roll is below the modified Armor value, the attack deals full damage.

So if the attacker has a high AP value… it actually helps the defender make their armour saves.

I’d also be interested to find out if Chat GPT had done some maths to figure out the points values of the different units or it had just assigned values that seemed appropriate… who would know and how would you find that out?