The tricky part is this game, which I intend on being something between a large and complex version of chess and Axis and Aliies, is part of a culture set on a very distant SF world. This world, however has been colonized and socially designed to be a Utopian Japan. That is after Japan industrialized our solar system via establishing colonies, mining and factories on the Moon and Primarily Mars and its moons built a colony ship to inhabit this planet. Alot of careful planning and controlled leadership was created to make this a planet as the Emporer felt Japan should be. There is mixed technology. Most of the sophisticated stuff is kept secret form its population, which is severely restricted there are and will always be less than a hundred thousand people inhabitating this planet. It is matriarchal, and their is absolutely no violence and minimal impact. Several other factors for this are nonesential to the application of the game, but they are somewhat spiritual(Bhuddist-like) They do however respect their heritage and I am trying to also create a martial arts type that is non-combative..redundant I know. They do have to use strategy however to combat a native fauna form that threatens their crops. I would say that their are two forms of strategical aggression. These are based on ninja and Samouri. Both have the same differences as they do currently, for those who know the differences.

The 'Game board' is a large 3-d stage carved from stone with various geographical situations, mountains, rivers, plains and lowlands...etc... but their are distinct spaces like a chess board. I envision various types of pieces which will certainly have different attributions and abilities. Strategy (with emphasis on the strategies of the 'Art of War' are intended)

I have no idea how to go about this project. I thought that some of you RPG gamers here would be able to help me although this isn't exactly an RPG. Rules, turns, etc... How do you go about creating this? are there alot of statistics or formulas involved? I really have no idea where to look or begin.

I also had the idea that rather than being turn based that the opponents(always two) move their pieces with one hand and in the other carry a reed with which they can slap the opponents hand if they bypass a turn or lie in wait too much? I don't know. Since the bnoard is very large, I envision the opponents hurrying around it moving quickly but, by limitations similar to chess, whacking each others hands moving their elaborately and intricately enamored figures across this awesome carved board.

Brainstorm: Once whacked an oponent has to turn around and the stealthier "Ninja" pieces can be moved without being watched

various traps can be lain by retreating forces to thwart those that pursue them

***Perhaps instead of having distinct square spaces on the board(which wuold be tedious but not above the ability of the master artisan whom might carve one which might take most of his life. There need be only a few) the "reeds could be more like thin whips and attached to their hilt could be various throngs with variousl lengths and theri own trinket or stone tied to the end. The various lengths could be the distance a certain piece could move in a turn. Ei lighter stealthier "ninja" pieces woul be longer than say a heavy armored samouri. The hilt of the whip could be positione on the board and the throng extended from that spot to indicate the range of the pieces ability to mov and it could be positioned anyhere within that radius.***

anyone willing to help me find some material or help me brainstorm this out?

Hell, if I make it good enough maybe I can market it...without the reeds of course

For battle resolution you can do card based, table based (take a bunch of attributes and look up the results on a chart), simple dice based or dice with cards or tables, outnumbering (you have 4, I have 3, I win) and I am sure there are other ways that I am just not thinking of.