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Achtung! Cthulhu – North African & Middle East Guide (Dim Martin, Modiphius Entertainment)

Achtung! Cthulhu – The WW2 Keeper’s & Investigator’s Guides, diese Kickstarter-Kampagne ist nahezu omnipräsent in der Rollenspiel-Blogszene. Zunächst interessierte sich lediglich eine kleine Schar für den Genremix aus Lovecrafts Cthulhu-Mythos und dem 2. Weltkrieg. Mittlerweile vergeht kein Tag ohne Nachrichten von dieser Crowdfunding-Front.

Neben den beiden Grundregelwerken umfasst die Aktion zurzeit umfangreiche Erweiterungen für die Ostfront (Eastern Front Guide), für Nordafrika und Mittleren Osten (North African & Middle East Guide) und zwei umfassende Kampagnen – nämlich Assault on the Mountains of Madness und Shadows of Atlantis.

Noch ein paar Tausend Pfund und der Professor, die erste Miniatur für Achtung! Cthulhu, wird produziert. Wann kommen wohl die Tabletop-Regeln? Eine Beschreibung des pazifischen Raums (The Guide to the Pacific War) wurde gleichfalls angekündigt.

Achtung! Cthulhu – The Professor miniature (Modiphius Entertainment)

Modiphius bzw. Chris Birch stampfen auf diesem Weg eine ganze Reihe aus dem Boden. Mal sehen, wie gut dies funktioniert? Die gezeigte Präsentation deutet zumindest einen Hingucker an.

Achtung! Cthulhu – Assault on the Mountains of Madness (Korungn, Modiphius Entertainment)

Sollte das Material den erwarteten Qualitätsstandard erreichen, dann steht der Szene ein veritabler Knaller bevor!

Ein paar Miniaturen neben dem Professor wären begrüßenswert. Immerhin kündigte Modiphius eine eigene Kickstarter-Kampagne für Puppenliebhaber an.

Für Fans führen immer weniger Wege an dem gewieften Achtung! Cthulhu vorbei.

Achtung! Cthulhu – Guide to the Eastern Front (Dim Martin, Modiphius Entertainment)

Images: Dim Martin, Korungn (Modiphius Entertainment)

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11.03.2013

Gewinner des Spherechild-Wettbewerbs zum Quellenbuch Sol Thu’ma

Spherechild: Der SciFi-Wettbewerb ist beendet. Wir haben fünf hochwertige Einsendungen erhalten, die nicht verschiedener hätten seien können. Zum Dank für das Engagement der Teilnehmer werden wir, statt der geplanten drei Gewinner, alle fünf Beiträge als Sieger küren.
Vielen Dank den Teilnehmern. Diese Beiträge werden für alle Zeiten Sol Thu’ma bereichern.

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11.03.2013

Heroes of Normandie via Kickstarter

Heroes of Normandie (Devil Pig Games)

Heroes of Normandie von Devil Pig Games bringt sich gegenwärtig über Kickstarter in Stellung.

Das nicht ganz ernst gemeinte „heldenhafte taktische Kriegsspiel“ orientiert sich eher an 2. Weltkriegsfilmen als an der grausamen Wirklichkeit.

Nach der Sci-Fi-Variante Frontiers dient Hollywoods Kriegsmaschinerie als Vorlage für diese spielerisch-taktische Auseinandersetzung mit bedruckten Spielmarken.

Bis zum 27. April 2013 gilt es, 30.000 £ zu sammeln.

Heroes of Normandie: We Want You (Devil Pig Games)

„A game of heroic tactical warfare inspired by Hollywood world war II movies (with blood, guts and devil pigs…).

A few years ago, we set the galaxy on fire with Frontiers.
Soldiers of glorious Emperor Georges the Second brought democracy and freedom through superior firepower to each and every dirty alien scum of the galaxy. Concussion missiles, dum-dum bullets, all the marvels of mankind, they got it all.
…
Time has come now to offer you the next step of Frontiers evolution…
The time is summer 1944. The Sun shines on Normandie hedgerows (yes, we write it Normandie and not Normandy because we are damn french). Gentle wind, carpets of bright flowers, and in the background, the romantic staccato of machine gun fire in the morning. In those so typical Normandie’s landscapes, thousands of men are about to fight. And die. Bravely like heroes, or cowardly like wussies.

Here at Devil Pig Games, we don’t give a shit about wussies. We are only concerned by heroes, those you see in holywood golden age’s war movies : A bridge too far, The longest day, Dirty Dozen, Patton, Kelly’s heroes and, more recently, Save Private Ryan, Band of Brothers and Inglorious Basterds.
Here lies our inspiration, here is what we have to offer : blood and guts.

The Game

We took Frontiers basic system and gave it a twitch or two. This system got its success in it’s time thanks to its raw efficiency and many players enjoyed countless games of galactic rampage. But we wanted to give it more simplicity in some of its basics, and depth in its playability (easier said than done).
We will give you rhythm, we will give you explosive battles, we will give you the pleasure to butcher your enemies through MG42 walls of lead and to crush nazi bastards under tons of shells.
We endured years of hard work (6 years to say the truth), thoughts, doubts, P500 or not ? Self edition ? Then came Kickstarter, such a f… good idea that we decided to give it a try and exploit it shamelessly.
And now that the time has come, we need you like Uncle Sam did nearly 70 years ago.“
– Heroes of Normandie product description

Das Maß aller Kosim-Dinge, Advanced Squad Leader (ASL), kam einige Male auf unseren Spieltisch.
Was soll ich sagen? Gut gemeint ist nicht das Gleiche wie gut gemacht – zumindest in meinen Augen.

Zugegebenermaßen ASL geht mit Akribie an die Sache, versprüht dabei aber den Charme einer ernst gemeinten Simulation, die an der Wirklichkeit scheitern muss. Begrifflichkeiten wie „hidden complexity“ oder „simplify“ kennen die Macher nicht oder sehen diese Ideen als Schimpfwort an.
Weniger ist manchmal wirklich mehr. Auf dem Spieltisch geht es leichtfüßiger oder der Computer leistet gut Dienste … Ansonsten nichts für mich, ein Spiel für „besserwissende Erbsenzähler“ ohne andere Hobbys. Dennoch gilt weiterhin, ASL sollte man kennen und zumindest einmal spielen.

Mit dieser Erfahrung im Rücken gönne ich mir wieder etwas Spielspaß. Frontiers hatte einige parodistische Elemente. Heroes of Normandie geht sehr sympathisch etwas entspannter an die Sache heran.

Images: Devil Pig Games

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11.03.2013

Centurion: Legionaries of Rome via Kickstarter

Centurion: Legionaries of Rome – Another Day at the Office (Fraser Ronald)

Centurion: Legionaries of Rome, das neue Rollenspiel von Fraser Ronald (Sword Noir, Kiss My Axe) konzentriert sich auf das Dasein als Legionär in der römischen Armee. Aus Gründen der Spielbarkeit liegt der Fokus auf Spionen und Scouts in den verschiedenen Epochen des Weltreichs.
Zeitgemäß finanzieren Sword’s Edge Publishing und der Autor sein Projekt über Kickstarter. Bis zum 02. April 2013 strebt er überschaubare 3500 $ an.

„In Centurion: Legionaries of Rome, players play scouts, spies, or special troops marching under the eagle of Rome. The book supports games in the Late Republic (from the Second Punic War to the rise of Gaius Marius), the Civil Wars (from Marius to Augustus), and the Principate (from Augustus to the Crisis of the Third Century), providing ideas for characters and adventures.

Characters are based around a collection of Qualities including a Concept (the central conceit around which the character is created, such as Seasoned Centurion, Illyrian Recruit, or Gallic Horseman), Traits (including Physical, Mental, and Social), and Elements (just about anything that describes a character, from „Farmer’s Son“ to „Swordplay“ to „Cat’s Paws.“) which provide d6 with which one builds one’s „hand“ of dice (2d6 = 1d8, 4d6 = 1d10, etc) used in Tests, or task resolution.

This RPG is in the traditional style of having a GM prepare adventures and adjudicate the game, although there is some level of narrative control provided to players. This game works best with groups that trust each other and play in a cooperative rather than a competitive manner. If you need rules to protect players from GMs or GMs from players, this game is not for you.“
– Centurion: Legionaries of Rome product descrition

Ich betrachte dieses Genre als kleine Schwäche von mir, wenngleich mich die sogenannten Barbaren etwas mehr interessieren. The Legacy of Arrius Lurco (Miskatonic River Press) für Call of Cthulhu fand ich überzeugend. Auch die anderen Basic Roleplaying Rom-Erweiterungen finden einen Platz in meiner Sammlung. Mal sehen, ob ich diesem neueren Ansatz widerstehen kann?

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10.03.2013

Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok – An Interview with Andrew Valkauskas

Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok – Box concept (Helena Rosova, Pendelhaven)

Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok (FOTN:R) is one of those roleplaying games I can’t get enough at the moment.
On one side there is this truly epic setting of viking heroes and gods at the end of the world, a straightforward basic game system that uses rune stones instead of dice, enchanting and authentic art and on the other side there are these detailed miniatures combat and magic rules. The „conflict engine“ is for me the only downside of Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok.

I know the roots of roleplaying come from tabletop wargaming. Anyway! I think the miniature style is a remnant of times gone by. I prefer roleplaying games without imagination limiting figures on a map. Storytelling and narration over physics … Tastes are different.
Andrew Valkauskas, the very kind and responsive author of FOTN:R, discussed with me about his fantastic and unique viking RPG. Before reading the interview watch the nice evocative teaser to get in the appropriate mood.

„Welcome to the beginning of the end!“
– Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok slogan

obskures.de: Hi Andrew Valkauskas, Please tell us about yourself and your gaming experiences.
Andrew Valkauskas:: I have been an avid gamer since about 1982. I started like most everyone else: with AD&D, and then took the plunge into to some of the other RPGs that broke onto the scene like Warhammer Fantasy, GURPS, Palladium, Cyberpunk, etc…When the early 90’s hit, I had been impressed by some of the RPG’s that went digital (Bard’s Tale, Ultima and Might and Magic), so I created a few simple RPG games for DOS 6.2. One of the most ambitious games I was working on was a Viking based RPG called Fate of the Norns. It had some pretty extensive mechanics and vast content so I decided to test it via table top (using dice) to ensure it would hold up before committing it to code. Well after a few months of testing, the players really wanted FOTN to become a table-top RPG… and the rest is history.
I’d say Magic the Gathering consumed a lot of my gaming bandwidth in the 90’s, and it was bitter sweet. As much as I loved the game for its ingenious design and collectible aspect, I hated it for the exodus it caused among the RPG community. Then roughly around 2005 I discovered the world of board games. I played Stratego and Axis and Allies, but had been missing out on the Eurogame invasion. In the last 5-7 years my collection has grown from 2 board games to near 20. Some of my favourites would be Arkham Horror, Ticket to Ride, Small World and Catan.

Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok – Fafnirs Treasure (Helena Rosova, Pendelhaven)

obskures.de: You just released a new version of the Fate of the Norns – Ragnarok: Fafnirs Treasure quick-start rules with a gritty sandbox adventure?
How would you briefly describe the background of your Fate of the Norns – Ragnarok RPG? According to what I have seen from the game system and the adventure this is a very special RPG.
Andrew Valkauskas: Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok is the successor to Fate of the Norns. The first edition of Fate of the Norns came out in 1993, and was followed up with a much more historical edition in 2001. Ever since 2002, I was looking at how I could integrate runes as a core mechanic. After many dead-ends, redesigns, tests, a winning formula came about in 2006. It took 4 years as this was uncharted territory. There were no other games to draw on for inspiration. With FOTN:R I also fast forwarded the time period to the Viking apocalypse, taking the mythology into higher fantasy.
All of these editions were underground indie. I didn’t realize how many players we had until the start of 2012 when e-mails from fans started pouring in about the 20th anniversary. People were nostalgic and wanted to get the first edition once more. Well I embarked on a personal project to get the first book into hard cover print. They sold quickly and the appetite from the fans grew for FOTN:R to go into print as well. This would take a significant amount of effort as FOTN:R has props such as play-mats, runes, etc… Thankfully I found Kickstarter! Not only would it help defer the cost, but it would validate if the market was really there. After reaching and exceeding our goals, we are finally in a position to bring FOTN out of the underground and into the mainstream.

obskures.de: What are your major inspirations and what should someone who is interested in your RPG read, watch, listen etc. to get in the „right mood“?
Andrew Valkauskas: In terms of movies, I would recommend: The Vikings (1958), 13th Warrior (1999), Beowulf (2007). In terms of books, my first recommendation is always “The Children of Odin” by Padraic Colum. It’s a very easy read and takes you from creation to Ragnarok. Once you’ve digested that, then the next move is always to the Eddas, both Prose and Poetic (in that order). If you love the history, then pick up “The Vikings” by Jonathan Elements and if you’d like a great cross sections of Sagas, “The Sagas of the Icelanders” by Penguin Classics.

obskures.de: Fate of the Norns uses runes instead of dice or cards. When did you have this idea and what is the reasoning for this system change? As far as I know previous editions used 2d10.
Andrew Valkauskas: That is correct, from 1993 to 2005 we were on a custom 2d10 system, where one % roll would resolve your to-hit, your hit location, your damage and any criticals. Circa 2002 I started brainstorming how I can use runes as a core mechanic. Now in 2012, I have a lot of requests for a lighter version of the rules to accommodate less strategic combat and I have a personal mission to bring in a younger audience. We regularly have 11 or 12 year olds that come and try out the demos and pick up the system after a few minutes, but I’d like to bring the Runic Game System (RGS) down to maybe ages 6+. My son just turned 6, and I also have a Viking board game cooking that could use a VERY simple rune system.

Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok – Denizens of the North (Helena Rosova, Pendelhaven)

obskures.de: What can we expect from the complete Fate of the Norns – Ragnarok RPG? Do you have a release date? I heard there are rules for the afterlife of dead viking characters. Death will not be the end?
Andrew Valkauskas: As you know our quick-start stand-alone Saga called : Fafnir’s Treasure was released Dec 23rd 2012. Since then we have had some unexpected and unavoidable delays for book #2: the “Core Rulebook”. It’s now outside my hands (final editing, page layout and design) and I hope to have it in PDF before the end of the month (with print 2 coming weeks later). I think last page count estimates has it around 400 pages. Right now I am eye-ball deep in book #3 which is a source book called “Denizens of the North”. There is a lot of end-user content that I am sifting through with the contributors to ensure all content is presented in the same format and tone. The wrap-around cover for it is almost done and looks amazing (like everything that Helena has produced to date).

obskures.de: In my opinion the Fate of the Norns game system is easy and freeform storytelling oriented except for the combat rules. These rules use miniatures and hex fields, the dwellers (heroes) have special powers driven by runes. The whole concept reminds me of Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition – though your rune-based game is a lot more atmospheric and evocative. Why did you combine these different play styles for your game? Do you plan a „simplified combat engine“?
Andrew Valkauskas: I don’t think DnD 4e is a fair comparison as RGS was designed to accomplish a lot more in 2006, 2 years before DnD 4e came to market. I did try out DnD 4e for 2 game sessions in 2008 and wasn’t impressed. What the RGS combat system brings to the table is a simple narrative system that can accomplish any feat, the RGS system also integrates a crunchy mechanic that allows people to tweak and tinker their combat strategically. Each rune represents a possible action. If a player drew 3 runes at the start of combat, they could use generic actions to state: “I dash forward and tumble between two foes (play 1st rune), I draw both short swords (play 2nd rune), and I reach out and stick both opponents in the ribs with my swords (play 3rd rune). But RGS allows even more for those that want to invest themselves deeper into the mechanics. The initial movement may be a special manoeuver that allows them influence their initiative ranking, the drawing of weapons may be a free action due to a passive power they possess, and the attack may be a whirlwind special manoeuver that strikes even more foes!
The other aspect that RGS provides is a strong investment into the action. Players draw runes at random, so they are never in a position to pre-plan their turns and then disengage from combat. The system also rewards teamwork, making interactions on everyone’s turn a good thing. Damage is also stressful, as taking damage will remove runes from your rune bag, limiting the powers you can draw upon. So every time you are attacked, it’s no longer a superficial question of losing 10hp, instead you need to weigh the risks of reduced capabilities. Damage hurts and RGS makes you feel that pain. For those reasons we label the combat: “Visceral and Tactical”.
FOTN:R follows in the footsteps of the FOTN legacy of being miniature and hex-mat friendly. We have had many game groups introduce some house rules that do away with the hex mat and minis successfully. My motto has always been that to have a great system, you can’t try and achieve everything. You need to pick your target audience and build for them to the best of your ability.
However, with the “RGS Prime” (working title) rules brewing for ultra-simple rune resolution, this may be the answer your game group is looking for.

Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok – Fafnirs Treasure: Heroes? (Helena Rosova, Pendelhaven)

obskures.de: The Fate of the Norns – Ragnarok: Fafnirs Treasure (PDF) is a absolutely beautiful book. Helena Rosava did an astonishing job illustrating your book.
There are other gorgeous RPG book series like Legend of the 5 Ring, Cthulhutech or the pretty new Shadows of Esteren, but Fate of the Norns – Ragnarok: Fafnirs Treasure is different.
Style, artwork and content are in my opinion highly integrated. This alone is worth seeing. Please tell us about the idea and the design process.
Andrew Valkauskas: When I was looking to build a successful team behind the kickstarter project, one of my criteria was to get folks in all departments that know the subject matter, love the product and can produce the vibe we need. Helena has all three of those talents in spades. We set off on a quest to reproduce the feeling of the sagas so when you play, all aspects of the game transport you back 1000 years to the icy shores of the Vikings…. from the beautiful book, to the stone runes.

obskures.de: Vikings are getting more attention in pop culture, recently. For example there is the Brian Wood comic book Northlanders (DC Vertigo), History Channel will do the TV show Vikings with Gabriel Byrne, Cubicle 7 just released their translation of the French RPG Yggdrasil.
The first edition of Fate of the Norns was published back in the early 90ies. Do you know these new viking interpretations and what do you think about them?
Andrew Valkauskas: Inspiration from Viking mythology is nothing new. If you go back to 1937 when the Hobbit was published, J. R. R. Tolkien drew very heavily on Northern European mythology. Since then you have many people picking and choosing their favourite aspects of the history and mythology which they blend with their own fantasy. This is where FOTN differs from the others. We do our very best to stay true to the history and mythology, and we only take creative liberties when we need to fill in the gaps. For example, Surt plays a pivotal role in Ragnarok, but if you look at all the literary sources, there are probably only 4-5 passages dedicated to this very important denizen. So using the culture and mood of the rest of the myth, we do our best to elaborate on the life, personality and purpose of this pivotal figure.
On a side note, I think another difference FOTN:R brings to the indie RPG market is depth of play. A lot of indie games fit their rules on the back of a cocktail napkin, while not a bad thing, I find that it is the defacto approach. It’s easy to design, easy to learn, but I don’t find it rewarding over a long period. My design motto is “easy to learn, long to master”. RGS is easy to pick up, but the system allows for many levers and pulleys that affect outcomes… and that brings about a joy of discovery that hopefully can last for years.

Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok – Children of Loki (Richard Kane Ferguson, Pendelhaven)

obskures.de: Crowdfunding (Kickstarter) everywhere, new game companies nearly every day, and the tabletop RPG community is growing older and older.
Electronic tools on PC, tablets and smart phones are coming. What is your perspective on the changing market and community?
Andrew Valkauskas: I think that just like theatre, table-top gaming will not go away. As accessibility to theatre was “facilitated” by television and movies. The social aspect of face to face contact shared via a role-playing-game will never be replaced. However technology will be integrated to facilitate the experience via VTC, virtual desktops, etc…

obskures.de: What can we expect in the near future from you? What do you plan after the Fate of the Norns RPG Core Rules?
Andrew Valkauskas: Well Denizens of the North, and possibly a trilogy of sagas for the new edition. I also have a few different projects brewing on the back burner.

obskures.de: Finally, some fun and quick questions. We start with: Role playing is …
Andrew Valkauskas: …the best in the bedroom! ;-)

obskures.de: Your prefer Aesir or Vanir?
Andrew Valkauskas: … Aesir cuz they kickass! ?

obskures.de: What is your favorite archetype (class)?
Andrew Valkauskas: I’d have to say the Son of Muspel. It is one of those tantalizing bits of lore that teases the reader in the Eddas, but sadly never gets elaborated. I had great fun fleshing out the lore around this advanced Archetype.

obskures.de: You prefer Gamemaster or player?
Andrew Valkauskas: I’m at home on either side of the table, but as a designer, I spend the majority of the time as the GM. Whenever I get an opportunity to be a player in my own games, I’m overjoyed!

obskures.de: What are the key ingredients for a great game?
Andrew Valkauskas: The main ingredient are the people around the table. If you have great chemistry and fun, that outweighs anything else.

obskures.de: A design tip for established or upcoming game developers?
Andrew Valkauskas: 3 Things:
Test your product! It may be the best idea in your head, but the moment other eye balls start to scrutinize, you’ll see things that you missed.
“Easy to learn, long to master”- make sure your game can be easily picked up by your chosen demographic and that your game system has more to offer than just what they discover in the first few play throughs.
“A successful complex system is invariably derived from a simple system that works”- Start with a simple core mechanic that works well, then build on it.

obskures.de: What was the first role playing game you bought?
Andrew Valkauskas: AD&D Player’s Handbook (1979)

Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok – Orlog Archtype (Richard Kane Ferguson, Pendelhaven)

obskures.de: What is your favorite role playing game of all time and in recent years?
What is your favorite game (video, board, etc.) of all time and in recent years?
Andrew Valkauskas: Board games: Ticket to Ride & Small World
RPGs: Fiasco, Burning Wheel
Card Games: Munchkin, Magic
Computer Games: Guild Wars, Borderlands, Witcher

obskures.de: Favorite game designer and/or artist?
Andrew Valkauskas: I am actually in the process of soliciting some good writers and designers to help grow the brand.

obskures.de: I get the best ideas for my games when … or I am most creative when … ?
Andrew Valkauskas: LOL I’m cursed, my brain never stops! The RGS Prime rules came together while sleeping, now I just need some free time to write them out. ;-) Same goes for some other designs over the years, Maize (Meso-American RPG), Infinitum (complexity grading game system), Somnambulist (collaborative RPG), 2030 (cyberpunk)… need to find a way to clone myself!

obskures.de: Thank you, Andrew Valkauskas. Anything else you want to share with the fans?
Andrew Valkauskas: I want to thank the fans that have been with us for the last 20 years, and to say welcome to all the new fans we’ve acquired since the Kickstarter- a lot more great things to come!

Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok is something special – a labour of love. Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok Saga: Fafnir’s Treasure, the quick-start rules and sandbox adventure, is already available via drivethrRPG and other sources. I am really looking forward to the complete game. Maybe I will hack the combat system, but apart from this question of taste I already joined the Fate of the Norns. Join also and we might meet at the inevitable Ragnarok!

Images: Helena Rosova, Richard Kane Ferguson (Pendelhaven), private product shot

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10.03.2013

Star Trek Into Darkness – Weiterer Trailer

Star Trek Into Darkness wirbt mit einem weiteren Trailer. Es wird für mich ein Geheimnis bleiben, was die Leute an Star Trek / Wars finden. Eindimensionale Charaktere und vorhersehbare Storys ziehen offensichtlich scharenweise Fans an und J. J. Abrams scheint Hollywoods Alkahest für moderne Sci-Fi Filmunterhaltung zu sein.

Ab dem 09. Mai 2013 soll das Werk auf der Kinoleinwand zu bestaunen sein. Voraussichtlich ohne mich. Nach dem leidigen High Tech-Debakel Der Hobbit – Eine unerwartete Reise benötige ich erst einmal eine Auszeit von derartigem Firlefanz-Entertainment.

S. O. S. – Save our Science Fiction … Wo sind bitteschön Filme wie Blade Runner, die ersten Teile von Aliens, Matrix (gibt es mehr als einen Film? Ich glaube nicht.) oder Krieg der Eispiraten? Mit etwas Glück taugt Ghost in Shell: Arise etwas.

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10.03.2013

Lord British’s Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues

Shroud of the Avatar (Portalarium, Inc.)

Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues, alte Computerspieldesignhelden entdecken Kickstarter. Nach Brian Fargo (Wasteland 2, Torment: Tides of Numera) und einigen anderen schickt sich nun auch Richard Garriott de Cayeux, Lord British, an, die Computer-Spielreihe Ultima fortzusetzen. Die Firma Portalarium, Inc. will auf diesem Weg 1.000.000 $ bis 07.04.2013 sammeln. Das Spiel soll für Windows, Mac und Linux erscheinen.

„Lord British returns to his fantasy RPG roots with Shroud of the Avatar, hearkening back to his innovative early work.

Shroud of the Avatar general features:

From Lord British’s Treatise on „What is an Ultimate RPG?“:
Fully interactive virtual world – If it looks usable, it should do something
Deep original fiction – Ethical parables, cultural histories, fully developed alternate language text
Physical game components will be available: Cloth map, fictional manuals, trinkets
Multiplayer Online Game – which can also be played solo player / offline
Classless character system:
Unlike most RPGs, players will not be limited to the class they select at the beginning of the game. We will be discussing this feature in more detail during an upcoming Developer Blog.

Player housing:
Player housing will live in the persistent shared world, so real estate will have location value.
The least expensive housing can be found in Villages, which offer the highest density of low-cost housing. The core of a village will include basic services that will encourage players to both visit and settle in the area. Villages are a great place for an ambitious adventurer to hang their hat. (Only a few thousand Village homes will be available to players in-game.)
Towns on the other hand, offer more protection and amenities than Villages. The larger amount of available services will further increase traffic flow to your home or business. Plots of land will be larger as well, allowing players to build bigger houses. Towns are an excellent place to start a business while affording moderate levels of safety. (Only a few hundred Town homes will be available to players in-game.)

A City provides substantial protection for players, with large, vital services to draw players to visit and spend their coin. Cities can be protected by large defensive structures like Tesla towers, and offer luxuries not found in Towns or Villages. Cities also have the largest and most valuable homesteads. Be aware though, that the most valuable properties are available to very limited number of players and will likely be in high demand! (Only a few dozen City homes will be available to players in-game.)
Once a house is purchased, players will need to pay regular taxes on it of course. But as a special thank you to select Kickstarter supporters, all housing obtained by making a Kickstarter pledge of Citizen, Lord, Baron, Duke or Lord of the Manor will be tax free for life!

Crafting system that avoids busy work:
Craft as a hobby or as a career! The results of all crafting elements have value as consumables and components in the combat system, as well as maintenance and upgrade elements for housing and cities. The crafting system will be a topic of discussion in one of our upcoming Developer Blogs.

Meaningful PVP that also minimizes griefing:
An incentive-driven system will draw players into the challenge and intrigue of the PVP experience, whether they become the hunter or the hunted!

Scene based encounters:
In a nod to Garriott’s early RPG works, Shroud of the Avatar is split up into a high-level overland map and adventure scenes. Scenes are generally re-playable and can be experienced solo or with others.“
– Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues product decription

Kickstarter das Allheilmittel der unabhängigen analogen und digitalen Spieleindustrie? Hoffen wir, dass dieses Phänomen nicht wie eine Blase platzt. Ich gehe davon aus, dass Crowdfunding zunächst weiter wächst. Gleichzeitig erwarte ich in der nächsten Zeit „einen Skandal“, der diese Zeiterscheinung wieder etwas mehr erdet.

Images: Portalarium, Inc., Kicktraq

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10.03.2013

Open Gaming Monthly #1 erschienen

d20pfsrd.com presents Open Gaming Monthly #1, Fat Goblin Games bietet die erste Ausgabe des Magazins für d20/Pathfinder über RPGNow an.

„d20pfsrd.com presents Open Gaming Monthly is your premier source for NEW content, articles, and news for your favorite Open Gaming Systems. This 96 page full color book presents content from all your favorite writers and game designers.

Here’s some of the articles and columns!

16 WorldCraft: Grigoria
Perry Fehr brings us the first location in our 100% shared setting!
26 Briarborn
Complete race with new druid archetype by Brian Berg.
56 Interview with Jennifer Page
We get what’s new with this Geek Icon and talk about everything!
24 Arctic Arsenal
Winter gear every smart player will secure before adventuring north.
42 Winter Wonderland
Alex Riggs delivers some icy spells to freeze your foes.
68 Preparing for Ragnarok
Norse archetypes for only the mightiest of clerics by Joseph Davis.
22 Goggling
Paul Caughell introduces you to this new undead creation.
48 Legendary Locations: Drake’s Hollow
Elven town hidden within a dead volcano in the frigid north by Bret Boyd.
35 Ke’ Aril’s Hunt
Mini-adventure infested with Drow by Joshua Gullion
12 Open Gaming Spotlight
Christina Stiles helps you get to know those who support Open Game Content.
60 The Good, The Bad, The Henchmen
Three New Iconic NPC’s to introduce in your game by Matt Medeiros!
82 BadWrongFun
Nick Esposito brews up some home rules you better use with caution!“
d20pfsrd.com presents Open Gaming Monthly #1 product description

Ja, es ist mir bekannt, dass die „ganze Welt“ d20/Pathfinder RPG für das Maß aller Dinge im Rollenspiel-Bereich hält. Ich nicht!

Die Themenauswahl finde ich interessant, aber aufgrund der Nähe zum subjektiv langweiligsten Spielansatz seit der Erfindung des Ikosaeder halte ich mich zurück.

Vielleicht kann ein Anhänger dieser Spielart alsbald mehr dazu sagen. Unter Umständen beinhaltet das Journal auch für Spieler anderer Systeme etwas Brauchbares?
Schade, dass es den Warpstone praktisch nicht mehr gibt und der Unspeakable Oath so selten erscheint. Wie gefällt eigentlich das Gygax Magazine?

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09.03.2013

Game of Thrones: Was bisher geschah & Interviews

Game of Thrones, nur noch wenige Wochen bis die sehnsüchtig erwartete Fantasy-Serie von HBO fortgesetzt wird. Der amerikanische Bezahlsender bereitet die 3. Staffel ihres Game of Thrones-Hit mit einer Zusammenfassung der vergangenen Geschehnisse vor. Die Protagonisten kommentieren die Ereignisse aus ihrer Perspektive …

Als Fan der Buchvorlage scheint das Absehbare nahe, doch dem Sender gelang es bislang recht überzeugend, die Geschichte von George R. R. Martin mit einer eigenen Note zu versehen. Bedauerlicherweise spricht die deutsche Übersetzung weder für die deutsche Buchreihe noch für die ansonsten gelungene Fernsehunterhaltung.

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09.03.2013

Drake: The Dragon Wargame via Kickstarter

Drake: The Dragon Wargame, nachdem das Spiel in einer anderen Variante über Indiegogo angeboten wurde, wendet sich Action Games Miniatures nun Kickstarter, dem großen Bruder der Crowdfunding-Szenze, zu.

Das Team konnte auf diesem Weg die Projektzielsumme von 10.000 $ für dieses Fantasy-Tabletop mit Drachen, ihrem Gefolge und Magic: The Gathering-Anleihen sammeln.

Mit anderen Worten, von nun an winken bis zum 20. April 2013 weitere Stretch Goals.

„28mm miniature wargame featuring mighty dragons and their deadly armies. Innovative gameplay, beautiful models, and epic story.

Wage battle as powerful dragon leaders. Command beastly minions and subjugated human warriors in Drake: The Dragon Wargame. The game uses high-quality 28mm true scale miniature models and an original set of game rules. It incorporates miniatures, tape measure and dice with game cards. This is a fast-paced strategy game that rewards tactics, nerves of steel and quick responsive actions – especially on your opponent’s turn!
A new world beckons.“
– Drake: The Dragon Wargame product description

Images: Kicktraq