obskures.de - Seite 74 von 114 - Die unerträgliche Leichtigkeit des Geekseins

Interface Zero 2.0: Deals & Drones (Gun Metal Games)

Interface Zero 2.0: Full Metal Cyberpunk is a tabletop RPG powered by the Savage Worlds Deluxe system and currently on Kickstarter.
I am a genre fan of the dark future. Recently, I interviewed Mike Pondsmith, the creator the Cyberpunk 2013 RPG. Among other things he is working on the upcoming video game Cyberpunk 2077. For the moment he is very much occupied with this interpretation of his vision. Do not expect a release before 2015.

There is also a new wave of Cyberpunk games. Gun Metal Games released the first edition of Interface Zero in 2010. Now they want to publish a streamlined and updated 2nd edition of Interface Zero 2.0 as a full-colour hardcover.

A reader of my blog asked me to do an interview with David Jarvis about his sci-fi/cyberpunk game set on Earth in the year 2090. He did not have to ask twice. I was already a backer of the Interface Zero 2.0: Full Metal Cyberpunk Kickstarter …

obskures.de: Hi David Jarvis, Please tell us about yourself and your gaming experiences.
David Jarvis: Hi there! My name is David Jarvis, and I run Gun Metal Games. We’re a small press publisher of role-playing games for the Savage Worlds Deluxe game system. I live in Dallas, Texas with my wife, Suzy, and our dog, Penny. As you might guess, I enjoy watching all types of science fiction shows and movies, though lately I’ve been really hooked on „That 70’s Show.“ It speaks to my „Inner Dumbass.“
Gaming experiences…Wow, you’re asking me to reach way back into my youth! I’m too old for that. I might get a brain aneurism walking those dark paths of deep memory. Like most people, I first got started playing basic in the days of Basic DnD. My first character was a magic user and I picked magic missile, thinking I’d be hurling ICBMS at my foes (Hey, I was only 9 at the time)! I played DnD all the way up until 3.5.
Along the way though I found my true love; the cyberpunk genre. I’m not exactly sure why, but it just speaks to me. Games like Cyberpunk 2020 so rich, so gritty and thought-provoking, that it’s hard not to get sucked into that „life on the edge, living from run-to-run“ sort of game style. I also got turned on to the World of Darkness and had a ton of fun playing my Gangrel and Tremere characters and the occasional Nosferatu. Now though, I play the Savage Worlds Deluxe game system. It’s fun, easy to learn and plays fast at the game table.

obskures.de: Give us a brief overview about your RPG Interface Zero 2.0.
David Jarvis: Interface Zero 2.0: Full Metal Cyberpunk is a re-boot of the popular 1st edition book. The game is set in the year 2090 In this dark and grimy world of corrupt, power-mad government, greedy megacorporations and fringe science-gone-wild, you play ronin: rogue street operatives who make their living doing the things nobody else can, or will, do. You have no master, no loyalties beyond your bank balance. Your only friends are those of convenience. Your tools of the trade are computer code, high-powered weapons, combat drones, cybernetic augmentations, mental powers and maybe even a little bit of luck.

obskures.de: What are the most important inspirations to get the player(s) in the „right mood“?
David Jarvis: It depends on the style of game you’re looking for. Overall, I’d say read as much William Gibson and Neal Stephenson as you can, watch anime like Ghost in the Shell, Bubblegum crisis, A.D Police, and movies like I-Robot, Minority Report, Dredd, etc.

Interface Zero 2.0: Queen (Gun Metal Games)Interface_Zero_2_Queen

obskures.de: What makes your vision of the Dark Future special? What are the major differences to genre classics like Cyberpunk 2013/2020 or even the urban cyber fairy tale Shadowrun?
David Jarvis: Interface Zero 2.0 is first and foremost, a cyberpunk game setting, but we don’t keep it strictly defined by western concepts of the genre. We embrace Asian influences as well. Interface Zero is like the other games you mentioned, in that we use some of the common tropes—evil megacorps, cybernetics, dystopia—but we look at a very modern version not based on the cyberpunk of the 80’s, but interesting elements of 2013. We think cyberpunk as a genre is always relevant to the world in which we live, and to properly do a new cyberpunk setting, we have to draw from what is happening in technology and global events happening now, rather than two decades ago.

obskures.de: Your game world is based on the Savage Worlds engine. What are the best and what are the most critical parts in your rules variant? I heard your hacking rules are easy and interesting.
David Jarvis: The most exciting rules for me are the new cybernetics rules and the hacking rules. Cybernetics were clunky in the first edition of the book. In 2.0, they are very streamlined and easy to use, which is important, because Savage Worlds is supposed to be a fast game system.
We don’t want you spending hours and hours trying to figure out exactly how to create a piece of cybernetics, or spending all night to hack a computer network. Hacking 2.0 accomplishes two things. It keeps the character with the group, and it feels very cinematic, but still gives you tons of customization options, and more ways to feel necessary within the context of the game.
Hackers have much more utility in a game than in other cyberpunk settings. In Interface Zero 2.0, the hacker can take control of vehicles, or security cameras with a couple of rolls of the dice rather than having to get into a very lengthy „mini game.“ They can even hack other people and do things like erase memories, or shut down other character’s weapons.

obskures.de: Hardcore Cyberpunk games avoid magic/psi etc.. Your game includes such elements. Why did you do this?
David Jarvis: Well, to be blunt, why not? I feel that psionics are sufficiently sci-fi enough to merit inclusion in the book, especially the way we handle them. Psionics are not just an afterthought in the game, even though they are a relatively new phenomena in terms of the setting’s history. Some of the more hard core cyberpunk enthusiasts might object to psionics, but I personally don’t want to restrict this game to one particular vision of what cyberpunk is and isn’t.

obskures.de: There is a renaissance of the Cyberpunk idea in recent years. In geek culture you can see the references very often. What is your opinion on this new wave of Cyberpunk?
David Jarvis: I say bring it on! Everything I’ve seen in recent years takes advantage of emerging technologies and updates the genre really helps people visualize a world where this sort of thing might be possible, much moreso than the movies of the 80’s.

obskures.de:„… If you enjoy Gibson’s Burning Chrome, Neuromancer, Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive, Williams’ Hardwired, Noon’s Vurt and McAuley’s Fairyland then I hope this game is for you. You should read them. Those books, and this game, are not about “teams” of “runners” loading up on tech from “MetalBookIV” or Min|Maxing every damage die and +2s out of guns|gear while marking in 40 boxes of damage. Fuck no …“ (from the Cyberpunk indie RPG “Remember Tomorrow” by Gregory Hutton). How would you describe your game in relation to this statement?
David Jarvis: This seems like a loaded question, but I’ll answer it anyhow. Interface Zero 2.0 is an action-oriented cyberpunk setting. We encourage people to read the afore-mentioned fiction, but when it comes to creating characters and tweaking them to get the best out of them, I’ll have to disagree with the above comments. It’s not my job to tell you how you should play this game, and it’s certainly not my place to exclude those people who have different play styles.
Some people like tweaking the numbers to get the most out of their characters, and some don’t. Who are we to say one play style is better than the other? Instead, I’m determined to make a game where everyone has fun.

obskures.de: New game companies nearly every day. crowdfunding (Kickstarter), 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?
David Jarvis: Kickstarter is really great in that it helps small publishers like myself fund a project without taking out a second mortgage on my house. Yes, the average gamer is getting older, but I think there are a lot of younger people out there who are getting interested in the hobby. As long as publishers continue to take advantage of emerging technologies to make their games better, the industry will be fine.

Interface Zero 2.0: King (Gun Metal Games)

obskures.de: Finally, some fun and quick questions. We start with: Role playing is …
David Jarvis: FUN!

obskures.de: Your favorite role in a Cyberpunk game?
David Jarvis: Hacking

obskures.de: You prefer Gamemaster or player?
David Jarvis: I like both.

obskures.de: What are the key ingredients for a great game?
David Jarvis: Action, conflict, and a compelling story.

obskures.de: A design tip for established or upcoming game developers?
David Jarvis: Be open with your audience. The Age of the „cloistered“ game designer is ending. Your fan base will appreciate being included in as much fo the process as possible.

obskures.de: What was the first role playing game you bought?
David Jarvis: Red Box D&D

obskures.de: What is your favorite role playing game of all time and in recent years?
David Jarvis: Shadowrun 3rd edition, and Interface Zero

obskures.de: What is your favorite game (video, board, etc.) of all time and in recent years?
David Jarvis: Of all time? Hmm. I’d have to say World of Warcraft followed by Baldur’s Gate. In recent years, though, I’ve really enjoyed Deus Ex and Syndicate. Star Wars, the Old Republic was cool for a while, too.

obskures.de: Favorite game designer and/or artist?
David Jarvis: favorite Game designer? Hmm. There are so many great ones out there. Steve Kenson and Stan! Brown are inspirations, but right now I’m really enjoying the stuff my line developer, David Viars, is doing. In terms of artwork, Sam Manley, Todd Lockwood, Jeff Easely…wow.. too many to mention.

obskures.de: I get the best ideas for my games when … or I am most creative when … ?
David Jarvis: I always get ideas. My mind never really shuts down in the creative department.

obskures.de: Thank you, David Jarvis. Anything else you want to share with the fans?
David Jarvis: Check out our Kickstarter!

You want more? Enjoy the R-rated: A Night on the Town or even better join the fast and furios Full Metal Cyberpunk of Interface Zero 2.0!

Images: Gun Metal Games on Kickstarter

Permalink

18.02.2013

ASYLUM: From the designer of Scratches via Kickstarter

Asylum: One Floor of the Hanwell Mental Institute (Senscape)

ASYLUM: From the designer of Scratches, Agustín Cordes bietet via Kickstarter ein von H. P. Lovecraft inspiriertes Point’n’Click Abenteuervideospiel an. Wie nahe das Spiel am Mythos oder gar Call of Cthulhu ist, bleibt unklar, da sich der Spieleanbieter inhaltlich bedeckt hält, um die Spannung aufrechtzuerhalten. Der Titel verät es bereits. Das Abenteuer spielt in einer Irrenanstalt.

„A psychological horror adventure inspired by H. P. Lovecraft and set in a massive, decaying mental institute.

Asylum is a point-and-click adventure game. It’s quite scary too. No, we’re not making this up: some people were terrified just by reading the script alone, and we’re striving to top it with the most immersive, oppressive, depressive, (and many other words ending with ‚ive‘) atmosphere ever seen in an adventure. Don’t be fooled by our excitement or apparent silliness; we’re very serious about making Asylum a disturbing and horrifying game that you won’t easily forget.“
– ASYLUM: From the designer of Scratches product description

Images: Senscape & Kicktraq

Permalink

17.02.2013

Shadows of Esteren: Les Ombres d’Esteren – Livre 3 Dearg Edition Limitée via Ulule

Les Ombres d’Esteren

Les Ombres d’Esteren – Livre 3 Dearg Edition Limitée, Agate Editions bieten über die französische Crowdfunding-Plattform Ulule die lang angekündigte Kampagne einschließlich Soundtrack an.

Französisch gehört nicht in mein Sprachrepertoire, daher bleibt mir nicht viel mehr, als darauf hinzuweisen, dass die Kampagne bereits nach kurzer Zeit finanziert wurde.

Vorab eine Hörprobe des Soundtracks:

Rollenspiel(er)musik kann ich gemeinhin kaum ertragen, aber dies gefällt sogar mir.

Im Hobbybereich bleibt die Präsentation und das Artwork schlicht und ergreifend nahezu unerreicht. Punkt.

Les Ombres d’Esteren: Argan (Agate Edition)

Les Ombres d’Esteren: Reizh (Agate Editions)

Les Ombres d’Esteren: Vestiges (Agate Editions)

Les Ombres d’Esteren: Eighan (Agate Editions)

Noch Fragen? Einfach selbst Les Ombres d’Esteren – Livre 3 Dearg Edition Limitée besuchen …
Diese Franzosen zeigen immer wieder, wie man es macht. Respekt!

In Deutschland gibt es enttäuschenderweise den Moloch Das Schwarze Auge und dann lange nichts mehr.

Bildnachweis: Agate Editions

Permalink

17.02.2013

Storm Battalion RPG via Indiegogo: What is Tesla punk?

Storm Battalion, Brennan Bishop bietet seine Idee eines Rollenspiels über die Crowdfunding-Plattform Indiegogo an. Er arbeitet mit Third Eye Games (Part-Times God, etc.) zusammen. Schlagwörter im Zusammenhang mit dem Plot: Amerikanischer Unabhängigkeitskrieg, „magische Stürme“, mutierte Monster, Internationaler Ressourcenkampf, Elektrizität und Erfindungen von Nicola Tesla (Erdbebengranaten, ferngesteuerte Roboter, Todesstrahlen usw.).
Die Charaktere suchen und sichern diese Stürme im Auftrag von Nationen, ziehen hochrangige Persönlichkeiten aus dem Verkehr, sabotieren Versorgungslinien oder stehlen Geheimnisse. Kurz gesagt – sie verdienen sich als (para-)militärische Spezialeinheit.

Die ganze Angelegenheit spielt vorrangig im britisch besetzten Kanada und den belagerten Vereinigten Staaten. Was sagt man dazu?

„My main project now is called Storm Battalion and it is based on the idea that during the war for American independence, a number of storms broke out that turned the landscape and all living things caught inside it into twisted reflections of what they once were. These monsters have their own agendas and will terrorize humanity while doing so.
The storms also brought about a revolution in electrical energy as the power within it could be stored and used to run many different machines of war.
The game takes place in 1935. Long after the storms have left their mark on the world. America, Britain, Canada, The European Union, and a nation made up of indigenous people are at war with one another for the land that the storms are most prevalent in. Each country gives unique bonuses to a character that originates from there and helps promote variety in groups.

Characters have access to monstrous powers granted to them by the storms (such as controlling the bones of enemies, starting plagues, becoming others through eating them, and many more), as well as fantastic weaponry loosely based around the inventions of Nicola Tesla (earthquake grenades, radio controlled robots, deathrays, single-pilot propulsion backpacks, dirigibles, and so on).
Characters are employed by one governing nation to seek out and secure storms, assassinate important officials, attack supply routes, steal secrets and generally any tasks the military would impart upon a small squad of incredibly able individuals.
The setting is mostly Canada as occupied by British forces, with forays into a besieged United States.

The book has already been written and has all the setting details, character creation, power and technology listings, monster and antagonist statistics, 6 premade ready-to-play characters, and 2 adventures to establish the setting and abilities of the characters.“
– Storm Battalion product description

Liest sich wie ein Exposé für eine entweder fantastische oder lausige Serie. Irgendwo zwischen diesen Polen wird sich das Rollenspiel Storm Battalion ebenfalls vermutlich kaum einordnen können. Bis zum 1. März soll das Projekt finanziert werden. Spannend …

Permalink

16.02.2013

Games Workshop – „Space Marines“: Offizielle Facebook-Seite geschlossen?

Games Workshop, die Space Marine-Affäre nimmt kein Ende. Janusz, ein Leser, machte mich gerade darauf aufmerksam. Die offizielle Facebook-Seite des britischen Spielzeugherstellers wurde vom Netz genommen.

Eine erste Recherche ergab Folgendes (via natfka):

„Many thanks for your email. The Games Workshop Facebook page has been removed so that the customer interaction goes through our retail stores. This will be via face to face contact with customers while they are visiting the stores, or by using the individual Facebook pages each store has.

The individual stores Facebook pages can be found here;
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?aId=17500005a

We hope this has been of help.

Kind regards, Scott Edwards“

Was für eine stupide Presse- und Marketingphrase? Zentrale – leicht steuerbare – Kommunikation vs. dezentrale – schwerer steuerbare – Kommunikation? Die Facebook-Seiten der Niederlassungen werden fortgeführt, jedoch das Facebook-Hauptengagement nicht mehr. Damit werden dem nachdrücklichen Unmutssturm rund um das hausgemachte Space Marine-Debakel viele kleinere Angriffsflächen gegenübergestellt und schwerlich überschaubar kanalisiert.

Die im Hobby-Bereich unerreichte aggressive Verkaufspraxis in den firmeneigenen Niederlassungen entzieht sich weiterhin der Aufmerksamkeit der Internetgemeinschaft und breiten Öffentlichkeit. Das besonders geschulte Verkaufspersonal setzt dort die „Gehirnwäsche“ weiterhin unbeirrt und vor allen Dingen weitestgehend unbeobachtet fort. Ihr Ziel sind vorrangig leicht(er) beeinflussbare Kinder und Jugendliche. Die immer noch unerschütterlichen älteren Fans müssen ohnehin nicht mehr indoktriniert werden.

Wer dies für eine Überzeichnung hält, dem sei ein Besuch in der nächsten Zweigstelle von Games Workshop empfohlen. (Danke Janusz)

Permalink

16.02.2013

Machine of Death: The Game of Creative Assassination via Kickstarter

Machine of Death: The Game of Creative Assassination, David Malki bietet dieses Partyspiel derzeit auf Kickstarter an.

Die Maschine des Todes weist imaginären Mitmenschen kleine Schicksalskarten zu, die dessen unausweichliches Ende vorhersagen. Niemand weiß, wie es funktioniert, aber die Maschine hat immer recht und die Spieler übernehmen die Rolle der Schicksalsboten und Assassinen. Ihr Auftrag besteht darin, den Todestag des Opfers kreativ wahr werden zu lassen.
Assoziationen zur gleichnamigen Kurzgeschichtensammlung sind beabsichtigt, sie wurde ebenfalls von David Malki herausgegeben.

Killing imaginary people gehört zum Tagesgeschäft eines Rollenspieler und Tabletop-Anhängers. Klingt demnach unterhaltsam und sympathisch, oder?

„A party game in which it is TOTALLY POSSIBLE to drop a boxcar full of rabid piranhas onto the King of France. LIKELY, even

Machine of Death is a game about problem solving.

In the world of our game, there exists a machine (the titular Machine of Death) that can issue little cards to individuals: death predictions. Nobody knows just how it works, but it’s always, always right. (You may recognize this concept from our #1 bestselling short story collection, which is also titled, COINCIDENTALLY, Machine of Death.)

The book was about exploring the existential ramifications of the existence of the machine in worlds otherwise much like our own. It’s a thoughtful, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, meditation on fate.
The GAME is about flinging SHARKS from CATAPULTS in order to kill imaginary people. It’s basically a game of Mousetrap or a Road Runner cartoon, except that it’s TOTALLY WITHIN THE RULES to create a QUICKSAND GENERATOR in a TREEHOUSE in order to DROWN A CHILD. (That was a real game we played.)

So if you can know, cryptically but with 100% accuracy, how a given person will one day die…

And you’re an assassin, and you want to make that day today…“
– Machine of Death: The Game of Creative Assassination product description

Permalink

15.02.2013

Games Workshop, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Amazon und die „Space Marines“

Games Workshop lässt seine scheinheilige offizielle Stellungnahme zur Verteidigung ihrer Trademarks auf Facebook einfach verschwinden, zumindest führt der Link zurzeit ins Leere.

Die Verlautbarung des britischen Spieleherstellers wurde von Nutzern des Online-Dienstes wenig freundlich goutiert. Die Herstellermitteilung jetzt wortlos mit allen Kommentaren verschwinden zu lassen, darf als Kleinmütigkeit und Uneinsichtigkeit gewertet werden. Das millionenschwere Unternehmen kann augenscheinlich nicht zu seinen Fehlern stehen.

M.C.A. Hogarts Roman Spots the Space Marine: Defense of the Fiddler tauchte unvermittelt wieder im Verkauf des Giganten Amazon auf. Eine Erklärung fehlte bislang. Nach den vielstimmigen Unmutsbekundungen im Internet und in den Medien gehen viele womöglich davon aus, dass sich das Handelsunternehmen und der Hersteller “eigenständig” eines Besseren belehren ließen. Doch weit gefehlt.

Offenbar nahm sich die Electronic Frontier Foundation (kurz EFF) der Angelegenheit an. Diese Non-profit Organisation zur Verteidigung digitaler Rechte tritt innerhalb der Neuen Medien für Redefreiheit, Privatsphäre, Innovation und Konsumentenrechte ein.
Gemäß ihrer Darstellung Trademark Bully Thwarted: Spots the Space Marine Back Online kann der Wiederverkauf des Romans auf ihre unmittelbare Intervention und Reaktion Amazons zurückgeführt werden.

Die Aussage „Let’s hope Games Workshop will now have the good sense to realize the bullying has to stop.“ und die kommentarlose Zurücknahme “Games Workshop and the protection of our trademarks” auf Facebook lässt die Vermutung zu, dass sich die britische Spieleschmiede nicht ganz so einsichtig zeigt und lediglich in diesem Fall klein beigibt.

Die EFF weist in ihrem Beitrag ferner darauf hin, dass die Redefreiheit im Netz weiterhin besonders angreifbar bleibt. Das Recht kann sehr leicht untergraben werden, indem zentrale Serviceanbieter (Amazon, Ebay, Facebook, Youtube etc.) angegangen werden und damit die Kommunikation leichter zu unterbinden sei.

Wie so häufig gilt, bei genauerer Betrachtung nimmt die Komplexität erheblich zu. Zumindest der aktivistische Appell der EFF gibt sich kraftvoll.

„Together, we sent a signal: Trademark bullies will not be tolerated online.“
– Trademark Bully Thwarted: Spots the Space Marine Back Online

Nichtsdestotrotz finanziert der Kauf von unmittelbaren oder lizenzierten Games Workshop-Produkten diese Form des Online-Bullying.

Permalink

15.02.2013

Thematic Fate/Fudge Dice – Mystic Rose via Kickstarter

Thematic Fate/Fudge Dice – Mystic Rose, die unglaublich erfolgreiche Kickstarter-Kampagne für das Rollenspiel Fate Core ist kaum vorüber und bereits legen Drittanbieter, in diesem Fall James Richards von Front Range Games, besondere Motivwürfel via Kickstarter vor. Die normalen Plus/Minus-Symbole genügen nicht mehr.
Stattdessen hält das Portfolio unter anderem Drudenfüße, Cthulhu-Icons, Elder Signs, lachende und weinende Masken, Schild und Schwert bereit. Gut möglich, dass weitere Varianten hinzukommen. Die Qual der Wahl wird durch verschiedene Farben (schwarz, rot, blau oder grün) erschwert.

Der Eindruck mag täuschen, aber das Fate RPG von Evil Hat rollt momentan den Rollenspielmarkt ordentlich von hinten auf.

Permalink

15.02.2013

Mutant Chronicles Warzone Resurrection via Kickstarter

Mutant Chronicles Warzone Resurrection von Prodos Games Ltd ist da – zumindest auf Kickstarter!

„Warzone Resurrection is a tabletop 28mm scale skirmish game, set in the Mutant Chronicles dark SciFi Future.

Welcome to Mutant Chronicles Warzone Resurrection!

The richly visualised Mutant Chronicles dark future has been exciting gamers and science fiction fans all over the world for 20 years. It is a place where….

….The Solar System is besieged by abominations from the dark beyond, infernal hybrids of undead alien flesh brought into existence by the Dark Symmetry. Mankind is divided into five rival MegaCorporations concerned only with profit and territory as they tear the inner worlds apart in bitter, internecine war. United in faith under the Brotherhood, Mankind may yet prevail – divided, they shall surely fall as the Dark Legion sweeps all before it.

Warzone Resurrection is a 28mm scale tabletop skirmish wargame for two or more players, each fielding units of warriors drawn from one of the mighty MegaCorporations of Mankind, the Brotherhood or its vile enemy, the Dark Legion. Warzone Resurrection is a fast paced, exciting and tactical miniature game created by Prodos Games Ltd. and Paraodox Entertainment.“
– Mutant Chronicles Warzone Resurrection product announcement

Permalink

14.02.2013

Dragon Age: Wil Wheaton plays with his friends and Chris Pramas, episode 19 pt. 2

Tabletop (Geek & Sundry), Wil Wheaton spielt zusammen mit seinen Freunden Chris Hardwick (Comedian, Nerdist), Kevin Sussman (Schauspieler, The Big Bang Theory), Sam Witwer (Schauspieler, Being Human) und dem Spieldesigner Chris Pramas die vor Kurzem begonnene Rollenspielrunde Dragon Age auf Youtube weiter. Zur Erinnerung hier noch einmal Tabletop (Geek & Sundry): Dragon Age episode 19 pt. 1.

In meinen Augen stellen diese beiden Videos eine gute Werbung für das Hobby Rollenspiel dar. Green Ronin veröffentlichen hoffentlich alsbald die dritte Erweiterung für das wunderbare Dragon Age RPG.