Osprey at GAMA 2012

Osprey is a very interesting company.  They make and distribute historically accurate books from ancient times to today.  They have been used as reference books for many different games, from miniature, to even role playing.  For the most part their books are loaded with information, but they are now in the miniature games business... not the actual minis, but the rules!  I was very excited to go to their session at GAMA to learn more about the product, and now I want it in the store!

Force on Force

This is a modern era miniatures game made by Ambush Alley Games.  They have gone with a fire team approach, not a gigantic scale battle.  It is also playable in any scale, so try out those plastic army men you may have.  They are now bring out a new game, which is the first non historic, called Tomorrow's War.  This one will be similar to Force on Force, but set in the future.

Field of Glory

This is the older time line miniatures games by Slitherine.  In this game you can play with ancients and medieval miniatures.  As with Force on Force, it is playable in any scale!  They have done a great job keeping historically accurate and created a point system for force building.  They then added in Fields of Glory Renaissance.  This new add-on to the game allows you to play in a new time which includes GUNS... which adds a very different feel to the game.  Finally to round out the list, they have Field of Glory Napoleonic, which will release very soon.  This book will set the miniature game on a division scale.  To get you started, her are the Quick Start rules for the Napoleonic!  These rules will cover a 25 year time span.

Other Products

Osprey brings out books all the time.  Some of these are Raid books that focus on a very specific event in history, Essential history books, Duel books between two different specifics, and so much more!  These books run from ancient times to modern and everything in between! 

Some cool books to look out for from Osprey would be their Civil War books, as we close out the 150th Anniversary of this war.  Another set of books would be the War of 1812, as it is the 200th Anniversary of this war. 

If you are a gamer, or just really love history, these books are for you!  The depth of information, as well as the fantastic graphics make these books a must have!  Stop in the store and check out some of the Field of Glory titles I we have right now!

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks   

Eclipse Phase RPG

Eclipse Phase Role Playing Game

I've started to run a group of players through Eclipse Phase.  Part of this was to try and play a new game, new setting, and a new rules mechanic.  I've had a chance to run the core book and to gather a group of experienced and novice players to really get a good feel of the game.  I'm hoping to cover some about the game, a little about the rules, and more about how the players took to the system, both players who are experienced and new to role playing games.

The Game:

 Eclipse Phase is produced by Posthuman Studios and has been published by both Posthuman and with Catalyst Games. The game was designed as a paper and pencil role playing game.  The game is a science fiction based game which is heavily influenced by horror and conspiracy. 

The Setting:

In the not so distant future humanity has been transformed into a Transhuman state.  There are more then humans though. Animals have been uplifted to a much higher intelligence level.You can be an uplifted Dolphin, Gorilla, or even a parrot.  In the future the TITANs, Seed AI, have been infected with a virus and turned on Transhumanity. Most of Earth is now inhospitable to live on, so Transhumanity has moved to the stars, or more planets.

The Rules:

The game only involves the use of 2 dice, both of which are D10s.  Most of the time you are rolling as a D100, but some times a single D10 is needed.  There are also a much high amount of "Role" playing instead of "Roll" playing. The game allows for a tremendous amount of interaction between the players and the Game Master.

The Players:

GM: Sean "Striderlotr" Banks
1. Dave Steltenkamp
2. Stan Tyler
3. Sara Tyler
4. Stasi "Dengirl" King
5. Brittani "dndprincessaria" MacFadden
6. Amanda Cowen

As we get a few more games under our belts, we will post some comments about how the game actually plays out especially with combat and skill challenges.  Check back to see what everyone thought of the game!
 
Sean "Striderlotr" Banks