GrogHeads Advanced Research on Projects Advisory #50!

frontier wars 728x90 KS

GARPA turns 50!  Can we get a “w00t! w00t!” ?  Last month it was all games that had already made the cut.  This month?  You gotta work for ’em…

 

G50-trumpetsNo Trumpets, No Drums (One Small Step Games)
Pre-order price of $44.95

New from OSS, No Trumpets, No Drums is a strategic- and high operational-level game of the Vietnam War from ’65-’75.  Picking up after the French have left, and running past the departure of most US ground troops, this expansive game covers the ground campaigns, with a heavy dose of the political machinations that ultimately decided the war.  It’s a hex-and-counter layout on your table, but the game plays on several levels and is conducive to team play, as well.

This is a remake of an earlier magazine game from the early 80s.  They are hoping to get it out by the end of the year, but only if they can get enough preorders in to make it into production, so get to their website and place your pre-order.  OSS makes some great games, from some cracking designers and developers.

 

Fritz (Truceful Entertainment)
$4,815 of $15,000, ends 27 August 2014

Billed as “a narrative RPG with brutal real-time combat about life in the trenches of the First World War” Fritz looks to be an interesting take on the Great War. While not for the graphic snobs among us this is geared towards those who will appreciate the character development aspects of trench warfare’s everyday activities. You play as a German soldier named Fritz on the Western Front as he tries to survive not only the French in combat but life in what were less-than-stellar living conditions in the trenches of World War I. As you interact with others and develop those relationships you give yourself and the other NPCs a greater chance to survive the infrequent but brutal combat. Your decisions and actions impact the game and provide multiple endings. After which you can restart with new stats or carry yours over to a new and much harder game. Check out some game screenshots and video or early game play at their Kickstarter page.

g50-Fritz

 

1740 (Proving Ground Games)
$850 of $20k, ends 31 August 2014

We’ve already interviewed Heather about the design of 1740, so there’s plenty of details already out there for you on this game.  It’s nifty design that should keep grogs strategically engaged while giving Eurogamers some wooden blocks to shuffle around while they pretend they’re not jealous of your tactical brilliance.  Check out the Kickstarter page and get your pledge in early enough to be one of the cool kids.

PG-1740-1

 


The Deluge: Northern War 1655-1660
(Wargamer Games Studio LTD)
£23,400 of £10k, ends 31 August 2014

G50-delugeBuilding on the existing rules that let you tackles Eastern European warfare in the mid-17th century, the Polish studio behind the original Fire & Sword game has a new expansion that gives you some new armies to sling about the battlefield.  This is “eastern front” warfare on horseback, with black powder and lances and pikemen and battles most of our readers have probably never heard of.  Any time you can line up battles with Transylvania, Brandenburg, the Crimean Khanate, and Muscovy (when it was still just a duchy), you know you’re in for a rollicking fun shootout.  Check out the mix-and-match options on the Kickstarter page, that let you customize how robust your sets are by trading out big ones for multiple smaller ones.  Oh, and check out the Field Marshall pledge level.  Oy!

 

That’s all for this anniversary edition GARPA – see you in two weeks!


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And let us know if you’ve ever ordered something based on our regular look at what’s coming up next.  We’re curious how our column might have influenced your buying decisions.

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