Wilderness Empires (Worthington Publishing) $8k of $5k goal, ends 2 December 2014
The French and Indian War, and the associated wars before and after leading up to the American War of Independence, have fascinated gamers for their mix of exploration, politics, colonial combat, and multi-sided mayhem. Worthington throws their hat in the ring with a fascinating game that mixes historical details with quick gameplay and includes a solo capability. It’s got a block-and-card look that seems eerily familiar to those that have played Columbia games in the past, but the cards are distinct events and the units include the key leaders that made the colonial wars such a fascinating period. Stretch goals are still being met, and there’s plenty of time to add more, so sail over to Kickstarter and get your pledge in.
I have a minor problem I didn’t notice until now: my fleet range is atrocious. That cuts down on the options I have for targets. The only viable ones are the Gulrath Territory, Grand Iskabar Authority, and the Yirphunea Supremacy. The former two would stretch my fleets’ fuel limits. The Yirphunea are closer, but I would be going up against their home world defenses.
For now I’m going to run covert operations against all three focusing on the Yirphunea. If I can catch them while their fighting someone else I might be able to catch their homeworld without significant troops or ships to support it.
Continuing our series of articles about the game business, our intrepid entrepreneurial duo gives the lowdown on bootstrapping your way through a new company launch
“You don’t go into game design to make money.”
One of our happy minions at Origins
How many times have I heard that? Well, let’s just say that if I had a dollar for every time, I wouldn’t need to make any money from games. There is some truth to it. If all you do is design your game and throw it out to the masses without a plan—you won’t make much. And if your goal is to share your creation with the world for the fun of it, that’s perfectly okay.
My name is Heather Brown and I’m one of the owners of Proving Ground Games. We’re a small design and publication firm based in Ohio. We have a vision to grow though! Right now our staff consists of the owners and an intern, as well as a small army of volunteers who are in it for the swag.
The Basics
You probably don’t have an MBA—we sure don’t. So, you’ll want to educate yourself on business practices and Intellectual Property law. I learned a ton from the IP seminar they have every year at Origins. I’m not an expert, but I know what’s patentable, what’s copyrightable, and how to do it.
There are federal and state resources that are available as you plan your business. In Ohio, we have access to the Ohio 1st Stop Business Connection. It has resources, information, and advice on starting a business, writing a business plan, securing funding, and you can apply for the necessary licenses online. Your state likely has a similar website. You can check the US Small Business Administration website to see what is available in your state, and for even more information.
The Spanish forces of Sir Nogel had marshaled in the opening days of April and now early on a rain-washed morning they marched out to meet the French invaders. They arrived on the edge of a blossoming field, across which the French had made their camp. As both sides drew up for battle, the Spanish soldiers fidgeted nervously at the site of the vaunted French mounted knights.
Robed in their polished armor and adorned with the French colors, the knights instantly drew the attention of the Spanish foot soldiers. The Spanish nobles tried in vain to reassure their vassals that this was a battle that could be won and that their men’s lives would not be forfeit. After a brief skirmish between the two sides, the main lines of foot soldiers marched towards each other.
Then, whether out of bloodlust or foolish pride, the French knights charged the center of the Spanish line. Expecting this type of rashness from their enemies, the Spanish had instructed their men to immediately stop their advance at the site of a French cavalry charge. Quickly coming to a halt and forming ranks, the Spanish spears prepared to meet the enemy horses. Like waves against a rocky shore, the French knights broke upon the Spanish spear.
In a manner of minutes the remaining knights were fleeing the field of battle leaving their fallen brethren lying amongst the spring flowers at the feet of the Spanish.
Developed by Byzantine Games and published by Matrix/Slitherine
O Lord, Thou knowest how busy I must be this day. If I forget Thee, do not forget me.” It was immediately followed with the order -“March on, boys!”(The Royalist General, Lord Jacob Astley’s battlefield prayer, Edgehill 1642)
Pike and Shot is a battalion/regimental level wargame set during the Renaissance era. It features three conflicts: the Thirty Years War, the English Civil War, and the Italian Wars. It also offers a tutorial campaign, a quick-play skirmish mode, multi-player, and a game editor to allow users to design their own scenarios.
Pike and Shot’s opening screen showing all the main options
It is described by Slitherine as being heavily influenced by the Field of Glory series, and as a very keen digital Field of Glory player I was enthusiastic about checking it out by way of comparison. It is, however, quite a different game in many subtle respects, and to draw too much comparison with digital Field of Glory can lead to some disappointment if you are expecting a Renaissance clone of that game – since it has a different feel to its play, as I am told by Richard Bodley Scott (the lead designer) that it is based upon the table top game, which for a Grog is a massive bonus for this type of game. If you can dissociate the two games, and play Pike and Shot on its own merits, it is an interesting and absorbing game. The maps and unit blocks all look very clear and nice, giving a good 17th Century impression with the visuals. I’d have liked to have been able to zoom closer to see more of my unit detail than is currently allowed with the system, but that is a minor gripe, with what are essentially nice game graphics. One thing immediately apparent is that generally there are fewer elements in play compared to your average digital Field of Glory game, which may or may not be a good thing depending on your point of view.
