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FRAG! The Newsletter of Shrapnel Games, Inc.
<
www.shrapnelgames.com> The Art of Wargaming [TM]
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~ Issue 42, Dec 2004 ~
In this issue:
1. News from the Frontlines of Shrapnel Games
2. Dominions III Developer Diary
3. Trivia Time!
4. Hot Sellers and Special Offers
5. Space HoRSE Patched
6. Link of the Month
7. New Year's Wishing
8. The Crystal Ball
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News from the Frontlines of Shrapnel Games
Hail and welcome to the latest edition of Frag!, the only newsletter handcrafted by elven artisans who have studied for centuries the fine art of newsletter crafting. Delivered straight to your inbox and chock full of bubbly Shrapnel goodness, we are proud to bring you issue number 42. Yes, that's right, number 42...don't forget your towel.
If you've missed out on recent Shrapnel news then you've missed out on the news that the long awaited sequel to the Charles S. Roberts award winning Horse and Musket has shipped. Dragoon: The Prussian War Machine marched out Last month, bringing the enjoyment of hex and counter based wargaming to a digital world. With exhaustively researched scenarios, an impressive list of features, nailbiting action, and endless replayability, Dragoon: The Prussian War Machine is a wargamer's wargame. Download the demo at
www.shrapnelgames.com/boku/Dragoon/6.htm and find out for yourself.
On the opposite end of the gaming spectrum our first social party game, So Cliche, is getting ready to hit the streets running. Final testing has completed and the game will be off to the printers this month, with a projected ship date of January. Rather different from our usual fare we're quite excited to bring a fast paced game that all types of adults can enjoy to the market. For more information please check out the game's homepage at
www.shrapnelgames.com/So%20Cliche/SoCliche/1.htm
Well, it's December and you know what that means. Festivus! Get out your pole and get ready for the feats of strength because this will be the best Festivus ever! Oh yeah, there's also this little thing called Christmas that people celebrate. Here at Shrapnel Games we'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas (and for all your P.C. folks, Season's Greetings). Your support and dedication to keeping independent gaming alive has made 2004 a great year for us, and to show our appreciation we're running a special Christmas sale through December 15th. Go to
www.shrapnelgames.com/XMASCARD04.htm and check out the great offer, just in time for your holiday shopping.
Until we meet again next year may you have a safe and enjoyable holiday season! Here are a few tips to make it the best season possible:
1. Don't deep fry a turkey inside the house otherwise you'll get to use words like "inferno" and "conflagration" to your insurance company.
2. Fruitcake is ten times denser than titanium and can be used for heat shielding on the space shuttle.
3. No matter how good of an idea it seems like at the time keep your pants on during the office Christmas party.
4. Avoid the in-laws, play lots and lots of Shrapnel Games.
See you in 2005!
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Dominions III Developer Diary
For the Christmas season we're giving our interviewees a holiday break. Interviews will continue next year, as soon as everyone gets all the egg nog and turducken out of their systems (hopefully not in the most direct and violent way). Instead we're bringing you the start of something that we're particularly excited about at Frag! HQ, the Dominions III Developer Diary by Illwinter Game Design.
Periodically the kind folks at Illwinter will share their thoughts on the Dominions universe, game design, or other such wisdom as we count down to the release of Dominions III. We hope you enjoy this feature! And now, for your reading pleasure, Illwinter Game Design...
Developer Diary 01
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Hmm, well, Hello!
There is to be a Dominions 3 developers diary, or so I hear. I have never written a diary and I have never seen a developers diary. So what should I write? Whatever comes into my mind I suppose.
My name is Kristoffer Osterman. I'm about 50% of the Illwinter crew. I am the master of the world (uttered in a booming voice). It is I who make the sprites and most of the unit descriptions in the game. I like to create worlds. I have done so since I was eleven years old and got my first RPG. So I am the master of the world. JK on the other hand is the watchmaker. He makes the laws of the world (he is the programmer). This makes division of labor easy. I make sprites, write descriptions, add new units and spells, and JK makes everything else work. Unless I find the inspiration to make a new monster it will not appear. So, I have a veto on the world, but JK has a veto on everything.
So, Dominions 3 is announced. The contract is signed etc. But what do we have in mind? What are we doing? What am I doing?
We began work on Dominions 3 late spring. We had some ideas that would take some efforts to incorporate in Dom2. Better start with something new. Or at least partly new.
During Origins we had some discussions with Shrapnel about were we wanted to go. They were all ears. We went home, took some well earned vacations and resumed work.
So what will Dom3 be like?
Hard to say at the moment. We rarely work after a plan. Changes are mostly done when we get a good idea or at rare occasions when something seems necessary.
The game basics will be the same. Nations, pretenders, battle orders, magic research etc. Those who have played dominions before will feel at home.
Dom2 was apparently not an easy game to get into, so we will have to work a bit on user friendlieness. This is scary. I'm friendly, but I don't know too much about Users.
Nations and themes:
Themes will be reworked and rebalanced. Many of the ideas from the forum has proven useful. Caelum now has it's three themes almost finished. Now I like the raptor theme, not just the idea. There are also some major changes in theme/nation setup. We are still experimenting here.
Currently three new nations are in the works, but it is likely that more will come. I have a year to go and I'm almost finished with these.
I like arms. Most Indian gods have several. Thus I like Indian gods. This month I have delved into Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana, some other books, and Online resources to find more about Indian spirits and supernatural beings. Bandar Log, a new Indian inspired nation will have themes with additional mythological content and unique summons. Celestial apsaras and gandharvas as well as malign rakshasas and daityas will be available for the Bandar player.
There is also a couple of new gods. Some of eastern appearence others of mediterranean, northern or southern dito.
Some other stuff:
Morale system is remade. Perhaps we will be able to explain how it works now. Life drain altered, probably not for the Last time. Shields parry instead of adding to prot and def. Strikes in head dangerous. Keep your helmet on. Insanity instead of feeblemindness in the void gate. Nation specific researchable spells and summons.
Current unit count 1347. Thats 252 new ones. 17 new gods.
/Kristoffer Osterman
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This month I have been working mostly on the battlefield graphics. Dominions 3d engine has got a well needed update. There has been significant speed improvements for modern 3d cards. Forests now consists of thousands of trees and bushes, so if Dominions III were a FPS you wouldn't be able to see the end of the forest because of all the trees. Also new is the grass that covers the ground and will blow if there is a storm going on.
Other than graphical stuff I have been beefing up some old spells that weren't as featureful as we wanted as well as implementing a few new ones. Since most simple spells were already created in Dominions II any new spells that are added now usually involves quite a bit of coding. I try to stay away from recycling spell effect, because it is way more interesting with a different effect than another name and 10 points more of damage.
/Johan Karlsson
Stay tuned for more developer diaries in the future. Same Shrapnel channel, same Shrapnel time!
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Trivia Time
Over the years Hollywood has often portrayed Christmas as a time for truces in war, even if they're just between a couple of squads (a la A Midnight Clear), yet in reality how often were truces made during Christmas? The answer is very rarely, if at all, although there is one exceptional incident, the Christmas Truce of 1914.
1914 was of course the first year of the Great War, or as it would later be known, World War One. While warfare had been a constant companion to Europe throughout the centuries this was a new kind of war, a war that heralded in modern warfare with the machine gun, chemical agents, airpower, and armor. Not realizing what a massive undertaking was occurring many soldiers believed the war would be short. No one could foresee it dragging all the way into 1918.
Away from home, ankle deep in mud, miles of barbed wire stretching from horizon to horizon, a no man's land of craters and flybown corpses as far as the eye could see, it had to be tough to spend the first Christmas on the front. Perhaps because the horrors of modern warfare had not yet stripped away the soldiers' humanity, or maybe *because* of the horrors, Christmas 1914 turned out to be a very unique holiday.
>From Belgium to Northern France truces broke out between the Allied forces and German troops manning the trenches. The truces didn't Last long, usually from Christmas Eve to the end of Christmas Day, and not every sector engaged in a truce, but still the sheer number of truces upon that day made it almost appear like the whole line had thrown down their weapons for the day.
No one knows how it began, but from most recollections the Germans tended to initiate the truces. The British were leery, but in the end those who had been contacted by the Germans were leaving their trenches, exchanging plum pudding for beer, and generally having a good time. There is even a legend of a football game between the combatants in no man's land, although judging from the number of conflicting reports either it was truly nothing more than a legend, or it really happened in multiple locales and the reports are all referring to different games.
The truces Lasted through Christmas Day and then the war was on once more the next morning. Men who had the day before proudly showed each other photos of sweethearts, or told stories of the home life, were now trying to kill each other.
The Christmas Truces did not repeat in subsequent war years, and indeed became an even greater anamoly as time marched on. During the Second World War the conflict raged no matter what time of year it was, and as the Christmas celebrating enemies of the first two World Wars gave way to enemies that didn't celebrate Christmas, the concept of a Christmas Truce took on a mythical quality. The chances of something happening again like it did on the Western Front in 1914 may never happen, but people will always remember when it did.
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Hot Sellers and Special Offers
Well, the fell beasts that rule over mortal lives couldn't take the thought of being second best and have once again slithered to the top spot at the Gamers Front. The top selling game is once again Dominions II: The Ascension Wars, the fantasy strategy game that does more than play well, it brings PC and Mac owners together, and isn't that what Christmas is about?
Coming in at number two is Mark H. Walker's Lock 'N Load: Forgotten Heroes Vietnam. Tactical boardgaming set during the forgotten era of wargaming. Good stuff, and don't forget about its first official expansion that adds ANZAC forces to the battlefield.
Last but surely not least, arriving at number three, is Dave Erickson's superb game of linear warfare, Dragoon: The Prussian War Machine. Fight the good fight in this classically influenced computer wargame.
With this being the season of peace and love we bring you several specials at the Gamers Front that reflect the season, as long as by peace and love you really mean death and destruction. Works for us.
ATF: Armored Task Force, the precursor to Raging Tiger: The Second Korean War, is now on sale for $39.95. A real time simulation of modern warfare if you're someone who bemoans the lack of realism in other RTS games then see if you have what it takes to play with the big boys.
Attack!, Eagle Games' boardgame of conquest and political maneuvering set during the 1930's is on sale for $24.99. Clean up as the fascists as you topple neutral after neutral, or protect the free world as a democracy. Endless replayability!
Combat Command 2: Desert Rats can be had for $39.95. A Dave Erickson design, the Combat Command 2 series is the computer wargame series for gamers who love boardgaming and think that computer wargames should provide just as much fun. If you like hexes, counters, and all things World War II you'll definitely enjoy Combat Command 2: Desert Rats.
Finally the game that recreates the classic gameplay of M.U.L.E., Space HoRSE, is now on sale for five dollars off its normal price. Available for $29.95 Space HoRSE is a quick playing game that really shines in multiplayer.
All these specials can be viewed at:
www.gamersfront.com/cgi-bin/store/Category.cgi?Category=100
Kneel before Zod, or at least some sinister insane gods with Dominions II:
www.gamersfront.com/cgi-bin/store/Category.cgi?item=45010&type=store
Take a tour of duty deep in the umm, "crap", with Lock 'N Load:
www.gamersfront.com/cgi-bin/store/Category.cgi?item=09101&type=store
Fight for the glory of Prussia in Dragoon:
www.gamersfront.com/cgi-bin/store/Category.cgi?item=11010&type=store
Please pass these specials along to others who may be interested!
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Space HoRSE Patched
Gilligames' homage to the Atari 800 classic, M.U.L.E., has recently been patched to Version 1.04. The usual bug smashing is included, but so is a brand new species and some other tweaks.
Released in conjunction with the patch is the Internet Game Matching Service 2.0, which does exactly what is sounds like it does. With the new IGMS finding opponents for Space HoRSE over the 'net has never been easier. A built in chat room helps players set up games or simply talk smack, and keep up with the latest Gilligames' news and game updates.
To download the patch and/or the Internet Game Matching Service 2.0, please point your browser to:
www.shrapnelgames.com/gilligames/Space_HoRSE/6.htm
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Link of the Month
This month's link is an oldie but goodie, and probably one that a lot of you are already aware of, Web-Grognards (located at
www.grognard.com). If by chance you are not familiar with the site hopefully this will turn you into a faithful browser.
While Web-Grognards can be said to lack in the flash and awe departments it more than makes up for it in the content department. Reviews, PBEM aids, company links, errata, ludographies, and much more make this site the near equivelant to the Library of Congress for wargaming. If you're at your local game shop and some old timer is talking about the good ol' days of wargaming and mentions a game you've never heard about chances are pretty good you'll be able to dig something up on it from Web-Grognards.
www.grognard.com
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New Year's Wishing
As the year begins to draw to a close here at Frag! we wanted to take a moment to dwell upon what we'd like to wish for in the coming year. This being a gaming newsletter we'll forego the Swedish bikini models, hot fudge sundaes, and endless repeat viewings of Futurama and think about our gaming wishes. After much contemplation and soul searching (okay, between a marathon sitting of the Lord of the Rings DVDs) we narrowed down our New Year's wishes to a single wish.
The wish? That more folks will discover independent gaming. And sure, we hope they discover us first, but there are so many independent games out there that will blow you away that as long as indie games are alive and being discovered that's good too.
Since you're reading this newsletter we know there's no need to convince you. You've tasted the fruit of indie goodness and enjoyed its sweet nectar. You know there's more to games than the mainstream regurgitated junk that is force fed down everyone's throats.
Originality? Creativity? Brilliance? Remember when those three words could be used to describe dozens of games at a time? Remember the '80s when developers were allowed to do what they wanted to do, to craft the vision they saw fit and not be some lapdog for a corporate accountant? Ah yes, the '90s...
In the '90s the gaming world changed from being a hobby that lonely math nerds did on Friday nights to an actual industry. Games started getting big. Bank accounts became even bigger. Companies that once started out of someone's one bedroom apartment were soon occupying entire office buildings. It seemed like a new Golden Age. Unfortunately the gold was really nothing more than cheap paint that flaked off if you rubbed too hard.
Instead of visionary works we got works that a blind man could have done. Instead of creativity we got conformity. Instead of rewarding intelligence stupidity was honored.
Yet all the traits that once sparked so many imaginations in the days of Atari 800s and Apple II+s are still present. You won't usually find them sharing retail space next to the latest multimillion dollar crap clickfest at your local Best Buy but you will find them Online if you look hard enough. Independent gaming, gaming free from the constraints of market trends, focus Groups, or forced deadlines is everything the beginning of computer gaming gave the world. Full of promise, full of life, and most of all full of fun.
So please, the next time one of your friends bemoans the lack of originality in computer gaming, or tells you that he can't wait until INSERT MUNDANE NAME HERE FOLLOWED BY A BUNCH OF ROMAN NUMERALS is released point them to some of your favorite indie games. Turn some new gamers on to the scene. Help make our New Year's Wish come true.
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The Crystal Ball
All American: 82nd Airborne in Normandy: January 2005
So Cliche, The Silly Things People Say Game: January 2005
Salvo!: Winter 2004/05
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FRAG! is the official newsletter of Shrapnel Games, Inc. To Subscribe or unSubscribe, please visit our homepage:
www.shrapnelgames.com.
It's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses.
Copyright 2004, Shrapnel Games, Inc. All rights reserved.
FRAG! Newsletter - Dec \'04
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