Outrider is unleashed!

Part of this complete breakfast.

I tried to contain it, making as many last-minute touch-ups as I could, but the Wasteland Warriors of post CWII America could be contained no more!

As a birthday present to myself, I zipped all the core game materials and an intro scenario into one package and uploaded to the suite of onebookshelf.com store fronts (see the link below).

I want to thank the following:

First and foremost, I want to thank my wife and family. Thanks for encouraging me to follow this 'out of the ordinary' endeavour. Thanks for putting up with all my papers and so forth and thanks for explaining to others why a grown man needs SO MANY hotwheels with a straight face.

I also want to thank all those who playtested the game and helped demo the game at various comic shops, game shops and conventions - this input/feedback was invaluable in streamlining the game to what it is now.

I also want to thank the community of other gamers/enthusiasts, who contributed valuiable guidance, contributions and a forum for the game.

I won't spend much more time schilling for the game - I will spend the next few days (after a break) finding avenues for marketing the game (trying to get in front of faces that would likely play it) so don't be surprised if you see it crop up a time or two on various sites you visit.

The last favor I will ask is this: if you have purchased/played the game, please take time to review it or rate it - this could be at the site of purchase or at a forum, such as boardgamegeek.com

thanks again and happy motoring!

the link:  Outrider: Fast and Furious Vehicular Combat

The New Face of Outrider

I've been sketching for months, trying to come up with the 'splash' art for the center of the Outrider rulebook. What I wanted was a vehicle based on a muscle car, layered in riveted metal armor, brandishing machine guns in front of the driver, with something like an XM214 Minigun strapped to the passenger side fender. Slap on a diamond plate bumber with push bars, add some rust and some dust and viola:

Desert Raider or Grandma's Ford Fairmount? - You decide!

Okay, so it looks a little more like Starksky & Hutch's Gran Torino than I anticipated, but once you start covering up the grille and bumper with slabs of metal you pretty much end up with that '5 mph park bench bumper' look that was all the rage in 1974.All in all, I'm happy with it - it 'looks' the way I picture the vehicles in Outrider's setting looking. Take a look at a rough comp of the cover, car and all (right). I'm looking forward to uploading the game here in a week or so. I plan on celebrating my !?!th (ahem) birthday playing a game of 'Rider with a few friends and family. -G

Sneak Peek at the 2D Art

I will be spending ALL of the remaining until launch, tweaking the artwork of the game. As it stands now, I am focusing on the four vehicles and terrain that will be included in the base game, which is essentially the pieces needed for the introductory ROADBLOCK scenario. I will release other vehicles, after launch as they are finished.

I struggled for a long time, trying to decide what style I wanted to use for the game. I tried building models in Sketchup, I tried photographing real cars, toy cars ... I finally decided to go back and use variations of the original pencil sketches that appeared on the original hand-drawn Outrider prototype cards.

At first I thought the sketchy nature of the images wouldn't work ... but after scanning them in and tweaking them (and coloring them) a bit in Adobe, I felt more confident in the look.

Here's a sneak peek



Gunslinger Sample Art

 I'm still a little concerned about the asymmetrical, 'warpy' look of some of the original sketches ... but hey, whoever thought that any car would stay unscathed in the wastes?

The additional cars will be posted for free, after the game is up on BGG and other sites.

That's all for now ...

Outrider Nears Release and New Project begins

Just a quick update: Outrider V1.0 will be released for sale on onebookshelf.com sites (rpgnow, wargame vault, etc) before the end of January '11. The release version will be a print and play product, consisting of cards, tokens, ruler and a few bits 2D terrain. This version will be cosmetically similar to the 'Wings of War' base game. The scale is unchanged, so the ability to convert to a 1/64th scale minis game is intact - in fact, there will be scenario packs including 3D terrain released later this year. Also in the works are a damage deck (for detailed damage) and an equipment deck for adding upgrades, additional weapons and auxilliary equipment to player's vehicles.

Also in the works ...

Development has begun in DFG's second release - Engage!

Engage is a game of Starship combat - capital ships skirmishing at sub-light speeds, much like you see in popular SciFi movies anf TV. Elements of the game include a simultaneous movement emchanic, as well as a very non-traditional, dexterity-based method of targetting/firing (well, non-traditional for this genre, anyway). Like Outrider, the focus is to keep the intensity and speed high, while maintaining a satisfying level of theme and strategy.