Ogre News Archives
January 16, 2024: Ogre Miniatures Set 4 Now On BackerKit Through January 25
Ogre Miniatures Set 4 contains more than 80 unpainted minis to add to your Ogre Miniatures collection.
May 19, 2022: New Ways To Play Ogre
What's that, you say? "I wish I had more ways to play Ogre."
Your wish is our command.
Ogre is now available on console. Xbox and PlayStation are available today; Nintendo Switch is coming soon.
There have also been several updates to the Steam version to go along with the console releases.
A few of the highlights are:
- The AI has been improved
- You can now speed up gameplay by 5x
- Additional animation controls (enable/disable various animations)
- Added custom and premade formations for deployment
Full details about the releases are available:
on the Auroch Digital Blog
on the PlayStation Blog
on The Xbox Hub
on Steam
(Post #73)
March 11, 2022: Loose Lips, Something Something
Did someone say "Ogre playmat?"
Some eagle-eyes noticed a little gem hidden in CW6e update #125 that was confirmed in a recent twitter post. There is a new Orange Map playmat on the horizon. Long-time fans will no doubt notice the similarities between the new playmat and the board from Ogre: Deluxe Edition. That's not an accident; a lot of inspiration for the new playmat layout came from the old board design.
Minis on Daily Illuminator
Phil Reed announced an update about Ogre Miniatures Set 4 tooling on the Daily Illuminator today.
Auroch Digital Podcast Interviews
Auroch Digital's Season 7 of their podcast includes interviews with Steve Jackson and David Rock talking about Ogre.
In Case You Missed It
Here is a retransmission of the State of the Line from December 2021. I missed getting this up on the website when it was originally sent in December.
As we close out 2021, it's time to take a look at where we are, and where we are going.
As you know, the activity has been low while we all battle on multiple fronts; but that doesn't mean progress has halted. Since the last news transmission, Ogre Miniatures Set 3 has been delivered, the Steam version of Ogre has received a couple of updates, and Ogre is being brought to Gameboard.
There's also been a changing of the guard at the Ogre Line Editor position. I am honored to have the opportunity to try and fill some very big shoes left behind by Drew. We would not be anywhere close to where we are today without his tireless efforts over the last few years. Thank you for everything, Drew. Many of you already know me from various forums, but you can read my bio on Daily Illuminator to get a little glimpse behind the blast doors.
Looking ahead:
Ogre Miniatures Set 4 lumbers forward as we continue to review designs; NAC units are coming.
Ogrezine 3 is still on, but I need your help! I know several of you out there have continued to express interest in a third installment, and have something to contribute. Please send submissions to ogre@sjgames.com and be sure to review the Writer's Guidelines
Happy Holidays and see you in the new year.
September 23, 2019: A Pause In The Shelling
A bit of a quiet stretch here, so not too much to update. I'm hoping that will change soon!
Battlefields is out and about, and seemingly well received. Certainly those unfortunate souls that missed out on Ogre Designer's Edition now have some G.E.V. maps to play on, AND those that got ODE now have maps G3 and S3. A win for all around!
Ogre Miniatures Set 3 is moving along. The test shot of the Ogre Mark VI arrived and although it is (correctly) bigger, it came damaged so we cannot yet sign off on the sample. We await a replacement to validate the tooling.
Out of my own curiosity, I asked about Ogre fiction on the forums, seeing as I have had some offers to write longer pieces that would be inappropriate for Ogrezine. Unsurprisingly, the results were overwhelming positive. There may have been a wee bit of a sampling bias built in . . . ! Nonetheless, it is something I'm (mildly) exploring; there are absolutely no promises here!
Speaking of Ogrezine, submissions have dried up! Are you all so sated with Ogrezine I and II that you have nothing left to offer? Somehow I doubt that. Especially as we've given you all of those beautiful playmats (including our newest, M6 & M7) and have Ogre Miniatures Set 3 coming in the near future. Between Battlefields and these, I have to believe that there are some ideas bubbling that need an outlet. I can't advocate for another issue if you don't provide me the ammunition. Please send submissions to ogre@sjgames.com and be sure to review the Writer's Guidelines.
Autumn arrives tomorrow - the weather is simply perfect for Ogre. See you on the battlefield!
(Post #71)
August 18, 2019: Ogre Updates
A little of this and a little of that for this Ogre News.
First off, as most if not all of you know, the campaign for Ogre Miniatures Set 3 featuring the Ogre Mark VI and Doppelsoldner was a success. Over 500 backers helped make this latest Ogre Miniatures set a reality. The factory is currently working on the steel molds for these beasts, and we hope to have test shots to share in October/November. We are also working on the BackerKit and should have that ready soon. We anticipate having a limited preorder period for those that missed the campaign as well.
Battlefields continues to ship domestically. For those of you enjoying the supplement and sharing your pictures/posts, thank you! For those of you (including myself!) that have yet to receive it, please be patient. As Phil has mentioned in the Kickstarter Updates, we had a few issues with the fulfillment warehouse and have a very small staff to run down snafus. As of last week we still had 134 in the US who had not been sent their orders; fear not. We will get everyone their pledges. For our international brethren, we will post an update once packages are ready for the various fulfillment partners overseas.
Due to popular request, we have re-opened preorders for the Pocket Box BackerKit. Need a portable version of Ogre but want all the extras? Grab Ogre, G.E.V., Shockwave, and Ogre Reinforcement Pack, and you are good to go. You can load up on all sorts of Ogre (and non-Ogre!) goodies, including Battlesuit, the new Battlefields, Ogre Playmat M1, and more. Check out the classic Car Wars material and new The Fantasy Trip stuff, too!
Speaking of playmats, Battlefields, and Ogre Miniatures Set 3, where are the scenarios, everybody? Previously, I've thrown down the gauntlet for you all to provide me with some interesting ideas but there has been a lot of crickets since then. You've got a bunch of new maps via the playmats and soon some monstrous miniatures; that has to be stimulating some creative juices, no? If I'm to convince Phil that we need an Ogrezine Mark III, I need your help! As always, please send submissions or questions to ogre@sjgames.com. I look forward to my mailbox exploding in the near future!
Enjoy the waning days of summer and play some Ogre!
(Post #70)
August 4, 2019: The Final Days Arrive
We have a little over two days left in our monstrous Ogre Miniatures Set 3 campaign. Now is your opportunity to get these beast at a notable discount. We are sitting at almost 500 backers and a little over 110% backed; not too shabby for a very specialized set! Plus we shall see if there is the "last minute bump" on Indigogo in the same manner as Kickstarter. Fun times!
For those that backed Ogre Battlefields, they are starting to arrive on doorsteps across the land. We are still shipping them out, so please be patient if you have not received yours at this time; it's coming. This is a huge expansion for Ogre, bringing new units, new ODE-style maps (S3 & G3), the "missing" units from the minor factions, and so much more to your tabletop. This box is heavy!
Did you miss out on getting Ogre Battlefields? Or are you looking for (a ton of) conventional units such as those in Ogre Battle Box to take on the Ogre Mark VI and/or Doppelsoldner? Well, fear not! You can pick up these products in the Ogre MIniatures Set 3 campaign. In addition to choices of 1, 2, or 3 sets of Ogre Miniatures Set 3, you can choose from the following options:
- Ogre Miniatures Set 3 and Ogre Battlefields
- Ogre Miniatures Set 3 and Ogre Battle Box
- Two sets of Ogre Miniatures Set 3 with Ogre Battlefields and Ogre Battle Box
- Three sets of Ogre Miniatures Set 3 with Ogre Battlefields, Ogre Battle Box and Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition.
You can get 3-D constructs of the Doppelsoldner and Ogre Mark VI that match the other Ogre Sixth Edition units in Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition (plus a bunch of other 3-D targets as well as a Vulcan!) All of these options come at a substantial discount when ordered through the Ogre MIniatures Set 3 campaign. But remember, we are in the last 50+ hours of the campaign. Now is the time to strike!
Ogre. It's what's for dinner.
(Post #69)
July 29, 2019: One Week Left!
We are in the final week of the campaign for Ogre Miniatures Set 3 featuring the massive Ogre Mark VI and Doppelsoldner. Two weeks down and we are sitting at 90% funded; we just need a little more to push us over! I have faith that we will reach the Command Post and crush it!
To review some questions about the campaign:
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There are no stretch goals; this is a straight-forward campaign for this mini set.
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Related, this is just for black versions of these minis at this time. The cost is heavily weighted to the creation of the molds, and thus the (relatively) high funding goal. Once we have the molds created, it is possible to consider other colors down the road if the interest is there.
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You can pledge for multiple "perks" if you want more miniatures than what are listed as options.
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Your card will be charged when you choose your perk.
Finally, I want to face the biggest "complaint-question" head on. As mentioned previously, we are exploring a variety of options re: crowd-funding and fulfillment platforms. There has been a lot of commentary about the choice of Indigogo over Kickstarter, specifically relating to some people's experience of the failure of other Indigogo projects to send what was anticipated. Neither Kickstarter nor Indigogo guarentee that a supporter will receive what they pledge for, going at lengths to specifically state the risk is on the backers. To quote Kickstarter: "Kickstarter is not a part of this contract — the contract is a direct legal agreement between creators and their backers." So, although I understand people may have had poor experiences previously on Indigogo, that is a reflection of the project creator, and not the platform. I certainly have had (far too many!) pledges disappear into a void on Kickstarter due to unscrupulous projects and yet I still continue to back (again, too many!) projects there; this is the risk inherent with crowd-sourcing.
I would like to believe that Steve Jackson Games has demostrated unparalleled transparency in the industry, as well as a track record of meeting our obligations, that stretches back over decades. In backing Ogre Miniatures Set 3, you are entering into an agreement with us, not Indigogo. And if you have not had a good experience with us, we want to know about it! It is how we get better. So, support the campaign or not as you wish, but please be clear that the success (or failure) of a campaign is dependent upon the project creator, not the crowd-sourcing platform.
Although I am very willing to discuss this concern with anyone who wishes to do so, please email me directly rather than carrying a public conversation on the forums or in a comments thread, to allow those that are enjoying the campaign the courtesy of the opportunity to do so.
We have one more week to bring these beasts to our tabletops. Now is the time for the final drive on the funding CP! Long live Ogre!
(Post #68)
July 16, 2019: Can You Hear The Rumble?
The world of Ogre just got bigger . . . and a lot more dangerous!
We said we would do it and now it is a reality. The Ogre Miniatures Set 3 campaign is officially underway to produce those beasts of the nuclear battlefield, the Ogre Mark VI and the Doppelsoldner! We are located on Indiegogo this time around, extending our reach into other crowdfunding sites. We look forward to a fun and vibrant campaign!
This campaign will run for the next three weeks and we're keeping things really streamlined this time around. There are no stretch goals or multiple different color options; Ogre Miniatures Set 3 will be comprised of one each of a black Ogre Mark VI and Doppelsoldner, offered at a discount from the eventual Warehouse 23 price. There are options to purchase multiple sets, as well as package deals comprised of either or both of Ogre Battlefields and Ogre Battle Box, plus the Ultimate Bundle including Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition in addition to all of the above.
We are 22% of the way to our goal; come join our campaign on Indiegogo and check out these monstrous cybertanks!
(Post #67)
May 18, 2019: Reloading
Just a brief update to touch base - I'm busy prioritizing our next Ogre projects while the company is focusing a bit on The Fantasy Trip (go check out the Decks of Destiny KS! I'll wait . . .), Munchkin (Warhammer, Girl Genius, many others), and obviously Car Wars, as well as many other amazing games. That said, my job is Ogre, so that's where I'm at! We certainly owe y'all a Kickstarter for the massive Mark VI and Doppelsoldner; I know Phil has been looking at the details for this recently, so rest assured that it is not forgotten. I'll provide details here when we have something more concrete to announce.
As those of you who attended FnordCon know, (thanks again, for the help!), I've been playing around with more mats. A new Ogre-style map is in the works and I'm got ideas for a few more GEV-style maps to help link everything together. Question: would variations of current maps be of interest? Two ideas have popped up: Either a winter version of an established map, or perhaps one with already damaged terrain? I fear the winter version might look bland and would not add anything to the game except eye-candy (we do not have any official winter terrain rules) but I keep bumping into the idea. As far as making damaged versions of established maps, it would be dictating where the damage is located. I think overlays would work better (i.e. more flexibility) but I could be wrong. Please jump over to this thread and let me know your thoughts.
Nightfall and a possible Battlefields 2 are also on my virtual desktop. I'm trying to get a full draft (of either!) to Steve but life keeps getting in the way. But there is progress. So there is plenty of Ogre happening, even if there haven't been any grand pronouncements in the recent weeks.
I'd be remiss if I didn't remind everyone that pre-orders are still open for the many Ogre-verse Pocket Box games (and all those other games). There's even an Ogre-only bundle. But don't forget to add Necromancer to play the secret Ogre scenario! I'm looking forward to trying it out. Plus, we have located some more copies of Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition and put them up on Warehouse 23. Everyone needs a Vatican Guard Doppelsoldner, right? There is a lot of great information in this book, and some of you may choose to ditch the gameboard and go tabletop miniature moving forward! Additionally, Battlefields should be leaving the factory right about now and beginning its trek to our fulfillment warehouse in Michigan. We will keep you posted.
Speaking of Battlefields and Ogre MIniatures, Second Edition, a few people have been inquiring as to the specifics of what units and counters are found with each product. I have posted a counter sheet manifest over on our forums that spells out the contents for these releases; check it out.
That's all for now. Happy Spring, everyone! Go play a game!
(Post #66)
April 25, 2019: Ogre Releases
Just a quick update to let people know that Ogrezine, Mark II is being released and fans should begin to see notifications in the near future. I hope you enjoy this as much as the first issue; personally, I think you all have raised the bar! I look forward to future submissions for a presumed Ogrezine, Mark III, especially with all of the Ogre Playmats released, just begging for some scenarios to be made.
The new Ogre Playmats, M6 and M7, are now available on Warehouse 23. Plus, you can order any of the Ogre Playmats (including M2, the "Iron Mountain" playmat!) as part of the Pocket Box Games Kickstarter. Those, plus lots of other Ogre goodies, including the classic Ogre games and supplements as well as pocket folders and journals for your gaming needs, are still available as a preorder. Get your order in today before the window closes.
Finally, we are allowing more preorders of the amazing Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition hardbound book and counter sheet set. You can find that on Warehouse 23, too; check it out before they are gone.
(Post #65)
April 7, 2019: FnordCon 2019
We are only half was through FnordCon and already it is a smashing success, at least from an Ogre point of view, and if what I saw yesterday is any indication, apparently eveyone else. The best part of the "Learn to Play" event was when a young player said, "That was amazing! We need to get this game!" Even a cybernetic Ogre would smile at that!
We had some proof copies of Ogrezine II printed and on display at FnordCon. A few lucky fans were able to purchase one. It is in the very last stage of proofing and should be released very soon.
For those of you that helped me playtest a new playmat, I am eternally thankful. Keith, Dan, Damian, Andy, Mack, Andy, Mark, Brian, Darin, and Karl all put the new Ogre map design through its paces and provided invaluable feedback. Through their assistance, I now have a direct path to creating a new Ogre map that should play well by all players and yet serve as a new map for jaded senior fans.
Speaking of new maps, we released a pair of new playmats yesterday. Playmat M6 is a GEV playground, with a large body of water, a GEV Ramp and Beach, plus more. Playmat M7, on the other hand, is where Heavy Tanks go to prowl. Lots of Woods and Streams make it challenging for other units to get around. Both geomorph with existing playmats. You can find both on W23.
More to come! On to another day at FnordCon including the fan-favorite: Steve Jackson Against the World! Plus at 11:00 AM today, Karl Gallagher will be leading a massive Ogre game titled "Salvage", which may be found in Ogre Scenario Book 2 on Warehouse 23. It should be a great time!
-- Drew Metzger
(Post #64)
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March 23, 2019: Overdue Update
My how time flies when you've your nose to the grindstone. But no excuses, let's be at the Update!
The finishing touches are being done for both Ogre Scenarios: Books 1-3 and Ogrezine II. Ogre Scenarios: Books 1-3 is our POD compilation of the three Ogre Scenario Books, bringing all 30 scenarios together into one printed book. The Ogre Book and GURPS Ogre are already both available in our POD library, and Ogre Scenarios: Books 1-3 will be a worthy addition. Ogrezine II is in its final checks as well. We've got 60 pages of Ogre submissions for everyone to enjoy! Once Ogrezine II is released, we will be hard at developing the Ogrezine I & II POD book to follow. Both Ogre Scenarios: Books 1-3 and Ogrezine II should be released in the very near future.
April 6-7 and FnordCon is rapidly approaching. We have sold out of the T-shirts, and the stock of Silipints is dwindling, too, but there will be swag given out at the event. We anticipate having some new Ogre material available and I plan on roping a bunch of you into helping me playtest a new orange map, logistics permitting! We also are looking at some other Ogre events that I think you will all enjoy, including a miniature painting contest; more to come on that. Plus, there will be playtests of Car Wars, Sixth Edition; Munchkin games including Warhammer 40,000 (& new expansions!) and Steampunk: Girl Genius; our recently released The Fantasy Trip; Illuminati; and more Steve Jackson Games goodies to play. There is still time to join us in Austin. Just click over to the homepage and sign up.
Looking ahead, I'm finally getting some time to dust off all of my Nightfall notes and have (re-)re-started that project. Plus, we apparently promised you a Kickstarter for an Ogre Mark VI & Doppelsoldner . . . I guess we should honor that promise, eh? Seriously, you all are being quite patient and we appreciate it. And of course there is more to come in the wonderful world of Ogre! (Speaking of which, it is never too early to submit material for a hypothetical Ogrezine III. Battlefields will open up all sorts of possibilities for submissions. {Have you seen the pics?} Please see our Writing Guidelines. And art! I really want to see more of that!)
(Post #63)
February 28, 2019: Last Ogrezine II Article And Kickstarter Madness
We are closing out February by publishing the final submission for Ogrezine II, titled "Mercy Well Met" by T. A. Gordon. This is an introspective look at an Ogre that has decided to pursue a different path from the pre-ordained trail of destruction. I envision this occuring in the later years of The Last War, when sentinent Ogres are accepted norms. Captain Megan Grace of the Anarchist Relief Front would welcome Mercy with open arms! We anticipate having Ogrezine II complete in the latter part of March. Once released, we will be able to move quickly towards the POD version of Ogrezine I & II as well. Don't forget, there will be a few surprises for you in the issue, too!
In other Ogre news, we have published our latest edition of the Ogre Rulebook online on the Ogre Resources page. Although there were very few changes between Battle Box and Battlefields editions, those few changes that did occur are reflected in the latest version of the rulebook. Feel free to download the latest edition.
Moving on to the current Kickstarter for the "Pocket Box Games of the '80s", I have to take a moment to comment on this amazing campaign. As a gamer who grew up in the '70s and '80s, there is a heavy dose of nostaligia here, but that is in no small part due to the fact that the games I played as a boy and teen were fun! Steve Jackson Games was one of my three "go to" game publishers (the other two being TSR and GDW), and I dropped a lot of my lawn mowing income (ok . . . all of it!) on games from these companies. Ogre/GEV, Car Wars, and more, literally occupied hours of my imagination. I'm not exaggerating when I say these games have had a major influence on my life, through the time I spent playing with others, creating new scenarios/monsters/cars/dungeons/etc., and even writing for Autoduel Quarterly back in the day. Which brings me to the Kickstarter campaign. This campaign will be ending this Friday, and the $200 pledge level is absolutely out of this world for fans of Ogre/GEV, Car Wars, and Illuminati. Let's review, shall we, what is included in a pledge at that level?
Ogre/GEV
- Ogre (if chosen as one of the seven additional games)
- GEV (if chosen as one of the seven additional games)
- Shockwave
- Ogre Reinforcement Pack
- Battlesuit (if chosen as one of the seven additional games)
- Necromancer (if chosen as one of the seven additional games; see the February 15 Ogre News for why this is valuable to Ogre fans!)
- ALL of the above include die-cut counters, in addition to the original sheet of counters that needed cutting out
- An Ogre Storage Stickers included in each of Ogre, Shockwave, Reinforcement Pack, and Battlesuit
- Ogre Checklist Sticker with each Storage Box Sticker
- Four Ogre pocket folders
This is almost worth it right here. But there is SO much more in this level. Carry on . . .
Car Wars
- Car Wars
- Crash City (Sunday Drivers)
- Truck Stop
- Boat Wars
- Expansion Set 1
- Expansion Set 2
- Expansion Set 3
- Expansion Set 4
- Expansion Set 5
- ALL of the above include die-cut counters, in addition to the original sheet of counters that needed cutting out
- Expansion Set 6
- Convoy
- Uncle Albert's 2035 Catalog
- Uncle Albert's 2036 Catalog
- Uncle Albert's 2038 Catalog
- Uncle Albert's 2039 Catalog
- AADA Vehicle Guide 1
- The Best of ADQ 1
- AADA membership card
- GURPS Autoduel
- Car Wars Storage Stickers included in Car Wars and Truck Stop
- Car Wars Checklist Sticker with each Storage Box Sticker
- The Sunday Drivers cover sticker included in Crash City
- Three Car Wars pocket folders
- Car Wars pocket journal
Illuminati
- Base Illuminati game (if chosen as one of the seven additional games)
- Expansion Set 1
- Expansion Set 2
- Expansion Set 3
- ALL of the above including die-cut counters, in addition to the original sheet of counters that needed cutting out
- Two Illuminati pocket folders
plus . . .
- Two more Pocket Box games (assuming Ogre, G.E.V., Battlesuit, Illuminati, and Necromancer were chosen as part of the seven additional games) including luminaries such as Awful Green Things from Outer Space, Undead, and Kung Fu 2100
- Two custom Eye-in-the-Pyramid dice in every Pocket Box game/expansion; color to be determined by survey
- PDF of Space Gamer #30
- Necromancer alternate cover art Pocket Box sticker
- Necromancer pocket journal
- Three other pocket folders (Raid on Iran, Kung Fu 2100, and Necromancer)
ALL OF THIS FOR JUST $200!!!
Seriously. $200. The Car Wars material alone is worth that!
More stretch goals await: GURPS Zombietown, for use with GURPS Autoduel; pocket journals with Car Wars (2), Ogre, and Battlesuit art; another Car Wars Storage Box sticker, and who knows what else Phil will find!
But there is even still more! Backers can purchase the entire 40-issue run of Autoduel Qaurterly at a discount, or all 50 of the SJGames published issues of the Space Gamer. And there are dice; oh my, are there dice! Cthulhu Dice, Illuminati Dice, The Fantasy Trip Dice, Halloween Dice, Bullet Dice; suffice to say, there are dice for all tastes. And let's not forget The Fantasy Trip Legacy edition and Pocket Box edition that are available as add-ons as well. You can even purchase empty Pocket Boxes, to place the Storage Box stickers on.
I can't even begin to describe how amazing this deal has become. Steve, send Phil to the hospital because he has absolutely lost his marbles! I'll sign the commit order!
But this deal will not last forever. Phil obviously used his last remaining functioning cerebral synapse to put a deadline on this insanity. This deal ends on Friday, March 1st. You DO NOT want to miss out on this! We have entered the final hours of this campaign. Click on over and check it out!
(Post #62)
February 22, 2019: Battlefields Deadline TODAY!
Just a reminder that the deadline to complete your BackerKit, adjust your pledge, or put in your pre-order for Battlefields is TODAY. You can order Battlefields, Ogre Playmats M1 through M5, Ogre Miniatures Set 1, Battle Box, black Ogre minatures, Ogre Dice, hardcopies of The Ogre Book and GURPS Ogre, and so much more. To recap, Battlefields is the expansion for Ogre Designer's Edition and Ogre Sixth Edition. It includes:
- Two double-sided board maps with the "missing" maps G3 and S3. (G1 and S1 are on the reverse)
- Twelve (12!) sheets of counters, including a Vulcan, Heavy Vulcan Drones, two Ninja, Radar, Heavy Weapon Teams, Engineers, Marines, Light Artillery Drones, and more
- Iron Mountain units: Armored Trucks and Light Howitzers
- Counters for the Sponsored Sheet factions: Vatican Guard, Nihon, Sons of Old Nassau and Anarchist Relief Front
- Terrain overlays, including Water and Beach overlays
- The latest, most up-to-date rulebook
- A scenario booklet, with new and updated scenarios
- Ogre Record cards
If that wasn't enough, you can pre-order The Fantasy Trip too, including the incredible "I Want It All!" level. As previously mentioned, Battlefields will not be sold through retail outlets. This is the way to get this bursting expansion and all of the sheets. But do it today!
In other Ogre news, we've published our second-to-last submission for Ogrezine II. Mack Harrison describes his incredible 3-D Ogre creation, in "Building Your Own Monopolis". He takes us step-by-step through the creation of a variety of 4" terrain hexes, and how these can be easily used to create oversized maps. His creativity and ability to see opportunity in everyday items in wonderful. Plus there are a bunch of photos to showcase his work. I'm fired up to create my own Metzgeropolis!
Have you signed up for FnordCon? No? Well, what are you waiting for? We still have some tickets available. I've got a few Ogre surprises up my sleeve for our very own inaugural convention. A hint about one: You can help me playtest some new Ogre content! And that's not even counting the Car Wars, The Fantasy Trip, Munchkin and more that will be there. I'm pretty sure you don't want to miss this . . . Sign up to be blown away here.
Finally, the Pocket Box campaign just entered its final week. Phil is still dropping more surprises on us, including The Awful Green Things From Outer Space and Boat Wars, but he's got a few new Ogre items to share as well. Check out the campaign and helps us reach these new goals.
(Post #61)
February 15, 2019: Iron Mountain Redux & the "Secret" 1983 Ogre Supplement!
It is with great pleasure that I'm announcing the return of "Iron Mountain", the iconic story and scenario that helped propel Ogre forward in 1977. Not only has it been upgraded to Ogre SIxth Edition standards, but it has new art and new counters for use in the game. This edition of "Iron Mountain" will be included in the forthcoming Ogrezine II. Speaking of counters, not only may images of these be found in the scenario PDF, but they have been included on some of the extra counter sheets contained in the forthcoming Battlefields expansion set. For those with crafting skills, you may download PDFs of these counter sheets here and use them to reskin the Nightfall counter sheets. For those that are a "mite challenged" in that field, we are still accepting pre-orders for Battlefields, where you can get the actual counter sheets (and so much more!). The pre-order link may be accessed through the Kickstarter campaign page.
In other Ogre-related Kickstarter news, I'm sure you all are aware that we have a Kickstarter underway for the Pocket Box Games of the '80s. To date, the following Ogre games are available:
- Ogre (including die-cut counter sheets in addition to the original uncut ones)
- G.E.V. (including die-cut counter sheets in addition to the original uncut ones)
- Battlesuit (including die-cut counter sheets in addition to the original uncut ones)
- Shockwave
- Ogre Reinforcement Pack
Now you can replace (or acquire!) these games in a small, portable size that may have been lost or damaged over the years. But I'd like to point out some other Ogre-related items included in this campaign, both old and new, including the "hidden" Ogre supplement from the early '80s. That's right, yet another addition to the game!
There are currently 11 other Pocket Box Games listed in the Kickstarter in additon to the first three on the list above. Of these 11, the game Necromancer is actually a secret Ogre expansion! Sure, it is a fun game about wizards duelling with undead armies, but there is a scenario designed to use the Necromancer map in an Ogre game. Detailing rules for terrain elevation and cliffs, it is a unique (if unofficial!) variant on the game. Titled "Badlands", it has long been available on our Ogre Scenarios page; check it out.
Some new material for Ogre in the campaign includes empty Pocket Boxes to help store all of your old Ogre material plus any new items you choose to put in them (record cards, extra dice, etc.). But what fun are plain black boxes? So there are new stickers to dress up these storage boxes. The first Ogre sticker shown is included in the Ogre Pocket Box, and the Battlesuit sticker is a currently locked stretch goal for inclusion with Battlesuit, although we are getting close to it. A possible third sticker under consideration as still another stretch goal is the orange cover depticted.
A Battlesuit 9" by 12" pocket folder and die-cut counters for Shockwave and Ogre Reinforcement Pack are even more upcoming stretch goals.
And this doesn't even touch on all of the Car Wars, Illuminati, and so many more games and supplements available in the campaign. Click over to the campaign and take a trip down memory lane if you're a grognard like me, or discover what your Dad has been keeping from you for all of these years. There is just so much Ogre available that being able to acquire all of the rest feels almost unfair!
(Post #60)
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February 10, 2019: Winter Doldrums
As we trudge through the winter months, there is still much ado about Ogre! First up, we've published our latest submissions for Ogrezine II. WIll Hutton brings us an interesting look at using today's artificial intelligence programs to play Ogre in "Teaching a Computer to Fight Itself". You may remember Will as the author that updated "Operation Newspaper" to ODE/Ogre Sixth Edition standards. And although he may be unintentionally releasing Skynet upon the world, his article is an interesting read. I anticipate seeing more from Will. The next submission is "Defend the Negev!" by Israel Barker. It is a scenario focusing on Israeli park rangers fighting off a rogue Mark II. I'm especially pleased to publish this as there is very little out there making use of the Mark II. It is nice to see it get some love! Please, enjoy the scenario. With these, we are nearing the end of the articles for Ogrezine II; we've just a couple left. That's not to say that I don't want your submissions! I've already got a couple for Ogrezine III. Keep sending them in! We anticipate having the full published zine out by the end of next month. Stay tuned.
Speaking of zines, although not Ogre-related (at least, in regards to sentient cybernetic tanks; there may be plenty of other Ogres!), please let me draw everyone's attention to two other Kickstarters going on. First up is Hexagram, the premier zine for The Fantasy Trip. Not only can you pledge for the zine (at $3!), but you can order all sorts of The Fantasy Trip goodness as well. Knowing how much is packed into Ogrezine, can you afford not to support Hexagram for $3? Next is Delayed Blast Gamemaster, published by our very own Phil Reed. Evoking the RPG zines of days gone by, this is a systemless zine designed to support the GM in provoking ideas and concepts for a fantasy RPG. Those of you familiar with Phil's Dungeon Challenge Cards and Outdoor Encounter Cards are familiar with his work. Delayed Blast Gamemaster takes these ideas to the next level.
In other news, our Pocket Box Kickstarter is roaring along. There are no fewer than 13 games, as well as a fistful of expansions, available to choose from and we still have almost three weeks to go. But most pertinent to Ogre fans are that Ogre and G.E.V. are both available, Shockwave has been unlocked, and the Ogre Reinforcement Pack stretch goal is less than $8,000 away as of me writing this. And that's not even mentioning that Battlesuit is one of the games available to select, too. Sign me up for that bad boy! (I'm thinking Ogrezine III might have an article or two for that game!)
I'm sure most of you have already availed yourselves of this opportunity, but for the few of you who haven't, the Backerkit for Battlefields will be closing in the near future. This expansion for Ogre will not be released to the general retail market, so if you want it, now is the time to place your pre-order. As a reminder, this will include the most up-to-date rulebook, maps G3 and S3, with G1 and S1 printed on the reverse, no fewer than 12 (!) sheets of counters, including counters for LADs, Combat Engineers, Heavy Weapon Teams, revetments/entrenchments, and 3-D constructs of Ninja, Radars, a Vulcan, plus so much more. You don't want to miss out on this supplement.
We are putting the finishing touches on the POD version of Ogre Scenarios: Books 1-3. Expect to see that in the near future. And once Ogrezine II is put to bed, we will have the POD book of Ogrezine I & II available shortly thereafter. GURPS Ogre and The Ogre Book are already part of our print-on-demand library. Check them out.
Finally, you may have heard about this little soiree we're hosting down in Austin in April. FnordCon is our first home-grown convention, and we're really excited about it. I'm even flying down from CT to participate! There will be Ogre galore (possibly including a little surprise for everyone!), as well as The Fantasy Trip, playtests of Car Wars, and so much more. I really enjoyed meeting many of you at Origins last year, and hope to meet many more at FnordCon in April. This will likely be my only Con this year. Details may be found here; I'll see you in Austin!
(Post #59)
January 22, 2019: Battlefields Update
Hey, all!
I'm just passing along a variety of news re: the Battlefields expansion set for Ogre. First, the bad news . . . although surveys have been sent out re: BackerKit, there is a bit of a snafu regarding shipping charges. If you have not responded, please hold off for 48 hours so we can give the BackerKit crew some time to address the concern. If you have responded and are concerned that there is an issue, contact us on the campaign page. We have responded to many already, most of whom are all set. We have also posted an Update giving details, and we will get to the root of the problem ASAP.
On more positive notes, Battlefields successfully completed its premortem and the files have been sent to the factory. (Minor negative note: the Chinese New Year just started, so nothing is happening until mid-February, but we are on schedule!) In the process, we decided to double the dry erase Ogre record cards, so instead of seven cards, Battlefields will contain 14. Happy New Year, indeed! Additonally, we have published the reskins for the Nightfall counters. If you wish to pick up a copy of Nightfall, it is available on W23 and also through BackerKit (but again, please wait 48 hours!). You may notice a surprise or two on the sheets! Just sayin' . . .
In other Ogre related news, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the return of Ogre in a Pocket Box. G.E.V. and Battlesuit are making their triumphant returns as well in the Pocket Box medium. (I can't wait to get a new Battlesuit copy; I've been plugging along with the old Space Gamer version!) These will be complete reprints of the original editions; other than copyright dates, etc., nothing will have changed. Details may be found in Phil Reed's BGG blog as well as our new webpage dedicated to the return of these iconic games. We have scheduled a Kickstarter January 30 for these, and other, Pocket Box games. Be sure to check it out! (Teaser: some of the Ogre expansion sets are scheduled as stretch goals!)
As a reminder, we are planning a little soiree of our own, called FnordCon, the weekend of April 5-7. Details are still being developed, but I wanted to make sure everyone is aware. We will have Ogre, Munchkin, The Fantasy Trip, and much more available. Plus, I've got a surprise or two tucked up my sleeve! Block off your calendar now, because you will want to be there. I know I'm going!
Expect a new Ogrezine article to be published this Friday. Be well!
(Post #58)
January 12, 2019: Winter's Refuge
What better way to wile away the winter days than play some Ogre? Taking shelter from winter's wrath with a good game and family or friends is an ideal way to weather the season. With this in mind, seeking refuge is the base concept of our latest Ogrezine II release by Paul Teti. Titled "Refugees", this article is actually a scenario that may be overlaid on many other scenarios, expanding the gameplay in a whole new direction. The idea of an embedded "sub-scenario" within a scenario opens a whole new vista of Ogre play, and easily allows the addition of another player to a game without having to split the various forces. Enjoy the latest Ogrezine II release!
(Post #57)
December 29, 2018: Wrapping Up 2018
As we reach the final hours of 2018, there is much to celebrate regarding Ogre. I will be sending out my State of the Ogre-verse 2019 in the coming weeks, but there are a few notable milestones to acknowledge right off the bat. First, we just concluded the Kickstarter for Battlefields. This was an incredible campaign! Conventional wisdom says you don't run Kickstarters during Christmas due to low participation and competing priorities for discretionary income. Well, apparently Santa is an old Ogre fan, because not only did we show a steady rise every single day of the campaign, we hit the 5th-most funded and 9th-most backed Steve Jackson Games KS campaign of all time! 1,401 fans stepped up to make Battlefields an absolutely amazing expansion of Ogre. Thank you, each and every one of you!
With the conclusion of the Battlefields Kickstarter, I am pleased to annouce that we have fulfilled every Ogre-related stretch goal from the Ogre Designer's Edition Kickstarter. I'll concede the Car Wars new edition is still pending, but as many of you know, we are in the final stages of playtesting that as well. It feels really good to close the book on the ODE campaign. Yes, Nightfall is still in development, and we've added new promises in other Kickstarters (such as hosting a Dopp/Mark VI Kickstarter), but we can truly start looking forward, and not backward, in regards to the Ogre line.
Speaking of looking forward, Ogrezine II is moving along at a nice pace. I am proud to announce that we have just published our 7th article for the issue, titled "A Fire in the Distance". Penned by John-David Karnitz, this piece of fiction examines the concept of what it really means to be a "Brother in Arms". Our own Brandon Moore has added a few amazing images to complement the article. I think you will enjoy this fiction and expect that we will be sharing more in the future from this author; I have another piece already earmarked for (a currently hypothetical) Ogrezine III!
Finally, as we wind down the gift-giving season, we have released a little gift for all Ogre fans. On our Ogre Resources page, we have published PDFs of all of the green map boards released to date. You will find G1-3 and S1-3 available for download. I'd be remiss in not mentioning how I love seeing scenario submissions for Ogrezine (see the hypothetical Ogrezine III above); feel free to use these PDFs to develop your own scenarios - and then send them in to me!
2018 has been a great year for Ogre and 2019 promises to be at least as good. I will see you on the flip side!
(Post #56)
December 24, 2018: $100,000 And Climbing!
Your support of our Battlefields Kickstarter continues to astound. Last week we broke through the $90,000 stretch goal, bringing physical counter sheets of all the Nightfall reskins to the set. After much deliberation, including suggestions from many of you, the Ogre faithful, we put forth our final stretch goal and set it at $100,000. I had hopes that we would cross that threshold, but I'll concede that the low end of my predictions had us falling short. Not only was it reached, but it was done tonight with almost five days to go! This was an impressive goal, too. We tripled the number of 2-D Battlefields counter sheets in the set. Plus, with the increased number of sheets, we tweaked the counter mix, which allowed us to get physical versions of the Iron Mountain Armored Truck and Light Howitzer counters onto the sheets. There will be no less than 12 counter sheets in Battlefields! Three 2-D Battlefields sheets, one 3-D Battlefields sheet, two Overlay sheets, two 3-D Nightfall reskin sheets, and four 2-D Nightfall reskin sheets. Needless to say, this level of support has us thinking about a Battlefields II down the road . . . can you say maps G4 and S4? (Speaking of which, we are releasing the PDFs of maps G2 & S2 in addition to the G3 & S3 promised; just another small way of saying "Thanks!"). As a reminder, the Battlefields Kickstarter ends this Friday, December 28th.
As we approach the Christmas holiday, whether you celebrate it or not, please take the time to pull out a game and play with family and friends. Obviously Ogre and Munchkin come to mind, but any game will do: Monopoly, UNO, even checkers; the point is to spend time with those we care about, and create the bonds and memories that are treasured for years to come. I can make an argument that games and gaming, played between two or more individuals, are a fundamental cornerstone of civilization. Be civilized; play a game! You'll be glad you did.
(Post #55)
December 15, 2018: Umm . . . Ok . . . Wow?!
I'm not going to dissemble here . . . your support of the Battlefields kickstarter is beyond what we expected. Thank you ever so much! But this is a good problem to have, on a number of fronts. First, this tells us that there is an engaged and vibrant core of fans that is supportive of Ogre and its many manifiestations. This is known as "a good thing!" Please accept my thanks for each and every one of you backing the game we all love. Second, this outpouring of support is allowing us to make Battlefields, an expansion we humbly believe was already a great product, even better through your continued support. We've already committed to producing physical counters for four of the six "skins" in the campaign; this was never on our expected "To Do" list. As things stand, I have no doubt that we will end up creating all six skins as actual, physical counter sheets. This is a major hat-tip to all of you, Ogre's fans, for bringing us to this point.
Speaking of Ogre support, the various physical products from the Ogrezine II KS campaign are wending their way to your homes. I just received my Ogre silhouette t-shirt today and it looks quite sharp, if I do say so myself! (Missed out on the shirt? Order yours today on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RGTiOR). With family and friends gathering together for the holidays, what better time is there to play a few games of Ogre? The new material, including the various playmats, should help that cause.
Regarding the playmats, we are making a few very minor changes to the source file of those that have already been sent out. A couple of the partial, or fragment, hexes on the edges of the maps, when changed to woods (from clear), will enhance the ability of players to mix and match how they abut the maps when using the new M4 and M5 maps. This change may be easily accomplished with a green Sharpie on the current versions, and the few hexes in question are all partial hexes on the periphery. Ultimately this will improve the game for everyone, but we wanted to be up-front with everyone about the minor tweaks we're planning.
As mentioned, Ogrezine II is moving forward, both with the delivery of the physical items, but also the continued publication of articles. Today we published a great article by Cat Reddington-Wilde, titled "Infantry Magnets". With the recent release of Battle Box and the Ogre Many Minis sets, players have had a deluge of minis to manage. Cat offers a creative solution to dealing with the various Infantry figures, and their variable numbers when in a GEV-PC or during reduction in combat.
Finally, as we approach Christmas, just a gentle reminder to everyone dealing with last-minute shopping (*cough-cough* me *cough-cough*), that the elves at Command Post Fnord have got you covered. There is always the aforementioned t-shirts, available on Amazon. They are available in both men's and women's styles, and in a variety of colors. Also, we still have five more days of the Warehouse 23 Haul-idays Sale. Many Ogre products are 23% off, and a varitey of SJGames titles are up to 75% off. Plus, we will give YOU gifts for ordering. The more you purchase for others, the more we give to you. How cool is that?! This sale ends December 19th, so don't dilly-dally. The final Christmas suggesion is for you! Not sure what you want from the Battlefields Kickstarter? Know what you want, but are all tapped out from holiday shopping? Well, just put Battlefields on your Christmas list. The campaign ends December 28, so there will be a few days after Christmas to adjust your pledge.
We have five more days of the Haul-idays Sale and two more weeks of the Battlefields Kickstarter. Remember, Santa is watching. Have you been good this year?
(Post #54)
December 8, 2018: Battlefields Crushes The Scene And More
We launched our next Ogre Kickstarter campaign earlier this week and it has been a smashing success. Titled Battlefields, it is the long-awaited expansion set for Ogre that was promised waaaay back in 2012 during the Ogre Designer's Edition Kickstarter. It brings Heavy Weapon Teams, Engineers, Light Artillery Drones, Revetments, Entrenchments and more to the game, as well as 3-D Ninja, a Vulcan, a Fencer-B, Radar Stations, and others onto the table. And don't forget maps G3 and S3, never-before released in this scale. We are pleased to report that Battlefields funded and destroyed the first few stretch goals within hours of its launch. To date, PDFs of the two new maps, six different "skins" for use on the various Nightfall counter sheets, a pair of overlay sheets featuring water and beach overlays, and record cards for each Ogre within the set, have all been unlocked. We are closing in on upgrades for the maps. This is truly an Ogre-sized supplement!
But there is so much more to this Kickstarter. Ogre Playmats M4 and M5 have been released as potential add-ons during the campaign. Designed to geomorph with each other and Ogre Playmats M1 and M3, these maps offer the opportunity to play Ogre on a massive scale. Additionally, our new product called Bullet Dice has been released, allowing players to roll to crush Command Posts in a whole new way. You can pick up many other items for Ogre as well, including softcover reprints of The Ogre Book and GURPS Ogre, both long out-of-print. Don't miss out!
As backers of Ogrezine II are already aware, we published our fifth article for the fanzine on our site yesterday. Titled The Daimyo and the Dragon, author Roland Boshnack offers an interesting alternative to the classic Mark III Defending scenario. Supplementing that release is a wonderful art submission by Rob Goodwin, showcasing a Nihon Empire recruiting poster from the Last War.
Finally, I'd like to point out various sales of Ogre material that are currently underway. First up is the Ogre Video Game sale found on Steam. Through December 11, the Ogre Video Game may be purchased at 50% off. Additionally, Warehouse 23 is running its 2018 Haul-idays Sale, where Ogre products may be purchased at 23% off, with other Steve Jackson Games items up to 75% off. Plus, we will give you extra loot depending on how much you buy. The more you purchase, the more free stuff we send your way! Details may be found on Warehouse 23. The Haul-idays Sale ends December 19.
(Post #53)
December 1, 2018: Tick, Tock . . . Tick, Tock
We are only a mere few days away from the long awaited Battlefields Kickstarter! Opening next Wednesday, December 5, it will run through the month. Although I'm sure most of you know this by now, Battlefields will include maps G3 and S3; the various new units missing from Ogre Designer's Edition and Ogre Sixth Edition; a number of 3-D units including both a Fencer-B and two Ninja; a completely new structure: the Radar Station; and so much more. There will be scenarios for the new maps as well. But what's a Kickstarter without stretch goals? We do have some sweet ones lined up . . . but that's for another day. With this release, we will have finally reached the end of our many promised Ogre stretch goals, with only the Car Wars stretch goal left from our historic ODE Kickstarter that started us on this wonderful path. This has been, and should remain, a fun trip! Additionally, the timing is perfect for those of you looking for a gift for the gamer in your life, or even better, an idea you can pass along when a family member asks you what YOU might like!
Speaking of the season, be sure to check out the 2018 Haul-iday Sale over on Warehouse 23. There are all sorts of gifts available, many from 23-75% off. Now is a great time to round out your Ogre collection with these discounted prices as well as check out all of our other games, including Munchkin, that are on sale. And if that wasn't enough of an incentive, we will give you gifts as well! The more you buy for others, the more we give to you! Details may be found on the Warehouse 23 Haul-iday Sale page.
Our next Ogrezine II article was published this past Thursday. Karl Gallagher examines the Superheavy Tank, chronicaling its evolution over time, and the various possible paths it might take in the future. "The Superheavy Controversy" is an excellent read. Our fifth article is scheduled to be posted this coming Friday.
Finally, as Phil announced earlier, shipping has begun for Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition. The various playmats should headed out soon, too. It is going to take us a little while to get everything out to everyone, but December should be a great month for Ogre!
(Post #52)
November 17, 2018: Guess What's Coming In December?
Well, yes, Santa in his sleigh is coming, but so is the Battlefields Kickstarter! One of our very few remaining promises from the Ogre Designer's Edition Kickstarter, this is the long awaited expansion to the game. We collected the new material released over the past few years as well as material that didn't make it into Ogre Designer's Edition, like maps G3 and S3, and then gave it the Ogre Sixth Edition treatment with top notch production. This will make Ogre even more comprehensive than before. And speaking of Ogre Sixth Edition, the joy (and frustration!) of playing on maps with terrain to contend with and other "green map" issues will now be available to those players too. This expansion may be even more valuable to Ogre Sixth Edition players as it helps close the gap between ODE and Sixth Ed. The campaign should run into January and we have all sorts of great stretch goals planned, so please help spread the word about Battlefields; this promises to be a great Kickstarter!
Speaking of arriving, Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition, has arrived at our warehouse. We anticipate beginning the process of shipping them out this coming week, so you will have even more Ogre to play during the winter months. I've attached some pictures of a few of the 3-D construct stretch goals unlocked during that Kickstarter. I hope that Vulcan gets those lasers online soon; that Doppelsoldner looks like it means business!
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Ogrezine II is progressing along nicely. We just posted the third article of the magazine on our website this past week. "Painting Infantry: Boot Camp" by Stephan Beal is a wonderful tutorial for those of us that are . . . "less experienced" . . . in painting miniatures. He provides step-by-step instructions along with advice and guidance about the various traps and pitfalls that might await a novice painter. Plus he has included a number of wonderful pictures demonstrating the steps. Now there is no excuse for not tackling the pile of plastic miniatures that is sitting on our desks from Ogre Battle Box (let alone, Ogre Many Minis!)
Looking for seasonal gift ideas for the Ogre fan in your life? Check out our new Ogre t-shirts! Available in a number of colors and in styles for both men and women, these are the pinnacle of fashion on the nuclear battlefield. It's ok to buy one to put in your own stocking, too; I know a Munchkin would!
As always, join us on the forums to discuss the latest releases for Ogrezine, showcase your painted Ogre Miniatures, or anything else relating to Ogre. And stay tuned to Ogre News for more on the upcoming Battlefields Kickstarter!
(Post #51)
November 3, 2018: A Pause In The Shelling
Whew! It has been a busy few weeks here at CP Fnord. We have posted the first two articles for Ogrezine II; locked down the BackerKit on the same (including ordering those great Ogre Playmats!); given "Iron Mountain" a facelift; and are tying up loose ends on Battlefields . . . an Ogre project to be Kickstarted in the near future. Things are certainly exciting here in the bunker!
Despite all of this hustle and bustle, we still find time to appreciate the contributions others make to the game we know and love. First up is a stop-motion video on YouTube utilizing the Ogre Playmat M1, by Allfishleadto. Can you imagine being the sole surviving Heavy Tank facing down an (admittedly battle-worn) Ogre Mark V?! Those are the types of games that live on as legends around the gaming table for years to come!
Next up are a pair of tributes to the spouses out there that support us in our hobbies. These uber-amazing and under-appreciated individuals are patient beyond sainthood, tolerant of the gaming detrius we might leave about (not to mention our gaming expenditures!), and even sometimes willing to indulge us by playing a game or three. But some go even beyond these levels, demonstrating their understanding of our passion. My first example notes that Keith Lewis' wife chose to take a sewing class. Now, one might ask, how does that relate to Ogre? Well, check this out. The second example has been mentioned previously, but worthy of repeating. The answer to Keith's rhetorical question might be found in my second offering. This Twitter post from last year says it all about having a birthday as an Ogre fan. Congrats again, prayerborne! These examples are just a small reminder for everyone to appreciate those that support us in our chosen pastimes.
Our next Ogrezine article is scheduled to be posted on November 16. Keep the ideas and art flowing! Until then, stay sharp, Ogre fans!
(Post #50)
October 27, 2018: Pfft!
Ever strike a match that just barely flared and then went out without establishing a flame? Did you ever think about that result on a nuclear, macro scale? Josh Megerman did, and shared his ideas in our latest release for Ogrezine II, titled Cruise Missile Fizzles. Cruise Missiles are fearsome weapons, capable of taking out an Ogre in a single strike. But Murphy doesn't discriminate in the application of his Law, so the result of a Cruise Missile detonation may not be quite what was expected! (Although even partial failures can still be devastating to those in the hex!)
We're reaching "last call" for the Ogrezine II BackerKit survey. We will be closing it down and charging cards this Monday, October 29. If there are any last minute items you want to add to your pledge, now is the time to do so. We've come across some extra glow-in-the-dark dice and sets of blue Heavy Tanks in the warehouse, both of which have been added to the list of items available. If you missed out on the Ogrezine Kickstarter (that's preposterous!), you can still pre-order through the blue button link on the campaign homepage through this Monday. Ogre Playmats M1, M2 (Iron Mountain), and M3 are all available through that link as well.
This issue is shaping up to be even better than the first one. We have some fantastic submissions that are working their way through the editorial process, and will be coming soon. Keep sending me your ideas; I can't wait to share everything with you all! And speaking of waiting, the long-awaited Battlefields expansion for Ogre should be . . . <crackle> . . .<ffzzzztt> . . .
. . .<hiiiisssssss> . . .
(Post #49)
October 20, 2018: Our First Release For Ogrezine II
And so it begins anew! We have posted the first article for Ogrezine II on our site. Have you ever wondered where an Ogre might fit in as part of the 'Band of Brothers'? "Artificial Irreverence", by Andrew Mull, is a glimpse into the lives of seasoned veterans and green recruits during the Last War. Once again, the wartime lesson of how shared combat experience matters so much more than race, or religion, or . . . species, is examined.
I'd like to emphasize a call for art submissions to Ogrezine. We have a couple of nice pieces, but I'd like to see so much more. I know you are out there! Please send your artistic views of the Last War to me at ogre@sjgames.com. If you have any questions about your submission, you can find our Artist's Guidelines here.
Remember to fill out your surveys for Ogrezine II. We will be locking down quantities on Monday, so make sure you get the playmats you want, ordered. Did you miss out on the campaign? There is still time to pre-order Ogrezine II for $3 (and catch some nice deals on a variety of other Ogre items). You can pre-order playmats M1, M2 (Iron Mountain) and M3 as well as get printed versions of The Ogre Book or GURPS Ogre. Yes, we are printing these again! Just check out the big blue button on the Kickstarter home page.
Stay tuned for the second article to be released next Friday!
(Post #48)
October 12, 2018: Time To Ogre-Indulge!
The Kickstarter for Ogrezine Mark II was a rousing success; thank you to everyone for supporting one of the most amazing deals in gaming available today. (Seriously. $3 for all of this?! What were we thinking?). You are the greatest fans!
We have been getting some requests as to when we are opening BackerKit. Our hope and expectation is to do so this coming Monday. In regards to developing a functioning BackerKit page, to quote Phil Reed, "Constructing and testing that is not an exact science." But things are looking good so keep your fingers crossed! We will have all sorts of Ogre goodies available in the BackerKit. Obviously the various playmats (M1, M2, and M3) will be available as add-ons, but we have a number of other Ogre items available at reduced prices as well. Some notable items include a variety of deals on the remaining stock of our metal miniatures. Additionally, we have put together a bundle of our Space Gamer PDFs that have Ogre and/or G.E.V. articles within them. Many of these articles are found within The Ogre Book, but these PDFs also allow you to step back in time and read about other games that were contemporaries of Ogre, "back in the day".
Speaking of Space Gamer bundles, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that the complete SJG Space Gamer bundle may be acquired via The Fantasy Trip BackerKit, which is open now. Not only does it have all of the aforementioned Ogre articles, but it is packed full of everything else from those issues, including Car Wars, Illuminati, and of course, The Fantasy Trip. Space Gamer was one of my favorite magazines growing up and rereading these pages brings back wonderful memories. If you haven't read Space Gamer before, you've missed out; there is a lot of material that is still relevant today.
Finally, thank you to all that have submitted to Ogrezine. I only have a couple of remaining "slots" still available for this issue. We have some great fiction, scenarios, game aids, and art all headed your way. That said, if you have an idea for an article that you haven't submitted to me, get it to me ASAP as I am close to locking down the final few submissions. As always, our Writer's Guidelines are an excellent place to start.
Stay tuned for the Ogre BackerKit.
Ogre rolls on.
(Post #47)
September 27, 2018: Final Hours For Ogrezine II And More!
We are now just shy of 48 hours left of the Ogrezine 2 Kickstarter. The campaign just knocked out another stretch goal by surpassing $15,000 in pledges. Thanks to everyones generosity, now all backers of the $3 reward level or higher will receive free PDFs of maps G1 and G2. Fans with Ogre Sixth Edition and Ogre Reinforcements will now be able to play many of the GEV-map scenarios that were included in Ogre Designer's Edition. In addition, we already have unlocked an expansion to at least 11 articles in this issue as well as a POD version of Ogrezine 1 & 2. I'm confident we will reach our next stretch goal as well, that being a POD collection of all three Ogre Scenario Books for those that prefer physical copies of their Ogre goodness!
Why am I so confident? We have new pledge levels, too! Did you miss out on Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition or the Ogre Many Minis Set that includes Battle Box within it? We have some limited reward tiers that offer each of these Ogre products in addition to Ogrezine 2. They are going quickly, so be sure to check them out before they're gone.
Finally, we have been keeping Ogre Playmat M2 under wraps, but Phil Reed released the details earlier this week. We have created a full-color version of the Iron Mountain map, from the story and scenario of the same name originally published in Space Gamer 12, and more recently found in The Ogre Book. We've posted rough draft images of the map on the Kickstarter page and it looks fantastic. Gabby Ruenes has outdone himself again; wait until you see the final version! Although fans are encouraged to purchase The Ogre Book (there's lots of great stuff in there!), we will be releasing the Iron Mountain story and scenario on our website for free as part of this promotion.
As I write this, there are only 43 hours left in the Ogrezine 2 Kickstarter campaign. A pledge of only $3 giving you Ogrezine 2 and PDFs of maps G1 and G2 is almost criminal. With the new pledge levels and ability to add-on our original Ogre Playmat M1 and the new Iron Mountain Ogre Playmat M2, I feel we will end with a flourish. Perhaps we will even need yet another stretch goal? Time will tell! But click on over to the campaign now, before time runs out!
(Post #46)
September 21, 2018: Ogrezine 2 Kickstarter Rumbles On
Our Kickstarter for Ogrezine 2 is in full swing, crushing stretch goals beneath it's treads. We've already raised the total of articles from 5 to 11 (plus a bonus or two!) and we will create a POD version of Ogrezine and Ogrezine 2 with a special introductory price. We are closing in on releasing PDFs of maps G1 and G2 to all backers at $3 or higher and a POD version of the Ogre Scenario Books 1-3 is very attainable. Plus there is still another amazing stretch goal just waiting to be revealed!
The articles flowing in are amazing. We've already got some fiction lined up, an interesting rule variant, and a scenario for fans. I'm reviewing still more fiction, scenarios, and some articles for Ogre Miniatures. At this rate, we will need to schedule an Ogrezine 3! Having said this, we have not locked down all of the articles for this issue and have plenty of slots still undecided. So, send me your submissions! We want this issue to blow Ogrezine out of the water. Writer's Guidelines are published on our website.
I've got some great art submissions as well but would be remiss if I didn't mention that we would love to see more! What is your vision of the Last War? Please share it with the world. You can find the Artist Guidelines here.
Ogrezine via Kickstarter has got to be one of the most amazing gaming deals in the world. Where else can you get so much game material for just $3? Even your Uncle Louie doesn't have this good a deal! And don't forget the playmats. We will be announcing details of Playmat M2 shortly and for those of you that missed Playmat M1, there's an opportunity to get both of them. And yes, we do have international shipping options!
So click over to the Ogrezine 2 Kickstarter and check it out. And if you've pledged already, let others know. The next stretch goal is a killer! And send me your:
- Strategy articles
- Scenarios
- Fiction
- Variants
- Game Aids
- Miniature Guides
- Artwork
- Cartoons
- and anything else!
See you soon!
(Post #45)
September 16, 2018: Ogrezine 2
Whelp. We kinda snuck this one in when no one was looking.
For those of you that are frequenters of our forums or those that simply peruse Kickstarter waaaay too much, you may have come across our latest Kickstarter for Ogre. I am pleased to (belatedly!) announce the campaign for Ogrezine 2 is alive and kicking! We've already blown through our first three stretch goals, bringing Ogrezine 2 up to 11 total articles, plus who knows what else? As before, we will release the articles on our website in a staggered schedule and, once complete, we will collect all of them into a digital magazine for release to all backers. The next stretch goal (destined to fall!) is a print-on-demand collection of both Ogrezine 1 and 2 into one volume in the same manner as our GURPS on Demand via Amazon. We've got 12 more days to get there!
I've got some absolutely fantastic submissions that didn't make it to me in time for Ogrezine 1, but the slate is far from full. I am calling for any and all Ogre article submissions to be sent to me at this time. Scenarios, strategy articles, variants, fiction, game aids - if it relates to Ogre, I want to see it. Previously, I put out a challenge for for someone to send in a scenario using Ogre Playmat M1. M1 is a completely new map, focused on a central city, and it simply begs for scenarios. To date, no one has picked up the gauntlet. Who's up to the challenge? Interested parties can find our Writer's Guidelines here. We are interested in new art as well! Details regarding art submissions may be found in our Artist's Guidelines. Please submit your inquries and/or submission to ogre@sjgames.com with [Ogrezine Query] in the subject line.
Speaking of playmats, in addition to Ogrezine 2, we are pleased to announce the initial release of our second Ogre playmat. Our first playmat has been a hit and, just as we've done with Ogrezine, we're going back to the same well. We will release details of this playmat before the campaign is over but I think people will be pleased. Backers may choose a pledge level that includes the new playmat in addition to Ogrezine 2.
But wait! There's more! Backers also have the opportunity to choose other recent Ogre releases as part of their pledge. Missed out on Ogre Playmat M1? Couldn't participate in the Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition Kickstarter because you were abducted by aliens? Well, these are also available as options through different pledge levels. One can never have too much Ogre!
Click on over to the Ogrezine 2 Kickstarter campaign. With a base pledge level of $3, how can you afford not to go?
(Post #44)
August 17, 2018: Fan Ideas For The Win!
I'd like to highlight some interesting ideas and submissions from our fans that have been posted in the various forums around and about. First up is Erik Kreiger's (aka sparky00) images of the Hot Rod Ogre by Alvin Helms, as presented in our inaugural issue of Ogrezine. I'm hopeful to get more skins from Alvin in the future, but Erik certainly did a fine job with this one!
Joshua Megerman (aka offsides) posted details on using the Ogre Video Game's map export function to create homemade overlays. It is an interesting idea, and one that I look forward to seeing examples of the final product (hint, hint!). Other options for home made overlays and maps include both the great "OgreMap2" application by Tom Cornwell (aka tomc) and the PDF of Ogre and GEV map terrain provided on our site. These are all great tools for creating your own scenarios . . . which, of course, are always welcome! Perhaps as a submission for a theoretical Ogrezine 2 . . . ?
Ogre Miniatures Set 2 has been shipping to the various backers of the Kickstarter, depositing literally hundreds of miniatures into gamer's hands the past few weeks. "Cat" on our own SJGames forums provides a link to details on making custom Infantry bases, facilitating swapping squads in and out of the game. Cat really takes the time to demonstrate via photos and provides additonal suggestions and links. Thanks, Cat! Joshua Megerman also presents a thread where he offers assembly notes for Set 2, including tips for dealing with the challenges of the diminuative Light Tank. Definitely worth a read. Additional miniature tips and resources may be found at the bottom of our Ogre Miniatures page.
As an aside, for those of you who might have missed the Ogre Miniatures Set 1 and Set 2 Kickstarters, we are proud to present Battle Box. This set has all the miniatures from the preceeding two sets, a large full-color poster of map G1, the most up-to-date rulebook published, as well as a variety of other goodies such as record cards, reference sheets, etc. We are accepting preorders on W23 now.
Keeping those record cards and reference sheets usable has always been a challenge for longtime games. Andy Mull (aka TheAmishStig) started a conversation regarding laminating these vital sheets on the forums. For those that have never laminating anything, there is some good advice on the thread.
A blast-from-the-past is the Strategic & Tactical Objectives sheet by Tim Gordon (aka Knockman). Tim is graciously offering individual counters from this set for those that want higher numbers of specific counters without acquiring large numbers of unwanted overlays. You can find the details of his offer in post #175 of this thread.
In other news, our initial release of Ogre Playmat M1 has been sent out to those who ordered one and is receiving positive reviews. So much so, in fact, that we are already planning another run. If you missed out on the first wave, be sure to stop by W23 and place your order for one now.
I'd like to close with still another fan submission that is long-overdue, and offer my sincere apologies along with it. MiBs Christopher Garcia and Neal Bostick created a set of "Ogre Tournament Rules" that they have utilized at conventions and game events. They really work quite well. We took their rules, gave it the Ogre Sixth Edition treatment, and intended to release it in fulfillment of the $65k stretch goal for the Ogre Miniatures Set 2 Kickstarter. Despite being ready for months, I got distracted by Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition and other work, and never actually got the Tournament Rules posted. Well, I have corrected that and you may find a PDF of the rules and scoresheet on the Ogre Resources page. Thanks again to all of you for your patience (and to Jeff Saxton for a timely query!)
(Post #43)
July 13, 2018: Touching Base
As we head into the heart of summer, I thought I'd take a moment to tidy up a few odds and ends on my virtual desk. First and foremost, I'd like everyone to consider giving me feedback as to what you want to see from me and the Ogre line. I asked earlier about what you would like to see next from a physical game component perspective (and if you haven't left your thoughts, please consider doing so!), but I also want to hear about what you want from an engagement and/or non-physical support manner. You can find the thread for this feedback here.
Thank you, everyone, who preordered the Ogre Playmat M1. This seems to have been a successful experiment and I am discussing ideas and options for future mats with the powers that be. I think it is safe to say that we will see future options in this manner. Phil snuck a little video of the quality sample on Twitter; check it out! Also, I've heard from a few of you who missed our brief pre-order window. Fear not, as you should have an opportunity to pick up a mat down the road. Keep an eye on these "Ogre News" missives; I will keep everyone informed of any future opportunities. (You are subscribed to this newsletter, aren't you? If not, please correct that error at the bottom of Ogre News on the home page!)
As previously announced, the Doppelsoldner will be partnering with the Ogre Mark VI for the forthcoming "Big Guns" Kickstarter. Regrettably, we have had to delay the campaign slightly for a variety of reasons, but we still anticipate holding it later this year. That doesn't mean we don't have some other Kickstarter goodness for you, however! Don't miss out on our Munchkin Unicorns and Friends Kickstarter (going on now) and The Fantasy Trip Kickstarter (beginning July 23).
Speaking of Kickstarters, Battlefields is wrapping up and I hope to see a campaign run later this year as well for this (long-awaited!) expansion for Ogre Designer's Edition and Ogre Sixth Edition alike. And work once again progresses on Nightfall, now that many of the other Ogre "distractions" are out of my hands and in production.
Finally, those of you who backed the Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition project should have received your digital files already, (if you haven't, please email kickstart@sjgames.com), and the physical book is on schedule and looking good! In a similar vein, Battle Box and the various Ogre Miniatures Set 2 rewards are expected to ship in August. Pre-orders for both Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition and Battle Box may still be placed on Warehouse 23.
As always, thank you for supporting Ogre. It's summer - get out and play some games!
(Post #42)
June 26, 2018: Mark VI Survey Winner
We have tallied all the votes and the verdict is in. We have established what Ogre or Ogres will pair with the monstrous Mark VI in our forthcoming Kickstarter. As the suspenseful music plays, I present to you all . . .
The Envelope
(confetti drops and music blares)
What? You thought I'd just tell you and ruin the suspense?
{grin}
Ok, now that you're back, I just wanted to remind everyone that we will close pre-orders for our latest Ogre product, the Ogre Playmat M1 map, this Wednesday. The response has been interesting with this brief experiement; I hope to follow-up soon. Plus pre-orders are still available for Ogre MIniatures, Second Edition and Ogre Battle Box. All of these may be found on Warehouse 23.
Long live Ogre!
(Post #41)
June 20, 2018: Origins And More
I'd like to start this Ogre News with a heartfelt thank you to all of the fans that came out to play Ogre at the Origins Game Fair this past weekend. Command Posts were squashed, Ogres were defeated, and fun was had by all. It was wonderful sharing stories of games past while playing each other. This was my first Con and everyone couldn't have been nicer. I look forward to seeing everyone again down the road!
A number of you asked about the miniatures. Pre-orders for Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition and the Ogre Battle Box are still being taken on Warehouse 23. If you missed the Kickstarters, or as I've heard from some, you want one or more additional copies, be sure to click over and check them out.
We are in the final days of our survey for the "other" Ogre that will be paired with a Mark VI for the upcoming Kickstarter. I think I know how this will shake out, but there is definitely a race to the finish line! Remember, this data is extremely helpful for our plans for future products as well, so your vote matters even if your choice is ultimately not the winner for this project. If you haven't taken the time to give me your opinion, please do so now. I will be announcing the winner next week.
Finally, I know I mentioned previously that Phil was investigating an idea that you all might appreciate. Well, I'm pleased to say that your positive vibes have paid off, because we are a "Go!" for the project. And what is "the project"? Here's a hint:
![[Image]](png/ogremaptease.png)
See that "M1" down in the corner? We have developed a new (!) map that can be rolled up. This map has a large central city as it's focus offering a different style of play. Additionally, this map will allow players to try the features in Daniel Oney's article "Going Downtown: Smart Cities in the Last War" in Ogrezine. You can pre-order this map now on Warehouse 23. Click over and check it out!
(Post #40)
June 9, 2018: MIRV
Incoming!
I have a payload of unconnected information to impart, so let's just let 'er rip!
First, I want to thank everyone who participated in the Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition Kickstarter. It was a lot of fun and we hit a number of stretch goals, making the product even better for everyone. Although we aren't quite ready to share all of the details of what will be on both of the die-cut sheets, I did want to give you a preview. Take a gander at this "little" number:
![[Image]](png/vgdoppthumb.png)
As many of you know, we committed to a Kickstarter consisting of two* Ogres: a Mark VI and an "Ogre-to-be-determined-by-survey" during the Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition campaign. Although we have received a lot of responses to our survey (thank you, very much!), I know there are a lot of you who have not weighed in on this matter. Tiers are definitely becoming apparent, but the winner is certainly not yet preordained. Also, we are using the results to help guide the direction of future products, so it is of value to respond to the survey even if you are not interested in the "Mark VI plus one*" Kickstarter. Our survey has a little over two more weeks to go, so please let us know your thoughts.
Tiffin Games, the sponsor of the fantastic Strategic & Tactical Objectives counter sheet, asked us to give their information booklet the Ogre Sixth Edition treatment and we were happy to oblige. You can download this free PDF right here. If you are not familiar with their counter sheet, check it (and the rest) out on the Ogre Sponsored Counter Sheet page.
Speaking of webpages, we've updated a couple. First off, the Battle Box rulebook, which is the current, definitive set of Ogre boardgame rules, has been posted on the Ogre Resources page. A hardcopy is included in the soon-to-arrive Battle Box sets, but you can download the digital version now. The Ogre Cheat Sheet has also received a make-over and may be found on the Resources page as well.
Forum contributor and Ogre fan Izzy_B has discovered an interesting piece of fiction about smart tanks in the not-too-distant future. You can find his post and link here. I hope the author releases more in this future world. Thanks for the head's up, Izzy_B!
Origins is next week and both Steve and I, as well as many of the other fine folk at Steve Jackson Games, will be present. I look forward to meeting many of you whom I've come to know over the past few years. Swing by Booth 935 and Room C150 and say "hello". I'll be the bald guy in the black Ogre polo.
Finally, Phil has come up with a fantastic idea that we're investigating. It's not clear whether this is feasible yet, but start sending positive vibes Phil's way as he researches the logistics. If things break right, you guys are gonna love this! (Besides, you can never have too many good thoughts headed your way!)
See you at Origins!
(Post #39)
* Some options in the survey include more than just a singular Ogre, but we've lumped them in together as "one" option.
May 31, 2018: Last Chance!
Two important deadlines of which everyone needs to be aware are approaching. The more immediate one is that the Ogre sale on Warehouse 23 is coming to an end at midnight tonight, May 31. Prices of most of the Ogre line are up to 75% off. This is an ideal time to pick up an extras or missing items. A sampling of available items on sale:
- Ogre Dice ($1.49 - you can't have too many!)
- GURPS Ogre ($4.99 - a great source of Ogre lore)
- The remaining metal miniatures (all less than $2 each; some just $0.99!)
- Ogre Scenario Book 1 ($1.25), Book 2 ($2) and Book 3 ($1.25 - you need scenarios for all of those minis, right?)
- The Ogre Garage ($2.50 - where else would you store your minis?)
- The Uncommon Ogres ($3.75) or Nightfall ($5) sponsored counter sheets (criminally cheap!)
There's just so much to consider! Although we did not meet the social stretch goals for this Kickstarter of the reskins for the Nightfall sheets, I suspect we haven't seen the last of that idea. Additionally, if you missed out on the Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition Kickstarter, you can still pre-order the book and/or either the Battle Box or Many Minis set via W23 as well. And don't forget the glow-in-the-dark Ogres and miniatures!
Remember, the purchases of any of the Ogre items through the end of the month, whether on sale or not, count towards the remaining stretch goal for the Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition Kickstarter. If we break $100,000 in combined sales between W23 and the Kickstarter campaign, we will include a sheet of constructible 3-D bridges with every copy of Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition. It is definitely a stretch but not out of our potential!
The other date to know is June 25, as that is the date we close down our survey as to what Ogre you'd like to match with an Ogre Mark VI for the forthcoming miniature Kickstarter. Once we passed the $85,000 combined total in the Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition campaign, we committed to running a Kickstarter for a pair of Ogres: a Mark VI and one to be determined by fan survey. So, we need you to tell us what that second Ogre should be! If you have not done so already, please take a moment to answer this brief survey. I think you'll be surprised at some of the options!
May has been a great month for Ogre. Now we have the opportunity to make it even better! But be sure to stock up in the store and click over to the survey before time runs out!
(Post #38)
May 25, 2018: 20 Hours To Go
We are in the final 20 hours of our Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition Kickstarter campaign. It has been a blast! The book will now be printed as a hardcover; we will have two additional die-cut sheets of targets; we will receive an 8-page booklet of game aids; and we are oh-so-close to unlocking a commitment for a Kickstarter to unleash a plastic Ogre Mark VI miniature plus an "Ogre-to-be-named-later" upon the world.
But if backing this succulent mountain of Ogre goodness wasn't enough, check out our social media stretch goals. If we can get 250 "shares" on Facebook and 250 "fans" on the Board Game Geek, we will get PDF skins to repurpose some of the Nightfall 3-D counter sheets into other factions. Yes, a little "arts and crafts" is involved, but these can really bolster the Vatican Guard forces and who doesn't want a pink Ogre Mark IV? Even if you don't, (Really?! How can that be?!) please support those fans that would like to see these goals produced, by taking the brief moment to participate in the goal. Perhaps next time those fans will be supporting a cause of your interest, on your behalf.
Yes, this isn't Friday evening, my usual "Ogre News" update night, but now is the time to support Ogre. Jump in, either through the Kickstarter campaign, the social media stretch goals, or just via our Ogre sale on Warehouse 23 (the Nightfall set is only $5!) There are so many ways to support the cause. Long live Ogre!
(Post #37)
May 19, 2018: You Asked For It!
Our Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition Kickstarter is roaring along. We have unlocked three stretch goals already and are driving towards a fourth. The book was already coming with PDF support and a sheet of die-cut counters, templates and craters. Your support has added the following to this release:
- The book will be hardbound
- It will come with a second die-cut sheet containing an Ogre Mark VI and a variety of targets, including Laser Towers and Turrets, plus Communication Towers
- Another die-cut sheet is planned with units and/or targets based upon your preferences in this survey. If you haven't done so already, (and not even 1/4 of you have), fill out the survey!
The rapidly approaching fourth stretch goal is an 8-page booklet containing Ogre records cards, the reference sheet, the attack templates and counters, and Ogre Miniatures Lite. This should facilitate making copies and may serve as a resource during the game.
BUT . . . what about a fifth stretch goal? I'm glad you asked. Many of you have been lamenting that there were no immediate plans for an Ogre Mark VI in plastic. Which was true. But it just so happens that Phil is in China right now and has had the opportunity to discuss this with the factory. So I am pleased to announce . . .
-
$85,000 Stretch goal - We will run a Kickstarter for both an Ogre Mark VI and a second Ogre, to be determined by backer survey, in plastic
This is a real stretch, but I think we can make it. Remember, although the Kickstarter campaign ends May 25, all sales of Ogre items on Warehouse 23 through the end of the month will count towards the stretch goal. The 50-75% Ogre sale on Warehouse 23 will continue through to the end of the month as well.
Finally, see Steve discussing Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition on Facebook video, where he answers a number of questions about Ogre, its history - both real and fictional, and more. He even hints at a possible Ogrezine 2! Check it out.
(Post #36)
May 12, 2018: Ogre-Whelmed!
Lots of Ogre News to pass along, so let's get right to it!
First up is a huge announcement: Check out the May Ogre Miniatures Sale running through the end of the month! Over on Warehouse 23, most of our Ogre products are on sale from 50-75% off. Now is the time to get whatever you're missing of older material at a steep discount. Want The Ogre Book? It is 75% off. How about a stack of Light Artillery Drones and the Hovertrucks to transport them? Still 75% off. Never grabbed the three Scenario Books? Yep, 75% off. Want to pimp out your game with Ogre Dice? 75% . . . you get the idea! For the most part it is only Ogre Sixth Edition and our recent releases that are exempt from our MOM Sale.
There is a hidden benefit to the sale as well. For the month of May, all Ogre purchases on W23 will count towards the Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition Kickstarter stretch goal totals. So as you build your Ogre army, you also support Ogre for all other fans! As of the sale announcement on Friday May 11, that meant another $2,730 was added to the total, pushing us past the next stretch goal. We will have a graphic on the Kickstarter campaign page where you can track the combined totals early next week.
Speaking of the next Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition Kickstarter stretch goal, we are locking down its contents now, but everyone can expect a die-cut sheet with a new Ogre Mark VI, along with some Laser Towers and Turrets, to start. We will get images of the sheet to you as soon as we can but as a preview you can expect the Laser Towers and Turrets to be of the Combine style (seeing as there are fewer representations of them in the game), and colored in such a way that they can be used by any faction. We will be announcing the next stretch goal shortly, too.
Finally, we have posted a pdf of the updated Ogre Rule Book. This book will be the definitive set of rules for the board game. A printed copy will be included in every Battle Box but players can download a digital version now.
We had a brief lull after the release of Ogrezine, but things are back in full swing here at CP Fnord! Check out the May Ogre Miniatures Sale, support the Kickstarter and download the rules.
And don't forget that tomorrow is Mother's Day! (Do Ogres even have moms?)
(Post #35)
May 9, 2018: Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition Stretch Goals
The Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition Kickstarter is on well on its way. It met its funding goal last night (early this morning on the East coast!) and crossed its first stretch goal earlier this evening. These two events have a couple of different ramifications for the project. First, now that the project has funded, pre-orders have opened up on W23 for our international fans. We understand that the pathway is less than ideal, but we are trying to accomodate your interest in the game while managing the reality of shipping concerns in the 21st century. Our goal is to ensure that you have the same end result as a U.S. backer, even if the pathway is different. My recommendation is to back the Kickstarter at $1 (don't declare a pledge category), which you can cancel at the end of the campaign to save your buck, and pre-order whatever you want on W23 (book, Battle Box, Many Minis). In this manner, you will have full access to the Kickstarter and receive everything that U.S. backers receive. As we are reaching stretch goals where backer feedback is important, I encourage you to consider this path if you're interested.
Which brings me to issue #2. We just passed our first stretch goal (Yes!), that being we will publish the book as a hardbound tome. This will seriously increase the durability of the book. But our next stretch goal is a little less defined. If we reach it, we will include a second die-cut sheet with an Ogre Mark VI on it, plus a variety of additional structures, including at least one Laser Tower and Laser Turret. I'd like your feedback about these additional structures. What would you like to see? Do you have a specific faction that you'd like to see the Lasers depict? Are there other structures you want to see offered? None of this will be binding, as sheet space and other concerns will affect the decision, but we would like to hear from you as to what you want to see. Please post your comments in the thread dedicated to this concern on the Kickstarter Update.
On a completely unrelated note, both Steve Jackson and I will be attending Origins. Please feel free to stop by and say "Hi!" and/or sign up to play some Ogre! We look forward to seeing you there. If you can't make Origins but are in the D.C. area and have a hankering to play, check out Escape Velocity 2018 in Washington D.C. on May 25-27. There will be a hosted Ogre event where Ogres roll on Washington D.C. This will occur on May 25 from 8:30 to 11:30 pm. Please check out the webpage for more details. Ogres on the Mall . . . yeah, baby!
(Post #34)
May 5, 2018: Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition
May is such a wonderful month - May flowers, Cinco de Mayo, the Kentucky Derby, Ogre Kickstarter, Mother's Day, Memorial Day picnics - there is just so much to love!
Yes, we have an Ogre Kickstarter this month! We are excited to annouce the campaign for Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition, beginning this Monday, May 7. This campaign will run to May 25. Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition is a completely updated version of the original Ogre Miniatures book, incorporating the material from the 2008 Ogre Miniatures Update, as well as drawing liberally from the definitive Ogre Sixth Edition rules. Descriptions of combat engineering tasks, the specialty Ogres, the new units such as Light Artillery Drones, a completely overhauled painting tutorial; it's all in there!
And speaking of painting, this edition is graced with dozens of photos of Ben Williams' amazing miniatures. He explains how he achieves his amazing results, and gives instruction for both novice and experienced painters. Additionally, methods of making terrain to outfit your battlefield are described. Everything one needs to turn their dining room table into the front line of the Last War is in the book!
There will be pledge options for just digital versions of the book or a physical copy with the files. Additionally, for those that missed out on the Ogre Miniatures Set 2 Kickstarter, we will have levels where backers can get Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition along with either the Battle Box, or for the truly inspired, the Many Minis boxed set. The Many Minis set contains almost 300 miniatures of Ogre goodness in six different colors!
If all of the above is not enough, there will be stretch goals to make this fantastic product even better. Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition will not be released through regular retail distribution, so don't miss out. (Retailers - we will have a special pledge level for you if you wish to add Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition to your store). Swing by next week and see what the excitement is all about! Remember, the campaign starts Monday, May 7 and will run to May 25.
May flowers and Ogre - what could be better?
(Post #33)
April 20, 2018: Presenting: Ogrezine!
As all of the backers should know by now, we have unleashed Ogrezine upon the world. This collection of articles and art is the culmination of the last eight months of creative activity by you, the fans of Ogre. It is packed with 40 pages of scenarios, game variants, fiction, history (both of the game and of the Ogre-verse), graphics and more. As promised, we have a surprise or two in it for you, including a great article from the Ogre-lord himself, Steve Jackson. The file contains both the digital webzine as well as a version that may be printed by a third-party printer, in order to create a hard copy to be tucked within the Ogre Sixth Edition box. Although we don't anticipate anyone having an issue with a printer, here are the details as to what to do, should you run into a problem.
The backers of Ogrezine should have received a copy in their Warehouse 23 account (in your downloads section) by this time. If by some chance you are a backer and have not received it, please contact kickstart@sjgames.com with your backer info and we can investigate the issue. Did you miss out on the Kickstarter but want to see what the buzz is all about? Fear not! You can purchase Ogrezine in Warehouse 23 for just $9.
Speaking of buzz, I want to hear from everyone: authors, artists, readers and fans. What did you like? Is the game expanding in ways that you enjoy? What would you like to see more of? I do have a number of other submissions that I'm reviewing (many of whom I still need to respond to - sorry! I'm getting there . . . ). Is this a project that you would like to see done again? Please give me your feedback and share your thoughts on the thread on our forums or the one on BGG.
Thank you, everyone, for your participation and enthusiasm regarding Ogrezine. I have had the privilege of shepherding this project and I can say that I am humbled by what you have forged. You are all amazing!
(Post #32)
March 9, 2018: Bringing Up The "Rear"
We have reached the last of our accepted submissions for this issue of Ogrezine. Penned by one of my predecessors, former Ogre Line Editor extraordinaire Daniel Jew gives us "Rearguard Action", a game scenario about a harried group of survivors trying to retreat to the safety of their own lines, pursued by a larger force intent on destroying the fleeing units. Please try this scenario and then offer your opinions, game summaries and feedback on the forum thread dedicated to this article. I want to hear how things went! (For those of you playing with Ogre Sixth Edition and Reinforcements, you will either need the Giant Battlefield Set (with very limited quantities remaining) or create the map using OgreMap2, an amazing map creator application by Tom Cornwell). [Editor's Note: The Giant Battlefield Set is now sold out. In addition to using Tom's great map creator, please check your FLGS or online third party sellers for either it or Ogre Designer's Edition (which contains these maps). The scenario uses the south half of map G2.]
Although this is the last of the submitted articles slated for inclusion in Ogrezine, we are by no means done. I have a few graphic illustration submissions that I think everyone is going to absolutely love. There is an amazing piece by Mathieu Moyen of 6-Commando fame that takes GEVs to a whole new level and a submission by Alvin Helms that will "rock your socks off"! Rob Goodwin and Tim Kauffman have also submitted fantastic pieces just waiting to be unveiled. Plus, there is a fun article by Steve Jackson that will give everyone whole new ways to play the game. I can't wait to get the final product on your screens!
So this may not be the end, but possibly just the beginning. We hope to have this issue of Ogrezine out to you in the near future. Once released, please let us know what you think - do you like it? What worked and what needs some more attention? Is Ogrezine something we should do again, or was it a fun idea that has run its course? Your feedback will have a direct impact on my future pursuit of this idea. I have quite a few additional submissions and article queries in my inbox (please keep sending your ideas in!), and some of the current articles have concepts that could be blown up into follow-up articles themselves. I will create a thread for feedback once we release the issue. But for now, enjoy "Rearguard Action"!
(Post #31)
February 23, 2018: Cain And Abel And . . . ?
History is replete with examples of siblings fighting with each other. Generally, there are object lessons in the story and usually, they work it out in the end. But what if you gave those squabbling siblings nuclear weapons? Things can get really ugly, really fast!
This is a core tenet of Joshua Megerman's submission to Ogrezine, titled "The Rise and Fall of Pittsburgh". Set in the waning years of the Last War, as mankind was moving into the Factory States era, Josh gives us a front seat to a family feud waged on the strategic scale. In addition to a history of this storied city interspersed with entertaining vignettes, he provides us with seven scenario seeds, any one of which would make a great Ogrezine article all of their own. We would love to hear what you think of this entry, and the variant 'no-nuke' rules contained within; please offer your feedback on our forums. I'm especialy interested to hear your thoughts as I've some ideas that could cascade off Josh's creation!
In other Ogre news, the Ogre Miniatures Lite pdf has had a minor update. If you have not downloaded the most recent version, please feel free to do so here. (We've added the Ogre stats). Those that backed the Ogre Miniatures Set 2 Kickstarter have seen our draft of the updated rulebook and your feedback is greatly appreciated. We should be getting a pdf of the rules out to everyone in the not-too-distant future. Plus, we are beginning to discuss the timing of a Kickstarter for Battlefields. Speaking of Ogre Miniatures, the snafus in the European shipments of Set 1 have been worked out and people should be receiving their orders in the near future. Thank you again for your patience!
(Post #30)
February 9, 2018: Holy Spiders, Batman!
I am pleased to announce that the latest entry for Ogrezine was posted earlier today. I just hope you aren't suffering from arachnophobia! (Is there a specific term for fear of giant spiders?). For that matter, do Ogres have phobias? There might be an article right there!
Brett Drake is gracing our pages with "Jump Troopers: The Tarantuloid War", his treatise on Ogres fighting giant spiders in the far future. And what futuristic battle against giant sentient spiders would be complete without orbital drops of infantry to save the day? Brett has also delineated rules for taking our standard cannon fodder . . . er . . . infantry, and turning them into Jump Troopers dropping into the fray.
Additionally, Brett offers three scenarios, including two that offer solitaire play, as well as rules to create your own Jump Trooper battles. He originally designed these rules to use the Ogre Pocket Edition, wanting to expand the game while maintaining the portability of that version of Ogre. He even includes a sheet of counters that may be printed out and used to supplement those in Ogre Pocket Edition. Everything in the article is completely compatible with Ogre Sixth Edition as well.
I think you will enjoy Brett's contribution to the game. We've even had some fun with one of Brett's suggestions - all I will say is this link might come in handy!
(Post #29)
January 26, 2018: State Of The Ogre-Verse 2018 And Ogrezine
For those of you that aren't devotees of the Daily Illuminator (is that even possible?!), you may have missed my State of the Ogre-verse 2018 update. It is a retrospective on the many victories, and few losses, of the Ogre line across 2017. Please feel free to comment on the forums if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer them.
Continuing our march towards the first issue of Ogrezine, we posted the next article earlier today. In "Going Downtown: Smart Cities in the Last War", Daniel Oney examines the role a city might play in an Ogre game. Urban combat has a deep and rich history, and wars have changed based upon the success or failure of combat within a city. A commander that can control a city, and the various technological facets associated with it, can have a notable advantage over an invading force. I think everyone will find his essay an interesting read!
In addition to the article, we are pleased to showcase a wonderful art submission from Rob Goodwin titled "Night Hunt". Rob captures the essense of fighting an Ogre in his creation that I think complements Daniel's article well. Enjoy!
(Post #28)
January 14, 2018: Ogre Painting Tutorials
With Ogre Miniatures Set 1 available and the forthcoming release of Ogre Miniatures Set 2, it is time to discuss painting these wonderful figures. Certainly they look good just as red or blue or green units on the board, but with the application of some paint they can really pop. Ben Williams has been painting a veritable army here at Steve Jackson Games, and we've been sharing the results of his craft. They are truly works of art!
"But Drew, Ben is an amazing artist capable of inspiring legions of men to lay down their lives in pursuit of these units. I am but a mere mortal, barely able to scrawl my name with fingerpaints on the cave wall!" As drool-inducing as Ben's work is, that shouldn't prevent the rest of us from trying our hand at painting Ogre miniatures. There are a number of resources out there to assist us less-than-Michelangelo-level painters in this task.
First up is Ben's own blog on painting miniatures. I would like to especially draw your attention to his post on cleaning the models as well as one on quickly painting the units to get them off the hobby bench and onto the game table. But please read his tutorial on painting an Ogre as well as his series on different camo schemes. You won't be disappointed.
The vast quantity of miniatures available in Ogre Miniatures Set 1 and Set 2 can be overwhelming. Looking at the pile of plastic can induce a sense of doom contemplating how long it might take to paint all of those units, but it need not be that way. A wonderful tutorial is this one posted by Ty Beard on Texas Wargamer. He describes how he painted 27 miniatures in 2.5 hours - all of the armored units plus the CP from Set 1 painted in less time than an average NFL or MLB game.
Yet another tutorial may be found at John Fleischer's blog, Ogre Miniatures. He discusses the steps he took in painting 74(!) GEVs in step-by-step detail. For those of you who backed at the "Too Many Minis" level during the Ogre Miniatures Set 2 Kickstarter, you might need his tips!
Some other websites and blogs that may be of help include The Miniatures Page and Paint-It-Pink. Painting Ogre Miniatures Set 1 was featured on GTM's Happy L'il Minis Show as well. The pdf Ogre Miniatures available at Warehouse 23 has an entire chapter dedicated to painting Ogre miniatures, detailing a number of techniques.
The Ogre forums, both at Steve Jackson Games and Board Game Geek, have lots of threads dedicated to assembling and painting miniatures. A simple search with specific key words like "painting" or "miniatures" yields copious information as well.
Hopefully these links can offer some assistance in "taking the next step" in regards to your Ogre miniatures. I'd be remiss if I didn't ask everyone to share their work on the forums! Good luck!
(Post #27)
December 29, 2017: The Classic Ogre "Look"
Ever wonder how the Ogre came to look the way it does? It is an interesting story. Winchell Chung shares how the Ogre's image came to pass in his article, "Forging the First Ogre", our latest entry for Ogrezine. Although we still have a number of additional articles to post over the next couple of months, this brings to close our 2017 entries. I hope everyone has a happy and healthy New Year. Be sure to take Ogre out for a game or three over the long weekend; hopefully you can ring in the New Year with a few victories!
(Post #26)
December 25, 2017: Merry Christmas!
As I sit here, drink in hand, admiring my Christmas tree with snow falling outside, I am reminded of how wonderful this time of year can be. Perhaps the combatants of the Last War will emulate their forefathers from 1914, taking a moment to cease hostilities and celebrate the magic of the season. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, pause for a moment and reflect on the many good things in the world. Thank you, one and all, for sharing the camraderie of playing games and taking time to talk Ogre; it has been a wonderful year. Merry Christmas!
(Post #24)
December 21, 2017: SJG Takeover Of Ogre On Steam
If you are free to play some Ogre tomorrow, a bunch of us will be on Steam as available opponents! Jake and the fine folks at Auroch Digital run Multiplayer Fridays and tomorrow will be a special opportunity to play against not only those at Auroch Digital but many of us here at Steve Jackson Games, including the Grand Ogre Master himself, Steve Jackson! The times we will be available are as follows:
- Steve Jackson - the legendary designer of Ogre, GURPS, Car Wars, Munchkin, and more! Available between 11 am - 4 p.m. EST
- Winchell Chung - the man behind the iconic artwork of the original Ogre boardgame. 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. EST
- Steven J Marsh - GURPS Project Manager. 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. EST
- Drew Metzger - Ogre Line Editor. 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. EST
- Devin Lewis - Game Designer and Munchkin Editorial Assistant. 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. EST
- Jake Connor - that's me! Community Manager at Auroch Digital. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. EST
- Steve Martin - Designer on the Ogre Steam adaptation. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. EST
For full details, please see today's Daily Illuminator. I look forward to seeing you on the battlefield!
(Post #23)
December 16, 2017: A New Ogrezine Article & More
I am pleased to announce that we have a new Ogrezine article up. Long time fan Herb Diehr has graced us with his submission, "The Final Battle", a climatic piece of fiction. Our own Brandon Moore has sketched some illustrations for Herb's piece that really accent the feel of the story. Check it out! We will have our next Ogrezine post on December 29th.
In other Ogre news, Warehouse 23 has a Santa Clausthulhu Holiday Sale going on right now. There are a lot of items marked down, plus three great sets of games at a fantastic price - the Mars Attacks, Classic Car Wars and Munchkin 2017 Holiday Bundles are all worth checking out. But of particular note to Ogre fans are the individual Ogre metal miniatures that are all at 75% off! Although selection is limited, there are still a number of great units at mind-blowing prices. If that wasn't enough, there is a cascade of free gifts with purchase while supplies last. The $90 or more level is a free Ogre Sherpa! Remember that you get all the gifts of the lower levels too. And shipping is free at $100 anyway, so this is a win-win! This sale ends December 20th.
Speaking of holiday shopping, the digital version of Ogre on Steam makes an excellent stocking stuffer! Plus, Ogre is now available for both PC and Mac systems. It is not too late to drop hints or hook up your best gaming buddy. It always fits!
(Post #22)
November 18, 2017: More Ogre Articles To Peruse
Another fortnight has passed and we are pleased to annouce the posting of the latest article for Ogrezine. Ninja are amazing Ogres, performing in ways that might seem almost magical as an immense cybertank. But occasionally, there is a need for something a little smaller and more subtle. Introducing the Ninja Shuriken - an extension of the Ninja for getting to places that the Ninja simply can't reach. Or at least, can't reach without obliterating the countryside in the process!
Another article that was posted with the past group that I'd like to highlight is Tabletop to Desktop. Peter Willington of Auroch Digital takes us on a tour behind the scenes of the development of the Ogre Video Game. It is a fascinating glimpse into the decisions and difficulties in taking our glorious boardgame and rendering it as a digital game to be found on Steam.
Speaking of articles, Steve Jackson has released an article on Medium for creating flat terrain for use with Ogre Miniatures. He describes a number of options for producing detailed terrain that both looks good and facilitates playing the game. All of these wonderful miniatures that are being developed will need a detailed surface to battle on, right? Steve provides options for every budget including one making use of the recently unlocked, free Ogre Terrain pdf, which will be of benefit to both Ogre Miniatures and Ogre Sixth Edition players alike.
Finally, as you all know Ogre Miniatures Set 2 is doing very well in its Kickstarter campaign. In addition to the black Ogre Mark IV and black Fencer, as well as the Ogre Miniatures decals and the aforementioned Ogre Terrain pdfs, the glow-in-the-dark Set 2 has been unlocked. Plus we are closing in on a grey Set 2, and there is a grey Set 1 that was a recently revealed stretch goal. The "All the Minis" option is looking like an amazing deal as a value approximating $0.30 per mini. And as more minis keep getting added to the the box through unlocking stretch goals, that number is only going down! If you haven't checked it out, you owe it to yourself to do so.
(Post #21)
November 14, 2017: Ogre Miniatures Set 2 Has Launched!
Like an Ogre grinding a CP beneath its tracks, you, the faithful fans of Ogre, have absolutely demolished the funding level for our latest Kickstarter, Ogre Miniatures Set 2! We are excited to bring the Paneuropean versions of the various "advanced" units to the tabletop, including Superheavies, Light Tanks and Light GEVs, Mobile Howitzers, and more. And the skies will darken with the cloud of missiles arising from both the Paneuropean Fencer and the Combine Mark IV. I can't wait to get this set!
But that's not all: as always, there are some surprises for you! We have some slick stretch goals planned: how about some black units? Perfect for the forthcoming Nightfall campaign. The black Heavy Tanks are already being added to all levels beyond Player, and we have a black Mark IV and Fencer just rumbling in their tracks, waiting to join the fray. But that's not all . . . PDFs of the Ogre Terrain Masters have already been unlocked and there's more to come.
All of this is happening with the arrival of Ogre Miniatures Set 1 to many backers doorsteps. What's that? You missed out on that Kickstarter? Well, fear not! We have sets available for pre-order on Warehouse 23. Everyone can have a complete Paneuropean force racing across the board. Plus, it is not just the base Ogre Miniatures Set 1 of red Ogres and blue units on W23; we have an amazing set titled Ogre Miniatures Armory Set 1 that contains a full set of each of the alternate colors: reverse blue & red, hunter green, and glow-in-the-dark, plus a black Ogre Mark III and Mark V.
Yes, you read that correctly: a black Mark III and Mark V. These little (huge?!) puppies were not included in the original Kickstarter, but are a bonus found in the Armory Set. Obviously, many of you backed the Set 1 Kickstarter and might be thinking, "I need those black Ogres, but I will get kicked out of the house if I buy the Armory Set in addition to the gazillion miniatures that just arrived at my door and are now spread acorss the dining room table. What do I do?" No worries! We've got your back! You can order either the black Mark III or the Mark V separately, or both as a pair.
The year is winding down, but it is still 2017, and still Ogre's 40th Anniversary! Time to play!
(Post #20)
November 4, 2017: The Next Ogrezine Submissions
Our second installment for Ogrezine features not one, but two submissions from fans. There is a clever little directive by Jeremy Filko on edging your Ogres. This was a common topic on the forums when Ogre Designer's Edition came out, but Ogre Sixth Edition owners may not be aware of this option. Jeremy seeks to fill that gap for new players. In my personal opinion, the end results are truly remarkable.
As the late night infomercials would say, "But wait! There's more!" In addition to Jeremy's article, there is a wonderful submission by Martin Gallo revamping the venerable Combat Results Table. Designed to be easy to use AND "math-free", his No Math CRT enables even those of us with the most mathematically-challenged minds to easily handle combat with Attack Strength 12 against Defense Strength 7. It is designed to assist Ogre Miniatures players as well.
Speaking of Ogre Miniatures, don't miss out on our up-coming Kickstarter for Ogre Miniatures Set 2 beginning November 13. Featuring all of the "advanced" Paneuropean units such as Light GEVs and Superheavy Tanks, when combined with Ogre Miniatures Set 1, it helps complete a Paneuropean force. And of course there are Ogres: the Combine Mark IV and the Paneuropean Fencer (with both the standard and advanced turrets!) are found within this set. If you missed out on the Ogre Miniatures Set 1 Kickstarter, there will be an opportunity to pick up Set 1 along with Set 2 during this Kickstarter. And of course all of the color combinations from the Set 1 Kickstarter will be available. This will be a brief eight day campaign, so don't miss out! We launch on November 13.
Finally, for those of you new to Ogre but dipping their toes into the pool with the digital rendition on Steam, our own Granite Penguin has posted the first of his tutorials on how to play the game here. This one features GEV Terrain Effects. I look forward to more from our esteemed collegaue. Thanks, David!
(Post #19)
October 28, 2017: Ogre Shell Casings
Some interesting Ogre bits:
First off, we received an AWESOME picture of a birthday cake on Twitter by prayerborne (see below). All I can say is he is one lucky man!
Second, sir_pudding offered a fun suggestion on the forums for using Lego to track damage to an Ogre during a game. This concept has even been demonstrated previously with instructions on building your own Ogre. Gotta love the "splodey sounds" advice, though.
Ogrezine is progressing well. Lots of great submissions (although there is still a little bit of time to get in your idea!); y'all rock! It's getting tough to choose what to move forward with in the issue. I should have the second article posted on the site by the end of next week. We've received some art too; what we've gotten has been great, but I really would love to see some more in this arena. Plus, there is less of a time crunch with art. We can accept quality images received in the next month or two.
Ogre Miniatures Set 1 is almost here. We are still anticipating shipment in early November. It should arrive just in time to coincide our Kickstarter for Ogre Miniatures Set 2, scheduled to kickoff on November 13th. Don't miss it!
Speaking of Kickstarters, don't forget our current campaign, Munchkin Starfinder, that is running now. I'm not aware of any Ogres in it, but it looks really fun nonetheless.
Finally, there are plenty of Ogres in the video game on Steam. It is receiving very good reviews and soon to be available to Mac users. Sign up and download today!
Stay frosty, Marines!
(Post #18)
![[Image]](jpg/markvcake.jpg)
October 21, 2017: The First Submitted Ogrezine Article . . .
. . . is up on our site! Karl K. Gallagher is a long time fan of Ogre and frequent contributor to both the forums and the game. His story, "Clean Up", was the first article accepted for Ogrezine and as such, deserves the honor of being the first one posted on the site. This bit of fiction examines the life of an infantryman on the nuclear battlefield as well as offers a glimpse into the world after an Ogre has passed through the neighborhood. I think you will enjoy it; I know we did!
We have more to come, with the next submission being posted in two weeks. But that doesn't mean there still isn't time to submit your story - scenario - variant - strategy - game hack. We want to see it! That said, we are in the process of determining what is going to go into this issue and what will be held in reserve, so don't delay in sending me your concept! Writer's Guidelines may be found here. If you have an idea you'd like to pursue, get me your query email ASAP. I will respond promptly.
And for those of you with graphic and/or artistic skills, we would LOVE to see some artwork! I know you are out there, as I've seen occasional posts on the forums. Please share your work with the rest of the Ogre community! You can email me at my signature's link below.
Ogrezine. It's what's for breakfast!
(Post #17)
October 16, 2017: And Ogre Grinds On
Greetings, everyone! First, I'd like to draw everyone's attention to Steve's Daily Illuminator post earlier today announcing the Kickstarter for Ogre Miniatures Set 2. We're doing things a little differently this time but I think you all will like it. Be sure to mark November 13th on your calendar for the start of the Kickstarter - that's only 29 days from now! Plus there is a sweet Fencer-B all dolled up by Ben Williams; that alone is worth clicking over to the post!
Next, I'd like to point out an article titled "Closing the Gap" posted on our site helping Ogre Sixth Edition owners bring their sets up on par with Ogre Designer's Edition. This is not one of the Ogrezine articles but rather just a primer for those seeking to beef up their Ogre Sixth Edition. Some of the scenarios published in our Ogre Scenario Books require units or structures that are not found in Ogre Sixth Edition or Ogre Reinforcements; now everyone can make easily make use of those scenarios. Note that a Kickstarter for Battlefields is anticipated at some point next year which will have many of these "missing" units as well.
Speaking of Ogrezine, we should have the first article posted later this week. I've received a lot of great concepts and a number of wonderful articles. But there is still time to send me your ideas! Check out the Writer's Guidelines and send me your outlines pronto.
Finally, perhaps you've heard of this little thing called Ogre over on Steam? The computer game by Auroch Digital was released on October 5th and is generating lots of buzz as well as getting generally fantastic reviews. I'm pleased to see that the campaign based in the Nightfall period of the Factory States is being well received. The boardgame Nightfall campaign is still on my desk too and not forgotten! But everyone can get an idea of where we're going with it via the computer game. If that wasn't enough, Auroch Digital recently let slip that Ogre will soon be coming to Mac users as well. How great is that?
Ogre's 40th Anniversary may be slowly coming to an end, but don't think we're slowing down here at CP Fnord. There is a LOT more Ogre-related goodness headed your way. This party is only getting better . . .
(Post #16)
October 7, 2017: It's HERE! Ogre Is Out On Steam
It has been a long time coming, but we are proud to announce that the Ogre video game has been released on Steam. This digital rendition of the game has stayed true to the original boardgame, bringing both Ogre and G.E.V. to your screen. You can play either as the Ogre or the valiant defenders in the game. Match your skill against the AI or other players online. There is a tutorial for those experiencing Ogre for the first time as well as a new multi-scenario campaign for veterans. Hint: this campaign is a look into the world of the Factory States era! I think you'll enjoy it.
Join the community on Steam and share your war stories. Drop by our forums here at Steve Jackson Games to discuss the campaign. The time is now to experience Ogre in a whole new format! Plus, for those of you that share your experience on Facebook and Twitter with #OgreVideoGame, you will have an opportunity to win Ogre Sixth Edition for when you want to play Ogre "old school". We will randomly choose five winners on Monday, October 9th from those who shared their thoughts about the game.
Ogre. In the digital age. Do you dare to join the conflict?
(Post #15)
![[Image]](jpg/ogreaurochthumb.jpg)
October 2, 2017: [A Smuggled Dispatch]
Transcript from an undercover source within CP Fnord
Voice #1 (voice pattern matched to Steve Jackson, High Command): "How are things going with Operation: Battlefields?"
Voice #2 (voice pattern matched to Drew Metzger, Regional Attaché): "We're making great progress, sir. The schematics are nearly finished, and I'm pleased to announce both Ninja have settled on their call signs: Fog and Night."
SJ: "Good. Somehow referring to them as Flower and Spyke didn't seem right. So what's the TO&E for this task force?"
DM: "Well, we haven't locked anything down, sir. There may still be changes as we progress . . . "
SJ: "At ease, soldier. I just want to know what the current status is for this op. It is understood that changes may occur."
DM: "We're looking at a completely updated manual, incorporating all rules of engagement for the new units and procedures. This includes the two aforementioned Ninja, a Vulcan with drones, Combat Engineers, Heavy Weapon Teams, Marines and Light Artillery Drones. There will be resources for entrenchments and revetments as well. We have requisitioned a Fencer-B and two Mark I Ogres for the group. Three radar stations are also allocated to the task force. These are new installations, sir. I think they will be well-received."
SJ: "Indeed. Although they'll probably end up as rubble like everything else."
DM: "Yes, sir. But they are new objectives nevertheless. Additionally, there will be cartographic analysis of regions G3 and S3. Finally, scenario support is anticipated focusing on both the new units as well as the strategic and tactical use of these two regions."
SJ: "Excellent! Thank you for the summary. We should have funding allocated by . . ."
Voice #3 (voice pattern matched to Phil Reed, High Command): "What are you two doing?! How many times do I have to tell you to close the door? You never know who might be listening . . ."
At this point the recording cuts off as the door to the command center was closed.
(Post #14)
September 7, 2017: End Of Summer Clean-Up
I've got a number of things to pass along to everyone. First, our two Ninja in the upcoming Battlefields supplement have names! I'd like to introduce FOG and NIGHT. I'd point them out but I have no idea where they went! (Which is ok by me, honestly . . .). Congrats to David Kopp for suggesting these appellations.
The Ogrezine Kickstarter was a complete success. Thank you, everyone, who backed this project. I can't wait to get this published. I've received a number of queries already and we even have two accepted submissions. But I know there is a lot more untapped talent out there; I've read your posts on the forums. Now is the time to send me your ideas! The first article is going up on the website in a little over a month so there is no reason to delay sending in your submission. We're looking for exceptional artwork as well. Please check out our Writer's Guidelines and Artist Guidelines. Expand the game, be published and get paid. How great is that?
Some of you may have heard that there is a computer game coming to Steam called Ogre. This is anticipated for October 5th. Don't forget to put it on your Steam wish list. That will really help with promoting the game. You can keep up-to-date with its progress on the forum dedicated to the game.
Speaking of digital products, the free Ogre War Room app has been revised and is available in the App Store. Please make sure to update your current version if you have not done so already, as the forthcoming Apple update will cause the old version to fail. This is a remarkably helpful little app for use during gameplay; I encourage everyone to check it out. And did I mention it was free?
Getting back to the physical plane, hopefully you all have seen Hunter's unboxing video of Ogre Miniatures Set 1. If not, you can find it here or here. Things are moving along very well with the set and we anticipate shipping them later this year.
Finally, as we prepare for the Ogre Miniatures Set 2 Kickstarter (coming soon!), we can announce that Set 3 will consist of the Combine basic units (GEVs, Heavy Tanks, Missile Tanks, Howitzers, Infantry and CP) plus some Ogres. There are always some Ogres. (Now if I only knew where those two Ninja are hiding . . .)
Next up: a detailed look at Battlefields!
(Post #13)
August 25, 2017: Mini Ogre In GTM #210
GenCon has come, and gone, with many games played. For those of you that stopped by our booth, said hello, and shared in some fun, we thank you! Many of you picked up our promotional copy of Ogre, a mini-version of the game, complete with a scenario titled "Bad Timing". We hope you enjoy it and use it to entice others to play this great game!
Couldn't make GenCon? Fear not! The same gatefold Ogre promotional item is included in Game Trade Magazine #210, which should be showing up in your Friendly Local Game Store across the US and parts of Canada on August 29th. The cover price is $3.99 for the magazine, although I've heard that some stores will even give it away on occassion. Be sure to ask at your FLGS. If you're interested in subscribing to Game Trade Magazine, you can do so here; they often have interesting promotional items with each issue.
Finally, for those of you that will be attending PAX West in Seattle on September 1-4, we will have copies of the "Bad Timing" fully playable scenario to hand out during that event as well. We hope to see you there!
(Post #12)
August 19, 2017: Ogrezine Writer's Guidelines
It is with great pleasure that I can announce our Writer's Guidelines for Ogrezine have been posted. Contained within are details about how to submit your amazing material to us and how to increase the likelihood that we publish it. Additionally, you will find examples of what we would like to see, as well as examples of things we do not wish to see. Please read these, as they are designed to help you have a successful submission. If you have questions, please email me and I will do my best to answer them to your satisfaction.
I'm excited to see this project moving forward!
(Post #11)
August 16, 2017: Ogre On Steam
We here at Steve Jackson Games are very proud to announce that Ogre has its own page on Steam and on our own site, in advance of the release of the full game October 5th by Auroch Digital. Now, interested players may tag Ogre on their wishlists. (Please do!). As many of you know, a computer version of Ogre is one of our few remaining promises from the Ogre Designer's Edition Kickstarter. With this event, we are one extraordinary step closer to fulfilling our promise to you, the Ogre community.
Additionally, Jake, the Auroch Digital community manager is live right now on our forum set up specifically for the computer game to answer questions about the forthcoming game.
Ogre.
Steam.
Who needs fusion reactors anyway? Happy 40th Anniversary, Ogre!
(Post #10)
August 12, 2017: Ogre Miniatures Set 2
Ogre Miniatures Set 2 is moving ever closer to its Kickstarter. CP Fnord recently received some prototype sculpts of the models scheduled for Set 2 and a few images have "leaked" out onto social media. Those of you subscribed to any of our Ogre Kickstarter feeds have seen these already, but for the rest of you here are some pictures that Hunter posted showing the progress of Set 2. You can see the full post here or here. Note: these will NOT be the colors; test shots are done in whatever is available at the time. But they look pretty awesome nonetheless!
(I LOVE the Mark IV!)
PS - Want to name an Ogre? Check out the August 11th Kickstarter update on Ogrezine!
(Post #9)
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August 7, 2017: Ogrezine Is Live!
Our latest Ogre Kickstarter, Ogrezine, was successfully launched this AM and just met its funding goal. If unfamiliar, please review the previous Ogre News post. This is your opportunity to participate in the creation of more material for Ogre. And for those of you who missed out on Ogre Miniatures Set 1, here is an opportunity to pick up the complete set! New to Ogre? We have a backer tier just for you as well; get up to speed with Ogre Sixth Edition, including Reinforcements and Ogre Miniatures Set 1, as you support Ogrezine.
(Post #8)
August 4, 2017: Ogrezine!
Those of you who are keyed into our Kickstarter feeds may have already read the news, but for everyone else, let me introduce our latest Ogre project: Ogrezine! This is to be a collection of articles, scenarios, fiction, etc., created by fans of Ogre, for fans of Ogre. We intend to produce an electronic "magazine" dedicated to everything and anything Ogre. How big this magazine gets and what it contains will be up to you, the Ogre community. You can read more about this release here or here.
To give you an idea as to what you might expect from this product, I've written an article called "Dambusters" which may be found here. Have you admired the dams and flooded overlays on the BGG Exclusive Overlay sheet, but not been sure how you might use them in a game? Here are a set of rules detailing how dams may be used and the consequences of breaching one. Please enjoy, and hopefully use this to jumpstart your own ideas for an article. Writer's Guidelines will be coming soon.
This is also an opportunity to players looking to expand their Ogre collection or gamers that missed out on Ogre Miniatures Set 1 to take advantage of some package deals. Those tiers are limited, so you will need to act quickly.
Finally, this is a chance for the dedicated fans of Ogre to let us know what they want from Ogre – are you interested in this type of release in the future? Would you like to see this as an annual event? Your support will help determine the course of the Ogre line going forward. This Kickstarter is scheduled to begin on August 7th and will run through GenCon. As always, Ogre's 40th Anniversary party rolls on!
(Post #7)
July 26, 2017: A Peek Into Battlefields
First off, I'd like to remind everyone going to GenCon that we are running a number of Ogre games and tournaments there. There are still spots available, although they are filling. New to Ogre and want more of a tutorial session? We've got that too. Just click here and pick the game you wish to register for. We look forward to seeing you there!
As many of you are aware, one of our few remaining Ogre Designer's Edition KS commitments was producing a full supplement for Ogre. That supplement is called Battlefields and we anticipate running a Kickstarter later this year in support of it. Although exact details are still being worked out, I'd like to lift the lid and let everyone get a peek as to some of what it will entail. As already mentioned, it will have maps G3 and S3 in it. This serves two purposes: Ogre Designer's Edition players can add them to their extensive set of maps, further allowing mix & match options with all the other map halves, whereas Ogre Sixth Edition players will now have G.E.V.-style maps upon which to play their games. The Ogre Giant Battlefield Set containing maps G1, G2, S1 and S2 is still available on Warehouse 23 for any Ogre Sixth Edition players that wish to expand their options as well.
Obviously, if Ogre Sixth Edition players are to have G.E.V.-style maps, they need the rules to use them. We are updating the Ogre Designer's Edition rulebook, expanding it to 32 pages. It is expected to be the definitive rulebook for the game of Ogre, correcting what little errata that has cropped up as well as including rules for the various new units that were released last year. For those of you with the rulebook, either the physical version or digital download, if you know of errata please go to this forum and tell us about it if you don't see it posted there. Now is the time to speak up!
I mentioned new units, didn't I? What's the point in having rules for them if we don't have counters? There will be Heavy Weapon Teams, Engineers and Light Artillery Drones (with pallets) for both the Paneuropean and North American Combine factions. Additionally, there will be a Vulcan (with four Heavy Drones) and a Ninja to build. There is more, including something old and something new, plus something blue (Nothing is borrowed, as far as I know!); all of that is for another time though.
I intend to get some pictures out to you in the near future. We're hoping to wrap up Ogre's 40th Anniversary celebration with a Kickstarter for this set. A possible stretch goal would be a sheet of overlays allowing Ogre Sixth Edition players some of the fun of map-bashing, as well as introducing the much needed Water overlay that is in such short supply for everyone. (It is currently only found on the Kickstarter Exclusive overlay sheet.)
I hope everyone is as excited about this product as I am. If you have friends that are sitting on the fence about getting Ogre Sixth Edition, now is the time because they don't want to miss this Kickstarter. And as always, stay tuned, because we've got sooooo much more to show you!
(Post #6)
July 7, 2017: Midsummer Update
Many of you have read Steve's Update on the various Kickstarter Ogre feeds, here or here, but for those of you who haven't seen them, here's a brief rundown. Ogre Miniatures Set 1, Auroch's computer game, and Nightfall are all progressing nicely. We're targeting later this year for the first two, with Nightfall still a possibility as well.
Kickstarter seems to be the method through which Ogre receives the most support. We would like to see the fan base grow and we need YOU all to continue to expose new players to our great game. The more the game is supported by the gaming community, the more SJG resources may be devoted to new material. That said, Kickstarter campaigns will likely be the primary means of releasing new material for Ogre at this time as they've done well.
Ogre Miniatures Set 2 is one of our upcoming Kickstarters for the line. The CAD files are done and we hope to have a campaign towards the end of the year. We may run this in tandem with a Kickstarter campaign for Battlefields, the expansion that was promised during the Ogre Designer's Edition KS. I'm excited about how things are shaping up for this supplement! I look forward to giving you greater details down the road but as Steve mentioned, maps G3 and S3, the Ninja, and lots of other counters are in there, including some completely new things! A proposed stretch goal would be overlays focused on water in the game, as water overlays were in short supply in the Kickstarter version of Ogre Designer's Edition, and non-existent in the retail edition.
Something I'm hoping to see do very well is a Kickstarter for what's being bandied about as "Ogrezine". Some of the best material for Ogre came not from published supplements but more from articles in the old Space Gamer magazine and later collected in The Ogre Book (man, I love that book!). I want us to have more of that. This will also be a bit of a referendum on the game; what level of support is there for this type of material? Should this be a one-time deal, or is this possibly the start of something on-going (i.e. annual)? More to come very soon.
So enjoy the summer - break out your copy of Ogre Designer's Edition or Ogre Sixth Edition and play some games. We're only at the mid-point of Ogre's 40th Anniversary; there is still more to come!
(Post #5)
June 19, 2017: Organized Play This Weekend: June 23-25
For those that missed out on the last Ogre Organized Play date, we have another for you! (We do things like that...) More than four score of stores are participating in this weekend's event across 36 states (and one province!). Here's an opportunity to defend the CP against the fearsome Ogre. Or perhaps you want to play the Ogre, crushing those puny, pesky tin cans beneath your treads? You can do both! Take the time to meet other fans, play the game, and perhaps score a little swag. Don't know how to play? No worries! There should be plenty to teach you and the game is easy to pick up. Veterans - bring a recruit with you and expand our ranks of players! You can find a list of all stores (with links!) participating in the event in this Daily Illuminator post. See if there is a store near you! Note: Please contact the store to find out the specific time and date that they are having their event.
(Post #4)
June 2, 2017: Let's Have A Little Bit Of Fun...
...if giant plasma-breathing lizards are your cup of tea! A few adventurous souls have tried their hand at codifying some rules for the giant lizard on the BGG 3-D Units sheet (found here); I've collected their attempts into one thread for all to peruse. Additionally, I've distilled the Ogre Miniature rules found in Pyramid Classic issue #1 into a set suitable for use with Ogre Sixth Edition. This pdf file may be found on the BGG Ogre page. (Note: for those that downloaded an earlier version, I've updated it to include a record sheet. Feel free to download it again!)
Now the reason I've done this is I would like to see where all of you might take these rules. Specifically, I am interested in seeing some scenarios. I'm knee deep in Nightfall so I have not tried my hand at this but I really would love to play a game with the creature. I've even made some suggestions on that thread and there are a few ideas in the Pyramid Classic article. So I am throwing down the gauntlet; do any of you dare pick it up?
(Post #3)
May 18, 2017: Ogre Scenario Book 3 And A Status Update.
Greetings from Command Post Fnord!
We have been busy in our bunker putting the finishing touches on Ogre Scenario Book 3, Steve Jackson's latest contributions to Ogre. Within these digital pages, you will find nine scenarios from the master himself. Many of you have helped playtest these previously and the game is better for your efforts; thank you! When combined with Ogre Scenario Book 1 and Ogre Scenario Book 2, there are 30 scenarios for your gaming pleasure!
With this release, we can draw a thick line through yet another Ogre Designer Edition Kickstarter stretch goal. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel as there are very few commitments left. Progress is moving along on Battlefields, the expansion set for the game; I'm really excited about this project! Ogre Miniatures Set 1 should be here this fall and Ben has been painting absolutely gorgeous versions of the test shots. Plus I have been busy editing a second edition of Ogre Miniatures. (Did you see the updated version of Ogre Miniatures Lite? Comments are welcome!) The computer game is in the more-than-capable hands of Auroch. And lastly Car Wars is still being tweaked but all reports are good! That's actually all there is left for the ODE stretch goals!
But don't think we're done there. Obviously we have taken on the commitment for Nightfall, and we've made great strides there. I think you will enjoy a look at the world in the late Factory States era! It's a largely unexplored world. Plus we should be setting a date for Ogre Miniatures Set 2 in the near future. The next OP event is scheduled for the last weekend in June - more to come very soon on that. And I've yet more pots simmering on my stove . . . !
On other fronts, I'm engaging in a little market research about terrain overlays over on BGG. If you have not weighed in, please take a moment to do so. Plus I'm still interested in reports of any published articles regarding Ogre over the years. Please feel free to let me know about any obscure magazine or fanzine that contains Ogre material either here or here.
Thank you for being the greatest fans ever! Please help us deliver more Ogre goodness to everyone by recruiting more players to our great game. We, the fans of the game, are Ogre's emissaries; thanks again for your support. See you on the nuclear battlefield!
(Post #2)
April 24, 2017: 1 - Improving Ogre Awareness
Recently I started some threads looking at what we here at SJGs are doing right, what we're doing wrong, and what we could change to improve the awareness of Ogre and thus better serve you, the fans. These threads are still open, so feel free to weigh in if you have not already (or if you have more to say!). They may be found on both the SJGs forums as well as those in the BGG Ogre listing. The responses have been incredibly helpful and I'd like to thank each and every one of you that took the time to offer your thoughts.
One improvement was to number these missives, so fans could know if one was missed. Rather than begin this in the middle, I will just start with #1 for this post, and move forward from there. Thanks for the idea!
Another thing that came across was that to attract new fans, I can't assume everyone has the same level of knowledge about the game that I, and other long-time players, have accumulated over the years. My apologies to those who may have felt a bit bewildered at some of my posts. This is easy to correct, and I appreciate the glance in the mirror!
To this end, some of this knowledge has come about through reading many articles over the years about our beloved game. We have an Ogre bibliography detailing many of these articles, specifically those in The Space Gamer and earlier Pyramid magazines. Plus the best have been collected into The Ogre Book (perhaps the single greatest supplement for the game ever produced!) which is well worth everyone's read, if they have not done so. But there are other articles out there, some perhaps in more obscure publications or ones lost in the annals of time. Please help me collect this wealth of data so we all may benefit from those who have come before us. I've started a thread both here on the SJGs forums and on the BGG Ogre forum. If you know of an article relating to the Ogre game system, drop by and let me know. I've got a number of lesser-known ones already - once I've got a lengthy list, I will publish this online for everyone to enjoy!
April 6, 2017: Does BPC Degrade In Water?
The Ogre map is a pretty harsh place, what with the craters, ridges and barren terrain. Just what you might expect from a nuclear battlefield. But not all battlefields are so desolate; small rivers and tributaries may cross the landscape, offering a small respite from the bleak terrain.
They also really can jam up an armor column!
We are pleased to announce Ogre Stream Overlays, a W23 exclusive mini-supplement designed to bring stream terrain to Ogre Sixth Edition. It contains rules for stream overlays, a number of overlays themselves, suggestions for their use in standard Ogre scenarios, and even a training scenario: Hammer & Sword. Owners of Ogre Designer's Edition will benefit as well, as many of the overlays are much longer than those found in ODE. And best of all, it's free! Click over to Warehouse 23 to download your copy today.
March 30, 2017: The Latest Ogre Releases
The last few weeks have been good for the Ogre line. In addition to our 40th anniversary retrospective of Shockwave, Ogre Reinforcement Pack and Battlefields, we have just released Ogre Reinforcements, an expansion to Ogre Sixth Edition. Additionally, a revised version of Ogre Scenario Book 1 has been posted on Warehouse 23. Some of the scenarios have been tweaked for better game play and the layout now matches that of Ogre Scenario Book 2.
But there are a couple of smaller releases that may have slipped under the radar. Ogre Miniatures Lite has been improved and updated. A hardcopy of this will be included in every copy of Ogre Miniatures Set 1, but it may be downloaded today for free on Warehouse 23. Also, the one-page "Ogre Cheat Sheet" has been uploaded to BoardGameGeek. This is the handy reference sheet for Ogre Sixth Edition. It was included in the kits for the Organized Play events at your participating FLGS last month. Be sure to download it here.
We look forward to more Ogre goodness. Ogre Scenario Book 3 is moving along steadily as are other projects such as Nightfall. Although I'm not cleared to say anything additional at this time, with your continued support there will be more to come!
March 20, 2017: Operation Newspaper - ODE-Style!
"Operation Newspaper" is a scenario written by Steve Jackson in support of the supplement, Shockwave, and published in The Ogre Book. This is an incredibly fun scenario, and if any of you have not tried it, it is well worth your time to do so. Armed with his massive Ogre Designer's Edition set, Will Hutton set out to play this, only to discover that some of the rules were a bit cryptic when playing it with Ogre Designer's Edition and not Shockwave. So he went about updating the rules to support the new version of the game and created a pdf for others to download and enjoy. We are pleased to share this with you as he did a really nice job - thanks, Will!
You can find both the updated version as well as the original version of this scenario on our Scenarios page - check it out! Owners of Ogre Sixth Edition will need the Giant Battlefields Set and either a couple of copies of Ogre Reinforcements to play the game (alternate counters can be used as stand-ins for the 16 LGEVs as needed!) or one of the extra counter sets from ODE: either Ogre Designer's Edition Extra Counter Set or Ogre Classic Counters Set.
March 12, 2017: More Fields Of Fire
Wrapping up our Ogre retrospective as we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Ogre, we are pleased to bring you Battlefields in pdf. This supplement was only released in 2001 and is arguably the most difficult one to find, even though it was the most recently published. Battlefields brought Militia and Combat Engineers (and their associated tasks) to the game as well as four new maps.
Just as with the towing rules from Ogre Reinforcement Pack, the rules for Engineers and their tasks served as the bedrock for our current Combat Engineering rules but do not translate directly to the latest edition of the game. Nevertheless, they are a wonderful look back at the history and development of Ogre.
But the maps! Prior to this supplement, the game system simply had the G.E.V. and Shockwave maps. Battlefields added two more geomorphically compatible maps to each supplement, raising the total map options to six, and establishing the nomenclature used today to designate the maps: G-1, G-2, G-3, S-1, S-2 and S-3. Numerous scenarios were included in Battlefields making use of these new maps as well. Four of the six maps were included in Ogre Designer's Edition, and owners of Ogre Sixth Edition may purchase those on W23 as the Giant Battlefields Set. As far as the "missing" maps G-3 and S-3? Well, who can say for certain what the future might bring? But I would like to remind people of the excellent map maker tool created by tomc and found on the forums in the meantime.
Shockwave, Ogre Reinforcement Pack and Battlefields. Three classic supplements that helped develop the game into what we know and love today. Pick them up and enjoy the many scenarios for the first (or 40th!) time! Happy Anniversary, Ogre!
March 12, 2017: More Fields Of Fire
Wrapping up our Ogre retrospective as we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Ogre, we are pleased to bring you Battlefields in pdf. This supplement was only released in 2001 and is arguably the most difficult one to find, even though it was the most recently published. Battlefields brought Militia and Combat Engineers (and their associated tasks) to the game as well as four new maps.
Just as with the towing rules from Ogre Reinforcement Pack, the rules for Engineers and their tasks served as the bedrock for our current Combat Engineering rules but do not translate directly to the latest edition of the game. Nevertheless, they are a wonderful look back at the history and development of Ogre.
But the maps! Prior to this supplement, the game system simply had the G.E.V. and Shockwave maps. Battlefields added two more geomorphically compatible maps to each supplement, raising the total map options to six, and establishing the nomenclature used today to designate the maps: G-1, G-2, G-3, S-1, S-2 and S-3. Numerous scenarios were included in Battlefields making use of these new maps as well. Four of the six maps were included in Ogre Designer's Edition, and owners of Ogre Sixth Edition may purchase those on W23 as the Giant Battlefields Set. As far as the "missing" maps G-3 and S-3? Well, who can say for certain what the future might bring? But I would like to remind people of the excellent map maker tool created by tomc and found on the forums in the meantime.
Shockwave, Ogre Reinforcement Pack and Battlefields. Three classic supplements that helped develop the game into what we know and love today. Pick them up and enjoy the many scenarios for the first (or 40th!) time! Happy Anniversary, Ogre!
February 24, 2017: Ogre Reinforcement Pack
Continuing our 40th Anniversary of Ogre trip down the cybernetic memory lane, we present the Ogre Reinforcement Pack. First published in 1987, and later re-released in 2000, this supplement to Ogre and G.E.V. introduced towing rules and random Ogre damage, as well as reprinting from The Ogre Book the stats for the "other" Ogres: Marks I, II & VI, plus the Fencer.
Arguably the best part of this supplement were the three new scenarios. Played on multi-map layouts, each introduced new ideas to the game. "The Day After" leveraged the new towing rules, whereas "Body Blow" took advantage of having four maps and a huge number of counters available for a scenario. Finally, "Fake Out" had the unique design of allowing one player to know what the goal of the scenario was while keeping the other in the dark. A personal favorite!
Historically a difficult supplement to find, we are pleased to make this pdf available to all. Although some of the rules have been altered and replaced by those within Ogre Designer's Edition and the new Vulcan rules, there is much to enjoy here. The scenarios are easily adaptable to the current editions of Ogre, and offer hours of enjoyment. The Ogre Reinforcement Pack - when you just want more!
February 14, 2017: Ogre - Old School
Sometimes the best way to move forward is to stop and take a look back from where you've come. Here at CP Fnord, we're doing just that with the release of some old Ogre supplements in pdf. First up is Shockwave.
Published in 1984, and again in 2000, this was the initial major expansion of Ogre and G.E.V., introducing many units that are now ubiquitous in the game, such as LGEVs, Superheavies, GEV-PCs and Marines. But the major features of this supplement were rules for Cruise Missiles and the Lasers to shoot those missiles down. Although some of these rules have changed over the years, as now currently shown in the Ogre Designer's Edition rulebook, Shockwave serves both as a window into the past as well as an opportunity for players still using old editions of Ogre/G.E.V. to add this supplement to their collection.
Shockwave - celebrating Ogre's 40th Anniversary old school style!
February 7, 2017: Organized Play This Saturday 2/11/17
Just a reminder that our Organized Play program featuring Ogre Sixth Edition kicks off this coming Saturday at many FLGSs. Please check this list to see if you have a participating store near you. If you are an Ogre veteran, stop by and help indoctrinate . . . er . . . teach new players how to play the game we love. And if you've never played the game before, this is your opportunity to take the beast out for a spin with friendly people to help show you the way. So they might lob a few tac-nukes at you; it's all in fun! Plus everybody will have the opportunity to get some swag! Who doesn't love swag? Play Ogre and have a blast!
February 2, 2017: Tying Up Loose Ends
The last of Steve's promised eight KS scenarios has been posted. Titled "Longview", it recreates the basic Ogre "Kill the CP" scenario on a G.E.V. map. Normally an Ogre does not need to concern itself with terrain, but it is wise to consider it in this scenario. Why? Because the CP can shoot back! We've had fun with it, and hope you do too. Please play it one or a gazillion times, and then come back and let us know how your session went by giving us feedback on the forums.
This brings the number of Steve's new scenarios to nine. All of them may be found on the Scenario page. Please feel free to continue trying out the older versions as well, and report back on their associated threads. We're looking towards getting these pulled together as a published pdf later this year.
Another loose end was the Ninja rules. As different and thought-provoking as the previous version of the Ninja rules turned out to be, at the end of the day they weren't Ogre/G.E.V. I wouldn't rule out seeing some of these ideas and concepts resurface in a different form and manner, but for now we are keeping everything simple, and thus this new set of rules is to be considered the "official" Ninja rules. All of the new unit rules may be found here.
January 12, 2017: State Of The Ogre-Verse 2017 [Updated!]
2016 was a year of transition for the Ogre line. We started the year with Steve Jackson shouldering the mantle of Line Editor and ended it with an amazingly successful Kickstarter for Ogre Miniatures Set 1. But did anything happen in between? Oh boy, did it ever!
When 2015 drew to a close, Steve resumed the title of Ogre Line Editor, becoming the third to hold that title since the position was re-established after the overwhelmingly successful 2012 Kickstarter for Ogre Designer's Edition. As 2016 dawned, he released the results of the survey for what the promised expansion for ODE should include: first and foremost, maps G3 and/or S3 will be produced. Also, another 3-D Ogre and additional units are all likely to appear in this set, as determined from the survey results.
Acknowledging that some fans missed out on the Ogre Designer's Edition Kickstarter, what was to become Ogre Sixth Edition moved forward, beginning as a mere concept at the start of the year and shipping by Christmas. This set promises to help bring the next generation of Ogre fans into the fold, while offering current fans a more portable option when transporting the game.
Fulfilling the promises of the Ogre Designer's Edition Kickstarter campaign proved to be an ongoing theme for the year. Steve Jackson Games and Auroch Digital entered an agreement to produce an Ogre-based computer game, which in turn should fulfill the $300k stretch goal, even if we are a few years late from our initial projection. The hope and expectation is that we can announce a release at some point this year.
The Fan Scenario Contest entries, published on the website in 2015, moved towards a definitive endpoint as a published pdf. During this time I was invited to take over as the Ogre Line Editor, freeing Steve to do the myriad other tasks for which he was responsible. By the end of the year, we had published and distributed Ogre Scenario Book 2, a collection of 14 fan-created scenarios for public consumption.
Steve also promised to develop, release, and eventually publish, eight scenarios of his own. Seven have been posted with two more going up very soon. [Edit - the eighth is posted! Check out RTS.] Yes, that is a total of nine. Steve is having fun! These will also be published as a digital file, tentatively Ogre Scenario Book 3.
The much-awaited release by Tom Smith finally reached our backers. Titled "Ogre Suite", there is over 45 minutes of music on this album in a wide variety of styles. There is even a radio spot for Uncle Al! Tom's album was also released on Bandcamp for those who were not backers of the Ogre Designer's Edition Kickstarter.
Ogre Reinforcements is following close on Sixth Edition's treads, bringing both the 'other' units such as LGEVs, Mobile Howitzers, etc., as well as Town overlays and their associated rules, to Ogre Sixth Edition. This is at print now with an anticipated release in March.
Yet another stretch goal from the Ogre Designer's Edition Kickstarter involved the review and release of rules for a variety of "new" units. These had only preliminary rules in past editions and were eagerly anticipated by players. Vulcans, Combat Engineers, Heavy Weapon Teams, Light Artillery Drones and the Ninja all received scrutiny and eventual publishing on the site. While still under review by forum members, most are close to being locked down as "official" units.
Finally, circling back to where it all started, we ran another Kickstarter in support of Ogre, this time debuting Ogre Miniatures Set 1. Even with steady support throughout the campaign, we almost doubled our totals in the last 72 hours. This unlocked numerous stretch goals including glow-in-the-dark Ogres and units! The response was so impressive we are already planning Ogre Miniatures Set 2.
Not everything worked out the way we wanted this past year. Although the revised rules for most of the new units such as LADs, HWTs, etc. were positively received, the revamped Ninja was met with mixed reviews at best. So back to the drawing board for everyone's favorite stealth Ogre. The heavily anticipated expansion for Ogre Designer's Edition is simply taking much longer than expected (but is most assuredly not forgotten). And Ogre Miniatures, 2nd Edition has barely left the garage (slowed in part by the delay in developing a viable set of Ninja rules). But I can't complain; Steve never said this would be easy!
So what should we expect from the coming year? Well, first and foremost 2017 marks the 40th Anniversary of Ogre. Don't think that is going unnoticed! One of the exciting things being rolled out at Steve Jackson Games is our Organized Play program, and Ogre is the first game line to get the full treatment. There will be competitions (with prizes!) based primarily in your FLGSs. We have a surprise or two up our sleeves as well! This should be a fun and exciting way to expand the community of Ogre players.
Many of the products mentioned above as developed in 2016 will reach store shelves and W23 in 2017. Ogre Reinforcements, Ogre Miniatures Set 1, Ogre Scenario Book 3 and the Ogre computer game from Auroch all should be released this year.
We hope to have much more. Nightfall is still very much on my plate, and progressing steadily. I've already mentioned plans for an Ogre Miniatures Set 2. We will have a digital "look back" at some old products that still have relevance today. Plus there are a number of other ideas that I hope to move forward this year. Finally, we hope to answer a question of interest to both Ogre Designer's Edition and Ogre Sixth Edition owners alike: Do Ogres like to get their treads wet?
So our 40th Anniversary celebration looks to be a good one. This all is due to the wonderful support and enthusiastic community made up of you, the Ogre fans. Thank you for being the greatest audience we could hope for! Now strap on your battlesuit, because 2017 is just getting started!
December 15, 2016: More Scenario Fun!
As we sorted through the wreckage left in the wake of another successful Ogre Kickstarter, we made an incredible discovery: Steve has completed two more scenarios! We now present them to you for your enjoyment. Mini Breakthrough and Mini Ceasefire Collapse offer a whole new way of looking at a pair of classic scenarios. As always, we request that you try these out (as well as the rest of the released scenarios) and then come back to the forums and let us know what works and what doesn't.
November 29, 2016: Ogre Miniatures Set 1 - The Final 24 Hours
We are just entering the last 24 hours of our lastest Kickstarter, this being Ogre Miniatures Set 1. Impressive stretch goals have all fallen before this beast. We've added ten units to the base set, unlocked a hunter green set, added a free glow-in-the-dark Ogre Mark III to many pledges, reduced the shipping, and more! If the next 24 hours are similar to the last 24, we may see a free glow-in-the-dark Ogre Mark V and the possibility of glow-in-the-dark conventional units (the elusive "Ghost Army")! Plus you can purchase additional glow-in-the-dark Ogres. To quote a long-time supporter of the game, "If you can't light the map in the dark with the units, you don't have enough." Well said, GranitePenguin!
We've also added new support tiers, including a "Many Minis" level, where backers will get two each of the standard, reverse, and hunter green sets (and one glow-in-the-dark set if we reach that stretch goal!). Not only are these sets discounted from retail, but the Ogre Veteran and Many Minis levels have even further discounts!
But these fantastic additions are only possible through the actions of our fans, and we humbling thank you for the amazing support you've shown. If you are still sitting on the fence, jump off and click on over, because this Ogre Kickstarter is just about to crush the CP!
November 23, 2016: Ogre Miniatures Set 1 . . . And Set 2?!
Our current Kickstarter is grinding along as an Ogre, crushing stretch goals under its treads like Missile Tanks. We've already unlocked two extra GEVs, two extra Heavy Tanks, two extra Missile Tanks and an extra Howitzer for the base set. Other stretch goals are still within reach, including a fourth Howitzer, erasable record sheets, glow-in-the-dark Ogres, and a complete third set in hunter green!
Two new pledge levels have been created to further assist those interested in Ogre: the Starter Bundle and the Veteran level. The Starter Bundle is the perfect way to introduce someone to the world of Ogre. It includes Ogre Sixth Edition, one box of Ogre Miniatures Set 1, and one set of black and green Ogre dice. Do you know someone living in squalid darkness that's devoid of Ogre? Introduce them to the Starter Bundle, and let them step into the celestial light of the Ogre-verse!
Conversely, some disdain the dip of a toe into the water, preferring to plunge head-first into the glory of Ogre. For these hardy individuals, there is the Veteran level. This tier offers everything you might need to play in depth, including two boxes of Ogre Miniatures Set 1, a set of reverse colored units, Ogre Sixth Edition, Ogre Reinforcements, a set of retailer posters, and Ogre: Objective 218. This level will provide all the Ogre goodness necessary to ensure countless hours of fun!
"But where are the Combine units?" you might ask. "Where are the Light Tanks, the GEV-PCs? The Superheavies?!!" Steve has been so impressed with your enthusiasm that it has fed his own. He has promised that a second set of miniatures will be developed. Ogre Miniatures Set 2 is a conceptual reality! But exactly what that set will entail is up to you. Steve has posted a survey in Update #11 asking you, our amazing fans, to tell us what you want to see in the next set.
So if you have not already, please click over to Ogre Miniatures Set 1 and pledge today - and help determine the direction of Set 2 for tomorrow!
November 9, 2016: Ogre Miniatures Set 1
They said it was crazy. They said it couldn't be done. They were wrong!
Many of you lovingly remember our line of metal miniatures for Ogre. Some castings are even still available on Warehouse 23. Unfortunately, rising costs seemed to banish these game aids to a thing of the past.
But after years of scouring the land, talking with vendors and casters, evaluating materials, and just plain ole refusing to quit, we are pleased to announce Ogre Miniatures Set 1! Over 30 plastic miniatures, representing all of the classic units from the original game of Ogre, may be acquired in one set for just $30!
These come unpainted, but the Paneuropean units are blue and the Combine Ogres are red, so these will pop on your game board right out of the box. The first two stretch goals have already been ground under the treads of this Kickstarter, with more to fall soon. If we hit all of our announced goals, the miniatures in the set will total over 40!
But wait! There's more! You can also add on a reverse colored set, to wage Ogre vs. Ogre battles, or perhaps play "GEV Escort" in 3-D. Plus Ogre Sixth Edition, Ogre Reinforcements, dice, and posters are available as add-ons as well. Plus who knows where this beast will take us? Only time will tell.
Ogre Miniatures Set 1. 30+ miniatures for $30.
Crazy, right?
October 29, 2016: Yet Another Scenario From Steve!
Steve is a machine. He may be the original AI for the first self-aware Ogre. He's cranking out scenarios like you wouldn't believe!
We now present "Sidewinder", an Ogre scenario that looks at the Ogre map from a different angle! You know the drill: go play with it, defend it, destroy it, and then come back and comment on it, on our forum thread dedicated to it.
And thank you everyone for commenting on "Gauntlet" and "Dogpile". Your comments are helping create a stronger Ogre-verse! Keep those playtest evaluations coming!
October 13, 2016: At Long Last . . . The Ninja!
The last of the 'New Units' promised from the Kickstarter has snuck onto the site. Please enjoy the Ninja: sneaking around in the dark and blowing up poor, unsuspecting missile tanks!
There is a lot to take in here and this unit will likely undergo refinements as people weigh in on what works, and what doesn't. So just as we requested with the other "New Units", please take the time to visit the forum thread dedicated to this Ogre, and let us know what you think!
And speaking of letting us know your thoughts, don't forget to give us action reports on "Dogpile" and "Gauntlet", the latest two scenarios from Steve Jackson, on their own dedicated threads both here and here.
October 5, 2016: The Next Scenario From Steve
Scenario #3 is up! Do you dare the "Gauntlet"? Take your Ogre through the challenge, and then come back and tell us about it on the forums. Enjoy this new scenario, and keep checking in for the next one from Steve Jackson.
September 24, 2016: Ogre Map Creator
For those of you just bursting with creative forces to make your own Ogre and G.E.V. maps, tomc has just the thing for you. He has updated his OgreMap application and posted the link on the forums. It is incredibly intuitive! You just paint the hexes and 'Voila!' - new battlefields to fight across! I strongly encourage people to check it out.
Thank you tomc! Well done!
And just a reminder to check out "Dogpile". A new scenario will be coming up soon!
September 20, 2016: New Scenario And Miniature News
The second of the promised KS scenarios from Steve Jackson is up on the scenarios page, titled "Dogpile". As with GEV Escort, we'd like feedback on the scenario. Specifically, we're looking for how many units were left when the Ogre became immobile/died, but comments on clarity of description, balance, etc. would be welcome as well. Trials of the variant Mark VI scenario would be of "marked" interest too! Please post your feedback here.
Additionally, Phil Reed has posted an Update on Kickstarter with pretty pictures of a Heavy Tank miniature. Note that this is just a test run from the factory; the final versions may be a bit different. But they're coming . . . !
September 9, 2016: Send In The Reinforcements!
Ogre, 6th Edition, our (much more) portable version of Ogre Designer's Edition focused specifically on Ogre, is off at print. And as promised, we have an expansion titled Ogre Reinforcements set to come out shortly thereafter. Brandon Moore has created this amazing cover for the supplement, evoking the speed and power of GEVs racing up a slope. We anticipate Ogre Reinforcements in 2017.
August 26, 2016: Vulcans And Engineers (& LADs); Oh My!
Please find rules for Light Artillery Drones posted at this link. But that's not all! You can find the rules for Vulcans (and updated Combat Engineers) at this link. We hope you take them out for a spin, and then come back here and let us know how they performed, by posting on the forums (LADs here, and CEs & Vulcans, here).
August 23, 2016: Light Artillery Drone Rules
Please find rules for Light Artillery Drones posted at this link. We hope you take them out for a spin, and then come back here and let us know how they performed, by posting on the forums.
What's that? There are no counters for them? Well, for now please make do with whatever you have. Who knows what the future might hold?!
August 11, 2016: New Scenario: GEV Escort
You can find this new Ogre scenario by following this link. Please play it and comment - on game balance, clarity of instructions, or whatever else you think of - on our forums.
July 29, 2016: Steve Jackson Games and Auroch Agree on Digital Ogre Release
Ogre, the classic game of future tank warfare, will come to PC via Steam next year in a hex/turn based adaptation by experienced Steam developer and publisher Auroch Digital. Ogre raised nearly a million dollars on Kickstarter for its giant Designer's Edition, and one of the stretch-goal promises was "We will do a computer game." Here it comes. Work on the project will begin immediately, and the game should be released in late 2017.
About The Publishers
Auroch Digital Ltd. is the acclaimed and multiple award-nominated Bristol-based indie games studio, founded by veteran game designer Dr. Tomas Rawlings.
Steve Jackson Games publishes Ogre, Munchkin, Zombie Dice, Chez Geek, and a lot of other board and card games. Its big upcoming project is Car Wars on Kickstarter.
For More Information
Auroch Digital: visit aurochdigital.com, follow on twitter.com/AurochDigital, facebook.com/AurochDigital. For Presskit see: aurochdigital.com/presskit-aurochdigital/
February 7, 2016: Soft Announcement Of A New Ogre Edition
You may find this of interest, especially if you wanted the Designer's Edition but did not get it:
http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?p=1977095#post1977095
January 27, 2016: New Ogre Scenario Posted
It's on the forum: http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=141147
June 8, 2015: Scenarios Out In The Wild!
We're excited to announce the release of several new scenarios for Ogre Designer's Edition. These scenarios were written by you for Ogre fans everywhere, and we look forward to hearing your feedback on the scenarios as they're released.
To make sure we all get plenty of time to play each scenario, we'll be releasing one approximately each week. The first scenario, Mark-O Polo was released May 14, and we've worked to keep the Thursday release schedule going! Storming the Castle, Salvage, and the Battle for Sheffield are all up for you to explore.
After each release, head over to the Ogre forums on our website and let us know what you think. Each scenario will have its own thread, and we'll be taking feedback on each scenario for 60 days after release. After 60 days, we'll close the individual thread so we can look at the feedback and incorporate it as needed.
Once all 14 scenarios have been released, and after we've looked at the feedback and done any necessary editing, we'll assemble them all in a good-looking PDF available from Warehouse 23.
We're looking forward to your thoughts on the new scenarios, and we're grateful to everyone who has taken time to contribute to this game!
-Jen Atkinson
July 23, 2014: OGRE Rules Now Available In German
![[Image]](png/cover_lg-2.png)
We're pleased to announce that, as part of a stretch goal on the OGRE Designer's Edition Kickstarter, we now have a German translation available for download at Warehouse 23. It includes the rulebook, scenario book, and reference sheet, and is ready for print and play!
As always, we're blown away by your support of OGRE, and we're looking forward to hearing about epic OGRE battles from our friends across the Atlantic.
December 20, 2013: Ogre Fan Scenario Contest Is Live!
Please see the full announcement here.
Happy designing and testing! We're pretty sure you'll amaze us with what you come up with!
-- Daniel
November 21, 2013: Ogre News Roundup
Some big things have been happening in the world of Ogre!
We got an awesome thank you from Grand Prix International!
We threw a launch party for our backers!
People started getting their copies of Ogre!
Launch Parties East and West were successes!
There was an unboxing video!
We gave some pointers on how to strengthen your tray insert!
That's a lot of stuff!
-- Brian Engard
October 16, 2013: A Special Thank You From Grand Prix International
Grand Prix International, the folks who did printing for Ogre Designer's Edition, sent a pretty awesome thank-you to us, now that the game is printed. Head on over to the Kickstarter update that talks all about it!
-- Brian Engard
October 10, 2013: Ogre Has Arrived!
All the containers of Ogre are now unloaded and ready for our Launch Party and for shipping. We posted a glimpse into the six-week long process on our Kickstarter page. We hope you enjoy it!
September 11, 2013: Ogre Update Roundup
A lot has happened in the world of Ogre in the past month and change. Check it out!
- We visited the Hong Kong factory and took lots of pictures!
- The first two containers shipped!
- We went to Gen Con and showed Ogre off to the fans!
- We did an unboxing!
- Daniel had twins and is going back overseas to be with them (great for him, but we'll miss him)!
- The Classic Counters shipped!
- We initiated Wave Two reprints of Ogre Minis!
- We organized the upcoming Launch Party!
- We released the Quick Start Rules and Ogre Classic Counters electronically!
Whew, that's a lot of great stuff. Onward to victory!
August 6, 2013: Ogre Miniatures Wave One Restock -- Small Delay
Just to let folks know that Richard Kerr of Grey Cat Studios is still working on restocking certain Ogre Miniatures Wave 1 reprints like the Doppelsoldner.
Grey Cat had a small issue last week when the old gas controller for its melting furnace gave up the ghost and they needed to order a new one. We expect to take delivery of the Wave 1 restocks any day now. Thanks for your patience. It's really exciting to see the minis come in, after being out of print for so long!
-- Daniel
August 1, 2013: Ogre Update Roundup
We've got a couple of updates on the Ogre front for you.
First, the latest from Phil and Sam's trip to Hong Kong. They got to look at the first production copies. Good news: they are awesome!
Second, a demonstration of how enormous the Ogre box really is. We told you!
July 16, 2013: Out Of Print Ogre Miniatures Are Back!
One of the Ogre Kickstarter stretch goals was to reprint the minis from Ogre Miniatures. We're pleased to announce that the first wave of reprints is now available from Warehouse 23. This includes many long-out-of-print Ogres like the Mark III and Mark V. If the minis sell out before you order, don't worry – we will get more cast. Don't get price-gouged on eBay – but don't bother trying to gouge others, either!
The second wave of minis will include rare buildings like the Combine Jammer and the Paneuro Laser Turret, and a never-seen-before unit, the Combine Unity Missile Crawler. Watch this space!
While we've unfortunately had to raise the price on the reprints to reflect the current cost of labor and materials, the existing stock of boxed sets are still available at the amazing pre-2002 price of $19.95 each. We expect these to sell out after Ogre Designer's Edition launches later this year, so be sure to grab these bargains now, if you want them!
-- Daniel
June 28, 2013: Ogre Launch Paaarty Update!
We currently have around 200 folks coming to the Ogre Launch Paaarty on October 19 in Austin!
Please sign up by Monday, July 8 if you want to secure a place. There's a FAQ about registration here, with further questions answered here.
There'll be the chance for Kickstarter supporters to pick up the game plus extras, a goody bag for all attendees (age 14 and over) with a limited edition Launch T-Shirt and patch, signings by Steve, sponsored counters for sale, organized play, and more!
-- Daniel
June 27, 2013: Ogre At Dexcon Next Week
Surely you haven't forgotten that next week is your chance to meet Steve and Daniel at Dexcon in Morristown, NJ, have you? Good!
Then I also shouldn't need to remind you that they'll be arriving in The Garden State with a veritable torrent of Ogre. They'll have samples on hand – for demos and for just general show and tell. But what you can really get excited about is the Ogre Macrotures event. The good folks at Dexcon will be filling an entire arena with an oversized Ogre game, featuring, as its centerpiece, a two foot long Ogre! Another event will have Steve playing 12 Ogre games simultaneously, attempting to crush 12 command posts at once.
If you have a chance to be at the con, don't miss these!
June 21, 2013: Pink GEVs!
SJGames.com forum user "Oracle" has painted these awesome pink-and-purple Anarchist Relief Front and Vatican Guard GEVs.
The paintschemes are inspired by the Barbarians at the Gate counter sheets for Ogre Designer's Edition, sponsored by Drew Metzger. You can check out his sheets, and others, here.
If you want to try your hand at your own paintschemes, you can order Ogre minis over at W23. They're currently fantastic value since they've not had a price increase for a significant while; we expect prices to go up once stock sells out.
-- Daniel
June 18, 2013: New Ogre Patch And T-Shirt!
Shout out to Ogre fans everywhere with this unique military patch proudly announcing your tour of duty with the North American Combine 77th Ogre Brigade!
Sensors detect a blip on the horizon . . . it's back! The classic, ultra-retro Ogre tank silhouette on a T-Shirt. The huge lettering and menacing profile will intimidate your opponent into instant submission!
-- Daniel
June 11, 2013: Launch Parrrty! Registration Now Open!
June 10, 2013: Ogre Launch Party And Release Dates
Ogre is now officially in manufacturing (cue delirious cheering here at the office). Following manufacturing comes assembly, then shipping, and then . . .
. . . the Launch Party will be on Saturday, October 19 in Austin. Watch this space for the registration announcement, coming soon. We'll start shipping Kickstarter games (and extras!) from our warehouse on Monday, October 21. Expect to see Ogre in stores in late November to early December.
These dates are final, barring something unexpected. We think there won't be any delays from here. What could go wrong? Something happening to the factory; assembly issues; enemy cyberships lying in wait outside Hong Kong harbor; BGG-Zilla coming to life and stomping all over. You get the picture.
Why It Took So Long
We're sorry about the delay in releasing Ogre. We underestimated the size of the game, and the effect the Kickstarter support had on what comes in the box. The pictures help indicate just how much game we're making. We're not kidding when we say that something this epic has never been attempted before in the industry!
-- Daniel
June 6, 2013: Origins Just One Week Away!
By this time next week, the Steve Jackson Games booth at Origins will be set up and ready to run. Here are a few reminders on why you should head to Origins and come see us.
- You can play a preview set of Ogre Designer's Edition against Steve himself! He'll be squaring off against up to 12 opponents, taking them all on simultaneously in 12 different games. Ogre Line Editor Daniel will handle another group of combatants. Get all the details in Daniel's post about the event.
- Meet other members of our staff. Play demo games with them!
- Check out previews of upcoming releases.
- You'll have your first chance to buy a copy of Castellan. This game has been a huge hit whenever and wherever we've demoed it. Origins will be your opportunity to grab it before anyone else. We expect to have only 72 copies on hand. There will be other cool pre-releases as well.
- The Origins Coupon Book will get you 10% off any purchase from our sales partner Adventure Retail.
- The back page of that coupon book is a cool Ogre promo you won't be able to get anywhere else!
- Other stuff!
Hope to see you there!
May 28, 2013: Steve And Ogre Storm The Garden State
We've already reported on Steve's upcoming visit to Dexcon later this summer. But apparently even an entire convention won't be enough Ogre, so he's taking it on a little tour.
While he's in New Jersey, Steve will be doing a couple of store visits with Ogre in tow. If you call the Garden State home, or just plan on being there on Tuesday July 2nd, he'll be at one retailer location and two other places:
Retailers can meet Steve at Peachstate Hobby Distribution's New Jersey location between 1 and 3 PM.
If you're not a retailer, come and see him at The Only Game in Town in Somerville from 5:30 to 7 PM.
And if you can't make it there, never fear! You'll be able to find him a scant half-hour later at The Fallout Shelter in Highland Park from 7:30 to 9 PM. Hope you can make it!
May 22, 2013: Lawn Ogres -- Much Better Than Gnomes!
So . . . you could have cute li'l lawn gnomes guarding your back yard, or you could go for something meaner and tougher. Like a lawn Ogre.
![[Image]](jpg/img_2222.jpg)
Check out how to make your very own lawn Ogre (Stormtrooper not included) at the Derivative Crafts blog.
-- Daniel
May 21, 2013: Ogre Miniatures In Warehouse23!
Many Ogre minis are available at Warehouse 23, including boxed sets. We've also recently restocked individual minis. The price on these award-winning 1/285 or 6mm metal minis hasn't changed in over a decade, so they're a superb value.
![[Image]](jpg/galahad--314x235.jpg)
![[Image]](jpg/arquebus--314x235.jpg)
May 20, 2013: Celebrate July 4th With Steve And Daniel At Dexcon!
Steve and Daniel are heading to Dexcon for one of the biggest Ogre events of the year. And I mean that quite literally since we're talking about the Ogre Macrotures Event Dexcon is presenting on Friday July 5th. What's an Ogre Macroture? Well, that's our fancy insider way of saying a really big honkin' Ogre mini. The one pictured in that link is a nice respectable 1/60th scale. The ones you'll find at Dexcon will be even bigger: 1/40th scale. The whole thing will be taking up a 50' x 20' arena and it will feature a humongous (over two feet long!) Ogre as the centerpiece. It will be a spectacle you will never forget.
Since you can never have enough Ogre, Daniel and Steve will be there for the entirety of the con answering questions and showing off samples. And be sure to check out the rest of the show too. Dexcon is known for its off-the-wall events, so there's going to be plenty of fun to be had!
![[Image]](jpg/dexcon16thumb.jpg)
May 15, 2013: Play The New Ogre Against Steve At Origins!
![[Image]](jpg/ogreapproach.jpg)
Defend your Command Post against Steve Jackson himself, in a sneak preview of the new Ogre Designer's Edition!
Steve will play simultaneously – like a chess grandmaster – against up to a dozen opponents. There'll be prizes for participation, and (gasp) for beating Steve! Beginners welcome!
Where: Origins Game Fair
When: Wednesday, June 12, 2pm. Places are limited – you can register on the Origins webpage.
If you can't make that time, you can play against a much lesser mortal – namely, myself – at 5pm on the same day.
I'll also be running sneak preview events – playtests for new Ogre scenarios – at 2pm on Thursday, June 13 and Friday, June 14 (event registration required).
If you prefer to just drop in for an Ogre demo, or see the game pieces, you're welcome to come by the Steve Jackson Games exhibitor booth throughout the fair.
-- Daniel
May 1, 2013: Ogre Thank You Certificates
Steve's right hand has taken on a life of its own – like a tiny automated Ogre, it just keeps doing its thing at staff meetings, breaks, event downtimes, you name it. I'm sure it even tries to run cycles during his sleep!
The 5,000 plus "thank you" certificates for the Ogre Kickstarter supporters are now all done. Here they are in all their glory:
![[Image]](jpg/ogre-cert-pic-ks.jpg)
-- Daniel
April 30, 2013: Over Twenty-Three Pounds Of Awesome!
We did the happy dance when a full set of Ogre arrived this week. We'll let the pictures speak for themselves:
![[Image]](jpg/ogredekickstartercontents--800x600.jpg)
Above: contents of the Ogre Designer's Edition Kickstarter box. Yes, that's the orange crater map way off in the horizon.
![[Image]](jpg/ogredekickstartersponsorcontents--800x600.jpg)
Above: contents of the Ogre Designer's Edition Kickstarter box, plus one of each sponsored sheet
The pictures above don't include the Read Me First sheet, or Pocket Ogre (which some Kickstarter supporters are receiving. Pocket Ogre will also be available separately).
The conference table is approx. 4 feet wide and 15 feet long. (Great for playing games!)
A Game System Of Truly Epic Proportions
For the retail box:
- Box size: 24 by 20 by 5.8 inches
- Box weight: 23.9 pounds
- Maps laid out: 31 square feet
- Maps laid out end-to-end: 13.8 feet long
- Counter sheets laid out unpunched: 25.2 square feet
- No. of 2-D counters: 1,051
- No. of 3-D counters: 72
- Total no. of counters: 1,123
We've mentioned that this should retail at around $400. We hope now you can see why. . .
In case you're wondering about the sponsored sheets, these aren't in Kickstarter or retail copies of Ogre Designer's Edition. They're a separate purchase.
-- Daniel
May 7, 2013: Ogre: Operation Dragonmeet
One of the upsides of the resurgence of Ogre has been a new wave of (Wo)Men In Black, adding to the ranks of our dedicated demo team of volunteers.
Ashley is one such new MIB, who brought a ton of beautifully painted Ogres to the UK Dragonmeet convention. You can see her brigade of Ogres – and other projects – at her blog, Paint It Pink.
If you're interested in joining our MIB team, you can find more info here.
-- Daniel
May 2, 2013: Ogre Blog Article!
Ever had someone ask you "What is Ogre?" Have you wondered yourself what the Kickstarted game is about? Check out my second BGG blog entry, What is OGRE? Part I – Classic Ogre, in which I introduce new players to the classic "Ogre vs. Command Post" scenario.
You can help if you like, by giving your own tips and strategies in the comments!
-- Daniel
May 6, 2013: Ogre: Thirdpower's Kickstarter Preview
Thirdpower gives a special sneak preview of Kickstarter exclusive sheet P1 "Vulcans & Friends", for Ogre Designer's Edition.
He's also the sponsor of the "Nihon Empire: North American Divisions" counter sheet. It's available for pre-order, if you'd like to check it out!
(The Nihon sheet is licensed under a $4.5K Kickstarter sponsorship for Ogre. You can see a list of all the sponsor sheets here.)
-- Daniel
April 25, 2013: Ogre Garage Open For Business!
We've received penultimate tray samples for Ogre Designer's Edition, which are a beautiful fit.
![[Image]](jpg/ogregaragefilledks--800x600.jpg)
All the 3-D counters in the Kickstarter edition. Enough firepower to take over the globe.
![[Image]](jpg/ogregaragefilledsponsor--800x600.jpg)
The Kickstarter edition, plus one of each sponsored sheet.
The great news is that it's possible to fit all the 3-D counters in the Ogre garage, even with the sponsored sheets. We'll receive the final trays (with minor tweaks) in the next week or two, but at this stage we're confident enough to proceed with production.
Sponsored Sheets Webpage
Our webpage for the $4,500 backer level sponsored sheets is up. These are a separate purchase. Three sponsors, Drew Metzger (see sponsored sheets page), Fire Mountain Games, and Thirdpower, have pre-orders available now.
-- Daniel
April 29, 2013: Ogre Scenario Playtest
Steve and I had the chance to test one of the bonus scenarios promised in the Ogre Kickstarter. It's provisionally entitled "Clash of the Titans."
It's a big, two-map scenario, designed to showcase some of the different Ogres which come in the big box. A force of Combine Ogres is trying to do an "end run" across a series of bridges. The Paneuro forces aim to hold out until reinforcements – including a mighty Doppelsoldner – arrive.
We had a blast! And yes, Steve thrashed me. I blame the scenario – it's clearly imbalanced, and needs much more work!
![[Image]](jpg/themaster800x600.jpg)
![[Image]](jpg/clashtitans640x480.jpg)
-- Daniel
April 24, 2013: Ogre War Room Now On Android
"Andros" means "man" in Greek. The English suffix "-oid" means "having the likeness of." Hence "android" – "a robot with the likeness of a human."
Is an Ogre an android? There are arguments both ways. But . . . is Ogre on Android? The answer is now, emphatically, yes! You can download the test version of Ogre War Room, our free helper app, on Google Play. Please send any feedback to our intrepid in-house coder, Keith Blackard (keith@sjgames.com).
If you're an IOS user and late to the party, never fear: Ogre War Room is also available from the Apple Store. If you're using a Windows Phone . . . we're working on it!
![[Image]](jpg/owrandroidmenu.jpg)
![[Image]](jpg/owrandroidfencershadow--448x336.jpg)
-- Daniel
April 23, 2013: Updated Ogre Galleries!
![[Image]](jpg/ogredenoframe.jpg)
Check out the new game piece pictures in our Ogre Designer's Edition product gallery!
![[Image]](jpg/map.jpg)
And, just in case you missed the earlier announcement, you might want to take a peek at the Pocket Ogre page as well!
-- Daniel
April 17, 2013: Ogre Gems Uncovered In W23
Our brave new Ogre Line Editor, Daniel, climbed into his Battlesuit and took a solo sojourn into the dreaded depths of Warehouse 23, emerging not only alive, but with long-hidden treasure for all of you Ogre fans!
Check out the recently-uncovered Ogrethulhu Mark V minis set and Ogre Reinforcement Pack!
I'm impressed, but next time he goes digging, I hope he uses the buddy system. You never know what you'll find in there, man.
![[Image]](jpg/ogrethulhuset1.jpg)
February 6, 2013: Tray Delay -- Good News, Bad News
More Parking!
One popular request for the storage trays is space for extra counters from the $4.5K backer level sponsor sheets.
The good news is that Sam has found extra room in the Ogre garage, in the striped areas:
I think you'll agree that the new art's pretty awesome! The extra spaces are designed to be flexible, and yet fit specifics like extra Mk IIIs, Mk Vs, etc. Not all the sponsor sheet counters will fit at once, but you'll be able to get quite a lot in! You can view some sheets here: Ogre: Nightfall, Ogre 6E: Nihon, BGG Exclusive Units, BGG Exclusive Terrain, Barbarians at the Gate. (We're also creating an area on our website for all the sponsor sheet info.)
Factory Closed
The bad news is that we got confirmation this morning that the factory won't be sending out the second test tray before closing for about a month for Lunar New Year.
However, we've made good progress, and are reasonably – as in 99.42% – sure that the design above will be very close to the final spec. Unfortunately, the earliest Ogre will arrive in our warehouse is now June. We're awfully sorry about that, but the finish line's now in sight . . .
January 30, 2013: Daniel Launches Ogre Blog!
Check out my new blog on Boardgamegeek, "OGRE: How a Giant Cybernetic Tank Changed My Life."
As the new Ogre Line Editor, I give the inside scoop on Kickstarter, Ogre Designer's Edition, new releases, the Ogreverse, and . . . ALL THINGS OGRE!
One question we get a lot, from folks who've never played before, is "What is Ogre?"; The first posts are designed to introduce Ogre and its rich universe to new fans. You can help if you like, by giving your perspective in the comments!
-- Daniel
January 15, 2013: Ogre Parking Causes Delay
Ogre Designer's Edition Status Update
- The maps, counters, dice and play references (rulebook, scenario book and reference sheet) were sent to print in November.
- More counter test sheets and color proofs have arrived, surpassing our expectations for vibrancy and die accuracy. We won't know for sure that everything is 100% until all the tests come in, but we don't anticipate these causing delays.
- Sam, our production manager, is working hard on getting the counter trays (for over1,200 pieces!) right with the factory. It's like solving a gigantic 3-D puzzle, where Sam sets the parameters!
 Test Sheet P1 – a Kickstarter exclusive with a Mk. VI, Doppelsoldner, Vulcan, and Command Post. |
 Production proofs. Lots of goodies! The retail version will have over 1,100 counters. |
 Ogre Garages (top trays). The final product will be clear plastic, with spaces tightened up for safer transport, and tray art sonic welded to the bottom. |
![[Image]](jpg/bottomtraysresized.jpg) First test bottom tray. For the second test, we've increased capacity, tightened up fit, and added more dice pockets. The final product will have imprinted section labels. |
Unfortunately, the extra back-and-forthing to get the trays right means that the soonest the game will arrive at our warehouse is late May – if everything goes smoothly. This is partly due to the upcoming Year of the Water Snake – the extended Lunar New Year holiday season in Asia in February, when everything grinds to a halt. We might get a second test in before the factory closes. If so, that will help our schedule.
Ogre is now very close to the finish line, and we're proceeding with all possible dispatch. We know that you've been very, very patient with us over the delays. We could rush it – and have a sucky tray forever – or beg a little bit more patience, and have it right for you when it arrives.
-- Daniel
January 7, 2013: Happy 2013!
We’re back at work, the Ogre is grinding steadily forward, and on Monday, Daniel Jew will be here in the office as Ogre Line Editor!
PDFs Coming Soon
All supporters at greater than the $1 level are getting Ogre Miniatures (with the update). All supporters at $25 or more are also getting The Ogre Book and Ogre Scenario Book 1 (there are no other scenario books . . . yet). The first supporters to get these PDFs will be those who have e23 accounts under the e-mail address they gave us in their survey. The advantage to getting the files through e23 are (1) if your own copy gets corrupted, you can always download another, and (2) when we do an update, you’ll be notified by e-mail so you can download it free. Ogre Miniatures will definitely be getting an update, but honestly, we’ve held off too long already in getting you these PDFs, so the update will be distributed when it’s ready.
So . . . if you want an e23 account and don’t have one, sign up here. Remember to use the e-mail that you gave us on your survey, please!
More Proofs!
We got another batch of 3-D counter sheets from the printers. These are full-sized but not die-cut. Since we got two of each, and we actually need only one of each, we’ll be sending the counter sheet sponsors some presents next week.
![[Image]](jpg/sheetq1.jpg)
Counter Tray Samples
And just today we got factory samples of the counter tray. Big!
![[Image]](jpg/ogretraysamples.jpg)
Money Magazine
As 2012 wound down, we were contacted by CNN’s Money Magazine for a story about the top 50 Kickstarter projects. You can read it online, and (not surprisingly) a common factor they found is that the big projects ship late. There are three sidebar pieces that round out the story, including a chart of the top 50 scheduled to ship in November. You’ll find Ogre there, in the “Where the ^%$# is it!?” category.
It’s a very interesting analysis. It turns out that the issues we’ve had are the rule, rather than the exception. Unexpectedly high response (with no plans for "too much success"); stretch goals leading to increased scope; problems with the Kickstarter platform itself. And the article warns that we can look ahead to Shipocalypse . . . At least we didn’t have any issues getting our app approved by Apple!
Next time we'll do WAY better. And this writeup will help us. If you’re a fan of crowdfunding in general, you should really read this. (Including the little article on the successful Flint & Tinder project. I was a supporter and I’m happy with what I received. It’s good underwear, and I hope they build Flint &Tinder into a lasting business!)
December 5, 2012: Ogres, Assemble!
We got the first fully printed test sheets for 3-D miniatures (we had them make samples of Targets Go Boom 1). After admiring them gleefully – the colors are intense, surpassing my expectations – we punched them out and assembled them. Watch the video below! Nevertheless, we are going to do the “abundance of caution” thing and run a test of a sheet with Vulcans on it.
War Room App Updated
Ogre War Room 1.1 is now in the App Store. It fixes the reset bug, adds a pop-up to help players figure out how to un-mark things on the record sheet, and incorporates a few other small tweaks. Now to arrange ports to Windows Phone and Android!
That’s Where The Money Goes
We just sent a check for $548,000 to the printer. There have been, and will be, a lot of other expenses, but that’s the BIG one.
November 19, 2012: Progress Good! Virus Bad!
More than two weeks ago, I signed off on the final versions of the rulebook, scenarios, and reference sheet. Then I jumped on the plane for two convention appearances. It was amazing how much better I felt just knowing that those components were finally at print.
I got back to town last Monday night, woke up Tuesday in a great mood and full of energy . . . and then on Tuesday afternoon I started feeling tired and scratchy, and for the past few days I have accomplished nothing productive, unless you count coughing. So this report is just a bit delayed. But here’s our status:
All the actual game parts are at the printer. Phil and Sam visited our print reps a couple of weeks ago (and caught the edge of the storms). It looks as though the box will be 24” long, 20” wide, and – still a bit of uncertainty here – between 4 and 5 inches deep. We are going to order molds and make test samples of the vacuum-formed trays – the base tray and the two Ogre garages - before we declare the box final.
(And yes, we found the box mockups, on the fourth sub-level of the Warehouse, guarded by shoggoths and vicious miniature Mark Vs.)
Currently, we expect the entire Ogre shipment to fill 14 ocean containers.
Test Dies of Ogres
The printer ran up a red flag about how close some of the images were to the die-cut edges. The first word we got was that they were all bad, but before we went fully into panic mode, we got a clarification: SOME of the 3-D dies MAY be bad. All we can do at this point is run some fully printed and die-cut samples and see how they look. If they work, we’ll cheer, and if not, we’ll fix them. If dies have to be rebuilt, that’ll cost time; how many weeks depends on how much has to be done over.
Ogre War Room
Thanks to everybody who downloaded the beta version! We’ll fix the bug (just one!) that you found, add one suggested feature, and post the new version for download. And we’ll get coders started on the ports to other systems.
Pocket Ogre
Those of you who are at BGGcon this weekend should be sure to check out the prototype Pocket Ogre sets that we’ve donated to the BGG library.
Car Wars
Phil Reed is about to launch the discussion forum for the new edition of Car Wars. If you’re not already a member of our forums, sign up at forums.sjgames.com.
October 30, 2012: More To Look At
Thanks to everyone who commented on the rulebook and scenario book. Here are a few more things for you. We really, really hope you don’t find bugs in these, but we know you want to see them:
- Ogre Record Sheet (the same one that is PDF’d in the War Room app). Feel free to start using this now.
- Ogre Miniatures Record Sheet. This will NOT be in the 6th Edition set, but it is also in War Room, and will be available for download.
- A sample counter sheet. This is B1, the Paneuropean armor and infantry. There will be four instances of this sheet in the box.
- A sample overlay. This is C1, the first and most basic overlay sheet. There will be six instances in the box.
Printing Status
Daniel Jew has been here for the past couple of days, checking out Austin and helping me go over the last round of comments. As of a half-hour ago (just before I sat down to write this update) I was finished with Ogre work for the first time in many months. Within a couple of hours I’ll have some more, but right at this second it’s all somebody else’s problem!
It is quite possible that the counters and overlays will go to press tomorrow. The rest of the game: soon, but probably not tomorrow.
Ogre War Room
. . . is now searchable in the App Store. (And yes, it is supposed to be available for all nations. Apparently propagation to some of the “sub-stores” is slow. )
You’ve found some actual bugs and we’re working on them (so there will be a maintenance release soon). You’ve made some suggestions and we’re thinking on them. Next step: ported versions!
October 26, 2012: Ogre War Room Now Downloadable
As of right now it still may not be in the App Store search index, but you can go directly to it here. It should be fairly self-documenting; if you need more instructions, that will be useful feedback for us.
One thing to note specifically: under Extras, you'll find links for three sets of record sheets: one for Ogre, two for Ogre Miniatures. The next edition of OM will change Ogre movement to make it more consistent with the boardgame. So this app includes both the current Ogre Miniatures record sheets and the ones for the next edition.
Try the app, and give us your comments, please! Then we'll start porting it to Android and Windows Phone.
October 25, 2012: A Toy That Makes Toys
We just supported the Form 1 project. If you want to get in on this 3-D printing system, you've got a bit less than a day. The project closes early Friday morning. It's already massively over goal: they were looking for $100K, and they've already broken $2.5 million.
Supporting this takes “giving back” a step farther. It’s supporting another Kickstarter project . . . to get a tool that will help us fulfill the stretch goals that you supported for Ogre!
So at some point we’ll be showing you some 3-D plastic tanks, and probably Car Wars cars too. And they’ll be built with a machine that was Kickstarted. A virtuous circle!
October 25, 2012: Scenarios Posted
And here's the Scenarios book PDF. Comment on our site or on BGG.
Daniel will be visiting Austin next week, so the deadline for comments on the Scenarios book is noon Texas time on Monday the 29th. Please comment in this thread.
You've gotten us several good comments on the rules material already (and some corrections have already been made). Let's say the deadline for comments on the rulebook and reference sheet is 11:59pm Texas time on Thursday the 25th.
Thank you!
October 25, 2012: Rulebook PDF Posted
We have posted the PDFs of the 99.9% finished rulebook, as well as the Player Reference Sheet. See anything wrong? Let us know. There are discussion forums for the current draft at our site and BGG.
Please don’t post the same comment on both sites, and if somebody else has already pointed out a typo, there’s no need to post “I see it too.” Of course, if a real “what does this rule mean?” question comes up (let alone a “this rule is a change from the old game and is stupid”), discussion will be appreciated!
This will be your first look at the Brandon Moore illustrations of our “portrait” supporters on the Ogre battlefield. I really like these. My thanks again to the supporters, and I hope you all survive into the next scene.
We expect to post the Scenarios book on Monday (with the rest of the portraits).
Daniel and I are still talking about a few lines in the rulebook, here and there, but only a few. He’s at Essen right now. If you’re there, drop by the Pegasus booth and say hi!
In-house checking of the counter and overlay sheets is now well along. No major problems found. We’re not going to post all 39 for comment, but we’ll put up a counter sheet and an overlay sheet so you can see them.
October 25, 2012: Not This Year...
I put off writing this update too long, because I wanted to report a solid milestone . . . preferably “It’s all at print and will now ship to you on XXX.” But I haven’t reached that milestone, and I’ve gone too long already without reporting “It won’t be in 2012 at all.” The fact is, we really don’t know how long it will take to get the game into your hands. We have progress, but not enough.
The status, in detail, is:
• The maps, the Pocket Ogre components, and the dice are all at print, and have been for some time.
• The counter/overlay sheets and the Ogre record sheets are completely finished and are getting their final in-house check as I write this. They’ll be at print very soon.
• The rulebook, scenario book, and player reference sheet have been laid out, reviewed, modified, re-reviewed . . . I spent the past few hours working on them – specifically, going over a lot of excellent and mostly tiny corrections from Daniel – and actually had hopes that I would finish tonight, but no, not quite. I’ll hit it again tomorrow, and I might get done, but I might also need to go back and forth with Daniel again. When we are provisionally happy with those components, PDFs will be posted for your review. Then, unless you find awful, awful things very quickly, they will go to print.
• The box and trays, and the carton they’ll be shipped in, present the greatest physical challenge because of their sheer size. Everything has to fit together well for shipment; then, after you have punched the counters and assembled the 3-D units, it STILL has to fit together well. And it has to be as durable as possible. The back-and-forth with the printers continues. Fortunately, the box is being handled by Phil and Sam, so it’s not stacked up behind the rules; it’s in parallel.
• We’ll finish the “Read Me First” after everything it’s documenting is really done. It will be the last thing to go to print. It will be the first thing you see when you open the box. Please, please, no kidding, read it first, because this is definitely a “some assembly required” game!
• The Ogre War Room app has been submitted to the App Store. We expect a routine approval in a week or so. We’ll report as soon as you can download it. The iPhone users will be our guinea pigs, and as soon as they can use it without dying in droves, we’ll start the ports to other devices.
So when will Ogre Sixth Edition actually ship?
It will be months. First, obviously, we’ve got to get everything actually finished and to press. That’s getting close, but it is NOT done. Then Phil says we should allow a month just for the questions from the factory. Then Chinese New Year will cost another month, more or less. Then printing. Then ocean freight. Best case: April? Maybe?
And it turns out that we will need a new BUILDING to house all these games and organize them for shipment. But until everything goes to press, we can’t estimate when we’ll need that building (rental? Huge temporary metal building?) or for how long. (For those keeping track of the successes and problems of Kickstarter projects: This is a DISeconomy of scale. With fewer orders, we could have done it in our existing warehouse. But I’m not complaining. It's a neat problem to have. I'm just reporting something that surprised us.)
We’ll keep you posted, and I’m sorry it took me so long to get you this not-definite-enough information. The next update will be soon.
![[Image]](jpg/cw-shirts-1000.jpg)
Car Wars T-Shirts
And now the good news: The Car Wars T-shirts are shipping. Depending on where you live, you should see yours either Real Soon, Fairly Soon, or When The Trails Open Again.
October 12, 2012: Ogre At SPIEL 2012 In Essen
I'll be at SPIEL 2012 in Essen next week, with some prototype Ogre Designer's Edition 2-D and 3-D counters (including Ogres!), and reduced-sized map samples.
Do drop by the Steve Jackson Games booth if you'd like to see those, or try out a demo with one of our friendly staff or volunteers.
I'd love to meet you there!
-- Daniel
September 26, 2012: The Ogre Box Is Not Too Big To Lose!
The stupidest news from Ogre Central right now is: Thursday afternoon we could not find either of our big prototype boxes. Did one go to the Alliance show with Randy? Even if it did, what happened to the OTHER one? Cue spooky music. Or maybe cue "derp" music. We wondered if perhaps we couldn't find the box because we were already inside it, but if that's the case we still haven't gotten out.
In other Giant Box news: We may have to add, literally, air holes to keep the lid from pulling a vacuum when you try to remove it.
App Progress
Work on the app continues. All the features are now in. Most of the bugs are out. If the next build fixes all the known bugs, we'll release it as a beta and see what you all say. (This version is for Retina iPhones with 3.5" screens. We'll start coding for the big iPhone 5 at the same time that we start porting to Android and Windows. That is to say, when the iPhone feedback says the app is good.)
Ogre Names
Thanks, everyone, for the Ogre name suggestions. I used one of the early ones: NWO, suggested by Joseph. I should point out that there are already Ogres called BOB (a Vulcan) and FNRD (in the ACD set).
![[Image]](jpg/boxofogre-sm.jpg)
Pix and Video
Look! A box of Ogres! And here are some bags of punched-out mockup counters, along with an unpunched counter sheet. Note that the slots will be punched out in advance; we hope that will make assembly faster. The two pictures together still don't show a complete set of counters, but this is close.
And here's a video of our laser cutter working on a prototype sheet.
September 17, 2012: Meet Daniel, Ogre Line Editor
Hi everyone, I'm Daniel, the new Ogre Line Editor (read: dogsbody, aide-de-camp, and general lackey for all things Ogre). I signed up in the wake of the hugely successful Kickstarter campaign earlier this year – the position literally exists because of your support!
I'm currently based in England, but the wheels are in motion for a visit to Ogre Command in Austin later this year.
It's my job to serve all you Ogre fans out there as best as I can. In the past month or two that has involved grappling with stats for some of the more esoteric units in the upcoming Ogre Designer's Edition (like the Doppelsoldner), proofing over a thousand counters, checking the Pocket Ogre rulebook, running competitions at Continuum and Congenial, moderating the Ogre boards, and a dozen other things. I'm loving every minute of it!
Besides my lifelong passion for board games, an interest in history and a background in writing and editing help me out. I enjoy all kinds of games, but my special loves are wargames and thematic games.
Guess what? Ogre – along with other scifi games like Battletech – is to me the perfect blend of the two. I love the rich and imaginative background universes which provide the backdrop for the action.
-- Daniel
September 11, 2012: Phil Reed Talks Ogre With BGG
W. Eric Martin spoke with our inestimable Phil Reed on behalf of BoardGameGeek at Gen Con this year. In the interview, Phil discusses some of the challenges of getting an ambitious project like Ogre to completion, and shows off some cool prototypes!
Our thanks to BGG for the interview, and check out some of BGG's other Gen Con 2012 coverage.
September 1, 2012: Ogre Is A Big Hit At Congenial!
With a great experience![[Image]](jpg/ogrecongenial067d.jpg)
at Continuum under my belt, I felt a little more confident going into Congenial. It helped that it was held in my hometown! My Ogre Miniatures demo set (starring "Dancer," my desert-yellow Mark III Ogre) got improved the week before the con, with the addition of a nice banding in sunburst yellow.![[Image]](jpg/ogrecongenial056e.jpg)
This time around, I had help from our two beautiful demonstrators, Ashley and Gareth (okay, I don't think I'm supposed to call MIBs – our selfless game volunteers – "beautiful;" how about "beautiful but deadly"?!). You can check out Ashley's sci-fi and minis blog "Paint it Pink" – with lots of Ogre – here.
On Saturday evening, Chris Potter, who was top of the Leader Board and in pole position to win the weekend's Ogre competition, threw down the gauntlet, challenging me to an exhibition match. Oh no, the pride of the demo team was at a stake! I was given the Command Post's defense forces. I admit this put me under a lot of pressure, since all my recent competitive games had been as the Ogre, trying to crush the Command Post. I was about to learn that it's much easier to take apart the defense than to stop the monster tank! Needless to say, Chris gave me a sound whipping, easily rolling "Dancer's" giant tracks over the CP. He then added insult to injury by escaping "Dancer" off the map with one tread remaining, in front of a small crowd, no less! It was only in the shower that evening – nursing a sorely bruised ego – that I realized that I could have suicide-rammed my last GEV to take out that track. Nuts! Such are the stresses of playing against the giant monster tank . . .
On Sunday morning, Frank Carver (Western Europe MIB Regional Director) and I took part in the "Gaming Reboots" panel. We had a great time talking about the Ogre Kickstarter, complete with examples from the music industry and lively audience participation.
![[Image]](jpg/ogrecongenial012d.jpg)
Later that day, Ashley and Gareth decided that the demo team's reputation had to be defended, and threw the gauntlet right back at Chris! This time Ashley played the Ogre against Chris. In a nail-biting match – one of the best I've seen – "Dancer" ran through a murderous hail of fire to take out the CP before itself being blasted into an immobile hulk of scrap metal. Chris ended the weekend taking the top prize, a signed copy of GURPS Powers.
As a final piece in the tale, you can read "Dancer's" own report of the convention! You can also find out how to join our ever-expanding section of Ogre volunteers. Next stop: Essen!
-- Daniel
August 21, 2012: Ogre Competition Winners At Leicester!
I had a huge blast running Ogre events at Continuum in Leicester, UK in late July. It was my first time demoing, as well as my first visit to a UK con in several years, so I was quite nervous before arriving! I had stayed up the night before putting the final coat of varnish on my demo set of Ogre miniatures.
![[Image]](jpg/ogrecontinuumashleyhannah.jpg)
Keary Birch, one of the organizers, quickly gave me a warm welcome and put me at ease. He directed me to a demo table next to the very nice folks from 6d6 RPG (check out their innovative card-driven system). Keary also personally kicked off the proceedings with an assault on the Command Post by my newly painted Mark III Ogre, "Rommel." From then on the action was fast and furious as a steady stream of folks dropped by to learn (or in many cases, relearn) Ogre in the demo.
![[Image]](jpg/continuumhowdowestop.jpg)
Many folks went on from the demo to enter the challenge competition: defend the Command Post against a rampaging Ogre, for a competition high score. Chris Killey, who had never played Ogre before, tried the demo, said, "This is a really good game!" and ended up coming back several times to perfect his defense of the CP. He earned top marks on day one, winning a set of Munchkin Impossible with his "two-Howitzer defense" strategy. On day two, Daniel Taylor also took two Howitzers, purposely channeling the Ogre up a tempting gap on the eastern flank. He took the day's top prize – a set of Revolution. Ashley Cox and Jake Talbot each won second prizes, and a ton of folks received Munchkin promo items as participation gifts. I was particularly pleased that three out of four of the winners were under thirty – the makings of a new generation of Ogre fans!
Folks kept telling me, "I heard about that Ogre Designer's Edition Kickstarter!" and "I love this game. I had the micro edition when I was in school!" They were thrilled to hear that we're releasing the latter as Ogre Pocket Edition next summer – at the original $2.95 price!
This was the first Ogre competition run by Steve Jackson Games since the Kickstarter relaunch, and hopefully a sign of great things to come for the future of our favorite cybernetic monster tank!
-- Daniel
August 15, 2012: Ogre Pocket Edition Sent To Printers
Ogre Pocket Edition is now at print! Not to be confused with the Ogre Designer's Edition – which is close to leaving our office and heading to the factory for manufacturing – Ogre Pocket Edition is a re-creation of the first edition of Ogre. Designed using the original cover, map, and counters that literally fit in your pocket, Ogre Pocket Edition is priced at it's 1977 MSRP of $2.95! (which in 1977 dollars translates to be over $10 today when adjusted for inflation; this is Steve's way of saying "thank you" for your support for Ogre over the last three decades.)
Despite its "pocket" size, Ogre Pocket Edition will have 140 counters. That's enough to play all five of the "Ogre vs. Command Post" scenarios. It includes two different conventional forces (a Black force and a White force), with a whopping eight White Howitzers! "Small but mighty" seems an appropriate descriptor – another is "bang for the buck!" That's a whole lot of gameplay for $2.95 – you won't find a better gaming deal in town.
We're really excited about Ogre Pocket Edition because it means that a whole new generation of gamers can discover Ogre for themselves. Ogre Kickstarter supporters who pledged $150 or more will receive a free copy of Ogre Pocket Edition when their Kickstarter rewards arrive (hopefully!) late this year. Next summer we'll offer Ogre Pocket Edition to everyone through our usual retail channels.
-- Daniel
August 9, 2012: Ogre Rolls Into Congenial
I'll be running Ogre demos, and a casual drop-in competition, at Congenial. Demo and competition times: Saturday, Aug 11 (10am-6pm), and Sunday, Aug 12 (1-6pm). Look for me in the Ogre T-Shirt!
The competition format will be to play the defense vs. the Ogre. The prize is a copy of GURPS Powers 4th Edition, as befits a roleplay convention. There will be Munchkin promos as gifts for participating in either a demo or competition. Can you stop the Ogre?
Additionally, I'll be sitting on a panel on "Gaming Reboots" on Sunday, Aug 12, 10am. Expect to hear lots about the Ogre Designer's Edition Kickstarter campaign, which successfully raised almost a million dollars while rebooting Ogre for the 21st Century!
-- Daniel
July 24, 2012: Ogre Status Report
Lots of Ogre components are coming together, and every day they take over more of the office.
![[Image]](jpg/ogre_wall.jpg)
Here's the Wall of Counters. Actually, this is just half of the Wall of Counters. These are reduced-size printouts of the finished counter sheets, front and back. The small tags represent counter sheets that aren't laid out yet. We have a ways to go . . . On the other hand, Ben finished another sheet right after I took this picture. Every little bit helps.
![[Image]](jpg/ogre_counters.jpg)
Here's a small part of the Shelf of 3D Stuff. These are full-size constructed prototypes. They have two purposes: for reference, and for being very cool to look at. That's the Vulcan at the right end of the line, and I see that this picture does no justice to its Huge Grabby Arms. So we'll take another one soon. Huge Grabby Arms for the win!
![[Image]](jpg/ogre_maps.jpg)
And here's the Table of Maps. On the right is a single full-sized prototype; to be completely honest, it's the ONLY one that we have built as a full prototype yet, because it showed us a glitch that we then went back to correct in all the map images. On the left are just-over-half-scale printouts of all four of the green maps, showing one of the 3.7 jillion ways that they link together to create a humongous gameboard.
July 25, 2012: Ogre Update, With Grabby Vulcan Arms
![[Image]](jpg/ogre-vulcan.jpg)
As promised last time: the Vulcan! With its huge grabby arms! There are two of these in the Kickstarter edition of Ogre. The rules will appear online. I expect that there will be a supplement featuring Vulcans, combat engineers, and rules for changing the map in more subtle and controllable ways than "Cruise missile . . . launch!"
![[Image]](jpg/ogre-dice-colors.jpg)
Dice! The smaller one is a regular 16mm Munchkin die for comparison. On the right are big (19mm) shiny acrylic Ogre dice. The box will have a Combine red and a Paneuropean blue. The black and green ones will be available separately. (The red Paneuro and blue Combine die are just what happens when the factory sends a bunch of samples.) And on the right are pyramid, Cthulhu, and Munchkin dice made in the same 19mm size. Prediction: You will eventually be able to buy these.
![[Image]](jpg/ogre-rulebook-layout.jpg)
And here we have the 12 pages of the Scenarios book, laid out on the table to compare one version with the previous one. You can't really appreciate Richard Meaden's beautiful layout, let alone the artwork. It's just a lot of pages on the table. Trust me, though. "A lot of pages on the table" is a long ways from where we were at the end of the Kickstarter, and it's getting closer to "a book at print."
June 12, 2012: Ogre Delayed
We suspected a couple of weeks ago that we would miss our original deadline to go to print, but we kept plugging away until we knew more. Now we're SURE we'll miss it.
We are dealing with an assortment of little issues, mostly involving physical production. The problem is that the production issues are interacting more than we expected . . . a fix in one place requires us to re-do days of work on something else, which opens up an opportunity to improve the game which takes more days not to waste . . . This has sucked up enough of my time that I'm not as caught up on rules editing as I should be. Fortunately, our new Line Editor, Daniel, aided by the mass mind of Ogre fandom, is helping a lot with that.
All in all, we are (as usual) choosing to take the time to get it right, rather than to meet a schedule but deliver a sub-par game. I've heard a saying attributed to the Origin Systems team, back in the day: "It's only late until it ships, but it sucks forever." We'd rather be excellent forever.
So what's the new schedule? We now expect to take delivery of the Kickstarter games in early December, and start shipping them immediately, in hopes you have them to play during Christmas vacation. The regular edition will now be an early 2013 ship.
Thanks for your patience. We will continue to post progress reports and images of actual game components as we finish, so you can watch Ogre come together.
June 9, 2012: Ogre Art Contest
We would have posted this at least a week ago if we had thought of it. We didn't. So this is a very QUICK contest. Deadline is Monday, June 11, at 5pm Texas time. One more chance for the players to get involved in the new edition of Ogre.
Create an illustration of combat in the world of Ogre. What unit is fighting what - or whether you can even see more than one combatant - is up to you. Just don't make it look too much like any image we have already seen. For instance, the 3/4 view of the Ogre as seen on most of the game covers is right out!
Style is also up to you. Color, duotone, B&W . . . line art, fingerpaints, photorealistic . . . If we like it, it wins.
Need photo references? Here are a lot of images.
Submit it to ogrepix@sjgames.com as a CYMK file in .jpg format.
Final publication size will probably be either 4" wide by 2 3/4" tall, or 3 1/4" wide by 3 1/4" tall. However, just on general principles, allow for the fact that we might end up cropping it a bit.
The winner (and we reserve the right not to pick one at all, or to pick more than one) will be published in the upcoming edition of Ogre and paid at slightly better than our standard rates: $5.25/square inch of published size or $50 (whichever is greater). One picture will not pay for your next cruise. So you are not doing this for the money, but for the glory and to get on the list of artists we call for Ogre. All entries become our property for the standard boring legal reasons, but we will acknowledge all entries, we won't use any without payment and credit, and artists retain the right to post their work on their own pages for self-promotion!
Feel free to re-post this information where your artist friends will see it.
June 7, 2012: Ogre Death March Continues
Important! If you were a Kickstarter supporter, and you have not filled out your "What I want for my support money" survey, go to Kickstarter right now and follow the "survey waiting" link you should see at the top of the page! If you do not return this survey, whatever the reason, you may not get everything you wanted.
Almost everyone in the office is working on some part or another of Ogre Sixth Edition. Most horizontal surfaces, and some vertical ones, are covered with pasteups, proofs, and prototypes. The regular projected schedule board has been replaced with an "Ogre Central" magnetic schedule. Long hours are being worked. We knew this would be a big job. We had NO idea how big. One of our mottoes here is "Let's make it harder!" We did that, with a vengeance. Some of us are just a tiny bit tired, but oh, this will be something when it's done.
We will print at least 10,000 copies . . . more than three times as many as we originally planned. Yet orders through the distributor/retail chain are also significantly higher than the estimates we had gotten from distributors before Kickstarter happened.
I can't tell you what everybody did today, other than "Lots and lots!" But, to give you an idea, today I corresponded with sponsors about their counter sheets, reviewed designs for counters and overlay sheets, laid out another overlay sheet, turned in the counter list and rules document for Pocket Ogre, checked the Kickstarter comments page, read some Ogre forums and made some changes that the forumites had suggested on the record sheets, reviewed the first version of the rulebook and scenario book layout from Richard Meaden, admired some new art for buildings, worked with Phil to estimate the size of the plastic tray that will hold the counters, boggled when Phil said "This will have more than a thousand counters!", did a quick estimate and concluded that it will certainly have more than 950, wrote this Illuminator . . . And it's barely after 10pm.
So we're keeping busy. Even if you were not a Kickstarter supporter, you can visit the page and read back through our updates; they're not hidden. You may, at least, find some of the photos mildly amusing . . .
May 17, 2012: Ogre Progress
We are now accepting applications for the job of Ogre Line Editor.
I'm working away. So are a lot of other people! The deadline to get this to the printer is incredibly close.
Some FAQ and answers:
When will Kickstarter supporters get the "What extras do I want?" survey? Real soon now, and we ask that when you get it, you respond as quickly as possible. Many things, most importantly the Kickstarter edition itself, will be printed to order. Of course we'll order some extras of most things, but a stack of 20 extras does you no good if you are the 21st late response. We assume that most of you already know what you want and that this won't be a huge problem. Thanks for your help.
When will we hold the launch party? We have no idea! Stay tuned.
I didn't support the project before the deadline! How can I get the game? From your local game retailer. If your retailer supported us, they may have some unallocated Kickstarter copies. At some point, we will post a list of all retailers who respond to our survey and say they WANT us to list their contact info. (Some retailers will have pre-sold everything they ordered already.) Otherwise, just tell your local retailer you want a copy of Ogre. The regular edition is, if I say so myself, worth about three times what you'll pay for it, even without the three exclusive Kickstarter counter sheets.
Same question, for swag! Most of it will be available in Warehouse 23.
May 12, 2012: Ogre News: Thank You, World!
The Kickstarter project closed at a staggering $923,680. Thank you, everyone. To break down what it means: When the distributor orders are factored in, Ogre - one of those games which our financials just listed under "Other" for many years - may represent nearly a quarter of our total sales for 2012. And that's even WITH Munchkin continuing to grow. Among other things, for those who didn't notice, this project created a professional job for a gamer. Quite possibly more than one.
We're going to have a lot of fun, which will be very hard work but STILL FUN, keeping our commitments. And Phil is now wondering whether it will be four containers dropped here, or five.
Go visit the project page, read the last update, and watch the final video. It's short . . .
May 10, 2012: Kickstarter: One Day Left!
If you have been on the fence about our Kickstarter project, you've got one day left. That box is soooo big and sooo full. Please support us if you like the classic wargames.
And, since we hit $700,000, there WILL be a Car Wars project next year, and one of the things you can get in the current project is a Car Wars shirt (your choice of With or Without Snarky Slogan).
And now for something completely different. Do you like LEGO? Do you like Ogre? You can (without spending money) give a +1 to the chance of an official LEGO Ogre. It's a million to one chance but it just might work. Here's a link to the Kickstarter update where I give the instructions. There are two different LEGO Ogre projects to support, two other projects by the designer of the LEGO models, and one really neat Old West-themed project that I am personally enthusiastic about and would like to push over the top. Go vote!
May 4, 2012: Ogre At Warehouse 23!
Ogre! Ogre! Ogre!!
Here at Steve Jackson Games, it's been all Ogre, all the time for a while. With the success of the Kickstarter program for Ogre 6th Edition, we've gotten lots of requests at Warehouse 23 for . . . wait for it . . . Ogre!
To make things easier for our fans, we've assembled all of the Ogre items we have in stock into one easy-to-browse Ogre page on Warehouse 23. If you want miniatures, we've got 'em. Want maps? We've got those as well. Need to repair one of your well-loved minis? Why yes, we have repair kits, too!
But you'd better hurry. Ogre is moving out of the warehouse faster than we can whistle!
May 2, 2012: Ogre Designer's Edition Limited - Pre-Order Now!
The Ogre Designer's Edition Kickstarter project has been going amazingly well. Last week we announced the retailer support options (April 27 Daily Illuminator). Retailers do NOT have to support on Kickstarter to order the game; they can get it from their distributors. You have a choice. The Kickstarter edition has a couple of exclusive counter sheets but you pay in advance; the regular edition will come through your standard distribution chain on your standard terms. Do what is right for you. Retailers - see our Ogre Designer's Edition sell sheet for details, and talk to your distributor today to reserve your copies. It is is so heavy and costly to manufacture that we are printing to order only, and we have to receive all pre-orders this month. We can not promise to meet any late distributor orders!
For those of you who are not able to support right now, or just absolutely want to buy through your local game store: We have created a pre-order form for you to print out. This is not to be sent to us or to Kickstarter! It's to give to your local game store to make sure they know you want to buy Ogre from them. Then they can order from their distributor or support on Kickstarter, as they choose. (If you want them to support through Kickstarter, you should consider paying them in advance, because THEY will have to pay their pledge in May.)
If you're not sure where your local game stores are, use our online Store Finder (it's also a great tool when you need opponents). And retailers, please consider printing a copy of the pre-order form and hanging it in your store; the more pre-orders that you can get for the game now, the more happy customers you'll have late this year when we ship the Ogre Designer's Edition. We don't want anyone to miss it.
May 2, 2012: Ogre Kickstarter Update: Retailer Support!
Thanks again to everyone who has supported Ogre on Kickstarter. It's broken 2,100 supporters and most of the special rewards are sold out (which means we might have to figure out how to add some more). And we have, at last, been able to announce support levels at which we will ship games to Canada, Australia, and the UK.
Five custom counter sheets have been sponsored, and we even have a supporter for the super-powered custom-counter-sheet-that-you-get-to-sell-yourself level, too. In fact, we have the same supporter twice! Thank you, BoardGameGeek! Everyone look out for the blue-and-orange Ogre named Ernie . . .
We want to make sure the game's unexpected Kickstarter popularity is good for retailers. (After all, we're not idiots. The hobby needs the retail stores, and every sale by a retailer is a sale for us.) A lot of you folks will decide, sometime around the evening of May 12, that you really wanted Ogre after all, and it'll be too late to get one by supporting. But you have a friendly local game store, right?
A few days after we started, after reading the Kickstarter comments, we added a support level designed specifically for retailers. I quote:
"For brick-and-mortar retailers ONLY! For $300, you will receive four copies of the Kickstarter edition of Ogre, one T-shirt, and one extra Kickstarter counter sheet so you can show off the constructible Ogres and buildings. Your store name will be in the list of supporters. NOTE that we WILL call, and/or confirm with distributors, and/or send MIBs to your address, to verify that you are a genuine brick-and-mortar store. Any unverified supporters at this level will receive two copies of the game and nothing else! So do NOT choose this level unless you can prove that you are a real, currently operating, brick-and-mortar retailer. NOTE ALSO that this has to ship to an address in the continental US, but the store itself does not have to be in the US."
If you're a retailer and want to support, check it out. If you are planning to buy Ogre through your FLGS to support them, good . . . and please let them know about this deal in case it meets their needs.
May 2, 2012: The Ogre Keeps Rolling
The Kickstarter reaction continues to amaze us . . . and the new edition of Ogre, and your reactions to it, have really captured everyone's imagination here at Illuminati HQ. You will recall that more than once in the past few years I've said "Munchkin ran that project off the road?" Well, at the moment, Ogre is running right over the top of other projects.
But we DO have other projects, so tomorrow we'll meet again on Castellan (which everyone loved at both the GAMA and ACD shows). We have something almost ready to announce for Zombie Dice, and we have to squeeze out the time to make that happen properly. I have a great Munchkin Axe Cop contest about ready to launch. And so on.
But right now I'm thinking of everything in Ogre terms. For instance, my personal Ogre is a Mk. 1998 Corolla, and over the weekend I noticed that a couple of the tires were down to 1 tread unit, but I was many, many hexes from home at the time. Fortunately, I rolled well . . .
But you see what I mean? It's all Ogre right now.
May 2, 2012: Ogre 6th Edition On Kickstarter
Everything we told you April 1 was true. We have now launched the gigantic 6th Edition of Ogre as a Kickstarter project. It reached its funding goal in a bit over two hours, and now, as I'm about to leave the office, we've hit the first stretch goal. But the really exciting part will come if and when the later stretch goals are reached.
In theory, Kickstarter will let us reach more fans, and show how many fans we have reached. And, if the news is good, the game may be bigger and better than ever. Visit the project page for a full description. See me talk and show off the pretty tanks! Please support Ogre!
May 2, 2012: Kickstarter Progress
The Kickstarter project for Ogre is surpassing all expectations. We blew past Stretch Goals 1 and 2 in the first 24 hours, hit #3 only a little later, and passed #4 in the evening, forcing me to edit this posting after it was in the queue (awwwww! poor baby!). So to fulfill those stretch goals:
#1 ($40,000) - Here are templates you can use to make your own Mk III and Mk V Ogres in 3-D. Here are the versions with no lines at all. And here's Phil, as Mr. Hands, showing how they go together.
#2 ($75,000) - We will add an extra, exclusive counter sheet to all copies sold through Kickstarter. Survey coming soon for what we should put on that sheet! You don't have to be a current supporter in order to vote.
#3 ($90,000) - I have already started working on four new scenarios to be published in November. Working title for the first one is "Woodsrunners."
#4 ($100,000) - We add the Ogre blueprint poster to the set. And the cool thing is, the box is so big, the poster can go in flat!
The other part of the $100,000 level was that we'd announce another stretch goal. We actually announced two. At $110K, you get some 3-D building patterns for your homemade Ogres to shoot up. And at $130K, I have to write four more scenarios (awwwww! awwwwwwwww! POOR Stevie!)
If you have already supported, THANK YOU. If you haven't, please check out the project and support us. And if you are outside the US, we ARE working on how you can support and get copies. It's going to be expensive to ship that huge box, and we're trying to reduce that cost as much as we can before we ask anyone to commit.
April 11, 2012: Ogre 6th Edition On Kickstarter
Everything we told you April 1 was true. We have now launched the gigantic 6th Edition of Ogre as a Kickstarter project. It reached its funding goal in a bit over two hours, and is at 150% as I type this. But the really exciting part will come if the stretch goals are reached.
In theory, Kickstarter will let us reach more fans, and show how many fans we have reached. And, if the news is good, the game may be bigger and better than ever. Visit the project page for a full description, with video. See me talk and show off the pretty tanks! Please support Ogre!
April 3, 2012: Ogre Status Report
Ogre has been priority one, and pretty much priority ONLY, for several of us for the last few days. Phil and Sam have both lost some sleep over it, so if you see them at PAX East this weekend, tell them thanks.
A video is in the works; you'll see it soon. I think it's pretty darn good, considering we don't do very many videos. This one counted as a whole lot of practice . . . Oh, darn. As I write this, at 11:20 Monday night, I realize that I didn't take any photos today. So pretend you are looking at a great big map and some new 3-D prototypes, including the Reactor, which Richard and Sam just finished.
Hmm. Is there any reason why an optional rule for the Reactor couldn't be "if it is destroyed, replace it with a Crater overlay" ? Maybe even "treat it as a cruise missile explosion" ? That would be cinematic, but fun in some scenarios, for the "You realize you just poisoned an area the size of Maryland" value of fun. I would hope that the future of Ogre would include safer nuke plants, but maybe it just has expedient ones. Cheap ones that blow up real good. And the Reactor model you are pretending to look at has the old-style "cooling tower" profile, because that is the best visual shorthand for "nuke plant." So maybe it really is just a bomb waiting to go off. And the Ogres don't care about background radiation, even though the crunchy humans do . . .
Gabby has been working to lay out the counter and overlay sheets. Right now we are at 11 sheets, and he's not quite done. Frankly, this worries me. We wanted a lot of counters, but this is way too many sheets and will kick our costs up more. OTOH, it may be that the counters can be interleaved more closely to take up less space. We'll work on it.
As for me, I have been reading the combined rulebook over, and over, and over, and over, trying to make everything flow smoothly, cross-reference where it's needed, and be generally easy to use. (A repeated question on BGG has been "will the game be 'modernized' to add reaction phases, opportunity fire, a more complex CRT, and so on? The answer is no. The Ogre rules are still stripped-down, basic, my-turn, your-turn, move and shoot. It's not a War College sim. It moves fast and minimizes rules arguments. There are some amazing, complex wargames out there now, and I'm not trying to refit this 35-year-old rule set to crowd into their space. Ogre remains old-school . . . lure your opponent into error, roll the dice, remove the dead, and hope you aren't the one who made the mistake.)
The farther along we get with this, the more my enthusiasm is re-kindled.
And right now I'm thinking: I should buy stock in a folding table company.
August 16, 2011: Ogre 6e Status Report: 2012
I haven't done a good enough job recently of communicating the status of Ogre 6th Edition. The status is: Still planned, still the super-fancy as per the prototypes you can see on that page (and which I expect will show up in the display case at PAX in a couple of weeks) . . .
And definitely still not on track for 2011. I warned everyone in May that it might not happen in 2011, and now I can say it definitely won't. I knew that at the end of June, before I took July off, and I should have shared.
There's no sophisticated marketing reason (and, for that matter, no sinister financial reason) for the delay. It's just "not enough hours in Steve's day." Ogre takes a certain amount of concentration and "getting into state" to do right. It's fun, but it's a lot more demanding fun than, say, making up Munchkin curses.
I continue to get more mail about this than any other upcoming project (definitely more than for any single Munchkin projects, probably more than for any two). I know you want it; I want to do it . . . it's just going to take more work.
May 12, 2011: Ogre 6th Edition Update
Here's an update on the progress of Ogre 6th Edition.
Yes, we're definitely going to do it. There was a lot of distributor support at the GAMA Trade Show, and I have gotten more mail about this game than about any announcement we've ever done before. So the game will happen, and it will go through the regular distribution chain. That means that you will be able to get it through your hobby shop.
Many of those letters said things like "If you want to do this game, don't let anything stop you." I appreciate that support very much.
Currently, we plan to print 3,000 copies, plus some extra maps and counters as a W23 offering. The retail price of the game will be an even $100.00.
Many of you have asked about pre-orders. Right now we're not taking pre-orders for any new releases. What we have done is set up a mailing list. You can subscribe to it here. This will be a very low-volume list. We won't spam you, but we'll update you on important milestones, tell you when it goes to print, and tell you when you can order it.
Answers to frequently asked questions, in my mail and online:
• When will it come out, exactly?
Good question. When I first started to write this Illuminator, more than a month ago, it said "it will happen this year." I'm not sure about that. I spent the better part of two weeks sick, at a bad time, and then that interesting Secret Munchkin Project opportunity appeared and distracted me from everything else. Now I'm about to go to Brazil. Distractions, distractions. But we'll keep working.
• Will it be in a scale big enough to use the Ogre miniatures?
Yes, absolutely. The map is made to work with the minis.
• I'm going to buy two copies!
That's not a question, but at least a dozen people said that. Now that's support! Thank you again.
March 24, 2011: Open (Ogre) Letter To Distributors
Later this year, we'll release Ogre 6th Edition. It will be a very, very deluxe boardgame, with all the rules and units from Ogre, G.E.V., and Shockwave, as well as things that have only appeared in magazines and miniature releases.
Why? Because I want to. Ogre was my first design, and the boardgame version hasn't been available for years. And people keep asking me for it. So some of our Munchkin money is going back to support the people who bought my very first game, by bringing them an edition with the best possible components.
It won't be "Euro" style. No meeples, no plastic. This will be the kind of hex wargame that we dreamed about 30 years ago, back when our heroes were SPI and Avalon Hill. HUGE double-sided map boards. HUGE full-color counters with HUGE type. A HUGE box to hold them in. And giant constructible Ogres!
So why am I writing this letter? Not to say "Hey, distributors, we'll do this if you like the idea." I'm going to release this game, no matter what. If we don't get enough distributor interest, we'll release it for direct sales only, with (probably) a lower print run, and (certainly) a lower price, since we won't have to build in the distributor and retailer margin.
But I don't want to bypass distribution. We went through this with GURPS Russia, back in '98. When we solicited it, the distributors said "Meh." We believed in the book, and printed a short run for direct sales. Suddenly everybody wanted it! It sold out quickly, distributors and retailers demanded it, and we ended up reprinting it for distribution! I won't go through that again.
Here's why you may not want this game: It's going to retail for $100, and it isn't full of plastic toys. It's a classic hex wargame, and those aren't in fashion. Here's why I hope you DO want it:
- It's a humongous, heavy box that will have a huge shelf presence. How big is it? Over twice the size of Munchkin Quest. It takes three copies of the original edition of Ogre to cover up the word "OGRE" on this box.
- It's got three huge mapboards with 1.5" hexes, and big full-color counters. The Ogre and building counters are 3-D constructible miniatures!
- I don't expect to keep this in print. Realistically, I expect to print it once and let people spend the next 30 years fighting over the remaining copies. The people who get it are going to show it off at parties and conventions.
- It's a pretty good game, if I say so myself. A lot of people remember it. (More than 25 years after its original release, Ogre won a spot in Hobby Games: The 100 Best.) Some of them would love to drop $100 for a beautiful version of the game they played 20 or 30 years ago, whether it was in high school, or in Germany or Kuwait or some classified spot in the middle of the Pacific.
Talk to Ross, and feel free to write directly to me at sj@sjgames.com. We've also created a sell sheet with more information; please note that the art, both on the sell sheet and above, is not final.
June 11, 2010: Destroy All Munchkins
A prototype Mark V from the 6th Edition playtest set pursues an unruly gang of chainsaw-wielding trespassers.
January 30, 2010: Lego Mark III
Look at this great Ogre Mark III done in Lego. We'd love to hear from the creator . . . all we can tell from the website is that the pictures were posted by someone using the handle JawaJim. The same person who built these small units? We don't know, and we'd like to find out and give proper credit!
Thanks to Kyle Miller for spotting these and sharing!
-- Steve Jackson
January 6, 2010: Look What's on the Worktable
SJ has a workspace just outside his office where he often spreads out larger-than-normal stuff he's working on.
This photo was taken earlier in the week. The project in question definitely qualifies as "larger-than-normal."
January 14, 2009: Ogre Art!
Back in the day, original art used to be sent to the publisher. It was a long process, with many opportunities for tragedy to befall the gorgeously delicate canvases. However, if you're careful, as we were, you have some very nice pieces of art to hang on the wall afterwards.
For instance, we've got the cover of Battlesuit just outside of SJ's office. I'd forgotten how cool it was – the battlesuited trooper standing over his fallen opponent is still evocative. It isn't actually on the wall yet, as it needs a frame that suits it better. But it and the cover of the original pocketbox version of G.E.V. are positioned (along with classic pieces from nearly everything we've published in the last 29 years) and should be gracing our halls very soon.
December 18, 2008: Ogre Scenario Book Now Available In PDF
Ogre Scenario Book 1 is now available in PDF from e23. Six scenarios requiring only the original Ogre map, for less than $5. Even a Mark VII (not saying one exists, mind you!) can't beat that!
If you're not familiar with e23, we sell PDF files free of any sort of DRM to interfere with your enjoyment of the product. Purchase does not require registration, although registration does have its benefits. For instance, if your hard drive ever eats your purchase, you can re-download it, for free. If we update the file, you can download that for free as well!
So surf on over to e23. You're only clicks away from enough scenarios to keep you busy during the entire holiday break!
December 8, 2008: Ogre On Your Tree
Although it is maple instead of BPC, the Ogre Christmas Ornament still carries the same sense of menace . . . well, it will at least mark you as a wargamer of taste and distinction to those who enter your home during the holidays.
November 3, 2008: Sneaky Ninja!
One main battery: $87 bazillion.
Two secondaries: $37 zillion.
One missile rack, with four internal missiles, and two external missiles: $497 bajillion.
ECM powerful enough that attackers cannot combine fire unless they're attacking from an adjacent hex: Priceless.*
* Technically, the Ogre Ninja is only $14, and the newly revised and recently released Ogre Miniatures is only $9.95. So while not "priceless," they're a heck of a lot easier on the wallet than actual cybertank weaponry. Or my credit card bill, even.
Plus, if you already have a copy of Ogre Miniatures, all you need is the Ogre Miniatures Update, which is free – so that's getting closer to "without price."
October 15, 2008: Ogre Miniatures (Re)Released
After far too long, the PDF edition of Ogre Miniatures is available on e23. This project has been under way for years, but after I'd finished compiling my errata and change list, the whole thing got pushed to the back burner because redoing the photos would have been a huge project. So we decided to scan it and release it in PDF, instead. But that meant that instead of just correcting errata and adding new stuff, everything had to be collected on new pages, with links added from the old pages . . . and it had been so long since the original compilation that there were a lot of NEW ideas to add . . . It was a job.
But it's finally done. Thanks go to everybody involved: to all the forum-dwellers who commented on the new material as it was created, to Phil Reed for new record card graphics and Ogre Miniatures Lite layout, and to Nikki, Monica, and Fox for struggling through the various stages of layout and PDF creation on what turned out to be a far more complex project than planned.
For those who have the first edition and don't want to pay for the revisions: You don't have to. The Ogre Miniatures Update is available as a separate freebie.
And, if you hadn't noticed: the long-awaited Ogre Ninja miniature was released as an early celebration of Ogre Minis version 1.1.
August 18, 2008: The Ogre Ninja: Corporeal At Last
When I think "ninja" the first thing to pop into my head is a person in black pajamas creeping across the roof. (Okay, that's a lie. The first thing that pops into my head is a turtle, but this is a close second.) I do not, however, typically associate the word with tanks. Especially cybertanks. Especially cybertanks that tend to blot out the sun as they roll by. But I should. And you should. And we will. Because, defying all logic and reason, there exists a sneaky Ogre known as the Ninja. Sure, it might not be tiptoeing across a pond anytime soon, but it will flip out and kill just about everything. As far as I'm concerned, that's close enough.
So why am I bringing this up? We recently got a whole mess of these long-awaited shadow warriors cast and put up for sale in our online store, Warehouse 23. You can find them by utilizing this wondrous new invention called the hyperlink. Click, and unto you shall it deliver the craftiest, sneakiest, most imperceptible rolling building you'll ever see. (Or should that be "never see?")
And by "imperceptible," I of course mean "it will kill every single thing it comes in contact with, which - in an operational sense - is exactly the same thing as nobody having ever seen you in the first place."
July 24, 2008: Ogre Miniatures Lite Now Available!
Ogre Miniatures Lite is a brand-new version of the old "Ogre Lite" reference sheet. It isn't really Ogre Miniatures on two sides of an 8.5" x 11" sheet, because if we could do that we wouldn't need the rest of the book, but it IS a great cheat-sheet for experienced players, and a perfect handout for newbies at a convention.
And it's a FREE download on e23.
That's all very well, you ask, but what about Ogre Miniatures itself? When will it be out in PDF? Real . . . soon . . . now . . .
SJ decided to get the new Lite out of the way first, and it took longer than expected. Months longer. Don't ask. But now it IS out of the way, and he'll be looking at the actual Ogre Miniatures revisions again. They've been ALMOST done for those same months.
May 12, 2008: Slightly Heavier Metal
Okay, kids, it's time for another Good News/Bad News situation. Allow me to hit you with the Bad vibe first. The price of metal has gone up. Ogre minis, being made of metal, are more expensive to produce. What that means is come June 2nd, the individual Ogre minis will increase in price slightly. We're looking at about a 10% increase. Yeah, bleah, not exactly happiness. If you've been on the fence about filling out your army for The Last War, now is the best time to pick up those Raptors you've had your eye on.
This only affects the individual minis, mind you. The boxed sets will remain at their current prices.
The Good side? Your Ogre collection just jumped a little bit in value! Score!
(Hey, come on, lemme have my silver lining here, huh?)
March 19, 2008: Return From The Darkness!
It's been more than two years since any new Ogre support. We are happy to announce that that is changing.
A new edition of Ogre, with high-quality components, will ship later in the year.
A PDF edition of Ogre Miniatures will be available soon from e23. This will not be a brand-new edition; it will be a scan of the first edition, with the addition of many pages of new rules, record sheets, other play aids, and complete errata.
And a new version of Ogre Miniatures Lite will be available very soon as a free e23 download. Ogre Miniatures Lite is not intended as a stand-alone rules set (though it really does get most of the rules, and a lot of tactical advice, onto the two sides of a letter-sized sheet). It's intended as a quick reference for the experienced player and a quick-start handout to help new players, whether at a convention or in the living room.
For frequent updates on the new projects, visit the Ogre forums.
October 17, 2005: Peace On Earth, Goodwill Towards Giant Self-Aware Nuclear Tanks
Few things say "Christmas" like depleted uranium shells.
Well, the color they tend to make things is pretty Christmas-y.
Celebrate the holiday season with a bang. A very big bang from the primaries of an Ogre Mark V. These high-quality ornaments, etched from maple wood by laser, are sure to delight that wargaming fan in your life. If you find that you are the wargaming fan in your life, well, what are you waiting for? It's a tiny, laser-etched Ogre you can hang on the tree!
– Wayne
September 13, 2004: Miniatures Available
Have you checked Warehouse 23's miniatures supply recently? Gray Cat Castings is keeping them well stocked. Now is the time to fill out your Ogre army!January 13, 2004: Ogre Miniatures News
Many fans of both Ogre and Ogre Miniatures have been wondering, some quietly, some not, about the status of SJ Games' miniatures production. Although in the past I have prided myself on maintaining a positive flow of information, of late I've expressed naught but silence.The short answer to your questions is: SJ Games has ceased production of all miniatures. Several new miniatures (the Vulcan, the Doppelsoldner, and the Ninja) were indeed sculpted and mastered, but we weren't able to produce them before the final shut-down date. We are talking to a new caster, and I expect to have more news before the end of the month. Rest assured that the new caster will be able to produce the aforementioned figures.
Now, for those of you who have more free time and curiosity, I can expand a bit. In the second quarter of 2003, I watched the sales numbers of miniatures (all miniatures, I should note, not just Ogre) slowly sink. Alternatives to in-house casting were examined, and the decision was eventually made to close the casting department.
Around this time, our Traffic Manager decided to move on to other pursuits, leaving SJ Games without a key person in the command structure. I was moved over to the Traffic Department, and was quickly swamped with the tasks of maintaining the physical building, shipping both to Warehouse 23 customers and distributors, and closing down the Miniatures Division. Still, I had high hopes for releasing the new Ogre figures before the end of the year.
Then, the decision was made to move the warehouse to Las Vegas. Obviously, this required a whole lot of extra work that I had not planned on. Inventory needed to be counted, massive amounts of shipping materials needed to be purchased, and many, many, many pallets needed to be shipped and coordinated.
The area that was the casting room was stripped to make the extra room necessary to ship the massive number of pallets. This was done, unfortunately, before the new Ogre figures had a chance to enter production. It was my planning that failed on this point, a fact I'm not at all happy about. However, the move to Las Vegas was a solid business decision, and the timing was right, despite the stresses it inflicted on me.
Now? I'm back in Austin, after spending most of four weeks counting, packing, and shipping our inventory (and all of last week setting up the new warehouse!). I've got a list of "over-due" projects as long as my arm, and I'll be attacking them as fast as I can. At the top of that list is getting a signed contract out of the new caster, and being able to announce it. Only slightly less important is re-establishing the lines of communication between SJ Games and the Ogre fans.
In summary, I've been busy, but I am very sorry that we weren't able to get the new figures out as promised. Thanks for sticking around.
Paul Chapman
Steve Jackson Games
Traffic Manager
paul@sjgames.com
August 11, 2003: Miniatures Division Closing
As you may have read on the August 9th Daily Illuminator, the Miniatures Division will be closing at the end of the month. What does that mean for you, our loyal fans?
Not much, for the moment. We don't want anyone to miss their opportunity to fill out their collections, so we'll have the figures available for several months. The target is to run dry in December. We'll keep you informed which figures are getting low.
Any announced sets (Uplift Miniatures, Transhuman Space Miniatures, and Dork Tower Miniatures) will be released on schedule. In fact, Uplift Miniatures ships next week.
Of the "rumored but unannounced" figures, we have a few that are close enough to release that we will release – specifically, the Ogre Vulcan (and it's Heavy Drone), the Ogre Ninja, the Doppelsoldner, and the Ogrethulhu Swimmer. We also will release more Off The Wall Armies, as well as a couple of special Munchkin related figures. Unfortunately, that means there are some units we just never got to, like the Mobile Command Posts, GEV-Mobile Command Posts, and Cruise Missile Crawlers.
Not all of these figures are available for preorder through Warehouse 23 right now. Don't worry, we'll be putting up new figures every week for the next month or two.
It's been an excellent experience, and I'd like to thank everyone involved: Richard, Steve, Chris, and Doc. A special thanks goes out to Ed and Al at Reaper for help above and beyond.
I'm sure you have questions not covered here. As always, I'm at paul@sjgames.com for email, but I'll also be hunting questions on the Yahoo Ogre groups, and on the forums of both Pyramid, and The Miniatures Page.
Paul Chapman
Miniatures Division Manager
paul@sjgames.com
