Battlegrounds Games

heruca · Last edited by heruca on Sat Jan 09, 2010 4:47 pm; edited 3 times in total

As of now, Battlegrounds Games has a new business line: publishing digital conversions of previously-published boardgames and wargames.

To start with, I will be releasing updated and enhanced digital versions of two long-out-of-print games. Both of these games are being re-published with permission from the original designer (and current copyright holder), Stephen V. Cole (who is most known for his highly successful "Star Fleet Battles" games and expansions).

The first Game Box to be released will be "Valkenburg Castle".

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Originally published in 1980 by Task Force Games as one of their Pocket Game series, Valkenburg Castle is a fantasy game of adventure and combat in the depths of an ancient dungeon. Players may use heroic leaders, clever burglars, staunch dwarves, mysterious magic users, and squads of fighting men to explore, and eventually to capture the castle from evil orcs, sorcerers, trolls, ogres, and other monsters (including a dragon!). Two or more players maneuver their units on a game map which depicts the five levels of the dungeon beneath the castle (the game is played in three dimensions). A solitaire scenario is included, and there's even a game variant which lets you assault the dungeon with modern combat squads equipped with rifles, submachine-guns, hand grenades, and demolition charges. The game features 5 scenarios and a campaign game.
Complexity Level: Fairly easy

I invite everyone to download the first ten pages of the 57-page rulebook to learn more details about the game and to see if it peaks your interest.

Here's another preview, to clearly demonstrate that this is not simply a case of scanning in the original game components.

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Valkenburg Castle costs $18, and can be ordered from the BG Store.
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The next Game Box to be released (in a couple of months) will be "Asteroid Zero-Four".

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Originally published in 1979 by Task Force Games as one of their Pocket Game series, "Asteroid Zero-Four" is a two-player science-fiction game portraying a nuclear war between two mining bases in the asteroid belt of our solar system. Each player commands an asteroid base equipped with laser turrets, command bunkers, ore processing plants, landing pads, and defensive missile launchers. Each player also has spacecraft, missiles, and an arsenal of nuclear ordinance at their disposal to attack the enemy asteroid base with. Spacecraft can be used either as defensive interceptors or to deliver nuclear warheads. Each nuclear warhead that impacts an asteroid is calculated for yield, burst height and blast radius; resulting in damage to the various installations on the asteroids. After each attack, any surviving spacecraft return to their base for repairs and refueling. Engineering teams on each base attempt to repair damaged structures on the asteroid to keep key systems operational, but are themselves vulnerable to nuclear and conventional explosions. To win, you must destroy or disable the enemy mining operations in a fixed number of turns, while trying to keep your opponent from doing the same to you. Each player is therefore simultaneously concerned with offensive and defensive options.
Complexity Level: Moderate

I invite everyone to download the first ten pages of the 42-page rulebook to learn more details about the game and to see if it peaks your interest.

Asteroid Zero-Four costs $18, and can be ordered from the BG Store.
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So what exactly are these "Game Boxes" I keep mentioning? Game Boxes for BRPG are simply a distribution package for the games, which will include an artpack containing the playing board (generally a map), digital tokens (in lieu of cardboard counters or plastic minis), and the game's charts and tables. Game Boxes will also include the following files: dice macros, Encounter and Deployment files, custom Turn Sequencer settings and Preferences, a rulebook in PDF format (searchable), and installation instructions. In short, everything needed to play the game if you already have at least one GM Client license (v1.4g or higher). For multiplayer games, the extra players do not need to purchase the Game Box, but they will need a Player Client or a GM Client if the person hosting the game does not have a Floating License for them to use.

I will also be including templates for creating your own custom game tokens that match the official game tokens (very handy for players that love the game and would like to expand it with their own units).
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I've long maintained that BRPG was a viable virtual tabletop platform not just for RPGs, but also for many boardgames and wargames. These Game Boxes will hopefully prove that, and also serve as examples for BRPG users wishing to create their own digital game conversions, or for game designers wishing to use BRPG as a prototyping and playtesting tool.

A note to any game designers and publishers who might be reading this:
The Game Boxes shown above are just the first couple of games in what I hope will eventually become a large library of game titles available for BRPG. If you would like to see your game published in digital format for use with BRPG, please contact me via email.