NotLD miniatures game

[bassman]

Where's the burned chair beside the porch? FAIL. Just kidding. That's really impressive.

[MinionZombie]

Kick ass stuff! I've always loved miniatures, and I just know if I had something like that around when I was a kid I'd have been all over it all the time. Hell, at 26 I'd be all over it.

[Eyebiter]

Nice diorama. If you need inspiration there are a few free zombie miniature rule sets around Dead Walk Again http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardga...ead-walk-again Blight of the Living Dead http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardga...he-living-dead Send More Brains http://sites.google.com/site/jaysgam...nd_more_brains

[Wyldwraith]

My apologies, Was just seeking to be helpful. I see a great commercial opportunity in a well-designed and flexible miniature-strategy game based on the Zombie Apocalypse concept. Most zombie-related board games to date have had relatively very basic, easily anticipated game mechanics for the zombies, and for some reason seem to try and make the zombies completely governed by a static set of rules, which essentially makes them an antagonistic element of the game-environment instead of enemies that can behave differently from game to game. If someone actually went to the trouble of crafting a Warhammer 40k-type game, with all the attendant customization, complexity and collectible appeal in a zombie apocalypse/survival horror format, I see no reason it wouldn't be very successful. The one commonality of zombie fans is ironically their often wildly varying tastes inside the various sub-genres. Some like classic Romero-type shamblers, some go for feral beast runner-ghouls, or zombies with some sort of twist like the viral mutations caused by the T-Virus with Resident Evil undead. A strategy game whose structure captured that elusive Easy to Learn/Hard to Master magic while also containing rule variations for use with the core game to allow players to create strategy scenarios with their favored zombie-type could go a long way at present. The time to do it is now. Zombie movies and novels are going more and more mainstream with every passing day, and when combined with the fan base of post-apocalyptic-flavored material could well become the next hot thing in tabletop strategy gaming. Casual opinion poll: How many people here with tabletop miniature-gaming experience would be interested in a game of this sort? Instead of making the zombies simply automated game-obstacle-threats, go for the more classic Player versus Player format of miniature gaming. People love to play the "evil side" these days. If they didn't, Chaos wouldn't be one of, if not the most popular faction to play in W-40k. If not Chaos then the Aliens-like Tyranids or the Necrons, etc etc. My point is, I'm truly surprised that someone hasn't ALREADY gone all-out and done a 40k-esque Zombie Apocalypse game. What do the rest of you think?

[Mr.G]

My apologies, Was just seeking to be helpful. I see a great commercial opportunity in a well-designed and flexible miniature-strategy game based on the Zombie Apocalypse concept. Most zombie-related board games to date have had relatively very basic, easily anticipated game mechanics for the zombies, and for some reason seem to try and make the zombies completely governed by a static set of rules, which essentially makes them an antagonistic element of the game-environment instead of enemies that can behave differently from game to game. If someone actually went to the trouble of crafting a Warhammer 40k-type game, with all the attendant customization, complexity and collectible appeal in a zombie apocalypse/survival horror format, I see no reason it wouldn't be very successful. The one commonality of zombie fans is ironically their often wildly varying tastes inside the various sub-genres. Some like classic Romero-type shamblers, some go for feral beast runner-ghouls, or zombies with some sort of twist like the viral mutations caused by the T-Virus with Resident Evil undead. A strategy game whose structure captured that elusive Easy to Learn/Hard to Master magic while also containing rule variations for use with the core game to allow players to create strategy scenarios with their favored zombie-type could go a long way at present. The time to do it is now. Zombie movies and novels are going more and more mainstream with every passing day, and when combined with the fan base of post-apocalyptic-flavored material could well become the next hot thing in tabletop strategy gaming. Casual opinion poll: How many people here with tabletop miniature-gaming experience would be interested in a game of this sort? Instead of making the zombies simply automated game-obstacle-threats, go for the more classic Player versus Player format of miniature gaming. People love to play the "evil side" these days. If they didn't, Chaos wouldn't be one of, if not the most popular faction to play in W-40k. If not Chaos then the Aliens-like Tyranids or the Necrons, etc etc. My point is, I'm truly surprised that someone hasn't ALREADY gone all-out and done a 40k-esque Zombie Apocalypse game. What do the rest of you think? I'd love a game like this...price could be a concern. My only issue is no one I know in Northern Indiana would play it with me!

[Wrong Number]

My point is, I'm truly surprised that someone hasn't ALREADY gone all-out and done a 40k-esque Zombie Apocalypse game. What do the rest of you think? I was just a Origins Game Fair a few weeks ago and saw a book called "All Things Zombie" which I thing may have been a new miniatures rules set for zombies. I looked at it and decided I like my rules better and it was not worth $40 to me. Of course, I have been writing games since the early 80's, so I'm hard to please. As for the concept overall, it could be fun and the lack of zombie miniatures games (I saw two run at Origins compared to 100 war type) makes me think there would be a market. I have been buying modern miniatures and buildings so that I can set up different scenarios since I'm going to have to write the rules out anyways. WN

[DEAD BEAT]

i could use the words over obsessed or zombie geek but that would b calling the kettle black! lol cool lookin' game though dude! if you ever get this one out there you should do a DAWN game next.....that mall construction would keep you busy for years! lol

[Wyldwraith]

I agree, In fact, if you're ever interested in putting our heads together to give you some feedback from someone else with experience in designing, expanding and customizing tabletop strategy games of all sorts, I'd be happy to devote some of my endless amount of free time if you decide to go all-out, and fully develop a new zombie-based survival horror game for eventual commercial release Wrong Number. Not looking for a piece of the potential pie for my hypothetical assistance in said development, but if you happen to make a mint's worth of green I wouldn't be adverse to a thank-you in the form of a very nice gaming-spec'd PC I genuinely believe that the key is in two basic concepts. 1) As I mentioned, making the game flexible enough in its game mechanics and equally flexible miniatures so it appeals to fans of all "flavors" of Zombies/Zombie Apocalypse(s) is crucial. While I realize that to some extent you need to provide a game-mechanics-based incentive for players/customers to buy new set-pieces and miniatures, making the miniatures single-purpose/single-context as games such as Warhammer 40k/Epic, Mage Knight or Marvel/DC Versus have has created play-environments where committing to one of these games as a serious hobby involves making an equal (and sizable) financial commitment as well. IMHO, I feel these games have taken it beyond providing incentive to purchase, and on into the realm of "Must continue to buy new miniatures simply to remain competitive." Some would argue this isn't a bad thing, but anyone with an in-depth knowledge of any of those games knows you're looking at a hefty initial lump sum purchase to get established/have the game resources to play seriously, as well as regular smaller purchases to remain "competitive." That's fine for a certain crowd, but not everyone can shell out 250-300$ up front, and 50-80$ every month or two from then on. This does a pretty effective job of separating those who play these games into a small long-lasting/dedicated nucleus of hardcore players with the financial resources and inclination to make the playing of one, MAYBE two of these games their primary hobby, and a much larger number of interested (often younger) players who spend a bit and try to get into the game, but soon realize they don't have, and aren't going to have the cash in the foreseeable future to make a decent go of it, who then move on to some other hobby. Again, that's fine as far as it goes. Games Workshop obviously does a pretty fair amount of business. However, I've always felt that by making the really interesting and more complex tabletop strategy games synonymous with major recreational cash expenditures, a large potential market for such games remains untapped. By striking a balance between the desired complexity of a game such as Warhammer 40k, and the affordability of (for example) tabletop roleplaying-games, experience has taught me there are gamers in significant numbers throughout the U.S that could be sold on such a game. 2) Also as I stated previously, its important that the game's mechanics DO NOT automate the zombies like several recent zombie board games have done. Yes, the mechanics should capture the flavor of the zombie's nature/behavior, but by making the "zombie side" as viable and interesting to play as the humans/survivors, you broaden the appeal even further. One could even compromise here and go both ways, by having game variants that automate the zombies, and rules-sets that focus on making BOTH sides the classic "Different to Play, Equal in Power" paradigm of so many of the very best strategy games in all mediums. Wrong Number, if you decide you're interested in discussing this at length, please by all means feel free to PM me for Yahoo/ICQ/other contact info. Take care and happy gaming.

[Wrong Number]

Wrong Number, if you decide you're interested in discussing this at length, please by all means feel free to PM me for Yahoo/ICQ/other contact info. Thanks much for the offer. I may well take you up on it when I get this NotLD game to my liking. WN

[Danny]

People love to play the "evil side" these days. If they didn't, Chaos wouldn't be one of, if not the most popular faction to play in W-40k. If not Chaos then the Aliens-like Tyranids or the Necrons, etc etc. Oh jesus, necrons. Theres a game breaker. Introduce an immortal army of teleporting, phasing, self repairing robots lead by god like entities dubbed "star vampires" and its no surprise they overpowered them into such a corner they where dead on arrival. Theres one 40k set i doubt will see a major upgrade. how many new models released for them in the last decade? 5? 3?

[Wyldwraith]

Yup, Warhammer 40k is the perfect test-bed that simultaneously highlights both what's good AND bad in tabletop strategy gaming. I remember when we still had a few classic game shops around here. One of them, Wulf's HQ, hosted a variety of W.H 40k tournament-campaign leagues. They were interesting, because a specific area of the 40k universe was chosen to play in, one of the artistic-types upsized and semi-professionally color-rendered both star system, continental and (the vast majority) locale-scale maps of regions for gameplay. Then we'd play it out in rounds, with each side allowed to field 1,250 point armies for standard deployment battles, and 1 battle in 4 you could send/play a "reinforced deployment", aka a 2,000pt army. Every player was allowed one deployment or transportation of an army to a new system or planet (if already in-system) per round, and battles occurred when 2 sides contested for control of the same real estate. The incentive being a) Adding a planet to your sphere of influence provided various in-game benefits, such as increases in # of allowed points for deployment, multiple system/planet "hops" in one turn, and even (once you controlled the entire star system, and for each entire star system you took control of, the creation of a new 1,250 pt army for your use, and an extra deployment per army you owned. b) strategically diminishing an enemy's forces, or disrupting their control of resources. The Campaign Rules were complex, but those three campaigns (each of which took 10-12 months to play) were the most fun I ever had with miniature gaming. Of course, as you can expect the two best Tyranid, 1 hell-on-wheels Chaos player, and 2 Necrons raped us the first campaign. Was a perfect example of how pound for pound the punch of certain 40k factions was way above anything resembling parity of factions.

[Wrong Number]

I have been working on painting zombies for the game and thought I would share a few of the favorites I have done so far. I am going to be painting for a very, very long time. I also have had to fashion some furniture for the house. Here is what I came up with for the frig. WN

[Thorn]

I think it looks great, and I am a fan of gaming in general so it is awesome to me that it is a playable game. If it was just you making miniatures and recreating the setting from Night it would be amazing to me. The fact that you have gone the extra mile to make it playable is just a bonus in my mind. Great job, and have fun with it and please keep us updated? It has been awesome looking at your work.

[Epidemic79]

I WANT ONE !!! I WANT ONE !!! Seriously,extremely impressive! I luv it so much I would sell my immortal soul to get that set. And I work for a company that specializes in miniatures,and this subject matter obviously hits home for me. Great work Wrong Number! Keep the pics coming.

[strayrider]

Fantastic job on the minis! A few years ago the kids and I spent hours and hours painting and modifying the figs that came with the ZOMBIES!!! game. Great fun! How about some close-ups? -stray-