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So I just took a look at the site, and while I will defintley keep an eye out for this, I feel there's just not enough info yet. Hopefully they will work hard to get some of this stuff fleshed out before the KS actually starts. Here's hoping!

 lord_blackfang wrote:
In short, the UK gaming industry, this particular initiative certainly included, is made up of hobbyists who essentially never moved beyond the "making some minis for my gaming group in my garage" stage.

Yeah, as creative as the UK scene is, it's still stuck in the dinosaur age as far as production goes.

Meanwhile, you have companies like Wyrd quietly getting on with releasing dozens of hard plastic, completely slide-core-tooled, digital sculpts.

I'm not sure about this game, the name isn't exactly catchy and we're going to have to abbreviate it to BtGoA or something if it becomes popular.

As for the background of "hard sci-fi, 5 human factions, one alien faction, human expansionist" setting... Infinity anyone?

If I was going with sci-fi skirmish, I'd go with Infinity* over something like this, which seems like another pet "throw at at the wall and see if it sticks" project, much like Fanticide, where a similar strategy of "pimp the fact that people who were big names and did great stuff 20 years ago are involved" was used.

I much prefer sales pitches to take the form of "This is going to be awesome and this is why", rather than assuming I'll go weak at the knees because a wargaming celebrity is involved.

Background of humans evolving into different species in the distant future is interesting, but has the potential to just end up right back at "post-apoc mutants" if not handled well.

*Infinity does high-concept sci-fi really well. Technological singularity resulting in a benevolent AI to aid humanity. Immortality via conciousness uploads.. I love how it uses actual futurist predictions to add flavour to its fantasy.

I played a demo game of Infinity a month or two ago. The rules seemed really very detailed - to the point of being closer to RPG rules than most miniature wargames rules. I'm not sure if I'd have the patience to learn/memorise infinity these days...

I know these guys have been gravitating to simpler rules over the years, in order to get up and playing faster.

 scipio.au wrote:
I played a demo game of Infinity a month or two ago. The rules seemed really very detailed - to the point of being closer to RPG rules than most miniature wargames rules. I'm not sure if I'd have the patience to learn/memorise infinity these days...

I know these guys have been gravitating to simpler rules over the years, in order to get up and playing faster.

Mate if I could give you one piece of advice ever (and I hope my occasional badgering of you on the forums over some time has gained me some credibility! ) it would be to persevere with that game. By far (and I mean far) the best designed game I have ever played. Give it a shot

looks interesting i am going to check out the kickstarter when it is up as i love collecting rulebooks for games. Have to wait and see though to make any real judgement on the game.

on Infinity such a great game it seems complex and having a smart phone can help greatly to reduce any confusion by going on the wiki site.

Lots more information has been posted up. Also Rick has posted several other things in the forums, very interesting things about semi-independent planets/areas and the possibilities for things like feline races, nano-sculpting, and even something like bioware as fashion.

Keep an eye out for more!

 Pacific wrote:

 scipio.au wrote:
I played a demo game of Infinity a month or two ago. The rules seemed really very detailed - to the point of being closer to RPG rules than most miniature wargames rules. I'm not sure if I'd have the patience to learn/memorise infinity these days...

I know these guys have been gravitating to simpler rules over the years, in order to get up and playing faster.

Mate if I could give you one piece of advice ever (and I hope my occasional badgering of you on the forums over some time has gained me some credibility! ) it would be to persevere with that game. By far (and I mean far) the best designed game I have ever played. Give it a shot

Yeah, it's on the list. It's just not a very high priority (ie: after playing things I already own). It also seems like it's really the kind of game that you need a regular group for, rather than pick up and casual play. It also seems like you need someone who knows it well to teach/guide/gm you while you learn the ropes...

A bit of news from Rick Priestley:

We are keeping an open mind about that because so much depends on the kickstarter - but our plan is to produce a plastic set of WarDrones and then other models will be in resin or metal. It is easier to do more in plastic these days because the technology has moved on - it is still an expensive business though compared to making metal models in rubber moulds. The more we can raise on kickstarter the more we can do with plastic kits - and we have a few planned including vehicles of differnt sizes.

I can't help but feel that this will become the next Ex Illis...

 Chowderhead wrote:
I can't help but feel that this will become the next Ex Illis...

Thats exactly what I was thinking.

Not sure if i feel the same way Chowderhead Ex Illis relied on apps/computer for just about everything. Where as the way i'm reading this game it is more of a global campaign that is ongoing.

I know that some card games namely Legend of the 5 rings used to write the winner and their faction into the history slightly altering the fluff depending on who won their biggest running tournament.

I see it also as a direct jab to gw/40k where the story never changes it is set in stone and there isn't much advance. I would hope that the armies that are "explored" are polled to see what players would like to see made.

But all of this is just writing till we see the kickstarter and confirm everything...

Infinity is definitely worth persevering with. I don't think it's much more complex than 40K, really, but it does take some getting used to for someone coming from 40K. But once you know how to play, you can get a decent game in in an hour or so -- plays much faster AND more tactically than 40K.

I'll keep an open mind on the Antares project. I don't really like the idea of a game designed by committee. I want a game where the creators have a powerful, unique vision, and then they PLAYTEST it extensively (maybe through Kickstarter, sure). I'm not really getting that feeling from this. Seems more like, if you buy in at the start, your ideas will make it into the game -- however terrible those ideas are. That doesn't bode well for consistency, or for the final product actually being hard SF.

cerealkiller195 wrote:


I see it also as a direct jab to gw/40k where the story never changes it is set in stone and there isn't much advance. I would hope that the armies that are "explored" are polled to see what players would like to see made.

I want to beleive but...

...we'll see just how much real change is allowed to take place via 'worldwide campaigns' and 'player input'.

Creators are a picky bunch, and often have a place where they want to take their creations.

I like the idea, even if not easy, and if the models look as good as that one alien zombie looking fellow, I will back this for sure.

I like the concepts prevented so far for ByGoA (name needs shortening) and the sheer variety that the universe could present on the table top. Rick also seems really quick to answer any queries posted up on the forums and is actively pursuing methods of engaging the community which is a fantastic start. Obviously without models to show proof of concept for now we're all somewhat dependant on our own imagination as to what the team will come up with over time, but with some big names attached I have high hopes for the project. As for the computer part of the game I am hoping it will be a supporting mechanism and not a full intergrated, vital to play a game mechanism.

I am optimistic that they are starting a kickstarter early when the project is in its birthing stages, while more information would have been nice this feels like something that needs a kickstarter as opposed to pre-sales for other systems. I'm sure in time we'll find out alot more and can make better judgements then but for now I'm in the optimistic camp.

At first I was very skeptical, but since someone told me Priestley was behind Hail Caesar and Bolt Action, both highly regarded games, I think this one might be successful, too. Of course, all I really care about are the models and the background, so I'll just have to see how things develop.

I can't help but laugh when anyone uses the term "hard science fiction" to describe Antares, though. You so silly.

I think it's to differentiate between other types of sci-fi - compare something like Infinity for instance, which is a more plausible future history in terms of how the designers have extrapolated from current world technologies and cultures, to something like 40k which has about as much chance of coming true as god and the devil joining forces (and is therefore more of a 'sci-fantasy'.

So I'm guessing this will go for more of the former rather than the latter, sounds a lot like the kind of thing that someone like Peter F Hamilton would come up with.

Very interested in this. Black Powder/Hail Caesar are just fantastic rulesets, I love Warmaster, and I've heard great things about Bolt Action. I've also heard that Warlord Games is buying their own plastic injection tools in order to facilitate producing Bolt Action stuff at a faster rate because it's apparently been wildly successful... and if that's the case, this game could have tons of plastic too. Definitely backing this Kickstarter mainly because of Priestley.

Just another note on this: The first kickstarter pledge information is supposed to go up between Xmas day and New Years. They are going to preview information on the website, prior to the kickstarter, so you can have some ideas of what will be available.

I do agree that some info on minis (maybe at least some preview art) will be great to see. I think of the avatar type armies for Revers (lots of cool toys, but on the whole just basic humans.) Can get very slick, but Rick mentioned a feline race on the forums, and I would love to see a set of models for that! And they are already contemplating some vehicles (of different sizes).

But starting right after Xmas we'll be able to see some more info on pledging at least.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
We really need to have that intervention Mike...

HA! I think I'm ok. 10 KS's ever (admittedly since May 2012)
Most of the backers have WAY more than that.

There was someone with over 1000 backs!! That's a problem ;-)

 Makaleth wrote:
HA! I think I'm ok. 10 KS's ever (admittedly since May 2012)
Most of the backers have WAY more than that.

There was someone with over 1000 backs!! That's a problem ;-)

Next you'll be telling me that you can quit whenever you want...

They have announced two of the kickstarter levels and so far it's looking ok for entry level access.

£1 gets you access to the PDF alpha and beta rules
£25 nets you the alpha/beta access, a hardback copy of the final rules and is exclusive miniature.

Postage looks to be from the uk as the second level says add £2 for postage outside the UK.

Both levels also get you access to the rule/fluff development forums to take part in the ongoing, open development process

Recently announced GoA's next level kickstarter pledge, for £65 you get:

Starter Box Kit - which contains:
Getting Started Printed Rulebook
Digital download full colour Rulebook
20 x WarDrones
24 Credit Custom Army
Dice (D10s)
Game Markers

+ Hansa - Exclusive Kickstarter Figure
+ Big Bang Reward Tier
Est Delivery: Dec 2013

I'm really happy with the concept of personalised force in the starter kit at this stage, it gives a great opportunity to really individualise a force based on personal taste in the models as they come out and ensures that no two players are likely to line up the same force even out of the box.

Any pics of the war drones yet? They're the plastic unit, right?

Is there a pledge just for them?

Currently this is the first pledge level to include the war drones (I think), and yes they are the first models to be done in plastic whilst a number of other mediums are being considered for other kits (metal, resin). There may be further intermediate pledge levels revealed before the kickstarter goes live but for now this is the first to include drones.

While it's possible that they'll come up with some models worth buying at some point, the Kickstarter seems like a bad deal. Paying a year in advance for models from an untested manufacturer based on fluid miniature concepts sounds like a recipe for disappointment.

Alex is sometimes a bit of a Debbie Downer but here I find myself agreeing with him.

On the plus side, I guess these long lead times mean more people will meet or beat their projected ship dates?

i know that in some kick starter projects they put a very long ship date simply not to disappoint people if they run into any "unexpected delays". In the same token if they finish things ahead of time they can start sending pledges out early and people will be pleasantly surprised.

i would hope that when the kickstarter is over people who pledged would have a rough draft of rules and army lists. Since i thought i saw something about play testing. Giving the rules/concepts over to players opens up the rules to hundreds if not thousands of people who can offer critique and catch anything that may have fallen through the cracks.

I also hope that when the kickstarter is live they have plenty of art/concepts to show everyone..

cerealkiller195 wrote:
i would hope that when the kickstarter is over people who pledged would have a rough draft of rules and army lists. Since i thought i saw something about play testing. Giving the rules/concepts over to players opens up the rules to hundreds if not thousands of people who can offer critique and catch anything that may have fallen through the cracks.

Sadly not. The Alpha rulebook is currently aiming for April, with the Beta in September... so that's a fair while after the end of the kickstarter. I think it would have been a bit better if these dates were slightly closer to the end of the campaign. At this point in time everything seems very handwavy, but it will certainly be interesting to see how it progresses

Definitely going to pledge for this - it's got an element of 'old rockers supergroup' about it, guys coming back together years after that iconic rock album 20 years previously (something like Audioslave springs to mind? ) - yes maybe things have moved on a little, new songs with new artists, but in the back of your mind, there is just that small belief that they will hit that awesome riff and vocals again and blow your socks off as they did before!

So I think definitely worth the 25GBP for a stab at what will probably be a nice rulebook at the very least, and perhaps even more importantly a chance to chat with one of the Rock Gods on their forums