Buzz on Aces and Eights?

[Glyfair]

The "shot clock" mechanic looks pretty much exactly like the shooting mechanic used in Millennium's End, from Chameleon Eclectic*. I liked it 16 years ago, too.

* Designed by Charles Ryan. Yes, that one.

I saw something like that in the 80s. It was a modern wargame (Mercenary? Commando?) that had a crosshair clear template to lay over the image of the character to see where the shot ended up.

 

[Silver Moon]

Maybe after you see the actual book your enthusiasm will return.

I'm sure that I will - I can't imagine not picking up a Western RPG that looks this good. I find the US history variant looks quite a bit like that envisioned in Harry Turtledove's Great War/American Empire/Settling Accounts trilogies.

 

[Michael Dean]

I had almost given up hope that I would ever see the game after I bought the Showdown rules two Gen Cons ago. But a couple of weeks ago my FLGS manager showed me the promo material for it and said it was coming out in June (?). It looked far more awesome than I imagined with the full color layout, so I pre-ordered a copy. One thing that looked cool was that there were rules for cattle drives. Maybe I'm a nerd but that was just too good to pass up.

 

[Mark Plemmons]

I had almost given up hope that I would ever see the game after I bought the Showdown rules two Gen Cons ago. But a couple of weeks ago my FLGS manager showed me the promo material for it and said it was coming out in June (?).

Yep, June is correct. We should be getting the books from the printer late next week.

If you haven't already, go to this page and scroll down to check out all the PDF preview links. (The color promo your FLGS had was probably preview #1.)

One thing that looked cool was that there were rules for cattle drives.

Yep! And other "mini-games" like prospecting, trial by jury, brawling, chases, and such!

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

Hey Kenzerguys, here's a question for you:

Any thoughts about publishing a new Shattered Frontiers style booklet like the one you did a few years ago? Something with a shot clock in it and rules for just the players?

I would just use that one when the hardback A&8 comes out, but I got the impression that the rules in A&8 have been fine-turned since then.

 

[hong]

Where's Buzz when you need him?

 

[Maggan]

The "shot clock" mechanic looks pretty much exactly like the shooting mechanic used in Millennium's End, from Chameleon Eclectic*. I liked it 16 years ago, too.

* Designed by Charles Ryan. Yes, that one.

I think I saw a shot clock, almost the exact execution as A&8 in 1986 or so, in the Swedish rpg Western, which incidentally is a wild west rpg as well.

The thing about aiming at the side at the hope of failing the roll, thereby hitting the target, is a known "feature" of this kind of shot clock implementation.

/M

 

[Michael Dean]

Yep! And other "mini-games" like prospecting, trial by jury, brawling, chases, and such!

Yeah, it was all of the "mini" games that pretty much sold me (I only remembered the cattle drive when I posted previously). That and the color layout looks very nice.

 

[Mark Plemmons]

I think I saw a shot clock, almost the exact execution as A&8 in 1986 or so, in the Swedish rpg Western, which incidentally is a wild west rpg as well.

We've just heard about that game in the last few months - the Aces & Eights Shot Clock definitely wasn't based on it. I'd like to actually see what it looks like, but I didn't see any pictures online anywhere.

The thing about aiming at the side at the hope of failing the roll, thereby hitting the target, is a known "feature" of this kind of shot clock implementation.

I don't think this kind of "rules windage" would work with the Aces & Eights Shot Clock, since it also involves a deck of cards to determine hit location, but I can't say I've really tried it.

 

[Mark Plemmons]

Hey Kenzerguys, here's a question for you:

Any thoughts about publishing a new Shattered Frontiers style booklet like the one you did a few years ago? Something with a shot clock in it and rules for just the players?

I would just use that one when the hardback A&8 comes out, but I got the impression that the rules in A&8 have been fine-turned since then.

There's a LOT more to the Aces & Eights game than the combat rules, including tons of great player info and flavor. I think you'd just end up with a slightly thinner hardcover.

Speaking of other books, though, we are working on a new supplement with even more silhouettes, shot clocks and such. Of course, you'd still want the main Aces & Eights hardcover, or the Showdown book, to use it.