Blood on the Sands **NEW** Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears...

[Juan]

Fantastic counters 

[Furt]

Thanks all - sounds like that's a thumbs up then. 

Also, here is a quick glimpse of how the armatura will be presented in the book.

[Malamute]

Looking really, really good.

[Ray Earle]

That is really very nice.  

I look forward to being able to play this game once released, the effort gone into the graphic representations is brilliant. Should be a lovely rulebook just to look at.  

[Too Bo Coo]

Frank, it all looks just fantastic!  The counters, the Style Entry  (Hoplomachus is my favorite!)

AND I have an opponent (who is not my lovely fiancee) lined up for Thursday night and I can get a legit full game in!  I'll post up the AAR with pics over the weekend! 

[Juan]

Very nice. And I´m going to paint this gladiator from "Brigade Games" in this moment!

[axabrax]

Is the game actually going to be sold as a printed copy, or is it going to be print and play? I would love to have all the counters on thick card or chits.

[Furt]

AND I have an opponent (who is not my lovely fiancee) lined up for Thursday night and I can get a legit full game in!  I'll post up the AAR with pics over the weekend!  

That's good news TBC, not that playing with the fiancee is a bad thing - I wish I could get my better half to have a game!  

Is the game actually going to be sold as a printed copy, or is it going to be print and play? I would love to have all the counters on thick card or chits.

Now that's the real dilemma axabrax. Being a struggling "backyard" game designer, doesn't leave a lot of options. The task of publishing a hardcopy book and having the necessary sheets and counters printed on decent card stock is going to cost a lot of green stuff, compared to releasing this in PDF form as "print & play". Although I would love to see BotS in actual book form, it seems unlikely at this stage. The only alternative would be to KS it, which I'm not really keen to do. There is also the dice dilemma to consider - whether I get some made professionally (very expensive) or let everyone make their own with blank dice.  

[NickNascati]

As someone else suggested, just make the dice images available as a download.  That is what the SAGA folks did, or else come up with a table of comparison numbers/images.

[Too Bo Coo]

Actually, with the pdf now, I think I can just print to a clear vinyl 'paper' then cut and stick those to the dice. 

[Dr Mathias]

Now that's the real dilemma axabrax. Being a struggling "backyard" game designer, doesn't leave a lot of options. The task of publishing a hardcopy book and having the necessary sheets and counters printed on decent card stock is going to cost a lot of green stuff, compared to releasing this in PDF form as "print & play". Although I would love to see BotS in actual book form, it seems unlikely at this stage. The only alternative would be to KS it, which I'm not really keen to do. There is also the dice dilemma to consider - whether I get some made professionally (very expensive) or let everyone make their own with blank dice. 

I wonder how much it cost to produce Stargrunt and Dirtside, both were softcover staple-bound IIRC and both included two sheets of heavy 'chit' counters.

I looked into having some BotS dice made for myself and they're not cheap. If enough people got together I would bring costs down, but I know I wouldn't want to take a leap of faith and get stuck with hundreds of extra dice.

[Furt]

As someone else suggested, just make the dice images available as a download.  That is what the SAGA folks did, or else come up with a table of comparison numbers/images.

The dice symbols will always be available with the rules or as a download to make your own. Alternatively you can of course use standard six sided dice, the symbols have a corresponding number, but you do lose some of the flavour and ease of play IMOP. My intention was never to market the dice, but others have expressed a want for "proper" dice and I guess it would be nice as an option.

Actually, with the pdf now, I think I can just print to a clear vinyl 'paper' then cut and stick those to the dice. 

On the play test dice sheet I describe how I do my own dice, quite simply - print on normal paper, cover with contact than cut out and stick to blank dice with PVA glue. I'd love to hear the results TBC of an alternative way.

I wonder how much it cost to produce Stargrunt and Dirtside, both were softcover staple-bound IIRC and both included two sheets of heavy 'chit' counters.

I must admit I have not looked into boardgame quality counters, simply because I believe the price will be way too much. The counters deserve to be on nice card stock for sure. Personally I mount mine on a vinyl tile that I cut up. It makes the counters weighty and sturdy.

I looked into having some BotS dice made for myself and they're not cheap. If enough people got together I would bring costs down, but I know I wouldn't want to take a leap of faith and get stuck with hundreds of extra dice.

That's the key. Lots of 1000 are the only options really for anywhere near an affordable price when buying custom dice. Considering each player needs a maximum of 12 dice, that's about 80 sets.

[NickNascati]

Furt,
        Any closer to having the rules available? I have an actual Hobby Shop about 20 minutes from me that stocks the 54mm Pegasus sets.

[Furt]

The campaign rules have been passed on to a select few for an initial going over, then I'd hope for that part of the rules to be play tested further. So we are still a way off yet Nick.   

[Malamute]

On the play test dice sheet I describe how I do my own dice, quite simply - print on normal paper, cover with contact than cut out and stick to blank dice with PVA glue. I'd love to hear the results TBC of an alternative way.

I copied Frank's instructions and they have worked out fine. It only took about an hour and the cost of the blank dice was minimal.

Hoping to get a few matches in this week with the beginnings of a campaign.