10mm scale VSF wargame - "Timeline 300"

[Troublemaker Games]

Hullo everybody.

We've been working on our 10mm scale VSF wargame Timeline 300 for some time, and would love some feedback from the fine gents who frequent this forum. :-)

You can eyeball our models here: http://www.troublemakergames.co.uk/webstore.htm
And our rulebook is here: http://www.troublemakergames.co.uk/webstore_ORB.htm

We're quite happy with the rules in particular, which have a resource-management aspect where the players build mines (to dig for coal) and spend resources at the start of each turn trans-locating new units into play.

Ie: The gameplay has somewhat of an RTS-like element to it, above and beyond the usual "deploy, try to accomplish scenario objectives", which gives the game itself a unique feel.

Anyways, our eyeballs are open to any and all feedback, good and ill. :-)

Cheers,

- Ben @ Troublemaker

[Luddite]

Very nice sculpts but the infantry look FAR too much like Cadians for my taste. 
Not really 'VSF'.   

And the mutant things look like goblins.  Is that intentional?

[Troublemaker Games]

I think you may be looking at our 10mm SCIFI range which we're just starting (it only has two products heh).

Try clicking on our Timeline 300 ranges - they're the VSF ones, where the infantry look nothing like "Cadians". :-)

Here are some direct links for you:
-British Empire
-Republic of Germany
-Colonial Army of Mars
-Rulebook & Misc

[Conquistador]

Oh My Gosh!  

The Republic of Germany thing with it's "social History" slant definitely pushed this into Science Fantasy!

Good thing VSF ignores History as much as it does!    Putting my willing suspension of Disbelief Helmet    on allowed me to take a closer look at the miniatures.  Oversized weapons, check!   Grays = Martians, check!     Artillery seems to be completely contrary to gunpowder weaponry, check!  

Okay, definitely not for me    but I can see where it would appeal to the Fantasy and Science Fantasy war gamers.     That is not a put-down, just an attempt to categorize the miniatures.  

I do think some more conventional weaponry for troopers (colonial militia, "native" Sepoys, perhaps?) would add some flavor to the miniatures that would increase the diversity of appeal.     I don't see traditional long rifle gunpowder weapons dropping off the military/pseudo military TO&Es completely as the figures might imply but it's your game.     Ignore me if that violates your design.   

I wish you financial and artistic success.     I have yet to produce a game I was willing to share  so I acknowledge your achievement.     

Nice job!   

Gracias,

Glenn

[Conquistador]

Just scanned the rule book - it all clings together for me now.  Definitely a "good "hack" at alternate history but Oh So Definitely not for me.

May you succeed beyond your expectations.

Gracias,

Glenn

[Luddite]

I think you may be looking at our 10mm SCIFI range which we're just starting (it only has two products heh).

Try clicking on our Timeline 300 ranges - they're the VSF ones, where the infantry look nothing like "Cadians". :-)

Here are some direct links for you:
-British Empire
-Republic of Germany
-Colonial Army of Mars
-Rulebook & Misc

D'oh!

OK, checked out the right pages this time.   

Well, again some nice sculpts there; particularly the infantry. 

How do they compare size-wise to Pendraken's ranges?  If they're compatible, i might pick some up to mix in with my existing VSF British and Prussians (incidentally, since this is apparently set in 1870 why have you gone with Germany and not Prussia?)

I like the look of the infantry 'electric guns' but i'd see these more as specialist troops alongside the conventionally armed infantry.  Nowt wrong with Messrs Martini and Henry's .450 calibre marvel old boy!!
 

The Martians as greys don't work at all for me i'm afraid.  Martians are Wellsian 'bear-sized blobs of wet leather', or at a push Burroughs-esque 'red men' and 'green men'. 
Greys belong to the 1940's or later for me.

Had a bit of a read of the background, etc.  Not really for me as it doesn't seem to take much from either history at the time, or the VSF sources like Wells or Verne.

Some nice figures though so i may be tempted.  I see you give out 'free' bases with the figures.  Would you drop the price for packs without these bases?

[Troublemaker Games]

Checked out the right pages this time.   Laugh

Glad I could help. :-)

Well, again some nice sculpts there; particularly the infantry.

Thank'ee.

How do they compare size-wise to Pendraken's ranges?

I'm afraid I don't own any of those ranges.
If you're going to be at the SALUTE wargames con later this month in the UK, we have a stand where you could inspect them for yourself?
They're 10mm to the eyeline, and are perhaps somewhat more realistically scaled than some 10mm lines. 

(incidentally, since this is apparently set in 1870 why have you gone with Germany and not Prussia?)

It's part of the alternate history theme of the game we've got going on - In the case of "Germany", it formed earlier than it did in our own timeline, with Comrade Karl Marx as its head of (a communist) state.

We view it as part of the fun of doing an alternate history - if you've got Martian Tripods and Ambulatory Aetherical Translocators, you might as well have the Victorian era named after King Victor instead of Queen Victoria. :-p

I like the look of the infantry 'electric guns' but i'd see these more as specialist troops alongside the conventionally armed infantry.  Nowt wrong with Messrs Martini and Henry's .450 calibre marvel old boy!!

We were going to go with some more historically accurate weapons at one point, but then we realised:
A - There are plenty of other companies already doing that.
B - It's Victorian SCIFI, not Victorian re-enactment.

The Martians as greys don't work at all for me i'm afraid.  Martians are Wellsian 'bear-sized blobs of wet leather', or at a push Burroughs-esque 'red men' and 'green men'.
Greys belong to the 1940's or later for me.

Aye, being as it's alternate history we felt free to draw inspiration from each side of the 1870's. It also gave us a free hand to create models that other people weren't already making.

Had a bit of a read of the background, etc.  Not really for me as it doesn't seem to take much from either history at the time, or the VSF sources like Wells or Verne.

That's because HGW drew from the myriad alternate histories as related in Timeline 300 when writing his books, not the other way around, naturally. ;-)

Some nice figures though so i may be tempted.  I see you give out 'free' bases with the figures.  Would you drop the price for packs without these bases?

I reckon as we could drop £1 from the price of each blister if you didn't want bases.

[Last Chancer]

Love the HGW history. Excellent concept and miniatures.

[Troublemaker Games]

Love the HGW history. Excellent concept and miniatures.

Thanks, we're getting a lot of positive feedback on the HGW history(histories) angle. :-)