(KICKSTARTER) Across the Dead Earth - Pre-Orders Now Live! (UD 14/06/14)

[SerialMoM]

Yes,

please send me a pm in this forum.

Thanks

[robh]

Nice sculpt, rather different from the concept art though (Gun is unworkable bulky and too long in the stock...but hey its fantasy)

However, what is going on with her ear? Is that sculpted as one of these?

[commissarmoody]

Pretty cool sculpt.

[Adm Richie]

Thanks for the continued feedback and support all.

Serialmom: will do! 

Robh: Yes, the ear has a flesh tunnel, which is one of the aspects which Andrew did take from the concept art. There are, of course, differences between the concept, which is a painting, and what can be realised in a 28mm sculpt which has to survive molding and casting. I'm very happy with the sculpt indeed.
There will be another up soon.

[Adm Richie]

And here he is! We present another new sculpt to show you all! This is Reggie, the youngest and newest member of The Family (1 of the two Gangs detailed in the rules which will form the two starter Gangs)

[crancko]

More info more info....
How this game rules, setting and Minis differs from Scavenger Skirmish Survive ?

[Silent Invader]

More info more info....
How this game rules, setting and Minis differs from Scavenger Skirmish Survive ?

Interesting question as I have a vested interest!

My website opens with

Set after a volcanic winter, Scavenge Skirmish Survive is a post-apocalyptic tabletop wargame that has characters and gangs scavenging and skirmishing as they fight the elements and each other to survive.

www.scavengeskirmishsurvive.co.uk

To which across the dead earth is close enough to make me feel uncomfortable with

Across the Dead Earth is a forthcoming Post-Apocalyptic skirmish wargame from Dead Earth Games. Three generations on from The Last War, pockets of humanity survive as gangs, scavenging, looting and fighting for survival Across the Dead Earth.

http://www.deadearth.co.uk/?page_id=95

[Adm Richie]

More info more info....
How this game rules, setting and Minis differs from Scavenger Skirmish Survive ?

There's a great deal of info on the site www.deadearth.co.uk and in particular about the game rules here: http://www.deadearth.co.uk/?page_id=95

I shall try and describe the areas you asked about briefly for you here.

Rules.

Each player has a Gang of approximately 5-8 Gang Members. This will always include a Leader and may also include Medics, Sharpshooters. Assault Specialists and Scouts. Each has a different skill tree, and all can be upgraded in between games or simply personalised from the beginning. Each skill has a Points value and Points are acquired in Games. Games usually have the objective of gathering Loot or securing territory. Campaign games revolve around trying to take control of an area by winning a number of games. Your Gang is persistent and upgradeable throughout a Campaign.
Players have (up to) 3 event cards which introduce an extra tactical element, these are usually played whilst your opponent is attempting to act, out of turn sequence, and generally disrupt or interrupt your opponents attempted action.

Players act with one Gang Member at a time. Each Gang Member may perform 2 Actions each turn (leaders have 3, up to 2 of which can be order to other members of the Gang, essentially giving them an extra Action instead of the Leader).
Actions include: Move, Shoot, Aim, Hide, Wait and Watch (allowing the character to fire on any enemy who acts within their line of sight out of turn sequence), Attack in melee and a few other more specialist ones (eg. the medic can attempt to heal a down comrade).
The ranged fire mechanism is quite unique, in that the higher the number scored To Hit, the better the shot is and the less the enemy's chance of making their "save" roll.
All dice are d6, shooting and skill rolls are generally 2d6.

There is a variety of weaponry accounted for in the current version of the rules which will increase prior to release, as long as lots of findable and purchasable upgrades and other equipment. Similarly there's a variety of h2h weapons. Weapons are "real world" or adapted from rule world.

Setting
You'll get the best idea by reading the front page of the website, and perhaps some of the fiction. The game is set in the third generation after The Last War. Although games can take place anywhere and there are brief descriptions of events in the USA and mainland Europe, the rulebook is set in the U.K.
The major cities of the UK were struck with nuclear warheads in the last war, but elsewhere the weapons used were chemical - disease killed off around 97% of the population leaving the country a series of ghost towns and deserted villages, which nature has been reclaiming ever since. In London a group calling themselves The State believe themselves to be the Government, and attempt to instill their own version of order. Elsewhere, most of the population exist in Gangs, who loot, scavenge and fight to survive.
The rules allow for pretty much any terrain which exists in the world today to be used. There will be expansions which deal more specifically with other geographical settings and the impact they would have on the gameworld, for example, the nuclear wasteland which covers most of the U.S, and the mutant infected mainland Europe.

Minis

Gangs can be totally personalised and the miniatures we're having made to start with represent characters detailed in the books, but of course players can adapt and modify the characters attributes, class and skills as they wish. All sorts of miniatures could be used in the game and likewise our miniatures may fit with other games too.
We're getting 2 Gangs sculpted to start with, which differ in style. Reggie's Gang, the family, are scavengers and looters, essentially travelling around and trying to survive. Crimson is a mercenary, a hired killer who you can incorporate into your Gang on a temporary or permanent basis. The other Gang are called The Red Claw and essentially are a Gang of savage bandits, they tend to rob, steal and kill for their loot, and their appearances will represent this.

I hope that helps. I don't wish to write a direct comparison with SSS because they are different games, and there is nothing wrong with that game, this is another option.

[Adm Richie]

Interesting question as I have a vested interest!

My website opens with

www.scavengeskirmishsurvive.co.uk

To which across the dead earth is close enough to make me feel uncomfortable with

http://www.deadearth.co.uk/?page_id=95

I did not know that! I must admit to having not read through Scavenger Skirmish Survive although, of course, I know something of the setting from the pictures and threads here. although I think I may have commented or at least read some threads on Lead Adventure on In Her Majesty's Name prior to writing Across the Dead Earth, I only started posting on this forum after it was complete, as you may know/realise. I hadn't heard of SSS before.

The similarities in the use of the words like scavenge, loot and survival are co-incidental but I can definitely see how you might raise an eyebrow on reading them in the same sentence. The use of "skirmish" is inevitable, I think, as is Post-Apocalyptic which is a description of the genre.  To clarify in terms of setting ADE is not set after any kind of natural disaster but after a war. I get the impression that environmental factors and in particular weather are a big part of SSS - they are not a big part of ADE, in fact I don't believe weather is mentioned at all. ADE as written is set in a deserted ghost town version of the UK, which nature is slowly reclaiming. The mini's for the two games will doubtless differ because of this, I think there's a lot of warm clothing and snow gear in SSS. We won't have any need to tread on any toes there and have no plans to produce miniatures with that kind of gear.

I really don't know how the mechanics of the rules compare because I haven't read SSS. I would assume there are differences and similarities! Several people have mentioned that ADE has similar elements to Necromunda, which although I was a ware of as a W40k player I never played, there are, of course, some common factors amongst most war games.

Hope that helps!

[Silent Invader]

Thanks for the lengthy reply.

SSS has been in public existence for a noticeable period of time, both as a project website, on wargaming boards (TMP as well as LAF plus a bit on Frothers), as a store and with the rules as a free download.

For your info, the words Scavenge Skirmish Survive are subject to a registered trademark, for use in a whole range of circumstances including wargaming.  It's a set of rights we will obviously protect from deliberate or accidental use and misuse (that's not being all Gw-ish, I'm afraid it's just a commercial reality).

Personally, I just want to get on with developing my game but, corporately, if I become aware of a similar form of words (etc) that is close enough for me to be concerned then I have to raise it, thus I have.  (sad)

EDIT:  Just got and read your PM and thanks. Sounds like a solution and will dash off a pm now.  (happy)

EDIT: Forgot the smileys to set the tone!

[Adm Richie]

That's all been resolved now. I think it's save to say you should all play both games, as they are markedly different, and should be loads of fun 

Just a quick update to say, if you like that kind of thing, there is now a Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/acrossthedeadearth

I've also added a Q&A Forum and some info about the Gangs to the main site over at www.deadearth.co.uk

[Silent Invader]

That's all been resolved now. I think it's save to say you should all play both games, as they are markedly different, and should be loads of fun 

I agree 

I'm also looking forward to seeing more of Andrew's sculpts 

[Adm Richie]

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Fatboy!



This is the last of our pre-Kickstarter models, so remember, if you want to see more miniatures for Across the Dead Earth from Andrew, be ready to pledge when the Kickstarter launches!
This should be in March, of course both web presences and here will be updated!

[Silent Invader]

That is a good-looking paunch!

[SerialMoM]

I love both minis.

Excellent job!