Somewhere packed away in storage I have an issue or two of the original run of Ares magazine, before it was folded into the back of Dragon Magazine and then lost altogether. I wan't a big sci-fi guy back in those days, so Ares was relatively unappreciated by me.
Now, there is a Kickstarter to bring Ares Magazine back to print with an all new issue #1, complete with board game! I think The General used to do the same.
I know I wont get to play the included board game anytime soon, but I still have fond memories of the board games included in the occasional issue of The Dragon.
$6 bucks to back for an issue without the game, $20 bucks to have the issue with the game.
Here's the pitch:
Bringing you 80 pages of amazing new science fiction and a complete board game in a bi-monthly periodical.
What's the big idea? Our big idea is to fill a void with a new magazine that combines a standalone, unique, playable board game with a collection of spectacular, new science fiction in each issue. We need your help producing issue #1.Screw it, I'm in for $20 :)
The General didn't have a board game, that was SPI's schtick with Strategy & Tactics and Ares. I still have issues 2-12. Good stuff.
ReplyDeleteIssue #1 can be had very cheap if you watch for it and contained a cool little game called World Killer.
ReplyDeleteWow, I just hope that they will make these boardgames in classic style, not eurogame shit.
ReplyDeleteThe War of the Worlds game sounds cool but 60 pages of fiction out of 80 pages. I don't remember the original Ares mag being that heavily weighted towards fiction. I think I would want to see more science fiction gaming articles.
ReplyDeleteI'm in like Flynn. For $20. It had to be "War of the Worlds." Damn you.
ReplyDeleteWhat worries me is that they are still accepting submissions. I hope they mean for future issues because starting a kickstarter before they have all the material completed is a sign of much badness,
ReplyDeleteThey neglect to mention who they are exactly, the people behind One Small Step games that is. They don't mention who the editor-in-chief will be. Maybe they're a no body, but it would be nice to attach a name and brief bio to see who's making the decisions. This information is not within obvious sight on the Kickstarter page and not on the Ares Magazine page. Their About Us page is a meaningless ramble about the magazine's mission statement. They sign every announcement or post as The Ares Magazine Team.
ReplyDeleteNot until I follow the links to One Small Step games do I find a list of people potentially involved in this. Maybe they're well known big shots in the wargaming industry. I don't know, I don't follow wargaming, but it would have been nice to say "hi" to the newbies unfamiliar with their work.
I have a few of the original Ares Magazines. I'm going in for $6 for the fiction only, because I don't think I'd play the game, no matter what it is.
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