Forth. New Horizons

Let me begin with an old news: our current project has been play tested at UK Games Expo in Birmingham. It may seem like a small or insignificant event, but the experience of showing your project to unknown audience was essential. Consider, this: every day gamers are bombarded by the huge amount of various new and old gaming news. You get anything from new releases, regular editions to re-masters of cult classics. To add you own humble voice to the this choir is another step in making your dream come true. 

But to get there, you start with your immediate circle of friends and gaming buddies, show them your works and hope they like it. Then comes the time when you are brave enough to bring it to the public. This is where you immediately know if your game is ready or need more work. 

The latter is the case, for our current Project STARZ. This game was born from idea of making a mod to existing card-driven board game about escaping from crashing space ship, by expanding its mechanics, adding dice rolling, characters and ... Yeah. Its a lot. 

After six months of working out the concept, characters and main mechanics game was presented for a public play test. It was the most nerve racking experience until people actually started playing the the game. When you see people having fun when playing something you've been working so hard to create, it changes your world. all the doubt, the sleepless nights, ideas that you were not sure will be understood suddenly fit into the experience. 

Yes, there is definitely a string of questions and feedback. No game is ever perfect in its first or even second iteration. But it just a fuel for the development. 

So, when is your game coming out? Where can i see it or play it? Short answer is when its done. 

Regardless of game development achievements, life has its own challenges. Due to several factors my general health and mental well being took a serious hit in July. Forcing me to take a break from social gaming, then change the day job i held. As I'm writing this, it is the end of August. I do feel better, but not enough to dive head over heels into a development marathon i did in the beginning of this year.

 So, I have to take it one step at a time... 

Star Wolf Studio is announcing development of STALCKER table-top game.

What is STALCKER?  STALCKER is a table-top role playing game, where players assume roles of various specialists facing the dangers of unpredictable Tchernobyl Exclusion Zone. You may lead a team, play as lone wolf, play cooperatively with friends or against an AI or living opponent. Core of the game is based on 12 skirmish missions, but players always have at several options on how to resolve the mission. That involves non-lethal, diplomatic or stealth approaches.

What character's or roles players will be playing?

Game offers classes based on real-life emergency services workers, medics, firefighter, engineers, security specialists and mercenary soldiers. Although It is possible to learn more than one specialization, those playing as a team will have much higher rate of survival.

Wait, but stalcking was illegal? Can I play as a classic stalker, who crawls through the Zone in order to get rich by selling artefacts?

Of course you can. In addition to main factions who have legalized their work in the Zone, pay good and stable money for their contracts you can always go freelance, or even work for one of several crime syndicates of our world. You may start as underworld operative, or slowly/drastically change you position from respected professional to a wanted criminal. The choice is yours.

By the way, you made a mistake in writing Stalker with “C”.

Thank you for noticing, but that “mistake” is totally intentional. If you remember, our game is RPG, and C stands for one of the character's attributes.

So what does STALCKER stands for?

• S.T.A.L.C.K.E.R. stands for the following:
• Speed: character's ability to move and react to threats.
• Toughness: raw physical strength, grit and prowess.
• Awareness: observation, perception, and spotting.
• Life: how many wound a character can take before dying
• Courage: natural willpower, resistance to fear and charisma
• Karma: fate, luck and ability to cheat death.
• Education: practical knowledge and intellect
• Resistance: ability to withstand physical and other forms of harm.

So what kind of game system is it? Is it S.P.E.C.I.A.L.?

This game uses home-brew system tailor made for this game. It has more than one strong influences in both skirmish and RPG games. The list is rather too long to bring it here, but you are correct, Fallout 1 and 2 and XCOM2 were main inspirations for the game system. However, unlike Fallout where you have to manage your action points pool in combat and use d10/d100 for the tests STALCKER uses combination of d12 and up to 6 custom dice, which affect not only success or failure of the test, but side effects of your actions as well. In addition we decided to use 2 actions per activation approach, as most flexible for managing group of 4 or more character's. Similar to XCOM2, our game offers action economy as well tactical limitations designed to make each mission tense and unpredictable.

What is your relation with authors of “Roadside picnic” and “Stalker: shadow of Chernobyl”?Author is life long fan of their work. However if you are interested in copyright aspect, them I'm sorry to inform you, that we take only inspiration in aforementioned work, and all rights remain under their respective owners. Our game may share some similarities and subjects, but it remains a separate universe and product.

How much it cost to buy your game? What do you offer in the “box”?

Currently the first iteration of rules is under development, and upon release it will be free download in pdf form. That document will include additional print-and-play elements like custom rulers, custom dice markers and several basic tables with players help (turn order, main test, dice modifications ext). As it stands now, game is miniatures agnostic, so you can collect, paint and use any models. Although there is variety of different miniatures on the market, game is designed with 28-32 mm “heroic” scale in mind. However there will be a conversion for 1/35 mm scale minis, at some point in development. Game can be played with both 3d terrain and/or board game style maps.

There are other companies and individual authors that have done skirmish games in similar setting, or even setting free rule sets. Why your is different?

Although that is true, there are plenty of pure skirmish games out there, our game is different because its not a skirmish game. Every mission may be resolved in variety of ways, each gaining different bonuses to your team. Not every mission requires an opponent to fight, the very wild nature will provide plenty of difficulties. For example there is plenty of firefighting missions or simple convoy security missions, where just getting to your objective in one piece is challenging. In addition, in majority of contracts you will be taking, your standing inside of your chosen organization will make an impact on available resources to you.

That sounds like you want me to do a lot of book keeping. What if I just want to shoot people in the face?

We'll provide campaign management sheet with all 4 tabs of information that you'd need. But yes there are pure combat mission which you can play in variety of terrain, complications and objectives.

So when can I get my hands on your game?

When its ready. :) We will keep you posted on our blog.

Sincerely yours,

Star Wolf Studio.

Stalcker: blood, greed 'n' guns

If our studio new year resolution for 2020 was to finish at least one game project, then now things have changed.
We have committed to creation of STALCKER, table-top role-play game.

Details will be posted here: STACKER; BLOOD, GREED 'N' GUNS.  

It has been long time coming.

P.Sh.