Ogre (board game)

Ogre is a two-player board wargame designed by Steve Jackson, and first released in 1977 as Metagaming Concepts' first Microgame[1] It is an asymmetrical forces combat game,[2] set in the late 21st century.[3] One player has a single giant robot tank called an "Ogre", which is pitted against a second player's headquarters, defended by a mixture of conventional tanks, infantry, and artillery.[1][3]

Ogre
Ogre microgame cover (Second edition, 1977)
Publisher(s)Metagaming Concepts
Publication date1977
Genre(s)Board wargame

The concept of a huge multi-function combat tank was strongly influenced by the Bolo featured in Keith Laumer's novels and short stories,[1] and Colin Kapp's short story "Gottlos" (1969).[4] The Ogre itself is named after the large and strong mythological ogre.

Publication history
Ogre Mk.III and Mk.III-B miniatures, on the 'crater map' from the Ogre Deluxe set.

Ogre was originally designed by Steve Jackson (the American game designer, not the British game designer) and published by Metagaming Concepts in 1977. The first edition featured artwork by Winchell Chung.

Metagaming Concepts quickly released a second edition in 1977, with a much larger print run and rulebook artwork by Clark Bradly rather than Chung.[5]

When Steve Jackson founded his own company, Steve Jackson Games (SJG), he took the rights to Ogre with him, which was published by SJG in 1982. This third edition featured double-sided counters. SJG also created a sequel, G.E.V.

In 1987, SJG released OGRE: Deluxe Edition. The rulebook cover artwork was the Denis Loubet illustration that was also used for the Ogre computer game (see Spinoffs below). The board was sturdier than the previous edition's paper map, and the counters were provided with stand-up plastic bases.[5][6]

In 1990, Ogre was combined with G.E.V. in an Ogre/G.E.V. box. The Ogre rules were designated as 4th edition and the G.E.V. rules were designated as 3rd edition. Ogre/G.E.V. was released into a single 5 3/8" x 8 1/2" box, and the rules were combined into a single 4" x 7" two-way booklet, with the rule for one game printed in one direction; the booklet was flipped over to see the other rules.

In 2000, Ogre/G.E.V. was released again and designated as 5th edition, with new cover art by Phillip Reed, sold in a VHS box, but rules still in a 4" x 7", 44-page booklet and counters in black, red and white (2-sided).[7]

A "new" Deluxe Ogre (2000) was a re-issued version of the original Ogre, packaged with miniatures rather than counters, and the original "crater" map printed on a larger scale.[8]

In 2011 Steve Jackson announced a sixth edition, The Ogre Designer's Edition, combining Ogre and G.E.V. with larger full color flat counters for most units and constructible cardboard figures for the Ogres.[9]

In 2014, SJG released a reprinted version of the original 1977 game for the game's original price of $2.95.

Game description

Gameplay summons to mind a futuristic nightmare of desperation and exhilaration, where rumbling machines unleash barrage after barrage of titanic weaponry and the inexorable advance of a soulless giant can only be stopped by zinging swarms of self-sacrificing martyrs.

— Erick Wujcik [2]

Components

The game components of the 1982 edition published by Steve Jackson Games are:[10]

  • a 14" x 9" map, printed on glossy paper
  • counters representing military units and machines, printed on sheets of cardboard (but not die-cut)
  • a 40-page rulebook

Setting

The hex map depicts a battleground of barren terrain with only ridgelines and large, radioactive craters as obstacles.

Setup

The defender sets up his forces in the more congested part of the map; the Ogre controlled by the other player enters the opposite side of the map at the beginning of the game.[11]

Several scenarios are given. The basic version of the game has the attacker using a single Ogre heavy tank (referred to as a "Mark III Ogre"), while the advanced scenario gives the attacker the larger, more powerful "Mark V Ogre" tank versus an increased number of defenders.[1] In either game, the defender is allocated a certain number of infantry and 'armor units', but gets to decide the exact composition of his own armored forces.[2]

Movement

Each piece has a movement factor which indicates the number of hexes it can move each turn, although certain types of terrain can penalize this.[10] Most units are restricted to "move & shoot" phases each turn (move phase first, then combat phase).[10] There are two notable exceptions:

  • GEVs can move both before and after combat[10]
  • The Ogre can ram into an enemy unit during its movement phase, possibly destroying the defender[10]

Combat

Attacks are resolved by comparing the attacking unit's strength to the defending unit's defense strength. All units attacking the same unit can combine their attack factors. Likewise, the player of the Ogre can combine the attack factors of its different weapon systems if aimed at the same target.[10] When defending, adjacent or stacked units are considered separate targets and cannot combine their defense factors. In the Ogre, each system is considered a separate target.

The ratio of attack to defense factors is referenced on a table. For Ogre systems, either attacking or defending, there are only two outcomes: no effect, or destroyed. For infantry and armor units, there are three possible outcomes:

  • no effect
  • disabled (armor units lose their next turn, infantry units lose one strength point)
  • destroyed

Strategy

The different types of units available to the defender encourage a combined-arms approach with each type being better than the others in different aspects.[12] Heavy tanks have high attack and defense with moderate speed and low range. Missile tanks have moderate attack and defense with moderate range and low speed.[12] G.E.V.s ("ground effect vehicles"—roughly, heavily armored hovercraft[1]) have very high speed (moving twice per turn),[2] low attack, low range, and moderate defense. Howitzers have very high attack and range[13] but are easily destroyed (once an attacker has managed to get close enough), immobile, and expensive.[2] However, according to the game's designer, this balanced mix of units was not quite right in the first edition; the second edition sped up heavy tanks, slowed down G.E.V.s, and changed the defender's purchasing from "attack factors" to "armor units" (everything is considered equivalent, except howitzers, which are worth two of anything else).[14]

Reception

In the August–September 1977 edition of White Dwarf (Issue 2), Martin Easterbrook began his review of Metagaming Concepts' original 1977 edition by saying "Be warned: this game could become a craze" adding that "the idea of the microgames themselves is remarkable enough in itself". He gave the game an above average rating of 8 out of 10 but criticized the game's title and "flimsy equipment, weak infantry".[1]

In the April–June 1977 edition The Space Gamer (Issue No. 11), Robert C. Kirk concluded that the 1977 edition of "Ogre is attractive, easy to learn, inexpensive, and fun to play. What more can a gamer ask?"[11]

In the next edition of The Space Gamer (Issue No. 12, July–August 1977), William A. Peterson commented that "It is fast, simple, and fun. Its bad points, while annoying, can be ignored."[15]

In the inaugural edition of Ares (March 1980), David Ritchie gave the game a below average rating of 6 out of 9, commenting,"The first of the MicroGames, Ogre started an avalanche of small, fast, playable games [...] A Panzer freak's ultimate dream." [16]

In the August 1982 edition of Dragon (Issue 64), Tony Watson reviewed the first reissue by Steve Jackson Games, and called Ogre "a legend in the ranks of SF gamedom, and deservedly so... as well as being a lot of fun to play, it's an interesting extrapolation on high-tech armoured warfare". Watson noted that the rules had remained essentially the same in the new edition, the most significant changes being to the physical design—with larger (still black and white) counters, and full colour maps by Denis Loubet. Watson also welcomed the retention of the original artwork alongside new pieces — "no one draws a GEV or Ogre like Mr. Chung". He concluded with a strong recommendation, saying it "would make a fine addition to any gamer's collection."[10]

In the April 1989 edition of G.M. (Vol. 1, Issue 8), Johnny Razor reviewed OGRE: Deluxe Edition and highlighted the game's ease of introduction and short playing time, but pointed out that most gamers either like the game or loathe it.[6]

In the August 1991 edition of Dragon (Issue 172), Allen Varney reviewed the combined Ogre/G.E.V. edition of 1991, and stated, "[The] two simulation board games of armored combat on a future battlefield are among the best the field has ever seen: fast, elegant, and endlessly replayable". While praising the production values of the 2-color playing pieces, Varney found the box somewhat 'flimsy'. He concluded, "These twin classics shouldn't be missed."[17]

Ogre was chosen for inclusion in the 2007 book Hobby Games: The 100 Best. Game designer Erick Wujcik commented "I think [Ogre's] success really boils down to four essentials: Ogre is fast, ... asymmetrical, ... open-ended, ... [and] is a teaching tool. Ogre had restructured my mind pretty completely ... but it wasn't until 2002 ... that I realized how effective Ogre is at getting across so many important component mechanisms of play and design."[2]

Reviews

Awards

Deluxe Ogre won the Wargamer Award for Excellence in 2001.[3]

Kickstarter project

In May 2012, a new Designer's Edition of Ogre was funded on Kickstarter.com.[18] The original goal was $20,000 and the final funding was a total of $923,680. As the funding grew, more and more options and upgrades were added, with the final game weighing over 25 pounds (11 kg).[19] It was shipped to Kickstarter supporters in October 2013, and to retail stores in December 2013.

Sixth Edition

In 2016, SJG developed and released Ogre Sixth Edition.[20] While much smaller than the Designer's Edition, it also "features large 3-D constructible models".[21] A subsequent expansion, Ogre Reinforcements, adds some units and rules from the Designer's Edition to Sixth Edition.[22]

In late 2018, SJG ran a Kickstarter for Ogre Battlefields, an update and expansion for both the Designer's Edition and the Sixth Edition.[23]

Spinoffs

Ogre spawned a sequel, G.E.V., that focussed on the G.E.V. hovertank and the other "conventional" armor and infantry types.

Other games based on Ogre include:

  • Shockwave, an expansion that introduced new unit types including cruise missiles and a map that could be used with the G.E.V. map.[24]
  • Ogre Miniatures, an adaptation of the game to miniature wargaming, using 1:285 scale miniatures.[25] This adaptation won the 1992 Origins Award for Best Miniatures Rules.[26] In addition to miniatures from Steve Jackson Games, a set of Ogre miniatures was also developed by Ral Partha which won the 1992 Origins Award for Best Vehicular Miniatures Series.[26] The first set of Ogre miniatures, produced by Martian Metals under license of Metagaming Concepts in 1979,[8] won the H.G. Wells Award for Best Vehicular Model Series of 1979.[27]
  • Diceland: Ogre, a paper dice game by Cheapass Games.[28]

Video games

1986 Computer adaptations

Computer adaptations were released in 1986 as Ogre by Origin Systems, Inc. for Apple II, Amiga, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, and Macintosh,[29][30] In 1996, Computer Gaming World named the Origin edition the 130th-best computer game ever released.[31]

2017 Ogre Steam release
Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic66/100[32]

A 2017 computer game version was developed by Bristol-based studio Auroch Digital, initially announced as a stretch goal for the Kickstarter of Ogre: Designer's Edition.[33] The game is a digital adaptation of the board game, featuring hex-based maps and turn-based strategic gameplay.[34] It is also set to feature a full campaign, Nightfall, with an original story by Steve Jackson Games and a map editor.

Ogre was released for Windows PCs, via Steam.[35] on October 5th, 2017 to positive reviews. The Steam release for Mac OS followed on November 23, 2017.

Ogre received mixed reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the game holds a score of 66/100 based on 4 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[32]

Books

The OGRE Book (1982) was a collection of articles and rules variants from The Space Gamer. It was reissued in 2001, expanded from 40 pages to 128 with further retrospective from Steve Jackson.[5]

GURPS Ogre (2000) was a supplement for the role-playing game GURPS.[36][37]

gollark: Fine. There you go.
gollark: oh apiarists.
gollark: EpicBot isn't DOING anything. Do I really need to make ABR do stuff?
gollark: <@!160279332454006795> come harbinge some ☭ already.
gollark: <@!160279332454006795> It IS silent, apiobeing™!

References
  1. Easterbrook, Martin (Aug–Sep 1977). "Open Box: Ogre". White Dwarf. Games Workshop (#2): 12.
  2. Wujcik, Erick (2007). "Ogre". In Lowder, James (ed.). Hobby Games: The 100 Best. Green Ronin Publishing. pp. 220–223. ISBN 978-1-932442-96-0.
  3. Zabek, Jim. "Review: Deluxe OGRE". The Wargamer. Archived from the original on 2002-01-24.
  4. "Ogre FAQ". Steve Jackson Games.
  5. "Ogre Ludography". Steve Jackson Games. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
  6. Razor, Johnny (April 1989). "OGRE: Deluxe Edition". G.M. 1 (8): 26.
  7. Swenson, Timothy (2014). "Ogre - From MicroGame to MaxiGame - The History of Ogre and GEV". Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  8. "Ogre Miniatures - Collector's Checklist". Retrieved 2008-05-01.
  9. Jackson, Steve. "Open (Ogre) Letter To Distributors". Daily Illuminator, 12 March 2011.
  10. Watson, Tony (August 1982). "The Dragon's Augury: Ogre roars back onto the scene". Dragon (64): 69–70.
  11. Kirk, Robert C. (April–June 1977). "Reviews". The Space Gamer. Metagaming (11): 40–41.
  12. Nahas, Michael (1982). "Basic Ogre Defence". The Space Gamer. Steve Jackson Games. #52.
  13. Hendrix, Chester (1979). "The Four Howitzer Defense in Ogre". The Space Gamer. Metagaming Concepts. #24.
  14. Jackson, Steve (1977). "Another ^@**&?!! Ogre Article". The Space Gamer. Metagaming Concepts. #12.
  15. Peterson, William A. (July–August 1977). "Reviews". The Space Gamer. Metagaming (12): 42–43.
  16. Ritchie, David (March 1980). "A Galaxy of Games". Ares Magazine. Simulations Publications, Inc. (1): 29.
  17. Varney, Allen (August 1991). "Role-playing reviews". Dragon (172): 30.
  18. James, Geoffrey (May 8, 2012). "Crowdfunding Lessons From a Kickstarter Success". Inc.com.
  19. "Ogre Designer's Edition". Kickstarter.
  20. Phil Reed (November 30, 2016). "Ogre Sixth Edition, Organized Play, Reinforcements, and Glow-In-The-Dark Ogres". (update for Designer's Edition Kickstarter).
  21. ""Ogre Sixth Edition"". (product page at SJG website).
  22. ""Ogre Reinforcements"". (product page at SJG website).
  23. "Ogre Battlefields". Kickstarter.
  24. O'Hara, Walt (2001-04-16). "OGRE/GEV SHOCKWAVE game expansion". RPGnet. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  25. Steve Jackson Games Miniatures
  26. "Origins Award Winners (1992)". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on April 15, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  27. "Origins Award Winners (1979)". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on April 15, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
  28. Appelcline, Shannon (2004-04-07). "Review of Diceland: Ogre". RPGnet. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
  29. Stanoch, John (August 1987). "Ogre". Antic (Review). 6 (4): 27.
  30. "Release Information for Ogre". MobyGames. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  31. Staff (November 1996). "150 Best (and 50 Worst) Games of All Time". Computer Gaming World (148): 63–65, 68, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 84, 88, 90, 94, 98.
  32. "Ogre for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  33. "Steve Jackson's Ogre announced for PC, leviathan cybertanks inbound for 2017". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  34. "Ogre Video Game". www.sjgames.com. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  35. "Ogre on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  36. Day, Royce (2000-08-09). "GURPS Ogre (Review)". RPGnet. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
  37. Rhode, David (2001-05-07). "GURPS Ogre (Review)". RPGnet. Retrieved 2008-02-19.

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