OGRE

[Rhinocrates]

For those interested, the Angry Planet (formerly War College) podcast has an extensive interview with Steve Jackson about his legendary Ogre game.

SPONSORED: The Mega-Tank of the Future

Today’s episode is brought to you by Auroch Digital, makers of many fine video games including the one we’re here to talk about today: Ogre. For almost fifty years, it has terrorized our future. The Ogre. A massive AI-controlled tank hell bent on the destruction of the human race. Ogre. That’s...

play.acast.com

Today’s episode is brought to you by Auroch Digital, makers of many fine video games including the one we’re here to talk about today: Ogre.

For almost fifty years, it has terrorized our future. The Ogre. A massive AI-controlled tank hell bent on the destruction of the human race. Ogre. That’s both the name of the game and the name of the game’s strongest unit. First published in 1977, Ogre became a phenomenon in the wargame scene. It was asymmetric, deceptively simple, and has endured for 45 years.

Ogre is out now on the PlayStation and Xbox. It will hit the Nintendo Switch on May 25.

Jackson cites the short story 'Gottlos' by Colin Kapp and Keith Laumer's Bolo stories as inspiration. I'd add Andrew Stephenson's 'The Giant Killers', featuring another AI tank, the Voyo.

 

[publiusr]

How is Mr. Chung doing by the way? Nyrath started with OGRE before Atomic Rockets as we know it…

 

[Rhinocrates]

An odd novel, objectively it's very silly but I've long had a soft spot for it. Clifford Simak's Cemetery World. It displays his love of the American midwest, a deep melancholia, two huge cyborg tanks called Joe and Ivan, plus the robots Elmer, the Compositor, and Wolf. Illustrations from the original publication in Analog by John Schoenherr (known for his illustrations for Dune).

 

[TomS]

How is Mr. Chung doing by the way? Nyrath started with OGRE before Atomic Rockets as we know it…

Last report is much better than expected. Cancer is currently in remission, but it will be back, he says. So, he hopefully has at least a few more years.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1509944269796171782

View: https://twitter.com/nyrath/status/1509944269796171782

 

[Rhinocrates]

Chris Moore's version. Not exactly practical designs but at least he read the story, which is more than can be said for many artists (to be fair, they often weren't given the opportunity or time).

 

[Rhinocrates]

How is Mr. Chung doing by the way? Nyrath started with OGRE before Atomic Rockets as we know it…

Last report is much better than expected. Cancer is currently in remission, but it will be back, he says. So, he hopefully has at least a few more years.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1509944269796171782

View: https://twitter.com/nyrath/status/1509944269796171782

Good to know. One of my brothers had a terrible case of sinus cancer requiring extensive radiotherapy and years of reconstructive surgery, but he's made it. Every day's precious.

 

[SeaslugMk2]

For those interested, the Angry Planet (formerly War College) podcast has an extensive interview with Steve Jackson about his legendary Ogre game.

SPONSORED: The Mega-Tank of the Future

Today’s episode is brought to you by Auroch Digital, makers of many fine video games including the one we’re here to talk about today: Ogre. For almost fifty years, it has terrorized our future. The Ogre. A massive AI-controlled tank hell bent on the destruction of the human race. Ogre. That’s...

play.acast.com

Today’s episode is brought to you by Auroch Digital, makers of many fine video games including the one we’re here to talk about today: Ogre.

For almost fifty years, it has terrorized our future. The Ogre. A massive AI-controlled tank hell bent on the destruction of the human race. Ogre. That’s both the name of the game and the name of the game’s strongest unit. First published in 1977, Ogre became a phenomenon in the wargame scene. It was asymmetric, deceptively simple, and has endured for 45 years.

Ogre is out now on the PlayStation and Xbox. It will hit the Nintendo Switch on May 25.

Jackson cites the short story 'Gottlos' by Colin Kapp and Keith Laumer's Bolo stories as inspiration. I'd add Andrew Stephenson's 'The Giant Killers', featuring another AI tank, the Voyo.

I've still got my copy!

 

[martinbayer]

All of a sudden I hear Mike Myers talk to a donkey in a Scottish accent...

 

[TomS]

I've still got my copy!View attachment 678625

Ditto. First wargame I ever had -- a gift when I was ~7 or 8 years old. Not sure how many of those original single-sided counters I have left -- I've rebought the game at least twice since then.

These days I prefer the expanded GEV -- the original OGRE can feel a bit procedural, as there really are only a limited number of workable strategies on defense.

 

[SeaslugMk2]

I've still got my copy!View attachment 678625

Ditto. First wargame I ever had -- a gift when I was ~7 or 8 years old. Not sure how many of those original single-sided counters I have left -- I've rebought the game at least twice since then.

These days I prefer the expanded GEV -- the original OGRE can feel a bit procedural, as there really are only a limited number of workable strategies on defense.

Yes, I have GEV too...the counters are in the same container as the OGRE ones, easy to separate by colour.

SRJ.