How To Design A Faction Logo

I thought I'd post this graphic (below) as a visual reference to show part of the behind the scenes process involved in developing a faction logo for games (or anything really). In this case the logo in question is for the Nanomei faction from Anvil Eight's board game Aetherium.

We went through a similar process many times during the creation of the original Aetherium game box. It's easy to come up with something quickly, but if time is spent and thought given to a logo like this you can develop something far better than your initial sketches might suggest.

Aetherium: House Ikaru

Just a quick post to say that the cat is now officially out of the bag – the new Aetherium Kickstarter is live.

I've been working away since November on this bad boy, not only putting together the graphics for Kickstarter, but composing the new Schema, cards and other bits that are required for the new expansion to the game. I will start work on the new book will start imminently and I'm very excited about that!

Whether Aetherium is your thing or not, you have to admire those new models (the image below shows a few) – some of them are simply amazing – and it's been a pleasure getting to work with the new imagery so far.

Who doesn't like ninja robots?!!

We got a brief glimpse of them in the original Aetherium Kickstarter, but they've been fleshed out (so to speak) and are now a fully fledged faction of their own.

Brian, Chris and the guys at Anvil 8 Games have done an amazing job, as we're coming to expect.

Go and have a look at the Kickstarter, and if you see something you like take a punt!

No doubt there will be more Aetherium updates from behind the scenes coming soon.

Secrets…!

Things are hitting full stride behind the scenes here, yet there's no painting or building of new models for the upcoming game day with Bull. My model tray sits with an ever thickening layer of dust upon it!

No, things are hitting full stride because the guys at Anvil 8 Games are about to embark upon big things come the beginning of February, and I have to make sure they have what they need so that all you Aetherium fans out there get the next round of shiny things.

I am very excited and itching to show you stuff, but they'd have me hanged, drawn and quartered for sure so you'll just have to wait. I may do a retro post once the news is out there, we'll see.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Return To The Aetherium

After nearly two weeks off work due to illness I finally stepped back into the studio and got back into work mode. Felt good after so long of feeling unwell.

But just prior to my extended absence from the workplace I got the green light from Anvil Eight Games for the next batch of Aetherium goodness.

That's right, I'm heading back to the Aetherium!

Obviously I can't say too much at this stage except… OMG, what gorgeous miniatures, what gorgeous artwork, what a treat it is to work with these guys again.

For those with their fingers on the pulse you will have guessed that we'll be dealing with the House Ikaru expansion. You may remember some of these miniatures surfaced during the original Kickstarter and certainly made an impression.

Yes, the ninja borg are back!!

From my perspective – the visual side of the new stuff – I think we are taking a familiar if slightly more tailored approach to the previous stuff. I'm very excited to be back working with Brian, Chris and the rest of the Anvil Eight team.

Stay tuned!

Aetherium Blog Posts…

A list of the various Aetherium posts to be found on this blog…

Return To The Aetherium

Gamers Lounge Interview

Last Few Hours For Aetherium Kickstarter

Anvil Eight Introduce Ninja Borg…

Aetherium The Game

Designing A New Tabletop Game

Gamers Lounge Interview

Just a quick post this morning to let you know that I was interviewed this weekend by Bill at the Gamers Lounge podcast. We talked mostly about my role in the Aetherium project and I rambled on for an hour about how cool the game is and all the amazing artwork I got to use in the making of the rulebook, etc.

The episode is mostly an interview with Brian and Chris from Anvil Eight Games… I'm tacked on the end as a bit of a bonus (lol) to close things out.

I believe Bill said the episode was due out later this week so keep your eyes glued to http://gamerslounge.coda.net/ if you want to hear more about Aetherium.

Last Few Hours For Aetherium Kickstarter

It's been quite a journey so far for Aetherium and the guys at Anvil Eight Games.

Their Aetherium Kickstarter finishes in the early hours so if you've got an itching to get some of these lovely models, or the full game itself, your time is limited.

As you may know, my involvement started nearly 9 months ago with the visualisation of the game itself, creating a logo and branding style, as well as all the game components. Thanks to the wonderful artists involved this was a dream job.

The Kickstarter has given me some respite from the long hours involved in producing a project of this scale. But now things are coming to a close, pledgers will be wanting their goodies and that means getting everything polished and ready for the printers.

There will no doubt be changes to the rulebook, with rumours there will be even more pages added so that stories can be fleshed out and rules explained as comprehensively as possible. This should make the game even easier to understand and play.

Of course we also have to finalise the rules and visuals for the third faction – House Ikaru. They have not really featured up to this point for me, but they made such an impact with Kickstarter viewers that we need to press ahead and get them a faction logo and some cards.

All good stuff and very exciting, especially if you've pledged. Delivery date is estimated at November this year so not long to wait.

Have a look at the Kickstarter page; there's lots of web links, videos to be seen and podcasts to listen to. This really is a unique game at a time where such things are rare or the big guns are getting greedy with re-releases and price hikes.

Have a look – I dare you!

Anvil Eight Introduce Ninja Borg…

Always ready with another update, the guys at Anvil Eight Games revealed more of their third faction for Aetherium – House Ikaru.

Currently only available as stretch goals on their Kickstarter at $400 and $2000 pledge levels, these new sculpts seem to be causing something of a stir.

I have been lucky enough to see other models from this faction and can confirm that they follow the style, quality and "shiny-ness" of these.

Who doesn't like the idea of Ninja Borg on the tabletop?… and with an Avatar that is a cross between a Ninja Borg Queen and Daenerys Targaryen, well… it's like Chrismas all over again!

Aetherium The Game…

(or Designing A New Tabletop Game – part 2)

Just over a month ago I talked a little about my role on a project called Aetherium. I went into a little detail about the game, but now it's no longer a secret project – it's been unleashed!

The Aetherium Kickstarter went live on Tuesday and has been doing solid business in its opening couple of days. The guys from Anvil 8 Games will be at Adepticon this weekend to showcase the game in all its glory to the ravening horde of visitors.

I thought I would dedicate a little time today to those of us who won't make it to Adepticon. I'm going to give you a few sneak peeks and offer an overview of some of the mechanics of the game.

To play a game, each player first chooses a faction – Axiom or Nanomei. The Axiom (often identified by their black and orange) are the state, ordered and unflinching; the Nanomei (often sporting dark red) are the freedom fighters and anarchists.

With that decided players need to decide on the make up of their army (or collective). They need to choose an Avatar (hero) to lead, up to two Functions (champions) and up to two units of Subroutines (troops). In the starter box set these are chosen for you, but as your miniature collection grows you will have access to a wide variety of options in all three slots.

By way of an example, fledgling Nanomei fighters will find the following in their starter box:

And what do these models look like when painted? Something like this…

So you've chosen your models, but what do they do?

Each Avatar, Function and Subroutine has a Data Card. Continuing the example of the Riot Grlz above, their Data Card looks like this…

The front of the card shows the faction, name and type of the unit in question. To the top-right you will see a CS (cycle speed) value and an OC (over clock) value. The CS works like action points and shows how often a program can act during its activation, the OC represents how far beyond its normal CS value this unit can go (under certain circumstances).

The middle of the card is devoted to the unit's attack profile. The symbols represent the dice rolls required to make a hit, the numbers represent how much damage you do depending upon how many symbols you match in your roll. Each weapon also has a special ability that is triggered should you roll a disruption symbol (cog).

At the bottom of the card is the unit's Stability Grid – its wound counter. In this case, because there are three Riot Grlz in this particular Subroutine, the grid shows three distinct areas and how many wounds each model has. For individuals such as Avatars and Functions, the grid would be a single colour.

The reverse of the card shows some more abilities that the unit has. All subroutines are made up of multiple models and most of them will have a Coordination skill. This is a special ability that kicks in when the unit works together.

.EXE are special skills. Some are passive whilst others require the unit to spend some of its available CS in order to activate the skill in question. Avatars and some Functions have multiple .EXE abilities available to them.

Finally, we have the Safeguard. This is like a defensive trigger that kicks in when the unit is attacked or targeted.

But what about the playing area?

The game is played upon several Schema tiles that in turn sit upon a Common Server grid. The image above shows the Server set up with one large, two medium and three small Schema tiles arranged upon it. Players battle their way across the schema towards whatever objective the current Operation dictates.

Units have the ability to manipulate the playing area by spending accumulated RAM points (the number and type of units you have dictates how much RAM your collective has available) to move or rotate Schema tiles across the Server. The bigger the tile, the more points it will cost to move.

But why would you?

Below we have a prime example. The unit of Praetorians (far right) can't get to TOV (left) because not only is there a car blocking the way, but also because there is a gap of Quantum Noise between the two Schemas – they're not touching. So they decide to spend some RAM to manipulate the playing area to their advantage.

First of all they spend a big chunk of RAM to rotate the Schema on which they are standing.

Then they spend some additional RAM to move the same Schema a single square to the left so that the two schemas are now touching.

As you can see, the Praetorians are now in a perfect position to activate and attack TOV.

Of course, this ability can be used as much to hinder your opponent as aid your own units and means that the playing area is in a constant state of flux. As a consequence, so must your tactics.

And that's all you're getting from me for now. If you want to know more go to the Anvil Eight Games website and remember to visit the guys at Adepticon from 3rd April (tomorrow!!) and get your FREE MINIATURE.

Don't forget to have a look at the Aetherium Kickstarter. Lots more information there, videos, an overview of the background story, lots of photos of miniatures, oh my!!


Please note that all the imagery you see here is the sole property of Anvil Eight Games.

Designing A New Tabletop Game – part 1

We've all had a go no doubt at some point during our wargaming careers. We've dabbled in 'tweaking' rules, created new scenarios or army lists, built on current game systems or maybe even tried our hand at imagining a game from scratch. Not many of us get to see our ideas develop into physical form.

Over the last six months I've been lucky enough to not only observe a game become reality, but be a part of it. I've developed aspects of the game that suit my skill set, thrown my two cents' worth into ongoing discussions, and worked (metaphorically) alongside a great group of talented individuals from all over the world, none of whom I've actually met. The end result is quickly becoming one of the most enjoyable projects I've ever worked on (though it's going to take something special to beat the overseas Club 18-30 photoshoots in my past, with all those lovely female models).

Axiom SWAT

I was contacted last September by Brian from A Gentleman's Ones. Brian and myself go back a bit as we started our blogs around the same time. We have conversed a lot over time and in May 2010 collaborated on the Hailed vs Hated project – an email based, transatlantic game of 40k. When my Tale of 3 Painters project came to a conclusion in September 2012, little did I know that it was Brian who had won the final charity auction – amazing!

Brian had read on my blog that I was about to go freelance with my graphic designing and had a project that I might be interested in. He and some of his friends had started their own company, Anvil 8 Games, based in Chicago, and had been developing a new tabletop game for the best part of two years. Far from looking for free favours, Brian wanted to employ me to oversee the graphic design elements of the final product, as well as lend my experience in the print industry (and as a genuine gamer) to help in any other way that I could.

Of course I said yes!

When I came on board things were already well under way. The game itself was entering the alpha test stage, plus there were 3D sculpts of some amazing miniatures based on some truly inspiring artwork. This all helped to feed the motivation and flesh out the ideas behind the game.

Welcome to Aetherium

"It is a place that is no place at all. It is known as the Aetherium."

I won't go into specific detail about the game, it's background or history. Brian's blog and the Anvil 8 website do a much better job than I could. However, think of it in simplistic terms as a skirmish-level bedfellow of The Matrix – whilst doing the game no justice at all, that description should give you a vague idea of the genre and scale. Believe me, the more you read about the game, the more it sucks you in. Once you get to see the range of characters and models emerging for the game, your excitement hits an entire other level.

The team at Anvil 8 have dedicated large parts of the last two years of their lives developing and testing the game mechanics, as well as the background and world in which Aetherium takes place. I have to admit to being absolutely astonished at the level of detail in the information I was given and its base in reality. It all feels very solid, established and believable.

The Nanomei

My first task was to create a logo for the project. It took us quite some time, with many variations and permutations, to get to the final chosen result. We chose clean smooth curves with a glass-like finish that echoed the ideals of what the Aetherium was meant to be, its scientific/futuristic origins and fragile construction. The blurred nature of the glass texture implies that something is going on beyond the glass that you can't make out – strange and obscured – Alice through the Looking Glass indeed.

On the back of this I had a shot at creating the front cover artwork (top of the page) based upon the game's premise and sketches already done by the army of artists being used. Again, a lot of hours were ploughed into negotiating our way to a final result. This has since been replaced by a superb piece by lead artist David Nash, inspired by my efforts, but it helped me get a handle on what we – as a group – are trying to achieve with the game and forced Brian to try and describe to an outsider (me) exactly what the game was about.

Nanomei faction logo test

Next, the two starter factions – the Axiom and Nanomei – needed individual logos that took on the characteristics of each faction and helped to develop their own identity. I had seen illustrations of individual characters from the game – created by the very talented Heath Foley, whose work you will recognise from Mantic's various endeavours – and had a vague idea of who each faction was but, with great input from Brian and his fellow conspirators, that image was fleshed out and developed. In return I was able to throw in a few ideas of my own and gradually the visual identities of these opposing forces took shape.

3D model of special game dice

Whilst this was going on I got to see other elements being worked on in tandem. More images of 3D sculpts surfaced, whetting my appetite to see the finished product even more. Special dice icons that I had designed earlier in the process were suddenly taking physical form – a first for me and very exciting!

I also looked at icons to represent different types of terrain – and the Anvil 8 Games logo itself – before moving onto the guts of the project – the game cards and rulebook!!

Although I was brought onboard as an external consultant I find myself more and more attached to this game. As much as you want your clients' endeavours to be successful, this has been a truly unique experience for me. I get to work in the industry that is also my hobby, work alongside some amazing talent, and have a client who is a true gentleman. To say that it has been a pleasure working for Anvil 8 Games would be an understatement – it's got to be THE perfect job!

The Axiom

Anvil 8 Games will be taking Aetherium to Adepticon at the beginning of April. Just prior to that the game will be going up on Kickstarter. As a backer of several Kickstarter projects I can say, hand on heart and with no bias at all, that this will definitely be one you should look at. I can also say, with first hand experience, that Anvil 8 Games are looking to produce a very high quality end product. Their enthusiasm is endless and their attention to detail unflinching. This will indeed be something special.

In the next part I will be showcasing more of the amazing artwork from the game, more of my contributions, as well as explaining a little bit more about how the game is played, its rather cool game mechanic – the schema – and some finished models (hopefully painted if I get some time!).

For the sake of clarity, I have to reiterate that all the images you see here are the sole property of Anvil 8 Games.

See part 2 here…