And here it is, the Beta Edition provides all the rules needed to play a game using the forces described in the sample armies. As such it includes rules for infantry combat and various support weapons, but it does not as yet provide complete rules for vehicles or large machines.
Rules for additional types of troops, vehicles, terrain and much else besides are under development and when ready will be made available to download from the Warlord Games website for those who wish to try them out.
Before you add it to your cart for free, here is a word from the illustrious Rick Priestley – creator of Beyond the Gates of Antares, to brief you before your first mission…
Rick Priestley: This is a pre-release version of the core system for the forthcoming Beyond the Gates of Antares rule set. We usually just call it the Antares game in the interests of saving space, time and ink. Up until now an early Alpha version of these rules has been available to players taking part in the Antares playtesters forum. Since producing the Alpha version we’ve been working to refine the core rules and get everything ready for the wider gaming public. That is what we have here – our Beta Edition.
The Beta Edition is still a way off from a complete game, but it has all the essential elements needed to play using the sample forces described. As such it includes rules for infantry combat and various support weapons of different kinds, but it does not as yet cover vehicles, buildings or provide complete rules for terrain. Rules for terrain are given in functional terms – rather than defining every kind of possible scenic feature – but we feel this will present few problems to gamers of any experience.
Lastly – I’d just like to personally thank everyone who has contributed to our original closed playtests and the subsequent Alpha playtesting, without whose valuable input we wouldn’t be where we are today. I’d particularly like to mention Andrew Chesney who has coordinated our efforts at Warlord Games and taken part in most of our games, Nick Simmerson who has joined us most weeks and contributed many great ideas to the mix, and sculptor Wojtek Flis who has not only realised many of our Antarean warriors as models, but also contributed many innovative rules ideas and a good deal of enthusiasm. Thank you.
Sam Phillips