While New Dimension Games already has many irons in the fire, that doesn't stop us from playing and praying, developing new projects and just having fun! The Game Master would now like to share with you those projects that cannot, for now, be realized, due to legalities, funding, or other mundane problems. But take heart, for when we have greater power, these dreams will become the nightmares of others . . .
Games
War in Middle Earth: Developed in early 1999, this is the 'Lord of the Rings' as experienced by the armies of the War of the Ring. Its play involves card games, classic wargaming, and metal miniatures. Its playstyle is closest to 'Axis and Allies', with the five major Powers of Middle-Earth (Heroes, Men, Elves, Isengard and Mordor) struggling to win the War of the Ring. Now, obviously we can't produce this game ourselves, so to You-Know-Whose who own the rights to games based on Tolkien's work . . . take a look at it! It's been playtested and proven! People love it!
Pirates of the Caribbean: Okay, we now have another board game that any company can make us an offer on, that of a pirates board game set in the 17th Century Caribbean, a wonderful game of greed, guns and gold, for up to 12 players at once!
WWE role-playing: In the early nineties, there were several role-playing games produced based on professional-wrestling. However, they were short-lived. But we've always enjoyed wrestling, and its comic book-like characters, larger-than-life heroes, spur-of-the-moment storylines, cheesy acting and endless fighting lends itself perfectly to role-playing games. While the current publication of 'The Wrestling Game' by New Dimension Games is already finished and is based on the antics of the World Wrestling Entertainment, we would like it to become 'official' and gain that WWE title. Well, our phone rings, and if ever the WWE wants to make some more dough, we're ready and willing to join their corporate team.
Shadowed miniatures: Just a nit-picking thing, but we yearn for a line of miniatures that don't have plastic or earthen-style bases, you know, those cumbersome hexagons that never match the scenery that the carefully crafted miniature is standing in. I mean, the grassy bases are fine, but they don't look right when the mini is standing in a dungeon, or visa-versa. Wouldn't it look better if some miniatures simply had their casting include a long, flat base that was shaped like the character's shadow?
Products
Discs: New Dimension Games has always toyed with the idea of releasing CDs that include adventure supplements, 'mood music' and other goodies. I guess that's just a matter of time.
Color books: One may ask, why are NDG's books in B&W when full color is available? By starting out this way, our games share the look of the original D&D games. Remember our quest, that of the ressurection of the gaming spirit above all else!
Fantasia maps: As Fantasia is chiefly inspired by Tolkien's Middle-Earth, maps are and have always been an essential part of the setting. While the Adventurer's Book (supplemental rules Book IV) provides maps of all the civilized lands throughout the Known World, and the overall map in the Advanced Rules (supplemental rules Book V) provides tantalizing glimpses of lands farther on, this company is not about bleeding money out of our loyal gamers, and it is not a matter of whether we want people to buy these books to have the maps of Fantasia. That is not the case at all. There exists in Matt deMille's study a large, detailed map of the entire Known World, drawn in 1992. We are currently working on digitizing it and making it freely available on this website.
Realities
Movies: Matt deMille, the chief designer of all New Dimension Games products, has also started working in movies. As of Summer 2008, he's off to the American Film Institute in Los Angeles for a two-year program in Production Design (hence the slow development of future game products from this point on). After all, the next generation of fantasy, sci-fi and horror movies must be made to look right, and who better to judge that than a die-hard gamer? You can check out Matt's current Demo Reel by clicking on the picture below.
Game Room: One dream that became a reality is that of 'The Dungeon', the game room where all New Dimension Games products are playtested and perfected. For those who seriously consider building such an atmospheric gaming area, here are a few tried and true designs:
1) Game table: 5' square. An outer 1' rim of smooth wood to make it easy to write on, and an inner 3' square graph for miniatures with an acrylic overlay that also holds maps flat. This 5' square design is the most efficient use of space, and seats the popular maximum size of a game group of 7 (two on a side with one full side for the GM). Not so small as to be crowded, not so large as to require one to climb over papers and figures to reach things.
2) Can crusher. It saves space, and people just love using them.
3) Drawers, slots or shelves for storing character sheets, books and other game materials (ours were built into the sides of the game table itself).
4) Atmosphere: The more you want to spend, the more your game will benefit. Less expensive and more effective means of decoration include gray wall plaster for the 'rough hewn' or 'cave' effect, electric candles, chains, cotton cobwebs, candles, and fake (plastic) treasure.
Click here for pictures of "The Dungeon"
Fantasy village: The climate for and interest in the SCA (the Society for Creative Anachronisms) and Ren Faires is perfect here in Washington State. What NDG would like to do some day is build a small village that would be a regular site in the theme of a medieval village, with rent-out shoppes and houses, a river/bridge, a millwheel, paved parking (out of sight), stables, a cemetery, even a castle. Yeah, I know that everyone has had this dream, but what the hell, it's nice to talk about, isn't it?
If you wish to use the proper fonts for this and other pages they are available here as a zip file.