HPS - new game announced

[Alpha Zwo]

For those interested: Just received a Duchet newsletter that HPS will release a new game on April 16th, "The Drift 1879 (Rorke's Drift)"

History
On the afternoon of 22 January 1879, two survivors from Isandlwana, Lt. Gert Adendorff of the 1st/3rd NNC and a trooper from the Natal Carbineers arrived at Rorke's Drift bearing news of the shocking defeat and destruction of the British Army at Isandlwana.
They carried with them one other bit of information of importance to the garrison at Rorke's Drift: part of the Zulu Impi, some 3000 to 4000 strong, was now headed directly their way.

Upon hearing the news, Lt. Chard, Lt. Bromhead, and Acting Assistant Commissary James Dalton had to make a quick decision.
Attempt a retreat to Helpmekaar or defend their tenuous position at the Drift.
Dalton pointed out that a small column, travelling in open terrain, burdened with carts and hospital patients, would be easily overtaken and defeated by the numerically superior Zulu force.

Their only chance was to stand their ground and fight...

Under the command of Lieutenant John Chard of the Royal Engineers, the Battle of Rorke's Drift immediately followed the British Army's staggering defeat at the hands of the Zulu at Isandlwana earlier in the day.
The defence of Rorke's Drift stands out as one of the most courageous actions in military history.
With eleven Victoria Crosses awarded, its legend remains part of British military heritage to this day.

The wargame

Scale
-units are controlled in squads of 3-6 men
-3/30 metres per grid cell (3 metres inside the fort, 30 metres outside)
-5 minutes per turn

Play:
- Human players can command either side: the British garrison at Rorke's Drift or the waves of deadly Zulu warriors.
- In single-player games, the AI will command the other force.
- individual men (British only) are named


Variants
The historical default option covers the action as it historically occurred. In addition, players have the ability to create any number of custom “what-if” scenarios by adjusting game values including:
-Zulu force size, allocation, and command capacity
-British reinforcement (Stephenson's Native Natal Contingent, Rainforth's Company G)
-morale/resolve base and breaking points
-arms and munition level and quality
-fog of war
-historical and randomized variants

Play Options:
- Quick turn based
- Single player vs. the AI
- Two player
- Play by Email

Minimum PC System Requirements:
- 1.8 GHz Pentium CPU
- 2 GB RAM
- 60 MB Free Hard Drive space
- Windows XP/Vista/7

[Liebchen]

Oh, my f-in' god. I'm in heaven! :

(Just when I convince myself that I've GOT to stop buying every dang new title that HPS and/or JT come out with, they do THIS to me! I HATE them! )

[Compass Rose]

They just finally posted it over at HPS.

http://www.hpssims.com/Pages/Products/JL...eDrift.asp

[grofaz]

It's out and it's not a John tiller game. Looks cool though.

[-72-]

It's out and it's not a John tiller game. Looks cool though.

Tiller doesn't publish new material with HPS any longer.

[spelk]

It's a Jeff Lapkoff game.
http://www.jlssg.com/the_drift.html

It's pretty good if you want to explore the logistical implications of defending the Drift from the Zulu masses that attack it.

I've begun an AAR on the game, now on Part 4 - still writing Part 5.
http://sugarfreegamer.com/?p=3634

It's a very good game if you have any interest in The Battle of Rorke's Drift.