Cyberboard Gamebox
Version 2.0
An FAQ sheet regarding Ogre/GEV/Shockwave and the Cyberboard PBeM system.
Based on an earlier FAQ by Peter Lomax.
What is Ogre ?
Rather than have me babble on about cybertanks and boardgame and "best-thing-since-sliced-bread", may I instead direct you to: The Ogre Resource webpages at Steve Jackson Games. It contains all the information you could possibly require and is the best place to find anything (and everything) Ogre related.
Somewhere in the depths of The Ogre Resource webpages (yes it is that big a resource) is a link to Henry J. Cobb's The Ogre FAQ which, among other things, contains the OGREverse mailing list.
Unfortunately, if you have to ask this question you are going to run into a major stumbling block regarding the obtainability of the Ogre rules.
What is GEV ?
GEV or "Ground Effect Vehicle" is a commercial add-on pack from Steve Jackson Gamesfor the original Ogre game.
It contains new units, new counters, new rules and a new playing board.
What is Shockwave ?
Shockwave is another commercial add-on pack from Steve Jackson Games for the original Ogre and GEV games. It contains new units, new counters, new rules and another new playing board (designed with the GEV board in mind).
What is Cyberboard and how do I get it ?
Cyberboard is a freeware Play By Email utility by Dale Larson for Win95/98/NT that allows you to play boardgames via email and the internet. It uses a graphical interface (just like having the game in front of you) and your moves are communicated to your oponent via email.
It incorporates dice and a record/playback moves facility.
Don't mistake "free" for "amateur", this utility is extremely professional in design and execution. The Cyberboard webpage explains things far better than I could.
To obtain the Cyberboard PBEM player please go to The Cyberboard webpage.
Other Cyberboard resources are available at: Walter O'Hara's Play By Email Emporium and Chris Fawcett'sYankee Air Pirates Homepage.
Cyberboard provides a platform to play the game but the game itself is contained in a "gamebox"
What is a gamebox ?
A gamebox is a file full of goodies for the game you want to play using Cyberboard.
It contains the boards and playing pieces necessary to be able to construct a "scenario".
The player would select pieces and boards from the gamebox and create a scenario (all within Cyberboard). It's from these scenarios that games are played.
Each player in the game requires the gamebox (as the scenario and game files are just small Cyberboard data files), and game files are exchanged when turns are completed.
There is also a Cyberboard gamebox designer program that comes with the Cyberboard player program, which allows you to construct your own gameboxes. This is what I used to construct the Ogre/Gev/Shockwave Gamebox.
Please remember, though, that most games are subject to copyright laws and permission must be sought before you distribute your finished gamebox. Believe me, it's a lot simpler to ask first - it can save a lot of heartache in the future. If the game company won't help you help them, go and do a gamebox for a company that respects it's customers.
NOTE: Unlike a "real" gamebox, a Cyberboard gamebox does not normally contain the rules ! The idea behind a Cyberboard gamebox is to allow you to play the game on the internet NOT replace the game itself. (Unless its a game you have created, that is)
How do I use this gamebox ?
Wow - this is one deep question !!
If you are brand spanking new to playing using Cyberboard, I highly reccommend you start with the Ogre Cyberboard QUICKSTART tutorial. It’s an easy way to get started.
The best resource I’ve found is the CB Play manual by Chris Fawcett.
You will also find other tutorials and PBeM aides on the internet.
If you`ve used Cyberboard before, please remember that there are Ogre track boards to keep an eye on the condition of the Ogres during gameplay. I`ve even provided a separate board to mount them on ingame.
Of course this gamebox is not much use without the Ogre rules. I am afraid I can't help anyone here. To my knowledge they have been out-of-print for a long time now.
It's a shame, but I don't think Steve Jackson Games feel there will be enough sales to justify another print run (although they do recognize and support the following that Ogre has generated over the years). I`m sure they'd love to do it but, unfortunately, the player base isn't what it used to be.
What does this gamebox provide ?
With this gamebox you get:
- The counters and playing board of the Ogre game.
- The counters and playing board of the GEV expansion.
- The counters and playing board of the Shockwave expansion.
- The counters and playing board of the Battlefields expansion.
- Extra counters and maps for various scenarios, from The Ogre Book to The Reinforcement Pack to my own original scenarios.
- Ogre damage sheets (and somewhere to put them ingame)
- Board markers
- One starter scenario
With this gamebox you don't get:
- The Cyberboard player program
- The rules for Ogre
- The rules for GEV
- The rules for Shockwave
- The rules for Ogre Battlefields
- Opponents
Who can I give this gamebox to ?
You can give it to anyone you want to play against or someone you think might be interested in it. (You don't even need to already have Ogre to obtain this gamebox, although this would be pretty pointless). The Ogre/GEV/Shockwave Gamebox for Cyberboard is FREEWARE. This means you don't have to pay anything to obtain it or use it. It doesn't mean that, because you didn't pay for it, you can do what you like with it.
Please observe these conditions for giving this product to someone or making it available for download:
- You MUST give the original zip file (Ogre v2.0.zip) intact, unaltered and in its entirety, containing all original documentation and files.
- You CANNOT distribute an Ogre Cyberboard gamebox adapted from my gamebox.
- If you make it available for download please also provide a link to my webpage nearby.
- If you show pictures of the gamebox "in action", you must show all the copyright notices on the front page somewhere nearby.
Please understand I am not a control freak, but I do want to centralize support for this gamebox. I would like people to know where this came from and how to get support for it. I also need to gauge popularity and usage, to see if its worth my while updating.
I will take a very dim view of anyone selling this gamebox. I could have made this shareware or commercial myself, but that would have gone against some of my personal beliefs. If you feel an urge to give money over this gamebox, give it to your favourite charity instead. Or you can send the money to Steve Jackson Games and say: "Now reprint Ogre, because there's still money in it".
If you are not happy with any of this then may I suggest you play Todd A. Zircher's V_Map PBEM Utility version of Ogre instead.
Can I make scenarios for the gamebox ?
Please do !
This is what it's all about !
You have Cyberboard and you have the Ogre/GEV/Shockwave Gamebox, so you have all the pieces you need to create Ogre/GEV/Shockwave Gamebox scenarios.
Creating scenarios is catered for within the Cyberbaord player program.
Don't forget, though, that whoever you give the Ogre/GEV/Shockwave Gamebox scenario to needs the gamebox as well (or the scenario won't work).
You don't need permission from anyone to distribute homemade Ogre/GEV/Shockwave Gamebox scenarios, as the *.gsn and *.gam files don't contain any copyright material - that sort of thing is in the gamebox itself.
It would be nice, though, if you could stick to the text format I`ve used in the starter scenario included in the zipfile.
I`d be delighted if you would send them to me so I can pass them on.
I will support any scenarios sent to me and if you have a recorded game, that's even better!
How do I get new scenarios ?
A good place to start is the The Ogre Resource webpages. A whole section is dedicated to scenarios. You can also visit the Ogre WebRing, to get connected to a list of fan sites, most of which have scenarios. CP Gamma, another fan site not in the WebRing, has quite a few.
I have an idea to improve your gamebox, what do I do ?
Let me know! I am eager for new ideas and helpful suggestions. (If you also want to say how much you like it, I don't mind :-) No idea will be dismissed out of hand. If your idea is incorporated in an updated gamebox, then I'll credit you.