Infinity
Dave Nower
Setting
In a time about 175 years into the future, mankind has, via the use of wormholes, successfully utilised space travel to travel to, and colonise, distant worlds, eventually allowing humanity to reside on 11 separate star systems in total.
Administered by an international system known as 'O-12', and assisted by an all-pervasive Artificial Intelligence (simply known as 'Aleph'), the known space of mankind (referred to as the 'Human Sphere') expands by the day.
However, even with such progress, times are rarely truly peaceful, as humanity has again divided itself into several factions as determined by ancient cultures and recent enmities.
The need for space, resources, power, or even basic survival driving conflict between the human civilisations, Great or otherwise. To make things worse, there have been ever-increasing news of a great hostile alien invasion force, consisting of a multitude of species controlled by an ancient and highly advanced form of A.I., approaching the Human Sphere, one superior in many ways to humanity.
Already a scouting force of the aliens have established a foothold on human space, and are resisting all attempts to remove them...
Overview
Like other tabletop wargames, players assemble (and paint) a combat force of several miniatures. As a skirmish-level wargame, only a relatively small number of miniatures are actually required to play, though the actual miniatures used are determined by a chosen total 'army' point values as well as the unit availability (AVA) and Support Weapons Cost (SWC), limiting specific units and special/heavy weapons and equipment respectively in the 'army'. During the game, which is turned-based alternating between the players, unit actions are determined by a d20 dice, where a score below the attribute score of the unit in question usually results in success.
Unit actions themselves are, on the active side, determined by the number of Orders available, where a single miniature present usually 'provides' an Order to use. Such Orders are used by miniatures to perform basic actions. Using more Orders on a single miniature allows it to perform additional actions.
Should the miniature being used come into contact and/or affect in any way other opposing miniatures, such miniatures are often allowed an Automatic Reaction Order (ARO) in order to 'react' against the incoming miniature. During actual combat (ranged or melee) between two miniatures, a Face to Face (FoF) roll is taken using a d20. The miniature successful in that roll wins the combat, or complete whatever action it was ordered to do.
As in other wargames, the game usually ends when one side destroys (or routs) the enemy. Terrain also plays a very important part of gameplay.
To play you need a force of 300 or 600 points from one of the 6 main factions. The force will comprise troops, armoured troops, robotic troops but no vehicles currently. For most forces starter sets are available at roughly 300 points
Rules can be downloaded though owning a rulebook currently in its second edition is a help.
The figures are high quality white metal, somewhat fragile but well animated to a 28 mm size.
Games are best played on a smaller table with a lot of scenery, ideally buildings.
The game is a little like warhammer but more complex in terms of options to react or apportion orders. It takes time to learn but is very intense and I consider very enjoyable.
Updated 07/05/09
