Real Color

[bluegargantua]

Might I suggest "Charlie Company" by RAFM minatures.

It's the RPG that thinks it's a miniature wargame.

The premise is that you are a Lt. or NCO leading a platoon of American soldiers in Vietnam.  During individual missions,  you go out, Charlie attacks you and you fight back.  Surprisingly, the game glosses over the actual combat quite a bit -- you roll a bucket of dice, get hits on 5-6's, and the GM looks up the result on a table.  It goes incredibly quick and requires little math/effort on anyone's part.  

The game puts a focus on Command and Control.  The players form the command staff so the NCOs have control of their 10 man squads and the Lt. has command over the whole platoon.  But squads get separated and you have to make the best decisions you can.  This is enforced by a "no table talk" rule and a 30-second "discussion" periods between rounds when you can talk with other players in earshot or radio contact.

On a larger level,  that squad leader is *you*.  Each mission represents the highlight of a "month" of action.  You're actually playing through a tour of duty and once your time is up you get to go home....if you don't time out and go home in a body bag first.

Hands down,  this is one of the best miniature wargames I've ever played in my life.  The action is fast and furious, the tension is incredible.  You've got a total "you are there" sense.  Further, it's the only game that's spurred me to go out and buy actual books and do historical research about the conflict.  

Although you seem to have a fantasy genre in mind, the underlying system and ideas might still prove very fertile ground for ideas of your own.

later
Tom

[Mike Holmes]

What's Sketch, and where is it?

http://www.corsairpub.com/sketch/sketch_f.html

[C. Edwards]

*smacks head*

I can't believe I forgot about Sketch!

*crawls away in shame*

Edit:  The thread concerning stock art in the Publishing forum brought a discussion about rpg setting books to mind.  The idea being that setting books could/should consist entirely of inspirational art.  A wonderful use of color, IMO.

-Chris