TSR

The first word in roleplaying and the granddaddy of them all. TSR is best known for its multi award winning Dungeons and Dragons™ roleplaying game, the system that started the entire hobby off way back in the mid 70’s. Tactical Strategy Rules or TSR was formed by E Gary Gygax back in 1974 so he and his friends could release a set of rules that would allow them to play fantasy creatures in the more traditional wargames that were around at the time.

Taking a ideas from Tolkien, Moorcock and many other fantasy writers the first rules where a simplistic affair that would change the way that people view games forever. Now D&D and its successor AD&D (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons) are big business now and among the best selling games in history.

But it didn't stop with fantasy and D&D. Boot Hill pitted cowboys against one another in the wild west, Star Frontiers flung players into the far future to fight alongside strange alien creatures, spies roamed the free world in Top Secret keeping the threat of terrorism under control and Spiderman and The X Men fought side by side against Dr Doom and The Lizard. Yes TSR has in its long history been responsible for some really stunning games (and a few turkeys too)

Sadly things change and a while back roleplaying went into a decline as the hobby became more and more dominated by table top systems such as Games Workshops Warhammer, and the arrival of the collectable card game (CCG) really hit home hard. TSR where taken over by Wizards of the Coast just of a year or so ago. Many thought that this was the end of the company and that no more would D&D reign as the supreme roleplaying game on the market, but the merger (take-over) with WOTC was perhaps the best thing that could have happened. Now AD&D is back with a vengeance and more titles have been released in the past year or so than the past four for the system. Big news broke at Gen Con in 1996 when it was announced the TSR would venture once again into the realms of science fiction with its upcoming system Alternity and in April this year the system was launched with a lot of hype.

Talks are flying around at the moment about a movie based on Dungeons and Dragons with a lot of big names being brandished about. TSR where for many years the leaders in both fantasy art and fiction and roleplaying with thousands of copies of AD&D being printed in over 40 languages and novels based on the games hitting the top of the charts for weeks. TSR are now once more at the forefront of the gaming hobby thanks mainly to the take over by WOTC, and it looks as if they are here to stay.

The latest game from TSR that has been years in production and it certainly shows. A generic system that utilises the same mechanics as AD&D and allows the player and games master free reign over the background.

We take a look at the PHB for Alternity and see if it will out shadow the other science fiction games around

The real meat of the Alternity system

The first campaign setting for Alternity. Set in the very far future, can mankind live in peace with his alien neighbours?

Coming Soon to Gamers Web!

A campaign setting for Alternity based on Blizzard Entertainment’s excellent science fiction computer game. Rules, characters, aliens and background. Plus full weapons and ship details.

A campaign setting for Alternity based around the television show that threw mankind against the Chigs an alien race that seem hell bent on exterminating the entire species.