Alien TV Series In Development

 

During yesterday's four-hour Disney Investors presentation, it was revealed that Fargo and Legion's Noah Hawley was developing an Earth-based Alien television serial for Hulu.

Ridley Scott is in talks to executive produce.

Author Andrew EC Gasker's Q&A On Colonial Marines Operations Manual

Raised by Wolves: Sketch to Screen

Osprey Hopes You Find Those Dark Places Stuffed In Your Stocking

 

Renowned military history publisher Osprey has selected Jonathan Hicks's recently published Those Dark Places: Industrial Science Fiction Roleplaying as one of its Seven Stocking Stuffers From Osprey Games this year. 

The list describes the new game as:

"... a rules-light, story-focused roleplaying game about the darker side of space exploration and the people who travel the stars in claustrophobic, dangerous conditions. Starships, stations, and outposts aren't havens of safety with clean, brightly lit corridors - they're potential deathtraps, funded by budget-conscious corporate interests and running on stale, recycled air and water. The stars may be the future of humanity, but they are also home to horrors and terror the human mind cannot comprehend."

Marvel Age of Alien Begins In March

Arriving from the cold depths of space, a whole new life cycle for the universe's most-terrifying xenomorphs begins next March with the publication of Alien #1 from the new shepherds of the franchise, Marvel Comics.

Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, creator of DC Comics' stunning dark fantasy series The Last God, with art by Salvador Larroca, this new tale will feature "both new and classic characters from Earth and beyond" and is aimed at both "longtime fans and newcomers to the legendary horror/science-fiction saga".

According to Marvel.com:

"The new story will feature a Weyland-Yutani mercenary named Gabriel Cruz as he battles a deadly new breed of xenomorph with the survival of his child hanging in the balance."

New RPG Supplement For Pre-Order: Time To Enrol In The Colonial Marines

Armour piercing rounds sizzle through raw flesh as plasma beams sear swollen retinas. Acrid smoke chokes down your throat before you realize what’s burning is you.

Chemical attacks melt your armour, simmer your eyeballs, and fuse your helmet to your skull, while bioweapons turn your insides out and pulp you into a quivering mound of black jelly.

Welcome to war on the razor edge of space, marine—where nukes are yesterday’s news, pulse rounds are cheap and a human life is only worth its weight in stock options.

It’s a living hell—but none of that’s as bad as the flashes of gnashing metal teeth that terrorize you every time you try to close your eyes—like some monster just split your head open and crawled inside your dreams. Sometimes you’ve gotta wonder what the hell it’s all for.

But no one pays you to ask why, only to follow orders. You’re just a grunt—no offense. So lock and load your pulse rifle, marine—you’ve got a job to do. Protect and serve the citizens and colonies of the Outer Rim colonies—no matter what the cost.

The next highly-anticipated supplement for the Aliens RPG is now available to pre-order from Free League: The Colonial Marines Operations Manual.

As the pre-order page explains:

"The book will be shipped to you in March, 2021. You will get a complete PDF of the book prior to shipping. As a further pre-order bonus, you get at PDF art book collecting stunning high-res art pieces made by Martin Grip, Gustaf Ekelund and Jarek Kubicki. Perfect to have on a device at the gaming table, to set the mood of the gaming session!"

The Colonial Marines Operations Manual gives you all the tools you need to run a full open-world campaign as the iconic Colonial Marines.

The book's contents include:

• History & Organization – the inside story of the illustrious Colonial Marine Corps. 
• Creating Marines – expanded character creation rules for grunts of all kinds. 
• Weapons & Vehicles – an extensive chapter with new gear, gloriously illustrated. 
• The Frontier War – the framework and backstory for a Colonial Marines campaign. 
• Factions on the Frontier – the powers that be and their dark agendas. 
• Marine Missions – six thrilling missions for your Marines, playable in any order. 
• The Endgame – the showdown against a deadly enemy, finally revealed. 

The book will set you back approximately $39.99, with the exact price dependant on currency rates.

Xenomorphs and Laser Swords - China's Variant Knows Its Target Audience!

Bloody Disgusting has this breakdown of Variant's wild plot:

“It was told that Jamie, who was born in space, followed his parents in search of an unknown creature in the universe.

“After a long period of searching, the unknown creature was finally captured by the crew of the Thunder and named “Baal”. Under the lure of Baal, the young Jamie released it.

“Baal” who escaped from the experimental tank killed all the crew and Jamie’s parents, and the young Jamie escaped back to Earth in an escape capsule alone.

“Twenty years later, a variant of “Baal” has now appeared on earth. Jamie must save mankind and find self-redemption.”

All Episodes Of Ridley Scott's Raised By Wolves Drop In UK On December 5

Two androids are tasked with raising human children on a mysterious virgin planet. As the burgeoning colony of humans threatens to be torn apart by religious differences, the androids learn that controlling the beliefs of humans is a treacherous and difficult task.

Interesting Speculative Documentary Could Generate Gaming Ideas

Applying the laws of life on Earth to the rest of the galaxy, this series blends science fact and fiction to imagine alien life on other planets.

Watch Alien Worlds, only on Netflix December 2

"Yippee-ki-yay, Alien Monster!"

 

Fleeing a devastating plague on Earth, an interstellar ark comes under attack from a new threat; a shape-shifting alien force intent on slaughtering what is left of humanity.

On the cusp of fatherhood, a junior mechanic aboard an interstellar ark to New Earth must outwit a malevolent cosmic terror intent on using the spaceship as a weapon.

I don't know if it's the colour palette in use, the lens flares, or the CGI-looking backgrounds (even if they're practical), but there's a whiff of an Asylum mockbuster about Breach that I can't believe it truly warrants.  

Formerly known as Anti-Life, the film, starring Bruce Willis and Thomas Jane, is scheduled for release in the States, in cinemas and on digital, on December 18.

Jonathan Hicks Takes A Look At His Forthcoming RPG: Those Dark Places

GM Ideas: Hell Planet

It may sound like Mustafar, from the Star Wars Universe, but the very real 'hell planet' of K2-141b could give WASP-76b a run for its money as one of the most extreme yet discovered by astronomers.

According to an article on CBS News, this tidally-locked planet boasts rock-vaporising temperatures of over 5,400 degrees Fahrenheit (almost 3,000 degrees Centigrade) on its "day side" while its permanently dark "night side" is a balmy negative 328 degrees Fahrenheit (or minus 200 degrees Centigrade).

As well as a thin, inhospitable atmosphere, the larger-than-Earth-sized planet - which is 202 light years away - rains rocks into 60-mile deep oceans of lava.

The article explains:

"The sodium, silicon monoxide, and silicon dioxide on K2-141b evaporate into mineral vapor, which is carried to the dark side of the planet by supersonic winds that rage over 3,100 miles per hour. From there, rocks "rain" back down into the 60-mile-deep magma ocean, which flows to the bright side to restart the cycle."

Rehomed Predators To Return Late 2021

Cover art by Iban Coello

The first Predator omnibus from Marvel Comics is scheduled to hit stores in August next year, according to the AVP Galaxy website.

Reprinting old Dark Horse comics, Predator: The Original Years Omnibus Vol. 1 will include:

PREDATOR (1989) #1-4, PREDATOR 2 #1-2, PREDATOR: Big Game #1-4, PREDATOR: COLD WAR #1-4, PREDATOR: THE BLOODY SANDS OF TIME #1-2, PREDATOR: RACE WAR #1-4, PREDATOR: BAD BLOOD #1-4, PREDATOR: INVADERS FROM THE FOURTH DIMENSION, PREDATOR: DARK RIVER #1-4, PREDATOR: STRANGE ROUX, and PREDATOR: KINDRED #1-4 – Plus material from DARK HORSE PRESENTS (1986) #46, #67-69, and #119: DARK HORSE COMICS #1-2, #4-7, #10-14, #16-18 and #20-21; and A DECADE OF DARK HORSE #1

As well as the standard cover, featuring cover art by Iban Coello (pictured above), there is to be a direct market variant with a cover from original Predator comic artist Chris Warner.

While the Predators are most definitely not part of the official Alien canon, there's still an enormous overlap in the fandoms and there's nothing to stop Game Mothers from including the Yautja in their campaigns.

These reprints may provide crucial inspiration fuel for those who missed the numerous Dark Horse comics on their first publication.

Mini Epics from Weta Workshop

In 2019, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Alien by unleashing the Xenomorph into our Mini Epics mix. We lost a few Executive Officers in the process. Luckily, our heroine has arrived to get the situation back under control.

The Nostromo’s initial resident is now joined by Ripley and the Facehugger.

Gale Force Nine Launches Dedicated Website For Its Aliens Game

With Gale Force Nine's Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps due to land in stores by the end of the year - along with its two expansion sets (Get Away From Her, You Bitch and Ultimate Badasses), the publisher has launched a dedicated website for the game.

Check it out here - for all the latest info on the game, as well as PDF donwloads of the rules (to get your mind in shape for the actual release of the box sets).

This is a good way for you to get a real taste of the game before you decide whether to pull the trigger on it or not.

Looking For Some Real, Terrifying Sounds Of Space For Your Games?

NASA · Sinister Sounds of the Solar System

Just in time for Halloween, NASA has released a new playlist of sounds — or other types of data that have been converted into audio — recorded by a variety of spacecraft and instruments, ranging from the agency’s Chandra X-ray Observatory to the InSight Martian lander.

We didn't mean to frighten. It's just that our new @SoundCloud playlist captures all the creaks and howls of our amazing universe and we want to share it all with you! This #NASAHalloween, enter the deepest depths of space: https://t.co/unCW8BG9SN

— NASA (@NASA) October 28, 2020

Aliens vs Marvel Heroes on January Variant Covers

While Marvel has been tight-lipped about news of its upcoming Alien books, it is celebrating its acquisition of the franchise with a splash of variant covers on its titles in January.

Here's a selection to whet your appetite. 

Remember these are all just "art pieces" and no indication of whether the infamous xenomorphs are going to be shoehorned into the wider Marvel Comics Universe (as Conan the Barbarian has been) or left to their own devices in their own pocket universe.

Given that Marvel is simply licencing Conan, his being woven so heavily into the fabric of the Marvel Universe has been a big surprise to me

However, the Alien, Predator, and AvP franchises are now owned wholly by Disney (which, in turn, owns Marvel), so I would have thought highly likely that we will see some crossover with superheroes in the future.

The xenomorphs, for instance, could easily replace The Brood (Marvel's old xenomorph rip-offs).

Alien: Modern HBO Max Trailer

The Marines Are Coming

Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen, the Colonial Marines supplement for the Alien RPG is expected by the end of the year, at least in PDF form.

According to the latest Free League newsletter, the massive campaign book is planned to land "before the holidays".

Hopefully, the print iteration won't be too far behind.

What's Canon And What's Not

Alien RPG author and franchise mythology guru Andrew EC Gaska has penned a definitive guide to the canon of the universe where the official Alien roleplaying game (and the movies) takes place.

You can read it in all its glory here:

https://roguereviewer.wordpress.com/2020/10/12/defining-canon-in-an-alien-world/

Before you ask: no, Predators aren't part of the official Alien canon and, yes, it's your game universe, so you can have Predators if you want to stat them up and throw them at unsuspecting colonial marines.

Of particular interest to me is the tier of "myths and legends", which is sort of what I was getting at with my Space Beast ruminations the other month.

Author Jonathan Hicks Runs An Online Game of Those Dark Places

As the release of Osprey's latest roleplaying game, Those Dark Places, draws ever closer, creator Jonathan Hicks runs an online one-shot for members of Garblag Games.

Alien RPG Writer Andrew E.C. Gaska Answers Fan Questions

Aliens: Last Stand

Aliens: Last Stand is a fan made film by German directors Felix Berner and Dieter Joppich. Berner and Joppich who are both sci-fi enthusiasts and fans of the ALIEN franchise started filming in 2017.

They were supported by the German Colonial Marines, a Germany-based group of Alien fans founded by Berner in 2016. The two filmmakers filmed most of the material in front of a green screen.

Aliens: Last Stand takes place on board the military ship USS. Yotumo where Sgt. Davis (played by Ricco Ross from the movie Aliens) sends out a distress signal into space.

A troop of marine raiders stationed on moon LV-446 head immediately towards the USS. Yotumo. Little do they know that arriving on board of the ship will not only seal their fate but also end their lives.

Deep inside the ship there are creatures already lurking for their next price.

Will the marines survive against the xenomorphs? And how did Sgt. Davis manage to send a distress signal in the first place? Reload your pulse rifles and buckle up, because in space nobody can hear you scream.

Raised By Wolves: Ridley Scott Gives Us A Glimpse into His World

Ridley Scott gives a behind the scenes look into the process of creating the futuristic world featured in Raised By Wolves. Stream the new series now on HBO Max

Come November, You Too Can Eat Like A Xenomorph

Due to hit UK bookstores on November 10, Alien: The Official Cookbook, by genre-themed cooking expert Chris-Rachael Oseland, promises:

"Thrill your friends and frighten your family with 50 delectable recipes inspired by the cult sci-fi Alien series! Delight your friends with a journey through the Xenomorph s terrifying life cycle.

Alien: The Official Cookbook collects together 50 recipes inspired by the cult Alien franchise; featuring recipes such as avocado Xenomorph eggs and chicken facehugger cordon bleu, there s something to whet every appetite, no matter how monstrous. Whether you re a fan of the Alien franchise, or you re just looking for the perfect quirky appetizers, this cookbook will thrill the eyes and the tastebuds.

At last, it is your turn to be space s greatest apex predator."

Check some sample pages below to get a taste:

New Alien Box Sets From Free League Have Docked At GAME OVER Station!

My glorious new box sets for the Free League's Alien RPG docked at GAME OVER Station today... and I couldn't be happier.

I can highly recommend both the Starter Set (although check the original post for the contents list as it does duplicate a lot of what has already been released) and Destroyer of World, the next Cinematic scenario.

Night Terrors: Graveyard Moon Could Easily Work In The Alien ' Verse

In the not so far future, Earth no longer has space for graveyards. Callisto, a rocky moon of Jupiter, has become designated as the graveyard planet, but only the wealthy can afford a proper burial there. Cooper and his longtime crew prepare to transport a load of the dead, having flown this route many times over. But their routine trip to the graveyard moon is disrupted by deception and greed… and they find themselves under siege by the ghosts of the dead they carry.

John Carpenter’s Night Terrors: Graveyard Moon is the first of a new range of standalone graphic novels from Storm King Comics, out this month.

Written by comic book horror legend Steve Niles, the full-colour 72-page trade paperback tells the story of the crew of a cargo ship transporting corpses for burial on a designated 'Graveyard Moon' and finding themselves ensnared in unfathomable horror.

Check out the sample pages below:

ALIEN STARTER SET AND DESTROYER OF WORLDS RELEASED BY FREE LEAGUE TODAY!

Free League has released two new box sets in support of its award-winning Alien RPG today: the Starter Set and the Destroyer Of Worlds adventure.

Pre-orders are being packed and will be dispatched shortly, and you can now order the box sets from the Free League store or, if you prefer PDFs and just want it all in digital format, via DriveThruRPG.

The Starter Set is designed to be the perfect entry point into the game and the Alien universe.

It contains everything needed to start playing:

• A 104-page condensed rulebook
• The 48-page complete Cinematic scenario Chariot of the Gods by Andrew E.C. Gaska
• Five pre-generated characters to play
• A huge full-colour, double-sided map, with one side depicting chartered space in the year 2183 and the other floor plans for the Chariot of the Gods scenario
• 84 game markers for keeping track of characters, motion tracker pings, and more
• 56 custom cards for weapons, personal agendas, and initiative in combat
• A set each of ten engraved Base Dice and ten Stress Dice, designed specifically for the Alien roleplaying game.

Destroyer of Worlds is a complete Cinematic scenario, written by sci-fi novelist Andrew E.C. Gaska just like the previous Chariot of the Gods.

In Destroyer of Worlds, players take the roles of Colonial Marines.

The scenario is designed for three to five players plus the Game Mother, and it’s a gauntlet of one hell after another.

Expect it to take three sessions to complete.

This boxed set contains:

• The main Destroyer of Worlds scenario book
• A huge double-sided map of the Ariaricus moon colony on one side and the Fort Nebraska space elevator ground base on the other
• Seven pre-generated characters to play
• Custom cards for weapons, vehicles, and personal agendas
• Player maps and handouts