Task Force Games
Encyclopedia
Task Force Games was a game company started in 1979 by Allen Eldridge and Stephen Cole
. Mr. Cole left the company in the early 1980's, but continued to design the company's best selling Star Fleet Battles
game. Mr. Eldridge sold the company to New World Computing in 1988. The company went through an additional change of ownership and is currently out of business.
The Star Fleet Battles
series of games is currently published by the original designers, Amarillo Design Bureau Inc.
TFG published many games, including the Starfire
series of games which were later novelized by David Weber
into such books as In Death Ground
, The Shiva Option
and Insurrection. They also published historical games such as Battlewagon and History of the Second World War.
Task Force Games also published a series of Pocket Games, their version of microgame
s. Several of these microgames were later expanded and released as board games. TFG microgames include:
Many of the games were considered cutting edge for their time. One distinct feature that many of them had was that unlike many wargames of that era, players often had a degree of customization over their armies—For instance, in the Starfire series, a player could design every component of his starships, and in Robots!, a player could build his individual robots from a modular design, making tradeoffs in price and functionality between different movement and weapons systems.
Stephen V. Cole
Stephen V. Cole is an American game designer and the CEO of Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc. which publishes Star Fleet Battles, Federation and Empire, Federation Commander, Prime Directive, and other wargames set in the Star Fleet Universe.Cole, an engineer and former US Army intelligence officer,...
. Mr. Cole left the company in the early 1980's, but continued to design the company's best selling Star Fleet Battles
Star Fleet Battles
Star Fleet Battles is a tactical board wargame set in an offshoot of the Star Trek setting called the Star Fleet Universe. Originally created in 1979 by Stephen V. Cole,...
game. Mr. Eldridge sold the company to New World Computing in 1988. The company went through an additional change of ownership and is currently out of business.
The Star Fleet Battles
Star Fleet Battles
Star Fleet Battles is a tactical board wargame set in an offshoot of the Star Trek setting called the Star Fleet Universe. Originally created in 1979 by Stephen V. Cole,...
series of games is currently published by the original designers, Amarillo Design Bureau Inc.
Amarillo Design Bureau Inc.
Amarillo Design Bureau is a company which specializes in tactical and strategic board wargames. The company is a successor to Task Force Games, and is owned and operated by Steve and Leanna Cole, with partner Steve Petrick, and based in Amarillo, Texas...
TFG published many games, including the Starfire
Starfire (strategy game)
Starfire is a board wargame simulating space warfare and empire building in the 23rd century, created by Stephen V. Cole in 1979.-Starfire editions:...
series of games which were later novelized by David Weber
David Weber
David Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Weber and his wife Sharon live in Greenville, South Carolina with their three children and "a passel of dogs"....
into such books as In Death Ground
In Death Ground
In Death Ground is a 1997 military science fiction novel by David Weber and Steve White. The story is completed in the novel The Shiva Option....
, The Shiva Option
The Shiva Option
The Shiva Option, published by Baen Books, is the sequel to David Weber and Steve White's military science fiction novel In Death Ground.-Plot summary:...
and Insurrection. They also published historical games such as Battlewagon and History of the Second World War.
Task Force Games also published a series of Pocket Games, their version of microgame
Microgame
A microgame is a board game or wargame packaged in a small set. Microgames enjoyed popularity during the 1980s...
s. Several of these microgames were later expanded and released as board games. TFG microgames include:
Many of the games were considered cutting edge for their time. One distinct feature that many of them had was that unlike many wargames of that era, players often had a degree of customization over their armies—For instance, in the Starfire series, a player could design every component of his starships, and in Robots!, a player could build his individual robots from a modular design, making tradeoffs in price and functionality between different movement and weapons systems.