Is Ogre based on Keith Laumers “Bolo” stories?
A. No, it’s a completely original background and technology. When Ogre was originally designed for Metagaming, the plan was to seek a Bolo license. But it cost too much to be worthwhile for such a small game (the original edition of Ogre was a $2.95 minigame). The owner of Metagaming said, “Invent a different background.” Steve was happy to comply, as he had some ideas that were incompatible with the Bolo background. So it all worked out. The Bolo stories remain one of the two original inspirations behind Ogre – the other being a story called “Gottlos,” by Colin Kapp – and we acknowledge the debt to Laumer’s apocalyptic vision!
