Twilight 2000

Now, it's been a long time since I backed a Kickstarter, though it's been even longer since I backed a Kickstarter for a Role Playing Game.

Twilight 2000 is getting a makeover, by the same people that recently did the highly praised 'Alien' RPG and something based on 'Stranger Things', amongst others. I pretty much missed these but research has reveled some spectacular responses amidst RPG fans, since I've been hiding under a rock.

My lineage with Twilight started here:

and here:

Memories of a fantastic premise (which I recall a few of us even wrote letters of support for back in 1986, when presumed 'leftie' readers (it was the 80s lol) in White Dwarf slagged its pro-WWIII allegedly 'supportive' stance).

On the downside, it had a poor system, though we ended up adapting and improvising to get all our guys onto that last train out of Poland. We didn't get as far as the states to do those last scenarios, which means we missed the Nuclear Sub / MilGov-CivGov war - but then a few of the characters were actually ex-SAS from Birmingham... which inevitably had been nuked.

We did have a lot of stuff based on James Rouch's 'Zone' series.

I still have a bunch of battered books and the original box set - which I had considered selling, but I might just keep now. I know there were other editions and parallel universe rehashes - I missed it all...but not this time...

My original battered boxed set...

Here's the new Promo - 11 days to go at time of writing:

Hyboria Now! Imagi-nations gone mad.

 This idea was discussed with Sprinks while I was looking at doing variants on his new blog for quasi-C17th battles.
It had formed in my head during the current renaissance of Tony Batch's Hyboria campaign on a few blogs (set in the world of Conan the Barbarian). This older blog was also very inspirational, as was Jack's recent work.
Now, if the great flood doesn't wipe out Conan's world 20,000 years ago, and the current land masses don't form as we know them in western Europe, then you get  an analogue for the modern day which promotes:

• The factions and politics of Conan's world ...with Tanks!
• Nations and kingdoms which try to hold themselves together on the back of alternative history, which can be made up on spec to suit the game.
• The odd 'sacred site' which could create all sorts of shenanigans for modern types, if one wanted to inject some extreme gonzo situations into the mix. Maybe the fact that people stop believing in the ancient gods of Hyboria creates ...an issue.

 

Nuts? Probably, and like I would ever have time for this, but consider:

•  The United States of Aquilonia formed from the ancient fiefs and rival kingdoms after decades of creative accounting, and taking most of Pictland to the west (which still has issues).
• The United Kingdoms of Nemedia, also incorporating much of Aesgard and Cimmeria.
• The Zamoran Pact forces to the east, formed from much of Zamora and parts of Turan.
• Shem and Stygia have been fighting each other openly for years - and are openly used, by the larger powers, to test doctrine and equipment from Aquilonia and Zamora/Turan.
• Civil wars and insurrection have been threatening to de-stabilise Iranistan
• There are rumours of some factions developing the 'ultimate' weapon...in order to ensure dominion of the continent.
• Kingdoms to the south, with warlords, civil strife, hunger and pleas to set up a United Nations style organisation in the north - which everyone wants Aquilonia to pay for. 
• I can't even to begin to imagine what Hyborian 'Media' is like... 'we bring you this report live from Cimmeria!'

Advantages? No hassle. I can mingle 80s figures and vehicles with later stuff...maybe even the odd older vehicle.
The Rules? A combination of GDW Team Yankee for tank battles and Squad Hammer or some of Rory Crabbe's stuff for the rest.

 Aquilonian SF in Iranistan.

Turanian armour moves through the Black Gate

Zamoran invasion of Argos; clearing out an old Mitran temple.

Let's see what happens, but the idea is certainly nudging at me.

This movie also helped -  very good: