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:
It was the U.S. and Soviet equipment guides that tipped me over the edge; have the same box set as you and lots of the scenario guides. At the time I wasn't doing much role-playing having done Runequest and Bushido (before that D&D) was resting from it apart from Call of Cthulu (which was easier to run).
ReplyDeleteIt was the background, with the bits on converting 1/87 vehicles which grabbed me. Had all sorts of wild ideas such as constructing weird and wonderful gunboats for Pirates of the Vistula. Ended up collecting Roco and other 1/87 stuff and the Grenadier tie in figures as well as Platoon 20.
Then found a copy of Combined Arms (modern Command Decision) and switched to mainstream modern (well 1980s....) gaming.
Still have it and have managed to obtain lots of stuff I would have loved to have had back then. I'm now contemplating repurposing for Megablitz......hmm now there's an idea a TW2000 version of Megablitz....Apocablitz? No, no! Get theme behind me Satan.....
Yes Neil - a golden age perhaps LOL
DeleteNOw - you had me at Apocablitz!!!
20mm modern toys at Shock Army level. Count me in!!!
Playtesters available...
I had actually considered Bob C.'s 'Hexblitz' for running scenarios from the old Avalon Hill 'Tac Air' game.
I think it has to happen now Neil ...it's out there...Apocoblitz! ...shiny.
I've posted some pictures of what the toys would look like......
DeleteThere's a version of Megablitz for moderns which used to be in the files of the Yahoo group. The main issue is going to be POL and ammo with enforced halts to disill alcohol and refill ammo.
I was always quite taken with GDW's "The Game" as a concept where they filled in the history from TW2000 to get the background for Traveller 2300. Never published and there are only scraps of information out there and someone has developed their own version.
That's a great post. The kit looks gorgeous.
DeletePOL and Red force flexibility must feature in there I thing.
The rest should be easy - as 'rotor is to track as track is to boot'?
I think i read somewhere that the KS met its initial goal within 10 minutes! I purchased the original rules on Ebay about 5 years ago and bought a bunch of the scenario books when I was younger for the stories and narratives alone (a New England town capturing a nuclear sub and using it for electricity? What is not to love about that???)
ReplyDeleteThe equipment guides which had a few pages of color plates of the vehicles from the various theaters was exceptional.
Taking every bone in my body not to order as I know I'll never play it!!
I know mate, I know.
DeleteThe difference I see now though, is that when we were playing it as kids, it was D&D with M16s. I think now that we're all amateur scriptwriters, and know both the world and people a little more, it'd be a tense game in terms of the drama focusing on trying to survive, reach that 'last train home', keep our humanity intact, and stop those with baser human instincts trying to subjugate the weak.
WOw - like 'the Walking Dead' but well written LOL.
But yeah, I just couldn't resist. One of the settings is Sweden, which is already fairly sparse and a perfect sandbox for the game.
Yep it would make an outstanding campaign setting for a series of linked skirmish games, too. Oh wait...now we're onto something!!!
ReplyDeleteBut which rules to use for post apoc battles in war torn, nuclear wasteland Europe or North America??? How do we even begin to do that setting justice?
D and D with M16s sounds awesome!!
Aha...now the last battle game above is actually a 'first battle' gdw variant.
DeleteHow about combining that with the game clock and traits mechanisms from Altar of Freedom?
A real (and lovely) blast from the past. I picked this up to try and get a combat system out of it, but it’s role playing credentials and narrative were too strong for me to separate one from the other, it seemed that 90% of the success of the title was the richness of the narrative.
ReplyDeleteAgreed Norm - absolutely.
DeleteThe fact that they're giving it an 'alternate history' bent on this occasion is very timely, and hooks a lot of the fans who were influenced by the game as teenagers.
A great (semi) fiction that allows all sorts of gaming possibilities.
I have vague memories of playing this RPG or something like it. Very vague. Most of my RPG days were spent doing super heroes like X-men or vampires. Lol.
ReplyDeleteI hate waiting for KS orders to be fulfilled. I feel like I am buying something on layaway for over a year. 😀
Yes - I did ply the odd wierd hero - but I was far too grown up when the vampires became vogue - even though it apparently attracted ladies to RPGs!!!
DeleteTwilight 2000 - now that brings back happy memories! Cheers Greg
ReplyDeleteI feel they are appealing to a market demographic who are squinting behind their rose tinted specs LOL
DeleteNot heard of Twilight 2000 before, Duc - looks interesting.
ReplyDeleteAh - well Jack - you are missing a treat.
DeleteYou're US Military stuck in Poland after the worst of WWIII.
Your final orders are...'you're on your own'...'good luck'