Ok, so the 40k universe was never exactly cheery, but back when I played this...



... it wasn't an exercise in absolute nihilism that made me feel cold and empty whenever I brushed into its fluff.

I miss the 40k that was death metal rather than the death metal emphasis it wallows in now. A little more escapism please?

Other thoughts: The space hulk presented in this game was populated by a mix of evil factions. Chaos marines working with orks working with genestealers working with proto-necrons. I kinda dig that, even though it didn't really work with the fluff back then and certainly doesn't now.

Though dark eldar are probably the most depressing thing about modern 40k, I would like to see them in this as baddies. Tau would also be fun as a "heroic" faction. Oh, and squats or demiurge or whatever their niche is/will become.

Playing this with several friends was a blast. Most 40k games are difficult to play as anything other than 1 versus 1. I'd like more options for party night 40k.

I played it on a gaming convention once.
It was delightful.
I also used to own Advanced Space Crusade.
That and the original Space Hulk, with the supplements Deathwing and Genestealer, was what eventually inspired me later to make my own games when I found they were discontinued.

Lovely game. I wound up designing Blood Bowl teams based on the Marines and Chaos, in the version of BB that I cobbled together from 2e's player charts and it's fluff book (Note, I didn't have a rulebook). SC's version of 40k doesn't go into much detail (Little space, game for a younger target audience), but it hits all the high points; the gameplay is pretty simple, but it works fine, there's enough strategy to be interesting, and it's just fun to play.

I'd happily buy a remake of this, and while it would obviously need a few edits to fit in with the modern fluff (I'd be tempted to split the OpFor team into three and give each more detail, than the chaos mishmash currently; the Stealers would remain as equal-opportunity villains), I think it's a shame that it's basically a dead licence.

I'm glad that I nabbed a copy of the remake of Space Hulk, even if it does feel a bit clunky. The bits and pieces (especially the tiles) are hella re-usable in other games.

I've sometimes idly batted about the idea of adapting the rules of Necromunda to run one-off encounters between opposing races that encounter each other in a contested space hulk. Eldar vs orks sounds very appealing.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;796831I've sometimes idly batted about the idea of adapting the rules of Necromunda to run one-off encounters between opposing races that encounter each other in a contested space hulk. Eldar vs orks sounds very appealing.

GorkaMorka mentioned being part of a "skirmish line" of games; I always thought that a game set on a craftworld, with gladiatorial / training contests between warbands of aspect warriors... or better still on Comorragh, between rival warbands... would be fun. You'd lose some variety (Not that Gorkers and Morkers were amazingly different), but there's enough in each race that they could probably carry it.

An Eye of Terror game writes itself, really.

I never got Space Crusade, and its on my list of overpriced goodies to snag off eBay one of these days. We played the heck out of Space Hulk though.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;796474... it wasn't an exercise in absolute nihilism that made me feel cold and empty whenever I brushed into its fluff.

I miss the 40k that was death metal rather than the death metal emphasis it wallows in now. A little more escapism please?

Two questions - why do you see the current 40k as absolute nihilism?

What made the setting more interesting in Space Crusade? Was it the same setting stuff as the original Rogue Trader, or something else?
 
I agree the mixed space hulk sounds like a fun idea. Chaos + Orks + Tyranids sounds like a nice space dungeon.

Quote from: Spinachcat;797313Two questions - why do you see the current 40k as absolute nihilism?

It was a shift in emphasis. 40k used to have a more prominent goofy and crazy heroic side to temper its hopeless fascist grit. I've got my 2nd ed books here to compare with the later material, and while the basic content of the universe is the same, the tone is just harsher.

An art comparison might help, in a microcosmic sense:





Notice how the second image is the same basic idea, only taking itself more seriously and, I would argue, missing the point. These are the space orks; they are at least 75% joke right off the bat.

Quote from: Spinachcat;797313What made the setting more interesting in Space Crusade? Was it the same setting stuff as the original Rogue Trader, or something else?

The universe felt more open to interpretation, factions mixed more readily, the action felt like it could mean something or make a difference even within a firmly inhuman context, the tone is less serious and more "Saturday Morning Cartoon covered in chainsaws and cathedrals".

Quote from: Spinachcat;797313... sounds like a nice space dungeon.

That's what this game is, yeah.

Ah...the red period.  I don't mind the muted tones over the garish colors of those days and John Blanche's sepia and yellow pallet is nicely gribbly.  Not that he's doing much in the current run of things as far as I know.  But man I'd like to see Ian Miller's work in 40k again.

I miss all the cool little more or less self contained games.  I expect the next big thing will be Battle Fleet Gothic in 28mm.  The ships will all be in plastic and cost $10000 but the fans will argue it's just what they've been doing in fantasy these days writ large and it's not that expensive when you divide the cost by the hours of fun you'll have assembling all the thousands of little minarets and gun ports.  On second thought it'll also be GW's return to metal with every ship being built around a genuine Games Workshop I-beam.  Battle Foam will produce a laser cut semi trailer with small crane to aid in transporting your ship.

I really wanted Space Crusade but it doesn't seem to have made it to Canada.  I did get The Mutant Chronicles Siege at the Citadel which is a fantastic game along the same lines and it started me down the dark path to Mutant Chronicles.  The new Warzone is great, a bit fussy with all the card play but fun.  But what I'd love to see is something along the lines of the board game or Fury of the Clansmen.  It's unforgivable that FFG didn't do something like that with the licence instead of the terrible 1/32 game.  Which I bought lots of anyhow.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;797437The universe felt more open to interpretation, factions mixed more readily, the action felt like it could mean something or make a difference even within a firmly inhuman context, the tone is less serious and more "Saturday Morning Cartoon covered in chainsaws and cathedrals".

Oh, I agree on this fully and entirely.
It was far more a feeling of "This is guidelines only - anything goes".

You guys should check out the Oldhammer community. Rogue Trader retro stuff is getting pretty big these days. I still want to run that one RT scenario where Tom Baker's Dr Who shows up in the middle of an Imperial City and causes havoc....

Quote from: TristramEvans;797678You guys should check out the Oldhammer community. Rogue Trader retro stuff is getting pretty big these days. I still want to run that one RT scenario where Tom Baker's Dr Who shows up in the middle of an Imperial City and causes havoc....

Will do. I'm on a big Necromunda kick lately, and the idea of using that to bridge back to Rogue Trader is tempting.

I've been Oldhammering for years because Mordheim (my fav) had a strong local fanbase and my other fav, Warmaster was stillborn and forgotten upon release by GW.

I've played a bunch Rogue Trader games over the years, and its a hoot, but damn RAW is odd. Remember you are rolling for random gear for the minis.

If you are playing Necromunda, you're nearly playing Rogue Trader.

Mordheim was my fav too, still have my Nurgle Carnival of Chaos band (I've upgraded my Skaven though, as that unfortunately was during the "monkey-rat" phase). Can't wait for the new videogame this year.

QuoteCan't wait for the new videogame this year.

I suppose it's too much to hope that this indicates the GW leadership might be toying with the possibility of true skirmish level games as an entry point again?