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Other Games, Development, & Campaigns => Other Games => Topic started by: TristramEvans on April 10, 2013, 08:33:51 PM

Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: TristramEvans on April 10, 2013, 08:33:51 PM
SJG shipped out copies on April 4th, reportedly, should be in a few stores by now.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: K Peterson on April 10, 2013, 09:20:21 PM
Really? First I've heard of it.

I've been holding my breath for a Deluxe Car Wars Kickstarter - which was talked about during the OGRE Kickstarter last year.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: everloss on April 10, 2013, 09:32:28 PM
one of the dudes in my group got a bunch of the scenario packs! We haven't played yet, but I'm excited.

Car Wars was one of the first games I ever played! I sucked at it though, and was more interested in the weird backstory and the cars themselves than actually playing (I was 8).
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Rincewind1 on April 10, 2013, 09:34:07 PM
Haven't heard of it before, looks like it may be worth purchasing when it's out on Polish market.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Spinachcat on April 10, 2013, 09:43:05 PM
I'd only pick up Cars Wars again if it got a modern revamp of the rules.

If you like Car Wars, I highly suggest Dan George's Road Kill Rally. I got to playtest this one for several years through its various iterations at PolyCon and its a blast.

It's Death Race 2000 (aka, its a race where you kill pedestrians and other drivers) and during the playtest, the images of the various men, women, geezers and kids that you get to run down were Dan's friends and family.

Road Kill Rally
http://www.zmangames.com/boardgames/road_kill_rally.htm
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/65225/road-kill-rally
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Piestrio on April 10, 2013, 09:51:27 PM
Link please?
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: jibbajibba on April 10, 2013, 10:12:29 PM
Quote from: Spinachcat;644853I'd only pick up Cars Wars again if it got a modern revamp of the rules.

If you like Car Wars, I highly suggest Dan George's Road Kill Rally. I got to playtest this one for several years through its various iterations at PolyCon and its a blast.

It's Death Race 2000 (aka, its a race where you kill pedestrians and other drivers) and during the playtest, the images of the various men, women, geezers and kids that you get to run down were Dan's friends and family.

Road Kill Rally
http://www.zmangames.com/boardgames/road_kill_rally.htm
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/65225/road-kill-rally

I agree withthat.
Car wars is great but lets be honest 5 hours to play out 8 seconds of combat is a bit sloooowwwwww
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Doom on April 10, 2013, 10:18:57 PM
I bought the game, but only played a time or two. On the other hand, I enjoyed the C64 Car Wars game. AADA ftw!
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: flyerfan1991 on April 10, 2013, 11:50:45 PM
Quote from: Doom;644858I bought the game, but only played a time or two. On the other hand, I enjoyed the C64 Car Wars game. AADA ftw!

Oh man, I played AADA for hours back in college.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: David Johansen on April 11, 2013, 12:21:46 AM
Wait! What?

Damnit I have to get this on my shelves, STAT!

Anyhow, Car Wars plays out small duels and battles reasonably fast.  Like Battle Tech and Star Fleet Battles, the problems came when people wanted to play out huge engagements using the ultra detailed rules.

Do we know anything about this re-release?  Is it a new version or a hybrid or what?
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Mistwell on April 11, 2013, 01:19:46 AM
Guys, there have been many new releases with more modernized rules. I think they are working on version 6 now? (Sere here for details on 6e (http://forums.sjgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=23)).  This is just a special re-release of the original rules.  If you want a modern version of the game...go buy version 5, or wait on version 6.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Silverlion on April 11, 2013, 02:36:07 AM
I hope they get with the 21st century and find a way to do plastic cars/metal cars that are more hot wheels than  "mini" style. And rules to suit.

I miss Car Wars, but I do want something fast and visual and cardboard is so last century.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Bill on April 11, 2013, 09:01:00 AM
I played a lot of car wars back in the day. Awesome fun!

We did some mad max style rpg campaigns as well.

Funny how that worked great without an actual ruleset for the characters, just the cars :)
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Exploderwizard on April 11, 2013, 09:38:59 AM
Quote from: Silverlion;644881I hope they get with the 21st century and find a way to do plastic cars/metal cars that are more hot wheels than  "mini" style. And rules to suit.

I miss Car Wars, but I do want something fast and visual and cardboard is so last century.

We took care of that long ago. Just scale everything up (including the turning keys) and use actual matchbox/ hotwheels cars.

TA-DA!! :)

We glued them to uniform sized plasicard bases to keep measurements precise. It was pure awesome.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Silverlion on April 11, 2013, 11:10:13 AM
Quote from: Exploderwizard;644949We glued them to uniform sized plasicard bases to keep measurements precise. It was pure awesome.

Well the "bigger" sets they produced a while back sans full rules did this as well. I am fine with them using such new measurements and letting me get Hot Wheels, but it would be nice if they got to work with say Jada and their original smaller scale Battle Machines line. Since they had onboard weapons..

Link
 (http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Machines-Chevy-Camaro-Package/dp/B002EOCFNA/ref=sr_1_19?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1365692932&sr=1-19&keywords=Jada)
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: daniel_ream on April 11, 2013, 11:40:43 AM
Rules for Car Wars at any scale you like go back to 1984, with the Peoria Piledrivers' Upscaling Car Wars article in ADQ. As of DCW, all you need is a turning key in the right scale.

While I played a lot of CW back in the day, since discovering games like Wreckage, Outrider and Axles & Alloys I don't think I'd go back.  Outrider in particular hits a sweet spot between detail and speed for me, and it board-game-izes a lot of the fiddly rules.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: K Peterson on April 11, 2013, 11:45:48 AM
Quote from: Silverlion;644965I am fine with them using such new measurements and letting me get Hot Wheels, but it would be nice if they got to work with say Jada and their original smaller scale Battle Machines line. Since they had onboard weapons..
[/URL]
God damn, those are nice. As are the majority of their 1:64 line (http://www.battlemachinesrc.com/products?brand=Battle%20Machines&scale=1:64&pagenum=1).
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: soltakss on April 11, 2013, 02:59:16 PM
I remember playing Car Wars in the 80s - a mad little game which was satisfying to build the vehicles and watch them get smashed by a bulldozer or a group of bike-riding thugs. It was surprising how much fun it was.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: AndrewSFTSN on April 11, 2013, 04:25:13 PM
The last re-release (with the streamlined rules and larger scale) just petered out partway through didn't it?  I bought the duel sets and was eagerly awaiting vehicle construction rules-might be wrong but I don't think they ever materialised.

Occasionally play the pocket box set using the PDF of the compendium I bookletized...it's always comedy gold getting a few mates together and playing out a 3 second battle.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: TristramEvans on April 11, 2013, 05:58:38 PM
Quote from: Piestrio;644855Link please?

http://www.sjgames.com/newproducts/
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Zevious Zoquis on April 11, 2013, 05:59:38 PM
I may be mistaken but I think that re-release of the classic Car Wars game is PDF only....
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: TristramEvans on April 11, 2013, 06:06:38 PM
Quote from: Zevious Zoquis;645052I may be mistaken but I think that re-release of the classic Car Wars game is PDF only....

Pretty sure pdfs dont have "shipping dates".
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: K Peterson on April 11, 2013, 06:24:55 PM
Quote from: TristramEvans;645057Pretty sure pdfs dont have "shipping dates".
Sure, but when the product itself is described as a PDF, and there are other documents on that new releases page that are listed as PDFs... it begins to look like "Shipped April 4th, 2013" is just another phrase for "Released April...."  
Quote from:  SJGamesThe maps for this supplement were originally printed on oversized paper, so this PDF contains two formats: the original map size, for those with access to oversize printers, and modified versions that span multiple regular sheets.

100-page PDF. Stock #30-1400, $5.99.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Spinachcat on April 12, 2013, 02:44:13 AM
Quote from: Silverlion;644881I miss Car Wars, but I do want something fast and visual and cardboard is so last century.

My problem getting people to play even something faster like Road Kill Rally is that "car wars" is one of those genres that console games just do better than a boardgame can.

Quote from: daniel_ream;644973While I played a lot of CW back in the day, since discovering games like Wreckage, Outrider and Axles & Alloys I don't think I'd go back.  Outrider in particular hits a sweet spot between detail and speed for me, and it board-game-izes a lot of the fiddly rules.

How is Wreckage? I have almost bought it twice.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: daniel_ream on April 12, 2013, 03:19:34 AM
Quote from: Spinachcat;645128How is Wreckage? I have almost bought it twice.

It's pretty limited in scope, but I picked it up on clearance for $10 so I don't mind.  The mechanics are kind of similar to Battlecars, if you ever played that.

There are one or two gamebreakingly bad rules that are easily spotted and house ruled out (like so much as brushing up against a barrel means your car is immediately and permanently hulked) but other than that it makes a fun little drive around and bash game.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Silverlion on April 12, 2013, 12:01:52 PM
Quote from: Spinachcat;645128My problem getting people to play even something faster like Road Kill Rally is that "car wars" is one of those genres that console games just do better than a boardgame can.

True enough, hell why don't we have a new Car Wars video game?
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: daniel_ream on April 12, 2013, 12:53:54 PM
Probably because for whatever reason SJG is really awful at licensing their properties.

Interstate '76 was a blatant Car Wars ripoff (at the time SJG was considering legal action, and now, years later, I've heard from one of the ex-dev studio people that Car Wars was absolutely the source of the design and mechanics) and the sadly-departed MMO Auto Assault was everything you could have asked for and a bag of crisps from a Car Wars style video game.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Zevious Zoquis on April 12, 2013, 04:22:33 PM
Quote from: TristramEvans;645057Pretty sure pdfs dont have "shipping dates".

apparently SJG's do...  ;)
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: TristramEvans on April 12, 2013, 04:30:45 PM
Quote from: Zevious Zoquis;645341apparently SJG's do...  ;)

Apparently. What a disappointment.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Bradford C. Walker on April 12, 2013, 05:49:45 PM
Quote from: Spinachcat;645128My problem getting people to play even something faster like Road Kill Rally is that "car wars" is one of those genres that console games just do better than a boardgame can.
Agreed. Hell, just digitizing the existing game and making online play available would be a huge upgrade in the gameplay experience.  (This is being attempted with Battletech, last I heard; saw TotalBiscuit interview the folks making it as a XBL title.)
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: everloss on April 12, 2013, 09:19:30 PM
Quote from: Bradford C. Walker;645394Agreed. Hell, just digitizing the existing game and making online play available would be a huge upgrade in the gameplay experience.  (This is being attempted with Battletech, last I heard; saw TotalBiscuit interview the folks making it as a XBL title.)

Battletech has been playable online, for free, for at least 5 years. At least, since that's as long as I've been playing it.
Mekwars.org (http://www.mekwars.org/) for an entire multiplayer campaign, or Megamek.info (http://megamek.info/) for other resources.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Mistwell on April 12, 2013, 10:35:50 PM
There's this (http://www.dark-wind.com/).
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Bradford C. Walker on April 13, 2013, 04:27:43 AM
Quote from: everloss;645442Battletech has been playable online, for free, for at least 5 years. At least, since that's as long as I've been playing it.
Mekwars.org (http://www.mekwars.org/) for an entire multiplayer campaign, or Megamek.info (http://megamek.info/) for other resources.
I'm talking about this, from the first week of September last year: Mechwarrior Tactics at PAX East 2012 (http://youtu.be/zaxIEY4BDGc)

I want a new Car Wars with this sort of adaptation approach.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Bradford C. Walker on April 13, 2013, 04:32:33 AM
Quote from: Mistwell;645453There's this (http://www.dark-wind.com/).
I am surprised that SJG hasn't sent them a letter.  That's awfully close.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Shawn Driscoll on April 13, 2013, 09:16:24 PM
Quote from: TristramEvans;644833SJG shipped out copies on April 4th, reportedly, should be in a few stores by now.

SJGames always goes on the cheap with its board games.  Been there, done that.  So no.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: everloss on April 13, 2013, 09:17:01 PM
Quote from: Bradford C. Walker;645491I'm talking about this, from the first week of September last year: Mechwarrior Tactics at PAX East 2012 (http://youtu.be/zaxIEY4BDGc)


Okay, I just creamed my jeans.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: crkrueger on April 13, 2013, 09:34:31 PM
Quote from: Bradford C. Walker;645491I'm talking about this, from the first week of September last year: Mechwarrior Tactics at PAX East 2012 (http://youtu.be/zaxIEY4BDGc)

I want a new Car Wars with this sort of adaptation approach.

Yeah I'd play that Battletech game for about 5 years.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: RPGPundit on April 14, 2013, 06:01:30 PM
So is this a thread about a Car Wars-themed RPG?

Because otherwise I suspect its on the wrong forum.

RPGPundit
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: David Johansen on April 14, 2013, 06:15:23 PM
Car Wars always has been an edge case.  It's certainly a tactical map based game but there are strong roleplaying elements.  Not to the extent of the Mech Warrior rpg but none the less it's a game about character development.  You get experience and money and buy new stuff and the scenarios are generally very free form and player decision based.  Your players decide to take a load of alcohol from Texas to California and they have encounters along the way and collect salvage and money from their fallen enemies.  Or your biker gang decides to rob the bank in Midville, heh, TPK.

So, yeah, you could move it but I'd lean towards leaving it.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: RPGPundit on April 16, 2013, 01:08:51 AM
It is an edge case; but I think it much more of a war/skirmish game with some rpg-like elements than the other way around.

RPGPundit
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Bradford C. Walker on April 16, 2013, 06:00:06 AM
Quote from: RPGPundit;646270It is an edge case; but I think it much more of a war/skirmish game with some rpg-like elements than the other way around.
It's even worse if you ever tried to integrate GURPS Autoduel into it.  (I did, once.)  It's not like there's nothing to hang a TRPG on, but they never went so far as Dave and Gary did in building out Chainmail into OD&D.  (Red Leader) Almost there... (/Red Leader)
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Shawn Driscoll on April 16, 2013, 07:25:56 AM
Quote from: Bradford C. Walker;646314It's even worse if you ever tried to integrate GURPS Autoduel into it.  (I did, once.)  It's not like there's nothing to hang a TRPG on, but they never went so far as Dave and Gary did in building out Chainmail into OD&D.  (Red Leader) Almost there... (/Red Leader)

Compares his Car Wars Champions RPG with his GURPS Autoduel RPG.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: David Johansen on April 16, 2013, 09:34:40 AM
Well they did do GURPS Autoduel.  In a particularly bizzare moment they decided to dumb down the vehicle design system for it.  Mind you before GURPS Vehicles came along we had to cludge our own rough vehicle stats together between the rules in Autoduel, Riverworld, and Space.  Can't say as we liked it though.

The Road Atlas and Survival guides went quite a ways to develop the setting.  California is basically cyberpunk and New Mexico is basically Mad Max :D
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: TristramEvans on April 16, 2013, 09:30:41 PM
Quote from: RPGPundit;646270It is an edge case; but I think it much more of a war/skirmish game with some rpg-like elements than the other way around.


so, just like OD&D.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Xavier Onassiss on April 17, 2013, 12:38:27 PM
Quote from: TristramEvans;646554so, just like OD&D.

:rotfl:

Yup.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: RPGPundit on April 18, 2013, 06:31:40 PM
Yeah, I think this belongs elsewhere.

RPGPundit
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: daniel_ream on April 25, 2013, 04:25:52 PM
Quote from: David Johansen;646342Well they did do GURPS Autoduel.  In a particularly bizzare moment they decided to dumb down the vehicle design system for it.

What they did was translate the mechanics for vehicle combat direct across to GURPS, resulting in Car Wars with GURPS mechanics.  That this resulted in .50 cal vehicle mounted MGs having 3d6 Cr damage is just part of the hilarious failure charm.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Shawn Driscoll on April 25, 2013, 09:44:23 PM
Just remember that in Car Wars, pointing a gun to your own head and shooting never kills you on the first shot.  I don't remember why you should remember this though.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Bradford C. Walker on May 02, 2013, 08:12:00 PM
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;649396Just remember that in Car Wars, pointing a gun to your own head and shooting never kills you on the first shot.  I don't remember why you should remember this though.
Pedestrians have 3 HP.  Light Pistols do 1 HP in damage.  Heavy Pistols do 2.  Pedestrians go down when they are at 1 HP, and die at 0.  Therefore no one can kill himself with a handgun in Car Wars.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: TristramEvans on May 02, 2013, 08:29:26 PM
Quote from: Bradford C. Walker;651566Pedestrians have 3 HP.  Light Pistols do 1 HP in damage.  Heavy Pistols do 2.  Pedestrians go down when they are at 1 HP, and die at 0.  Therefore no one can kill himself with a handgun in Car Wars.

Because you're supposed to run them over with your car!
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: David Johansen on May 02, 2013, 08:40:08 PM
Well, the first edition of GURPS Autoduel was a bit of a mess.  The setting is a fun cyberpunk lite kinda playground.  The second edition of GURPS Autoduel used GURPS Vehicles first edition.  They decided that all autodueling weaponry was actually deliberately underpowered for the sake of spectacle.  Because let me tell you, in straight up GURPS Vehicles autoduels lasting two seconds would be unheard of.  Still, I kinda prefer settings with real military hardware where the one shot kill stuff is pretty irreplaceable and very expensive while stuff like light machine gun bullets are dirt cheap.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Benoist on May 02, 2013, 10:33:21 PM
Quote from: TristramEvans;646554so, just like OD&D.
Hm. No. Not really. The marketing basically demanded for it to be branded a medieval miniatures wargame, and the ties to Chainmail were added by Gary after the fact of the playtest, according to Rob Kuntz. Of course, the link to Chainmail is real, in the sense that Arneson's Blackmoor was originally a Chainmail game with elements of Braunstein Diplomacy etc etc, but all in all, the way D&D took the wargaming world by storm kind of proves that it was more of a (later dubbed) role playing game than an actual wargame, hence the differentiation.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: GameDaddy on May 26, 2013, 11:23:12 PM
Not too excited about Cars Wars just yet. Want it, ...however am still waiting on the actual release of the new Kickstarter version of Ogre.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: TristramEvans on June 18, 2013, 08:13:27 PM
Quote from: Benoist;651596Hm. No. Not really. The marketing basically demanded for it to be branded a medieval miniatures wargame, and the ties to Chainmail were added by Gary after the fact of the playtest, according to Rob Kuntz. Of course, the link to Chainmail is real, in the sense that Arneson's Blackmoor was originally a Chainmail game with elements of Braunstein Diplomacy etc etc, but all in all, the way D&D took the wargaming world by storm kind of proves that it was more of a (later dubbed) role playing game than an actual wargame, hence the differentiation.

More thats its an RPG with a tactical wargame-like combat/vehicle system. Apparently that makes it "not an RPG", despite the fact that in it you play a character, you design a car (about the most in-character chargen system imaginable), and the rules mainly pertain to things you do in the vehicle (just as many early rpgs just had rules for things you do in combat), leaving you free to roleplay the rest of the game (character interaction) freeform.

I find Pundit's declaration specious at best.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Benoist on June 18, 2013, 08:48:00 PM
Quote from: TristramEvans;663722I find Pundit's declaration specious at best.

I find your own declarations on this topic specious. *shrug*
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: TristramEvans on June 18, 2013, 08:52:24 PM
Quote from: Benoist;663729I find your own declarations on this topic specious. *shrug*

The difference being I'm not running the site and enforcing my specious opinions on others, naturally. "You can't talk about this RPG on the RPG forum because I've decided its not a real RPG Blar!" and so on...
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Benoist on June 18, 2013, 09:48:55 PM
Quote from: TristramEvans;663731The difference being I'm not running the site and enforcing my specious opinions on others, naturally. "You can't talk about this RPG on the RPG forum because I've decided its not a real RPG Blar!" and so on...

You could have your site and run it with all the specious opinions you wanted. You'd be the owner. And that would be it.
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: TristramEvans on June 19, 2013, 08:50:21 PM
Quote from: Benoist;663739You could have your site and run it with all the specious opinions you wanted. You'd be the owner. And that would be it.

Yep, I could. I could also buy an island and make it my own sovereign country.

Don't expect to do either anytime soon. But bitching about things online? I gots time for that. :)
Title: So who else is excited about the re-release of Car Wars?
Post by: Benoist on June 19, 2013, 09:17:25 PM
Quote from: TristramEvans;664066Yep, I could. I could also buy an island and make it my own sovereign country.

Don't expect to do either anytime soon. But bitching about things online? I gots time for that. :)

Good. At least you've got some sense of what it is you are doing. :)

I mean it without sarcasm.