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Old 04-29-2012, 12:47 PM   #21
swordtart
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Default Re: 6e Car Wars, what do you want to see

Restructure the skills system so it is consistent.

You have already done that in GURPS, so it's no biggie. Actually CW could just have a version of GURPS lite with a limited background specific rule set.

Actually you could just refer out to GURPS for the roleplaying.

Actually we could just use GURPS vehicles for the design rules (they are a bit more consistent), just add (consistent) stats for the stock weapons.

It's just a shame that the GURPS vehicular combat system is a bit tough to use regularly, otherwise you could just release an updated GURPS Autoduel suppliment and a counter set, on PDF and you don't even need the print set-up.

In my current campaign I have just mashed up GURPS Autoduel, GURPS Vehicles and a heap of the Modern / future GURPS suppliments and game worlds. We just use CW for the vehicle combats. Frankly most of my players lost interest when we got to the car combat bit as the game slooooooowed right down.
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Old 04-29-2012, 05:37 PM   #22
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Default Re: 6e Car Wars, what do you want to see

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Originally Posted by swordtart View Post
R...Actually we could just use GURPS vehicles for the design rules (they are a bit more consistent), just add (consistent) stats for the stock weapons...
I am a big GURPS Vehicle Design supporter, and frankly I think you are nuts. Car Wars needs to remain simple and easy to use for the masses, not a lot of fun for gear heads and calculator fetishists such as myself.
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Old 04-29-2012, 09:55 PM   #23
David Johansen
 
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Default Re: 6e Car Wars, what do you want to see

plastic miniatures - there I've said it. Really, I think jumping on the 15mm sf bandwagon with civilian vehicles and weapon mods and scenics would be pretty smart right now.

Okay, it's me I had to say it.

Anyhow, personally I'd like to see some scaling back of the special munitions and super weapons but I'd still like to have tanks and aircraft and hey, air craft carriers. Roleplaying elements too though I'd like a more formalized campaign system.

As far as it goes, the market these days is all about fast and shooty. Simpler rules let you put more stuff on the table which equals more sales. However, I think the basic format of 5e was pretty good but it needs to be more complete. If the book had done everything 1e did and hand a slick cover instead of the very dull ones I think it would have been better. I also think the collectable setup was an error. Give us a complete game with vehicle design and a dozen vehicles in the core set. If it's got plastic miniatures in the box, so much the better.

Still, I'm running my own gaming store these days and I'm very convinced what games need is affordable points of entry. If you can't meet Magic the Gathering's $15 entry point you won't be selling to the teenagers. And we as an industry need to be selling to the teenagers.

And I think the format was fine but the content was, well, deliberately crippled to screw the customer. The industry does it a lot and it's stupid and it sucks.
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Old 04-30-2012, 04:31 AM   #24
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Default Re: 6e Car Wars, what do you want to see

Keep it simple. We used to joke that Car Wars was the only game that scared Star Fleet Battles players.

Keep it fast. One turn shouldn't take more than a few minutes to complete. Get rid of debris counters and other fiddly stuff (or make them bigger....most people I knew that played hated all the Very Small Counters the game forced you to use).

Keep it fun, but relevant. Nobody minded the joke weapons in some of the Uncle Alberts catalogs, but Jesus wept, near the end I half expected to actually see phasers show up in the game.

Keep it automotive. No boats. No airplanes. No tanks. No space capsules. No hovercraft. Sure, keep big trucks and bikes/trikes/quads, but save them for the expansion. All the rest (especially tanks) should be kept Off-Screen, or have Very Special Rules and be fairly rare.
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Old 04-30-2012, 07:30 AM   #25
David Johansen
 
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Default Re: 6e Car Wars, what do you want to see

Or, better still, make tanks weak relative to cars. It's like the old debate about mecha games. If the game is about giant robots shouldn't the giant robots be more powerful than tanks?

The whole notion that autodueling hardware is inferior to military hardware really flys in the face of the entire concept of the game.
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Old 04-30-2012, 09:33 AM   #26
kjamma4
 
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Default Re: 6e Car Wars, what do you want to see

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Originally Posted by Apache View Post
Nobody minded the joke weapons in some of the Uncle Alberts catalogs
Actually, I did - especially when the space could have been used to reprint the walk-around inspection rules.
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Old 04-30-2012, 01:37 PM   #27
swordtart
 
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Default Re: 6e Car Wars, what do you want to see

To be honest the fact that there is military hardware flies in the face of the entire concept of the game.

The trouble is CW started off as a boardgame with a massive suspension of disbelief, a bit silly, but a simple game. As the game grew the believability got more and more stretched. Some contributors seemed to want it to turn into a wargame, but the system couldn't really support it. As the arms race escalated it got more and more complex and inconsistent.

I think the rule of diminishing returns applies.
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Old 04-30-2012, 02:12 PM   #28
kjamma4
 
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Default Re: 6e Car Wars, what do you want to see

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Originally Posted by swordtart View Post
To be honest the fact that there is military hardware flies in the face of the entire concept of the game.

The trouble is CW started off as a boardgame with a massive suspension of disbelief, a bit silly, but a simple game. As the game grew the believability got more and more stretched. Some contributors seemed to want it to turn into a wargame, but the system couldn't really support it. As the arms race escalated it got more and more complex and inconsistent.

I think the rule of diminishing returns applies.
I'd like to add something to what you've stated but there is nothing more to add - you hit the nail right on the head.
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Old 04-30-2012, 09:36 PM   #29
ckosacranoid
 
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Default Re: 6e Car Wars, what do you want to see

Keep it simple. We used to joke that Car Wars was the only game that scared Star Fleet Battles players.

i know and understand cars wars....star fleet battles i have played many times and i can say i still can not figure out how the game works or even make makes one turn? and how do you scare fleet players? i have taught kids how to play cars wars....
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Old 05-01-2012, 01:07 AM   #30
ak_aramis
 
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Default Re: 6e Car Wars, what do you want to see

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Originally Posted by ckosacranoid View Post
Keep it simple. We used to joke that Car Wars was the only game that scared Star Fleet Battles players.

i know and understand cars wars....star fleet battles i have played many times and i can say i still can not figure out how the game works or even make makes one turn? and how do you scare fleet players? i have taught kids how to play cars wars....
Car Wars was easier to teach, so long as you didn't let newbs see the design rules until they were already hooked...

SFB was always more complex, and continued to outpace CW in terms of increasing complexity with age.

As for Swordtart's suggestion of "use GURPS"... it never interfaced well with auto dueling. ADC had supers rules, and lots of additional RP options, whilst still being car wars focused and rules-compatible. GAD3 would no more appease the majority than did GAD2 or GAD1. GAD3 would appeal to GURPS fans, but likely would not find a broad market amongst CW fans.
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