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Old 09-14-2018, 08:48 AM   #1
syncrogt1
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Default CW as a roleplaying game?

I just picked up Midville, and I love the skills section in there. I always played CW as a roleplaying game where my characters would advance from game to game if they survived. I know the skills were listed in another document, perhaps ADQ? Anyone else do this to CW, to try to get it to be a roleplaying game?

I know GURPS was the SJG roleplaying game but I preferred making CW fit that role.
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Old 09-14-2018, 10:44 AM   #2
DSumner
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: The North American Combine
Default Re: CW as a roleplaying game?

Quote:
Originally Posted by syncrogt1 View Post
I just picked up Midville, and I love the skills section in there. I always played CW as a roleplaying game where my characters would advance from game to game if they survived. I know the skills were listed in another document, perhaps ADQ? Anyone else do this to CW, to try to get it to be a roleplaying game?

I know GURPS was the SJG roleplaying game but I preferred making CW fit that role.
If you look back through the forums, there's a pretty good discussion on using CW as a RPG, including some material on stats, and character development. I'd have to do a search to find the specific posts though.
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Old 09-14-2018, 03:18 PM   #3
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Default Re: CW as a roleplaying game?

Quote:
Originally Posted by syncrogt1 View Post
I just picked up Midville, and I love the skills section in there. I always played CW as a roleplaying game where my characters would advance from game to game if they survived. I know the skills were listed in another document, perhaps ADQ? Anyone else do this to CW, to try to get it to be a roleplaying game?

I know GURPS was the SJG roleplaying game but I preferred making CW fit that role.
I have some rules, but I've never been able to find enough people for a decent blind-playtest. Send me a private message if you're interested in seeing what I have.
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Old 09-14-2018, 05:37 PM   #4
doctorevilbrain
 
Join Date: May 2009
Default Re: CW as a roleplaying game?

There was Gurps Autoduel.
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Old 09-15-2018, 11:27 PM   #5
Blue Ghost
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Spinward Marches
Default Re: CW as a roleplaying game?

Never liked GURPS Autoduel. Preferred straight CW, and with all of the talk of RPing for CW, it took any years for it to finally come about properly.

There was someone here who spilled a lot of ideas I had had planned on tableing to SJGames; encounter tables and what not. It got me pretty sore, but, you can borrow some ideas from other games to create a true RPing experience.

You can create "wandering monster" tables and other encounter tables, but using things like bike gangs, convoys, maybe the occasional tank or something. It's what I had planned on writing up.

And apparently there's some good RPing rules in 6e, or so I'm told (I've not read them). And from that you can borrow from other combat car games that have been published.

At one time I was going to create a campaign for some autoduellests who have to brave a long stretch of chassis and crossbow badlands. From there you gain experience and salvage what you can, and maybe you're able to loot an old convoy or military base … D&D kind of stuff, but using the CW backdrop for the game mechanic.

The skies the limit here.
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Old 09-16-2018, 02:03 AM   #6
schoon
 
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Oakland, CA, USA
Default Re: CW as a roleplaying game?

I've been using FFG's Genesis RPG, and using LEGO for cars and miniatures.

It's been brilliant thus far! (though I suspect that's more because of the LEGO than the rules ;))
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Old 09-16-2018, 09:06 AM   #7
syncrogt1
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Default Re: CW as a roleplaying game?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Ghost View Post
Never liked GURPS Autoduel. Preferred straight CW, and with all of the talk of RPing for CW, it took any years for it to finally come about properly.

There was someone here who spilled a lot of ideas I had had planned on tableing to SJGames; encounter tables and what not. It got me pretty sore, but, you can borrow some ideas from other games to create a true RPing experience.

You can create "wandering monster" tables and other encounter tables, but using things like bike gangs, convoys, maybe the occasional tank or something. It's what I had planned on writing up.

At one time I was going to create a campaign for some autoduellests who have to brave a long stretch of chassis and crossbow badlands. From there you gain experience and salvage what you can, and maybe you're able to loot an old convoy or military base … D&D kind of stuff, but using the CW backdrop for the game mechanic.
It's tough to trust anyone after it getting violated like that.

Your chassis/crossbow thing sounds awesome, we should do a PBEM/other game, i would love to participate.
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Old 09-16-2018, 01:44 PM   #8
Blue Ghost
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Spinward Marches
Default Re: CW as a roleplaying game?

Thanks, but I'm not really into it anymore. There was an effort to get me "off of gaming" so to speak, that lasted for many years, and this was done in that effort. So, I'm kind of permanently burnt out on the whole idea now.

I don't game all that much anymore, but still enjoy talking about Car Wars. It doesn't just remind me of a better time, but it really is a good game that I've enjoyed over the years since the 80s.
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Old 09-16-2018, 02:52 PM   #9
ckosacranoid
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Default Re: CW as a roleplaying game?

I have run some rpg with cars wars a few times. I nused a different system for the rpg factor and then switched to cars wars for car cobat and also did a dark future games using the rules a few times also with games over the years.
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Old 09-16-2018, 10:13 PM   #10
Tom H.
 
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Central Texas, north of Austin
Default Re: CW as a roleplaying game?

I didn't really get into the RPG aspects of Car Wars when I played it in the '80s. I met a guy at a game store who claimed to have a regular campaign with the "party" as freelance couriers. The programmed adventures, settings like Midville, and other suggestions definitely pushed the game into a pseudo-RPG.

It's amazing what you can really get away with for role-playing when you strip it down.

The optional "referee" already hinted at a GM role.

I can't remember what skills we took from Midville (my friends had the copies) but the original pocket box gave you just these:
  • Driver
  • Gunner
  • Cyclist
Plus the character attributes of:
  • Prestige
  • Wealth

I seemed to recall using these other skills whether they were from Truck Stop or Midville:
  • Handgunner
  • Mechanic
  • Running

A few months ago, I pulled out the Car Wars Compendium (see what you do SJ Games by keeping properties alive) which I had bought around the time of its release in 1989 even though my friends had stopped playing as life took its course.

I was surprised to find several more skills had been added.
The following are all analogs of the Driver skill:
  • Trucker, Pilot, Boat Pilot, Hover Pilot
To round out the final list:
  • Martial Arts
  • Paramedic

Its amazing to compare the depth of RPGs. Compare the above to GURPS.

Granted with Car Wars the blanks of character description and behavior would have to be implicitly filled in with the collective imagination of the players. But for a game focused on the tactics of advancing through arena combats or in the wild between fortress towns, you would have enough to ground your "avatar" into the setting.

~~~~~~

Also, in reference to Schoon's comment about Genesys from Fantasy Flight Games. I could see how it could be a good fit for Car Wars. Genesys skills are at an abstract level. Encumbrance is just a little less abstract than the Car Wars grenade equivalents.

The weakness of Genesys is its poor tactical combat depth, but you'd be replacing that with the heart of Car Wars anyway.
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