Ok, this is round about news. Steve Jackson Games announced, in the Ogre Kickstarter project, that if the Ogre project his ~$700,000 mark (now at $586,000), then SJG will open up a KS project for some renewal of Car Wars. I know Car Wars was really well loved, so if you are interested, then head on down there:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/847271320/ogre-designers-edition?ref=live
For people that ONLY want to help open up a Car Wars project, you can donate $23 and get a special "I made Steve Jackson remake Car Wars!" t-shirt. Or, you can go in whole hog and get this really really exciting and extras packed version of Ogre.
Check it out.
It's interesting that Steve Jackson appears to be willing to license computer games again.
These are potentially reissued board games, just 'deluxified'.
Okay Car Wars vets, tell me what this game is all about. It seems like something I might be in to, but I need some info!
Quote from: Arctic Blast on May 08, 2012, 09:17:35 PM
Okay Car Wars vets, tell me what this game is all about. It seems like something I might be in to, but I need some info!
I've heard the later editions were like some sort of math exercise in their complexity.
Quote from: Arctic Blast on May 08, 2012, 09:17:35 PM
Okay Car Wars vets, tell me what this game is all about. It seems like something I might be in to, but I need some info!
You never played Car Wars?!? It's like a board game version of Mad Max and Death Race 2000. YOu have armed and armoured cars and you drive around blasting your friends cars until they flip and crash or explode. Great fun! 8)
Quote from: Barthheart on May 09, 2012, 06:01:42 AM
Quote from: Arctic Blast on May 08, 2012, 09:17:35 PM
Okay Car Wars vets, tell me what this game is all about. It seems like something I might be in to, but I need some info!
You never played Car Wars?!? It's like a board game version of Mad Max and Death Race 2000. YOu have armed and armoured cars and you drive around blasting your friends cars until they flip and crash or explode. Great fun! 8)
+1.
It's a kind of RPG for cars. You start with a type of car: some are light and fast, some are heavy and slow but carry a lot. You put on MGs, rockets, armor. IIRC you can ram other cars...think Demolition Derby but with heavy arms. I played it when it first came out as a kid and it was awesome. A later, card-based version didn't do much for me. I'm interested to see what they do with this one.
Most dastardly play I ever saw in Car Wars was the devious but clever decision of my opponent to turtle and let the fight come to him. He built a bus, without an engine (using iirc the rules that indicate everyone starts at x mph), and used the missing points to buy armor and about 10 rifle-armed passengers.
Several of us were stupid enough to try a couple of driveby's before realizing that a large portion of our armament was designed to do what he had already accomplished by design -- stop moving -- and our remaining armor was just not going to stand up to the equivalent of three or four cars pouring lead into us every time we tried to drop a grenade or laser into the non-engine engine block.
So we beat up on each other, and the penultimate man standing decided that death was better than stalement and ended the battle by kinetic energy -- a 120 mph impact. Twas beautiful. Seriously needed/deserved some eye candy 'splosions.
Quote from: meadbelly on May 09, 2012, 04:33:11 PM
Most dastardly play I ever saw in Car Wars was the devious but clever decision of my opponent to turtle and let the fight come to him. He built a bus, without an engine (using iirc the rules that indicate everyone starts at x mph), and used the missing points to buy armor and about 10 rifle-armed passengers.
Several of us were stupid enough to try a couple of driveby's before realizing that a large portion of our armament was designed to do what he had already accomplished by design -- stop moving -- and our remaining armor was just not going to stand up to the equivalent of three or four cars pouring lead into us every time we tried to drop a grenade or laser into the non-engine engine block.
So we beat up on each other, and the penultimate man standing decided that death was better than stalement and ended the battle by kinetic energy -- a 120 mph impact. Twas beautiful. Seriously needed/deserved some eye candy 'splosions.
Ha! Great story :)
There was also a series of car wars rpg gamebooks, have toyed with the idea of tracking a few down. Never played any car wars, instead had dark future and the superb thunder road.
http://www.gamebooks.org/show_series.php?id=62
.
Quote from: meadbelly on May 09, 2012, 04:33:11 PM
Most dastardly play I ever saw in Car Wars was the devious but clever decision of my opponent to turtle and let the fight come to him. He built a bus, without an engine (using iirc the rules that indicate everyone starts at x mph), and used the missing points to buy armor and about 10 rifle-armed passengers.
Several of us were stupid enough to try a couple of driveby's before realizing that a large portion of our armament was designed to do what he had already accomplished by design -- stop moving -- and our remaining armor was just not going to stand up to the equivalent of three or four cars pouring lead into us every time we tried to drop a grenade or laser into the non-engine engine block.
So we beat up on each other, and the penultimate man standing decided that death was better than stalement and ended the battle by kinetic energy -- a 120 mph impact. Twas beautiful. Seriously needed/deserved some eye candy 'splosions.
+1 Awesome story. Reminds me of my middle school/high school days gone by when I played Car Wars on the weekends at our local gaming store. One of our more entertaining games was TRYING to stop anyone who brought on an 18-wheeler bristling with mounted turret guns, lasers, rockets. Bastards were almost as hard to take out as OGREs. Some unfortunate schmucks got steamrolled, which was especially amusing to watch. Good times.
Quote from: eyebiter on May 10, 2012, 12:43:20 PM
The Car Wars brand is ripe for a MMO publisher to pick up as a free to play computer game. Would do well if they follow a modified version of the World of Tanks template.
Players start as pedestrians, then after honing their anti-vehicle skills acquire a motorcycle. Various upgrades are available including a sidecar, gunner, upgraded engine, new weapons, custom paint scheme. Over time other chassis unlock (quad ATV, trike, dune buggy).
Finally around level 20 the player can obtain their first subcompact car armed with two forward firing MG's and a dropped weapon. The midsize and larger cars unlock after a substantial grind to research and acquire materials. Of course as a F2P game players have the option to immediately purchase premium vehicles on the marketplace.
There is a Car Wars-like MMO out there now. It's also free to play. Turn-based, too!
http://www.dark-wind.com/
Is this thread triggering fond flashbacks of Interstate 76 for anyone else?
Quote from: meadbelly on May 11, 2012, 08:27:27 PM
Is this thread triggering fond flashbacks of Interstate 76 for anyone else?
I never played Interstate 76 but I used to work with a guy who was ranked #2 in the world in that game.
I owned Car Wars and it's two expansions in about '83-'84, came in a DVD like case with paper maps and beautiful counters. I heard the later versions of the game simplified it.
A pc game using the original Car Wars rules with top down map and counters is needed.
Quote from: Wodin on May 13, 2012, 09:37:50 AM
I owned Car Wars and it's two expansions in about '83-'84, came in a DVD like case with paper maps and beautiful counters.
I remember that!
IF and it's a big IF they haven't been thrown away by my parents in one of their moves then they'll be in the attic.
Dammit! Now I'm looking over at Noble Knight to see what Car Wars stuff they have. 107 products found?!
I don't need any more board games...I need to take a break from buying...
Thanks a lot, guys. Thanks a lot. (https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1081.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fj349%2Flongblade%2FSmilies%2Fcensored.gif&hash=a6f53c021adc27c0a2f26695b25e355829511cd1)
Arctic, I'm not sure I know how the later editions played out. From what I read I didn't like the direction it had gone in. If you ever find the original Car Wars then Sunday Drivers then Truck Stop in good condition with all the contents I'd say buy it, as long as it isn't extortionate.
Quote from: Arctic Blast on May 13, 2012, 03:40:13 PM
Dammit! Now I'm looking over at Noble Knight to see what Car Wars stuff they have. 107 products found?!
I don't need any more board games...I need to take a break from buying...
Thanks a lot, guys. Thanks a lot. (https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1081.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fj349%2Flongblade%2FSmilies%2Fcensored.gif&hash=a6f53c021adc27c0a2f26695b25e355829511cd1)
I would wait. I expect Steve Jackson will put up that Kickstarter project fairly soon and the new edition of Car Wars will be out next year sometime. If it is anything like the deluxe edition of Ogre, it will be a thing of beauty.
Again if it's Car wars classic then I'd buy it, if it's like the revised editions I wouldn't bother myself. Also it's only available to USA.
Car wars was an excellent example of how a relatively small, niche interest game grew into a multi-layered, multi-interest gaming experience. The basic game was simple enough, but players wanted more. Enter expansions for a city/urban fighting, autoduel tournament maps (gladiatorial combat with cars!), weapon, armor and accessory mods, big rigs, boat-wars, aero-wars, a tank supplement, a regular magazine (autoduel quarterly), regional road atlas and survival guides, solo gamebooks, and so much more. So unlike many other game franchises, it was fairly easy to create whatever flavour of Car Wars gaming experience you wanted. One group of guys I played with was all about "building your own" vehicle and then testing it out in the arena or city streets. Another group I played with were more into the RPG campaign experience.
One of my favorite mini-expansions (I believe from an ADQ mag) was a scenario where you drove through (and wreaked havoc!) in a suburban shopping mall.
I still have all my gear in storage. I suppose I should go dig it out someday.
Yours in gaming,
Jack Nastyface
Thing is everything you mentioned was already in the first three games. Sunday Drivers had a huge city map, plus gang warfare on foot! Truck Stop Brought in the big rigs. No planes or boats or tanks though, which to me is a blessing.
The reboot of the basic games was cut back loads, and then you where slowly drip fed all the stuff thats was already in the original three games.
Quote from: son_of_montfort on May 13, 2012, 07:08:02 PM
Quote from: Arctic Blast on May 13, 2012, 03:40:13 PM
Dammit! Now I'm looking over at Noble Knight to see what Car Wars stuff they have. 107 products found?!
I don't need any more board games...I need to take a break from buying...
Thanks a lot, guys. Thanks a lot. (https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1081.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fj349%2Flongblade%2FSmilies%2Fcensored.gif&hash=a6f53c021adc27c0a2f26695b25e355829511cd1)
I would wait. I expect Steve Jackson will put up that Kickstarter project fairly soon and the new edition of Car Wars will be out next year sometime. If it is anything like the deluxe edition of Ogre, it will be a thing of beauty.
Yeah, I've reached the conclusion that waiting makes more sense. Otherwise, I'm wading through masses of modules and rule sets which I know absolutely nothing about. So we'll see what new stuff comes out. Maybe it will even involve my first ever Kickstart funding...
Arctic, if or when it hits Kickstarter, buy it. I imagine it will hit massive figures so I'd hope mini's would be included. That would be something. I'd even try and find a way to get one sent to the UK"
Link to the Sunday Drivers Car Wars expansion I bought in 1982. This had city fighting.
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/8379/sunday-drivers-a-car-wars-supplement (http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/8379/sunday-drivers-a-car-wars-supplement)