tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post4954809725949008088..comments2024-03-18T20:22:06.331-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Retrospective: Car WarsJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-23850364606399810942011-01-06T20:03:39.100-05:002011-01-06T20:03:39.100-05:00The Car Wars card game was okay, just not the same...The Car Wars card game was okay, just not the same experience. I barely remember a thing about it, other than I and some friends played it in some restaurant or other. <br /><br />The original Car Wars was greatly enhanced with a few supplements. I got tired of the Uncle Albert's catalogs constantly coming out with new stuff, but Autoduel Champions (Car Wars with superheroes) and Car Wars Deluxe were inspired supplements. <br /><br />I still have Boat Wars, Ogre, GEV, Car Wars, Truck Stop in the original little plastic packages.Eric R. Wirsinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04632409261940844934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-32146077268781097812011-01-06T11:12:52.018-05:002011-01-06T11:12:52.018-05:00All of the SJ mini games were awesome! I also lov...All of the SJ mini games were awesome! I also loved his earlier Metagames stuff (Fury of the Norsemen, Melee, etc). I recently picked up the old GURPS Auto Duel supplement, which tries to flesh out the world and all the RPG aspects. One of these days, I'll actually use it!arcadaynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17025690624100512801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-12126697831642709562011-01-06T10:01:49.171-05:002011-01-06T10:01:49.171-05:00There seem to be a lot of games from around the sa...There seem to be a lot of games from around the same time that are fondly remembered and out of print. Maybe someone should retro-clone them?anarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05546197561922726279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-66692108918126580442011-01-06T08:34:45.284-05:002011-01-06T08:34:45.284-05:00We used to tear things up in the Armadillo Autodue...We used to tear things up in the Armadillo Autoduel Arena on a regular basis. That map was a blast.<br /><br />"I find most good wargames are role-playing games." <br /><br />I agree with this. I don't need a complex background, but just a simple story is enough to give me a connection to the world, and that makes it more fun for me.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17116795932377593506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-12158342974135843332011-01-06T08:26:27.494-05:002011-01-06T08:26:27.494-05:00I have an intact and playable copy - but it's ...I have an intact and playable copy - but it's not for sale, sorry.Patrick Mallahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04906639025904535922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-24407620107883533062011-01-06T04:00:53.653-05:002011-01-06T04:00:53.653-05:00If you didn't enter the arena at 100mph you we...If you didn't enter the arena at 100mph you were a wimp. [Even having a powerplant incapable of 100 was no excuse.]<br />There may be a reason why our games only lasted a second or three in game time.<br /><br />I find most good wargames are role-playing games. If they are not, they tend to be rather unrealistic. In a good game you identify with the units under your command.* This difference is magnified as you reduce the game to a single piece (be it a car in <i>Car Wars</i> or a starship in <i>Star Fleet Battles</i> [another game which was pure in it's original microgame format and corrupted by later expansions]).<br /><br />[* One of the most profound pieces of advice I was taught when I was first taught how to wargame was that I should consider having to write a letter home to each of the parents of the troops under my command that died. Good advice, as it taught me to conserve my troops as much as possible and the benefit of having a reserve to exploit opportunities. And it came from someone that had to do the real thing far too frequently in his life.]Reverance Pavanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01217657347160811310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-71464194600357430702011-01-06T04:00:40.355-05:002011-01-06T04:00:40.355-05:00GW have made the rules available for download here...<i>GW have made the rules available for download here.</i><br /><br />yay, all the dark future articles and rules from white dwarf. i lost some of those and have been looking for ages.<br /><br />thanks for posting the link! :DAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-52444217460508545692011-01-06T02:33:55.726-05:002011-01-06T02:33:55.726-05:00Car Wars Mini (equivalent to the small box, it say...<i>Car Wars Mini (equivalent to the small box, it says) is only a dollar at e23: http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG30-1119</i><br /><br />John Fiala, this is the Mini Car Wars introductory pamphlet that SJ Games put out in 1987. It was based on a simplified version of the pocket box rules (no rules for tire damage, as I recall). It gave you the bare minimum that you needed to try the game, but the rules are incomplete.<br /><br />Taxonomer_X, I also still have my AADA pin!Tonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04006976826851198428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-36123453359380653342011-01-05T17:28:39.179-05:002011-01-05T17:28:39.179-05:00I think I still have the little AADA pin somewhere...I think I still have the little AADA pin somewhere. This was a great game.Taxonomer_Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09491827814429050670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-9775267146887382022011-01-05T17:18:15.140-05:002011-01-05T17:18:15.140-05:00I was a Car Wars freak and bought everything I cou...I was a Car Wars freak and bought everything I could for it. Oh, the fun we had mixing it up with cars, trucks, boats and even blimps. We drew the line at Tank Wars, though. Interesting idea, but too much time to set up. Doesn't mean I didn't buy it, though.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14011319464542156037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-49825394510853399072011-01-05T16:38:39.987-05:002011-01-05T16:38:39.987-05:00I suspect that your micro-games aren't so much...I suspect that your micro-games aren't so much gone as gone PDF. Avalon Games offers a long line of "mini-games" on e23, many of which are mini-wargames, and I believe I've seen them on other PDF sites from different companies.Prosfilaeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08567819936724569257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-71995419250056410242011-01-05T16:23:09.950-05:002011-01-05T16:23:09.950-05:00I played it, but it never bit me or my group.
I...I played it, but it never bit me or my group. <br /><br />I did see someone running a big game of this (or something similar) at Origins last year, using Matchbox/Hot Wheels cars as miniatures.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-6676678994533800352011-01-05T15:59:44.661-05:002011-01-05T15:59:44.661-05:00Oh, and there was an earlier (1983) GW game called...Oh, and there was an earlier (1983) GW game called <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2368/battlecars" rel="nofollow"><i>Battle Cars</i></a>. This one used card counters for playing pieces, although appropriate Citadel miniatures were available, of course. A friend of mine owned a copy and raved about it, but for some reason we never played it.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-35047115744216623762011-01-05T15:57:38.206-05:002011-01-05T15:57:38.206-05:00I've still got a ton of Car Wars stuff at home...I've still got a ton of Car Wars stuff at home, and even though I haven't played them in a while, I still am very fond of them.<br /><br />Car Wars Mini (equivalent to the small box, it says) is only a dollar at e23: http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG30-1119<br /><br />There's also pdf copies of what looks to be every issue of ADQ ever. Now that was a gaming mag - half in-game articles, half gaming articles, some fiction, and a few advertisements which presented you with car designs.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14934359516519013740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-30972562035209663892011-01-05T15:53:38.631-05:002011-01-05T15:53:38.631-05:00Did Games Workshop create a similar game that had ...<i>Did Games Workshop create a similar game that had road tiles? </i><br /><br />Indeed. It was called <i><a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2285/dark-future" rel="nofollow">Dark Future</a></i>, and spawned a line of novels, as I recall. In a move of surprising generosity, GW have made the rules available for download <a href="http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m1340008_Dark_Future.pdf" rel="nofollow">here</a>. It's similar in concept to <i>Car Wars</i>, but at 220 pages, it's no micro game!<br /><br />Coopdevil at <a href="http://fightingfantasist.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Fighting Fantasist</a> has created a similar game called <i>Axles and Alloys</i>. The link is at the bottom of his blog.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-48532622622237384762011-01-05T15:30:59.195-05:002011-01-05T15:30:59.195-05:00The thought just struck me on how maybe SJG should...The thought just struck me on how maybe SJG should re-release the little black box, just as WotC has re-released the 'red box'. Probably not worth the effort, but I'd still buy it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-39834620938695529432011-01-05T15:05:58.994-05:002011-01-05T15:05:58.994-05:00I never played the original, but the card game ver...I never played the original, but the card game version of Car Wars is fantastic. I regularly run it and Battle Cattle (same rules) at conventions, and it's a huge hit. Non-collectible, and extremely fast playing.masquehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11421644393539292803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-35563801680097109372011-01-05T14:24:56.777-05:002011-01-05T14:24:56.777-05:00I still have all my old Car Wars stuff. I love th...I still have all my old Car Wars stuff. I love that game, I even ran a game of it on the web a long time back, play by email where I'd use The Gimp or Photoshop to update and post the results. Good times.<br /><br />The new version of the rules are a lot of fun too, but the way they released them was a problem. No construction rules wasn't a big thing for me, but I know it was for a lot of people. Also they released them by division, so they released the tiny division five cars first, but if you wanted the more fun division 10 and 15 cars, you had to wait a couple months. But that aside, I did like the new rules. Definitely worth a look.<br /><br />I played the Autoduel video game on my friend's Apple II. Good times.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17116795932377593506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-89094434814117618342011-01-05T14:20:15.501-05:002011-01-05T14:20:15.501-05:00My friend owned Car Wars and I know I read it but ...My friend owned Car Wars and I know I read it but I can't be sure I played it. Did Games Workshop create a similar game that had road tiles?Ruddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12174843939252395797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-7615684645175693772011-01-05T14:07:09.830-05:002011-01-05T14:07:09.830-05:00Typical Car Wars game circa 1985.
Step 1: Spend 3...Typical Car Wars game circa 1985.<br /><br />Step 1: Spend 3 hours designing vehicles (most of the time we would all end up with a pick-up with all the armour at the front and twin Rec-rifles.<br />Step 2: Play a duel style game where each car would make a pass and then crash whilst attempting an impossible turn.<br />Step 3: Reflect on our shortcomings and plan improved designs for the next game a week later.<br />That probably went on weekly for about 6 months but I still have fond memories of those games.Peter Reganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00079169626281586177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-26185689901604314752011-01-05T13:51:07.998-05:002011-01-05T13:51:07.998-05:00Around 2005 Steve Jackson tried the re-releasing p...Around 2005 Steve Jackson tried the re-releasing packaged as comic book sized games, with all of the counters you would need as cardstock inside. They're still in print, look for the "Car Wars Division" books at http://www.sjgames.com/ourgames/everything.html?line=7&show=print . It captures the small, cheap, and fast of the early games, but at the cost of completely eliminating the car creation rules.<br /><br />The creation rules were updated for publication as their own book. They even entered public playtest, but they were never released. I'm guessing the market proved too small to support it.<br /><br />The Compendium is so large because of all of the options. The original game only had one type of engine (reconned to be electric), but now there is a parallel system for gas engines. One type of armor (retconned to plastic) is now two or three. Piles of weapons with special rules. Trikes, hovercraft, boats, and more. The Compendium was intended for long time fans to collect everything in one place, and it works admirably. But as an introduction it's a bit frightening. The good news is that the old game you love is still there, it just has all of the options that were added presented alongside. Mechanically modern Car Wars is almost identical to the 80s edition. The only big change is the addition of the Turning Key, and that was mid-90s. (And the Turning Key is a total win, eliminating the need for graph paper arenas and making more smooth turns possible with no increase in complexity.)Alan De Smethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09091994420717419182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-37426636531486254362011-01-05T13:20:35.343-05:002011-01-05T13:20:35.343-05:00There was also a computer version of it called Aut...There was also a computer version of it called Autoduel, that is an all time fav of mine. Released by Origin Systems (Lord British's company)....<br /> There is an apparently similar Java based version called Darkwind, but I have not had the chance to try it out yet.<br /><br />Car Wars, Traveller, and D&D were the best games ever...Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08477829873223625063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-63956694535927195282011-01-05T13:14:00.261-05:002011-01-05T13:14:00.261-05:00Car Wars is a great game. I was part of the first ...Car Wars is a great game. I was part of the first official AADA (American Autodueling Association)group out of Omaha, NE known as NOVA (New Omaha Vehicular Association). Man, those were some heady days. We playtested a lot of stuff for SJG. Tanks were a big one. In fact, we had made rules for transformers when they were first popular. Yeah, we had cars and trucks battling Deceptacons. What a blast!blackstonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11205963961656803303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-89077449152924079022011-01-05T13:08:58.196-05:002011-01-05T13:08:58.196-05:00Wow - I remember this one - I had the black plasti...Wow - I remember this one - I had the black plastic box version. I used to love the old Microgames - Melee, Wizard, and Deathmaze - hey, remember Kunk Fu 2000? That was a trip!Dimaension Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11515317626690822365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-49780522594718516332011-01-05T12:55:49.335-05:002011-01-05T12:55:49.335-05:00I don't have the micro box anymore but I do ha...I don't have the micro box anymore but I do have the full-sized 1980s Deluxe edition. :)<br /><br />Ah, another game I need to introduce to the kids.:)Anthony N. Emmelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14017952532295866111noreply@blogger.com