Let's talk Dark Future

Sounds cool. Now I'll totally have to dig around and try and find a copy of the rules.

How would you rate the rules difficulty to the game? Pretty on par with the other Golden Age GW Games? Meaning core is pretty simple and the detail is in the chrome and exceptions/special rules?

I've never played Thunderroad.

Is it 220pgs hard? No.

In fact, you can do without the WD issues (campaign racing, pedestrians, etc) and White Line Fever (trikes, sidecars, new weapons, etc) and the core book is standard GW of the era fare. lots of fluff, art, pictures, charts, charts, charts.

As far as the gameplay, I gotta be honest, you don't make many decisions. You're pretty much always moving forward so: Speed up, slow down, swerve left, swerve right, stay straight....maybe do a quick 180. So, there's not many more decisions than thunderroad.

Its classic GW 'narrative driven'. So, you make your decision then start rolling on charts. Hit in the front left...check the front left car chart, result of driver being hit...roll on the driver chart, result that driver lost control...break out the spin template...

So where a game like BB where the time is spent on the front end of a turn (the player takes into account several factors and having plenty of decisions to make) and the result is quick to follow (a die roll)...Dark Future is the opposite. Make one of a few decisions...then start checking charts. So, you've got to be into that sort of thing.

So, if you have the charts out and handy you're good. The only other thing that would help speed up play (like it needs it) is putting to memory the initiative ranges. Basically, cars move in order of speed ranges, so someone needs to call these out.

I could see the reasons the game didn't do well might be:

1) GW couldn't continue to make sales on models because players went straight to toy cars.
2) Players probably found the actual choices too few to make and the game felt more random than any sort of intentional decisions. Why put in all the work for so little 'game'?

Those are my guesses, but as a guy who liked DQ and Talisman I'm fine taking a ride. Getting to do a little post-apoc modeling is a bonus.

So, I could see the argument that there may be some 'better' games of this type out there, but for me, this has the total package and is a lot of fun.

Edit: maybe the game did fine and simply ran its course... I have no idea to be honest. I was just speculating on why it doesn't seem to have the traction of say a manowar.

We played more Car Wars, but I did love the miniatures in the game and the inspirational White Dwarf modelling articles.

What timing...

Dark Future has been pretty much dead online besides the Future Highway's site (which seems to have gone inactive about a decade back).

Well, looks like a lot of the Oldhammer guys are into it now. Likely because the upcoming Mad Max flick.

realmofchaos80s.blogspot.com/search/label/Dark%20Future

oldhammeronabudget.blogspot.com/search/label/Dark%20Future

oldschoolworkshop.blogspot.com/search/label/Dark%20Future
(this one has some gameplay reports with photos)

Almalik wrote: Sounds cool. Now I'll totally have to dig around and try and find a copy of the rules.

app.box.com/s/mtssjp238wtmswy5m1eymxq23hcn4shk

Dark Future Rules.

Mr. White wrote: Many reasons why I love it:

* Cool setting (the novels by Kim Newman are great)

Agreed, loved those (Kim wrote as Jack Yeovil for GW). Great sense of humour. A lot of the references (tons throughout) went right over my head though. Secret agent Elvis!

Columbob wrote:

Mr. White wrote: Many reasons why I love it:

* Cool setting (the novels by Kim Newman are great)

Agreed, loved those (Kim wrote as Jack Yeovil for GW). Great sense of humour. A lot of the references (tons throughout) went right over my head though. Secret agent Elvis!

Back in the late 90's and early 00's, I read quite a few warhammer novels. His Drachenfels was easily the best one. It also seemed to not do much with warhammer and felt like it could have been set almost anywhere. Great story though!

It led me to Anno Dracula which was also fantastic and I think did the literary character mash-up before League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I need to follow Anno Dracula up and find Bloody Red Baron.

Here's a comprehensive list of DF novels.

www.amazon.com/Future-Games-Workshop-Bla...ry/lm/R20VYAU5IMK69O

Several are listed twice because there was a reissue about 10 years ago where GW (thru their Black Library division) updated the timelines of the stories. Originally, the setting took place in 1995.

Also, they contracted out some authors to write a few new novels. Not sure why. Anyway, haven't read the new ones.