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Miniatures Adventure => The Conflicts that came in from the Cold => Topic started by: Kourtchatovium104 on July 30, 2021, 07:39:12 PM

Title: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: Kourtchatovium104 on July 30, 2021, 07:39:12 PM
Hello everybody, this is my first thread on LAF, following the suggestion of Akula and Kikuchiyo (I thank them).

My project is a skirmish game about a totally isolated soviet little town in the 1980s just after a short nuclear exchange. The idea behind the background is: what a small group can do, without any communication with the rest of the country, between « wait, in few days, all will be as usual » and « that’s the end of the world ! ».

My inspiration came from Twilight2000 (Bear's_Den) of course, the atmosphere of the TV series Jericho, but also STALKER (the videogame Call of Prypiat)

I've planned some scenarii for the campaign:
   - exploring a small village to find an old retired general gone mad (!)
   - exploring parts of the town (the storehouse, the research center, the militia building)
   - a journey in the taïga
   - exploring the military communication base

For the rules (solo), I’m thinking of Chain Reaction (THW) with homemade modifications, like adding Sanity skill for example (a nuclear war, even a limited one, may influence your mind!). The system of PEFs is interesting, too, to deal with encounters and scenarii like convicing the more people possible.

For the miniatures, I will use what I already have: Reaper, Copplestone and Pulp for civilians, Empress and The Assault Group for soldiers.
I have also some 1/43 typical cars of the period (ZIL, Lada…) which fit quite well with based minis.
I already have a village, re-using my RCW one, 4Ground, Warbase and scratchbuilt (the first I’ve ever built, ugly…. but still useful!) and I’m trying to « sovietize » my old TTCombat, Sarissa and Ziterdes buldings.

It will be more evocative than historically accurate, as I'm not russian myself. So, if russian members of LAF read this, I hope they won’t be too critical ! :)
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: AKULA on July 30, 2021, 10:29:58 PM
Excellent, thanks for sharing  8)

I look forward to reading more about your project ... interesting that Jericho struck a chord with us both...am guessing that scavenging for basics, food, fuel medicines etc with become a feature of your game?
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: CapnJim on July 30, 2021, 11:27:57 PM
I like the sound of this.  It'll be interesting too read how both your games and AKULA's (relatively) simultaneously play out.  We'll get to see the aftermath of both sides of a "limited"  nuclear war.  Fascinating, gentlemen!  Well done!
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: madman on July 30, 2021, 11:36:51 PM
When I first read your description I thought the players/characters were going to be townsfolk looking beyond their very local area. The write up makes it sound like they are "outsiders". Either peoples from the surrounding rural areas or someones from a nearby locale, like a nearby military base (based on your first scenario) or the next town over, either larger or smaller than the "target" town.Or the town is very big meaning the characters need to learn and explore the terrain.

Will this be a multi playr game or solo? If multiplayer is the intent RPG or skirmish wargame? A lot of what I am seeing now is wargames being called RPGs. I see you say solo and there is some potential for role playing even in a solo game. I am not familiar with any of your rules stated except T2000.

Just a thought but one of my favorite post apoc RPGs is the Morrow Project. In this case it would be just for the feel of the scenario and hw encounters could go as opposed to using the rules as written. In any case I like the new way of looking at your world and look forward to the ride.
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: Storm Wolf on July 31, 2021, 07:16:24 AM
Sounds perfect for Zona Alpha to me and the expansion which the name escapes me at the mo???

Nice concept

Glen
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: dadlamassu on July 31, 2021, 07:38:30 AM
I would also recommend Zona Alfa and its expansion called Kontraband as a system. It is very flexible and simple to use we have a UK set up for out games as that allows me to use my collection.
To add a figure source to yours - I have converted Frostgrave Cultists by arming them with spare weapons from all sorts of WW2 boxes. The Bolt Action late war Germans yield MG 42 (substitutes for MG3), pistols, rifles and the Sturmgewehr 44 is decent AK47 substitute. I also had some spare modern weapons from zombie survivor sets.
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: Kourtchatovium104 on August 01, 2021, 07:13:44 PM
Thank you all for your comments.

Akula:
I’m a big fan of this sort of stories, small communities facing an unusual event. The book Mysterium from Robert Charles Wilson, for example, has not the same topic but a similar atmosphere.

I was thinking of scavenging for the some goods that can’t be produced locally (ammunition, medecine). But for the others, like food, a scenario like conquering and fortifying a collective farm will be enough to insure the supplies.

CapnJim:
Infortunatly, I don’t have much time to spend to my projet (many members of this forum say the same thing!)

madman:
About the background, I was thinking a team of outsiders called to this town just before the atomic bombing, for example escorting a high official inaugurating something. But a guest is missing the ceremony. This lead to my first scenario : finding the retired general. Then the bombs fall...

My game will have some elements of a rpg to make it more fun than just a fighting game. It can be multi-players but in cooperation against the game : the different players could have each one a secret objective, which fit with the background (for example, the rivalry between the two intelligence services, the KGB and the GRU), but I haven’t definite it yet.

There are very few stories in « the cold war gone hot » subject about individual reactions of ordinary citizens (even in the military), especially on the soviet side, and that is what interest me.

Storm Wolf & dadlamassu
I already have Zona Alfa but I don’t know the extension Kontraband. I’m going to look at it.

Using WW2 guns and survivors of zombies games with little conversions for the guns. is a good idea. I'm going to check what I have in reserve!
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: CapnJim on August 02, 2021, 12:43:11 AM
CapnJim:
Infortunatly, I don’t have much time to spend to my projet (many members of this forum say the same thing!)

Yes, well, join the club.  ;) Even though I'm retired now, and I spend a bit more time in my wargames world than pre-retirement, it's not as much as I'd like to... :?
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: madman on August 02, 2021, 02:06:37 AM
Excellent approach. I will be keeping an eye on this when you start making it happen.
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: Kikuchiyo on August 02, 2021, 05:41:07 AM
Sounds cool

look forward to what you have planned
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: Paul @ Empress Miniatures on August 02, 2021, 08:26:49 AM
Sounds an exciting project.  ;)
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: Kourtchatovium104 on August 10, 2021, 12:30:12 PM
Work in progress... I have created a little gang of thugs, just escaped from a nearby soviet prison.

Dima’s gang not very happy to find the Pravda newspapers only in the truck they have stolen !
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: CapnJim on August 10, 2021, 03:21:00 PM
Nice job.  Like the tats.  The womenfolk ain't bad either..."Boris, Dahling, for to be killing moose and squirrel...." ;)
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: Ultravanillasmurf on August 14, 2021, 06:22:18 AM
Nice details on that house. Very Russian.
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: Lascaris on September 24, 2021, 01:57:42 PM
Even though it's set in the 30 years war the movie The Last Valley is set in an isolated village that a party of deserters come across. It might be a source of scenarios or  some guidance on how such interactions might resolve.

This is a very cool sounding project and I hope you keep updating the board on how it goes.
Title: Re: Game project : an isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s.
Post by: Kourtchatovium104 on September 27, 2021, 09:59:21 AM
Thank you for this interesting movie which is, except the era, the "atmosphere"I want for my game.

My scenarii are including the struggle between the Party apparachik (official) and the local army unit commander but I still have to improve them (through event cards).

Not much time to spend so I'm focusing on scenarii rather than minis to make it more fun! :)

I have to mention the good post-apo videogame Atom rpg as inspiration
Title: Re: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: Kourtchatovium104 on October 30, 2021, 12:49:18 PM
Just a small game to test the rules (mixed Zona Alfa Kontraband + ATZ)

Introduction:

Kurchatovsk, small town somewhere in USSR.

A frail old man is seating behind a massive dark desk, briefing his new protégés, Svetlana and Yury, about their mission.

« Comrades, the Central Committee need the presence of the retired general Gregoriev during the incoming ceremony, he is a veteran of the battle of Berlin in 1945 you know. But he is missing ! He was last seen in the village of Novo-Sakharovskoye. Find him and bring him back here. A local member of the militsyia will be your guide. »

The Central Committee ? Just an old man FROM the Central Committee visiting a provincial town, thinks Svetlana while leaving the room, but it’s strange to send a member of the GRU and a member of the KGB for that. I should ask my new colleague about that...
« - Yury Rotislavovich, am I the only one who thinks it’s an unusual task for us ? He could have sent his secretary for that.
- Yes Svetlana Nikitovna, but it is our first mission, maybe ‘someone’ wants to see how we work together.
- And our guide… ?
- Olga something... never met. A simple map would have been enough. Maybe local politics… She must be waiting near the car, a white Volga. Let’s go. »


Svetlana’s report :
When we arrived, the village was calm and quiet. We immediatly saw the general’s car, a black ZIL, parked on the roadside.
First, we searched the house near the ZIL. Enormous angry dogs coming from nowhere assaulted us. I shot but couldn’t hit any, like Olga. Fortunatly, Yury killed one. The other two tried to bite us but Yury and I shot them down. There was nobody in this dacha.

Title: Re: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: Kourtchatovium104 on October 30, 2021, 12:50:52 PM
Yury’s report :
Then we ask a man with a moustache seating in front of a wooden house.
« - I don’t know any general, I was only a simple paratrooper in Afghanistan where I was wounded.  But you should have a look at the house on the other side of the road : I’ve heard several foreign voices.
- Foreign ? Which country ?
- I don’t know… like you maybe…
- Us !?!
- Yes, foreigners not from the village.
- Ah, well, thanks, comrade veteran. »
Title: Re: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: Kourtchatovium104 on October 30, 2021, 12:52:58 PM
Olga’s report :
The garden of the third house was the seat of illegal dealing between four asocial elements ! As they heard our car, they started to fill their car but we arrived too quickly. And one of them tried to corrupt us ! I cannot stand that ! He said:
« - Relax, comrades ! Maybe we can find an agreement…
- Never !
- Really ? Then... »
They immediatly shot but, inexperienced as they were, they fortunatly all missed their target. Two of them were neutralized by the riposte of Svetlana and I. The other two had the time to shoot again but also failed to harm us before Yury and I neutralized them.
I was amazed ! What were they thinking about to do such thing ?! They probably had some high-ranked prot
[censured].
Title: Re: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: Kourtchatovium104 on October 30, 2021, 12:54:30 PM
Svetlana’s report :
We didn’t have the time to explore the fourth house. In the garden, an aged women in old-fashioned clothes insulted us as she saw us, saying we didn’t have the right to enter, we didn’t know who she was, she received a medal from the comrade Stalin himself at the siege of Moscow and so on. I can’t calm her but Yuri succeeded. In fact, we then find the retired general Gregoriev, also in old-fashioned clothes. It seeems that they were, uh, remembering their youth during the Great Patriotic War and they didn’t  realize what time it was !
Title: Re: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: madman on October 30, 2021, 02:23:06 PM
Just quickly looked in. I will review in detail soon. But what is ATZ? Thank you.
Title: Re: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: BeneathALeadMountain on October 30, 2021, 03:37:50 PM
Looks great, something I definitely have on my to do list reusing my 15mm WW2 and VBCW scenery. Thank you for posting.

Madman ATZ is presumably All Things Zombie by Two Hour Wargames.

BALM
Title: Re: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: madman on October 30, 2021, 06:19:33 PM
Thank you. I assume you could use any zombie rules, just match them to Zona Alfa. Looking up All Things Zombie they seemed to be "reimplemented" on BGG every four years. I wonder if the were significantly "improved" or just new releases in order to get people to buy again. Yes I am a cynic. Usually with good reason.
Title: Re: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: madman on October 30, 2021, 11:37:26 PM
Sounds fun and potentially suspicious. Great job.
Title: Re: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: Ultravanillasmurf on October 31, 2021, 05:39:10 PM
Cool set up.
Title: Re: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: CapnJim on November 02, 2021, 02:57:00 PM
Very interesting.  Did they get The General back safely?
Title: Re: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: Kourtchatovium104 on November 03, 2021, 02:14:56 PM
Thank you for all your comments!

You're right, All Things Zombie brings a little bit more of rpg in the game.
And exploring the 1980s with miniatures is very interesting and fun.  :)
The next step will be the town itself. About the scenario, yes, the journey back was safe, but what they found at their arrival...
Title: Re: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: CapnJim on November 05, 2021, 01:07:06 AM
About the scenario, yes, the journey back was safe, but what they found at their arrival...

I see.  the plot thickens...
Title: Re: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: AKULA on November 07, 2021, 08:43:53 AM
I see.  the plot thickens...

Indeed. Look forward to the next report

 :)
Title: Re: An isolated soviet town after a nuclear exchange in the 1980s - Prologue
Post by: CapnJim on November 07, 2021, 10:53:21 PM
Waiting with bated breath.  Whatever that is.... :)