New Post-Apoc death racing rules by Two Hour Wargames (July 17 update)

[Evilcartoonist]

There's isn't a release date yet, but Ed and I have been working on a set of rules for death racing in the wasteland; You can check out all the meaty details at my blog: http://carmensminiaturepainting.blogspot.com/2013/03/two-hour-wargames-machinas-death-races.html

Hopefully, soon, I'll do some battle reports and post them to the Two Hour Wargames blog: http://2hourblog.blogspot.com/

[Evilcartoonist]

Hi, Scurv- Movement is less about moving fast, and more about jockeying for position within the pack. Sideways movement is relatively easy, but all the action takes place when you try to pass your opponents. Drivers will roll against each other on a pass attempt, with the winner opting to either pass for position (or hold off an attempted pass), ram (Bash) the other car or open up with the guns!

Since two players are involved in each pass, bash or shootout, there is very little down time. And if a car in the lead goes out of control, it threatens to crash into those behind him; so everybody has to pay attention. It all happens fast!

[Evilcartoonist]

Yes!
The rules mostly cover racing on an oval (like in Death Race), but there are easy optional rules that let you run and gun along a wasteland highway for as long as you want to take it. The highway can be mapped out ahead of time, or you can uncover each section of track as you race. (You could also map out a street course such as that used in Death Race.

If you tone down the shooting a bit, Machinas could easily be used to run a simple Mad Max chase. Instead of winning a race, the goal could be for a few Main Force Patrol cars to try to bash the stolen, souped-up Pursuit Special off the track (there are also car damage and driver injury rules, by the way.) Intersections along the track could be planned where new MFP cars could enter the chase.

I think I will try to reenact this Mad Max opening chase for one of my reports. Thanks for the reminder; I was so focused on Road Warrior (even though I like Mad Max more.) Hmm, I need to find those old diecast Mad Max cars.

[Evilcartoonist]

No rules for motorcycles or big rigs ... yet. But Ed usually offers that kind of thing in free supplements soon after the main game's release. I DO have a couple rigs I made for the game (and some very basic rules for them); but I haven't play tested them at all. Until a supplement is released, some basic motorcycle rules could be easily extrapolated using the basic rules.

Damage is abstracted, there is no targeting of specific areas. This is meant to keep the game moving fast.
There are three attributes: Savvy (a measure of driving experience), Tech (a measure of knowledge and mechanical ability) both of which apply to the driver, and then there's Speed which is, of course, how fast the car moves (or in this case, how much momentum it can carry into a pass attempt.) Damage is usually applied to Speed (any car at speed 0 is out of the race), but damage can also result in your car dropping back within the pack, or your car going out of control (the driver gets a chance to recover ... or crash.)

As for road conditions (there are at least rules for being forced onto shoulders which results in different effects to the car's movement), lane size changes, and obstructions - these could all be added as optional rules (or in the supplement). If you don't mind, I'd like to pass all of those road ideas along to Ed.

[Evilcartoonist]

One last thing I should mention about the game before I call it a night: As with all Two Hour Wargames, you can play Machinas solo, the NPCs being controlled by the rules mechanics. The NPC rules could also be modified to create NPCs who tend toward a certain behavior (aggressive, steady, cautious etc.)

[Evilcartoonist]

With Carwars they had a great supplement called dueltrack. Half of it was track racing (pretty boring) but the other half was called Chassis and Crossbows and was carwars set in the time of the collapse. Metal plates bolted on for armour, jury rigged weapons and equipment, big petrol powered muscle car engines and hand weapons from pistols to bricks were the norm. Basicly mad max II type cars and setting with a few more guns thrown in.

THAT supp was so good that we never played 'regular' car wars again. It just had the right feel for a autogeddon game. Much more meaningful to us aussies anyway than a game with electric powered toasters racing around with plastic armour and lasers. Something that gives that feel and sort of game would be grand. Oh and dont forget rules for leaping onto other vehicles too. 

I dont think I have explained myself well but hopefully you get the idea. Something that has the feel of an Aussie road war movie over an American one I guess.

I think this describes Machinas, too 
Yes, Machinas is meant first as a racer (like "Death Race"), but it's racing with the more Aussie-type "Road Warrior cars," all of which are armed and armored with bolted-on guns, boilerplate armor and other creative weapons (such as a Box of Nails.) You can win by either coming in first or destroying all of your opponents. At least in the background of Machinas, all the cars are pre-1959 models, so no plastic in these retro-beauties

(Note: Though, the background uses pre-1959 cars, the system works for any era.)

[Evilcartoonist]

One more quick note: The first official AAR is posted at the 2-Hour Blogspot: http://2hourblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/machinas-lap-1.html

[LeadAsbestos]

Well, I'm interested!

[Evilcartoonist]

Lap 2 of my race report is posted over at 2-Hour Blog: http://2hourblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/machinas-lap-2.html

[Evilcartoonist]

Ed says the Kickstarter will probably be in a month or two.
This gives you plenty of time to get a few cars to start with.

I'm getting a new batch of my own ready for the game:

[Too Bo Coo]

Hey EC,

I'm not clear on one point, what exactly are you KS'ing?  A paper set of rules?  I imagine you're not marketing kits of your cars...

Cheers!

TBC

[Evilcartoonist]

Hey EC,

I'm not clear on one point, what exactly are you KS'ing?  A paper set of rules?  I imagine you're not marketing kits of your cars...

Cheers!

TBC

As far as I know: The KS is for the rules, some card decks (the base game is played with cards- some of the cards represent your cars, the rest are your weapons, driver traits etc.) But mostly, I think the KS is to help fund some add-on cast weapons/defensive measures for matcbbox-sized cars. These weapons (commissioned to a private sculptor) will represent actual weapons in the game, and not just be a random lot. I believe the goal will be set low, but honestly, Ed knows all the details on the KS.
I just helped write the game

[Too Bo Coo]

Cheers Mate!

My last car, the Red Robber was inspired, although I went heavy on the bolt on armor, by your stuff.  In fact, on my last turn home in the States I purchased a bundle of plastic and brass rod, tube, sheet, etc....  Really inspiring work!

[Belgian]

Sounds great keep us posted, sounds like a great game to play with non-wargamer friends!

[Evilcartoonist]

Cheers Mate!

My last car, the Red Robber was inspired, although I went heavy on the bolt on armor, by your stuff.  In fact, on my last turn home in the States I purchased a bundle of plastic and brass rod, tube, sheet, etc....  Really inspiring work!

How did I miss the Red Robber?! That car is sweet!
They're more expensive, but I love M2 Machines as well. That '49 Merc is a great car for converting into the apocalypse.