More News, Shameless Plug Alert!

 Hey, I am a working author, and a working author has to sell books!

I am proud to announce my second collaboration with Cannon Publishing, and my first novel. The cover is out and pre-orders are due to begin "soon". Looking forward to the release, and of course, buy the book! 

As for what it's about? Well, it's about America under occupation by a bunch of fantasy races, led by some very sociopathic elves. Needless to say, the Elves are finding out humanity is a) not that much fun to occupy, and b) they will need a lot more Elves and Orcs. 

Isn't she beautiful?

So what does that mean for my writing here and elsewhere? Well, I am becoming more of a pro these days, so while I fully intend to maintain that side, I will be doing what I can to keep things up here and with other projects. I intend to try to keep up my one-post-a-month promise here, I ask you to bear with me though if the deadline's knocking at the door! 

I am very much excited about this though, and who knows, maybe I can convince JF and Lucas to let us Twilight 2000 types try and game this out somehow (though the magic makes the damn Elves and Orcs very bullet resistant). 

An Interview With Chris Lites, part of the Free League Publishing Twilight: 2000 team!

I know it's been a while, but I wanted to have some more information on what's going on with the upcoming Twilight: 2000 4th Edition Kickstarter campaign by Free League Publishing! We've seen some interviews online with the design team here, I am not a big video person myself, having been told once that I had a "face for radio, and a voice for television."

But I digress, in any event, I have here the questions and responses from Chris Lites, who is part of the design team, and his thoughts on where the team wants to go. Chris was extremely responsive, and gracious considering the amount of development time he is putting into the release we hope will be sometime next year! (My thoughts, noone elses, please don't bug FGL about it!)

The interview is below, the questions were either formulated by myself, or submitted by readers. Chris's responses are in italics.

1.     Will Character Generation be limited to Army characters, like in the 1st Edition will it be more diverse like in the 2nd Edition?

You can play military or civilians from the start.

 

2.       Will there be setting sourcebooks that do more modern apocalypses?

I’m not sure what the future holds. We’ve discussed an option that might lead to a contemporary sourcebook...possibly.

 

3.       What can you tell us about the proposed mechanics?

One set of mechanics is a more detailed version of the Year Zero System. It includes a much heavier focus on combat. We are also playtesting an alternate ruleset. I can’t say more now.

 

4.       Have you brought anyone on from the old GDW team?

Marc Miller is involved.

 

5.       How many of you are fans of the game?

I don’t think anyone involved isn’t a fan of the old game. I started playing it in about 1986 as a kid. I was pretty obsessed with all things military. I memorized cyclic rates for NATO and Warsaw Pact small arms at one point. Twilight: 2000 was probably the third game I played after D&D and Recon. It was pretty much designed for kid me.

 

6.     What made you all decide to keep the game in 2000, considering younger players are, well, barely aware of the Cold War and all that came with it?

We kept the game where it is because it’s the most plausible scenario and the one fans are familiar with. I think the idea of apocalypse never gets old. Given our current world, certainly, “the end is nigh” is very much in the air. The specifics of what any causal factor were pale in comparison to what we, as a society, deal with mentally: the aftermath. We were perilously close to apocalypse in the Cold War and find ourselves in a different, longer apocalypse now. One that is multi-causal. However, the effects of a Third World War have most of the trappings of what we’d see if everything that can go wrong now continues to do so. While new players might not get the Cold War sense of doom, I think younger generations can relate to the feeling of a dark cloud over the world. Setting it in a recent era makes it realistic but still a bit escapist.

 

7.       Will you be re-issuing old adventures for the new system?

The old adventures serve as a road map. You’ll see the Poland campaign but, in true sandbox style, we present it in such a way that is can be set in the UK, Germany, Sweden, wherever you want.

 

8.       Miniatures, what scale and whom if anyone, have you approached? Or can you talk on that?

Miniatures have been discussed. I am a huge minis gamer. Nothing is decided. The RPG certainly does not require them.

9.       If there’s one thing you want to tell the fans, what is it?

 I’d tell the fans that I was a huge fan of Twilight: 2000, studied the Cold War as a kid while it was going on and both myself, and Tomas intend to do the old game right while making it mechanically modern.

 

10.    Do you think, with what’s going on in the world now, and the rise again of PA entertainment over the last few decades, has Twilight:2000’s moment in the sun finally come?

I think the current state of the world makes the return of Twilight: 2000 as timely as it was when it appeared in 1984. We live on the edge of a vast unknown, a very likely dark abyss, and it permeates our global culture. If you can turn that experience into an exercise for fun, you might find it cathartic. At least in our game, players have agency. In the real world, as individuals, we are very much subject to the agency of others save when we come together. If we’re going to get out of this era’s looming end times, it’ll require global movements from the people who will suffer the consequences. That said, it is a game at the end of the day and the object is to have fun. But, as a writer, I’m very aware of how close some of the scenarios in the game are to what might happen in the not too distant future. There is, for example, a virus in game as an optional plot thread. I wrote that prior to COVID. I hope other things we’ve put in the game remain conscripted to the land of “might have been.”

So, that is our interview thus far. I plan to do another one, hopefully before the beginning of the kickstarter in August! So, send me your questions care of the blog!

 

In other news, there's been quite a bit coming out via Battlefront Miniatures, including this curious development! 

Image taken from Battlefront Website

 Yes, reader, your eyes do not deceive! LAV-75s in 15mm! Yeah, I know, there must be a T2K player at Battlefront. It's the only explanation. They are due to be released in July, and I do my T2K gaming in 20mm, but I might get some for my 15mm Sci-Fi armies. I'll keep ya posted. 

 In other news, my 20mm projects have been slowly humming along. Well, not so much mainly because I have a literal ton of 15mm projects to work on in the sci fi realm, then some WWII, so I am doing the Twilight: 2000 miniatures projects as I can, when I can. But some progress has been made!

A Revell M2 Bradley, a Trumpeter LAV-25 (third one of these I have built) and a S&S GAZ-66 Flatbed, all in 20mm

Another view of the above pictured.

The completed Elhiem "Cover Stars" pack, along with the HMMWV that goes with. Need to weather the HMMWV, but they're almost ready. Good figures that paint up great.

For future installments, I plan on doing a review of Battlegroup: NORTHAG, and perhaps writing some ideas for T2K for it, as well as reviews of Spectre: Modern Operations, and Contact Front, two newcomers (relatively) on the block for potential T2K Miniature gaming fun. I also plan on showing off some of the moderns I picked up recently second hand, and from Butler's Printed Models. I'm also got an idea to doing some Twilight War orbats for Fistful of TOWs, as well as doing a series on where to get the miniatures! 

Some Random Thoughts and Ideas

Some of this might be a bit OT, but I do need to get it off my chest somewhere I suppose.

First, I am being published as a sci-fi author! Granted, it's a short story in an anthology, but I am being published for a work of fiction!

Taken from Canon Publishing

Yeah, I know, not at all on-topic, but please forgive the indulgence. It's a big deal and I do hope many of you go out and grab a copy come April 1. No, it's not a joke.

Also, I wanted to pass this bit of news to local folks:

https://thegamestavern.com/blogs/news/important-announcement-we-are-closing-shop-to-reconfigure-the-business?fbclid=IwAR1KqhYbk06NOGImpUC7M7BjiZ9oYHhhtQvQJGS9AQ-oK4km225Pqm8eoBI

Important Announcement: We are closing shop to reconfigure the business.

by John Denton

 March 04, 2019

Today the team at The Games Tavern has made the challenging decision to close the doors to the shop to reconfigure the business in a way to continue to support you all – the most amazing gamer patrons in the world!


Without you none of this adventure would have been possible, and with your continued support we hope to provide continued content and service. We care about all of you and want to see the community grow and flourish.


If you have miniatures/models in the cases, or personal items in the shop please stop by to retrieve them. We want to make sure everyone gets a chance to pick their things up before we start the work over here moving things around. Please call over the shop to schedule and we will gladly help you secure your items.


If you have special orders we have contacted you about please come pick them up this week! We have some items which we have called, emailed, or more to put them into your hands for at least a week now. Those items want to go home with you.


For any special orders we were unable to acquire because our suppliers were out of stock, which were pre-paid we will be issuing refunds shortly because we will be unable to make the orders while we reconfigure and do not want you to have to wait to receive your items.


I want to thank the amazing team and staff at The Games Tavern for the amazing job they do every day.


Keylon’s management of the shop has been outstanding and I cannot think of a better person to continue to work with in the future as we chart a new path. Thanks to Keylon we have grown far better than we expected. His ability to help each and every customer has been wonderful.


Ed’s general management and straight talk is legendary, and his ability to step in and offer the right guidance to the The Games Tavern as we grow continues to astound me, and I thank him for our chats.


To all staff past and present I am thankful because each of you add something to the mix, and continue to enrich our knowledge of the hobby.


For specific requests related to picking up your items or reserved orders which arrived, refunds of pre-orders mentioned above email: john@thegamestavern.com


Sincerely,


-John

I am really unsure as to what it means for the ultimate fate of The Games Tavern. I know I appreciated having them around and they were a quality shop. Let's hope this is temporary and they come back bigger and better than ever! Not much else to report, but we'll see where this goes!

Been prolific lately, and have a question for my readers?

 Well, got a question for my readers? I am thinking of moving the blog to Wordpress. I like the features and it's got a lot more tools for me, but the $48 a year is a bit steep for me right now. So, were I to move, I'd probably do a paypal donation cup here to raise the funds. Yes, I know, it may not sit well with some folks, but if 12 folks gave $4 each, I could get the blog running for a year. And if we don't raise the money, we don't move and I will return the money, simple as that. 

  But before I do it, I'd like to hear from you, the reader, before I do it. I've given the idea some thought, and probably throw in extra content for those who do donate. Maybe dare I say it, a podcast, though that would be a rough road to hoe, as the only microphone I have are the iffy Samsung headphones that came with my phone! But I would give it a try! 

 But I really want some input from you all first. I've enjoyed this blog immensely, and the contest and the outpouring of interest has been a tonic to me, especially during the winter months as I do tend to a bit of lethargy and feeling down, so writing a post or three of interest to the readership puts a smile on this ol' gamer's face.

  So, here's your chance, let me know here, or at 500milest2k@gmail.com, or care of the facebook page. I will be setting up a place to comment there too. I'd really like to know if I am on the right track in general, or what more you, the reader would like to see.

   Thanks all, and here's to a full still, plenty of ammo, and a inactive Geiger Counter.

   Your humble writer,

  

   Jason Weiser