Each ring has an effectively infinite number of worlds, and each world is defined by which race owns it, a Class (which determines what kind of NPCs you can meet), and a Law Level. Gaia Prime is at the centre of a series of ‘rings’, each of which has its own selection of races. The 5150 universe is dominated by the Gaian Hegemony, which competes with multiple other powers, often violently. The heart of the game is the combat system, which is supplemented by a barebones setting, character generation, spaceship and space combat rules, scenarios, and a campaign system. The book isn’t really split into chapters, so I won’t review it that way. The basic rules have variants for most common genres if the title is prefixed with 5150 you’ve found one of the science fiction games. That’s like Marmite: You’ll either love it or hate it. In terms of equipment, your characters have whatever you think they should have, but they can only carry a handful of items at any given time.Įach player only really has control of one figure, the rest move according to dice rolls and the rules. The combat scenarios are stitched together by some really clever setting and campaign rules which generate background on the fly as you play. It plays much faster than that description would lead you to think. That goes back and forth until it peters out – usually one side dies, is incapacitated or flees – and then side A moves another group of figures. In the THW “reaction system”, side A activates and moves some of its figures side B reacts to that movement, which in turn may cause side A to react to that reaction, and so on. In most such games, side A moves, shoots and conducts melee, then side B moves, shoots and conducts melee. They’re skirmish wargames with roleplaying elements, designed from the ground up to be used for solo or same-side play as well as the usual head-to-head wargaming.

If You’ve Never Played a THW Game Before… Preferably somewhere without any extradition treaties. In this particular one, you’re a freelance space trader operating on the edge of the law and looking to make enough money to retire in comfort. The best thing about the games from this stable is that they work equally well played solitaire, co-operatively, or competitively.

Based on the company’s Chain Reaction rules engine (reviewed here) and to my mind an upgraded and simplified version of 5150 Fringe Space (reviewed here). 81 page PDF from Two Hour Wargames, written by Ed Teixeira. In a Nutshell: Science fiction roleplaying/skirmish wargaming hybrid.

Download two hour war games pdf