Editor in Chief Bill | 24 Dec 2011 11:27 a.m. PST |
In Osprey/Ambush Alley Games' Tomorrow's War sci-fi rules, the optional background material includes a New Soviet Federation. Do you like Soviets in your space games? * yes * Soviets, no; Russians, yes * no * no preference |
Mako11 | 24 Dec 2011 11:35 a.m. PST |
Sure, why not. We need someone other than aliens to beat up on, assuming they survive the liftoff launch. |
John the OFM | 24 Dec 2011 11:36 a.m. PST |
Well, I am forced to grudgingly admit that the Commies were up there first. They'll be Commies again soon. |
Dances With Words | 24 Dec 2011 11:47 a.m. PST |
IF the soviets/Russians can get their rockets back up into space (non soyuz progress/manned ships), like their probes and comm sats without crashing them
.it could get interesting
. BUT as to the 'red menace'
.I think that China's blossoming space program
(with a little 'co-op' from North Korea, Iran and a few other 'radical' nations
.(their version of the US/ESA/Can/Japan/Rus 'joint' missions)
might be a 'counter-point' to our efforts
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Scorpio | 24 Dec 2011 12:10 p.m. PST |
Well, I am forced to grudgingly admit that the Commies were up there first. And, with the demise of the shuttle program, we're hitching rides with *them* to get to the space station. A long strange trip it's been. |
Lion in the Stars | 24 Dec 2011 12:22 p.m. PST |
Yup, the current NASA astronaut recruiting ads specifically mention needing to speak Russian
Unfortunately, at some levels of economic development the soundbites of Communism sound really good. It's been proven in practice that communism is for the little people, however, since I haven't seen any set of 'communist' leadership at the national level manage to follow the communistic ideals once they achieve power. |
Tgunner | 24 Dec 2011 12:32 p.m. PST |
I'll take Neo-Soviets too. They give you a great opportunity to use bad Russian accents and call your foes "Capitalist Pigs!" Plus Khurasan has such nice figures in 15mm along with their awesome bots, tanks, and apcs. So yes, count me in comrade Editor! |
Thornhammer | 24 Dec 2011 12:53 p.m. PST |
Tgunner has the long and short of it. |
Space Monkey | 24 Dec 2011 1:02 p.m. PST |
Yes! One of my old Traveller homebrew settings is basically retro-style Russians in space
and that's carried through into games like Full Thrust and Stargrunt. Like TGunner says, a good excuse to talk in bad Russian accents and sip vodka. (also an excuse for why the Traveller computers are so damn klunky/big) Also, seeing 'Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet' (a Corman redub of 'Planet Bur') made a big impression on me as a kid
and later, 'Solaris'. |
Wizard Whateley | 24 Dec 2011 2:07 p.m. PST |
Of course not, it's a failed system. That's as silly as having a futuristic setting with a 'princess' or 'lord' or 'emperor'. Who would do that? |
Dropship Horizon | 24 Dec 2011 2:30 p.m. PST |
Tgunner has the long and short of it. Yup! Cheers Mark |
Wolfprophet | 24 Dec 2011 3:03 p.m. PST |
I don't see why not. Even the Halo universes fluff used soviets in space at one point. (Ironically, a Red Rebellion on the Red planet after it had been colonized for a couple generations.) |
Mooseworks8 | 24 Dec 2011 4:15 p.m. PST |
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tuscaloosa | 24 Dec 2011 6:09 p.m. PST |
The Communist Party's share of the vote keeps rising in modern day Russia
Just wait Comrade, we are keeping track of who supports us! |
rolgan | 24 Dec 2011 6:25 p.m. PST |
Soviet, Da
.Ruskie, Nyet. And like Tgunner said.., |
Barks1 | 24 Dec 2011 6:37 p.m. PST |
Yeah, definitely. Colonising new planets, allowing socialist communities to grow without the corrupting influence of capitalism etc. Doesn't have to be Russians though, could be North Koreans, Chinese, etc. |
Mako11 | 24 Dec 2011 7:24 p.m. PST |
There are lots of communists/socialists in Hollywood, so you can count on at least some them comrade, right up until they have to donate to the cause, so all can live in financial equality, like the Cubans do. I'm guessing when that happens, and they realize that the $25 a month stipend (oh sorry, scratch that, we're reducing the payments to $15 a month, and will need to lay off several million of you to make that work) they receive in their annuity won't keep them in the life to which they've become accustomed, they'll quickly become devout capitalists. ;-) I love irony
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The Hound | 24 Dec 2011 7:38 p.m. PST |
yes keep them away from the earth |
nvdoyle | 24 Dec 2011 7:45 p.m. PST |
Yep, love 'em. (Well, not in reality, but they make great villains.) Either extension of a far more successful USSR, or in a Grim Future In Which There Is Only War, a hybridization of classic Tsarist and Communist Russia – with double-headed eagles, commisars, human waves and battle monks, why not? I do like the idea of a Soviet-ized Traveller setting, that might be fun. |
khurasanminiatures | 24 Dec 2011 9:45 p.m. PST |
Well, who knows what will happen in the future? Certainly not us. Wargaming is for fun, so we often dream up future civilisations that are in fact just a take on current, or past, cultures, or our interpretations of them. Soviets were the nemesis of the West for decades so naturally interest in portraying them in space will be strong. What I love about them is the strange look of the weapons that you can get away with -- the determination to get parity whilst spending less money and having access to cruder technology, and the design by committee appearance. We had a lot of fun with this on the Nova Respublik power armour, called the "Anthem of the Respublik Patriotic Volunteer Full Power Suit." (Calling it individual power armour just wouldn't do.) Strange, clunky yet fearsome all the same. (This design will be released in Spring of this year, if not perhaps a bit earlier.)
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kallman | 24 Dec 2011 10:14 p.m. PST |
In mother Russia space ship flies you! Dah! bring on the Ruskies! |
CmdrKiley | 24 Dec 2011 10:41 p.m. PST |
Neo-Soviets have always been a favorite bad-guy faction of mine. |
Mako11 | 25 Dec 2011 12:42 a.m. PST |
On the plus side, and just so you don't think I'm too down on the Russkies, at least they have a space program. Sadly, ours is but a former shell of itself. Hopefully, someone in America will change that soon, with a manned mission to Mars. |
Lion in the Stars | 25 Dec 2011 3:57 a.m. PST |
What I love about them is the strange look of the weapons that you can get away with -- the determination to get parity whilst spending less money and having access to cruder technology, and the design by committee appearance. We had a lot of fun with this on the Nova Respublik power armour, called the "Anthem of the Respublik Patriotic Volunteer Full Power Suit." (Calling it individual power armour just wouldn't do.) Strange, clunky yet fearsome all the same. (This design will be released in Spring of this year, if not perhaps a bit earlier.) K, please stop teasing. I don't think my wallet can survive any more of this. I will need several of those, as well as at least a couple 'Doe' dropships. Another useful point: Soviet design ethos equipment will be popular for generations to come, because it is easier to maintain and less expensive to make. And it lasts longer with less maintenance, look at the quantity of T55s still in use. |
Wolfprophet | 25 Dec 2011 4:28 a.m. PST |
I shake my head, for Khurasan will bleed us all dry of cash
we will have mountains of lead and lament that we could not hold back. Impulse control be damned when one can vigorously make use of a paypal account. That said
I'll be buying a couple squads of those armour suits
. At least a couple. |
NBFGH with Attitude | 25 Dec 2011 4:30 a.m. PST |
A good game needs neo soviets as much (if not more) as it needs neo nazis. Preferably with troops and armour painted in blazing red camo. |
evilmike | 25 Dec 2011 5:30 a.m. PST |
Gotta have space commies, just like you gotta have space Victorians, saying 'God save the Queen/King'. And space French. With a space Foreign Legion. Vive le space emperor, and all that. |
Thornhammer | 25 Dec 2011 8:40 a.m. PST |
Lean heavily towards that "a bit earlier" please, Khurasan! That power armor is awesome. The clunk factor really makes it. "Initial versions of the armor involved welding the hatch shut and entombing the volunteer forever, periodically recharging the suit's life support system as a way to control the comrade-volunteer. This method of control was quickly ended, however, when the first user learned that he was trapped inside a very large, very powerful suit of armor impervious to most small weapons, and given access to loaded twin-linked cannon and a pair of missile launchers." |
Lentulus | 25 Dec 2011 8:58 p.m. PST |
I'd put more money on a second Russian empire than on a revived Soviet Union. Not that the practical distinction would necessarily be that great, but the label on the tin would be different. |
Space Monkey | 26 Dec 2011 12:30 a.m. PST |
That's a nice walker
hard to resist. |
Fonthill Hoser | 26 Dec 2011 7:57 a.m. PST |
Considering that the Russians are THE experts in long-term space missions (Mir), I believe it would be foolish not to include them. And the Soviets have neat symbols and iconography, while the post-communist Russians really haven't developed a style of their own yet. |
Wolfprophet | 26 Dec 2011 8:30 a.m. PST |
"Initial versions of the armor involved welding the hatch shut and entombing the volunteer forever, periodically recharging the suit's life support system as a way to control the comrade-volunteer. This method of control was quickly ended, however, when the first user learned that he was trapped inside a very large, very powerful suit of armor impervious to most small weapons, and given access to loaded twin-linked cannon and a pair of missile launchers." I lol'd hard. |
Eli Arndt | 26 Dec 2011 12:26 p.m. PST |
Wow, that walker is awesome. Looks just as I'd imagine a "Russian" mech to look like. -Eli |
Lion in the Stars | 27 Dec 2011 7:58 a.m. PST |
Yup, and like I said, the Russian design ethos seems to do really well for 3rd-world nations. How many T55s are still in service all around the world? |