Favorite Dark Future Games

[MortonStromgal]

Thoth-Amon, You mean Dark Hersey (ie warhammer 40k)
Dark Conspiracy is a game from the 80s that uses the GDW system. I thought Dark Conspiracy was awesome until I owned the book and realized how my GM shielded me from all the cheesy.

[Arch Lich Thoth-Amon]

Thoth-Amon, You mean Dark Hersey (ie warhammer 40k)
Dark Conspiracy is a game from the 80s that uses the GDW system. I thought Dark Conspiracy was awesome until I owned the book and realized how my GM shielded me from all the cheesy.

I did, but the genre seemed the same and the answer i received encouraged me to look up the game and mentally note to purchase it on Ebay. So really, w/o even knowing it, i was asking about both games.

You got me curious about the "cheese." Explain what you liked about your game and what you were glad was removed(in 20/20 hindsight), by your GM. This goes for anyone who wishes to share, btw. Thanks,

Thoth-Amon

[MortonStromgal]

Well the premise is WONDERFUL! dark creatures, secret societies, etc. Then you start reading and its really GDW's verison of Shadowrun during the Nigel Findley years (rest in peace man, you rock). Its this over the top 80s cyberpunk with all kinds of mythic creatures running around the wastelands and big evil mega corporations protecting the citys. Which sounds cool but frankly the fiction is not Nigel Findley quality. Rather than being a Dark Conspiracy ala Cthuhlu or Unknown Armies it comes off as kill the monsters and take their stuff. I give it 5 out of 5 for effort but 2 out of 5 for execution.

[michaeljearley]

ShadowRun, without a doubt.

[BigUgly]

Stuff, The Dark Minions and Aliens had stuff? In the game we played, we the PC's were always broke and usually a half a step behind everything that was trying to kill us or kill others. The game our GM ran and the one I ran, the PC's stayed broke and pretty much became minion hunters because we had no choose. It was be a hunter and fight back or die like the rest of the sheep. And if we did allow a Gnome into the game it didn't take long before the dark minion figured out a way to ruin them fianancially. It was always more of a "Damnit, I have to wake up and try to survive the day again" setting.
I remember how being able to set the game in area/situations that where so close to the ones we live in, it made the game kind of freaky/scary. Nothing better then taking a murder case that just happened in your hometown and playing the PC's in the same situation with similar details. That was one of the reasons my ex-wife wouldn't play the game with us. She said she could close her eyes and feel like the stuff in game was really happening next door.

[MortonStromgal]

Stuff, The Dark Minions and Aliens had stuff? In the game we played, we the PC's were always broke and usually a half a step behind everything that was trying to kill us or kill others. The game our GM ran and the one I ran, the PC's stayed broke and pretty much became minion hunters because we had no choose. It was be a hunter and fight back or die like the rest of the sheep. And if we did allow a Gnome into the game it didn't take long before the dark minion figured out a way to ruin them fianancially. It was always more of a "Damnit, I have to wake up and try to survive the day again" setting.
I remember how being able to set the game in area/situations that where so close to the ones we live in, it made the game kind of freaky/scary. Nothing better then taking a murder case that just happened in your hometown and playing the PC's in the same situation with similar details. That was one of the reasons my ex-wife wouldn't play the game with us. She said she could close her eyes and feel like the stuff in game was really happening next door.

Sounds like your GM was like mine and threw out the cheese. For example theres a decent size section on the state of the world where it basically says you either live in one of the huge cities or your monster food. Theres no middle ground. Also IIRC Los Angeles takes up most of southern California, I would have to look that up though I just remember the cities mentioned were bigger than some states currently. Just out of Curiosity did your GM throw out the cyberpunk to?

[Webhead]

I voted Cyberpunk 2020 because the game was very different from just about anything else I'd played at the time. It was the first time I'd ever seen a "lifepath" system in any RPG up to that point and I thought that was really cool. And no matter how bad-a$$ your character thought he was, there was always, always something that could mess you up six ways from Sunday. Even a street-punk with a paintball gun (that's not paint in those pellets) can ruin your day.

And then, cyberpsychosis. Very cool idea. Want to replace your entire body with super cyber-weapons...sure...and congratulations, now you're as nutty as a Christmas fruitcake. They've got special divisions of the police force trained to turn you into a waffle iron...welcome to the future.

[BigUgly]

We still used the Mega Cities, and the territories outside them was kind of like the Mad Max setting. You could still find towns where the locals had learned to live with the wandering gangs. In my game I never made it where the whole United States was a mad house except where the Mega Cities where. We still used some of the cyber punk stuff but 95% of it you got during character creation. I ran my game in my home state of New Mexico. Just made a Mega City call Rio Grande City that ran from just south of Santa Fe down the Rio Grande river and I25 to Las Cruces. New Mexico is full of military labs and bases, with places like the VLA that would draw aliens and dark minion like crazy. Plus the added affect of the PC's actually knowing in detail about the area their playing in really brings the dark future theme to life. I would create a New Mexico tabloid called The New Mexico Argus and give it out to the players and let them decide what they wanted to do. I found that I do that in all the games I run be it dark future, fantasy or sci fi. I create the world and have a good idea what is where and let the PC's go where they want. If chasing the dark minions just happens to lead them into a mega corps personnel battle against another mega corp so be it, they'll just have to clean up the new mess before they can go back to their old mess. On the downside I have killed my share of PC's because they stumble into a place that they are not capable of handling yet. But hey thats how life is, sometimes you just go down the wrong road.
Damn all this talk of Dark conspiracy as made me want to play it again. Time to drag out the old books and find all my old disc. Guess the group will get to play a new game next week.

[Thorgrimm]

I have always like Dark Future games. By far the best is Cyberpunk. It's really just a character and combat system. In my experiance, it can be molded to what the GM and Players want. There are some ideas but with the basic book really nothing is set. No huge back ground with lot os pregenerated villians or NPC. Just a system and a start point.
My opinion take it or leave it.
Thanks,
Thorgrimm

[Webhead]

I have always like Dark Future games. By far the best is Cyberpunk. It's really just a character and combat system. In my experiance, it can be molded to what the GM and Players want. There are some ideas but with the basic book really nothing is set. No huge back ground with lot os pregenerated villians or NPC. Just a system and a start point.
My opinion take it or leave it.
Thanks,
Thorgrimm

Agreed. I like that about Cyberpunk 2020 as well. It takes the (very Cyberpunk-ish) attitude of: "Here's a game. Go play it."

[darelf]

My favorite is probably Witchcraft. Armageddon also, but low-power.

[Thorgrimm]

My favorite is probably Witchcraft. Armageddon also, but low-power.

Never heard of those games. I really like Cyberpunk because there is no magic or healing postions. If you get hurt you're hurt. Also when there is combat it's fast and fluid, none of the D&D trade blows until some one drops. I really like that you can turn Firday Night Fire Fight into table top game for beginners to learn the combat system.
I do like the idea behind Shadow Run but I've never played it.

[darelf]

Never heard of those games.

Imagine if (n)WoD games had a good, playable game system.... that would be Witchcraft.

(Actually, we were quite enjoying Scion - Hero, but I'm not sure that's exactly Horror/Dark Future)

[MortonStromgal]

Imagine if (n)WoD games had a good, playable game system.... that would be Witchcraft.

oooo thems fighting words, I like the unisystem and all but I'll stick to my dicepools over 1d10

[Webhead]

Never heard of those games. I really like Cyberpunk because there is no magic or healing postions. If you get hurt you're hurt. Also when there is combat it's fast and fluid, none of the D&D trade blows until some one drops. I really like that you can turn Firday Night Fire Fight into table top game for beginners to learn the combat system.

One of the things I liked about Cyberpunk 2020 that added a very cool, unique element to the combat: There's no dodging bullets.

Your reflex stat and your dodge skill were useless against being shot at. The enemy just has to beat the difficulty number. So, when somebody pulls out a gun, everybody runs for cover, even the big, tough combat-oriented characters. In 2020, cover is your friend.