Alternate Versions of Twilight 2000

[Raellus]

A place to share alternative approaches, homebrews, and modded versions of T2k.

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[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by TyCaine

For those more hard line enthusiasts though I think a v5 with a thoroughly investigated and cogitated classic Cold War timeline would be best, with, perhaps, a modern update being something more of a 'setting' supplement later...

Yes, that's a thought that's crossed my mind too - standard setting plus a 2040-50 setting, both using the same mechanics and probably the latter a timeline extension of the earlier.
40-50 years is long enough so that any major influences PCs make in 2000 wouldn't be able to be reversed or whatever in the intervening half century.

Then there's this idea floated on Discord earlier today...

Attachment 4545

[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

If there is ever a 5th edition, I see two options - keep it set in 2000 and compatible with 1st and 2nd ed, or push the time forward to at least ten years after the publication date (20 might be better). I'd definitely like to hear people's opinions on those two ideas.

I'm in broad agreement with both ideas. My preferences would be the following

1. Go forward 10-20 years as you've suggested (I've said a couple of times that I think V4 would have been better served doing this rather than trying to go backwards and come up with a rebooted Cold War timeline). Call it Twilight 2030 or Twilight 2040, make it clear that it's a variant rather than a reboot.

2. Stick with the V1 timeline. Keep all the key points (Sino Soviet War, West German 'invasion' of East Germany, gradual nuclear escalation leading up to TDM, etc). Maybe look at whether some things could be tweaked a bit - for example, the situation in Yugoslavia where the US allies with the Serbs - but I'm not even sure if that's desirable / advisable as any tweaks ultimately means it's not V1.

The idea of combining the two into one product would be interesting if they could be aligned. I don't know how well that would work in practice though - I mean, isn't that essentially what happened with T2k and 2300 (albeit with a longer gap between them) and one of the issues was that having a pre determined future put some restrictions on new material for the earlier period?

[mpipes]

GDW as I recall planned a series of module changing the basic backstory to create an alternate setting. I remember a pandemic setting and post asteroid strike as well as a near future setting (~2030 I think). Seems like there was a zombie setting proposed as well.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

You're thinking of the survey they had in the back of the 2.2 main book.
I think that all the scenarios you mention were part of the survey in which they asked people to submit their preference for the next game that GDW would produce.
It would have used the same rules system so just like the Merc: 2000 book, while not actually being part of T2k, it would be compatible with rules, equipment and so on.

The scenario chosen by most was a near future setting in which nations fought each other for basic resources - water, food. It would be set in the 2000s and feature more modern technology and was called Armor 21.

[3catcircus]

Any thoughts on combining 2013's mechanics with v1/v2.2 timelines?

I like the d20 dice pool roll under mechanic from 2013. I do, however, think the lifepaths should be expanded as per v2.2/Mitch Berg/Paul Mulcahy, along with making the pre reqs for the SOF type life paths a little easier to access.

I suppose you could also go in reverse, using v2.2 as-is other than going to the dice pool system from 2013. I see no reason why that couldn't happen since they went from a d10 to a d20 between v2 and v2.2...

[Tegyrius]

It shouldn't be an issue. One of the design objectives of 2013's game engine, Reflex, was to be usable with the 1.0/2.0/2.2 timelines (or for non-post-apoc modern or near-future settings).

- C.