Tuesday 5 December 2017

World War of the Worlds.

A Wings of Glory Kickstarter with a difference, Tripods and Triplanes mixes genres up and brings the War of the Worlds to the trenches. Ironically there is currently no Triplane models available via the Kickstarter, but rocket firing Nieuport 16 comes with the basic kit. (edit - The Red Barons final Fokker Triplane is now a bonus item)

Have downloaded the Print and Play demo rules, and the main thing to note is these tripods are fast! This speed would render most ground based units useless as the ability to accurately target things travelling at this rate didn't exist at this time. Targeting would have to be close ranged and over the sights, So that nicely sets up the background.

Some are already claiming it's just a rip off of 'All Quite on the Martian Front'  , despite that games primary inspiration coming from a mockumentry and unofficial sequels to the H G Wells original plus a mix of World War 1 and 2 aesthetics for the Humans. Both games have spindly legged, almost insect like, Tripods.

Transplanting the War of the Worlds setting has always happened, whether it's Orson Wells, George Pal, or that film with the shrieking kid. The Furness Wargamers even did a 1920s based invasion of Great Britain.

On image that stuck in the mind was the cover from Challenge magazine depicting a German Tripod in a Steampunk 'Great War comes early' of Space1899. It's a shame the proposed Tripod on Tripod rules involves captured machines rather the Earth built responses, but it makes more sense in the setting, especially given the time frame and tech difference.