Game: Warp War

Thread: Re: WarpWar Review

Hammy — 2007-10-04T08:28:36+00:00

Ahh, warp war. I spent may happy hours playing this while I was at University. I even did some rules for bigger empires and larger scale games. The trouble is I am sure I no longer have them

Thread: Re: WarpWar Review

Harkonnen13 — 2007-10-04T07:39:06+00:00

Good review Rob. Reading it was a walk down memory lane. There's a Yahoo group for WarpWar with some nice new maps, PBEM games, and campaign rules that you might want to check out if you haven't already.

Thread: Re: WarpWar Review

mistermarino — 2007-10-04T05:53:05+00:00

Congratulations! You've won a Cordwainer Bird Award for your review of this OOP science fiction game. Thanks for removing this from the list of games without reviews. Enjoy 5 GG with my compliments.

If you would like to help alleviate the loneliness of OOP, unreviewed science fiction, fantasy and horror games, see my Cordwainer Bird Award GeekList.

Thread: WarpWar Review

Robrob — 2007-10-03T23:13:01+00:00

WarpWar Review
Metagaming Microgame #4 (1977)
Designed by Howard Thompson
2 players

Fourth in Metagaming's venerable Microgame series (following the classic Ogre, Chitin:I and Melee) WarpWar was a unique creation, a tactical game of interstellar combat that could fit into your back pocket. For the cost of a paperback novel you received a ziplock size baggie containing a16 page illustrated rulebook, a 8” x 14” star map and single counter sheet. Game art aficionados will recognize the terrific interior illustrations by Winchell Chung (of Ogre fame) and the great Paul Jaquays. WarpWar could best be described as a bare bones combat space combat system with room for expansion.

The star map is a generic hex map with a couple dozen scattered stars connected in five separate constellations by “warplines.” Game play is simple. Each player attempts to maneuver his ships about the star map, occupying starbases, gaining build points and destroying their opponent.

Turn sequence:

1)Count Victory Points (VP), one for each starbase held.
2)Build, repair, resupply ships.
3)Move ships.
4)Conduct combat in occupied hexes.
5)System ship pick up/drop off.

Each player begins the game with a limited amount of build points to create their fleet of ships. Ships are comprised of power plants (which provide power... duh), beams, screens, tubes to launch missiles and of course missiles (which come in a convenient three pack). Each item costs one build point per item or level of strength. System ships can't leave their star hex under their own power. Ships can also be equipped with Warp generators (5 build points) for interstellar travel and system ship racks (1 point each) to carry system ships with them (can you say TIE fighter?).

What makes the build system unique is the addition of technology levels. The game advances in technology every four turns. Turn 1-4 = level 0, 5-8 = level 1, 9-12= level 2, etc... Ships built in a tech level retain that level for the duration of the game. Like the old computer Civilization game, you will eventually have ancient ships with outdated systems mixed in with your top of the line fighters.

Ship tech levels are added to their attack/defense values (e.g. a tech level 2 ship fires a strength 4 beam = attack of 6). Players may repair or resupply their ships on their own starbase hexes. Repair costs are the same as new construction so sometimes it pays to mothball your antiques by leaving them damaged somewhere quiet as system defense. There are interesting decisions to be made in how best to maintain your fleet, repairing old hips vs. developing new ones (predating such similar situations in great computer games like Civilization and Masters of Orion).

Warpships are the only ships that may move through deep space (hex to hex or star to star on the space map). They may move one hex per power point. Movement between stars can also be along warplines which only also take one power point to traverse no matter the actual distance. Dropping off/picking up system ships in a star hex also costs one movement point each.

Combat is a rock/paper/scissors affair. Players decide their combat posture (attack, dodge, retreat) and speed (from engine power) along with strength of beams and screens. Missile tubes don't need energy to launch but you can't use your beams/screens while launching missiles. Comparison on the CRT of ships' postures gives varying degrees of damage points, misses or even retreats. Damage results are marked off of your ship's infrastructure. Damaged parts are unusable until repaired. Ships reduced to their warp generator (or to zero points for system ships) are destroyed.

The rule book explains WarpWar is modular and players may want to experiment and develop more complex rules and even invites submissions to the Space Gamer (Metagaming's in-house magazine). To draw a rough parallel, WarpWar is to tactical interstellar combat systems what Triplanetary was to stellar vector movement systems. On the dedication page, Thompson acknowledges his inspiration by authors Joe Hadelman (Forever War), Larry Niven and Jerry Pournell (The Mote in God's Eye).

Thread: Description, counter manifest and comments

ltmurnau — 2007-10-01T22:39:12+00:00

Text originally appeared in Simulacrum #27.

WARPWAR

Designer: Howard Thompson
Publisher: Metagaming Concepts

Players: 2
Playing time: 1-2 hours
Era: science fiction
Scale: individual spaceship

Published in 1978 as Microgame #4, in the usual plastic pouch. A boxed edition with die-cut counters and different cover art was published in 1980.

Components
1 – 16 page rulebook
1 – 8x14” map in “point to point” style, showing the routes between different star systems.
1 – sheet of counters, single-sided, strip-cut or die-cut depending on edition
1 – box or plastic pouch, depending on edition

Counter Manifest
The first (plastic pouch) edition had a total of 56 counters, in white-on-blue and blue-on-white colour schemes. Each side had an identical mix of 28 counters, consisting of 9 Warpships and 19 Systemships.

The second (boxed edition) had a total of 42 counters, in white-on-red and red-on-white colour schemes. Each side had an identical mix of 21 counters, consisting of 7 Warpships and 14 Systemships.

What the designer says

“Up screens, ready Beams and Missile Tubes, Power Drive to 5! The battle is about to begin. Warpwar is a fast playing game of interstellar maneuver and combat. You select the tactics and weapon power settings. No chance is involved in the diceless combat system. You must out-think your opponent. You design your own spaceships with Beams, Screens, Missile Tubes and Power Drive. “ [ad copy on back of rules booklet]

What the reviewers say

“Fairly extensible system included two types of ships with a considerable number of attributes including power, warp, beams, screens, missiles and racks for carrying system ships. Advanced rules feature technology levels, but perhaps the most interesting, if time-consuming feature is the diceless combat realized via simultaneously-revealed written orders which include a lot of possibility for bluff and outguessing. Might make a nice basis for a space campaign game.” [Rick Heli, Spotlight on Games]

Support Material

Analysis: Space Gamer 13 (designer’s notes), Space Gamer 16
Errata: Space Gamer 15
Reviews: Ares 8, Strategy & Tactics 66, Dragon 17
Scenarios/ variants: Interplay 5 (expanded tactical rules), Space Gamer 14 (scenarios), Space Gamer 15 (floating hulks), Space Gamer 19 (combining Imperium and WarpWar), Space Gamer 33 (refereed campaign game), Vindicator vol 1 #5c (new counters, rules variants, expanded CRT, ship record sheets, playing in 3 dimensions), Vindicator vol 1 #6a (new map, economic rules, simultaneous movement)

Image

Doodlemonkie — 2007-03-17T21:52:22+00:00

First edition map (slightly cropped)

Image

Doodlemonkie — 2007-03-17T21:25:47+00:00

A geomorphic board (canvas) depicting a green starry nebula and jump lines, replacing the paper map from the original game.

Image

Doodlemonkie — 2007-03-17T21:25:22+00:00

A geomorphic board (canvas) depicting a red starry nebula and jump lines, replacing the paper map from the original game.

Image

Doodlemonkie — 2007-03-17T21:24:59+00:00

A geomorphic board (canvas) depicting a blue starry nebula and jump lines, replacing the paper map from the original game.

Image

Herr Niemand — 2005-11-26T14:10:32+00:00

Image

Nyrath — 2005-09-19T14:44:01+00:00

Thread: WarpWar Campaign Game is starting.

hcobb — 2005-06-03T00:46:14+00:00

See http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WarpWar/message/600 for the details.

Image

The Maverick — 2005-02-21T16:17:41+00:00

Cover, first printing

Image

The Maverick — 2005-02-21T16:17:41+00:00

Cover, second printing

Image

The Maverick — 2005-02-21T16:17:40+00:00

Back cover, second printing

Image

The Maverick — 2005-02-21T16:14:07+00:00

Back cover, first printing