Two hour wargames 5150 review
The biggest, most notable thing about 2HW is that there's a bit of a clockwork mentality to them. In theory, momotaro and I are playing, but the problem of being on opposite sides of the planet as well as having bunches of RL responsibilities on both ends has made the thing move at a glacial pace. Therefore, both new players and those upgrading from the first edition are advised to read the book carefully and make the "Stop!" box exercises.Well, if I actually end up getting the game up and running, I'll let you know. The streamlining and organization of the rules make it easier to learn and use, but it still has lots of information. With some extra work, the campaign system may also be adjusted to fit other sci-fi settings.
It is possible to use the campaign system as is, in order to create various stories in the New Hope City setting. In my opinion, 5150 Urban Renewal offers an interesting experience for solo players. In this new edition the parts seem to fit each other better. I think that this gave it the "toolbox" feel. Things like the new In Sight system, item system and building rules were presented but, at times, there was little "glue" between them. When that book was released in 2012, it showcased many of the newer rules for Two Hour Wargames products. In terms of writing and presentation, Urban Renewal is more organized and clear than the original New Beginnings. On the other hand, there are three new types of encounter: Confrontation, Gaming House and Deal, adding more options to the campaign. The chapter about media crews has also been removed. The rules for buildings have also reverted to essentially the same found in Chain Reaction 3.1, instead of the more complex, floorplan-based ones found in the previous edition of New Beginnings. This also means that the rules for using a vehicle in an encounter are gone.
The rules for vehicles have been replaced with a comprehensive Public Transport system, that may also be used to simulate travel with a car. The Science skill has also been removed, and now the People skill is quite possibly the most useful. The latter has been dropped, and a new system of social Circles has been added. Previously, characters had a class, profession and motivation. The goal of the campaign has also shifted from items to character improvement, and so the items system has been further simplified.Īs the campaign system changed, so did characters. So there is a change of focus, and a lot more cohesion between parts in this new edition. On the other hand, Urban Renewal feels like a very detailed campaign system, which you may also tear apart to use only parts of it. In my opinion, the original New Beginnings was like a big toolbox for playing sci-fi narrative-oriented games, and it included a campaign system to help players getting started. The biggest changes have been in the campaign system. For those who have already played 5150 New Beginnings, I suppose that the big question is: what has changed?
While the rules can be used for one-off battles between small groups of figures, in my opinion most of its value comes from narrative play. By that I mean that there are provisions to help the players creating an overall story. This is a sci-fi miniatures game with noticeable RPG elements. 5150 Urban Renewal is the new edition of 5150 New Beginnings. Now that I have played a number of games with 5150 Urban Renewal (and New Hope City PI), I feel confident enough to write a review about it.įor those who do not know this game, a little explanation is necessary.