I think I enjoyed it the most back in the RT/2nd ed days too. The rules themselves were certainly not the best, but we didn't know any better. I suppose 3rd/4th might have been the best balanced and easy to play version maybe. But for pure, happy memories RT and 2nd. the A buddy of mine got the RT book back in....88? We were big AD&D\Traveler geeks, but the artwork and insane setting just blew us away.
At first, the games themselves often turned into day long Heavy Weapons duels. We'd set up like 6 feet from each other on a floor or big table and move only when our HW trooper got hit. But as RT was built for free, non-competitive, game-master driven play. like an RPG once we started making up scenarios it was just a whole new world. The best was our group had an on-going "Campaign" of sorts we called "The Beer Machine", the McGuffin was an acheotech matter/energy transmogifier whottist that had been unearthed by a band of Squat miners. The Squats took this arcane item of unparalleled power and used it to make beer. I mean, wouldn't you? We'd play these 6/7/8 sided games, (though usually no more than 20 figures a side) that would last until the wee hours.
The plot usually revolved around the Squats (or whoever managed to capture the Beer Machine last game) trying to escape off the board with everyone else trying to either catch them, or complete their own, often secret sub-plot. These games lasted well into 2nd ed and we even did a couple of Necromunda/Gorkamorka Beer Machines too. Happy days......
You'll have to excuse me gentlemen, I need to stop and wipe the tears of sweet nostalgia from my eyes. Maybe check in on some old buddies on Facebook
When was 40K best? Aka the Nostalgia Thread.
Re: When was 40K best? Aka the Nostalgia Thread.
...and now his Head was full of nothing but Inchantments, Quarrels, Battles, Challenges, Wounds, Complaints, Amours, and abundance of Stuff and Impossibilities.....
Cervantes, Don Quixote
Cervantes, Don Quixote
Re: When was 40K best? Aka the Nostalgia Thread.
I can see your rhuemy eyes clearly. The nostalgia has gotten to me too. Who wouldn't tear up over memories of a beer making machine.
I've quit 40k 2.5 times over the years, and I always manage to return. My first glories were the adventures of Sorceror Poltroon, his 13 CSM found mostly in bits boxes, 5 of the original raptors, a predator and Cypher. Those were fun days playing late at night with my friend and our little brothers.
To this my day, the best game I played involved an IG on IG battle across a factory compound with raised gantry ways and bridges all built from cardboard boxes. We threw some of my friend's little brother's dark Eldar on my side and played all afternoon in his parents' garage with the door open on a nice sunny spring day.
Then there was my return in college. I had a great time for a year before I came to Japan playing at the local game store. Lots of good times, most particularly the 40k league we ran it with 4 divisions of 4 players each, a 6-game schedule and an 8 team playoff. However, the best games were the team events. It was good fun lining up with various players and my two Chaos Dreadnoughts. It was all played in the 5th Ed. era.
Finally there was the latest round of 40k. I've become rather fond of my crew of cultists. There have been particularly a number of great games. Most particularly a number of games witht Mike's Eldar have been really good to the bitter end.
Of the 5 editions I've known, I'm most nostalgic over 3rd and 5th Ed. 3rd was where I began this journey into Wargaming and 5th, while not my favorite version of 40k, is admittedly the most accessible of the past 4 editions.
However, what most counted was the company and energy involved at that time. With the right enthusiasm and enjoyment, the games of 40k regardless of the rules have been a great deal of fun.
I've quit 40k 2.5 times over the years, and I always manage to return. My first glories were the adventures of Sorceror Poltroon, his 13 CSM found mostly in bits boxes, 5 of the original raptors, a predator and Cypher. Those were fun days playing late at night with my friend and our little brothers.
To this my day, the best game I played involved an IG on IG battle across a factory compound with raised gantry ways and bridges all built from cardboard boxes. We threw some of my friend's little brother's dark Eldar on my side and played all afternoon in his parents' garage with the door open on a nice sunny spring day.
Then there was my return in college. I had a great time for a year before I came to Japan playing at the local game store. Lots of good times, most particularly the 40k league we ran it with 4 divisions of 4 players each, a 6-game schedule and an 8 team playoff. However, the best games were the team events. It was good fun lining up with various players and my two Chaos Dreadnoughts. It was all played in the 5th Ed. era.
Finally there was the latest round of 40k. I've become rather fond of my crew of cultists. There have been particularly a number of great games. Most particularly a number of games witht Mike's Eldar have been really good to the bitter end.
Of the 5 editions I've known, I'm most nostalgic over 3rd and 5th Ed. 3rd was where I began this journey into Wargaming and 5th, while not my favorite version of 40k, is admittedly the most accessible of the past 4 editions.
However, what most counted was the company and energy involved at that time. With the right enthusiasm and enjoyment, the games of 40k regardless of the rules have been a great deal of fun.
Models Painted, 2020
70 28mm miniatureS
70 28mm miniatureS
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AndrewGPaul
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Re: When was 40K best? Aka the Nostalgia Thread.
If I want to play a gang of scurvy space pirates, wild-eyed techno-barbarians or robed cyborg priests of the ancient mysteries, then Rogue Trader. For a platoon-level game where you can micro-manage the behaviour of individual troopers, with 30 - 5o miniatures and a couple of tanks per side, then 2nd edition. For a company-level game with armoured squadrons and air support, then any edition from 3rd onwards.
Mind you, in all those cases, I'd prefer not to use any additional army lists outside the core rules (which rules out 4th - 7th, I suppose
). They just complicate things and add in too much fiddly bits.
3rd edition seemed (from this outsider's point of view) to be a high point for officially-sanctioned variety - Codexes: Armageddon, City Fight and Eye of TGerror, plus all the Index Astartes articles, rules in White Dwarf for other specialisations for different armies (and Forge World adding things like the Imperial Guard Armoured Company) meant you could do all sorts of things that got thrown away when 4th and 5th edition tried to become tournament games.
7th is getting back to that, and I like it. It could use some more rules for things like Ork clans, Exodites, Chaos cultists and abhumans, but the last year has left me hopeful some of that might turn up.
Mind you, in all those cases, I'd prefer not to use any additional army lists outside the core rules (which rules out 4th - 7th, I suppose
). They just complicate things and add in too much fiddly bits.3rd edition seemed (from this outsider's point of view) to be a high point for officially-sanctioned variety - Codexes: Armageddon, City Fight and Eye of TGerror, plus all the Index Astartes articles, rules in White Dwarf for other specialisations for different armies (and Forge World adding things like the Imperial Guard Armoured Company) meant you could do all sorts of things that got thrown away when 4th and 5th edition tried to become tournament games.
7th is getting back to that, and I like it. It could use some more rules for things like Ork clans, Exodites, Chaos cultists and abhumans, but the last year has left me hopeful some of that might turn up.