Twilight: 2000 is a roleplaying game first
created in 1984
, by Game Designer's Workshop.
It's intention to be real is no greater than what fiction
aspires to be: a playground for the reader's imagination.
Roleplaying is something like watching a television show,
movie or play. The most important difference, is the difference
betwixt interaction and submission. Roleplaying allows a group
of characters to change, influence, and imagine
themselves living in a world presented to them. This world
is based on the groundwork of a variety of different themes,
in the case of Twilight: 2000; the devastation after a nuclear
exchange. Instead of actors and props, words, or electrons
displaying this world to our imaginations, one person simply
tells a story- describing the world and the people in it.
This story teller may go by a variety of names, whether
story teller, referee, or the first label on such
a person: the Dungeon Master.
Player's create characters, or actors,
who participate in this make-believe world. Character's personalities
and life histories are determined by the players, somehow fitting in
with the basis of the roleplaying game. Dice are used to determine
some primary characteristics of the player characters, in the case
of Twilight: 2000 six attributes: Strength, Constitution, Agility,
Education, Intelligence, and Charisma. Each of these attributes is
rated on a scale of 1 - 10, 10 representative of the highest achievement
of that particular attribute. When the player has rolled the dice, and
assigned the scores as he would like his character to have (assigning
the highs to what he wants the character's strengths to be, and the
lows to what he feels are the character's weaknesses).
The referee (the label used by Twilight: 2000) is something
like the director of the play. She tells the players the world their
character's are in; the weather, the scenery and the people (non
player characters). On encountering a non player character, the
referee puts on a mask (figuratively), sets her voice differently,
and changes her mannerism to represent the non player characters
encountered. Based on the personality of her friends, and what they
want their character's to accomplish, she sets up a variety of tasks
and obstacles for them to achieve their goals. Once she has set up the
world, she practices a sort of laissez faire policy, and the character's
act on thier own free will, while the referee adjusts to each decision
the player's make. This is the most difficult job for the referee,
oftentimes the player's will find any and every way conceivable to
not follow the adventure plan you had set up. In these cases, the
referee must improvise, but always take great care that she does not
force the character's to follow a certain course of action.
Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to the fantasy world
we've created. How do we determine if Billy becomes paralyzed with fear
when his Stinger runs out of ammunition, and a column of Mi-24s approach?
Rules help the referee to determine whether Billy can act or not. The
referee never decides what a player is going to do, but she does
decide those things that player's themselves have no control over- in
this case; a very large fear.
One of the most commonly corrupted elements in a role-playing
game are in how the rules are used. Player's familiar with the rules may cite
them to the referee on frequent occasion, and complain that such and such
situation was not handled according to the rules. This is the surest way
to drive a game into the ground. Positive criticism is always healthy and
good, but only after the game is over. The most effective rules are the
ones that are malleable to change. When player's become angry over some
change or interpretation, after the game session, talk to them about the
change, and come to a conclusion together on how to handle such an event
in the future.
Unfortunately, Tantalus Games Inc purchased GDW on September
of 1996, buying Twilight: 2000, Dark Conspiracy, MERC:2000, & 2300 AD, to
name a few. Hitherto, Tantalus has stated they have no plans for the
development, or republishing of any of these games. Thus it is very
difficult to find the books needed to play- and sadly the game can't
evolve when it truly needs to. To remedy this problem, I created this
pages on April of 1996, in efforts to bring the game 'back to life'.
Starting in December of 1997, I began retyping the Twilight: 2000
Version 2 rulebook, paraphrasing every sentence- adding some in, and
taking some out as I went along. In March, of 1998, as I had begun work
on the fourth chapter of the rule book, I mailed Loren Wiseman; asking
him some questions about how he felt about the current state of the
game, and whether or not what I was doing could be illegal. He directed
me to Rob Miracle, who I had mailed before, and never recieved a reply.
I mailed Rob again, and the issue was danced around for quite some time,
until on May 13, 1998 Rob announced Tantalus's stand on the issue. Their
statement can be found at:
http://www.mpgn.com/gaming/licensing_faq.html
Because there are no plans for it's development by Tantalus,
and because I am unable to develop the game myself, I am closing these
pages- closing them insofar as development is concerned. I will not
update these pages any longer, but will keep them available
indefinately- to benefit those gamers that are still playing.
Regards,
Saul Basgen