A Little Assistance Please

[EvilDrGanymede]

Originally posted by Eamon:
The Quiet Earth was a remake of American 50's film starring Harry Belefonte. I forget the name.

Though it is similar to "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (the film you're thinking of, which now I've looked for it does sound kinda intriguing in a Twilight Zone kinda way) I don't think The Quiet Earth is a remake of it.

 

[Eamon]

The basic plot line in both films are almost exactly the same. The differences are probably due to the films being made about 30 years apart and the changes expected by the viewers.

 

[salamander]

Originally posted by Garf:
[Hmmm. I seem to recall it being a 'well-known' sci fi movie in my circle of friends in my late teens. but then, My friends were geeks too. Good movie. (I seem to recall)

Haven't seen it in years but remember it vividly. Especially the scene when the main character, dressed in a woman's shift, runs into a church points a shotgun at the statue of Jesus and yells at God "Answer me or the kid gets it!"

Hilarious.

 

[Sgt Biggles]

Here is the full thread of related reading and watching.

Sgt B

 

[Jame]

Thanks, Gunnery Sergeant Biggles! (See, my Generosity give promotions! )

I knew there was something like this already.

 

[TR]

Definately Alas Bablyon has to be on the list, written by Pat Frank back in 1959 it is worth it for a civilian feel about surviving the nuclear exchange. I do believe there are a couple sites out there (other than my own) with stories written from the Twilight RPG so the fan fiction is also possibile to review and utilize.

Personally it would be kind of nice to see the copyright issues worked out so we could see Twilight: 2000 based novels out there on the book shelves.

In a similiar vein BBC's "Survivor" was a mid-1970's TV show (only lasted 3-4 seasons I think) which dealt with a world ravaged by a Chinese Biological weapon which escaped it's lab. For it's time it discussed a lot of themes which for Twilight are perfect... re-creating society after it has collapsed being the main one. It's a tough one to find but worth it just for the ideas it will gave a GM to spring on unsuspecting players.


Until Later

TR

 

[ReHerakhte]

Survivor has had a limited release on DVD with I think the 1st season and possibly the 2nd being released just recently.
I haven't seen it available in Australia yet but have been assured that it is available in the UK

Cheers,
Kevin

 

[getamungstit]

How could we all forget “Escape From New York” sure it’s not post-apocalypse but the New York prison environment is very Twilight: 2000ish. Armies of the Night is heavily influenced at least by Snake Pliskin (“I thought you were dead?”) and his going ons…

Also another aftermath (and Rutger Hauer) movie is “Salute of the Jugger” but this is more of a technological reversion than T2k but interesting in how society changes to different circumstances.

Finally on movies can I suggest “Beast of War” a very good Soviets in Afghanistan film and indicative of what a small group and one tank cut of from everyone else get up to (classical T2k scenario).

As for books I wouldn’t waste my time reading Clancy he’s the classic amateur war-fighter regurgitating political clichés more than realism.

Try Ralph Peters “Red Army” for a great WW3 book. Might surprise many readers into acknowledging the importance of operational level warfare over mere tactical battles. In particular how the Soviet Union would quite easily win the Central Front war even though their equipment may be inferior to NATO’s.

 

[vutpakdi]

There is also the Showtime series Jeremiah (and comic, I think) which struck me as having a pretty good T2K feel for "civilization" even though I got bored with it. The premise behind Jeremiah is that a plague of some sort killed everyone above the age of 15 or so about 15 years ago. The resulting society has some sorts just scavenging, some trying to have a community, and some just preying on others.

Ron

 

[paladin2019]

Originally posted by A. Gubler in the 24th Century:
Also another aftermath (and Rutger Hauer) movie is “Salute of the Jugger” but this is more of a technological reversion than T2k but interesting in how society changes to different circumstances.

Called "Blood of Heroes" in the American release.

Finally on movies can I suggest “Beast of War”

And this is simply "The Beast."

 

[maitrejeanth]

Hello,
I've played and ref'd TW2000 games from 1986 to 1992. Here's my two cents :
Novels :
"Lucifer's hammer" (Larry Niven) : earth gets hit by giant asteroid. Excellent depiction of immediate plunge into chaos and subsequent recovery.
"Warday" (Kunetka and Streiber) : two reporters embark on a tour of post WWIII USA. The situation has improved somehow, but is far from being idyllic.
"A canticle for Leibowitz" : a classic !!

Games:
"Aftermath" (Fantasy Games Unlimited) and various campaign books, "Sidney" and "Empire Karo"being the best. The latter is the US city of Cairo in a madmaxian setting
"Morrow project" : elite troops get put in cryogenical stasis and get released when civilisation collapses. More Mad Max than TW2000, but lots of info about tactics and gear (almost 70's vintage, but this could be an added challenge - and would solve the problems brought about bi hi-tech gear)

 

[mbrinkhues]

Since somebody got to the Hammer before I did let's add some books with minor tidbits rather than full blown "Post disaster":

"Footfall" Aliens attacking earth by throwing rocks from orbit. Some nice scenes describing a post-strike trip through the US complete with a "Survivalist" group.

"SS GB" by Len Dighton shows a world where "Sealion" went off and the survivors have to life in an oppressive society (Maybe useful if you start "Slaves of New America"

"War World:Invasion" is a short story anthology about a planet trying to survive with most of it's infrastructure in ruins and the evil attackes (with higher tech gear) conquering it. Some stories are useful for "Survivors trip" scenarios

As for "Steiner/The Iron Cross" (Books even better) try out "Hunde wollt ihr ewig leben" (Stalingrad battle, 50s movie, might be out under "Dogs do you want to live forever" or so) and "08/15" by Kirst (WWII, the author is one of the soldiers, most likely "Asch"). At least gives you a lot of soldier archetypes. Ones that you can meet IRL

"Tour of Duty" Don't know how realistic it is but it makes for great clichees (A bubbly but green Lt's still called a "Myron" in our games)

The "Legend of the Aldenaata" cycle by Ringo has some nice ideas of desolate America with a strong government

War in 2020 shows a broken down UdSSR and (nice twist) the evil japanese hords. Story deals with a US unit helping out but the descriptions around that are interesting

For soldiering you might try "Protect and Defend"

Oh, and "The 10000" about the greek mercenaries on their way home. Refugees and soldiers marching home are always the same wether they use slings&lances or M16s and AKs

If you're into "Empire building" and "marry the princess" you might try "Janissarians"

And yes, Clancy is an amateur that makes "Screaming" errors (German Landwehr i.e) but a nice reading for a game.


Michael

 

[morab46019]

The newer moive On the Beach around 90's is a update from the 50's or 60's

 

[Redleg58]

Originally posted by MOrab46019:
The newer moive On the Beach around 90's is a update from the 50's or 60's

Stanley Kramer's 1959 movie On the Beach which was based on the novel by Nevil Shute

 

[LordVince]

Wasn't there a BBC serialised version of "Day of The Triffids" that presented a breakdown of society in/around London, and eventually all of England/The World? I'm not talking the Movie, I'm talking a multi-episode BBC production.

I think I saw it on American PBS, like, back in the late 70's, early 80's....but I'm an old man, now, and the Memory plays tricks... ^_^

 

[LordVince]

Oh, hey, just thought of a couple of book series' that might have some value...

"Jannisaries", By Jerry Pournelle was already mentioned: a handful of 70's era CIA Mercs with all the 70's era military hardware they can CARRY, are dumped onto a world full of humans with a Medieval/early Rennaisance Tech Base, and told to "Take Over". The group splits into 2 separate ideological groups, and the results are interesting. There examples of of battles fought with "primitive" weapons, but getting high-tech support, as well as scenes of trying to "uplift" the locals, with the advanced knowledge of the Mercs.

In a similar vein is "The Lost Regiment", by Willian Forstchen. This series of books follows the adventures of a pair of US Civil War-era Federal units -- the 35th Maine Infantry and the 44th New York Artillery -- after the ship they were travelling to South Carolina on gets lost in the Bermuda Triangle, and ends up on an alien planet where they fight against "Mongol Horde" like aliens who've enslaved other Humans who've been sucked off Earth, just like they were.

These stories, again, give excellent depictions of combats where one side has a Tech advantage, while the other has a numerical superiority. And it also deals with the issues/problems of "uplifting" a low-tech infrastructure to a higher Tech Base.

The same can also be said of David Drake's "The General" series -- the introduction of balance-of-power altering tactics and/or technologies, and how they are used.

 

[Eamon]

There was an updated version of The Day of the Triffids by the BBC in the 80's. The major differences between the two was the time frame. The original took place over a period of a few weeks. The updated version was based on a period of a decade. Also in the new version the Triffids were a human geneticaly engined plant used as a source of fuel and were kept on huge farms behind electric fences.
The English government (though thr palace was still protected by a handful of soldiers) was never seen to be functing. Most of organizations seem to be based on small groups of survivors with various motivations. One of the characters tries to help everyone he can and his groups reflects that ideal. The major character realizes that is a lost cause and he takes a handful of people to an isolated area to protect themselves from the Triffids.
At the the end of ten years most of the blind people have died off and there are only a handful of survivors. He talks about driving to London for supplies and returning without major problems.
At the end of the movie his friend flies a helicopter and contacts him about a new society that has been formed on an island where there are no Triffids and is a demoracy.
The survivors decide to join this group.

 

[Krakow]

One series that I found particularly inspiring was the Islander Trilogy (Island in the Sea of Time, etc.) by S.M. Stirling. The residents of Nantucket -- island and all -- are hurled back to... what was it? 2500 BC? 2000 BC? ...Anyhow, their actions needed to survive and thrive when cut off from modern supply are fascinating. Over the trilogy they conserve their modern supplies while developing earlier technology.

Wayne

 

[Erik Boielle]

Have people had the BBCs Threads yet?

Also When The Wind Blows from Raymond Briggs.

If you find yourself in to good a mood, and would rather be depressed that is.

 

[commando]

Yep, watched both, very scary and depressing indeed. I thought that threads was more effective than the Day After.

Ever watched this Brit movie called No Blade Grass, quite excellent based on a book by John Christopher about the world in shambles due to a worldwide famine.