2300 AD
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2300 AD is a "hard" science-fiction role playing game created by Game Designers Workshop. It was originally named Traveller 2300, but the back story of 2300 AD is very different from the Traveller universe and the game was therefore renamed in its 2nd edition.
1st Edition books had a decided comic book feel, which was later replaced by more realistic drawings.
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Background
2300 AD is set at the dawn of the 24th century (between 2298 and 2301 depending on the book or supplement). After a limited nuclear war at the end of the 20th century, mankind has rebuilt and returned to space. The nation state remains dominant, and society of the 23rd and 24th century could be compared in some ways to the colonial age of the 18th and 19th century (indeed this seems to have been a great source of inspiration for GDW). The dominant global power is the Third French Empire which escaped the nuclear war relatively unscathed and thus had a headstart over most other nations.
Mankind has met with several alien species, all of which decidedly strange and incomprehensible; from the genetically-engineered Pentapod to the vicious Kafers (from the German word "Käfer" for bug). The Kafers are the most humanoid of the alien species; unfortunately their racial history and biology means that war between the Kafer and mankind was inevitable; in 2301 the Kafer started an unsuccessful invasion of human space that was costly to both attackers and defenders.
Technology
A faster than light drive called the Stutterwarp Drive allows mankind to colonize other solar system. Ships can usually reach about 3.5 light years per day as a maximum speed; the real limitation of the Stutterwarp drive is that it can only propel a ship up to a maximum of 7.7 light years before it needs to "discharge" lethal radiation that would otherwise kill the crew. The effect of this limitation is the creation of "space lanes" along which travel and commerce are conducted and along which wars are fought. Another consequence is that mankind has explored very little beyond 20-40 lightyears from Earth.
Overall, the technological level of 2300 AD is an interesting mix between futuristic technologies and old "low tech" devices. For example, most personal combat is still conducted with old-fashioned guns even though energy weapons do exist.
Influences
The background story of 2300 AD is based on the nuclear war depicted in the Twilight 2000 role-playing game by the same company. A custom strategy game called "The Great Game" was used by the authors to develop the background history for 2300 AD.
The game owes to some very obvious influences. In various supplements and adventures one can find pieces of equipment et cetera which were clearly modelled on items from popular science fiction movies and novels. There are guns and the power loader from the movie Aliens, a buggy from Silent Running, for example.
The alien Kafer (bugs) could be seen as loosely modelled after Heinlein's Starship Troopers, especially since the game does include several types of powered armor combat suits.
Finally, the authors added a Cyberpunk campaign onto the game with the publication of the "Earth/Cybertech" sourcebook and two adventures for the same, trying to capitalize on the Cyberpunk fad of the 1990s. References to such works as Neuromancer or Blade Runner were inevitable.
Publications
New Version
- 2320AD is due out in late summer or early fall of 2005, and is a sourcebook for the Traveller D20 rules
Boxed Sets
- 2300 AD boxed set - Basic rules
- Star Cruiser - Ship construction and tactical boardgame
Sourcebooks
- Colonial Atlas
- Aurore Sourcebook
- Nyotekundu Sourcebook
- Invasion
- Kafer Sourcebook
- Earth/Cybertech Sourcebook
- Ships of the French Arm
- Ground Vehicle Guide
- Equipment Guide
Adventures
- Kafer Dawn
- Ranger
- Bayern
- Beanstalk
- Energy Curve
- Mission Arcturus
- Deathwatch Program (Cyberpunk subcampaign)
- Rotten to the Core (Cyberpunk subcampaign)
- Operation: Overlord (Kafer War adventure, published by 3W Games)
Magazine articles
Several RPG magazines carried articles for 2300 AD, but GDW's own Challenge stands out for its quality 2300 AD contributions.
External links
- http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~dheb/2300/ - Etranger: The Military of 2300AD
- http://www.geocities.com/pentapod2300/kevin.htm - Pentapod's World