Price of freedom

[Deleted]

Just wondering anyone here ever played the West End Games Price of freedom.

[edsan]

Nope, was that the "Better dead than red!" one?

[snorri]

A friend of mine played it, in a reverse versions: brave soviets citizen defend the homeland of socialism against the US imperialist invasion. He had great fun.

When it was published, Casus Belli, which was the main rpg magazine, made an article against 'Reagan's games' !

[jcstephens]

What I mostly remember about it was the unique starting equipment rules. Your initial character was supposed to be based on your own abilities and skills. The Ref would then give you five minutes to list everything you owned in real life that you would want to take with you as you fled the invading commie hordes. If you owned a gun and ammunition, your character did too. If not then so sorry, you had to make do with kitchen knives and a baseball bat (or whatever).

[edsan]

Apr 8, 2009 13:13:12 GMT -6 snorri said:

When it was published, Casus Belli, which was the main rpg magazine, made an article against 'Reagan's games' !

Oh man! Casus Belli was such a great mag, I was sorry to see it go. I loved the scenarios they made, specialy Tristan L'homme (not sure if I got his surname right, been a while).

I still have a few issues doen in "the cave", only time I was happy I was forced to learn French was when reading Casus...well, that and "Les Metabarons"...ok and a whole lot of Manga in French.

[edsan]

Apr 8, 2009 14:21:43 GMT -6 jcstephens said:

What I mostly remember about it was the unique starting equipment rules. Your initial character was supposed to be based on your own abilities and skills. The Ref would then give you five minutes to list everything you owned in real life that you would want to take with you as you fled the invading commie hordes. If you owned a gun and ammunition, your character did too. If not then so sorry, you had to make do with kitchen knives and a baseball bat (or whatever).

I don't think I would mind playing this, but a good group would have to be composed of players who where alive in the 80's otherwise the "red fear" factor will just sound silly.

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2009 12:34:22 GMT -6 edsan said:

Nope, was that the "Better dead than red!" one?

Pretty much. I think they, at least partially, modeled it after Red Dawn.

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2009 14:21:43 GMT -6 jcstephens said:

What I mostly remember about it was the unique starting equipment rules. Your initial character was supposed to be based on your own abilities and skills. The Ref would then give you five minutes to list everything you owned in real life that you would want to take with you as you fled the invading commie hordes. If you owned a gun and ammunition, your character did too. If not then so sorry, you had to make do with kitchen knives and a baseball bat (or whatever).

I think that was a variant rule. The game allowed a general point spend for character gen. The variant allowed for the players to play themselves, assuming they saw the Soviet takeover coming in advance. The skills rules allowed beginning players to spend 150 points over five skill categories (with limitations). The play yourself rules (called avatar rules, IIRC) dictated that 100 of the points be used for skills you had in real life; the other fifty being "preparedness for bad times".