John Carter: Warlord of Mars

John Carter: Warlord of Mars is a two-player board game published by Simulations Publications, Inc. in 1979.

This article is about the board game John Carter: Warlord of Mars published by Simulations Publications, Inc. It is not to be confused with the role-playing game John Carter, Warlord of Mars published by Heritage Models Inc..

Gameplay

John Carter is a set of rules presented in a semi-modular format, offering a number of possible games.[1] The game components are:[2]

  • 400 die-cut cardboard counters
  • a game map
  • two 8-page player's booklets
  • 28-page rulebook
  • 16-page sourcebook titled The World of Barsoom.
  • game box

The game is subdivided into three games:[2]

  • Duelling Game: one on one combat with monsters and villains
  • Strategic Game, often involving the rescue of a woman who has been kidnapped by a villain
  • Military Game, for fleet-sized combat

Reception

In the inaugural edition of Ares (March 1980), David Ritchie rated the game an above average 8 out of 9, commenting, "Like Burroughs' original heroes, their cardboard counterparts must win only by fair means. To win by engaging in foul acts - which, among other things, loses the love and respect of your lady - means that, in game terms, you've lost the whole enchilada. For the first time in the history of the hobby, a game has been built around such themes as love, romance, treachery, remorse, hatred and friendship."[1]

In the October 1980 edition of Dragon (Issue 42), Tony Watson thought it was "an interesting game, and remarkably true to its sources." However, Watson had issues with the frequent duels, which he found "a bit repetitious" and "less than exciting" due to the simplicty of the combat rules. He also pointed out the imbalance of the game, saying, "The chance for a villain to win is infinitesimal; the question is not if a hero will win, but when." But he concluded that there was a market for the game: "Players who are interested in the game as a way of participating in the adventures on Barsoom will be able to overlook these points and fully enjoy the game."[2]

References
  1. Ritchie, David (March 1980). "A Galaxy of Games". Ares Magazine. Simulations Publications, Inc. (1): 31.
  2. Watson, Tony (October 1980). "The Dragon's Augury". Dragon. TSR, Inc. (42): 48–49.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.