Please Don't Die: Dropzone Commander ( 2011 - present )

I wasn't expecting to make this video, but then again my FLGS suddenly got a pair of a certain 2nd edition book in stock. I have only owned the new book for 48 hours, and life has been busy. I will read it someday, soon
If you want to see more Dropzone content, just ask.
Note:
--new shooting format, yay.
--The 80's sci-fi analogy is for real. for those who doubt:
UCM: Aliens Colonial Marines, etc.
Scourge: the Aliens
PHR: Blade Runner, Terminator
Resistance: Mad Max (and a lot of other grunge low-budget sci-fi)
Shaltari: Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind / Flight of the Navigator
....not a perfect parallel, but it's close.

[@dicedebris653]

Good to see something regarding dropzone. I came across some unopened blister packs of resistance tanks which has made me think about picking it up again

[@DeadGamesSociety]

resistance tanks have a classic aesthetic to them....like 80's movies tanks!

[@wolfmirebacta8710]

Surprisingly it seems to be doing well. I just wish though more people would put it out there, let others know about it

[@WardenOfTerra]

It was terribly marketed. The creator of the game spent far too much money on dumb shit, and not enough on creating innovative gameplay. They tried to do far too much with the lore and over-complicated things. The game's core mechanics get boring really quickly, and it's full of 'feels bad' moments that make absolutely no sense. It's a terrible tabletop wargame.

[@b1battledroid476]

@@WardenOfTerra another probably 40k player unable to accept there are simpler games while their game is being dumbed down.....

[@ktg8030]

Late here, but I recently got into DZC and have been gobbling up all the Hawk era stuff. Not a huge fan of the TTC versions, of the game AND minis. Really admire the game designer for all the work he did. Also love the models, especially the Scourge.

[@DeadGamesSociety]

This is the Dead Games channel...you can never be late! Good Times! Keep playing!

[@JJ_JJ200]

I've been looking for another epic 40k like game and I just found it. Got a friend who's going to play dropzone commander with me.

[@WadeWeigle]

I loved me some Scourge! I ordered a butt ton of Drop Fleet from the KS but when I had to contact Hawk to find out where my order was months after stores had everything.....I was just done. Sold everything in a nerd tantrum. I do regret selling my Drop Zone as it was fun and I enjoyed the scale. A huge bonus also was to have a fully stocked game board with loads of terrain in the starter box. Hardening back to the old GW days of cardboard terrain in starters. Everyone had a crappy farmhouse and the tower. Hawk just gave you a city.

[@deece1482]

In my area there's about 2 or 3 people who play, they're about 40 ish minutes away and we play every month or so. This game won't die. Not for a while.

[@ShawnEnge]

Dropzone Commander had a brief following here, then it just died. I still have my UCM army in a case stored away. I'd love to get back into it, but I don't think anyone in my area plays. Love the models, the mechanics, and how balanced it is

[@wolfmirebacta8710]

Just need to bring it back up. once Covid blows over and such start putting it out there

[@ThroatSore]

Awe. A favourite of mine but O haven't played for a bit. The balance is the biggest thing for me. Great stuff and thanks for posting.

[@waltercook9517]

They also released battle for earth book a year back. It has the new rules for dropzone and new units for dropfleet. It has campaign system to tie in dropfleet and dropzone together for the invasion of earth. Also another great thing now is ttcombat has rerelease each faction starters. They are basically double what you get in the starter plus a command unit and dropship and keep the price the same. It’s cheaper to get your basic units now.

[@tropicalwargaming688]

Not dead yet. Now in second edition the guys on my community they want to play.

[@DeadGamesSociety]

Great sign! keep the game alive!

[@ronbowe3840]

1970s to 1980s was always off-white space grey with some colors and a future looking number on it. 1930 to 1960s space ships are always bright red, golds, yellows

[@johnlay2296]

Hope you get a chance to play some games. This is still one of my favorite system. Only wish more people played and it was easier to get in USA.

[@richmcgee434]

The choice of 10mm scale for this line really hurt the launch. There's a large crowd of 6mm scifi gamers from Dirtside 2, the old GW Epic games, and (stretching the scale a bit) even Battletech who might have been willing to buy into a new figure range and even a new rules system, but 10mm was a bit much for them. Bit of a shame, it's a decent system albeit rather limited in terms of scope - an inevitable drawback of trying to recreate a single "history" rather than being a more generic combat simulation. TTC's dragged the prices on the figs down quite a lot since they took over, which may help in the long run. Rather expensive when Hawk was doing them, even though their detail level was quite remarkable at the time. More of a fan of the Dropfleet Commander game myself, although that one's even less healthy as far as I can tell. At least the ships are very useful outside their home game system, since the most popular starship rules (Full Thrust, Starmada, A Sky Full of Ships, etc) are minis-and-scale agnostic.

[@Kallistosprom]

What other ship systems do you recommend?

[@ZSTE]

Going to pick up a two player starter set in a month and hope to try it with some friends

[@adrianscott4288]

I have a Scourge army for this game, but haven't played for years (no opponents). I LOVE the scale, concept and background of the game. Unfortunately the rules had alot of unnecessary complexity, which was a big negative IMO. I'm not sure what the new edition is like though - hopefully improved?

[@andrewmount5717]

I just picked up this game and I really love it! Only problem I'm finding is loads of things, terrain and battle for earth rules in particular being out of stock!

[@DeadGamesSociety]

yeah, the specific terrain is hard to find now, 10mm sci-fi terrain would work, and sometimes 15mm sci-fi terrain, but yeah, 10mm terrain is really a specialist size. Most brands are 28/15mm

[@angelicdespot2735]

There are some really good and decently priced MDF terrain kits. Blotz and Uncertain Scenery are two. Dark Ops were another, though that range is now owned by someone else. And of course TTC do a lot of good, cheap terrain too.

[@CrushDepth19]

Numerous players in augusta, georgia

[@truckstation527]

It’s pretty much dead. Battletech regaining popularity seems to have squashed it. All the players went over to it.

[@richmcgee434]

That might be the case in some places, but definitely not around here. The two communities are both small here, but they both play somewhat regularly and I only know of one person who does both. Dropthing Games have a younger crowd by over a decade, where the BT players are mostly guys who've been playing since FASA was still afloat.

[@ktg8030]

I can’t believe anyone plays Battletech.

[@benhalgas]

Where do you play? I’m in Maryland looking for players!

[@DeadGamesSociety]

Sorry man! Complete opposite side of the country, inna desert.