Thundercats Boardgame Anyone?

Cartoons ThunderCats (1985)
1

Hello all. :slight_smile: As a diligent lurker for the past 5 years, I realize I haven’t had much to say around here, and I apologize for that. However, I am now neck-deep in a project that may be of interest to you folks, so I guess I should speak up… (The “Classic Cartoon” forum felt like the right place for this thread - if not, feel free to move it appropriately.)

I am in the final stages of polishing up a fan-made Thundercats board game. The game is called [i]“Thundercats: Dark Eclipse”[/i].

I must begin by making it clear that this is NOT an original game concept of mine, nor am I attempting to claim credit for the game design. Dark Eclipse is a thematic re-skin of a boardgame called Yggdrasil, designed by Cédric Lefebvre, with beautiful artwork by Pierô, and sold (in the U.S.) by Z-Man Games. Again, I am NOT trying to take credit for Pierô and/or Cédric’s works in any way. “Yggdrasil” is a fantastic game, set in Norse Mythology, where the players act cooperatively as various Norse Gods (Thor, Odin, etc.) trying to protect the Norse World Tree (Yggdrasil) from an assortment of nasty Norse Monsters (Fenrir, Jormungand, Hel, etc.). I LOVE this game. It is a TON of fun, and I highly recommend it to anyone who might be interested. As I know very little about Norse Mythology, however, I was not very entranced by the theme. I have a bad personal habit of re-theming board/card games, almost as a ‘hobby’, so nine months ago I set about to transmogrify “Yggdrasil” into a theme that I felt my children and I would enjoy to a much greater extent…

[size=4]Thundercats[/size].

:slight_smile:

So here we are. After days of brainstorming, weeks of screen-capturing, and months of amateur photo-shopping, [b]“Thundercats: Dark Eclipse”[/b] is almost done. It is a total visual re-skin of “Yggdrasil” into the universe of the Eighties classic Thundercats cartoons. All of the game play mechanics from the original core of “Yggdrasil” have remained unchanged - only the “face” of the game is different. I hope to finish the last of the token elements and the re-skinned rulebook within a week or two. After that, if Mr. Lefebvre grants me permission, I hope to make the entire batch of materials available as a PDF download ready for print-and-play.

In the meanwhile, I was curious to see what initial reactions I might get from the ‘Thundercats’ fanbase here. Any questions, concerns, suggestions, or other feedback is certainly welcome. Here are some low-rez snapshots of some of the components…

[center]Tokens

http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=672 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=673

http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=674 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=675 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=676

http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=687

http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=698 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=699 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=700

Equipment

http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=677 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=678 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=679

Locations

http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=680 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=681 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=682

Enemies

http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=683 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=684

http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=685 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=686

Thundercats

http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=689 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=690

http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=691 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=692

Threats

http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=695 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=693 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=696

http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=694 http://www.thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=697[/center]

All of these images and a few more are all here in my member Photo Album for Dark Eclipse. Again, discussion is welcome, and any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanx in advance for your time and consideration, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

:slight_smile:
-LordRaidor-

2

show more id like to see what exactly this game will have for fans?

3

Wow! What a tremendous effort, and the results look great! I like your use of texture and colorful backgrounds—tastefully done for “amateur photo-shopping”. :wink: My only design complaint is of the enemy cards. The names turned 90 degrees and the backgrounds plain black just don’t fit in with the design (or level of polish) of the other cards. I know you’ve put in a lot of work, and overall everything looks great, but I’d be remiss to not offer this bit of feedback.

As for the game itself, I am unfamiliar with it; to be honest, games of this sort never piqued my interest for the same reason you mentioned. But my investment in the mythology has me legitimately interested in this game, and eager to see more. This is the sort of project that only a true fan would undertake. We’re all going to love it, I’m sure.

If you get permission from the game developer to post the PDF, could you monetize it? More and more authors and small publications are offering their works digitally for a few dollars with great success, and I know that I would pay a few dollars for this. You certainly deserve something for all your work!

4

A Few More Details…

Hmmm, …O.K.

[size=1](Excerpt from Under-Construction Game Manual)[/size]
“Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living Source of Evil, has long sought to rid Third Earth of the Thundercats and their code of justice, truth, honor, and loyalty. Now, a rare planetary conjunction has given him an unprecedented opportunity to do just that. Drawing power from the Shadowrealm, the Ancient Spirits of Evil have helped Mumm-Ra summon together, from across time and space, all of the greatest Threats that the Thundercats have ever faced. Joined by a host of lesser Enemies under Mumm-Ra’s command, the forces of Evil converge upon the Cat’s Lair, intent upon its destruction. Only if they stand together, and call upon the aid of their many Allies on Third Earth, can the Thundercats hope to hold back the tides of darkness. It’s up to you to ensure that the valiant Thundercats triumph against Evil and emerge victorious from beneath the Dark Eclipse…”[size=1](end excerpt)[/size]

“Thundercats: Dark Eclipse” is a boardgame for 1 to 8 players (yes, you can play it solo). Each player assumes the role of a Thundercat, and all of them must work together as a team to prevent a horde of approaching Threats from reaching and destroying the Cat’s Lair. The main focus of the game is the Lair Location, which is divided into 8 different ‘spaces’. The 6 major Threats all begin the game in the 1st space (the Treeline), but as the game progresses, cards are drawn that advance them across the Savannah, over the Drawbridge, and toward the Control Room (the 8th space). The Thundercats can take various actions during the game to force the Threats back, away from the Lair. If 1 Threat reaches the Control Room, or 3 Threats reach the Fortress itself, or 5 Threats make it onto or past the Drawbridge, then the players lose. If the players can hold back the Threats and exhaust the deck of Threat cards before any of those things happen, then the players win.

[center][size=1](Inset of Cat’s Lair from the Gameboard)
(click to enlarge)[/size]
http://thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=701[/center]

Each turn, the active Thundercat must first draw a Threat card, which will advance one (or more) Threat tokens toward the Lair. Each Threat drawn also has it’s own special nasty effect that takes place here as well. The player may then take up to three different actions in the struggle against the approaching Threats. Each action corresponds to a different Location on Third Earth:[ul]The Cat’s Lair - where Thundercats and their recruited Warriors and Allies Challenge and push back the advancing Threats
[li]The Kingdoms of Third Earth - where Snarf recruits able-bodied Warriors from the Wolo Plains, Burbil Village, Treetop Kingdom, or Hook Mountain to help the Thundercats defend their Lair
[/li][li]The Feliner - which can bring Allies to the Thundercats that are more useful that generic Warriors
[/li][li]The Cat’s Paw - which houses Equipment, Vehicles, and Relics to help in the struggle against the Threats
[/li][li]The Unicorn Forest - where Thundercats can meet to exchange Warriors and Allies, if needed
[/li][li]The River of Despair - where lesser Enemies summoned by Mumm-Ra emerge to hinder the Thundercats
[/li][li]Castle Plun-Darr - base of the many Mutants ransacking the Kingdoms and making it difficult to recruit Warriors
[/li][li]Shadowrealm - the portal through which Shadowmaster is abducting the Warriors that do manage to help the Cats
[/li][li]The Tower of Omens - where actions can be ‘invested’ in a scale of better and better future payoffs[/ul]
[/li]
Each Thundercat has his or her own unique special Power that allows them to break the rules in helpful ways. The Threat Deck also has ‘Special’ cards which can be introduced during setup to vary the difficulty level anywhere between ‘cake walk’ and ‘virtually impossible’. The players have to plan appropriately and coordinate their actions in order to achieve a victory. That’s about it. :slight_smile:

Overall, the game mechanics are very simple and easy to learn. Turns resolve very quickly, and players interact constantly, so there is almost no ‘downtime’ while waiting for your next turn. The number of different paths to victory is almost limitless, promising that no two games will ever be exactly alike. There is a die involved, and two decks of cards to shuffle for ‘randomness’, so luck is present, but not in an overwhelming capacity.

I’d love to show you ALL of the components, but (Heaven forbid) if Cédric Lefebvre DOESN’T grant me permission to post everything in a PDF, it would kinda defeat the purpose if everything could be found here in JPG form anyway. ^^ However, I have no problems posting a full component list…[ul]Third Earth Gameboard Map (23"x13")
[li]8 Thundercat Cards (Bengali, Cheetara, Lion-O, Lynx-O, Panthro, Pumyra, Tygra, and Wilykit & Wilykat)
[/li][li]42 Threat Cards (7 each for Shadowmaster, Warbot, Spidera, Mumm-Ra, Sky Tomb, and Grune the Destroyer)
[/li][li]10 Special Threat Cards (which advance multiple Threats, or 1 Threat Multiple times)
[/li][li]16 Enemy Cards (Alluro, Chilla, Driller, Hammerhand, Jackalman, Luna & Amok, Ma-Mutt, Mole Master, Mongor, Monkian, Ratar-O, Red Eye, Shadowbeast, Ssslithe, Tug-Mug, and Vultureman)
[/li][li]18 Equipment Cards (Totem of Dera, Key of Thundera, Book of Omens, Blueprints, Thunderstones, Thundertank, Cat’s Eyes, Magical Flute, Mumm-Rana’s Belt, Armlet of Light, Ancient Talisman, Mirror of Truth, Hovercat, Thunderclaw, Thunderstrike, Magic Seal, Bracelet of Power, and Star of Thundera)
[/li][li]9 Ally Tokens (Hachiman, Snarfer, Willa, Nayda, Turmagar, Mandora, Snowman, Snowmeow, and Robear Bill)
[/li][li]1 Enwebbed Kingdom Tile
[/li][li]1 Snarf Token
[/li][li]6 Threat Tokens
[/li][li]8 Blocked Power Tiles
[/li][li]1 Die
[/li][li]4 Bags
[/li][li]1 Tower Marker
[/li][li]42 Mutant Tokens
[/li][li]47 Warrior Tokens
[/li][li]1 Tower/Event Reference Card[/ul]…Hope that covers me in the ‘more’ department? ^~
[/li]

Thanx very much for the compliments, zax, and the feedback. :slight_smile:

I’m glad I’ve piqued your interest in the game, but I have no intention of charging money for the finished product. IF (fingers crossed) Cédric gives me permission to make the entire thing available as a print-and-play PDF, then it would be unconscionable to charge for it. I want this project to be seen as an act of appreciation for all of the hard word Cédric put into the original “Yggdrasil”, and NOT an effort of competition. Besides, it’s a labor of love anyway. If just one other person can ENJOY playing this game, then my efforts will have ‘paid off’, and really, I’ll get that from my family and friends even if Dark Eclipse never sees a larger release…

I hadn’t thought about the Enemy cards looking sub-par - that’s exactly the kind of input I was hoping for from this forum. :slight_smile: All of the ‘texture’ backgrounds used on the cards are ALSO screencaps from the series. I did have one for the Enemy cards as well (a kindof green-streaks-on-black-warp-tunnel effect from where Lion-O is falling into the pit under the Gyroscope in the Great Beneath on New Thundera), but I actually thought it looked too ‘busy’ on the enemy cards, and made it hard to read the text, so I dropped it. The 90-degree labels were unfortunately unavoidable. With full-width pics and text on top, the first-draft cards were too cramped for space, so I had to shrink the pics a little and slap the names on the sides to give everything breathing room. Now that you’ve brought it to light and I’ve thought about it, I don’t really have a PROBLEM, per se, with the Enemy cards being ‘bland’. They should take backseat to the big-bad ‘Threats’ during gameplay anyway, so they can afford to look a little understated. Even so, I’m open to suggestion - what would you propose for bringing the Enemy cards more ‘in line’ with the rest of the set?

Thanx again for the comments. Keep 'em coming.

:slight_smile:
-LordRaidor-

5

VASSAL Module Nearing Completion

It may also be worth mentioning that I am concurrently working on a VASSAL module for “Thundercats: Dark Eclipse”. Once finished, it will be possible to play solo on your own PC, or with up to 7 friends online (either via e-mail/forum play or live through the VASSAL game servers). Here’s a low-rez screenshot of a test game I just finished (solitaire play - Lynx-O won)…

[center]http://thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=702[/center]

:slight_smile:
-LordRaidor-

6

Permission Granted

Yea! :slight_smile:

On a note of what I consider to be extremely good news, Cédric Lefebvre (the creator of “Yggdrasil”) has granted me permission to make my materials available to the general public for free, and to upload the ‘modified’ VASSAL module into the online module library…

Now if I could just find time to finish the instruction manual…

Soon, hopefully, …soon. [crosses fingers]

:slight_smile:
-LordRaidor-

7

Thundercats Boardgame Finally Available!

[size=4]DONE![/size]

For what it’s worth, the full print-and-play version of Thundercats: Dark Eclipse is now available to download for free!

It’s hosted at boardgamegeek.com in three different parts, one for the MANUAL, one for all the CARDS, and an optional DELUXE file with oversized cards and the one-piece gameboard…

Thundercats: Dark Eclipse Manual
Thundercats: Dark Eclipse Cards
Thundercats: Dark Eclipse ‘Deluxe’ Optional Stuff

The VASSAL module is also finished and available on the Yggdrasil Page at the Vassal site. If anyone is interested in a ‘play-by-forum’ game here at thundercatslair, post in this thread - I’ll be glad to run one if there is enough interest.

[center]http://thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=703[/center]

Anyway, if anyone would like to try either version - there they are! Thanx again for your support, and to Cédric Lefebvre (the original game designer of Yggdrasil) for his gracious permission to make these files available for free!

Enjoy!

:slight_smile:
-LordRaidor-

8

Dream Becomes Reality

Finally got the real-world version of the game printed out and stitched together… :slight_smile: Here’s a photo of a 2-Player game in progress…

[center]http://thundercatslair.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=738
(Click to Enlarge)[/center]

Total cost to put this project on the table was roughly $36. That includes the map and bags printed on upholstery-weight canvas (as shown) and the ‘deluxe’ (double-size) ThunderCat cards. Your mileage may vary.

Played a game last night with SEVEN players, including myself. We lost, but JUST BARELY (only 2 cards were left in the Threat Deck). If we had managed to complete the ‘ThunderCats, Ho!’ event, we would have easily won. Just goes to show you, the Cats really can’t win unless Lion-O holds the sword aloft and does his thing… ^_~

Enjoy.

:slight_smile:
-LordRaidor-

9

I like what I see and a lot of care was put in the design. :cool: