Bad Moon Rising

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Game Description

The 29th of August, 1949. The Soviet Union tests its very first atomic bomb. The world is pushed into a Cold War as the USA and the USSR seek to gain a geopolitical advantage without triggering the use of devastating weapons of mass destruction.

By 1953 both powers have successfully tested powerful Intercontinental Ballistic Missile designs, and recognise the importance of controlling orbital space. It quickly becomes clear that the Moon offers the ultimate ‘high ground’ in the struggle for supremacy. The pace of the emerging space race increases exponentially.

By 1963 the USA and the USSR have well-developed space programmes and are developing plans for permanent military bases on the moon. On the 1st of April 1965, the USA lands the first exploration team on the moon’s surface, followed a mere six months later by a Soviet landing.

Over the next five years, missions to the moon by both the major nuclear powers have increased and permanent bases are established. In addition, smaller bases have been established by the emerging nuclear powers: France, China and Britain.

Most significantly, scientists have discovered extensive deposits of an extremely rare mineral, Red Mercury. This incredibly valuable mineral, unavailable on Earth, allows for the design of rockets an order of magnitude more powerful than currently possible, and has a wide range of applications in advanced technology (such as integrated circuits). How this new material is used will be an important concern.

As a new decade dawns, hostility and competition is threatening to start a hot war on the Moon.

Set in a "very slightly alternative" 1970s, Bad Moon Rising is loosely based on the real-life declassified Project Horizon files, originally produced in 1959 by the US Army about the practicalities of military moonbases. It will have quite a lot of juicy hard science technical detail as a result, though there will also be a healthy amount of science fiction as well.

Gameplay will be mainly based around the following:

Resource management and base-building in order to build and develop moonbases.
Conducting defensive and offensive operations to interfere with the rival nation(s), including warfighting, albeit on a small scale.
Choosing how best to operationalise new discoveries and technological developments as they appear.
Information operations and propaganda as you create political capital out of successes.
Politicking to gain advantage, or to negotiate with allies.
Logistics planning and operations for getting key personnel and materials to and from the Moon.

Much of the game action happens on a large map of the key areas of the Moon, where player teams develop their moonbase, and explore the moon – perhaps competing for key resources such as water or red mercury.

Movement into Earth orbit, the Earth-Moon transfer and in Lunar Orbit are hard to influence or interfere with 1960's and 70's technology, so space battles won't be a thing, though sabotage might very well be.

The Earth and Moon gameplay is separated, meaning interaction between players between these two areas will be limited, as well as crucial.

Bad Moon Rising is designed by Jim Wallman, creator of 'Watch The Skies!'.

What do the different roles do?

If you are interested in the game, you can look at the Roles Guide to find out more about the different playable roles and determine which is right for you.

Where can I play Bad Moon Rising?

South West Megagames do not currently have any scheduled games of Bad Moon Rising. If you want to know when new games are announced, email us and ask to be added to our mailing list!

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