A couple of years ago I started playing around with the idea of writing a retro-clone of a popular but lamentably out of print espionage roleplaying game. I wrote a draft, and released it to the public domain, but then got sidetracked. The first problem was that I had too many other projects on my plate to give it the attention it deserved. The second was that I wanted to give it an overhaul, make it a sort of “second edition” of the original game that incorporated a lot of design theory that had come about since its demise. A lot of people disliked that approach, and rightfully so; it stopped being a retro-clone and morphed into something that payed homage to the original but was very much its own thing.

Sometimes, things benefit from simmering on the back burner. Fate led me to reconnect with the guy I played the hell out of the original game with, back in the day. We’re playing the original game again. As is, out of the box, with only a few minor house rules. I’ve remembered why I loved this system to begin with, and why I wanted to write a retro-clone. I want to share the joy of this game with those who can’t lay hands on the original, and make it easy for people to develop new material for it.

DoubleZero, the percentile-based espionage RPG, is officially back in production. It is being completely re-written, as a straight retro-clone but with a few new optional rules that update the system only if you so desire. It will have updated careers, skills, and fields of experience to match how the world has changed in nearly 30 years since the original game’s publication. It will have updated vehicles, weapons, and gadgets. And it will absolutely be released into the public domain, so while you will be able to purchase a print copy or formatted PDF to help support Uncle Bear Media’s efforts to create it, anyone can publish it and add their own spin.

I will continue to blog about the game’s development in this space. I want to thank everyone for their ongoing support, and remind you to never say never!

Illegitimi non carborundum,
Berin

2 people like this post.

Unlike

More from unclebear

• DoubleZero Update
• UncleBear Returns
• DoubleZero: The Vision