Messages

16

General Discussion / Re: MBS Monthly Poll #27: Game Editions

« on: August 13, 2018, 03:12:26 pm »

New editions can be a good thing for a game as they can
- implement rule tweaks to improve the gaming experience (streamlining, less fideliness, better integration of theme and mechanisms)
- rebalance the game to keep it interesting for as many players as possible
- reset the power creep
- generate some hype and generate sales for the game - which can be essential to keep the game in print in the long term.

But such a new edition is only a good thing if it doesn't render models/fleets worthless/unplayable - so it should not be a means to drive the sales of new models. I think GW has been guilty of this in the past.

Changes in between editions also should not be too drastic in order to prevent player base fragmentation (see Warhammer Fantasy -> Age of Sigmar / 9th Age; or D&D3.5 -> D&D4 / Pathfinder).

The alternative to new game editions could be a living rulebook model - like Fantasy Flight Games now uses for it's Living Card Games. The games don't ship anymore with a full rulebook, but just with the getting started rules, while the full rules can be found online on the FFG homepage. I can see the benefits of such a system, but I personally don't like it as it means that the players have no certainty that certain cards/strategies (= models/rules for a tabletop game) are still valid or have been errated since the last game. I very much prefer to have a complete gaming experience that I can rely on for a set period of time, followed by a new edition with a proper lead-time (with spoilers and community engagement).

17

General Discussion / Re: MBS Monthly Poll #22: Sci-fi Books Turned into TV Shows

« on: April 16, 2018, 07:00:59 am »

@Landlubber: Yeah, the Wing Commander movie is reportedly abyssmal. I have avoided it, but the games are great. I played the first part on my Commodore Amiga and much later, towards the turn of the millenium picked up parts 4 (the price of freedom) and 5 (prophecy).
Especially these later games are very interesting as they opted for motion picture quality cutscenes and cast a few notable actors for some characters - Mark Hamill, John Rys-Davies, Malcom McDowell.
As 3D games they have not aged gracefully, but you can pick them up for cheap at Good Old Games (and probably Steam) and they are definitely worth a Dollar or two. Or watch a longplay on Youtube to get an impression:

And the novels are definitely worth a read as well. Too bad that they are not available for the kindle, but it shouldn't be too hard to find some old paperbacks. William R. Forstchen did a good job writing them.

18

General Discussion / Re: MBS Monthly Poll #23: WoWS Blitz

« on: April 08, 2018, 02:49:34 am »

Ok, here comes my "other".
With all the things going on in a busy life and various gaming interests (tabletop miniature games, board games, card games) I have to make a cut somewhere - the video games are where I draw the line. I would enjoy the PC game, but don't want to commit the time needed for that. And I probably also would enjoy the iOS variant, and being a more bitesized game I even would find the time for it - but I have stopped caring for mobile games a while ago. Apple advances the hardware so fast and keeps raising the bar for the system requirements with a frequency that makes it not feasible for me to keep up. I am running iOS 8.4 on an iPodTouch 5gen and there is no way this game will run on that system. And even if it did, one of Apples next updates might just render the game inoperational (like it did/frequently does with hundreds of games over the lifespan of the iOS ecosystem). I can, without any trouble, play almost all PC games from the 1990s on a modern machine - good luck trying to make an iOS game from just 5 years ago run on your current gen iPhone. Unless Apple starts to rethink it's policy and incudes a sort of legacy mode / backwards compability I don't see the point of investing money and/or time into any mobile game. I much rather spend my resources on tabletop games, that will remain fully playable even if the company publishing them goes belly up.

19

General Discussion / Re: MBS Monthly Poll #22: Sci-fi Books Turned into TV Shows

« on: April 02, 2018, 12:46:23 pm »

Not the deepest of novels, but I enjoyed reading the Wing Commander novels - especially the first few (Freedom Flight, End Run, Fleet Action) and the novelizations of two of the games (Heart of the Tiger, The Price of Freedom). They offer great carrier based space fleet battles and can be recommended for that. A show in the style of BSG could be great if produced by the right people.

20

The Showcase / Re: Finished my Ice Maiden!

« on: March 13, 2018, 12:01:25 pm »

What a great piece of work.
How many paint pots did you have to empty for this monster of a ship?

21

Firestorm Armada / Re: Rules for Freighters in FSA

« on: March 13, 2018, 12:00:10 pm »

Reading this thread and the discussion about not being able to screen the vulnerable ships made me come up with a wonky idea (without any testing - just spitballing). What if ships with shields could expand their shield bubble up to ...hm... let's say 4-6 inches and that those expanded shields could protect the freighters nearby. Shields from different squadrons could overlap for an even higher shield bonus. This way positioning your ships would really matter and a player could very well protect the valuable ships by a screen of his combat vessels.

22

Firestorm Armada / Re: [Project] Firestorm Taskforce - Stat Cards

« on: March 13, 2018, 11:54:07 am »

Hi everybody,
another two weeks have passed since I contacted Warcradle Studios via their homepage / official email.
Once again I haven't gotten any response from them.

I think that this sends out a terrible signal to all the Spartan Games fans - either the company is not well organized and can't even handle to stay in touch with it's fans/gamers/future customers; or they just don't care about what their fans think - and I don't know what would be worse.

My hopes for a faithful revival of Firestorm Armada are getting less and less and based on the strife surrounding the Dystopian Wars/Age fluff I think Warcradle is running the risk of losing the exisiting fan base.

Oh well... the models still exist and so do the Spartan rules .
Anybody up for a game?

23

General Discussion / Re: Miniature Storage & Transport

« on: March 03, 2018, 10:53:43 am »

I am using KR-Multicase cardboard boxes with foam trays - that seems to be a bit more aafordable than Battlefoam & Co and there are tons of options available (both for box sizes and for trays)

24

Firestorm Armada / Re: [Project] Firestorm Taskforce - Stat Cards

« on: March 03, 2018, 10:51:06 am »

Thanks.

I paid 16 USD for the whole deck (plus shipping), which is a very good price if you consider that this is print on demand and not from a proper printer with an ecomony of scale.

And no, I haven't taken a look at the revised Fleet Action rules yet. I briefly looked the over a couple of months ago and they looked (at a glance) very similar to the older version. I guess I will have to take a proper look.

25

Firestorm Armada / Re: [Project] Firestorm Taskforce - Stat Cards

« on: February 28, 2018, 01:28:50 pm »

Hello everybody,
this has been coming a long time but now I finally want to tell you all that the project is done.
Actually I could have told you already at teh start of February, but I wanted to ask for Warcradle's permission for making these cards available for download here on thsi site.
Unfortunately I haven't received an answer from Rich or Stuart. I tried reaching them again a week later, again without a response.
After that Real Life took over for a while as I had to work on a project proposal but today I finally managed to send an email to the only contact address available on the Warcradle homepage. Honestly I do not have high hopes for a quick answer and I am not sure what that says about Warcradle and their community engagement... but we will see about that, I guess.

I will keep you informed, but currently all I can do is tease you with the finished product and tell you that I hope to make the cards available for download eventually.

Here is the last digital sample I created for the Boardgamegeek site:




There are 156 stat cards in total that I printed through the Gamecrafter and that is one big deck of cards
They turned out beautifully and the font is not too small to read (though some with impaired eyesight might say differently...). The one thing I will change for a future printing is the card back as the Taskforce logo is a bit to close to the upper edge of the card, but that is something that is easy to fix.

And here are a few photos of the printed cards:







If you have any questions about these cards, feel free to reply below or send me a message.

As I mentioned in an earlier post I have plans for expanding this little project, but before I start with any of that I want to hear from Warcradle Studios as I don't want to step on their toes and maybe, hopefully, even get them onboard.
Things that are in the pipeline are:
- System Wars ships;
- separate Stat Cards for older models;
- upgraded Stat Cards for improved ships (aka MK2, Refits etc.);
- Admiral cards (sort of player powers as seen in the System Wars supplement);
- System Wars scenarios;
- a way to play a quick card game with these cards (like the new version of the Citadel Combat Cards from Games Workshop);
- Stat Cards for models from other game systems (e.g. the Fleet Commander ships);
- ...

And of course, the big elephant in the room being - How to fix Taskforce? - which relates to how many players think that the damage table is unfun. I have a few ideas for addressing that issue, but again, developing the game is something I would only consider if Warcradle gave a green light for that.

Beyond that I think these stat cards would make a great online resource - e.g. for wiki entries for all the different ships in the game. Such a system could easily be used for FSA or Dystopian Wars as well, but that is quite a different topic and something that would be too ambitious for a one-man-show.

Well, there you have it, the Taskforce Stat Cards are live, let's hope that they will see a wider distribution eventually.

Cheers and all the best,
Michael

26

Firestorm Armada / Re: [Project] Firestorm Taskforce - Stat Cards

« on: January 19, 2018, 07:06:36 am »

Hello everybody and a happy new year.
I am back from my vacation and have been working a bit more on the project.

During this last week I finished creating the last missing stat cards (Works Raptor), which brings the final card count to a whooping 156.

I also added the images to the Ba'Kash and Kedorians. This means that the only things still missing are the ship images for the RSN and Works Raptor cards, which equals just 5% until total completion of the project.

It will take me another week or two to get these images done and then I will print a first proof copy via the Gamecrafter to see how the cards turn out when properly printed on solid cardstock.

I also started looking at the faction statistic - analyzing which factions use which (weapon) MARs how often. This kind of reverse engineering will help me getting the first batch of new stats (for the System Wars ships) right and flavourful.

Allright, that's it for this week.
Cheers,
Michael

27

Firestorm Armada / Re: [Project] Firestorm Taskforce - Stat Cards

« on: December 30, 2017, 03:03:31 am »

Thank you.
Honestly, I am impressed a bit as well. I didn't expect that there are sooo many models for all the factions out there. And what I thought would be a fun litle side project has turned into a rather large commitment. And I strongly believe in finishing what I have started - so there is no turning back now.
It also showed me some of the holes in the Taskforce fleet statistics (incosistent use of the "0" and "-" for zero shields, missing models (like the Terran Defence Platform) and weird design choices (nuclear non-Torpedo weapons on the Hawker ships - hos are those supposed to work fluff wise?).
All that convinced me that Taskforce needs some more love. There are still several ships missing (the System Wars models) and who would say to entirely new stat cards (weaker/cheaper optional profiles for the older MK1 models and upgraded/more expensive refits for the newest models of each class). There is still a lot of room in the Taskforce design space and THAT will be a fun project (at least for me as a game designer).

It is a shame that Taskforce has been (and will be) largely ignored by the gaming community. Yes, it is not FSA proper, but it is a fun game and it plays so much faster. I think much of the negative perception hinges on that awful damage table. Something needs to be done with that and I already have a few ideas. But that is something for another time, somewhen next year.

I wish you all a great start into the new year, may it bring a lot of naval gaming for all of us .

Michael

28

Firestorm Armada / Re: [Project] Firestorm Taskforce - Stat Cards

« on: December 22, 2017, 01:48:04 pm »

Hi everybody,
I could start by saying that progress had been slower than anticipated (kids got a cold), but I might start sounding like a broken record at this point, so I instead focus on the positive things:
90%
Woot!!

Just 10% left to go - the end is in sight and my next report might already be the final one for this first stage of this project.

I added all the pictures to the Terran ships (and noticed one more small mistake Spartan did - not only did they forget the stats for the Terran defence platform, hey also used the older Guardian escort model instead of the newer Squire. Well, that is just one more thing to tackle in the second phase of this project, I guess.

I also continued with creating the cards for the Zenian League minor factions. Now the RSN are done completely, leaving just Works Raptor as the very last faction without stat cards.

***

I will take  a break from this project (and most other things) for the next three weeks, but will be back in full swing in the middle of January.

Until then - have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

29

Space Naval Games / Re: First games of Fleet Commander

« on: December 10, 2017, 04:13:35 pm »

About the expansions - I just copy the publisher blurb for each of them here (copied from BGG), as a first idea about what is going on in each of them:

"Fleet Commander: Forge

With the Forge mini-expansion, you will be able to add to your fleet some of the most powerful and sophisticated warships ever seen in the galaxy. Using the hulls of standard warships, the "Forge" managed to develop a new mix of capacities according to the requirements of their customers. As a Commander of the Hegemony of Amycles, you can now add the dangerous class 2 Assault-ship and class 3 Gun-ship to your fleet. As a Phoeban Commander, count on the fast Strategic Cruiser and the sturdy Turtle Ship to master the battle zone. Finally, intelligence agencies intercepted transmissions about "specific special weapons" inbound to system PA-FF-104. Has the "Forge of Fendrix" already equipped Battleships with such unique devices, or are they still only plans? The answer is in the battle to come."


"Fleet Commander: Avatar

As the conflict between the "League of Phoebe" and the "Hegemony of Amycles" intensified, great leaders emerged to impose their views of warfare. Some of them earned their leadership by their zeal, their determination, or their ingenuity -- while others simply took power from their defeated opponents. However, one thing nobody dares to contest, is that each of them has their own distinct advantage to lead these huge fleets to victory.

Avatar is an expansion for ''Fleet Commander: Genesis'' that will allow players to add to their fleet the heavy battleships and commanders which give bonuses during any battle. It also contains new terrain tiles and special weapons."



"Fleet Commander: Salvation

After decades of fighting, the factions at war realized that it was of the utmost importance to be able to provide support directly in the battle zone. Furthermore, 'Electronic Warfare' slowly took more importance, but the systems installed on the warships were revealed to be not effective enough, except on the battleships -- but at the cost of not choosing a destructive special weapon. At that stage, specialized ships started to appear in the battles: the Tech Ships.

Salvation is an expansion for ''Fleet Commander: Genesis'' that introduces technical support ships, new terrain tiles, scenarios, and a campaign builder."



"Fleet Commander: Pirates

"Among the thousands of stars colonized by humanity, some of them are not under the empire's domination. Coalitions of “free worlds” try to defend their independence while systems away from dense clusters of civilization may be the secret home of groups living by violence and plundering. Call them pirates, rebels, or insurgents depending on your current alignment. Sometimes, one among them, a charismatic leader, manages to raise a fleet under his banner and runs the gauntlet of the established powers. Are you one of these leaders?"

Their fleets are composed of an eclectic variety of warships, captured from their enemies and sometimes customized to fit the condition of a guerrilla warfare. However, experienced Fleet Commanders have learned not to underestimate their capacities.

With the Pirates mini-expansion, choose one of these charismatic commanders, build your fleet according to specific rules, explore new capacities like “stealth” and challenge the domination of the "Hegemony of Amycles" and the "League of Phoebe"."


I haven't seen the rulebooks online yet (but I also have not checked the Capsicum website), but there are two files available on BGG that might contain all the infos about the expansion rules and new ship abilities:

https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/150310/consolidated-knowledge-database

https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/150305/fleet-commander-cheat-sheet

30

Firestorm Armada / Re: [Project] Firestorm Taskforce - Stat Cards

« on: December 08, 2017, 02:21:54 pm »

Is it already that time again? Have truly two more weeks passed? 
*Phew* well, it can't be helped, so let's better get over with right away.

Real life has been really busy (as it tends to be before the Christmas break - everybody wants to have as much stuff done in the old year as possible - leading to impossible deadlines and an unholy workload), which means that the hobby life had to be really slow.
I did not manage much, but at least now all the Sorylian cards have their proper ship pictures on them and I also started with the images for the Terran Alliance.
In terms of the stats I created all the cards for the Kedorians.

This all might sound more impressive than it actually was and the overall progress stands now at 82.5%.
But don't worry, this project will not grind to a halt. I hope to be more productive during the next two weeks as I might have a few free evenings.

Expect my next report right before Christmas, maybe even with another sweet teaser.