Is this a miniatures game? A hex-based game?

Why not!?! 

It's definitely doable. I have been tinkering with rules for just such a game - VBAM with Dreadnoughts. Sadly, my time is not my own and they will likely never see the light of day. 

There are numerous challenges for the VBAM combat system but if you are using Starmada for the battles, then you have solved many of the issues.

The other matter is, of course, that it took many years to build most dreadnoughts (although, somehow, the Brits managed to build Dreadnought herself in a matter of months!). This creates a strange dynamic not found in most VBAM settings where, with optional rules, the largest capital ships might take as much as a year to build -- but not 4-6 years!

I am going to make it so the window can be masked. That means only the player who "owns" the piece can see it. But it will be an option for those who prefer to play with open books.

Yes, there would have to be some agreement for marking damage on the sheet in a uniform way. Unfortunately, I think this text sheet is the easiest way to get ship info into a vassal game. There are other ways but they would be kludgy and time-consuming, even if the end result would be prettier and more intuitive.

It's funny but I thought his discussion was just a suggestion for some kind of option. Some people have responded vehemently to this idea. People don't like their freedom being taken away!   :shock:

I think it would be a nice option for people to have to organize player-designed fleets. Most miniatures games have some kind of rule, or at least suggestions, about army composition. Why shouldn't Starmada? (aside from the standard no more than half the points in one ship)

It shouldn't, and really can't, be forced on anyone, though. (Like the range 30 discussion -- it's an optional rule that absolutely should exist but if you want to play with it, being an option, you should seek out other people who want to play with that option. Likewise, if you don't want to play with an option then no one can force you to.)

Oh, I had thought of that earlier. I think that is an excellent way to go.

Yes, I think the same ships available but I thought of giving some leeway for choosing fleets. Maybe mirrored forces is better, though.

I think an optional rule for players interested in more balanced, "realistic" scenarios would be excellent. You might even want to make it fleet-specific, as you have done here, for the official fleets and then some general ruling for scratch-built fleets. Perhaps based on hull size?

So, in a 1000 point scenario, purchasing is made in a certain order.
Purchasing two tier 3 escorts, allows the purchase of one tier two cruiser-sized vessel. Purchasing two tier 2 vessels allows the purchase of one tier 1 capital ship. Of course, this doesn't prevent a player from purchasing 8 tier 3, 2 tier 2, 1 tier 1 and having a swarm of escorts.

This will eventually lead to a PBEM tournament rules thread...

Well, and this is what prompted my question which started this hullabaloo. Is the only way to match 30-range weapons with more 30-range weapons? Dan gave some good suggestions.

This is the part, as a wannabe mathematician, that scares me. Range 30 weapons threaten such a huge area with even a small arc that they are dramatically more powerful than even a range 18 weapon.

But again, I lack the experience to say that range 30 weapons are the dominant paradigm without equal and without challengers. But given my small experience of a couple of solo battles, it seems like a fast ship would lose engine and effectiveness before it had a chance to truly close the distance.

Good idea, Bren.

When I see conversations like this I wonder if there isn't something wrong with Starmada that there is no tradeoff* for having longer ranges. Having very long ranges actually is rewarded to the extent that with longer ranges, there is no hit penalty at mid-ranges that might be your opponents' long range (i.e., a weapon with range 30 has no penalty firing out to 20 hexes while a weapon with range 21 has a penalty from range 15).

But I don't have enough experience with Starmada to truly judge. Is there anyone willing to stand up and say their designs, with more moderate weapon ranges, can defeat a fleet designed around range 30 weapons? Everyone seems to assert simply that range 30 is the way to go.

* Rather, the tradeoff is not great enough in terms of SUs, I guess.

It's really not complicated to use. I'll teach you.  8)

Thanks, OldNGrey! I actually have Open Office installed, so I'm all set.