Modern SFB and FC have specialized SSDs for ground bases, installations on the surface of a planet or moon that can engage in combat with ships in space. This was not always the case. In early editions of SFB, ground bases used the same SSDs as base stations and battle stations. A few simple rules allowed these to assume the role of planet-based facilities quite nicely, and the same can easily be done in Starmada.

First, there is the issue of shields. Base and battle stations both have strength 9 shields all around. I recommend considering the ground base to have a single double-strength shield. Simply cross out two of the shield tracks and consider the remaining pair to be one continuous 18-point shield that covers the base like a dome, but otherwise behaves in all ways the same as other SFU shields.

Next is the issue of firing arcs. If the planetary body is a single hex in size, designate a hex side as the location of the base. The base's weapons will all be able to fire into a single 180-degree arc made up of the hex side it occupies and the two directly adjacent to it (one on each side). Weapons fired at the base must have line of sight to the hex side where the base is located.

In the case of a multi-hex planet, choose one of the planet's edge hexes as the base's location. Depending on the planet's diameter and the hex you choose, the base might have two or three outward-facing hex-sides to fire its weapons through (and to be fired upon by enemies).

Planetary rotation can be safely ignored, as it is not rapid enough to alter the firing and defensive arcs involved within the length of the average scenario.

Those who have played SFB might remember that planetary atmospheres had deleterious effects on phaser fire in that game, but since Starmada is based on FC, where such is not the case, we need not concern ourselves with this.

Note that ground bases are even more unassailable than their space-based counterparts, given the fact that they can simultaneously fire all of their weapons at a single target due to their unified firing arc.

Consider utilizing base stations as colony defense facilities and battle stations as military installations. Grounded defense satellites can also be used as automated defenses for civilian and scientific outposts.

If I remember correctly, it was posted here some time ago that a corrected version of Alien Armada Unity had been sent to ADB. When are they going to post it to w23? I asked SVC about it on the ADB forum, and he said he thought it had been done already, and that he would have to check tomorrow when others were in the office. That was over a week ago, and no word since. I know he's busy, so he might have forgotten about it. Has there been any word on this?

Also, as long as we're on the topic (and at the risk of being the annoying kid in the back seat asking, "Are we there yet?"), how are the Distant Armada/Battleships Armada conversions coming along? Any time frame estimates?

If a seeker is targeted on a given ship, and that ship, during its movement phase, enters the hex occupied by the seeker, what happens? I recently had this situation come up regarding a drone, and was uncertain of how it should be handled. Since it was the SFU, I ended up falling back on how it is dealt with in FC - the drone impacts the ship on its leading-edge shield (usually fwd, unless the ship did a sideslip). Defensive fire may occur, and damage is calculated and applied immediately, as it would be in the fighter phase. Was that correct, or should I have had the ship pass through the hex without impact?

Also, if the ship which enters the seeker's hex is NOT the ship the seeker is targeted on, it should pass through without impact, correct?

Bolted plasma in the SFU has a "Dfs" trait. In the "To-Hit Modifiers" chart in section 4.2 (pg 17 of Klingon/Romulan Armada), the various range modifiers are listed, with Dfs and others bulleted below the standard short/long modifiers. Are the bulleted modifiers meant to replace the standard range modifiers, or be added to them? In other words, say at short range, would a plasma bolt get a +2 or a +3 modifier?

As a history buff, both real and imagined, the history of the SFU is of intense interest to me. For those who share such leanings, there is a wealth of information available on ADB's website, on the page titled Historical Downloads, at:  http://www.starfleetgames.com/historicaldownloads.shtml. Two documents which you'll find there that are required reading for those who want to know more about the background of this setting are History of the General War, which is an overview of the Alpha Octant-spanning conflict which forms the crux of SFU gaming, and the Universe Timeline, a highly detailed historical chronology of the major races in the SFU and their interactions, dating from prehistory to the aftermath of the Andromedan War. There are also numerous maps and a section of technical readouts.

One note: the dates in these documents use the SFB system, where everything is calculated from a hypothetical "year zero" when humanity first contacted the Vulcans. FC and Starmada use a different system, where first contact occurred in the year 2400. To convert SFB dates to Starmada dates, just add 2400 - e.g. Y152 becomes 2552.

Also, even if you don't use minis, check out the ADB Shapeways site at: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/amarill … bureau-inc. Select an Empire on the left and click on the ship images to go to a page offering detailed info on the history and capabilities of that particular ship class, along with a 3D model you can rotate to get a really good look at the design. You can pick up a lot of ship lore by browsing around there.

I had previously posted re: the Neo-Tholian CA having the wrong PP costs for its Web Fist weapon ("free" for normal, 2PP for overloaded, rather than 2PP/4PP). I just thought of something - is it possible that this is actually correct, and that the Neo-Tholian CA has different values for its Web Fist weapon due to having a different power curve? In other words, are 2PP allocated for each Web Fist every turn automatically in the case of that ship?