• Registered: 2005-03-31
  • Posts: 51

Topic: My Gaming Group Finally Playtests Starmada

My gaming group went inactive due to life happening for about two years.  It was right about the time that I bought Starmada and we played ONE playtest game with it and the results were inconclusive.

Well, my gaming group is active again.  I've played a couple of games with the group and last weekend while I was off doing SCA Heavy Combat two of the guys got together and played a game or two.  I thought you folks might enjoy reading some of the comments the posted to my mailing list:

Jeff, our resident munchkinizer wrote: 

The big thing we both came away with was we were really glad we moved away from Full Thrust.

Brian, his opponent this weekend said: 

Yea as stated, Jeff and I got together for some gaming Sunday. I'm
totally sold on Starmada. Throw Fullthrust to the heathens because we've
found the system to use. I had a blast playing, even though Jeff tore my
ass up. The design system does take some getting used to, but its really
not any more difficult than full thrusts design systems. The only thing
lacking is a fleet manager, but that isn't a huge deal really.

Lets get some more one off games in, and maybe a hobby day in sometime
in the next couple of weeks. It will give everyone a chance to become
more familiar with the rules and start assembling/painting our fleets.
We can also start talking about the campaign and how we want to run it.
From the looks of things, the VBAM rules are perfectly set and ready
for us. We can just use their system for ground combat for the first
campaign, which keeps us from having to find a system that suits our
needs in a hurry.

I was a big fan of Full Thrust for space combat, and was loathe to give up vector movement for a hex-grid (or trying to get folks to agree to use optional vector rules)... but I am sold on Starmada as well...  It's a much better game, and in my gaming group, we're convinced that Starmada doesn't suffer from as many crippling balance issues that Full Thrust does.

Now I just have to sell them on the movement system from Maxburn!

  • Registered: 2005-03-30
  • Posts: 272

Re: My Gaming Group Finally Playtests Starmada

If you like Starmada's design and combat rules but prefer gridless vector or cinematic movement ala Full Thrust, do what I do and hybridize the two.  Starmada plays just fine as a gridless vector game, using "movement points" as "thrust" in Full Thrust.  There might be some minor balance issues (the Starmada CRs are probably a bit off this way, especially for long-range weapons and some special equipment) but I haven't hit anything crippling yet.

And it's really cool watching ships maneuver, since Starmada has a *much* greater range of available thrust ratings than FT...thrust-10 is just plain neat on the tabletop.  smile

Rich

  • Registered: 2005-03-31
  • Posts: 51

Re: My Gaming Group Finally Playtests Starmada

That's what I've done in the past at a Convention in Ann Arbor, MI.

My gaming group has really latched on to the hex-grid as an aid to speedier play, and that's fine with me.  I see their point and understand their preference.

I will try, though, to get them into a compromise where we use the hex-grid AND vector movement using the Max Burn house rules put up by Mr. Drake:

http://www.lclark.edu/~drake/starmada/maxburn.html

I think if they try 'em, they'll like 'em.

--Tim

  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 3

Re: My Gaming Group Finally Playtests Starmada

FlakMagnet wrote:

That's what I've done in the past at a Convention in Ann Arbor, MI.

My gaming group has really latched on to the hex-grid as an aid to speedier play, and that's fine with me.  I see their point and understand their preference.

I will try, though, to get them into a compromise where we use the hex-grid AND vector movement using the Max Burn house rules put up by Mr. Drake:

http://www.lclark.edu/~drake/starmada/maxburn.html

I think if they try 'em, they'll like 'em.

--Tim

Dude, you just have to give up on the vector movement, we are completely sold on the hex movement. I already spent 40 bucks on the mat for petes sake. As mentioned it speeds the game considerably and that is a big part of Stararmada's appeal. I like that its active and balanced but I also like the fact that we could play large battles without a crippling time commitment.

I am also a little concerned about how much extra difficultly would be added by vector to things like cloaking devices and shutterdrives.

Jeff

  • Registered: 2005-03-31
  • Posts: 51

Re: My Gaming Group Finally Playtests Starmada

I'm not proposing we ditch Starmada's hex-based movement and range mechanics.

I like the hexes.  What I'm proposing is that we playtest a hex-based vector system.  IMO it's almost as easy as the hex-based movement points while still giving us the newtonian "feel" of vector movement.  Order-writing and their execution would be just as easy to visualize because of the hex-grid.

I think you may have a point about the stutterdrives and/or cloaks, I haven't played with those at all yet. 

--Tim

  • From: Denver, CO
  • Registered: 2005-03-27
  • Posts: 3,578

Re: My Gaming Group Finally Playtests Starmada

FlakMagnet wrote:

I like the hexes.  What I'm proposing is that we playtest a hex-based vector system.  IMO it's almost as easy as the hex-based movement points while still giving us the newtonian "feel" of vector movement.  Order-writing and their execution would be just as easy to visualize because of the hex-grid.

You DO know that Starmada comes with a hex-based vector system, right?

Appendix D: Vector Movement.

wink

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

mj12games's Website

  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 3

Re: My Gaming Group Finally Playtests Starmada

FlakMagnet wrote:

I'm not proposing we ditch Starmada's hex-based movement and range mechanics.

I like the hexes.  What I'm proposing is that we playtest a hex-based vector system.  IMO it's almost as easy as the hex-based movement points while still giving us the newtonian "feel" of vector movement.  Order-writing and their execution would be just as easy to visualize because of the hex-grid.

I think you may have a point about the stutterdrives and/or cloaks, I haven't played with those at all yet. 

--Tim

I tried the cloak and shutterdrive, fun combo btw, and it was hard enough without having to factor in vector movement. I am willing to try it but I have a feeling that it'll take more time then its worth.

  • Registered: 2005-03-31
  • Posts: 51

Re: My Gaming Group Finally Playtests Starmada

cricket wrote:

You DO know that Starmada comes with a hex-based vector system, right?

Appendix D: Vector Movement.

wink

Yup but with the addition of the associated chart, I'm not too keen on it.  The Maxburn vector system I mentioned above avoids the need for a chart and still gets vector-esque effects.

Jeff, yeah, I was just suggesting Maxburn hex-based vector as something to try.  If we like it, great.  If not... *shrug*.