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

Topic: Design supplement?

Don't know if Mr. Bohne is on this forum or not, but I wanted to thank him for his review over on RPGNow; it's very well-considered (and mostly positive!):

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_reviews_info.php?products_id=51718&reviews_id=17504

His review of the Imperial Starmada Sourcebook is slightly less positive (although not unreasonable in its criticism). It does bring up an interesting question:

Would there be interest, now that folks have had the chance to digest the new system, in a book of essays on tactics, ship design, etc.?

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

mj12games's Website

  • Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,286

Re: Design supplement?

I can't think of a lot of tactics per se...most are dependent upon the ship design itself.  The Kamori Clans are a good case in point.  The Farstriker depend on their missiles to do the damage, as such they want to keep the range open as long as possible.  Interceptors are used as their primary anti-fighter/missile defense.  Beam weapons have a good range, but lack any real hitting power to speak of.

The Stoneshell depend on their defenses to survive to firing range, at which point their heavier weapons can do a real number on the enemy.  But they hurt in maneuver forcing them to use multiple arcs and restricting the number of heavy mounts and thereby the effectiveness of the ships.

The Sandknife on the otherhand are fast, fragile (comparatively speaking) and have weapons that overlap their broadside arcs...allowing them to literally fly by the enemy and rake him over the coals at range.  They depend entirely on maneuver to stay out of the worst the enemy can throw at them with fighters added in to sting 'em hard up close n personal.

Essentially you have three main tactics here.  Runaway, Charge, and Runaround. wink

So...appropriately the book should be more a primer on design philosophy with a tactical analysis on the impact your design decisions as they relate to the ship(s).  My two-cents.  :wink:

  • Registered: 2022-11-16
  • Posts: 516

Re: Design supplement?

cricket wrote:

Would there be interest, now that folks have had the chance to digest the new system, in a book of essays on tactics, ship design, etc.?

Tactics?
Hmmm...
What tactics?
Don't you just move (doesn't matter where), pick a target, shoot all of your weapons at that target, blow it up, and repeat on subsequent turns?
Now Grand Fleets, on the other hand...
wink
Kevin

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

Re: Design supplement?

go0gleplex wrote:

Essentially you have three main tactics here.  Runaway, Charge, and Runaround. wink

Well, that sounds like the genesis of a tactics essay right there... wink

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

mj12games's Website

  • Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,286

Re: Design supplement?

cricket wrote:
go0gleplex wrote:

Essentially you have three main tactics here.  Runaway, Charge, and Runaround. wink

Well, that sounds like the genesis of a tactics essay right there... wink

It is really...but as I noted, only as directly related to the specific ship design philosophy. smile  Though I guess you could relate the tactics to general characteristics...such as a slow ship will be unable to execute the "Runaround" tactic and will suffer more if trying to execute the "Runaway" tactic.

  • Registered: 2005-09-20
  • Posts: 17

Re: Design supplement?

cricket wrote:

It does bring up an interesting question:

Would there be interest, now that folks have had the chance to digest the new system, in a book of essays on tactics, ship design, etc.?

Yes

  • Registered: 2008-06-03
  • Posts: 9

Re: Design supplement?

I am the author of the review.  Let me clarify what I was talking about.

When I bought ISS I "knew" I was getting pre-generated ships of several races.  Being a newbie to the entire Starmada family, what I "hoped" to see was not only pre-generated ships but some discussion as to WHY the ships were designed that way.  Each empire has an underlying design philosophy, be it far attack or maneuver or close and board or whatever.  ISS gave me great backgrounds for the empires, ships to go along with it, but it didn't tell me WHY the ships were designed the way they were. 

That's all I am looking for.  This type of data helps me learn the design system.

Maybe I am being too dense and want a little hand-holding.  The ship design spreadsheet helps but it feels a bit too abstract for me because I am still wrestling with understanding the ship design philosophies behind it.

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

Re: Design supplement?

RockyMountainNavy wrote:

I am the author of the review.  Let me clarify what I was talking about.

Hello!

(RockyMountainNavy... hmm... are you nearby? I'm in Denver.)

Each empire has an underlying design philosophy, be it far attack or maneuver or close and board or whatever.  ISS gave me great backgrounds for the empires, ships to go along with it, but it didn't tell me WHY the ships were designed the way they were. 

That's all I am looking for.  This type of data helps me learn the design system.

Fair enough. I think that's a reasonable request.

Of course, the problem is that the ships in ISS were designed by me, and I SUCK at that sort of thing.

Game design? Check.

Background material? If I have to.

Tactics and design philosophy? Not so much.

Anyone who's played against me knows this... smile

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

mj12games's Website

  • Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,286

Re: Design supplement?

It's too early in the morning to think this much...;)

Was reading this and while pondering things, I realized that tech levels are going to have some impact into the whole design philosophy issue as well.  Generally, because a higher or lower tech level will affect the limitations you are working under during the design process.  ie. a weapons TL +1 can mean the difference between mostly 2 arc weapons vs 3 or 4 arc weapons...or speed 4 avg vs speed 6 average if placed in Engines.

  • Registered: 2008-03-15
  • Posts: 70

Re: Design supplement?

Read the review, and one point jumped out--why have two idententical ship print-outs side-by-side? Seemed a bit odd when I first saw it. In the future, perhaps two variants of the same class could be presented?

  • Registered: 2008-06-03
  • Posts: 9

Re: Design supplement?

Hello!

(RockyMountainNavy... hmm... are you nearby? I'm in Denver.)

.

Well...my home is in Colorado Springs but I am currently stationed overseas.

Back on topic...bottom line is yes, I would like to see a Ship Design supplement mostly so I can learn from others who have been using the Starmada system much longer than I have.

  • Registered: 2008-05-16
  • Posts: 76

Re: Design supplement?

RockyMountainNavy wrote:

Back on topic...bottom line is yes, I would like to see a Ship Design supplement mostly so I can learn from others who have been using the Starmada system much longer than I have.

As another new to the game person, I am another that would love to see a design supplement that includes some of the why's and thoughts behind them instead of just a bunch of examples.  Examples are great and needed, but don't really do much on their own.