• Registered: 2010-11-08
  • Posts: 1

Topic: Need INFO on Starmada

Hello to everyone here, I am new to these forums however I am here explicitly for info on Starmada. I have been tasked by my gaming group to come up with a good space game that has modable rules for multiple scenerio types.

I am a member of Starship Combat News and thats where I found out about Starmada.

The first thing is I have tried to contact the owners of the game here as I would like to purchase a copy but I prefer totalk to someone in person via phone if its at all possible. Has anyone here ever talked to the owners of Majestic Twelve games?

The second thing is does anyone here have any idea what the learning curve is for Starmada?

If anyone here can help me with either of these I would greatly be appreciative.

Sincerely, Shadow Weaver

  • Registered: 2010-03-09
  • Posts: 630

Re: Need INFO on Starmada

ShadowWeaver2010 wrote:

The second thing is does anyone here have any idea what the learning curve is for Starmada?

For having taught the game to some friends, I can say that it's maybe the easiest game to learn and play. You usually can start a game after fifteen minutes of explanations.

Marc

  • Registered: 2010-07-08
  • Posts: 44

Re: Need INFO on Starmada

I'm into almost any type of space combat based game and have tried many. I've played everything from Starfleet Battles, Federation Commander, Full Thrust, Battlestations, Attack Vector: Tactical and several others.

Starmada is my go to game that lets me play a deep system, while getting friends to actually play with me because of it's ease to learn. I recommend it. I'd put the learning curve at a 3 out of 10, with SFB sitting at a 9 for comparison.

Hope it helps!

  • Registered: 2010-03-09
  • Posts: 630

Re: Need INFO on Starmada

Also note that contrary to most space games, Starmada allows you to create any fleet, wheter based on movies, books, etc. or from what you could imagine.
A great asset.

Marc

  • Registered: 2009-08-03
  • Posts: 245

Re: Need INFO on Starmada

Never spoken to Cricket in person, but he does frequent the forums (a lot; it's nice to have designer input on rules questions).

As for learning curve, fast and easy.  About 20 pages of simple-to-grasp core rules, significant chunks of which are examples, and everything else is optional.

As for versatility, see previous point about lots of options.  Following up what madpax said, you can even build non-fleets with it; there's an OGRE conversion in the ship design forums, and I've also used it for BattleTech.

One tongue-in-cheeck note, though, is that your survey method (posting on the starmada forums) is likely to get you a biased sample...

  • Registered: 2006-05-17
  • Posts: 18

Re: Need INFO on Starmada

Modable rules: Starmada has certainly one of the most if not the most flexible design system. Although the worth of a ship is quite accurately calculated there are certain combinations of traits that are hard to beat. The design system at its core gives you all the freedom to build ships for specific backgrounds but when pitting scratchbuild fleet against each other you might want to limit some stuff if you have a powergamer in your group. A good bit of terrain (planets, asteroids) and random scenarios can even out the odds.
That said if you are looking for ship duels (which I suppose you don't) Starmada is not the best option. About 6 ships per side and maybe some small ones or fighter flights is what I would call a standard battle. This largely depends on the ships size you design however. I for myself prefer large battles and Starmada's rules are streamlined well for such battles.

Scenarios: As a generic system it has generic scenarios but one can imagine most of the premises of the scenarios to happen in any background. Although forces have different strength sometimes the victory conditions make all scenarios fair. This is something I really appreciate. Many games have problems when it comes to balancing. But I found every Starmada scenario to be fair and they add strategical depth unless of course you tailor-build a fleet for it. But as you can easily randomize them it adds another layer of thought for the fleet designer. Overgunned slow ships with long range may be good in direct confrontation but outgunned or with the enemy starting close by these ships will get butchered.

Learning Curve: The basics are very easy. The movement system of the new edition needs some time to getting used to. I prefer the more simple old one, which is included in the rulebook as an optional rule. When playing I have to flip through the rulebook occasionally to re-read what a special ability does but when played frequently you wont need the rulebook. There are a lot of optional rules to add some element or flesh out an aspect if you like. Some add quite a bit of depth to the game but makes it also a bit more complex.

So much for the pros. The only con in my book is that you have to roll lots of dice. Rules wise this is good because luck more or less evens out with more dice instead of only a couple of rolls per game.

  • Registered: 2010-09-25
  • Posts: 63

Re: Need INFO on Starmada

I've never talked to anyone at M12 Games, but, then again, I've never felt to need to either.

Learning curve? To me it was pretty much learned before I played my first game(with my one reading). The first game reinforced it with very little rule checking. Second game was done with out the rulebook handy. Plus, my 9 year old understood it well enough to hand me my hind quarters in a hand basket on our first game. I have since read through certain rule sections, mainly the optional rules, multiple traits for weapons, fighters, and seekers. I think I pretty much have it all down now. While the rules are easy to learn the tactics of the game are vast and enjoyable.

Scenarios? I've been translating some Star Fleet Battles scenarios over without a single hitch! I'm working on a mini-campaign right now, from that system, called the Lone Wolf.

Adaptability... I've seen Babylon 5, Battlestar Gallactica, Starfire, Honor Harrington, Star Wars, Star Trek, and various other sci-fi books, movies, games, and shows done in this system.

Playing time... Largest amount of ships we have used to date has been about 8 all at the same time. The game lasted about an hour. I feel the game can easily handle fleet actions. But do not think that small actions are not good. We've had some very awesome ship-to-ship duels too.

I have played Star Fleet Battles, Full Thrust, A Sky Full of Ships, Starfire, and various others covering the spectrum of simple to ultra-complicated... like Little Miss. Bo-peep said.... Starmada is "just right"!

Like they say... "Simple, but not simplistic, is the guiding principle." And they have hit the nail on the head IMHO!

Sorry if this was a bit much.  :oops:

  • Registered: 2010-10-21
  • Posts: 55

Re: Need INFO on Starmada

This game has revitalized starship gaming in our groups.  I have always been a fan of simple starship games and I had been running some Starfire with my group and we really enjoyed its ease of play.  A few of us are Star Fleet Battles players because we like its level of detail. 

Starmada seems to combine the best of both worlds.  You can have weapons systems with a variety of effects and even have transporters, boarding parties, and cloaking devices and still finish a game in an hour or two.  The only possible down side, is that it is structured for hex based play.  I prefer this, but other may find this a problem.

Like Warren above, I have dived into Klingon Armada with both feet and my Kzinti fleet has once again been the terror of the space lanes.  I am even working on some house rules integrating legendary officers from SFB, and critical hits from Babylon 5 A Call to Arms.