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

Topic: So You Used to Play Star Fleet Battles, uh?

There are some major differences in playing Star Fleet Battles and Klingon & Romulan Armada! SFB gamers beware!

First, let it be known that we use house rules for or Starmada, Klingon, & Romulan Armada games. We plot our movement with the "Brian rule", I.E. - Section D.1 Basic Movement. It's easier for us. We use the regular Starmada shield rules in KA & RA. The ship's shields equal the strongest facet.

In SFBs, when playing a Klingon, I usually closed to close (knife fighting) range. Now I strongly recommend keeping your distance and taking advantage of the long range weapons at your disposal. Use this tactic with whatever race or ship you're piloting.

The Gorns are no longer slow at maneuvering. No more flying bath tubs!!

Use your drones and tractor beams!!!

Once the opponent's shields are down surprise them with boarding parties. Capturing a ship does wonders to your career regardless of what race you're playing.

I'm working on translating SFB scenarios over the Stamada terms. Will add more tactics as my experience with the game grows.

I will say this... Starmada, Klingon Armada, and Romulan Armada area a damn sight better than the original SFB rules!!!!!!

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

Re: So You Used to Play Star Fleet Battles, uh?

KA, RA (and very shortly, Alien Armada) are based on Federation Commander, nor SFB, meaning some differences. For example, shuttles can't attract drones and plasma.

warrenss2 wrote:

We use the regular Starmada shield rules in KA & RA. The ship's shields equal the strongest facet.

It makes the ships more resilient. BTW, shields are treated very differently between SFB/FC and Starmada, as in the latter, you can destroy a ship and without having damaged the shiels.

In SFBs, when playing a Klingon, I usually closed to close (knife fighting) range. Now I strongly recommend keeping your distance and taking advantage of the long range weapons at your disposal. Use this tactic with whatever race or ship you're piloting.

Fed ships are better at short range. Not only their Ph 1 begin to be very powerful, but Photon torps can hit very easily, making short work of almost anything.

Use your drones and tractor beams!!!

Drones are really different. You know fire loads of them, they can hit the target before being shot at (except by antidrones), but to do damage, they have to hit and then penetrate before.

Once the opponent's shields are down surprise them with boarding parties

You don't even have to wait for shields to be done. A bit more tricky, though.

I will say this... Starmada, Klingon Armada, and Romulan Armada area a damn sight better than the original SFB rules!!!!!!

Simpler rules, lot more fun, lot more ships, less play time, so much the better.

Marc

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

Re: So You Used to Play Star Fleet Battles, uh?

I would love to see some SFB/FC scenarios translated over, could be fun.

I've been playing FC since release, and have even put in some time with SFB over the years. It's been a great game, however it just doesn't fit with a busy life schedule anymore. Anything beyond the duel (of which I'll still use it for) takes way too long to finish. I can't even count the number of games where someone just surrendered because it had gone on for 6+ hours. Hell, even Saganami Island plays faster than SFB does, and it's more complex (in my opinion).

But I love the source, so having the Armada series of books have finally let me play my big squadron battles in under 3 hours!

Tactics wise, things do change abit which I know some SFB/FC vets probably frown at. I enjoy the new feel though and accept the change. The great thing about KLA and RMA is that if you don't like how a ship performs, change it. The only thing I would love to see if Fleet Scale versions of the ships, as I think the Squadron scale is a bit to beefy.

Anyone try making KLA/RMA ships into fleet scale?

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

Re: So You Used to Play Star Fleet Battles, uh?

Any of the Starfleet Battles General Scenarios can be translated as is to KA/RA. 

I am working on a KA/RA variant for Merchant, Pirate, Soldier, Spy.  All the Kizinti Civil War scenarios look like they can be played as is. 

So there are already a number of options when playing KA and RA.  You could even play any of the Mini Campaigns like Pirate Patrol with little or no adjustment.

  • Registered: 2010-01-24
  • Posts: 10

Re: So You Used to Play Star Fleet Battles, uh?

warrenss2 wrote:

First, let it be known that we use house rules for or Starmada, Klingon, & Romulan Armada games. We plot our movement with the "Brian rule", I.E. - Section D.1 Basic Movement. It's easier for us. We use the regular Starmada shield rules in KA & RA. The ship's shields equal the strongest facet.

We do the same with movement.  It just seems to fit the setting better.  We use the normal KA/RA/AA (can we start using Starfleet Armada or SFA?) shields, though.

I'd be interested in playing some of the scenarios.  I like the simple ones in the core Starmada book.  They give a bit of diversity without getting too crazy.

Sevya

  • Registered: 2008-03-27
  • Posts: 24

Re: So You Used to Play Star Fleet Battles, uh?

I still play Star Fleet Battles.  smile  But I do like Starmada (just haven't played it in awhile).  When Klingon Armada came out I played a couple of test scenarios, and if you want a major difference between the game and SFB, one firing sequence that happened should be nicely illustrative.

A Federation Heavy Cruiser took out a Klingon F5 (within the context of a larger fleet battle).  Ok, so in SFB a Federation Heavy Cruiser could take out a Klingon F5 with an alpha strike pretty easily.  In Klingon Armada, the Federation CA fired ONE overloaded photon torpedo at the Klingon F5, and due to the best sequence of die rolls possible, blew it up.

I like the Starmada version of the Star Fleet Universe, but it does feel incredibly different.  I have yet to get the hang of maneuvering as most battles seem to end on the approach itself rather than continuing beyond  the first battle pass.  What I'll try next time will be to use Klingon arcs and speed to try to simply stay out of overload range and ping from a distance, but it's easier said than done...