• Registered: 2011-06-11
  • Posts: 110

Topic: VBAM - Summary

I've discovered VBAM after seeing it mentioned a few times on here.  At the risk of my brain exploding because I'm taking too much on at once, can someone give me a summary of what it's like and how it works with Starmada?

Their website isn't great for info and although they have a forum too, I thought it best to ask here as I'm primarily interested in it working with Starmada.

Thanks.

  • Registered: 2005-03-29
  • Posts: 859

Re: VBAM - Summary

VBAM is fairly good (although I would say that, as I use it a lot for campaigns), and its fairly easy to get up to speed, especially as the forum tends to have many a person around to answer questions (although recently its been quiet, but see below). It also is fairly modular, so if you see something you don't want to use, its not too hard to ignore it. Their Starmada supplement was for S:X, but there are a few unofficial 'conversions' that allow you to build S:AE ships and convert their stats over to VBAM. And if you just want something to limit how many vessels you can build and fight the battles out in S:AE, it can do that.

However, a word of caution, VBAM is heading towards a 2nd Edition, so it's up to you if you want to get the rules now, or wait a while for the 2nd edition rules to come out.

  • Registered: 2005-06-08
  • Posts: 760

Re: VBAM - Summary

You may wish to look at this document.
http://www.mj12games.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2385
OK, I admit, I wrote it for Jay (VBAM GAmes) and he passed it on to Dan.

There is also a bit in the shipyard guide. (Ignore the 2nd Edition stuff in that, it has been revised since but I do not have details). I believe that jay has been going through the 2nd Edition of VBAM recently (latest version), no idea as to when it might be released though.

Paul

  • Registered: 2007-07-29
  • Posts: 55

Re: VBAM - Summary

Heh, 2nd edition VBAM has been coming out "real soon now" for like two years.

I ran a four player blind game for a few months.  The brain exploding part is accurate as it took me two complete readthroughs with a few pages of notes to comprehend the whole thing.  The galaxy creation is brilliant.  The only really weak bit is the Transport rules; it actually caused a fight that broke apart the game.  (Finishing the game was on track to take a whole year.)

As far as the integration with Starmada, it does the technology research very well, and it makes use of the more esoteric ship systems in very interesting ways.  You'll have supply ships and repair ships and scout ships which are awesome.  But the scale is off.  When I play Starmada in the Simplest Campaign System, the average fight is 1400 points and it takes a few hours.  Starting income in VBAM is 60, and a full 2000 point fleet costs 95.  Kinda huge to be churning out points that fast.

If I had it to do over again, I'd play Sovereign Stars on a VBAM map.  Or some other hybrid.