Topic: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

Majestic Twelve Games is pleased to announce that after months of planning, a brand-new edition of Starmada: The Universal Game of Starship Combat is slated for release in January 2012.

While in some ways this new edition will be notably different from previous incarnations of the game, at its core Starmada remains the game you have grown to know and (hopefully) love. As always, the guiding principle has been "simple, but not simplistic".

Among the changes to the core game system, players will find:

* A more streamlined movement system;

* Three distinct and layered types of starship defenses;

* A reduction in the number of die rolls -- and amount of time -- required to resolve ship-to-ship combat. In some cases, the outcome of an attack can be decided by a single throw of the dice!

On the other hand, much remains unchanged, such as:

* A commitment to balanced game play;

* A core set of rules accessible to beginners yet robust enough to support the needs of experienced gamers;

* The most comprehensive set of starship construction rules available in any game currently available!

And of course, Starmada will continue to provide dozens of stand-alone options and advanced rules from which you may pick and choose to fit your desired level of complexity and create the type of game you want to play.

Stay tuned to this space over the coming weeks as we continue to provide more information about this new edition -- I'm sure you'll like what you see!

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

A more streamlined movement system

Three distinct and layered types of starship defenses

Tell us more......

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

Got a name for the new edition yet? Like the current edition is the Admiralty edition?

For those of us who play the SFU version, will the SFU stuff be upgraded for the new ed?

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

I volunteer to playtest. :ugeek:

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

Great, another issue to shell out on... tongue

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

Great, just when I was getting the hang of S:AE!  :roll:

I guess I will put my latest project on hold until the new version comes out and I feel compelled to start all over  smile

Couple of questions: 1.) Will the "scale" of the game remain essentially the same as S:AE?
(2.) Will all future releases such as possible SFU tie-ins be done with the new rules?
3.) If so, will the old ADB/MJ12 Armadas be updated to the new "standard"?
Any way I look forward to seeing the new rules!
Cheers,
Erik

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

More later, but in answer to some preliminary questions:

1) More streamlined movement: The actual movement of ships (i.e. pseudo-vectorish) remains unchanged; however, the means by which players determine that movement has been simplified, making it much easier to explain to newbies and for experienced players to remember (also, no more "absolute difference" discussions. smile)

2) Three distinct forms of defense: Instead of assuming all ship defenses work in the same manner, differing only in "fluff" (i.e. "Shields" might in fact refer to armor plating, point defenses, etc.) there are now three kinds of defense that can be chosen from or combined on a single ship -- ECM, Shields, and Armor.

3) No official name for it, yet. Suggestions are welcome... Behind the scenes we've been calling it "Starmada: The Next Iteration". smile

4) My intent is to update all existing Star Fleet Armada ships out of the gate, and then move forward from there, probably with Battleship Armada.

5) Playtesters/reviewers are welcome.

6) The scale will remain the same.

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

Potential name: Starmada 2012: The Final Edition tongue (little dig at the whole 'the world will end in 2012)

I'll be a reviewer. Playtests are...difficult...for me as I don't have the time nowadays, as well as one of my family moving next weekend.

But I'm not happy with you Dan, I've spent the last few months releasing new supplements just for them to become obsolete... sad /shakes fist angrily

wink

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

murtalianconfederacy wrote:

Potential name: Starmada 2012: The Final Edition tongue (little dig at the whole 'the world will end in 2012)

I had considered "Starmada: Doomsday", or "Starmada: The Mayan Edition".

I'll be a reviewer. Playtests are...difficult...for me as I don't have the time nowadays, as well as one of my family moving next weekend.

Send me an email, if you would.

But I'm not happy with you Dan, I've spent the last few months releasing new supplements just for them to become obsolete... sad /shakes fist angrily

wink

I know there will be some hard feelings -- there always are -- but Starmada shouldn't stand still. Other projects (some released, some still in waiting) have convinced me that now is the time, and I have confidence the changes being made are for the better. Hopefully you'll all agree.

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

cricket wrote:
murtalianconfederacy wrote:

Potential name: Starmada 2012: The Final Edition tongue (little dig at the whole 'the world will end in 2012)

I had considered "Starmada: Doomsday", or "Starmada: The Mayan Edition".

Either one of those would work...:)

I'll be a reviewer. Playtests are...difficult...for me as I don't have the time nowadays, as well as one of my family moving next weekend.

Send me an email, if you would.

Done.

But I'm not happy with you Dan, I've spent the last few months releasing new supplements just for them to become obsolete... sad /shakes fist angrily

wink

I know there will be some hard feelings -- there always are -- but Starmada shouldn't stand still. Other projects (some released, some still in waiting) have convinced me that now is the time, and I have confidence the changes being made are for the better. Hopefully you'll all agree.

I hope I will, too. If you want, I could try and do some new ship designs for the setting, see how easy it is to do--that I can do fairly easily...:)

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

I'd love to offer to playtest, but with a three week old that doesn't seem to give a fig for how I've been doing things for years...I don't think I could. I'm looking forward to this new edition, and I think it's great that Starmada never stands still. I just won't be moving forward with any projects I had in mind while I await the new rules.
Starmada: Infinity Edition?
I'm sure you'll come up with something. Can't wait for the release.
Cheers,
Erik

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

Released in January, and you're still accepting playtesters?  smile

Will things covered in the Rules Annex be covered in the initial book for this version?  Those rules were built up over a few supplements, and I wonder whether the things they cover will get reset and have to wait for release again.

How compatible with this version be?

I think fewer steps/dice seems good.

thanks
andy

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

You had my money at "3 types of defenses".  Now "ignore shields" will just counter one type of defense!

-Tim

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

Well I've spent months converting B5W and when I'm almost finished you go and release another version!  smile

I'm actually both excited and worried.  Although I realise I don't have to buy the new version I probably will. I would love to have 3 different defences for B5.  Shields work but with a bit of fudging. 

However changing movement is where I'm worried.  Any chance of a tiny bit more detail on what you said below, does it still involve writing orders?  Because I love this part of the game.  It's why I chose Starmada when I stopped playing ACTA over serious issues with their movement.  I realise in SAE you can change movement so I hope a version of what we have now is still an option at least.

I'll PM you with a few questions about play testing as I've never done it before but would love to be involved in some way if possible.

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

Man I would have loved to have play tested this new edition.  We finished a starmada campaign a couple of months ago (using the sovreign stars rules in the Rules Annex).  We all picked up GZG fleets and spent countless hours designing our forces. Our group has 1 power gamer, 2 min/maxers, 1 fluff lover and 2 more or less regular gamers.  Alas 2 of us have newborns at home and another is on the way.

Dan if you need any help proof reading I'd be up for that... although I will add that your rules are some of the most clear and well written out there - so possibly you don't need any help in that department.

Looking forward to the finished product,
-Tim

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

andyskinner wrote:

Released in January, and you're still accepting playtesters?

Things move quickly around here. wink

Will things covered in the Rules Annex be covered in the initial book for this version?  Those rules were built up over a few supplements, and I wonder whether the things they cover will get reset and have to wait for release again.

My plan is to make the initial release as all-inclusive as possible. That being said, there may be an odd optional rule here and there that doesn't make it initially, either due to an oversight on my part or because I'm not sure how best to incorporate it.

How compatible with this version be?

Not sure I completely understand the question.

diddimus wrote:

However changing movement is where I'm worried.

It's hard to explain without giving you the whole picture (which will likely happen shortly). However, there's nothing to worry about, IMHO. If you like the current movement system, you'll love the new one -- mainly because it's the same system, just easier to navigate.

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

This sounds great.  I  definitely LIKE the idea of less dice rolls.   I enjoy Starmada A.E., but look forward to the Starmada 2012 edition.  My friends & I down south play whenever I am visiting down there. 
I would love to be a playtester of this new edition.  :ugeek:

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

O man!  Maybe this will fix everything.  My group here burned out on S:AE over the summer as a result of powergaming, but a new edition holds new promise...

Simpler movement sounds wonderful; we never did manage to wrap our heads around the vector movement in AE, so we played with Naval.  Three defenses...  interesting.  My gut response was "Nooo the effects-based ethos is dying!"  but my roommate's significantly better-thought-out response was "Huh, that may balance the customizability present in offense (four weapon stats plus traits) against that in defense (shields plus traits) better."  He liked to play heavy-defense and was very sad when Ignores / Halves / P+3 made high shields ineffective, so he's a fan.

But yeah, I'd love to review a copy...  can't guarantee playtesting, but I'd probably buy it and show it to the gang.  If less dice-rolling is involved, they might be up for a second season.

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

cricket wrote:

How compatible with this version be?

Not sure I completely understand the question.

I was wondering whether optional rules would transfer over well.  But you really answered the underlying question by saying you'd try to be as inclusive as possible.

Thanks
andy

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

I guess the biggest question is whether or not there will be changes to the rules concerning pill bugs. That will pretty much determine if I buy into the new version of the game or stick with S:AE.
Erik

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

cricket wrote:
diddimus wrote:

However changing movement is where I'm worried.

It's hard to explain without giving you the whole picture (which will likely happen shortly). However, there's nothing to worry about, IMHO. If you like the current movement system, you'll love the new one -- mainly because it's the same system, just easier to navigate.

That's one point I'm still befuddled when I look at it. easy to understand how to move straight ahead, one turn or u turn, but toher than that...

But I'm very interested in  the new version. I will nonetheless post on that forum my take on a variation on Starmada.

Marc

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

BeowulfJB and I will be getting together later this month send me a play test copy and we will give it a go.

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

I'm with murtalianconfederacy on this I'm just about finished my conversion of the GDW game Imperium and now I'll have to start again (sob sob). but for simplified movement rules I could just be swayed (who am I kidding roll on January!!!).

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

Blacklancer's got a point. Will the new movement rules allow pillbugs to wheel?

Re: New edition of Starmada coming in January!

terryoc wrote:

got a point. Will the new movement rules allow pillbugs to wheel?

What are pillbug and wheeling, is this SFO?