• Registered: 2006-05-29
  • Posts: 30

Topic: Seeking space combat for RPG

I am looking for a space combat game to integrate into my space roleplaying game. Im running a space game (hero games, scifi genre). I own starmada most versions. I dont like traveller ship combat systems, or mayday.  Full thrust, though I own a very old version, is also out.

Game should include:

    1) Facing
    2) damage allocation to systems
    3) ship figures
    4) not to complicated to learn (Star Fleet Battles is out)[/code]

I like starmada and it does offer facing, but it doesnt offer facing for taking damage depending on what side you are hit from.  I am not crazy about traveller ship to ship combat.  My game doesnt use shields, but i could incorporate them.    Scale is one or two (millenium falcon sized ships or freetraders) vs fighters and up to frigates to start.    Game should be relatively easy to find/purchase.

(this is a responses I got from Star-ranger.com Stick with Starmada and use one of the variants that offer directional defenses and damage. There were quite a few of them over the years, some official, some homebrew. The MJ12 forums (and the company itself) look pretty inactive last I looked, but you could probably get some specific rules suggestions out of the lurkers over there (including Dan Kast).)

Do you have any ideas for me?

  • From: Denver, CO
  • Registered: 2005-03-27
  • Posts: 3,575

Re: Seeking space combat for RPG

Facing-specific damage effects should be relatively easy to add to the game, at least when it comes to weapons and (possibly) shield generators. Engines and special equipment could also be included, but would require some serious re-jiggering of the construction system.

Can I ask what the in-game benefit would be for adding such considerations?

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

mj12games's Website

  • Registered: 2006-05-29
  • Posts: 30

Re: Seeking space combat for RPG

>>Can I ask what the in-game benefit would be for adding such considerations?

ok. the long answer:  I jumped on starmada roughly 1999, or 2000 with the small books, and the compendium.

I like the hex counting feel of starmada.  I played it with some friends but discovered that we were doing it wrong trying to hit weapons. That sticks in my mind. for example To make the game more interesting for us, we would roll for randomized damage (weapon sys, engine, shield, system). if a ship was hit on the broadside, and if a there was an undamaged weapon on that side, we would pick that weapon off its chart. This way facing became more meaningful, not just firing weapons but also receiving damage.

Then we went to compendium and X. I never quite cared for admiralty or nova. The abstracted movement upgrade didnt do it for me. It succeeding in making movement easier, but really i was looking for a bit more detail but not as detailed as SFB. I still consider starmada a jump forward from STARFIRE. So to answer your question I like combat a bit more detailed.

I recall a rule about movable shielding. Ive always wanted to play with that. Never got a chance. Movable sheilds makes it fun to run a startrek type game though.

Im not crazy about making up ships. So whatever i buy or end up playing there has to be a good ship library available.

I recently tried running a combat with a mocked up free trader done in starmada, vs 4 smaller ships. I had to fudge combat in the middle of the game, because the players were going to get blown up in a couple of rounds.

  • Registered: 2006-05-29
  • Posts: 30

Re: Seeking space combat for RPG

any more ideas?

  • From: Denver, CO
  • Registered: 2005-03-27
  • Posts: 3,575

Re: Seeking space combat for RPG

Well, first of all, it sounds like you want the faceted shield option from Admiralty.

Also in Admiralty (or earlier versions of the game), it shouldn't be a game-balance problem to require weapon damage to be applied first to a mount that can be brought to bear on the firing ship: i.e. if the firing ship is in front of the target ship, any weapons lost must be forward-firing. If no such weapons exist, the damage can be applied to any other weapon of the target player's choice.

In Nova, this becomes a little more problematic, as damage is not applied to individual weapon mounts. I'm open to suggestions on that score.

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

mj12games's Website

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

Re: Seeking space combat for RPG

cricket wrote:

In Nova, this becomes a little more problematic, as damage is not applied to individual weapon mounts. I'm open to suggestions on that score.

How about simply increasing the weapon bank arc modifier for weapon damage.
If a ship takes weapon damage through the FF arc and has a weapon bank covering the same arc the hit increases the modifier by one. For example FF2 becomes FF3.