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[Jeff Wilder]

You need two people that are enthusiastic about the game. It's fun, but there are a lot of rules, and learning all of those rules can produce burnout. You need a good head of steam to prevent that.

The rules are modular, which is good. For example, there's no reason to learn about hellbores, if nobody's playing Hydrans.

You want a systematic approach to learning the game. One approach -- the one I'd recommend -- is that one person choose a race, and the second person choose an enemy race.

Start by learning the basics for your race: basic movement, almost always phasers, photon torpedos (for Feds), disruptors (for Klingons), special movement rules (Feds are better at emergency deceleration, I think), shields, reserve power, and so on.

Fight several one on one duels.

Then move into intermediate stuff: suicide shuttles, transporter bombs, and so on.

Fight more one on one duels, making sure to use the new rules even if it's not tactically optimal.

Finally move into advanced rules: ECM, mid-turn speed changes, tractor beams.

At this point, you'll be ready for small fleet actions: 2-on-2, 2-on-3, or 3-on-3.

From there, you can move out into other races and racial subsystems.

If you can manage to get your rules into a searchable form on a laptop, you'll find the process almost easy. I can only imagine how much time and effort we'd have saved on rules discussions, if we'd had such resources back in the mid- to late-80s, when I played the game. (In both Lexington and Louisville, BTW.)

My favorite race was the Lyrans, BTW, with the Kzinti close behind. It had nothing to do with either being cat-people ... rather, I like ESGs and waves and waves of drones.

Have fun. (Be alert for this thread to be moved, BTW.)