"SPACE FIGHT!" Starship combat boardgame

[Morrus]

This week I started designing a boardgame; mainly for my own benefit and amusement. It's a long, long way from completion and not even in a vaguely acceptable state at the moment (plus it's littered with trademarked starship terms which will have to be removed at some point, but I find them a useful tool of reference when designing).

Anyway, I figuredd some folks might be vaguely interested, so I made a quick-and-dirty web page for it with the current version of the rules.

Don't even begin to view this as a complete game - it's about 5% done, if that. It needs TONS more stuff, plus a lot of the stuff in it will probably get changed. But if space combat games are your thing, feel free to check it out.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

This week I started designing a boardgame; mainly for my own benefit and amusement. It's a long, long way from completion and not even in a vaguely acceptable state at the moment (plus it's littered with trademarked starship terms which will have to be removed at some point, but I find them a useful tool of reference when designing).

Anyway, I figuredd some folks might be vaguely interested, so I made a quick-and-dirty web page for it with the current version of the rules.

Don't even begin to view this as a complete game - it's about 5% done, if that. It needs TONS more stuff, plus a lot of the stuff in it will probably get changed. But if space combat games are your thing, feel free to check it out.

So that's why you needed those starship images!

I will have to check this out.

 

[Frostmarrow]

This is by far the coolest website in space: Jeff Russell's STARSHIP DIMENSIONS

WREEEE

 

[Morrus]

Yeah, that site actually inspired my design goal of having ships at different scales.

I just updated the site and PDF, by the way. SPACE FIGHT! now has a cover, nicer formatting, a few error fixes, and colour coding for the ahip abilities for easy at-a-glance use.

Claudio Pozas is designing a logo, which I'm quite excited about seeing.

 

[jaerdaph]

I downloaded this today and have to say I think this is one of the coolest projects I've seen in awhile. I definitely want to give this a try ASAP and will be following along with interest.

I made a template in Campaign Cartographer 3 today to make hex maps to use in the game, and posted a sample star chart in my mapping thread. Like I said there, I know you are selling starscape PDFs through EN Publishing, and I really don't want to step on your toes. Would you object if I made a few Star Trek ones (and possibly for Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica too) and posted them? They would use images and screen captures from Star Trek etc.

I'm really excited about this - I've been a fan of Star Trek since I was five years old. Last Unicorn Games Star Trek RPG was probably my favorite RPG ever (although tied for first with TSR's Masque of the Red Death Victorian horror campaign setting). When LUG lost their license to produce the Star Trek RPG when WotC bought them, they were just starting to release a Star Trek space combat game that looked promising called Engage! but that was cancelled too. SPACE FIGHT! has that same sort of fast action appeal, so I can't wait to see more!

 

[Morrus]

Would you object if I made a few Star Trek ones (and possibly for Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica too) and posted them? They would use images and screen captures from Star Trek etc.

That's totally fine - I can't really include such stuff in SPACE FIGHT! (and I'll have to remove the existing ships at some point), but there's nothing stopping fans from creating stuff!

 

[jaerdaph]

Thanks Morrus! I downloaded yesterday's update with the basic movement rules and look forward to checking it out today.

 

[Morrus]

Thanks Morrus! I downloaded yesterday's update with the basic movement rules and look forward to checking it out today.

I updated it again just a few minutes ago with a major change to how movement is approached, although it hasn't been fleshed out yet.

Essentially, I was struggling with the decision as to whether velocity should be a factor, with speed points being used to accelerate/decelerate. For the moment, I've decided to give it a try, although it still needs more information.

Also, in the section which describes a starscape, I've noted that a starscape doesn't have to be of space! It could be the surface of the Death Star, complete with laser towers and trenches, or it could be a post apocalyptic landscape with starfighters dueling in the high atmosphere. This also brings up the question of bombers, of course!

 

[Morrus]

These movement rules are proving to be something of a challlenge!

We have a system whereby your speed remains the same as it was last round unless you accelerate or decelerate. That bit's fine.

Incorporating turns, however, is more difficult. Ideally I want it to take into account both maneuverabilty and speed, but not become complicated. At the moment I'm thinking something along the lines of variable costs to make a hex-side turn, or a number of hexes moved before a turn is allowed. Not sure yet.

 

[Flatus Maximus]

These movement rules are proving to be something of a challlenge!

We have a system whereby your speed remains the same as it was last round unless you accelerate or decelerate. That bit's fine.

Incorporating turns, however, is more difficult. Ideally I want it to take into account both maneuverabilty and speed, but not become complicated. At the moment I'm thinking something along the lines of variable costs to make a hex-side turn, or a number of hexes moved before a turn is allowed. Not sure yet.

Maybe: Every ship gets x speed points to spend each round. However, to each ship assign numbers to "Top Speed," "Maneuverability," and "Acceleration." The Maneuverability score is the number of speed points required to change heading by 60 degrees, and the Acceleration score is the number of speed points required to change speed by +1 or -1. You can freely alternate between moving and changing velocity (speed and direction) until you have moved as far as your top speed will allow and you run out of speed points.

Example: For no particular reason, take x=10. A fast, nimble ship might have Top Speed=10, Maneuverability=1, and Acceleration=1. Such a ship with current speed=4, might spend 1 point to turn 60 degrees, then 6 points to hit top speed, then move 10 hexes (we're done moving but we can still spend points), then spend 1 points to turn 60 degrees, then finally spend 2 points to reduce speed to 8.