[Ares Games] Battlestar Galactica Starship Battles

[Marc_C]

In the late 90's I got into Babylon 5 Wars by a company called Agents of Gaming. I thought it was a lot of fun and the miniatures looked great but I had trouble finding other players. When AoG lost the license in the early 2000s I just gave up on it. These days I'm somewhat hesitant to purchase a miniatures game based off a licensed IP. How long can I count on that company having the IP?

Good question. I started this one as soon as it came out hoping to buy as much as I can in the first three years. Their licence was cut short because of the new BSG reboot TV series. No one could have predicted that...

I'm buying these models to have a fleet of pre-painted ships to do space dog fights. I'll try other rule systems eventually. That is the beauty of models. I have a few friends who will play space games with me. I provide everything. I play their WWII and historical games. They provide everything. I like our arrangement.

 

[aramis erak]

Babylon 5 Wars was doing it in the late 90s. Handling movement and facing was one of the more complicated parts of the game for new players to wrap their head around.

I'm well aware; I playtested (and am in the "foreign playtesters" because someone at AoG was clueless about US Geography) B5W 1E.

Mayday was simpler; the 3 counter solution was brilliant. I wish GDW had kept it for Brilliant Lances. BL was as cumbersome as B5W on that score. B5W is what killed SFB for me.

 

[Marc_C]

I'm well aware; I playtested (and am in the "foreign playtesters" because someone at AoG was clueless about US Geography) B5W 1E.

Mayday was simpler; the 3 counter solution was brilliant. I wish GDW had kept it for Brilliant Lances. BL was as cumbersome as B5W on that score. B5W is what killed SFB for me.

WOW! I owned a copy of Mayday by GDW, in 1983(?) but never could find someone to play with.

 

[aramis erak]

WOW! I owned a copy of Mayday by GDW, in 1983(?) but never could find someone to play with.

I've only ever used it as part of Travelller sessions. You don't find Mayday players, you train them in RPG sessions.

 

[Marc_C]

I've only ever used it as part of Travelller sessions. You don't find Mayday players, you train them in RPG sessions.

I played many wargames with my friends but they were into too much into WWII Avalon Hill games. They didn't want to play my sci-fi dogfight game.

As for Traveller I'm glad for you but with my RPG group it didn't stick. Different people, different tastes.

Oh, and I don't 'train' people. I play with them.

 

[aramis erak]

I played many wargames with my friends but they were into too much into WWII Avalon Hill games. They didn't want to play my sci-fi dogfight game.

As for Traveller I'm glad for you but with my RPG group it didn't stick. Different people, different tastes.

Oh, and I don't 'train' people. I play with them.

Until you do, you're likely to have issues with players for anything unusual. Teach a friend mayday. Then Starfire. Then SFB. Then B5W, Restart if you want to play SFB again, because B5W is so much better a design...
(THe above is only halfway snark.)
In all seriousness, it's easier to find willing victims for training than to find extant fans of many lesser known games. That is as true of boardgames as it is of RPGs.
And with D&D versions, it's as often required retraining them to the rules of the edition I'm using at the time. Most were unaware that they didn't actually know the content of the rulebooks...

 

[Marc_C]

Until you do, you're likely to have issues with players for anything unusual. Teach a friend mayday. Then Starfire. Then SFB. Then B5W, Restart if you want to play SFB again, because B5W is so much better a design...
(THe above is only halfway snark.)
In all seriousness, it's easier to find willing victims for training than to find extant fans of many lesser known games. That is as true of boardgames as it is of RPGs.
And with D&D versions, it's as often required retraining them to the rules of the edition I'm using at the time. Most were unaware that they didn't actually know the content of the rulebooks...

My current group of wargamers is willing to play BSG and StarFire*. We've played a few games of both before Covid. They are the kind of people who actually study the rules before the game. That is why I say I play with them rather than train them. I don't play very often either so it's more a collaborative effort when we play.

(*my Mayday box was lost at some point during a move in the 90s.)

______________________________

We played a BSG game last night. Apollo (MK VII) and Boomer (Raptor) vs Scar (Raider) and Level 4 (Raider). The (my) Colonials prevailed. Scar used his FTL to jump behind Apollo but Boomer also jumped near Scar. Putting it in a 2 against 1 position. Scar's ship was destroyed. After that the Level 4 Raider fought hard but was destroyed on turn 8.