New Goalsystem Sci-Fi Game In Development

[fourcolorfigs]

Believe me, I am just as excited about Stargrave and Five Parsecs From Home as a lot of other people on this board I am sure. I am in big on the Nickstarter, and I already own and love Five Parsecs (I am waiting for my hard copy in May).

But I am also an incurable tinkerer and 18 months of solo and co-op gaming have left me looking at my previous sci-fi games (Blasters & Bulkheads and Void Pirates) and wanting to do more.

I am working on something new that will incorporate PvP and Solo / Co-op action in one book. It will be Goalsystem. It will have some refinements gleaned from Super Mission Force 2nd ed. I've almost knocked enough together to playtest and to ask folks if they want to play-test as well.

If anyone's interested, let me know. Thanks as always! 

[Chief Lackey Rich]

Well, of course.  Can't guarantee I'll be gaming face-to-face for a while yet, but it wouldn't be the first time I've done solo testing or resorted to playing online.

[Logus Vile]

I wouldn't be able to playtest but I just wanted to chime in, as someone who has bought hard copies of SMF2 and Slugfest!, that I'm very excited for your take on Sci-fi!

While I've decided to focus on Horizon Wars: Zero Dark and Five Parsecs 3rd edition for now, I will gladly support this upcoming project and add it to the gaming library. And who knows, maybe it can supplant those other games for me too!

[CookAndrewB]

I have admittedly looked at both Blasters & Bulkheads and Void Pirates before. Not sure why I didn't buy them. Maybe because I didn't really get enough feel for what they were and how they differed from something like 5 Parsecs (which I did buy) and Stargrave (which I also bought).

So, since you are the expert, what are the unique selling points, and what do they accomplish that others do not?

For instance, I actually really like the 5P Salvage Crew Rules and prefer them to the normal 5P rules. Mostly because I liked the interesting mechanics around contacts. It reminded me of the old Aliens movie scanner scenes where there is a blip on the scanner but you don't know if it is a xenomorph or a stupid cat... sorry, "kid" for Aliens. It created some interesting tension in a solo game.

[robh]

Good luck with the idea, but, sorry to say, I think Void Pirates is fantastic and I love it so won't be looking any further.

[fourcolorfigs]

Good luck with the idea, but, sorry to say, I think Void Pirates is fantastic and I love it so won't be looking any further.

That's actually really great! Thank you!!!

[fourcolorfigs]

I have admittedly looked at both Blasters & Bulkheads and Void Pirates before. Not sure why I didn't buy them. Maybe because I didn't really get enough feel for what they were and how they differed from something like 5 Parsecs (which I did buy) and Stargrave (which I also bought).

So, since you are the expert, what are the unique selling points, and what do they accomplish that others do not?

Good questions.

If you like Goalsystem games and dice pool mechanics you will like these rules. It will include scenarios with both PvP and Solo / Co-op options. It will have a nice bestiary of foes.

In terms of the campaign system, all of your characters will advance vs. just two in Stargrave. Your crew's model will be a little lower than Stargrave, 2 - 7 vs. 10 for Stargrave. 5 Parsecs features crews around 6 in size, I think.

Characters in Farthest Star will be a bit more survivable than 5 Parsecs' one hit and done system. But there is still the potential to be taken out in one shot.

Comparing the campaign systems, FS sits somewhere in between Stargrave and 5 Parsecs in terms of detail and complexity. In the post-battle phase you can take your crew members and go on side-quests, try to earn money, run criminal operations, travel to new worlds, search for new patrons. There's both a story point mechanic and economic mechanic--Crew Wealth Score.

It will feature rules for humans and alien species, and rules to easily build your own species.

So there's a lot there. It will hopefully occupy its own space in beside these other great games.

I will post a link here for a play-test doc when it is closer to ready in a day or two.

Bit of a rambling answer, but I hope it helps! Thanks!

[zemjw]

Looking forward to this as well.

I found Void Pirates the other day under a pile of stuff, so I really should try to read it at some point I'm not usually a fan of dice pools, but I did find it added a nice random element when playing solo.

Interested to see what comes out of this

[mkultra99]

Ive sold everything I own at least twice.. but I've always kept a hold of my copy of Blasters and Bulkheads. Really looking forward to this.

[CookAndrewB]

I appreciate the details! The post-battle sequence does intrigue me. I'll probably pick it up, if for no other reason than to read it. I hope it features the same old-school artwork as the other titles!

[fourcolorfigs]

I appreciate the details! The post-battle sequence does intrigue me. I'll probably pick it up, if for no other reason than to read it. I hope it features the same old-school artwork as the other titles!

I am toying with using a lot of painted miniatures in action photographs, but I will have some art too, I think.

Thanks!

[Ghost]

Great news, I do love your goalsystem (i have almost all of them !), I think the one I appreciate the most is the very pulpy Chaos on Cronos : how complex will be this new game, compared to Blasters & Bulkheads and Void Pirates ?

Anyway, I am interested in playtesting this game !

[fourcolorfigs]

Great news, I do love your goalsystem (i have almost all of them !), I think the one I appreciate the most is the very pulpy Chaos on Cronos : how complex will be this new game, compared to Blasters & Bulkheads and Void Pirates ?

Anyway, I am interested in playtesting this game !

Thanks! Great questions!

Farthest Star will feature a stat profile. Here's an example:

Galactic Council Diplomat (minor)
RA 3[1] | RD 4 | MA 3[1] | MD 3 | F 3 | I 5 | P 3 | C 5 | W 3 |
Species: Human
Primary Trait: Troubleshooter
Secondary Traits: Enhanced Senses, Lesser Psychic, Lucky, Savant, Wealthy Scion
Gear: Basic Ranged Weapon, Basic Melee Weapon, Body Shield, Scanner
Move: 6"
Fate: 3
Health: 4

You build your crew on an array of 4 standard characters. Similar to SMF, you can trade a standard down for two minors, or trade two standards up for one major. You always have to have at least one Standard or Major character in your crew. In this way your starting crew can be 2 to 7 models.

A standard character starts with 4D in all stats, 2 Fate, and 6 Health. Majors start with 5D, 4 Fate, and 8 Health. Minors start with 3D, 1 Fate, and 4 Health.   

Stats in the profile are: Ranged Attack, Ranged Defense, Melee Attack, Melee Defense, Fitness, Intellect, Perception, Charisma, and Will.

Species, Primary Trait, and Secondary traits all affect your character's stat profile and grant special abilities and perks.

Fate works differently. It will be points you spend and then they're gone until the next battle.

I am building on the campaign system in Void Pirates. I am adding in story points toward campaign goals, and additional options and activities. For example, you get to pick what kind of starship you fly around in. It's general, but flavorful. This affects your chances to earn money during the post-battle campaign turn.

So far I have three scenarios written. I want to write at least three more for the initial book. I could then release small supplements with mini-campaigns in them.

Hopefully I can have this play-test document together by the end of the weekend. Let me know if you have more questions. Thanks!

[DS615]

This sounds excellent.  SMF and the 5PFH games are my favorites, so any sort of conceptual combination is very exciting!
I've done some mashing together of them myself, but I haven't hit on the right mix, so this sounds really great.

I would love to test it out or help in any way.

[CookAndrewB]

That looks like a nice crossover between role playing and wargaming. That said, while I generally understand what stats like charisma imply, I find that a lot of wargaming almost never touches this in scenario development. As such, these stats are rarely used or have no real bearing on gameplay. Yes, your character is one hell of a charmer, but games just involve shooting and blowing stuff up. I dislike that. I mean, I like games that do not focus heavily on shooting. Some combat is to be expected, but if a stat exists, I have an expectation that it will have some value in the midst of any game and not just a one-off scenario designed to use charisma to accomplish an end goal of some kind.

Since I'm a solo gamer, I also don't care to have more than 10 figures on the table at once. I'm effectively playing all of the characters, and the more figures I pull out the more space they need. So I like the idea of 2-7 figures and a like number of enemies. I'd probably skew towards the low end and play in a smaller space.