What is a good ruleset for space battles?

[zizi666]

X-Wing is awesome.
As for other systems :
back in the days we had lots of fun with Silent Death (now OOP  )
And every now and then we play A Call to Arms - Star Fleet (available through Wargamevault) with Mongoose miniatures (OOP I guess)

[YPU]

My good [mail list] friend Dean, otherwise known as Star Ranger, has a site he claims is behind, but is still a damn fine survey. Starship Combat News

Am I the only one getting a dead domain from that link?  

EDIT: dug a bit further, looks like : http://fullthrust.star-ranger.com/ is the correct link.

[The_Beast]

Am I the only one getting a dead domain from that link?  

EDIT: dug a bit further, looks like : http://fullthrust.star-ranger.com/ is the correct link.

SCN link I gave still works for me. Might be firewall, continental prohibitions, ghost of Al Gore past... ;->=

I'll blame Bill Gates. I always do.

Doug

[Commander Carnage]

I've tried many systems but I always go back to Full Thrust.

[The_Beast]

I've tried many systems but I always go back to Full Thrust.

Bill is a cunning warrior, and worthy of heeding. And, not just because he's playing to my fanboyism... 

I picked up the 5150 space 'stuff'; I'm still wrapping my head around, but you're welcome to have a look sometime.

(I'm such a vacchead! I'll buy ANYTHING. I've bought two from Ad Astra, and that stuff makes my eyes bleed.)

Doug

[YPU]

I'm such a vacchead! I'll buy ANYTHING. I've bought two from Ad Astra, and that stuff makes my eyes bleed.

I think it got squadron strike figured, actually. Or the movement part in any case. Truth be told unless you REALLY feel you are missing fully 3d movement. And even then I would suggest using some of those extending antenna bases or something since the chits don't really give that great a visual effect.

[The_Beast]

I think it got squadron strike figured, actually. Or the movement part in any case. Truth be told unless you REALLY feel you are missing fully 3d movement. And even then I would suggest using some of those extending antenna bases or something since the chits don't really give that great a visual effect.

Uses the AVID, right?

I think I played a dumbed-down version at a Gen-Con, and actually got first blood in the demo. Then got called on my 'up-and-over-maneuver'; to be fair to the other player, the Tie fighter I was flying was much more agile than his ship, and I could see how he could be skeptical.

After I explained what I'd done, I was declared as 'he appears to get it.'

I excused myself before the end of the next turn. I may have 'got it', but I was getting no vision of fun out of it either.

Doug

Edit: A friend doesn't like the fiddly moving that can happen with a bit of inattention in FT. I'm thinking on ignoring the bad taste I got in a Starmada demo (I didn't have the full offensive power explained to me) and break out a version and play with him. I think I could learn to appreciate it.

As I've said elsewhere, I'm a strange being that likes his spaceships flying free, and groppos restricted to hexes.

[BlackWidowPilot]

Full Disclosure: I'm a co-author, contributor, and/or author of  multiple supplements for Silent Death: The Next Millennium (and yes, we're working on some new things after too many years of hiatus!)



What rules for space combat? That depends upon the scale of combat you're after! So, for fleet actions, I too am a 90s vintage Cultist of Full Thrust, Tufflyverse and all! It's a damn fine generic system that is excruciatingly easy to teach, straightforward to play, and insanely adaptable to virtually any sci-fi genre one could care to name for starship combat where the focus is on the Big Dogs (and fighters move and fight as groups of six mounted on a single stand).

For space fighter combat that is space operatic and focused on the individual fighters, my extreme bias for Silent Death: The Next Millennium has been stated up front. The rules are no more difficult to master than Monopoly, while there's plenty of optional rules and over 100 different ship minis to choose from, everything from fighters to gunboats, escorts to freighters, and such available specific to this classic space fighter boardgame. There's also a ship design system included in the main rulebook, so you can adapt your favorite minis or even kitbashed creations to your heart's content.

The caveat is that SD:TNM is a two-dimensional system and is played on a hex mat. It is pure space opera dogfighting with a hefty dash of "realism" thrown in in terms of how readily one can adapt real world air combat tactics to the game (and morph into a really scary opponent accordingly!). It's a fast paced game especially with the 30-second per ship movement rule in play, and indeed if you're not careful, you will quickly learn why in space, no one can hear you go BOOM!

If hexes aren't your cup of tea, then I can add my vote for X-Wing. Although I haven't had too many chances to play, it is a lot of fun.

I've heard very good things about Two Hour Wargames's 5150 rules, and like the first two game systems I mentioned it is apparently ultra adaptable to any models or figures you prefer, including your own kitbashed creations, favorite anime starship models, etc.

BTW, long before X-Wing came along, people adapted SD:TNM to the Star Wars universe, and have since done the same for BSG (and quite successfully so). To me this is the hallmark of a really good game system, the adaptability of the basic game mechanics, and both SD:TNM and Full Thrust have that quality in abundance IMHO.

Hope this helps!

[tnjrp]

I think it got squadron strike figured, actually. Or the movement part in any case. Truth be told unless you REALLY feel you are missing fully 3d movement

Is there any reason to play a space ship game tho if it isn't 3D? Obviously if you want huge fleets where all ships are handled individually then there is no current system that can handle it on board I suppose but otherwise...

Anyhow, the AVID does take some thinking to figure out even if it is sort of clever in and of itself. Luckily Ad Astra is running a KS currently to get the thingamajick computerized (and it looks like it might even pass) so you don't need to fiddle with the not-quite-so-obvious any more. I am one of the people mentioned on the said KS page that will never feel comfortable working it manually.

[The_Beast]

Is there any reason to play a space ship game tho if it isn't 3D?...

Yep, that's one great divide, alright.

I've seen plenty of comments that it 'makes no difference.' And I'd say hockey pucks.

But I'd say the same to the thought it's not space if not 3d space. A circle of ships is different than a globe of ships, but it's still surrounds.

I'd probably come back with 'if you're going to run the movement electronically on a hex grid in space, why not the whole game on a computer?' I actually understand that point of view, and if I ever found a game that did it well for me, I'd play it.

But still play FT the few times in a blue moon I can now.

Please note I'm not calling you wrong, just not absolutely right.  

Doug

Edit: Concerning SD, Leland, it's not just the hexes. I actually find the play a bit more involved than Monopoly, but my real issues are with the damage tracks. I can admire the elegance in abstract, but I've never really gotten my head around them in play. Viz. above the part about me being a different animal...

[Simlasa]

I'm another GZG fanboy... Full Thrust is my go-to for big ship combats.

Battlefleet Gothic is also good fun for that gonzo 40K flavor but it's pretty much locked into that setting.
Silent Death is a classic that I'd like to play more of soon and it's less setting dependent, IMO.

I always wanted to try SFB but never had the chance... same for Starfleet Commander and the Ad Astra games.

I've got the 5150 space games but I've yet get them on the table... I need to sit down some weekend and plod my way through the rulebook... I think I'd start with the fighter game.

[BlackWidowPilot]

back in the days we had lots of fun with Silent Death (now OOP  )

NOOOO!!!! Silent Death: The Next Millennium is very much alive, well, and available:   www.metal-express.net


Yes, Virginia, Silent Death is ALIIIIVE!!!

[The_Beast]

...
And yea, the blocks are there. I'm a bit baffled by them tbh. Seems like you wouldn't be able to use a lot of miniatures out there with this game. Unless you instead use the ninja magic stand adaptors (might be a interesting idea) Or you go even further and embed you minis in clear resin blocks (sounds kinda cool)

I should say this game is now my current obsession, I want to understand it.

Sorry I missed these comments earlier; already assumed I need my brain checked, apparently eyes as well...

When I saw them in use, years ago, I immediately thought of Renegade Legions: Leviathan, as the blocks would fit perfectly. Second thought was standard ships suspended in clear resin, like the old kits for making paper weights. There were small rectangular molds that might have fit.

"my current obsession"

My deepest condolences; may I send flowers?

Doug

[YPU]

Second thought was standard ships suspended in clear resin, like the old kits for making paper weights. There were small rectangular molds that might have fit.

My deepest condolences; may I send flowers?

Exactly what I was thinking about!

And I think I'm cured now, I figured out the rules and came to the conclusion I prefer 2d over 3d. I get why one would want to have 3d movement, but most ship miniatures I like are so clearly designed around a 2d plane it would be silly to use them in a 3d environment.

[DS615]

I've tried many systems but I always go back to Full Thrust.

Exactly what I was going to say.
It's one of the "perfect" systems out there. Does what you want, dead simple to modify, easy to scale for fleets or individuals.