"...this combination of nerd bloodthirst and recreational math must be celebrated." I don't know where, I don't know when, but inevitably I will find a use for this beautiful phrasing. I thank you for introducing it to the world.
Thanks for the memories. Spent many hours playing SFB - had the laminated sheets and everything. Great thing was the solo scenarios in case I couldn't rope my friends into it!
I had always dismissed Starfleet Battles for providing awkward, since-retconned information. However, with hundreds of pages of rules, I may have to enrich myself...
I always find it interesting how poorly heavily stats and rules based boardgames transition to computers. You'd think they'd work well, what with the electronic superbrain handling all the calculations, but it turns out that when you let the computer do those bits then your own brain loses track of how it all actually works, and all the nooks and crannies of the ruleset, and the ability to house-rule around things.
Computer moderation starts to feel arbitrary and capricious, because all the gears aren't right there in front of you so you see how it's working. Random chances start to feel biased. It's a weird psychological effect.
Praise be the Amarillo Design Bureau! Those monster tokens sure are cute for real. I really believe that board gaming lost a lot along the way when that wholesome home-brew-like aesthetic went away.
It's funny because, due to my age, my initiation to the hobby happened during the transition to narrative systems e.g. WoD, LARP, etc. However, when I see many of the modern, diceless masterless playerless indie games with their conceptual skills that can be used in every conflict and throws that calculate how cool you are while doing The Thing™️, and tables that want to skip even the minimal effort to create the concept of your character, I can't help but hear my inner grognard grumble "bring back THAC0, you cowards".
They slipped in because the Kzinti were in the Animated Series. (As I'm sure you know.) They really feel like a race that fits in Star Trek. Unlike the ISC or whatever the Wyn were supposed to be.
In the late 90s I hung around a game store most afternoons playing Warhammer, Magic and Star Wars CCG, and was always in awe of the grognards playing Starfleet Battles. It was just on another level above anything I played. Thanks for reminding me of it
I've never played Warhammer. I was under the impression it was of a similar complexity to Star Fleet Battles. I'm curious. Just not curious enough to try Warhammer.
I'd say that Warhammer has a lot of different stuff, but each individual thing is pretty simple on its own, with a handful of exception. Units may have a movement or toughness of one number or the other, but they all pretty much do the same thing. The choices you're making as the battle progresses tend to be simple. I stopped playing when I was about 14 so I'm sure there are people who are much better players than I ever was would would disagree.
Looking at the ship health and the tables and so on, I am extremely reminded of Battletech. Another board game for those of us who want to spreadsheet someone to death!
Oh hell yes, I was as deep into SFB as a lonely midwestern boy could be. I'd try to rope friends into playing, but no one really was into it but me. I remember reading the rule book while waiting at the dentist, and those rules are still burned into my brain.
"...this combination of nerd bloodthirst and recreational math must be celebrated." I don't know where, I don't know when, but inevitably I will find a use for this beautiful phrasing. I thank you for introducing it to the world.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/sfbcadet/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT
There is a Facebook group
Great game, still have some components. Trying to get friends to play very difficult.
SFB is the reason I'm the only editor at my technical publishing company who came in on day 1 knowing what errata were and how they worked.
My friends were JUST talking about how to put together an SFB match the next time we get together... are the space mind control lasers on?
Thanks for the memories. Spent many hours playing SFB - had the laminated sheets and everything. Great thing was the solo scenarios in case I couldn't rope my friends into it!
How in the hell did I miss that Avernum 4 Kickstarter!?!? Rectified.
I had always dismissed Starfleet Battles for providing awkward, since-retconned information. However, with hundreds of pages of rules, I may have to enrich myself...
I always find it interesting how poorly heavily stats and rules based boardgames transition to computers. You'd think they'd work well, what with the electronic superbrain handling all the calculations, but it turns out that when you let the computer do those bits then your own brain loses track of how it all actually works, and all the nooks and crannies of the ruleset, and the ability to house-rule around things.
Computer moderation starts to feel arbitrary and capricious, because all the gears aren't right there in front of you so you see how it's working. Random chances start to feel biased. It's a weird psychological effect.
"Gaming today doesn't use enough grease pencils." Couldn't agree more. Never heard of it but looks like something I would obsess over.
Praise be the Amarillo Design Bureau! Those monster tokens sure are cute for real. I really believe that board gaming lost a lot along the way when that wholesome home-brew-like aesthetic went away.
Something changed fundamentally when RPGs stopped being dominated by math nerds and started becoming a haven for theater nerds.
I could go on at GREAT length about the generational differences in D&D players.
It's funny because, due to my age, my initiation to the hobby happened during the transition to narrative systems e.g. WoD, LARP, etc. However, when I see many of the modern, diceless masterless playerless indie games with their conceptual skills that can be used in every conflict and throws that calculate how cool you are while doing The Thing™️, and tables that want to skip even the minimal effort to create the concept of your character, I can't help but hear my inner grognard grumble "bring back THAC0, you cowards".
Thanks, I just spent 20 minutes reading a wiki about Kzinti cross overs in Star Trek...
They slipped in because the Kzinti were in the Animated Series. (As I'm sure you know.) They really feel like a race that fits in Star Trek. Unlike the ISC or whatever the Wyn were supposed to be.
In the late 90s I hung around a game store most afternoons playing Warhammer, Magic and Star Wars CCG, and was always in awe of the grognards playing Starfleet Battles. It was just on another level above anything I played. Thanks for reminding me of it
I've never played Warhammer. I was under the impression it was of a similar complexity to Star Fleet Battles. I'm curious. Just not curious enough to try Warhammer.
I'd say that Warhammer has a lot of different stuff, but each individual thing is pretty simple on its own, with a handful of exception. Units may have a movement or toughness of one number or the other, but they all pretty much do the same thing. The choices you're making as the battle progresses tend to be simple. I stopped playing when I was about 14 so I'm sure there are people who are much better players than I ever was would would disagree.
Looking at the ship health and the tables and so on, I am extremely reminded of Battletech. Another board game for those of us who want to spreadsheet someone to death!
I played a lot of Battletech too. Star Fleet Battles was wayyy crunchier.
Oh hell yes, I was as deep into SFB as a lonely midwestern boy could be. I'd try to rope friends into playing, but no one really was into it but me. I remember reading the rule book while waiting at the dentist, and those rules are still burned into my brain.
It really needs a dedicated gamer community to support it. Largely obsoleted by the rise of computer games.