Star Fleet battles goes A Call to Arms

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Lars Porsenna
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Star Fleet battles goes A Call to Arms

Post by Lars Porsenna »

Mongoose and ADB (the publishers of Star Fleet Battles and Federation Commander) are teaming up with Mongoose to do a version of A Call to Arms in the SFB universe. Dunno how this is going to go down, but looks very interesting.

Also, although I know most people could care less about the minis, ADB is launching Starline 2500, which is going to digitally model the ships, instead of ol'fashioned putty pushing. Plan is to replace the ENTIRE line of SFU ships, in a new scale (1/3125) rather than the current 1/3700 (or FASA's old 1/3900). THis is being done by Mongoose to support the SFB: ACTA game. Very interested to see this as well.

FInally, Mongoose has announced a licensed version of Prime Directive (SFU RPG...the ONLY Trek RPG on the market currently) using Traveller as an engine. I think this will fit very well.

Damon.
"Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum"
Modeling the Ecuadorian Military: https://ecuadorianmilitary.blogspot.com/
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NukeHavoc
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Re: Star Fleet battles goes A Call to Arms

Post by NukeHavoc »

Hmmm. I could get into that. I really liked the "Call to Arms" rules.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Lars Porsenna
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Re: Star Fleet battles goes A Call to Arms

Post by Lars Porsenna »

NukeHavoc wrote:Hmmm. I could get into that. I really liked the "Call to Arms" rules.
There's also the Fading Suns ACTA version already in release. If I had more money and less hobby committments, I would be investing in it already (I still need to get 3 Eldar Nightspinners to lay waste against an ork army in 40K, so the next 3 weeks are spoken for...)

Damon.
"Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum"
Modeling the Ecuadorian Military: https://ecuadorianmilitary.blogspot.com/
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Lars Porsenna
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Re: Star Fleet battles goes A Call to Arms

Post by Lars Porsenna »

Incidentially, Mongoose revamped their website (looks much better!) and has a page for Starfleet: ACTA. Nothing there yet, but bears watching: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/minia ... fleet.html

Damon.
"Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum"
Modeling the Ecuadorian Military: https://ecuadorianmilitary.blogspot.com/
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NukeHavoc
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Re: Star Fleet battles goes A Call to Arms

Post by NukeHavoc »

There was speculation on the Mongoose forums that Star Fleet would eat into Noble Armada sales because people were waiting for the former instead of buying the later. I suppose that's a possibility, but I think the two games will likely play differently.

For example Star Fleet Battles had attack shuttles when I played it, but it wasn't big on fighters and boarding actions. Meanwhile those are two things I think we'll see a lot more of in Fadings Suns (thus, the addition of the boarding actions phase).

Someone was also talking about people's familiarity with the factions in Star Fleet Battles being an advantage, but I don't know if that's really as big a deal as some might think. Sure, you've got Starfleet, the Klingons, and the Romulans, but the timelines diverged so much from core that outside of a few iconic ships from the 60s, I don't know that a faction's entire fleet is as instantly recognizable as some people think.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Lars Porsenna
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Re: Star Fleet battles goes A Call to Arms

Post by Lars Porsenna »

NukeHavoc wrote:There was speculation on the Mongoose forums that Star Fleet would eat into Noble Armada sales because people were waiting for the former instead of buying the later. I suppose that's a possibility, but I think the two games will likely play differently.
One who has played Bab5 will already see the differences, and especially someone that has played BFG (the granddaddy of the game engine)
For example Star Fleet Battles had attack shuttles when I played it, but it wasn't big on fighters and boarding actions. Meanwhile those are two things I think we'll see a lot more of in Fadings Suns (thus, the addition of the boarding actions phase).
SFB has fighters in it too. Not as prominent as Fading Suns or Bab5, but they're definitely in there. This is one of the developments of the "Alternate Universe" I dislike the most.
Someone was also talking about people's familiarity with the factions in Star Fleet Battles being an advantage, but I don't know if that's really as big a deal as some might think. Sure, you've got Starfleet, the Klingons, and the Romulans, but the timelines diverged so much from core that outside of a few iconic ships from the 60s, I don't know that a faction's entire fleet is as instantly recognizable as some people think.
The Feddie ships should be easily recognizable for the most part, and the Klingon ships all use a very similar morphology that is very "characteristic" of their ships (the flying boom shape). Romulans diverge far more, but since the only 2 ships we saw in the TOS/TAS were either the Bird of Prey (Warbird in SFB terminology) or the D-7 from the "technology exchange" (i.e. budget limitations of the time). But beyond that the Romulans diverge significantly from the show. We've never seen a Gorn ship on-screen anyway, and the Kzinti ships have had very fleeting appearances IIRC in the TAS (which unfortunately is canon in the --sigh-- "Prime" Trek universe, appearing in the background of ST4). Beyond that, everything else is "made up."

But I don't think it tracks that someone that is likely to play Noble Armada is not going to pick it up. It is rather obscure. Someone that likes Trek will probably pick it up because it is Trek, but wouldn't necessarily buy NA regardless if SFB: ACTA comes out.

BTW, I rather like the Gorn ships in SFB. I am a fan...

Damon.
"Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum"
Modeling the Ecuadorian Military: https://ecuadorianmilitary.blogspot.com/
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NukeHavoc
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Re: Star Fleet battles goes A Call to Arms

Post by NukeHavoc »

Lars Porsenna wrote:SFB has fighters in it too. Not as prominent as Fading Suns or Bab5, but they're definitely in there. This is one of the developments of the "Alternate Universe" I dislike the most.
I thought so. I think this is one of the potential points of divergence between the two lines. I think a lot of Star Fleet battles folks like a battleship duel, rather than carrier duel. Starfleet Battles could be the ACTA game you play when you want big ships exchanging massive broadsides but not much below the size of a frigate or destroyer, where as Noble Armada gives you the entire range. I think it depends on how much they're trying to harken back to the orignal, core Starfleet Battles experience (pre-shuttle carriers, although that's what, 1985? I mean, they had shuttle carriers when I played in 1992...)
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Lars Porsenna
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Re: Star Fleet battles goes A Call to Arms

Post by Lars Porsenna »

Core rules and first fleet boxes for this go live in November, to include fleet and squadron boxes for Feddies, Klingons and Romulans. The digital renders of the ships look really good!

Kzinti drop in January, and Gorn in Febuary...

Damon.
"Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum"
Modeling the Ecuadorian Military: https://ecuadorianmilitary.blogspot.com/
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Lars Porsenna
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Re: Star Fleet battles goes A Call to Arms

Post by Lars Porsenna »

Pre-orders are up: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/us/mi ... t.html?p=1

Minis look very, very nice. Much better than the SFB minis!

Pricing looks very reasonable too!

Damon.
"Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum"
Modeling the Ecuadorian Military: https://ecuadorianmilitary.blogspot.com/
My Book Blog: http://bookslikedust.blogspot.com/
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Lars Porsenna
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Re: Star Fleet battles goes A Call to Arms

Post by Lars Porsenna »

In case anyone is interested, I finally picked up this game, along with the Romulan Fleet box. If there is interest, I'll pick up another fleet box (probably feddies, although I still have a bunch of Starline 2400 feddies laying around) if there is desire for a game. Cursory reading looks like the rules are largely like Noble Armada, though with a few changes to "Trek" it out...

Damon.
"Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum"
Modeling the Ecuadorian Military: https://ecuadorianmilitary.blogspot.com/
My Book Blog: http://bookslikedust.blogspot.com/
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