I'd agree with G3 being needed. I personally haven't used G3A, but that could be a fault on my part. This will answer the base hull type question as G3 is what 'we' refer to.

The Omega empires (if you fight/play one) also would require their respective modules.

The empire specific Master Starship Books are optional, but may be helpful. Note that this line is a WIP with only the H/F/K ones having been produced (R is fairly far along and the L one is a WIP).

By Lanny Smith (Lance1967) on Wednesday, February 03, 2016 - 03:16 pm: Edit

That's what I was thinking. Are these modules offered electronically somewhere? I couldn't seem to find them, but that doesn't always mean anything...

By Dal Downing (Rambler) on Wednesday, February 03, 2016 - 03:50 pm: Edit

No the G series modules are not being offered electronically at this time. It is quasi in the plans but do not expect it anytime soon. Several things need to happen one of the is the countdown SSD for sfbonline needs to be finished and that is a huge process.

By Lanny Smith (Lance1967) on Wednesday, February 03, 2016 - 03:58 pm: Edit

Thanks for the quick reply!

By Lanny Smith (Lance1967) on Wednesday, February 03, 2016 - 04:20 pm: Edit

Next question. I was looking at the 173.2 map and I understand what most of the colors and symbols are. The only color that I can't find defined anywhere is the Teal. There are teal hexes on both sides of the Jindarian Federation as well as between the RYN and Kol. Also there is a teal line to the left of the Sel?

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Wednesday, February 03, 2016 - 08:43 pm: Edit

Those would be Neutral Zones/Borders.

By John D Berg (Kerg) on Thursday, February 04, 2016 - 01:37 am: Edit

Those teal lines are treaty borders.

By Lanny Smith (Lance1967) on Thursday, February 04, 2016 - 12:17 pm: Edit

Thanks!

By John Stiff (Tarkin22180) on Thursday, March 17, 2016 - 12:03 pm: Edit

All,

Spring has arrived in Northern Virginia.
The Robins are back!
We've had 80 degree days.
They are cleaning the outdoor swimming pool at the health club.
And, the sure sign is that the Red Leaf Maple trees are blooming - making me miserable because I am allergic to them.

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Thursday, March 17, 2016 - 05:30 pm: Edit

And yet you INSIST on allying yourself with the producers of R59.2! :-)

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 - 02:42 pm: Edit

Captains Log #51 is in the queue for this year. If you have a Galactic Conquest idea that you wish to get published, now is the time to seriously start thinking about it. If you have something you wish us (probably me) to write up, this would be a good time to submit suggestions (here, email, facebook).

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 - 03:16 pm: Edit

In theory I start working on CL51 next week and would need all content input by the start of the week after that.

By John Burton Steele Sr. (Johnbsteele) on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 - 02:46 pm: Edit

Well... The Army just moved me back home for my Terminal Duty Assignment to a unit 30 minutes from my house. 3 years driving an hour a day and I will be retired (note: I am already tired).

By John D Berg (Kerg) on Thursday, March 31, 2016 - 09:41 am: Edit

Due 4/14/16

By John Stiff (Tarkin22180) on Thursday, March 31, 2016 - 06:09 pm: Edit

Speaking of being "tired", all of those years of getting up early to "work" have caught up with me. So, a "nap" is ok now that I'm "retired".

So JB wants to beat the "tax man" on the due date! I'm ok with that, my taxes are done.

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Friday, April 01, 2016 - 12:08 am: Edit

Your FRAXes on the other hand... :-)

By Mike Incavo (Kavo) on Saturday, April 16, 2016 - 11:55 pm: Edit

I am contemplating starting another campaign.

I'm looking to see how much if any interest there is along with ideas for a new Universe Campaign. Ideas would include starting year, double blind map or standard map, Empire Starting sizes etc.....

Couple of ideas I would be seriously considering would be reducing the amount of defenses a system can have along with eliminating the E0.0 rules.

By Charles "Lucky" Coleman (Mwmiyd) on Sunday, April 17, 2016 - 04:24 pm: Edit

I'd be game. I like the E rules, but I can live without them. Double Blind preferred. Don't care about starting year, size or any of that.

By Mike Incavo (Kavo) on Sunday, April 17, 2016 - 07:13 pm: Edit

Ok, that's one, lol.

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Sunday, April 17, 2016 - 08:13 pm: Edit

I think double blind (at least at the beginning) is a Good Thing (admittedly this is more work for the GM). In theory the domain I manage (that'd be web site plus a bunch of other things) can do email too.

Need to pay attention to playability for some empires on certain dates.

By John Coleman (Aligato) on Sunday, April 17, 2016 - 11:56 pm: Edit

I'll be game to play.............DB is a good thing I think.......I like Lucky like the E rules. Reducing a systems defenses will IMO shorten the game up a lot and make weak empires much more susceptible to attack early on.

By John Christie (John46) on Monday, April 18, 2016 - 03:31 am: Edit

Interesting. I'd say that Omega, and some of the other non-Alpha Races - e.g. LMC and some Simulator - have problems with Ship-types. However, Peladine and Borak both have a full range. I'd be interested, although I'm still feeling my way in U5.

By John Stiff (Tarkin22180) on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 - 12:20 am: Edit

Count me in Mike.

Y160
Standard Map (Double Blind gets mighty difficult with each new turn).
5 majors as the starting size for each empire.
How about 4000 EP for the military (U5 started with 3000 EP) and 1000 EP for the MM (U5 started with 800 EP)?

An idea is to make the map wrap all around (not just east and west).

I would like 3 initial variants per class (not 1 as specified in Z1.30).

I do not think one can do without the E rules. The game is designed with the Merchant Marine in mind.

By Mike Incavo (Kavo) on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 - 10:59 am: Edit

I like the idea of a wrap around map going N/S as well as W/E.

I'm thinking the double blind map would only be used if the starting year was early like 140 or earlier.

E rules will most likely remain.

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 - 11:11 am: Edit

Y140 (or earlier) makes playing the Romulans brutal:

No scouts at all until Y164 (K5S) or Y166 (SE); no SR until Y166; no speed 2 ships until Y162; foreign ships rule which is good in general totally gimps the Kestrels.