Federation Commander

[Pheron]

My friends and I are going to jump into Fed Com. (Back in the 80's we played SFB but we lost the time for such long detailed games.) I have Klingon Boarder a few boosters to get us started. He's our opening game idea, comments are greatly welcomed.
Fixed map with a planet in the center. Forces are two Gorn CLs and two kziniti Med CRs. Everyone starts fully armed and ready as this is a fight for control of the planet. Any ship more than 35 hexes away from the planet is considered to have disengaged.

Thoughts?

thanks in advance, and it's good to be back in the Starfleet games.

[Krellex]

No advice, just have fun and be sure to share with us how the game goes!
_________________

[Kang]

Welcome to the game and to the forum!

My first thoughts off the top of my head: you may find that the Kzintis suffer from it being a fixed map. Plasma is best played on at least a location map, preferably a floating map.

(Many of my fellow forumers will probably jump on me at this point; the plasma debates have been pretty active lately!)

Having said that, if your scenario is related to the planet and you, as scenario designer, say that the ships have to stay within 35 hexes, then that's it. So, if you find the plasmas are too powerful you might want to increase the map size a little, say to 40 or 45 hexes.

I would also think that you will be using lots of the weapons rules in this battle, so it will be a good learning scenario. Many players begin with direct-fire weapons only, then add in seeking weapons as they feel more confident. Also you are using two ships per side.

I think you will have a lot of fun with this - a small squadron action over a set objective, with all weapons available.

I also think it just might get a little bloody.....
_________________

[Pheron]

I don't have notes for turn by turn but here's how that battle settled out.
The Gorns came in at high speed under EM to close on the Kzinti. The Kiznti came in at medium speed, both forces were obliquely closing on the planet. The lead Kzin element launched drones and the second kizni followed suit. Deformations in space/time lead to an increased efficiency in warp drive for a brief moment. (everyone got some extra hexes of movement from my misreading of the sub-impulse chart.) The Kziniti turned to passed 'north' of the planet while the Gorn continued to pass south with plans to sweep around, deal with the drones, and pursue.
realizing that the drones wee going to reach their target (all drones were targeted on the following Gorn element) before the next firing window the Gorns panicked and used the Emergency Decel to stop the task force. (the Gorn had not yet fully internalized the concept of defensive fire stages. bad Gorns) From their now stopped condition the Gorns fired and destroyed most of the approaching drones.
The lead Gorn fired a plasma S as a bolt at the following Kziniti (who had turned much slower than the lead.) at a range of about 10 hexes and missed. The second Gorn fired and hit. The two forces closed and with plasma-F's the shield of the second kzinti were dropped and some internals scored. The Second Gorn also fired a plasma-S as a torp at the lead Kzinti who upped to maxed speed and continued North.
Noe the battle is fairly tight and close to the planet. The lead Gorn fires his remaing S at the second, slower and closer, Kzinti, who responds with a brace of drones. (the lead also fired a brace of drone at the lead Gorn, but from much longer range.) Of the 4 drones two were destroyed one tractored and one hit.
The second kzinti failed to pay for his high-enegery turn at the start of the impulse and quickly found he could not use the planet as a shield. Another S was launched from the second Gorn and both caught the Kizin, but on separate shields. Shields were dropped and internals scored. Returned fire scored internal on the lead Gorn destroying the tractor beam.
Next round five drone hit the lead the Gorn, both down open shields. While the lead gon had some spaces not open to vacuum there weren't very many and no weapons. The lead kzinit, having shed his plasma-S buddy, turned to re-enter the fight.
At this juncture the Gorn retired.
player impressions:
Very favorable. There were mistakes on both sides as our brains tried to load old SFB programs that did not match to FedCom, but we expected that sort of thing in a learning game. The game itself played fast and fun. Best of all even with frequent stops to read and understand the rules we were able to finished the game with enough time for a brace of board and card games w my wife afterwards.