Federation Commander

[Brother Stormhammer]

If this is the wrong area of the forum, I apologize, but I've just finished my fifth game of Federation and Empire in the last few weeks, and find myself at a near-total loss. My FLGS runs games with one player per faction, and I've been playing the Kzinti. It's not been pretty. Actually, that's an understatement. I usually wind up playing Federation Commander with the Romulan, Gorn, or ISC players...they aren't in the war yet, and I'm already out of it.

How in the name of (insert deity here) are the Kzinti supposed to survive? Honestly, it feels almost like I'm playing Poland in a World War II game.

[koogie]

By building as many carriers as you can and killing your fighter factors rather than your ships. By fighting your battles over fortified positions (capital, starbases) and not trying to save your battle stations. And when its time give up your capital and retreat with your crippled ships off map (move the FRDs there before they die).

The key is to preserve your ships and launch counter attacks from the off-map, continuing to trade your fighters for his ships.

Also get money from the Feds through off map transfers.

[Brother Stormhammer]

That's more-or-less what I've been trying. I was hoping that there was at least an outside shot at being a bit more of an active participant in the overall game.

What you're telling me, essentially, is that it's inevitable that I'm going to get kicked off the map, and be a resource drain on the Federation economy, and the only real variable is how expensive I can make things for the Lyrans/Klingons?

I have a semi-related question...how many players can a game of F&E support? I'm suddenly thinking that the answer is around four-five at the most (Fed, Romulan, Gorn, Klingon, Lyran(?)) with allied players covering for the Kzinti, Hydrans, and Tholians.

[Scoutdad]

Our group has dwindled and with the advent of Cyberboard - has converted to mostly electronic F&E. But when we originally played Fed and Empire Face to Face - we typically had 8 players.
One per empire involved (Fed, Kzinti, Hydran, Gorn, Klingon, Romulan, Lyran plus a spare (in case someone couldn't make it during a session).

Early turns were handled by allowing the Empires admiral to do Econ, Production, and movement. Then battle were divied up amongst all players to rapidly compete the turns.
Lather, rinse, repeat.

By later turns, when capital assaults were occurring - it was not unusual to see The Hydran and Gorn players handling both sides of small battles in Klingon space while the Lyran / Klingon players were facing off against the Kzinti / Federation players in a Kzinti capital battle.

That moved the game along... and kept everyone involved and active.
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Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF

[Bill Stec]

Seems to be pretty much as has been described; the Kzinti usually get kicked off map, though that doesn't happen 100% of the time.

Spend funds upgrading the capital defenses, build/convert as many carriers as you possibly can, and be a pain in the butt as much as possible with the proviso that preserving your fleet is more important than inflicting heavy losses on the Coalition.

If you want to play a scenario wherein the Kzinti get to start being somewhat offensive-minded, try the Maelstrom scenario. While the Order of battle isn't exactly optimum, it is a learning experience trying to upgrade your fleet in the middle of a war. Moreso since PFs are coming online, and X-ships are approaching soon. We played it past it's usual end date, up to Turn 28, saw some X-ship action, the works. Fun scenario.

[Steve Cole]

The game design assumes a 50% chance of capturing the Kzinti capital.

If it is not captured, it's devastated and about all they have left.

Kinda like playing France in a World War 2 game. Really exciting at the start and then kinda boring until the end.
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The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

[Brother Stormhammer]

Thanks for the replies! I was afraid that I was missing something obvious on the defensive.