Federation Admiral Public Update

[mwaschak]

Good morning everyone,

The Federation Admiral project is progressing nicely, and the solid core of the main book is established. We are in the process of reviewing, destroying, and rebuilding some rules. Obviously the system has a great deal of throttle testing, and editing to go, but I wanted to let everyone know that things are indeed progressing well. It is my hope to have the complete system for Local campaigns (the ones with missions from Starfleet and the like) hashed out by this week, before I can start addressing the specifics of the various SFU races. That step will be determining some campaign advantages for certain empire. I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank those guys who have gone out of the way to help us in the critical stages of game creation.

All the best!
-Jay

[terryoc]

I am really excited to hear about the "local" campaign type. It looks like it will be heaps of fun and smal enough that games will be quickly resolvable using Federation Commander, a great way of generating FC scenarios for a playgroup.

[Rainer]

It should be no problem to resolve most battles during a local level campaign with FC. If you take a look at my starting position during the playtest, you will find that the border is big and there not many ships available. Even when the economy is expanded and new ships start to arrive I doubt that we will have many big fleets flying around.

[mwaschak]

It should be no problem to resolve most battles during a local level campaign with FC. If you take a look at my starting position during the playtest, you will find that the border is big and there not many ships available. Even when the economy is expanded and new ships start to arrive I doubt that we will have many big fleets flying around.

Our goal with the local campaign is really about showing how much every starship of every design is needed at this scope of game. So much so that if a player just masses their forces and sits they are going to get removed from command because their opposite number is busy completing rescue missions, deliverying priority cargo, or exploring some unknown system. Central command wants to see those starships working!

A lot will depend on what your overall objectives are, which number about sixty right now, and any priority "Incoming Orders from Starfleet Command!", which are minor and specific objectives like locate a recently discovered artifact in deep space, or spring a revolutionary from an enemy prison on a border world. The good news for scenario designers is that using existing objectives makes it easy to emulate a directed campaign of their choice, or for the ambitious player to design their own.

-Jay

[jygro]

With everything that I've heard about this system, I'm impressed! The Threat Level is a great idea (ahh Imperium) and the thoughts about mission objectives coming and going is a great thought about keeping the game fresh (more then a I-bash-you, you-bash-me thing).

-Bren

[Rainer]

The missions also give you something to do during peacetime which is very nice.

[mwaschak]

With everything that I've heard about this system, I'm impressed! The Threat Level is a great idea (ahh Imperium) and the thoughts about mission objectives coming and going is a great thought about keeping the game fresh (more then a I-bash-you, you-bash-me thing).

Thank you. With the ground units now sent out to the playtesters, you can see some more orders and turns in action soon, thanks to Rainer's updates here.

When I looked at the campaign I wanted to play in the SFU I personally wanted to feel like I was the sector commodore controlling my ships along the border. But it needed to be more than just positioning for expansion because we know so much more is happening on the border from the material. I needed a solid mechanic for something like sending a ship on a routine patrol, then having to yank it to high warp to rescue a failing science station, which did not need direct CM intervention.

-Jay

[mwaschak]

Hello everyone,

The main stages of development are complete, and the campaign book is nearing the point of heavy editing. But I never feel quite right until I get a chance for more and more playtesting, even at this point in development. So, if you or your group wanted a chance to play Federation Admiral before the official release date, this is it! We will be taking a very limited number of playtesting groups, and only those with a serious intention to read and play the material. Charlie and I intend to maintain our ambitious schedule, which means timely reports will be important to us.

Email me at mwaschak -at- gmail -dot- com

Or see our playtesting page for more detail: http://vbamgames.com/playtesting/

Thank you all!
-Jay

[mwaschak]

As we speak Tyrel is editing the Federation Admiral book and the integrated example. They will be inbound for ADB immediately after!

-Jay

[Faulkenburg]

This looks like a lot of fun. I always liked Star Fleet Battles. The hardest part has always been finding someone to play with. I am hoping this will change with the new Federation Commander system. I look forward to getting a copy of the new campaign system... very cool.

[Charles Lewis]

My impression (having played a bit of both SFB and FC) is that SFB made you primarily the Chief Engineer focused on energy management. In FC, you are back in the big chair, worried more about maneuver and timing of attacks. You know, that stuff they call tactics.

[mwaschak]

This looks like a lot of fun.

Thank you. We wanted the system to work on a variety of campaign levels, and feel genuinely different at each.

On the project side of things we have really been burning the midnight oil on this one. Tyrel and I have been handing off edit to edit daily and we are much closer to the final version, which should get handed off to ADB as planned in the next few days.

I always liked Star Fleet Battles. The hardest part has always been finding someone to play with.

The nice thing with either is that sfbonline.com will let us resolve the tactical battles via Internet.

Thank you,
-Jay

[MarkG88]

This looks like a lot of fun. I always liked Star Fleet Battles. The hardest part has always been finding someone to play with. I am hoping this will change with the new Federation Commander system. I look forward to getting a copy of the new campaign system... very cool.

I grew up playing SFB with my older brothers and after watching Jay and his buddy play two games back in November, I can safely say, FC is a good, clean, fast and fun system. I agree with Charlie's comments on putting you back in the big chair (sans seatbelt of course ) instead of down in engineering managing the power output.

It combines the best aspects of SFB and its PC game adaptation while culling the cumbersome legacy issues of the SFB system. Jay's campaign version (FA) is also a nice clean system and a well done update of the VBAM system that I look forward to playing in the future (having been in on the playtesting group for it I had a nice "sneak peek").

-Mark

[jygro]

I agree. Everything that I've seen, I have really enjoyed. I can't wait to see the final product!

-Bren

[mwaschak]

Thank you for your support everyone.

SVC is editing the manuscript on his side of things now that the big ADB move is done. I should have some more details soon.

-Jay