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December 2012
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Star Fleet Universe News THE BIG NEWS this month (and sad news it is) is that the scheduled release of Reinforcements Attack has been pushed back to January by delays at the die cutter. Also to be released then will be Boosters 34, 35, 36, as well as the Nova Edition of Distant Armada and Alien Armada, along with both Nova and Admiral editions of Battleships Armada, and Captain's Log #46. Counters for Star Fleet Marines: Last Stand and Reinforcements Attack.
In other news this month, the second annual Platinum Hat International Online SFB tournament is starting its fifth round with four experienced captains vying for the championship. More information is below in the tournament section, but you can always find the most up-to-date information on the BBS: http://www.starfleetgames.com/discus/. WEBSITE: Our website, www.StarFleetGames.com, continues to grow and improve. You are welcome to send us your requests, comments, and suggestions. Joel Shutts, our graphics director, continues to update the website, do covers for the new products, shut down pirate websites, help out around the company, and learn more about the game business. One of our newest pages is for Starline 2500 where we display photos and 3d renders of the new starships. FACEBOOK: Jean continues to improve our page on Facebook, adding many new photos and other features. VIDEOS: StarFleetGames has taken its act to YouTube and we now have a YouTube channel. Our goal is to create a video for the new product releases during each month. We have "In the Box" videos to show you what you will see when you unpack your new game. We have also done "Spotlights" on a single product or product line. So pull up a chair and join us at the movies! Our newest uploads are: Star Fleet Marines Part 1 STARBLOG: Our StarBlog has moved to a new URL
and all links on StarFleetGames.com websites have been changed to match. The new
site is JAGDPANTHER
Custom Decals for Starline ships Tenneshington Decals recently added a new decal set product, designed to work with the Starline 2500 Squadron Box #7 (Federation Reinforcements). This is in addition to their existing products, associated to the Squadron Box #1 and Federation Fleet Box. They have just released a new sheet of "windows" which can be used to detail any ship.
ONLINE TOURNAMENTS Rated Ace Tournament 39 is rocketing along. Round four is about to start
with four talented players. Judge Paul Scott is riding herd on this tournament.
Good luck to you all!
DEMOS AND CONS WITH SFU GAMES Please send information to Jean via the email in her BBS profile, PM on the Mongoose or Federation Commander forums, or Message on Facebook. If you want convention support, please contact Mike Sparks at support@StarFleetGames.com. Your convention must meet a few simple requirements (one of which is being held in the United States due to shipping costs) which are here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/sfb/tournament/tourn_main.shtml Download Transmissions HAILING FREQUENCIES: This is our newsletter and will let you know all the news for all our games. You can subscribe here. Have you missed an earlier newsletter? Click here to get caught up! COMMUNIQUE: The latest Communique brings you more Ship Cards, scenarios, and more news from the Star Fleet Universe! It can be downloaded from the Commander's Circle. FC Forum Recent Posts
We are very pleased to see the medals, honor bars, and ribbons awarded to players being incorporated into their signatures. It is exciting to see lots of interesting conversations about a wide variety of subjects. Get in on the activity! While for new players the Federation Commander Forum is a little easier to manage, the original (Discus-based) BBS is where most product development takes place. If you have a proposal you'd like to see worked on, don't forget to make sure it is mentioned here. It also has active F&E and SFB forums where players run campaigns, Rated Ace tournaments and other SFB tournaments are organized (most FC tournaments are organized on the Forum), SVC's "My Day" appears, along with current news and strategies dealing with Prime Directive, and each issue of Captain's Log is created. While less colorful (no avatars or sigs), it is a vital part of ADB, Inc.'s communications. F&E Strategy of the Month Demotivationals Throughout the month our graphics director places on the website various cards called Demotivationals. These are like postcards with an image and a phrase that is often used for humor. To see our previous Demotivationals click here. Mini of the Month Starline 2400 Terran Empire DN Scipio Africanus
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New Releases Communique #84 has been posted to the Commander's Circle. Recently Released
Captain's Log #45, Stock #5745, $24.95, 144 pages!
Klingon Armada Nova Edition, Stock #6101N, $16.95
Romulan Armada Nova Edition, Stock #6102N, $16.95
Star Fleet Marines Assault, Stock #2101, $34.95
Starmada Nova Edition rulebook, Stock #6120N, $16.95
Starline 2500 Romulan Fleet Box, Stock #30008, $149.99 (JV-Mongoose)
Starline 2500 Squadron Box 6 Kzintis, Stock #30010, $29.99 (JV-Mongoose) Starline 2500 Gorn Fleet Box, Stock #30016, $149.99 (JV-Mongoose) To be released January 2013 PDF SALES: ADB, Inc. continues its relationship with Steve Jackson Games and their e23 Warehouse. We chose e23 because they have a philosophy that agrees with ours -- our customers are honest and honorable and wouldn't aid people who want to steal our products. Furthermore, we know from experience how devastating a computer crash can be and want our customers to know that they don't have to worry about the loss of their e-products bought through e23. What do we have there? We have created a new page that allows easy access to our PDFs for sale on e23. From here you can see what we currently have posted and have links to those products. RECENTLY RELEASED ON e23 RECENTLY RELEASED ON DRIVE THRU RPG Star Fleet Fiction Firnx took one look around at the crowded interior of the Fi-Con and realized that there was no way the over-burdened patrol boat was going to be able to make it back to the DNS group without a serious failure of the ship's life support systems. He made his way through a crowd of moaning wounded being treated by a medic to the small ship's cockpit. He had to ease by several stiff and heavy bodies lying in the passageway whose normal, healthy colors had been replaced with a deep shade of black.
"Can we link up with one of the cargo boats and transfer some of these people?" Firnx asked. "Negative," the Fi-Con commander said. "Another Seltorian ship is due here in minutes. We can get away easily enough, but not if we stop. The cargo boats are already running, and it will take too long to link up, slow down, and dock. Maybe we can do that after we break contact." "Then we need to get a message to the Commodore that explains our situation," he said to the Fi-Con commander. "My sensor technician just encoded and transmitted a request for help. We should have an answer back soon." "Good work." He turned around and left. I'm just in the way here, Firnx thought. Maybe I can help with the wounded.
"Commodore, we have messages from both raid groups. Should I feed them to your command console as soon as they finish decoding?"
Arrax looked over at the communications tech. The Tholian was a technical officer that had almost finished its Turn service. He thought he could detect a hint of nervousness in the other being. This sometimes happened when one was near the end of his military obligation, but he did not think it would affect the civilian's work. "No need for that; just read them to me." "Group One reports that the picket has been driven off with heavy damage, with the loss of one patrol boat and some casualties on the Patrol Leader. The special strike group reports mission success, but they have lost a Fi-Con, and have many dead and wounded from it that are being carried on board the other boats. They request that someone meet them to take the extra personnel off. Otherwise, they do not think they will be able to make it back." Arrax thought for a moment. We have to stay here in order to meet the returning patrol boats, he mused. But I do not want to abandon the survivors of the other raid. He looked at the tactical view screen, at the other ships that he had with him. He didn't like dividing his forces, but he had no choice. Which ship to send? Neither the FCR nor his specialty-built escort corvettes were what he considered expendable. In the end, he chose to send the FCR. "Tell the strike group that they will have to make it to our territory, and suggest that they link up to transfer passengers when out of the battle area. Send the FCR to meet them, but warn its commander not to go beyond ... this point." He indicated a map location that was still within Tholian space. He paused for a second. "Tell them to hurry up. Time is getting short." (Continue reading here) Ask Kommodore Ketrick Lieutenant Keohane asked: I armed a photon torpedo, but didn't fire it, so I paid holding energy so I would still have it on the next turn. I think that the holding energy adds to the warhead, overloading it, but my opponent says I'm crazy.
Dear Lieutenant: You are crazy. Holding energy is holding energy and does not contribute to the warhead strength. This is true for any weapon. Lieutenant Kamowski asked: Is there a civilian ship available that can (while carrying a ground base) land on a planet? Dear Lieutenant: No, but there is no need for one. A standard freighter can deliver the ground base to orbit and then it can be lowered by a tractor beam. Lieutenant Krigg asked: What is the difference between a carronade and a plasma bolt?
Dear Lieutenant: Plasma bolts have longer range and can be fired every other turn (at best) by a launcher larger than plasma-F or every third turn from a plasma-F launcher. A plasma-F launcher can only fire a plasma bolt if it has completed arming, i.e., has five points of power in it (1+1+3). A plasma-G, S, or R (I am ignoring X-technology) can fire a plasma bolt in two turns by completing its third turn of arming during the second turn with reserve power, i.e., 2+2 (+2), but it is still only a plasma-F bolt. A carronade shot can be fired in every turn, but only from a plasma-F launcher. The launcher cannot use more power in a given turn than could normally be allocated to start arming it. So if you want to fire a carronade shot on Turn #1 you have one point of power (first turn of arming) that you can allocate (because the standard arming is 1+1+3). You can, however, add up to four points of reserve power (the maximum amount of power that can be fired by a plasma-F) during that turn. If it is Turn #2, and you did not fire a carronade shot on Turn #1, you began with one point in the plasma-F launcher, and had to add a second point to continue arming it as a plasma-F. (I am assuming that you decided to continue arming rather than just dump the point from Turn #1 into space). If your opportunity for a carronade shot arises, you can dump up to three additional points of power from reserve power into the carronade shot. (Ask Kommodore Ketrick continues here) F&E Q&A SURVEY Q: Do colonies obtained using HRS (high risk survey) count against the limits imposed by rule (446.15)? I have surveyed five off-map provinces in addition to the starting off-map provinces. On a previous turn I rolled a "2" using HRS and got my first "free" colony. By rule (446.15) I am now able to start normal colony development for one colony. However, if the "free" colony I obtained by HRS counts against the limit in (446.15), then I will have to wait until I have surveyed my 10th additional off-map province before developing another off-map colony. Rule (446.15) provides that an empire could develop one colony in its off-map area for every five new provinces surveyed there (not including pre-game "at start" provinces). Rule (542.27) provides that, upon rolling a "2," you create an off-map colony without going through the colony set-up rules. If more than one colony already exists per off-map province, there is no effect. This colony is created in zero time and at zero cost. A: The limits imposed by (446.15) are for colonial development by standard methods delineated in (446.1). High risk survey (542.27) allows for the possibility of creating more colonies. The limits in (446.1) are for both types of colonies. The limits for (542.27) are for the number of provinces. So, for example, if you have four provinces surveyed, you cannot develop any colonies but could find one via (542.27). Another example: You have 10 provinces discovered and a number of colonies greater than two you cannot develop more (446.15), but could find up to eight more by (542.27). Q: If a "6" (Monster found) is rolled in high risk survey, does the survey ship miss the next opportunity to make any form of survey roll? A: The rule (542.27) states that the ship encountering the monster loses one turn of surveying. Its survey result for this turn was the monster (which is not worth anything). The ship spends a retrograde phase getting back to a repair facility in a previously surveyed area and is repaired on the next turn and then moves operationally to the survey area and then is eligible for survey on the next turn after that. So, if you roll a six on High Risk Survey you lose any survey opportunity for that turn and the next. (End of F&E Q&A) ASK AUNT JEAN Q: Dear Aunt Jean, I know that Seltorians produce rapidly. How soon can the workers work? A: After Seltorian eggs hatch the workers are ready to go to work in three months. Seltorian workers have no "life" outside of work. They work, eat, rest, repeat. No television, magazines, sports, or anything else need be provided to them. If they become Experts, then they get a bit more of a "life" outside of work. If you want more information, check out this page: http://www.starfleetgames.com/deckplanresources.shtml Send questions to Jean at design@StarFleetGames.com and SVC will decide which one Jean will answer next. Cool Stuff on the Website In this section we will provide links to various web pages and items that we think you will find "cool". We have also uploaded new Xander wallpapers to our Wallpapers section on the website. We have new images of our next game Star Fleet Marines posted on our BBS topic page. STAR FLEET ALERTS These are the press releases we send to the wholesalers, retailers, and media. You can get on the mailing list for them by asking Marketing@StarFleetGames.com to add you to the list. (Obviously, they are free.) They are uploaded to the Star Fleet Alert page The new aegis escorts seen in some new products, recent issues of Communique, and the upcoming REINFORCEMENTS ATTACK need to be understood for what they are. They are trading some of your fleet's offensive firepower for some extra defensive firepower. (They should not be used along on patrols or in small squadrons of three or four ships.) Aegis escorts should be used when you're facing an enemy with a lot of seeking weapons (or Hydrans with their fighters, which might as well be seeking weapons). There isn't much point in taking aegis escorts against Lyrans or Tholians. Aegis ships are armed with weapons that have fairly short ranges, and will require you to keep your fleet (or at least the ships you want to protect) in a fairly small area (two or three hexes across). You'll need to anticipate the arrival of enemy seeking weapons. Maneuver your fleet away from mass seeking weapon attacks to buy time, especially if you can reach the turn break and get a chance to fire at the weapons twice. Maneuver your aegis escort to the threatened side of your fleet to ensure it can cover all of the targets. Aegis ships can do most of the things regular ships do (e.g., tractor a damaged ship and drag it out of danger, land Marines, study the monster) but their ability to damage an enemy warship is about half what a regular warship would be.
(End of FC Tactic of the Month)
SFB Tactic of the Month PENETRATING THE FORTRESS Kzinti destroyers and frigates with Y175 refits have powerful B-racks and C-racks with lots of reloads, but are very short on shuttles. However, they can launch a wave of six drones - the maximum number that they can control - in a single turn. These powerful drone racks make them much less reliant on scatter-packs for building large waves of drones. Launched at long range, scatter-pack drone waves (even if they're made up entirely of dogfight drones) can tie down the ship's limited number of drone-control slots for long stretches of time. Launched closer in, the scatter-pack is likely to be shot down before it can release its drones. A wise Kzinti small-ship captain will therefore want to be a little choosier about when and how he uses his shuttles. NEW MINIATURES! Starline 2500 Lyran Tiger Heavy Cruiser
Chef Steve on his trip at the Wolf Sanctuary
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