Conference noted::sf

	We play "Cosmic Encounters" from time to time, with the expansion
	sets - if that's close enough, you're welcome to play. We run them
	usually in Boxborough, which might be a haul for you...

My favorite SF tactical games are OGRE and GEV -- futuristic tank battle
games that take from 45 minutes to an hour to play, but are extremely
interesting.  They were originally produced by Metagaming, but are now
published by Steve Jackson games (a la THE SPACE GAMER).  Really exciting,
and easy to learn.

Another favorite is STELLAR CONQUEST by Metagaming -- players land on
various planets of stars in a globular cluster, and there build more
starships and technology based on the population they have on Terran
and Sub-terran worlds.  This game generally runs anywhere from 1 to 4 hours,
and is much more complex than the "micro games" (as they were called) above.

I live in northern Nashua and would be interested in playing, although my
focus is on SFRP games.

				*** DARYL ***

There's a Dune game out and there is also this small board game (actually
two in one) called Annihilation/One.  I've only played One, which consists
of your pieces trying to reach and attack the other player's god.  It
is a minor variation on scissor/paper/rock as some of the pieces are fog
and rock and I forget the rest but certain types will defeat others to make
a circular effect.  The god can change form.

LOST WORLDS is a quick, but fun, game of swordplay (also club, axe, etc.).
Each player (normally two but there are provisions for more) receives a
card of allowed actions plus a book which shows views of the opponent.
For example, player 1 might play a man with sword and shield and player 2
could be a dwarf with halberd.  Player 1's book shows views of a dwarf
doing various nasty things with the halberd.  Each player decides on a
move, announces it, then cross-references into the book to find the
correct view of the opponent.

Strategies can be developed based on what kind of character you have, the
weaponry, etc.  I've taken fencing lessons and could apply some of what
I'd learned!  Games usually take 15 minutes.  My wife and I played lots
of games between events at Massconfusion last April.  Except for one
game where we each got wary and it took a half-hour before someone got in
a final blow.

There are eight books out so far (you need at least 2 to play):
	Man with chainmail, sword, and shield
	Skeleton with sword and shield (can pick up bones to recover from
		injuries!)
	Woman with chainmail, sword, and shield (fast reflexes; tough to
		beat)
	Barbarian with 2-handed sword
	Wraith with flail (plus devastating magic "touch")
	Hill troll with club (makes mincemeat out of one opponent; needs
		at least 2 foes)
	Dwarf with halberd (rules take height into account)
	Goblin with mace
A fighter-mage is planned.  (This is from NOVA games, by the way.)

Great lunch hour stuff.  (But there aren't any opponents here; a common
problem, I guess.)
				John

NOVA, the people who make the LOST WORLDS series, have announced
a set of "Dragonriders of Pern" books in the same vein. Players
will cooperate to fight Thread; I'm not sure how the game mechanics
will differ from the LOST WORLDS and ACE OF ACES style, but it
looks interesting. At least you'll get to see a Thread battle
from dragon-back.

-b

Then there is also a game called: Starfleet Battles

This is a tactical ship-to-ship combat game, we find it to be a very
enjoyable game to play.....the level of complexity can be easily
varied by using any of the optional rules.

Well, I know this note is over a year old, so most of you probably don't
remember it, and other newcomers to this file like myself may never have read
it, but this is near and very dear to my heart, so I'm going to reply anyway. 

Caution:  Long, overzealous reply follows!!

re .2 

Stellar conquest!!!!!!!!   Rates a ten out of ten.  Genuine classic.  Got 
into this game so much that I even designed and built a table with a group of 
friends to facilitate multi-day games.  (Not implemented well, though - no
good carpenters in the group.)  The only liability of the game is the
necessity to block out LARGE amounts of time to play it.  I particularly
loved Crisper and Dreadnought Crisper attacks.  (As described in one of
Metagaming's house magazine The Space Gamer.  Issue #10??) Blood and gore
strategies were my speciality.  I didn't (and don't) win all the time, but
it's riproaring fun on a galactic scale. 

re .5

The game of Dune is pretty good, but don't play it without six people.  You 
need that many to get good balance.  (And WATCH OUT for the Bene Gesserit!)

re .8 

StarFleet Battles is a fine game.  I have played it a lot.  Only one 
inexcusable weakness.  To make it "feel" right, you have to use so many rules 
that it's overbearingly complicated.  Monster games are fine for wargaming
clubs, but whenever I play a SFB scenario, I feel that I'm at a tremendous
disadvantage if I haven't STUDIED the rules sets for a day or two in advance. 
Not to mention I can't figure out a useful thing to do with a drone (guided 
missile).  They sure as heck never hit.  Similarly, pseudofighters are 
unstoppable with anything but other pseudofighters...

Somebody mentioned Starship Trooper, also.  (In the base note?  I forget.) A
real good game, also.  But again, to get the best flavor from the game, you 
need to use all the rules, and that gets complicated.  Any of the bug 
scenarios are worth the work, though.  Get through the Terran-Skinny scenarios
as quickly as possible... 



Now, for my original contributions:  First, a pan.  Mayfair Games is coming 
out with quite a few SF games, based on various novels.  My first purchase was 
for a game called Hammer's Slammers, because I liked the novel of the same 
name by David Drake.  (Before we get replies about DD, yes, he's very gory.  
But read my comments about Stellar Conquest again...)  Unfortunately, it's 
very pedestrian - no feel of the book, and the game doesn't stand on its own.
Give it a pass.  

For one that I like:  If you liked StarFleet Battles, try StarFire by the same 
designer.  Far superior in my opinion.  (Get the new rules set, though.)  
Running individual ships is cleaned up enormously, so you can get into fleet 
actions and not take days or years to get it resolved.  Different tech levels, 
"design your own" ships, simple mechanics, understandable rules, and a very
rich set of strategies.  Love it!

Love those Science Fiction games!!

- chris

  Glad you replied to this!!  I've been trying to remember where I'd seen
a reference to Cosmic Encounters many moons ago.  Lo and behold here it is.
(Max's rep #1)  I finally got to play it.  It's a riot!  We've been playing on 
weekends with some friends of ours and just last weekend we found a store in
Greenville that sells it!!  (Truly amazing that!  They ain't hardly heard of 
that kind of stuff down here.  "Role playing?  Is that some sort of devil 
worship or something???"  Anything that smacks of the offbeat is suspect.)
  Just wanted to put in a plug for a great game.  We're going to get the 
expansion sets just as quick as we can find and afford them.
  One of the things that my husband and I like about it is that more than one 
person can win at a time. (Which is a good thing since I and at least one other
person we play with are sore losers ;-))

tlh

Agreed!  CE is the only game I've found that I'd call "family SF".  I enjoy
the elements of role-playing that the powers (I usually play with 2) give
you.  I'd be interested in a game!

				*** Daryl ***

My group's been playing CE here in Andover during our lunch breaks.  I'm
still a comparative novice at the game, but I'm quite hooked.

To get the ball rolling, I volunteer to host a noter's CE game at my house
in North Andover, off I-495, Exit 43.  Pizza and refreshments will be
served.  Please send mail if you're interested in attending, and suggest a
date and time.  Someone will have to bring the game, as I haven't found a
store around here which sells it yet.

					Yours in Encounters,

					  -  o
					 - -/-->
					-  @~\_

					Roger

WANTED:

Opponents in the Hudson MA area for any of:  Cosmic Encounters,  GDW's TRAVELLER
wargames:  FIFTH FRONTIER WAR, TRILLION CREDIT SQUADRON.  I would also like
to hear from people who have played FFW, or TCS.

Jim YODA::BARANSKI  LTN2-2/H14     229-6959

    
    Wanted:
    
    Information concerning the whereabouts that I can purchase things
    like StarFleet Battles, or any other games like it  (I used to play
    SFB, and it has got to be one of the most awesome board-type games
    I've ever played).

    The Spare Time shop in the Rich's shopping center on Route 20 is
    the place in Marlboro.  
    
    A bigger store for computer games which also has quite a few board
    games (as well as an incredible variety of strange and weird *things*)
    is The Whiz in Westboro, in the shopping center at Route 9 and Lyman
    Street.
    
    - Chris