I'm glad to announce my homebrew spaceship gaming ruleset, Pax Stellarum, is ready! I just uploaded the files on my googledocs page. You can follow the link on the upper rigth corner of this blog to check them.
There you will find:
- The Rulebook
- The Design Rules (becoming availabe soon)
- The Design Tool
- The Critical Hit Table
- The Quick Reference Table
- The Token Sheet
The design rules explain what are the rules to build you own ships and weapons. You don't necessarily have to read it to be able to use the Design tool. This is a ".xls" document that is already programed to inform you in case you select any illegal item for what you're designing. But the Design Rules are there so you can eventually check them to understand why the Design Tool keeps saying you've "violated the limits for item xxx"!
The design rules is on final stage of formatting, so I'll be uploading it in a few days.
The design rules is on final stage of formatting, so I'll be uploading it in a few days.
The Critical Hit table and the Quick Reference Table are supplied to allow players to check the most important aspects of the game without having to go look for them on the rulebook while playing.
Last, the token sheet provides all the basic tokens needed to play the game on ready-to-cut format.
I suggest for those interested in giving the game a try that you first try out the basic rules, and as you feel confortable with them, go ahead adding more and more of the advanced rules. There is so much stuff to be explored on this game, it takes time. Even I don't remember all the rules by memory (!)
The core mechanics have all been extensively playtested, but there are several advanced elements that I simply could not playtest thoroughly enough before releasing it. It's humanly impossible for a single person to do so in a reasonable timeframe.
So, I leave the task for you guys to point out any elements that may seem broken or that could be improved.
Feedback will hopefully make this game better, although it is already as much fun as I was looking for in a spaceship gaming ruleset.
The are a several ships already designed for the most popular sci-fi universes, allowing players to test the game right away. They are:
- Centauri x Narn, from Babylon 5
- Rebel Alliance x Galactic Empire, from Star Wars
- Klingon x Romulan, from Star Trek
- Aquarians x Carnivorans, from Starfleet Wars (Galactic Knights)
I'll be adding more and more "official" Pax Stellarum stats for dozens of sci-fi ships every week, hopefully.
Ready to play some space battles?! Let's do it!
*End of Transmission*
The are a several ships already designed for the most popular sci-fi universes, allowing players to test the game right away. They are:
- Centauri x Narn, from Babylon 5
- Rebel Alliance x Galactic Empire, from Star Wars
- Klingon x Romulan, from Star Trek
- Aquarians x Carnivorans, from Starfleet Wars (Galactic Knights)
I'll be adding more and more "official" Pax Stellarum stats for dozens of sci-fi ships every week, hopefully.
Ready to play some space battles?! Let's do it!
*End of Transmission*
Got the files.
ReplyDeleteWill try them out very soon.
Thank you.
I've had a thorough look through the rules.
ReplyDeleteI like most of what I see, the game reminds me in flavour of a mix of Firestorm Armada, Full Thrust and Battle-fleet Gothic (the special orders) with some very original mechanics thrown in.
It looks like it'll do what it say, run pretty much any fleet from any universe. Although obviously some have been more fully catered for (Trek, ST and B5 more than others). Saying that, I love that you put in rules for catapults! Can't wait to stick some vipers in the tubes!
Hopefully I'll be able to try these out in a few weeks when I can get a game organized. I'll be using them for BSG.
Compared to Colonial Battlefleet, my current staple, this looks more complicated but the mechanics seem to make more sense and the increased numbers of stats/rolls all have a purpose.I like that kind of granularity. Only issue I can think off atm is that a ship with superior fire control computers isn't any better at hitting an opponent, although I like that you bothered with profile, sensors, evasion etc as CB's mechanics feel oversimplified in this department.
I've downloaded the files.
ReplyDeleteI'll give your system a try as soon as I'll have read the rules.
Awesome! Will we see Shadows/vorlons, Galactica/Cylons,Borg/Federation?
ReplyDeleteSure!
DeleteAwesome work! Though I did not see the example races, - Centauri x Narn, from Babylon 5
Delete- Rebel Alliance x Galactic Empire, from Star Wars
- Klingon x Romulan, from Star Trek
Did I over look something?
Either way keep up the good work!! =)
The ships stats are on the Design Tool spreadsheets. There is a different sheet for each race there. I'll be adding more races as I build them. ;-)
DeleteFound the ships. Awesome examples. I am working on some. Lexx the bioship from His Divine Shadow. And the SDF-1 from Macross. Are you planning on making rules for biological style ships like the Tyranid Fleet. Regenerating hulls. Also fighters as Mecha. Theiy can count as troops if they succeed in boarding a larger ship. Keep up the good work. I look forward to your new additions.
DeleteThere are rules for regenerating hulls already. Look at "Self-Repair" on Special Systems & Abilities.
DeleteFighters as mechas is a good idea. I'll give it thought for a future version of the game. ;-)
Mat,
ReplyDeleteThe game looks great! Nice job.
I tried my first game of Pax Stellarum. Klingons vs the Empire. This was a practice run, to learn the rules, so we may have made mistake along the way. Empire Won, only cause the Klingons should've concentrated their firepower. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.473859582635065.107648.100000330810249&type=1
ReplyDeleteGreat pics! Would love to read a batrep and your opinion about the system, Michael!
DeleteLove your game rules! I'm using them to adapt battles for Starfire Ultra.
ReplyDeleteOne comment though, I think the weapon design rules are a little bit unbalanced.
Old One Eye. They might be unbalenced indeed. Creating a ruleset from scratch is a bit of challenge, and making sure everything is balanced is more complicated than I first imagined.
DeleteLet me know what you think doesn't work well, so I can have a look at it and possibly improve.
Thanks!
Just getting back to spaceship gaming and was going to use the 'new' Starmada Nova rules. They may have some stiff competition now though. Very impressed after an initial read through of Pax Stellarum.
ReplyDeleteWe have tended to go for hex based in spaceship games for the ease of range calculations and movement but may have to re-think that (or look at hex options for Pax).
Once I've played a game I'll provide some proper comments.