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Space Empire Mock-Up
mzum
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Almost 10 years ago I came across Star Chamber, one of my favorite games of all time. It combined a number of things I loved at the time: tactical play war gaming, the TCG model of deckbuilding, space empire building...
"This is the boardgame I've always wanted" is a thought that has stayed with me from our first encounter. Time has passed, and Star Chamber is now defunct. I miss it terribly.
I've previously entertained the thought of porting Star Chamber to the Tabletop. There's a fair number of problems associated with a straight port.
Book Keeping- Starchamber had a number of different mechanics going on -fleets of individual space ships, 4 different economies (cards, BP, Culture, and movement). A direct port is possible, but ... that is a lot of book keeping. We won't even get into the logistics of having so many different pieces.
TCG- Star Chamber had taken a page from M:TG with different 'technology colors', which tied into the different factions a player could choose. Early on I had thought of tossing the TCG format. Replacing that would be a headache, as it ties in so closely with the rest of the game.
Combat- Each ship had a set life total, with damage persisting from turn to turn. Ship health ranges from 13-50 BEFORE we get to individual cards.
Maps- The original game had a constant influx of maps, much like Starcraft. If a port was to be made, it would include either modular board design, or a very dynamic, well balanced static one.
I've taken a shot or two at the problems listed above. Here's where I currently stand.
Modular Board
Shaped like a hexagon, partitioned into triangles. Planets would be placed on triangle vertices. Triangle edges would be 'jump-lanes', with each line-segment between vertices representing 1 movement.
Cards
Instead, each game, a set of technologies (costing culture or build points) are selected (randomly or drafted), and are available to everyone at the beginning of the game.
Combat
Ship health massively reduced. Small ships with 2-4 health, larger ships with 5-7. Interestingly, I have a mind to have ships represented by cards, damage tracked by paper clips (or an equivalent). Large fleets could be stacked, and moved about the board with minimum fuss. Battles are resolved by distributing your ship(s) combined power as you see fit to the opposing ships.
Summary:
Each player moves about the board claiming planets building citizens, ships, and technologies. Planets produce various amounts of Industry (used for building things) and Culture (Victory Condition). A player is eliminated when they lose control of their STARTING Planet.
Game ends when:
A player wins 3 votes (takes place at a specific planet every few turns; only citizens in that region can vote)
A player has 15 Culture.
Only one player has control of their starting planet.
Where you come in:
I'm looking for constructive criticism. I want to play the game I fell in love with 8 years ago. I don't have the resources or time to make a computer game. I can throw together a board game for me and my friends to play (and you too!). If you have suggestions or comments, or demand more information before you can post anything constructive, let me know! I'll update this as I have time.
"This is the boardgame I've always wanted" is a thought that has stayed with me from our first encounter. Time has passed, and Star Chamber is now defunct. I miss it terribly.
I've previously entertained the thought of porting Star Chamber to the Tabletop. There's a fair number of problems associated with a straight port.
Book Keeping- Starchamber had a number of different mechanics going on -fleets of individual space ships, 4 different economies (cards, BP, Culture, and movement). A direct port is possible, but ... that is a lot of book keeping. We won't even get into the logistics of having so many different pieces.
TCG- Star Chamber had taken a page from M:TG with different 'technology colors', which tied into the different factions a player could choose. Early on I had thought of tossing the TCG format. Replacing that would be a headache, as it ties in so closely with the rest of the game.
Combat- Each ship had a set life total, with damage persisting from turn to turn. Ship health ranges from 13-50 BEFORE we get to individual cards.
Maps- The original game had a constant influx of maps, much like Starcraft. If a port was to be made, it would include either modular board design, or a very dynamic, well balanced static one.
I've taken a shot or two at the problems listed above. Here's where I currently stand.
Modular Board
Shaped like a hexagon, partitioned into triangles. Planets would be placed on triangle vertices. Triangle edges would be 'jump-lanes', with each line-segment between vertices representing 1 movement.
Cards
Instead, each game, a set of technologies (costing culture or build points) are selected (randomly or drafted), and are available to everyone at the beginning of the game.
Combat
Ship health massively reduced. Small ships with 2-4 health, larger ships with 5-7. Interestingly, I have a mind to have ships represented by cards, damage tracked by paper clips (or an equivalent). Large fleets could be stacked, and moved about the board with minimum fuss. Battles are resolved by distributing your ship(s) combined power as you see fit to the opposing ships.
Summary:
Each player moves about the board claiming planets building citizens, ships, and technologies. Planets produce various amounts of Industry (used for building things) and Culture (Victory Condition). A player is eliminated when they lose control of their STARTING Planet.
Game ends when:
A player wins 3 votes (takes place at a specific planet every few turns; only citizens in that region can vote)
A player has 15 Culture.
Only one player has control of their starting planet.
Where you come in:
I'm looking for constructive criticism. I want to play the game I fell in love with 8 years ago. I don't have the resources or time to make a computer game. I can throw together a board game for me and my friends to play (and you too!). If you have suggestions or comments, or demand more information before you can post anything constructive, let me know! I'll update this as I have time.
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