Topic: The next Star trek game I would Like to see is a F&E style

[Magnum357]

Hey Carvey, you make me cry with those pics of an SFB windows game.   

Hmmm... if all this is true, it almost sounds like the people that designed SFC1 and Steve Cole comprimised with one another because they had a window of opportunity.  Did Steve Cole actually has some undertaking in the creation of SFC1?

[J. Carney]

Hey Carvey, you make me cry with those pics of an SFB windows game.   

Hmmm... if all this is true, it almost sounds like the people that designed SFC1 and Steve Cole comprimised with one another because they had a window of opportunity.  Did Steve Cole actually has some undertaking in the creation of SFC1?

I think all that he really did was tell Taldren what not to do... if you remember, he seemed fond of showing up on the Taldren forums to dothat to the community when we got too friskey about trying to mod something.

You'd have to ask someone a little more involved with the game's creation than me, though.

I do know that SFC was made through a very unusual and unlikely turn of events and it seemed like Cole didn't bet on the planets ever lining up like that again.

[Cleaven]

Well while we may have a very SFB like game it's missing bits, we still don't have SFB on the computer. And I don't mean SFBOL, but similar in that I don't want AI because I only want to play other people. I would like a menu driven interface with all the SFB rules and ships built in so that play would be very stream lined. If you can't do something according to the rules then the software won't let you do it. No more rules to look up and "discuss", no more gameplay mistakes and errors. Technically this would be just what that form letter describes as not possible because what I'm after is really an SFB play aid, not an SFB-like game.

The moral is that I'm really keen to stump up the money for a game that works.

[Magnum357]

Ya, I agree Cleaven.  What I don't understand with ADB is why just have SFBOL only use Tournament Rules and ships?  If Paramont is so pissy with a Computer game yet they do not mind the SFBOL (because it is server based and would not be putting a functional game on other computers) what is wrong with ADB expanding the features and rules of SFBOL to allow this? 

[J. Carney]

Ya, I agree Cleaven.  What I don't understand with ADB is why just have SFBOL only use Tournament Rules and ships?  If Paramont is so pissy with a Computer game yet they do not mind the SFBOL (because it is server based and would not be putting a functional game on other computers) what is wrong with ADB expanding the features and rules of SFBOL to allow this? 

Look at your sig, man.

"With the way Star Trek is heading, thank god I'm an SFB fan!" - Magnum357 (me)

I think that this is precisely what Paramont is afraid of!

[Max Power]

Ya, I agree Cleaven.  What I don't understand with ADB is why just have SFBOL only use Tournament Rules and ships?  If Paramont is so pissy with a Computer game yet they do not mind the SFBOL (because it is server based and would not be putting a functional game on other computers) what is wrong with ADB expanding the features and rules of SFBOL to allow this? 

You haven't been paying attention recently have you? The latest editions of SFBOL (everything past V2, which they pulled support from more than a year ago) has full functionality, with any kind of ship. There are at least 3 seperate campaigns in progress at the moment IIRC. There's a upgrade coming to another version at the end of the year as well, I think.

[kadh2000]

http://feonline.lang.hm/SFB/FE/login.cgi

This one is being done with ADB's approval.  It's still in development so if you want to play you have to register, but it does a pretty good job.  It's faithful to the 2000-2004 ruleset.

[J. Carney]

http://feonline.lang.hm/SFB/FE/login.cgi

This one is being done with ADB's approval.  It's still in development so if you want to play you have to register, but it does a pretty good job.  It's faithful to the 2000-2004 ruleset.

Could you give us a little more info on this one... like a screenshot or some gameplay info or something?

I'm glad it's in the works, but I'd like to know more about it before jumping in.

[Max Power]

The other way, which I alluded to above, is to play over the internet with an application sharing software and cyberboard (http://cyberboard.brainiac.com) software. If you have MSN messenger you have the application sharing software already. Cyberboard is a shareware program used to play out PBEM wargames. Phillipe Le Bas made up a full advanced ops F&E gameboard for it (good things do sometimes come from France). This means that the map is defined, the counters are defined (it's literally impossible to run out of counters), everything is defined. What you then do is click application sharing in MSN messenger, and choose to share the cyberboard program and any other relevant programs (accounting forms, die roller program, etc). When you do so both players will see the same cyberboard map at the same time. The player at the remote location can also take control of the cyberboard program with the permission of the player/person that owns the computer it is running from. What that means is that one player can make a move, and the other can counter his moves or make decisions, in real time. Effectively it's like being there, but you're not actually there, of course. Cyberboard, being a program that was originally designed for PBEM, also has a great deal of functionality to play in this manner. Frequently what will happen is all movements that do not require interaction between the players at the same time are done by E-mail, and only reaction movement and combat are done "face to face".

I have the full cyberboard gamebox for F&E alluded to above. If you want it, or want to see a demonstration of it, e-mail me and I send it/show you what I mean. I'll note that I can't get zonealarm pro to work with MSN and application sharing, and I have to shut it off to get it to work; you may need to shut down your firewall (if you have one) to make it work.

Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention, that all of this is totally free, of course.

[Lepton]

Ya, I agree Cleaven.  What I don't understand with ADB is why just have SFBOL only use Tournament Rules and ships?  If Paramont is so pissy with a Computer game yet they do not mind the SFBOL (because it is server based and would not be putting a functional game on other computers) what is wrong with ADB expanding the features and rules of SFBOL to allow this? 

You haven't been paying attention recently have you? The latest editions of SFBOL (everything past V2, which they pulled support from more than a year ago) has full functionality, with any kind of ship. There are at least 3 seperate campaigns in progress at the moment IIRC. There's a upgrade coming to another version at the end of the year as well, I think.

I might add to this that as far as I know ADB has every intention of adding F&E to SFBOL, so their support and development of SFBOL is continuing and on-going.

[RazalYllib]

Max, its good to see others have use the FnE toolbox for cyberboard.

I ran across it in SFC1 days before EAW was announced and dreamed of some way of seeding the battles generated on the strategic play to be resolved using the tactical interface of SFC1, despite it's limitations.

Then came EAW, and then OP.  Shame about the missing Tholians, if they were present, it would have been doable w/ a multiplayer script similar in nature the COOP Ace.  T

My initial vision was use Cyberboard to generate battle hexes that are then resolved tactically by teams of players through mplayer, I mean gamespy...  Once all the battle hexes are resolved, next phase via email/IRC/other...lather rinse repeat.

Any one else up for it?

[Max Power]

Working on such a thing now. Development is currently ongoing. If you have an interest in assisting, we have a forum for development of the concept  here: http://bozobits.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=46.

As for access and I'll add you.