A few questions about the new edition.

[Stonehorse]

I've been re-reading the rule books and various army books and have remembered just how fun this game is, with the 2nd edition looming on the horizon I thought I'd ask a few quick questions (sorry if these have already been asked).

As it will now be Starship Troopers Evolution, I'm guessing it will have the same game mechanics as Battlefield Evolution. For those who have played both this current edition and Battlefield Evolution, what areas of the game mechanics have been changed, and does this impact the game in any major way.

Also can anyone tell me what was wrong with Starship Troopers to warrant a new edition?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Hiromoon]

Yep, you're stuck with BF:Ev rules for SST:Ev

And I'd guess it was because the rules were written in a way that people had confusions... So you're going to loose some rules and other rules are being reduced...so..yeah.

 

[voncougar]

It also makes it streamlined for those new players who had missed the boat on the rest of the SST products.

AND...the minis are prepainted.
Nothing is stopping regular SST players from picking up the prepainted stuff and just using the original rules. But coming out with prepainted figures is going to help bring a whole new slew of players.

Like me.

 

[Xorrandor]

As it will now be Starship Troopers Evolution, I'm guessing it will have the same game mechanics as Battlefield Evolution. For those who have played both this current edition and Battlefield Evolution, what areas of the game mechanics have been changed, and does this impact the game in any major way.

Well, I think the biggest change has been to Reactions. Specifically: a) you only get one Reaction per turn, and b) you may React when fired upon. Everything else seems to be window dressing. (The removal of keywords in favor of card text, for example.)

Also can anyone tell me what was wrong with Starship Troopers to warrant a new edition?

I'm one of those glacial painters, so I don't have much first edition experience to draw on. I suspect, however, that the introduction of new races was causing some weird effects. Given that the major change involves Reactions, the incongruity of having shoot-outs between Skinnies and MI where defensive-positioned units were spending more time firing on the enemy turn than their own might have prompted the change. When the game was just MI and Bugs, that wasn't so obvious. Add more races with ranged combat, and it would start to show up more.

 

[cordas]

I think its just a tidy up and tweak based on the accumulated experiences of playing SST.

 

[Goldwyrm]

I've got mixed emotions on the reactions. I can see why with two shooting armies that single reactions could make for smoother play. However I really like the fact in the 1st edition that more happens at the point of contact than where troops are not engaged. I liked the dynamic of a single squad of MI making a cinematic last stand against many hordes of bugs, running out of ammo, beating feet, etc. A move to one reaction changes that, yes?

Anyone know if/how the tunnel rules are changing? I do like the current method but heard or read something somewhere that they were changing in the new version.

Regardless of what was and what will be, I expect to be playing both versions of the game. Rulebooks don't expire like milk. :wink:

 

[cordas]

I've got mixed emotions on the reactions. I can see why with two shooting armies that single reactions could make for smoother play. However I really like the fact in the 1st edition that more happens at the point of contact than where troops are not engaged. I liked the dynamic of a single squad of MI making a cinematic last stand against many hordes of bugs, running out of ammo, beating feet, etc. A move to one reaction changes that, yes?

Yes that is gone, but it is replaced by a tactical decision of when you are going to take your reaction, you don't have to react at the 1st opportunity. This can make for some fun at times.

Anyone know if/how the tunnel rules are changing? I do like the current method but heard or read something somewhere that they were changing in the new version.

They have changed for the preview game where you just marked a spot and they appeared from that spot on a random game turn, but apparently when the game gets its release they are using the "old" SST tunneling rules.

Regardless of what was and what will be, I expect to be playing both versions of the game. Rulebooks don't expire like milk. :wink:

If you want to do that then go for it 8) Personally I would just find that too confusing :?

 

[Hiromoon]

Yeah... but as one of the playtesters, I can say that I like the v1 rules to the EV rules.

 

[Goldwyrm]

Thanks Cordas.

It is good to hear that the original tunnel rules will be used. I think a nominated entry point method might be ok for running a demo game but in longer term game playing it lacks a certain flavor element. I mean just putting a figure on the table in a predetermined spot is no different than other games with units that are hidden or infiltrate, teleport, or parachute into position. Tunnel movement, cave-ins, and blip markers moving or burrowing out of the ground have a much more unique flavor. Cheers to Mongoose for staying with that! Given that information, I can probably deal with only 1 reaction per turn.

Just to put my comment on playing both rules in context- My group has only been playing SST for just over a year. We do have some folks with no SST figures waiting for the prepaints. The others, myself included, have decent sized collections and are only just recently getting comfortably familiar with the current rules. We're currently either playing MI or Bugs, so the classic rules give us a great game. Now that we're just gaining momentum, many of us agreed we'd like to play the original rules some more before jumping into a second edition. One person's rules complexities are another's game flavor. I expect that as we add Skinnies, Forth, or our own generic forces from other universes, that we'll be giving the new rules a more serious look.

 

[Goldwyrm]

Yeah... but as one of the playtesters, I can say that I like the v1 rules to the EV rules.

Hiromoon, my group loves your cards for 1st edition! They have been really helpful for our group games with victims..err..new players who don't own the rules. Thanks

 

[Hiromoon]

No problem Goldwyrm. I'm glad your group loves the cards. Have you seen the new preview cards that I did?

 

[Goldwyrm]

No problem Goldwyrm. I'm glad your group loves the cards. Have you seen the new preview cards that I did?

Yes I have. In absence of knowing the new rules I didn't comment on that topic. They do look nice though. I just went back and saw the preview game tunnel rules that Cordas mentioned on the Tanker Bug card. I guess you're going to be remaking the card?

 

[Hiromoon]

Probably. I can't use playtest stuff on those cards at the moment though.

 

[Goldwyrm]

Probably. I can't use playtest stuff on those cards at the moment though.

That's understandable. Thanks. We'll see what's what after August.