[net.games.board] Stellar Conquest

ccrrick@ucdavis.UUCP (Rick Heli) (09/07/85)

> >
> > Illuminati  (Steve Jackson Games):
> > 	I reviewed this recently in net.games, so I'll just say
> > 	that it is great for anyone with a slightly warped sense
> > 	of humor and a cynical mind.  Fast and playable.
> > 
> 
> 	If you like this one try "Stellar Conquest" designed
> 	by Steve Jackson before his split with "Metagaming" I
> 	hear its been bastardized (new counters that look like
> 	death stars...etc) and put on the market by Avalon
> 	Hill. Not sure but thats what I'm told.  
> 

Minor technicality:  SC was designed by Howard Thompson, founder of
Metagaming Concepts (later Metagaming).  Basically a businessman
rather than a wargame designer, Thompson's only published designs
are (to my knowledge) SC and Chitin:  I.  The long-awaited
Hymenoptera was never published.

Thompson's company is now defunct, so we're lucky AH picked up the
SC title as it's quite an enjoyable game.  Steve Jackson used to
work for Metagaming and his departure from that company pretty much
coincided with its failing fortunes.  He is obviously a veteran of
many SC games and some time back published two full pages of errata
in his company's magazine The Space Gamer (which, by the way, has been
sold to Diverse Talents, Inc.  and will now only appear as an insert
in The VIP of Gaming).

> 	"Stellar Conqest" is a political/economic/war game.
> 	Heavy on the economics.  A "war monger" probably wont
> 	win but a accountant will be trounced....you need a
> 	little of both. GREAT GAME. (plays best with 4 players
> 	but in some tournaments I've been in we played three
> 	and 2 player games.
> 

Has anyone out there who has played the Metagaming version picked up
AH's new release?  Have the rules glitches been ironed out?  Are
there any new twists?  How much are they charging?
-- 
					--rick heli
					(... ucbvax!ucdavis!groucho!ccrrick)

dossamg@mtuxn.UUCP (A.GOPIN) (09/10/85)

I have both version of SC. The differences are minor. AH continued
their annoying habit of "fixing" things better left alone (like the
airplane data cards in AIRFORCE, but I digress.) They have changed
the names of the ships (Dreadnaught became DeathStar - yeech!) and
have added command posts. If you don't have unlimited ship range,
you can't be more than 8 hexes from a command post. Each player gets
7 CP to put on planets he has explored. It is still an excellent game.
I am currently involved in a blind gamemastered play by Email game
on Compuserve. It has been really interested. You can't even see the
enemy task force markers.

NOTE TO CIS SUBSCRIBERS: Mark Herman, president of Victory Games and
designer of Gulf Strike, Pacific War, et. al. will be my guest speaker
on the CompuServe GameSIG wargaming CO on Saturday 5 Oct. 85 at 21:00
Eastern Time. Type GO GAMESIG followed by /TUN 3 to get to the CO.

					Alan M. Gopin
					attunix!mtuxn!dossamg
					ihnp4!mtuxn!dossamg
					Associate Kzinti Patriarch SFB
						Star Fleet Universe

dta@cpsc53.UUCP (Doug Anderson) (09/12/85)

In part Alan writes:

> I am currently involved in a blind gamemastered play by Email game
> on Compuserve. It has been really interested. You can't even see the
> enemy task force markers.
> 
> 
> 					Alan M. Gopin
> 					attunix!mtuxn!dossamg
> 					ihnp4!mtuxn!dossamg
> 					Associate Kzinti Patriarch SFB
> 						Star Fleet Universe

	How does somebody go about getting in to one of these
	games?  What does it cost etc. If you could provide
	some info I would greatly appreciate it.


		Thanx

			Doug Anderson