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