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Improved computer version of STAR FLEET BATTLES

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Second installment of this excellent Star Trek tactical level wargame which tests your ability to think, not the speed with which you can click the mouse or hit buttons on the keyboard.

The Star Fleet Command series of games are a brilliantly executed computer version of the Task Force Games & Amarillo Design Bureau Star Trek boardgame, Star Fleet Battles.

If you have ever played the boardgame, and enjoyed it, this has almost identical ships, races, and rules, but with the computer dealing with all the tedious Energy allocation, combat results, etc. So instead of filling in forms, rolling dice, looking up tables and trying to remember which phasers you've fired you can concentrate on how your starship can defeat the enemy.

This game does not require any ability to hit the right part of the screen with mouse or joystick, nor lightning-fast reactions, nor the ability to repeatedly press any computer control with RSI-inducing speed. It is a test of tactical ability and particularly of using your intelligence to set up situation where your ship's weapons will be more effective than those of your opponent. (There are also a few scenarios which can be solved by using diplomacy or by appropriate use of ship systems other than weapons.)

You can opt to fight single-ship battles, command a squadron of up to three ships, or fight a campaign game set at the time of the "ISC Pacification Campaign."

In the "Star Fleet Battles" history the Organians mysteriously disappeared in the 2260's, between the original "Star Trek" TV series and the first "Star Trek" film, and the Klingons took advantage of their absence to launch a major war which rapidly spread to engulf most of the races in the galaxy. The Organians returned and stopped that war, but encouraged a new power, the Interstellar Concordium, to impose peace on the galaxy. The attempt to impose a "Pax ISC" provides the backdrop and context for the campaign game.

The six Star Trek nations which you could play in the first Star Fleet Command game were the Federation, Klingons, Romulans or Gorns, and Lyrans or Hydrans from the boardgame. The Orion Pirates appear as a non-player race in the first two games (there is a later expansion in which you can play them.) This second game adds the ISC and re-introduces the Kzinti ships and systems under the name Mirak.

It is with some trepidation that I explain this, because a letter I wrote making a joke on this subject to a games magazine generated an avalanche of hate mail from Star Trek fans.

Larry Niven's Kzinti from his "Known Space" series also appear in the "Star Fleet Battles" universe: when Niven wrote some of the episodes of the animated Star Trek series many years ago, he adapted his own short story "The Soft Weapon" as a Star Trek tale, complete with Kzinti. So Task Force games allocated them a place in the Star Trek galaxy complete with a unique set of ship types and tactics. Larry doesn't seem to have been at all bothered by this, he certainly never sued TFG or the Amarillo Design Bureau, but for legal or contract reasons the people who put out the first version of the computer game decided that having the Kzinti in it was asking for trouble.

However in this second version of the computer game, they put a new race in the same part of the galaxy which the Kzinti occupied in the boardgame, flying exactly the same ship designs which the Kzinti used in the boardgame, so the wargamers who loved having those ships in their games were happy, but they called the replacement race the Mirak, and the graphic of a Mirak captain doesn't look like the Kzin in Larry Niven's books, so the lawyers were happy.

The other new thing in this second game is - CARRIERS AND FIGHTERS! Only the Hydrans had fighter shuttles in the first computer game, but in this one just about every carrier design in Star Fleet Battles from the mighty Federation Space Control Ship (my favourite ship in the game) down to light carriers is available.

There are two new campaign games - one available to all races which covers the history of the ISC Pacification campaign, and one resrtricted to the Mirak, Lyrans, Hydran which involves finding ancient technology and using it to defeat your enemies. The campaign games incorporate almost all the scenarios in the boardgame, from patrol and convoy actions to base attack/defence, and "the surprise reversed." There are also a range of battles in the campaign game which feature various space monsters new ideas like hostage rescue, and the campaign game knits together into an entertaining storyline.

For reference, there are currently four "Star Fleet Command" computer games

1) The original "Star Fleet Command" set in the general war

2) This game, "Star Fleet Command II, Empires at war" set about a decade later during the attempt by the Interstellar Concordium (ISC) to impose peace on the galaxy.

3) Star Fleet Command "Orion Pirates" which is a free-standing expansion for the second game, and you can play as any of the eight empires from this game or as one of eight clans of Orion pirates.

4) Star Fleet Command III, set a century later in Picard's time, and you can play as the Federation, Klingons (now allied to the Federation), Romulans (still enemy) or Borg.

So if you want to play the Orions, get the third expansion, if you want to play as or fight the Borg, get Star Fleet Command III.

XP

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 17, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I used to have this game on my old computer and i thought it was amazing. Somehow the game got thrown away and i just recently purchised another, and i now have a new computer with XP it and the game wont install. Any ideas?

Not the best game for true trekkies.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: May 29, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I give this game a 3 out of 5. This single player campaigns are severely weak. The only fun there really is are on the skirmish missions. You get to pick your race ship and up to 2 other ships for your fleet. You can also download missions for the skirmish campaigns that can almost make up for the single player campaigns. There are a bunch at http://www.strategyplanet.com/sfc/ along with patches and anything to do with Starfleet Command. It has good graphics but still is in 2-D. If you just want a trek game that isn't hard get this game.

A TREKKIE's DREAM GAME!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: February 21, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game is great. Obviously the game has worn off in excitement since first buying it...but the first time you play it is undescribable. The first time you get it loaded and start playing you feel like you're a captain. As a trekkie, that was all I had ever wanted. And controlling every detail about the ship is just amazing. I'm serious, EVERY DETAIL. Probing, electronic warfare, weapon control/firing, shields, shuttlecrafts, special features using your warp engines such as high energy turns, usage of mines, transporters, ship speed, systems repair...ok the list goes on. This game is simply amazing.

Now people have told me about bugs...I've never had any problems...EVER. The game should never be minimized or interrupted because you will come back to a messed up screen, which can't always be fixed. But that's the only "problem" I have. The "patch" is really easy to get considering you just go in your start menu under the game and select Update. It will instantly find the udpate and download. With a fast connection this will only take a few minutes. All bugs previous to this are gone. (If there were any, I've always updated first.

The game:
The single player game was very cool at first. I never really got into the single player on this game after being dissappointed by continuous repetition of missions on the original Starfleet Command game. And it always seemed as if the missions were to easy or absolutely impossible. However, this game has many more missions, features etc. Besides the campaign you can set up a "skirmish" for short little single missions with the AI. I bought this game almost exclusively for online play. I play with Gamespy Arcade, the only place to play online known to me....It's great battling against other human beings. Your chances are realistic after you get good. This game is about skill, and also knowledge of the other ships and the weapons they have. If you're into Star Trek and realistic battle simulations you can not go wrong.

Bugs and More Bugs

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 8
Date: December 31, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Doesnt work out of the box. I have emailed interplay and have received no response. This game has more bugs then any other i have seen. Each patch promises to fix them, to no avail. The first one was great Empires at war is the worst second i have ever seen in any game. I bought this game for the name. Taldren who actually wrote it is probably the worst company I have ever had to deal with. After getting no response i posted on the forum asking about the bugs and my posts were deleted. All you will see on the forum are filtered messages genereating positve press. The game looks great but after playing it for a while you will lose ships, Lose cash or it will freeze up right when you tink you are doing good. Buy at your own risk.

poor software design

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: August 29, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I would warn anyone to not purchase this game due to the increasing problems I've had with it. I found the game to be a bit plodding over time with no real end goal in sight.
As I continued to play the game it began to glitch more frequently and for longer periods of time to the point where the game would not load but would spool without end. I would have to reboot my computer to disengage the game. I tried the downloads from the net, and that didn't help either. I have sufficient memory etc. on my computer and don't believe I have a hardware problem, Windows 98, 128 ram, 600+ pent processor, 100 mhz clock, etc. I believe this is a poorly designed game. I hesitated buying the game based on prior Star Trek game revues which said the same thing that I am writting now.
If this is the extint of Interplays software capabilities I won't be buying any of their products in the future, as it would be a waste of money.
Oh yea, I am a bit of a Trekkie, enjoy the shows etc.
I very much enjoy the Star Wars simms and have purchased all of them. Needless to say they have all performed flawlessly, hoping that the Star Trek game might do the same I gave it a try.
Be careful what you buy and good gaming.

Bad Outweighs the Good for the Casual Gamer

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: August 10, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Please note from the outset I am approaching this as a casual gamer who was drawn to this game because of my positive experiences with the previous edition. Bottom line: Empires at War offers distinct improvements over the first edition, and glaring problems.

First, what was kept: The basic operation of the controls remains the same. There are little quirks that have changed a couple of things, but nothing glaring. Ships remain similar in appearance and function.

Second, the improvements. Regenerative shields: if your shields get knocked out, they will regenerate, more accurately reflecting activities of repair crews on the starships. Of course, you have either go to keep your good shields facing the enemy, or keep your distance from an engagement. Of course, your opponent has the same advantage/disadvantage, but it is preferable to the permanently dead shield. Also, if you destroy a ship, unlike in the first game if you sit on top of or close to an opponent when you destroy them you can also be destroyed. Another improvement: Accurate photon torpedoes over a distance. In the previous version, unless you fired point-blank, you often saw half or more of your photon torpedo spread disappear into space. In this version, they are actually an effective weapon over distance, with an appreciably high hit-to-miss ratio. Third - missile defense: Missiles are less effective overall, removing to advantage of the heavy missile cruisers from the previous game. They also come in varied speeds, another good thing. Space Monsters: much more varied - often lethal. They are a great x-factor, and wonderful teachers of caution in an engagement. I ran into one that literally destroyed my ship with a plasma volley in the first exchange. Fleet combat - In skirmish mode, I experimented with fleet maneuvering, and found it a distinct improvement over the prior edition. Ships operate with a number of options in terms of control, and seem more responsive to orders - though not all functions seemed to work as they should. Also, visually, the scenarios are much nicer than the old version.

Third, the problems. Where to start? Overall, the gameplay, while in many ways improved (regenerative shields, better torpedoes, greater equity in terms of reduction of the missile effect) is overshadowed by the complexity of gameplay, and overall difficulty presented by the game's progression. One example - Prestige points. While in the first game you had to pay for what you got in terms of supplies and new ships, you could do so in a fashion that assured a steady rise in points that translated into better, stronger ships. In this version, because of the average greater length of battles and commensurate exhaustion of supplies and added repair costs, it is difficult to build significant value. Also, ships lose their value quickly for trade in, and I find I cannot trade a ship in for a new one without first buying the second ship, thereby reducing the prestige points necessary for purchase. Additionally, there is no crew section, where you have officers accruing value that is valuable in trades and/or ship combat effectiveness. Finally, the cost of supplies, as I mentioned, is prohibitive, especially in terms of missiles. Lastly, if you buy something and then decide you don't want it, you can return it but you will not receive the spent value back. This is a glaring weakness in the game, given the increased value of the Capitol ships like Battleships and dreadnoughts.

The interfaces, while serviceable, are a step backward in terms of functionality and clarity. While I like having a greater selection of ships (even though it seems nigh impossible to accrue the Prestige Points needed to acquire them), I feel there could have been modified version of the old interface. Still, I admit that right clicking on the ship type to get the schematics is almost as good and provides a quick method of determining value of the ship.

Replay is no longer offered. Instead, you're dead and you get to go back to the beginning. Now if you are a serious gamer, I suppose this is no big deal. But for the casual gamer, this is a serious drawback. Also, saves are controlled more by the AI than by the gamer, taking away the feature of being able to branch off in a separate direction and experiment with ships in scenarios.

In the end, I won't say don't buy this game. But be warned, in spite of appearances, and some functional improvements, it is not as good, and more important, not as fun.

Cool Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 6
Date: July 09, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is the best!!!... No other game beats it.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 9
Date: June 01, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Play this game for about 20 minutes if you can't sleep. You'll be out in no time.

The Best Star Trek Game to date

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: May 21, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Admittedly, I an a big fan of the series, I might be a little biased. But if you really take your time to play this game, you will be biased too!

This is one of those games that have everything, Stunning graphics, immense details, and tactical thinkings.

you have control of every aspect of you ship, loaded with 1 of 800 possible combination of weapons and secondary systems. you get to tractor someone, board the ship, smash starbases, eveyrthing you can think of. it also has a great multiplayer support and a strong community. Once you get the AI beat, you can then try your luck with human players. it's so very gratifying if you just shoot down someone's Starship, and watch it in flames.

However, be aware that this game remains true to its origin, Star Fleet Battles. So it's not exactly what you see on TV. The are specific rules of porbabilities governing everything down to the last possible detail, from the weapon hit% to the success rate of spinning the ship, and that's the beauty of it. This makes commanding the ship an art. For example, the Photons don't hit every time. It has a specifit range v. hit% chart. eg. at range 5~8, photon hit 50% (5 out of 6) This game is based on the Movie era's (somewhere around ST:VI) so there is no Galaxy or Sovereign, only Constitution and Excelsior. Also note this game is played on a 2D plane. NO ramming stuff.

If you love Quake and Elite force so much, chances are this ain't for you. but if you love the capital ship tactics (Jane's Fleet Command, Age of Sails 2 (minus the bugs...)) This is definitely for you.

Also with the release of version 2006, the Persistent universe (dynaverse2) is online and operational. All the promises on the box have been fulfilled. There are only few system specific problems, and balacing issues left. (which will be addressed, possibly, by further patch)

Trek Fans, The time is now!

Josh aka 3dot14

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