I have a small Osprey wargame books collection. I think that Gaslands is the most FUN wargame I have ever played. I think that I should try Billion of Suns (same author!)
I just bought this book last week, have watched a few videos, read the whole book, found some downloads and figured out what to make some ships out of, spoiler it's wooden clothing pins, and plan on getting my oldest kid into it with me. Love the video! Thanks for all your insight!
Wait… but the contracts don’t actually change the rules of how anything moves or anything like you said…. ? It just has different methods for getting points. You make such a huge thing about this but… you’re just wrong… I agree it’s maybe a bit too fiddly for those points. But your thing that it “changes rules” is just flat out incorrect.
I've seen that sort of variable win/loss consideration before, in other genres of games - I know some of GMT's solo games use it, as does Nemo's War. (Normally as Major/Minor Victory/Defeat when I've seen it) You mentioned how wargaming often celebrates the miniatures hobby more than being focused on the gameplay - Games that focus on the table exclusively vs games that celebrate miniatures as a hobby kind of sums up the difference in philosophies between miniature wargaming and hex and counter wargaming, doesn't it?
I don’t think that it always has to be one or the other. You can have a wargame that is a solid game. You can have a hex based game that is all about style over substance. I enjoy both kinds of games and want to believe that there is a magical mid point between them. I hoped that a billion suns might be that game. For some people it will be that game. For me, it has a the wrong foot in each camp. Is there any game you think I should add to the list of games to read and discuss?
Having played a few games I've found that the contracts play a lot more simply than they might seem just by reading them. For a start there are always exactly three contracts. Some contracts add additional tables to the game, there can be up to four sectors total. Objects from contracts can be placed on any table, they don't all have to be in the same sector. There just has to be a minimum of one per sector. The fact that contracts can have objectives spread across multiple sectors makes it interesting when you jump between them mid game. For the most part you need to either scout something, collect something with a cargo ship, or blow something up. Or some combination thereof. But the core mechanics of moving, shooting, and scanning stay the same through the whole game no matter what contract you play. I don't find them to be like 40k at all. It's not a contract system layered on top of core scenarios, it's not even the secret missions from Battlefleet gothic. Every game has three objectives, that's it. With the spread of ship types I'm finding each has it's own use case depending on how the game is going and how much credits I want to spend. I'd be interested to know what ships you would cut out. From my play so far the only one that seems like a luxury option is the Battleship. All the others have a niche. Have you played many games of this one? how did they go?
Having said that, great breakdown and I basically agree with everything you’ve said, even though I’m literally in the middle of constructing the first of two fleets for it out of balsa and matte board. It’s a good excuse to make tiny ships, as you said. But then again, there’s always One Page Rules FTL, also!!
Now I'm hoping for a gaslands episode.
Dam you are good at describing this and nuances. More please!
You make me blush
I have a small Osprey wargame books collection. I think that Gaslands is the most FUN wargame I have ever played. I think that I should try Billion of Suns (same author!)
That is the way I got A Billion Suns
What starship battle wargame would you recommend?
I just bought this book last week, have watched a few videos, read the whole book, found some downloads and figured out what to make some ships out of, spoiler it's wooden clothing pins, and plan on getting my oldest kid into it with me. Love the video! Thanks for all your insight!
Please do Trophy RPG
Wait… but the contracts don’t actually change the rules of how anything moves or anything like you said…. ? It just has different methods for getting points.
You make such a huge thing about this but… you’re just wrong…
I agree it’s maybe a bit too fiddly for those points.
But your thing that it “changes rules” is just flat out incorrect.
And they have print out cards on their website for those missions so you dont have to keep refering to the book as much.
I've seen that sort of variable win/loss consideration before, in other genres of games - I know some of GMT's solo games use it, as does Nemo's War. (Normally as Major/Minor Victory/Defeat when I've seen it)
You mentioned how wargaming often celebrates the miniatures hobby more than being focused on the gameplay - Games that focus on the table exclusively vs games that celebrate miniatures as a hobby kind of sums up the difference in philosophies between miniature wargaming and hex and counter wargaming, doesn't it?
I don’t think that it always has to be one or the other. You can have a wargame that is a solid game. You can have a hex based game that is all about style over substance.
I enjoy both kinds of games and want to believe that there is a magical mid point between them. I hoped that a billion suns might be that game. For some people it will be that game. For me, it has a the wrong foot in each camp.
Is there any game you think I should add to the list of games to read and discuss?
Having played a few games I've found that the contracts play a lot more simply than they might seem just by reading them.
For a start there are always exactly three contracts. Some contracts add additional tables to the game, there can be up to four sectors total. Objects from contracts can be placed on any table, they don't all have to be in the same sector. There just has to be a minimum of one per sector. The fact that contracts can have objectives spread across multiple sectors makes it interesting when you jump between them mid game.
For the most part you need to either scout something, collect something with a cargo ship, or blow something up. Or some combination thereof. But the core mechanics of moving, shooting, and scanning stay the same through the whole game no matter what contract you play.
I don't find them to be like 40k at all. It's not a contract system layered on top of core scenarios, it's not even the secret missions from Battlefleet gothic. Every game has three objectives, that's it.
With the spread of ship types I'm finding each has it's own use case depending on how the game is going and how much credits I want to spend. I'd be interested to know what ships you would cut out. From my play so far the only one that seems like a luxury option is the Battleship. All the others have a niche.
Have you played many games of this one? how did they go?
Cool. Osprey has some really good systems, and their systems are often so much cheaper (and often more flexible/creative) than many 'big brand names'
Having said that, great breakdown and I basically agree with everything you’ve said, even though I’m literally in the middle of constructing the first of two fleets for it out of balsa and matte board.
It’s a good excuse to make tiny ships, as you said.
But then again, there’s always One Page Rules FTL, also!!
Fabulous voice…So interesting to listen to!
Why not to back The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era? :O
It's in the works haha, likely filming that tomorrow. I've been away
Yooo where is the elder scrolls 5 reasons not to back video?
Haha it's coming, I was just away this past week so filming today