Galactic Conflict & Historical Games ... > To the Galaxy and Beyond
Anyone get into Dropzone Commander? And Dropfleet Commander?
KTG17:
I just bought three more Deepcut Studio mats. I am getting rid of what I previously bought for playing areas from other manufacturers except some kill team boards.
I bought:
https://www.deepcutstudio.com/product/wargames-terrain-mat-plains/
https://www.deepcutstudio.com/product/game-mat-prairie/
https://www.deepcutstudio.com/product/wargames-terrain-mat-waterworld/
I wish I had found these guys sooner.
GamesPoet:
I have the plains mat in cloth format. However, the thicker almost rubber like mats are excellent.
KTG17:
Okay, I know no one seems to care about this game, but I just have to keep talking about it because my friends just don't care and dont want to hear about it.
So since I got into this game so late, its taken me a bit to figure out whats been going on with it and how it got to where it is today, which seems like its in a major mess, even though TTCombat is still producing stuff for it. And its pretty stunning how bad its being managed.
After the initial release of Dropzone, Hawk Wargames produced a couple of additional books called Reconquest Phase 1 and Reconquest Phase 2. I initially held off getting these but eventually folded and glad I did. They advance the story and include new units and scenarios and are both very well done. If Hawk Wargames did anything right, they really knew how to put together nice books. Especially the art. There is a ton of art in all their books.
Well, after the game was sold to TTCombat, they released another book called The Battle for Earth, which is a massive tome that includes updates to Dropfleet as well as revised rules for Dropzone, as well as advancing the story and introducing a new fleet for the Resistance faction. Its an odd book. While it covers Dropfleet, there are no basic rules included, just focuses on a new fleet and new ships for existing. If it included the basic rules for Dropfleet along with Dropzone, it would make sense that this book would serve as the new rule bible going forward.
I am not sure what came next, but TTCombat did release mini stand alone rulebooks for both Dropfleet and Dropzone, but I hate the layout and there is little backround info, nearly no art or pictures, and nothing on units. I assume these were meant to be included in box sets, but are also available online for free, as well as unit lists and so on.
Now here is the kicker: I was talking to a rep from a FLGS in another state about this game as they had a few of the Dropfleet Commander starters which seem very hard to find these days, and he mentioned that they were sent an entire shipment from TTCombat without the rulebooks - in this case The Battle For Earth as those are what TTCombat is sending out now, due to some printing error, so this store had to opened up the starters and add their own copies of The Battle of Earth that they had on hand.
Now here is the crazy thing: TTCombat is still using the old Hawk Wargames box, which specifies that the game includes the rulebook, which in this case means the original Dropfleet rulebook. However, including the Battle For Earth, it leaves out any mention of the ships that are included in the game, even though the game does include reference sheets for them. And of all the ships released for this game and available from TTCombat, very few are mentioned in Battle For Earth, since it itself is more than an expansion for Dropfleet. And in this book there is a note that says - rules for Dropfleet can be downloaded from their website.
So imagine this for a moment. You buy a game which comes with this massive book that does not include any rules on how to play, but points you to a website where you can download the rules. And then the book that does come with the game provides rules for a game you have no miniatures to play with. It really makes no sense.
Anyway, decisions like this I assume are going to put the nail in the coffin for this game, which is a shame as what David Lewis did with it was pretty epic. The guy is a legend in my book. I can't help but wonder how exciting it might have been had they been able to make a 28mm scale game within that universe.
GamesPoet:
Saw a vendor at Huzzah! 2022 selling DropFleet. I considered dropping some money, but didn't. Not a priority, and my interest level is low.
However, I did recently pick up a starter box of Battletech, but that'd be the wrong topic for this thread :icon_wink: :icon_lol:
KTG17:
Ha I have a weird fascination with Battletech. I have the original FASA Battledroids set
as well as second edition, now called Battletech, and all of the 1/144 and 1/200 scale kits scenario packs sold by TCI.
All waiting to be assembled. I do like Battledroids because it includes rules for infantry and vehicles that Battletech 2nd ed drops out.
I grew up overseas so knew these robots by their original names as I was a fan of the shows, so naturally was initially interested in Battletech. But the game of Battletech is pretty lame. It is actually based on a pair of old Takara games called
Battle of Stanrey (aka Stanley) - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/8780/battle-stanrey
Battle of Kalnock - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/14165/battle-kalnock
I have both of these games and they are some of my most prized collector items. Took a great deal of effort to get two sets in great condition, because usually they are pretty beat up.
Both are based in the Dougram series and center around two major battles that take place in it. The majority of the rules are in japanese but some were translated by TCI for import for the US. Apparently the FASA guys saw these games and the kits at a convention and that is how Battletech got its start. When I got the sets I did, I got them from Japan, so they didnt include the english rules. I pinned down anyone who could read Japanese when I was in college to try and translate bits and pieces. It wasnt until I posted the games on an old website I ran did people reach out to me saying they could send me copies of the english rules. I was so thankful for those guys. But the english rules only cover a fraction of the japanese and I am not even sure they are 100% accurate.
It amazes me how popular Battletech got, given the terrible designs of many of the FASA non-anime robots, and the lack of any strategy in the game. I don't know where Battletech is today, but I have a fondness for old games and I do love having the original models the game was intended to use, as opposed to minis. The models are really too big for the task though. I gave some thought of hunting down the metal counterparts, but not sure I ever will.
I also know I will never play the game again.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version