Terrain: There has been some interesting things said about our terrain; thankfully all positive in regards to appearance, at least. Some players felt out of balance with it because their local groups either play with much less total coverage, or at least fewer, but bigger pieces. Some of the boards were refered to as "maze-like" due to the coverage. We will be putting some R&D into terrain.
Size of Fleets: The decision to make the tournament a 900 point Battle Fleet standard has been fairly controversial since the beginning. Currently, there is a poll going in the Spartan Games Community forums to gather some hard data. The truth is, that there is no point limit that will make everyone super happy. However, we are committed to staying true to the wishes of the player base.
Battle Log for Objectives: I don't think I've come across much, if any, displeasure about using this as a supplemental scoring mechanism. However, the points assigned and how the points were earned have received comment. Research will be done in this area as well.
As a first year event, I think that, overall, things went smoothley and a good time was had by most. And a big thank you to the players who showed up. We received several accolades from Adepticon staff for selling out a first year event, especially for a game that doesn't have as much recognition as some of the bigger convention staples.
That all being said, we have planted the seed for the Firestorm Armada Grand Tournament, now we need to focus on making each year better than the last. How fun would it be to get up to a 64 Admiral tournament? I think very.
Honestly, I liked everything about it. The missions were imaginative, without any of them being too "we're trying to do WHAT???" The objectives in the asteroid fields was a sneaky trick, but it forced us to think on our feet. Admittedly, I would have enjoyed it more if any of my ships could roll something other than a 2 on the maneuver checks, but that isn't the fault of the scenario. Terrain seemed about right to me, but I have played at Evolution a couple of times so I knew what to expect. I've heard some complaints about the amount of time available, and all four of my games were cut short, but I still believe that if both players are in tournament-speed-play mode then 2 1/2 hours is quite reasonable.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing really that I saw as an oversight was that it should have been specified in the mission packet that the grav stations don't count as capital ships when firing at a Difficult Target, but that was easily clarified with a quick question during the game.
Oh, and a major tip-of-the-hat to Larry (is that the right name?) of Evolution Games. Towards the end of the tournament, he was wandering around asking if anybody needed anything and talking about the models, which I interpreted at the time as a transparent attempt to sell some stuff. At closing ceremonies, however, he handed me a box that was clearly based on that conversation. I don't know if he was as successful at picking out the gift for everybody, but for me he absolutely nailed it. An original package Relthoza starter fleet, probably fairly hard to find these days, because I had mentioned preferring many of the older models. Very nicely done!
I'm very pleased that you enjoyed the tournament!
DeleteAnd yes, that was Larry. He, along with Evolution Games, has been amazing for the event. Frankly, without that support, the Schaumberg Offensive would have probably remained a pipe dream. He was instrumental in making the event both a success and a reality.
Yes that was Larry. Evolution Games was very generous in their support of The Offensive and will continue to do so. Next year he will likely have a booth.
ReplyDeleteI stopped by on Saturday to watch you guys. I didn't see any demo tables, but would have loved to try it out.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking for another game to get into, currently play Infinity and want something to scratch the space combat itch. How is the community around Chicagoland?