In this fourth Battlestar Galactica - Starship Battles preview article, Andrea Mainini, co-author of the game with Andrea Angiolino, continues to present the game mechanics, focusing on additional gameplay elements that combined with the movement and combat systems add more flavor and atmosphere to the game.

Once the main mechanics were developed, we tapped into the richness of the Battlestar Galactica universe to introduce other elements and game situations. Here are some of them:

Asteroid Fields can be used tactically to escape, defend, hem in.

“Terrain” Elements

In the starter set there are a number of planetoids and asteroid fields with different characteristics. To provide variety, these can be used tactically to escape, defend, hem in, etc. The asteroid fields can also be crossed, if necessary, but risk damaging to the ship; however, crossing dense asteroid fields at higher speeds will cause more damage to your spaceship!

FTL (Faster Than Light)

In Battlestar Galactica some types of spaceships can travel at FTL speed. This powerful modality has been considered and introduced in an original way in the game. Under certain conditions, a spaceship can instantly move from one point to another on the playing field, creating very interesting and unique situations!

Pilots

Using special pilots is not mandatory (especially during the first games, when you are learning the main mechanisms and rules), but they add a greater depth of play when introduced, as they directly influence the performance of the spaceships in combat.

Pilots add a greater depth of play. Each of them has skills and flaws - as shown in the Apollo pilot card.

In the TV series, the strong personality of many pilots, starting with Apollo and Starbuck, decisively contribute to the compelling events. They are undisputed protagonists; along the way, pilots mature socially and emotionally, evolve technically, and grow in the hierarchy. The same thing happens in the game: each pilot has skills and flaws that can be adopted as indicated or chosen freely (in accordance with the rules), offering bonuses of various kinds or allowing you to exceed the limits imposed by the rules, allowing exceptional actions.

Some human pilots have flaws that can be activated by the adversary at the cruelest moments; the "famous" pilots will progress in a fairly pre-determined way, while “original" pilots built by the players can evolve more freely, perhaps completing the journey from nuggets to aces.

Scenarios

Game scenarios are appropriately aligned with the most significant episodes of the TV series and are interesting for fans, experts, and newcomers, who have the chance to be introduced gradually to the game dynamics, which become more and more involving. Starting from the examples of the proposed scenarios, the players then have the ability to invent original scenarios and hypothetical situations. Playing successive games with the same players, it is possible to connect a series of successive scenarios into a "campaign" and use the same pilots on a regular basis, keeping track of their victories, defeats, level, and growing capabilities.

The space fights in Battlestar Galactica – Starship Battles are already intense, unique and funny by themselves; but with these additional gameplay elements, they will evolve into more extensive "space adventures." These elements - and many others - will then be further enriched in the game expansions that will follow, to gradually build more complex and interesting scenarios.

If you haven’t read the previous articles, check them to learn more about Battlestar Galactica - Starship Battles:

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