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Psychopomp wrote: So, can anyone recommend a good web resource (preferably text over video) that's a good "so you have that Battlefleet Gothic itch and are wondering if Dropfleet Commander can scratch it" overview of the game and current edition?
I can't even recommend a good video. Most of what I've seen written about the current edition presupposes familiarity. There doesn't seem to be anyone out there that's fallen in love with DFC 2e to the point of producing good long form anything about it. There's a few shallow spon-con things I've seen, there's a few people enamored with the new ground combat, but it's not really new, they just refused to use the beta rules that have been out for 6 years. Everything beyond that one major change is somewhere between "conflicted" to "immediate mistake" to "gets worse the longer you examine it".
In skimming my old (and a lot of them are dead now) links for overviews of 1e, what I can still find isn't really accurate anymore in a lot of fundamental ways.
There's a couple people working on a final edit of the now abandoned 1st edition. Most everyone I know that plays tried 2e and either just stopped playing or went back to 1e with houserules.
Also no solo/coop rules whatsoever.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Or put another way, I've played a huge swath of space fleet combat games so you need to be more specific about what you liked about Battlefleet Gothic that you want more of, unless it's just spaceships in general, in which case I'd probably direct you to Starmada (30th anniversary edition) https://mj12games.com/starmada/mjg0160.html
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2024/12/11 18:36:14
It surprised me a fair bit that for a new edition it didn't seem like they paired up with a single youtube channel or similar to get some game previews out there.
They did loads wtih Beast of War back in the day with earlier editions
That's kinda surprising - I know Warcradle gets a good chunk of stuff videos from just sponsoring and sending out material to smaller channels and it really helps exposure when you search and there's a bunch of fans talking about stuff for what - the cost of a handful of boxed sets.
Sure bigger channels require paying (or a very good working relationship); but even getting stuff into smaller channels is a start.
slyphic wrote: TTC didn't do any marketing. The one channel that did anything for the new edition approached THEM and did it for free merch.
I can never figure out if it's incompetence, hubris, laziness, or disdain.
Which channel is that? Gopher Mafia did the most videos I’ve seen on 2.0, but they were mostly rules changes overviews, ship rankings (in terms of mechanics) and a couple battle reports. But they are one of the few stores who sell DFC in the US, so I gathered it was self-advertising.
For basic lore, Arvandus put out some good intro videos for the setting and factions. For introductory reading on the rules, Fandom put out tactics pages for each faction for 1.7 edition which I found a good starting place/refresher. I still recommend them to get an idea how the basic parts of the fleet are supposed to work together, even if the rules are outdated.
I haven’t had a chance to play 2nd edition, so I’ll recommend 1.7 edition with houserules. The rules are available online for free somewhere. I have a copy of you can’t find them anywhere else. For me and some of my friends who used to play BFG, the game scratched the same itch way while also feeling a bit more modern and a little sleeker.
I forgot about Gopher, I guess they count as a second? I think the game overview and ship specific or fleet tactic 1e articles are more inaccurate than informative about 2e.
If there's anyone singing the gospel about DFC2, I haven't found them yet. Lots of people looking for it though. Wish I could offer them something, but every game of it I played I enjoyed less and less compared to the most recent 1e+houserules DFC games I played until I hit the point that I'd just rather playing nothing than 2e. Same exact place I landed with Dropzone.
I forgot about those guys because I tended to tune out their videos and lose interest.
The tactics pages may not be accurate to 2.0, but since you recommended playing 1.0, that seems like less of a problem.
2.0 is still shaking out. It will need a couple updates before I am ready to call it a failure or not. They went for some big changes, and it will take time for them to figure out what works or not. Even longer if they’re relying on customers for all their play testing.
They had 'playtesters'. Said testers had the game for months, enough time to play a lot of games. Then TTC rewrote a bunch of rules and published them untested at the last minute, many of which had nothing to do with or outright contradicted the feedback. TTC just do gak because who cares, it's just a game, it's just an excuse to sell models ENDQUOTE
The problems with 2e aren't small tweaks and fixes, they're fundamental concepts that would necessitate v3. Which I could see one day being published, but I'd be amazed if it were less than 6 years out.
Is there a link to the rules that the play testers intended for 2.0?
I’m still in the headspace of mentally translating everything to 1.0 to understand how it works in the setting and then having to retranslate it back to 2.0 for game mechanics. The new mechanics change the flavor of the setting in a way that doesn’t jibe with 1.0.
I’d love to see the different saves combined into one save, and same with the weapon types. Maybe keep the backup save as something new to make big ships more survivable due to their bulk. I also don’t understand the intention behind WF preventing launch, or for launched assets to move so slowly. I don’t find these issues game breaking, but only because I already house rule away everything I don’t care for.
I could see them retiring the resin ones in the "fullness of time" if the game does well and if they move everything over the plastics and can expand more and more into them.
So I'd class them as "potentially vulnerable"
Also I want them to hurry up and show the Bioficer ship!
Last year we brought you more details about an upcoming game we nicknamed Project Hunter. Since this tease, Dave and our team have further developed the game which will be launching next year. Firstly we should outline its name, Dropzone Commander: Operation Artemis. As the name would suggest, this will be a subgame under the Dropzone Commander name.
The armies and Grand Fleet of the Post Human Republic have completed their conquest of the Tlalocan Moons, annihilating most alien Scourge forces there. The PHR chose the system as a beachhead in this galaxy-wide conflict due to its vast resources but also for its ancient connection to a new foe—the
Bioficers. Many relic technologies, listening posts and more eldritch remnants of their mysterious past lurk there. It has been a primary goal to silence Bioficer beacons and study their technologies to slow their advance and perhaps, one day, to stop them.
We all know the commander universe is filled with a hideous array of Fauna which are often lethal to human life. Today, we’ll be looking at just one of the Fauna you’ll discover whilst on deployment.
Minotaur
One of the largest megafauna encountered by mankind, multiple are PHR Walkers are required to take down a single Minotaur. As dangerous as they are large, Minotaur’s can tear apart metal with their claws and crush opposition with their alien strength. Seeing without eyes, the Minotaur is a hunters ultimate foe. The Minotaur will be just one of several imposing Fauna that you’ll find in the Operation Artemis box.
Commanders, are you ready to start a new adventure in the of the White Sphere and progress?
LOL, Theo your mind is an amazing place, never change.-camkierhi 9/19/13
I cant believe theo is right.. damn. -comradepanda 9/26/13
None of the strange ideas we had about you involved your sexual orientation..........-Monkeytroll 12/10/13
I'd put you on ignore for that comment, if I could...Alpharius 2/11/14
We’re back with more information about Operation Artemis…
Previously we covered some information about the story behind Operation Artemis and got a closer look at a Megafauna you’ll encounter. Today we thought it would be a good time to look at one of PHR Walkers you’ll be piloting during your deployment.
Type 9 Heavy Walker – Agas
The Type 9 Heavy Walker is available to pilots with a variety of weapon and chassis options. The Agas is best suited for engaging hostile Megafauna from range. Equipped with RX-1 Firehammer Railgun along with a pair of Miniguns attached directly to the torso, this walker can easily decimate enemies under a hail of fire. If engaged in close quarter combat, the Agas is adequately prepared. Armed with the electrified Beastslayer Blade capable of cutting through the toughest of hides, this augmented arm has a powerful thrust.
The Agas is always on over watch, ready to incinerate any beast foolish enough to get to close.
2025 is shaping up to be a great year for fans of the commander universe. With this in mind, we’re thrilled to say the Bioficers will be making their Dropzone Commander debut. Instead of reading about this exciting development, we’ll let Dave explain it.
As Dave said, he is currently hard at work sculpting the Bioficers for Dropzone Commander. You can tell from the passion in Dave’s voice that he and everyone here at TTCombat are excited to get this faction on your tabletop.
The tank looks a lot better as a model than as the render that we saw ages ago. Also nice to see the tank look just a touch more "tank" and a touch less "moving gun" designs that we've seen in space. It's great to see some design variety