From the very beginning of Star Trek Adventures, one criticism has come up again and again: ship combat is elaborate. In this, the first installation of our example campaign, we tackle this thorny problem with a detailed video!
Let’s get two things straight before we start. First of all, this is not a post about how ship combat in Star Trek Adventures is actually easy and you should stop whining. It’s tough. I still love it and I don’t think this is a game design issue. On paper it’s laid out in a really straightforward way with roles for everyone and a real sense of threat. There are options for every member of the crew to pitch in and it’s flexible enough to cover everything from encountering an enemy ship to fending off a colliding comet to battling a Crystalline Entity. It’s fantastic… however it’s got a million moving parts to accomplish all of that and you’d be forgiven for being a bit confused.
Secondly, and relatedly, we had a series of emails back and forth to get everything right. I’m confident in the product but also still worried I’ve made some error. I stand by it and will take any corrections or requests from the community here about any part of it. It’s also a great opportunity to say that if you are playing Star Trek Adventures and feel like you’re sure about most of the rules then nobody’s going to kick in your door over the remainder. Just play it!
Without further ado, here is the video!