Welcome to the first gameplay update of Season 3, the Starfleets Update! This update will introduce the remainder of the Starfleet mechanics, including creating Starship units, assigning starships to fleet rosters, and the ability to pit starfleets against one another in epic Space Battles.
Bear in mind that, as brand new systems, these parts of the game will be subject to changes and tweaks to benefit game balance, and make it the most fun it can be for everyone involved. Every use of these systems helps playtest what works and what doesn’t, and the Game Masters will make changes (with Faction Leader feedback) to tune game balance to create the best possible rulesets for Factions as a whole. Thank you to everyone who participates in using them; you’re helping the game! We’re grateful for feedback and suggestions on every facet of the rules.
The intention behind new rulesets is to add depth to the map game portion of Factions, while preserving clarity and simplicity. Factions has always thrived by allowing a lot of room for creative freedom; we hope to make new rules reflect that same spirit. That means the rules will probably never be as complex or intricate as a true Star Wars starfleet simulation—that’s a necessary compromise in a game where the primary goal is to motivate its players to make good art.
Update Content
- Space Battle: The Space Battle system starts out very simple: when two Starfleets come into conflict, the fleet with the higher combined score is the winner. The defeated Starfleet looses precious cargo and retreats to a safe system for recovery and repairs.
- Starship Classes and Types: This update introduces three broad ship classes: Light, Medium, and Heavy. Light starships (Starfighters, shuttles, and personal transports) are cheap, but have no carry capacity. Medium starships (frigates, corvettes, freighters) and Heavy starships (cruisers, bulk haulers, dreadnoughts, and stations) can carry cargo, but are more expensive and take up more room in your starfleet.
This update also introduces the two Starship Types: Commercial which excels at transporting cargo, and Military which excels at space combat. - Asset Updates: In addition to new Starfleet based Assets, some existing Assets are being modified or phased out. Prices are being lowered across the board to make Assets more accessible.
*All updates are live and in effect.
We’re excited to bring the Starfleets update to SW Factions. Until next time, remember to keep an eye on this space for full coverage of the SW Factions RPG.
More updates are in the works. Go to the #questions-and-suggestions channel on the SW Factions discord, for any questions about this update.
