Fed Commander Master Rulebook
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Fed Commander Master Rulebook
Does anyone know if there is going to be a master rulebook for Fed Commander? I love the game, BUT the most annoying thing is the inability to integrate the pages of various rulebooks together into a cohesive whole, like you could with SFB. Why they are not designed to be easily integrated is beyond me. I would buy a master rulebook in a heartbeat.
If you're going mad, you need to get help; if the world is mad, you have to treat it like a demented relative at a family reunion, politely humoring it while searching frantically for the exit.
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Steve Cole
- Site Admin
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As Steve indicated, I always request my rule books in "loose leaf" and "hole punched" for easy combination of as more expansions are added to the system. But I do agree kiehtan, I have found that even with this option it is still a little ackward getting all the rule sections in order. Sometimes I need too look up specific rules in the index and each rule book has its own Index with similar numbered pages, a problem if you have multiple rulebooks combined. 
I hope ADB does design a "Master rulebook" for Federation Commander. I would think a book like this would not be as big as the SFB Master rulebook and might even be a good sell for ADB.
But one request please if it is ever made, could you please keep the ship descriptions and history in the rulebook if possible? One of the things I liked about SFB, for research for example, was reading the history of each type/class of ship.
I hope ADB does design a "Master rulebook" for Federation Commander. I would think a book like this would not be as big as the SFB Master rulebook and might even be a good sell for ADB.
But one request please if it is ever made, could you please keep the ship descriptions and history in the rulebook if possible? One of the things I liked about SFB, for research for example, was reading the history of each type/class of ship.
I do order them loose leaf hole punched, but, like Magnum mentioned, they just don't "fit." A design for easy integration is one thing they should have kept from SFB. Perhaps if they do design a master rulebook, the editing will already be done and they can start to incorporate any further expansions to seamlessly fit the MR.
If you're going mad, you need to get help; if the world is mad, you have to treat it like a demented relative at a family reunion, politely humoring it while searching frantically for the exit.
I kinda thought the whole concept of Fed Com was to get away from the "rules creep." and streamline the game. I'm a noob, and I am quite confused by the product fragmentation (I really can't figure out what product to by next.) The only game system that is more confusing to the new player is Classic Battletech.
Trust me, it is WAY more streamlined than SFB. And, it doesn't really matter which rules you buy in which order, as long as you have the basic rules found in Klingon Border or Romulon Border. Each new supplement only has a few pages of rules, unlike in SFB where each supplement had like a whole new book of rules. In FC, the weapons and systems of any new races need to be explained, that's pretty much the only new rules you see in the supplements in FC.
I just get aggravated when I'm looking for rules on how a particular thing works, say, plasma torpedos, and I'm in the plasma section, then the next page is about half plasma and then a new heavy weapon, say photons, starts; but a new supplement is released that has a new plasma torpedo in it but the page can't be put in the proper plasma section because the rule book wasn't built to take that new torpedo into account.
This is an example. I'm at work and don't have a book in front of me, so I don't actually know if this example holds true for plasmas, but I know it does hold true in several areas of the rules.
I just get aggravated when I'm looking for rules on how a particular thing works, say, plasma torpedos, and I'm in the plasma section, then the next page is about half plasma and then a new heavy weapon, say photons, starts; but a new supplement is released that has a new plasma torpedo in it but the page can't be put in the proper plasma section because the rule book wasn't built to take that new torpedo into account.
This is an example. I'm at work and don't have a book in front of me, so I don't actually know if this example holds true for plasmas, but I know it does hold true in several areas of the rules.
If you're going mad, you need to get help; if the world is mad, you have to treat it like a demented relative at a family reunion, politely humoring it while searching frantically for the exit.
Oh, and as for which products to buy, the web site can be a bit confusing, but this logic pretty much holds true:
Start with Klingon Border as it is the basic rulebook. Don't bother with Romulan Border because you can buy a product called Romulan Space which has all the parts of Romulan Border (Romulan specific rules, ship counters, etc...) not duplicated in Klingon Border. It'll save you a few bucks. After that, have at it, just don't buy an "attack" set of rules unless you have the "border" set of rules first. Like don't by Tholian Attack unless you have Tholian Border, don't buy Romulan Attack unless you have Romulan Border (or Romulan Space) etc...
Start with Klingon Border as it is the basic rulebook. Don't bother with Romulan Border because you can buy a product called Romulan Space which has all the parts of Romulan Border (Romulan specific rules, ship counters, etc...) not duplicated in Klingon Border. It'll save you a few bucks. After that, have at it, just don't buy an "attack" set of rules unless you have the "border" set of rules first. Like don't by Tholian Attack unless you have Tholian Border, don't buy Romulan Attack unless you have Romulan Border (or Romulan Space) etc...
If you're going mad, you need to get help; if the world is mad, you have to treat it like a demented relative at a family reunion, politely humoring it while searching frantically for the exit.
Er...kiehtan wrote:After that, have at it, just don't buy an "attack" set of rules unless you have the "border" set of rules first. Like don't by Tholian Attack unless you have Tholian Border, don't buy Romulan Attack unless you have Romulan Border (or Romulan Space) etc...
There is no Tholian Border. The only "Border" products are Klingon Border and Romulan Border.
Basically, if you buy Klingon Attack, then you should first own either Klingon Border or Klingon Space (only available through mail order). They're not explicitly required if you own Romulan Border, but the product works better if you own one of them.
If you buy Klingon Space, then you MUST own Romulan Border. If you buy Romulan Space, then you MUST own Klingon Border.
If you buy Romulan Attack, then you should own either Romulan Border or Romulan Space (which, unlike Klingon Space, is available in brick and mortar stores). Once again, they're not explicitly required if you own Klingon Border, but the product works better if you own one of them.
FedCom Academy is a starter product. You don't need to own anything to use it. FedCom Graduation requires FedCom Academy to use. And the two products together are the equivalent of Klingon Border.
For every other product released - you only need to own either Klingon Border or Romulan Border.
If you already have Klingon Border, you don't need Klingon Space. It is a sub-component of Klingon Border for use by people who bought Romulan Border. It contains the same ships and scenarios as Klingon Border, but just doesn't include the map panels and full rulebook. (The same type of product exists for Romulan Border, too. So, since you already own Klingon Border, you could buy Romulan Space instead of Romulan Border.)
Your next buy will likely be Klingon Attack, which gives you additional Fed, Klingon, Kzinti, and Orion ships.
Your next buy will likely be Klingon Attack, which gives you additional Fed, Klingon, Kzinti, and Orion ships.
Federation Commander Answer Guy
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Dal Downing
- Commander
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Atomic I will try to use some other gaming type jargon. Let see if this helps,
Klingon Border could have been called Klingon Border Start Pack (It is a entry level Product that cotaiins the Core Rulebook focusing on the Klingon Side of the Fedration.) The other Entry Level Product was called Romulan Border and it could have been called the Romulan Border Start Pack. All you need to do at this point is decide which "Bad" Guy you would like to blow up
By owning a Single Border Product you own have of what might be considered the Core Race for Federation Command or Half of the Races seen in Start Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Animated Series.
Next you come to the 2 "Space" Products. Thes products were designed to give you away to pick up the Ships, Scenerios and Playing Piece for the other half of the Original Races. by owning Say FC:Klingon Border and FC: Romulan Space you now own the Rules and playing piece for the SEVEN Original Source Material Races (Federation, Klingon , Romulan, Gorn, Kzinti, Tholian, and Orion Pirates) used in the Star Fleet Univers / The same thing can be accomplished by buying the FC: Romulan Border adn FC: Klingon Space Packs.
The various "Attack" Packs could have been named something like Source Pack, Fleet Pack or Codex. These Packs were designed to add to the Core Rule Set away to play a new race or two and to provide a hand full of Ships to use with them. They usually include a couple of pages of new rules to cover the new wepons used by these new races and a new counter sheet of playing pieces.
Lastly are the Booster Pack. these are just what they say they are packs of like 10 Ship Caards used to provide you with more ships to fight bigger battles with. Usually each Booster contains one new Ship (Like a Command Cruiser) that was not in the Border or Attack Packs.
Hope that helps.
Klingon Border could have been called Klingon Border Start Pack (It is a entry level Product that cotaiins the Core Rulebook focusing on the Klingon Side of the Fedration.) The other Entry Level Product was called Romulan Border and it could have been called the Romulan Border Start Pack. All you need to do at this point is decide which "Bad" Guy you would like to blow up
By owning a Single Border Product you own have of what might be considered the Core Race for Federation Command or Half of the Races seen in Start Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Animated Series.Next you come to the 2 "Space" Products. Thes products were designed to give you away to pick up the Ships, Scenerios and Playing Piece for the other half of the Original Races. by owning Say FC:Klingon Border and FC: Romulan Space you now own the Rules and playing piece for the SEVEN Original Source Material Races (Federation, Klingon , Romulan, Gorn, Kzinti, Tholian, and Orion Pirates) used in the Star Fleet Univers / The same thing can be accomplished by buying the FC: Romulan Border adn FC: Klingon Space Packs.
The various "Attack" Packs could have been named something like Source Pack, Fleet Pack or Codex. These Packs were designed to add to the Core Rule Set away to play a new race or two and to provide a hand full of Ships to use with them. They usually include a couple of pages of new rules to cover the new wepons used by these new races and a new counter sheet of playing pieces.
Lastly are the Booster Pack. these are just what they say they are packs of like 10 Ship Caards used to provide you with more ships to fight bigger battles with. Usually each Booster contains one new Ship (Like a Command Cruiser) that was not in the Border or Attack Packs.
Hope that helps.
-Dal
"Which one of you is the Biggest, Baddest, Bootlicker of the bunch?"
"I am."
"ARCHERS!!! THAT ONE!!!!"
"Which one of you is the Biggest, Baddest, Bootlicker of the bunch?"
"I am."
"ARCHERS!!! THAT ONE!!!!"
As much as few people disagree with this, this thread has already shown the need for a "Master Rule" book as there are quite a few different modules in the Fed Commander system.
atomic is worried about "rules creep" from SFB or whatever, this is not what I'm asking for in a Master Rulebook. Just a "re-edit" of all the core rules into a single rulebook for easy look up. As it is right now, if you try to use rules other then Klingon or Romulan Boarder, it can get confusing.
atomic is worried about "rules creep" from SFB or whatever, this is not what I'm asking for in a Master Rulebook. Just a "re-edit" of all the core rules into a single rulebook for easy look up. As it is right now, if you try to use rules other then Klingon or Romulan Boarder, it can get confusing.