SuperNova:Rise of the Empire is an interactive game of galactic conquest, colonization and exploration. As a player, you choose your own objectives, interact with players from around the world and control your own destiny. You will construct mighty warfleets, colonize entire worlds and explore the galaxy in search of the unknown. You'll encounter a playing area of incredible diversity and flexibility with a complete space fantasy environment featuring detailed planets, diverse lifeforms and numerous unknown elements just waiting to be discovered.
SuperNova: Rise of the Empire
Can you post any sample turn results? How active is this game? Are all the players in one game universe? Are there factions and politics?
[quote='ixnay' pid='136789' dateline='1565880561']
Can you post any sample turn results? How active is this game? Are all the players in one game universe? Are there factions and politics?
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I've emailed the GM for a sample turn that is not my own, as people tend to be secretive about the details (including locations) of their empires. Once I get that, I will post it here and on the PBM Wiki as I start to assemble a library of sample turns from various games.
The Draco Galaxy game (the only one accepting new players currently) is estimated to be 100+ players and somewhere between 150-200 empires. Many players, including myself, play two empires. The Andromeda Galaxy game started over a decade ago and is closed to new players. That game has a slightly smaller group of players as it's now a war of attrition and survival vs. the established empires. I am not in that game, as I only joined the game 14 months ago.
Factions, somewhat. Politics, somewhat, but it's really a 4x game (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate). There is an alliance function in the game rules, and you can jointly colonize the same systems and/or planets and do trading with allies.
It can take 18-24 months to run into a another player in the game. Space is big. I am 14 months into the game and haven't run into another player yet. We have a new players online group to help each other, but no one on that group has run into another player yet, either. We will.
Turn results are long – 20-30 pages. After reading over the results, it's best to have a series of spreadsheets to track various aspects of the game and copy data into (systems, colonies, fleets, technology, etc.).
Care to write an article about your experiences, for S&D? Or perhaps to be interviewed by me, for said article?
[quote='ixnay' pid='136793' dateline='1565893384']
Care to write an article about your experiences, for S&D? Or perhaps to be interviewed by me, for said article?
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He already has an article in for Issue #18, but we could certainly include one about SuperNova in the following issue.
You got your article wrote for Issue #18, yet, Bernd? Chop! Chop!
[quote='GrimFinger' pid='136794' dateline='1565894699']
[quote='ixnay' pid='136793' dateline='1565893384']
Care to write an article about your experiences, for S&D? Or perhaps to be interviewed by me, for said article?
[/quote]
He already has an article in for Issue #18, but we could certainly include one about SuperNova in the following issue.
You got your article wrote for Issue #18, yet, Bernd? Chop! Chop!
[/quote]
I believe that Dan Newman is going to write a SuperNova review for Issue #19. Stay tuned.
[quote='Rinzai' pid='136796' dateline='1565900878']
I believe that Dan Newman is going to write a SuperNova review for Issue #19. Stay tuned.
[/quote]
He has already e-mailed me.
I know that Raven plays this and loves it. Any other voices?
The most popular PBM game type during the 1980 and 1990s was strategic space 4x. There were dozens and dozens of these games. Now, there are basically two: SuperNova and Takamo. These are also both open-ended games. You play until you are eliminated or until you drop out.
There are other space games, but no others that would be classified as strategic space 4x. There are tactical space games like Galac-Tac, Starweb, Galactic Conflict, Mobius I, Riftlords, Spaceplan, Star Chase, Star Fleet Warlord, and Stellar Conflict. There are two space opera games - Phoenix: Beyond the Stellar Empire and Regime Change.
SuperNova and Takamo are both fun games but they suffer from opposite problems - SuperNova takes too long to encounter other players and in Takamo, the galaxy is overcrowded. Yet, I play them both and enjoy the experiences.
Both games require a lot of spreadsheets and mapping. If that excites you, you’ll like these games. If you don’t, but still love space as a theme, try one of the tactical or space opera games listed above.
I will be playing SuperNova for decades to come. Takamo, I am not as certain of.
If you asked me to pick a single PBM to keep playing and drop the rest, I am going to have a hard time picking between Middle-earth, TribeNet, and SuperNova. Those are the three I personally get the most reward from.
Edited May 23, 2021 23:18 UTC
[quote="ravenzachary" pid="138473" dateline="1621802863"]
There are tactical space games like Galac-Tac, Starweb, Galactic Conflict, Mobius I, Riftlords, Spaceplan, Star Chase, Star Fleet Warlord, and Stellar Conflict.
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Actually, Galac-Tac is probably closer to strategic in nature rather than purely tactical, as you don't have direct control over things like combat maneuvers. It's organized more along the lines of fleet organization (offensive and defensive) and territorial acquisitions (including informal diplomacy) .
Strategic vs. tactical is a difficult discussion. The terms are squishy and people have different interpretations of them. I probably should have clarified how I was using those terms when I categorized the various games, including yours (Davin for Galac-Tac). There are some strategic-oriented games I classified as tactical in my list, because they are more about achieving objectives than they are about civilization building. I was using the term more like grand strategy as how some boardgames are classified.
The more meaningful classification might just be open ended vs. victory-based. The only open-ended space games are SuperNova, Phoenix: Beyond the Stellar Empire, Regime Change, Riftlords, and Takamo. Riftlords is more a trading game than anything else (it could be cities in Europe instead of star systems), and both Regime Change and Phoenix: Beyond the Stellar Empire, from what I know of them, are more space opera oriented than your classic "create a race + empire and then explore the stars" type of games. Only SuperNova fits that bill. Takamo doesn't have a race and empire customization experience - you pick from a set of positions. All players that colonize planets are the same on Turn 0.
I certainly agree about the squishiness of the terminology. Even Galac-Tac's name doesn't really invoke the "grow as big as you can" goal. And of course it's a closed (victory) style game, too.
I have recently started playing this. The suggestions by Spiff in this section for the initial first few turns were incredibly helpful to get going. I look forward to seeing where this game takes me. Like with TribeNet, I love the idea of open-ended play where you can dedicate yourself for years to growing and steering your empire.
It has a very rich set of resources and technologies, and shares much of the complexity of Phoenix:BSE, though without the latter's affiliation/faction aspect and no special actions. There appear to be very few roleplay opportunities in the game, along with rather limited player community participation.
But the fun comes from exploring and colonising your corner of the vast galaxy, exploiting your local resources and maximising your production capability to allow you to reach further, and build a fleet that can overcome opponents and withstand attack upon your soil. It can be a long time before your empire meets another, so plenty of time to get yourself organised!
Most of the community in SN is in the back channels with your group of buddies, allies etc. I have been in an alliance that has been going for 15+ years, through thick and thin and we had a great deal of the community that some miss here, it was just private to a group of players. Being so far apart in a galaxy where you don't know where you are in relation to anybody else makes it a bit more challenging.
In addition, SN has attracted a large inmate population and they do not have access to forums, email outside of corrlinks, and other common forms of community. Perhaps it will pick up with new blood. :)
hobknob