I've purchased both Attack Vector: Tactical and Squadron Strike from Ad Astra Games. The latter I quite like, and the former I'm vaguely intimidated by. These bring something new to the classical space combat genre: realism. Real Newtonian mechanics, where ships travel on vectors in three-dimensional space and firing solutions need to accommodate the uncertainties. A lot can change when velocities are measured in kilometers per second and times of flight in hundredths of a seconds.
On a personal level, I've always found the owner to be pleasant, eager to talk about his product line, and he ships material out very quickly. In addition to physical product, PDFs are available for...
Read moreAd Astra Games are tabletop simulations of the real thing, or in the case of Squadron Strike (a science fiction space combat game) as close to real as it can get. Attack Vector is space combat with real-world physics. Birds of Prey is modern air-to-air combat. Squadron Strike lets you command the USS Enterprise to battle the Klingons, or the Cylons, Star Wars Empire, etc.. You can even design your own ships to take into battle.
Full disclosure: I have collaborated with the designer on some of the mathematical details for Squadron Strike. There is a huge amount of work put into each of these games. They aren't so much games as they are works of art you can play with.
Have fun storming...
Read moreGame designer knows their science and their science fiction. As an astrophysicist I understand the calculus that Ad Astra Games does "under the hood" to create the easy-to-use interfaces which allow players to do space combat within the laws of physics. The settings are nicely engineered to create opportunities for scenarios. I've followed the designer since 2001 (and now I feel old), ever since they produced the best 3D space combat system I had seen, and then with the discovery that Newton's Laws were being actually followed meant I never left. The user-friendly interface on how to accomplish that is the cherry on top. Definitely...
Read more