Re: [NetEpic ML] New to Epic/Heresy

From: Peter Ramos <primarch_at_...>
Date: Sat, 02 Jun 2001 13:55:34 -0400

Hi!

Welcome Tim, I hope you enjoy your stay.

Tim Speltz wrote:

> Greetings All,
> After an entertaining viewing of Starship Troopers (putting the
> differences with the book out of my mind) I started looking for a large
> scale SF game to play, and happily found NetEpic/Heresy via the
> Epicenter. I have yet to play a game of either, but am looking forward
> to trying them out. I've picked up a mostly painted Space Marine Army on
> Ebay for what I hope is a reasonable price. What would be a good
> opponent for them? Orks seem to be common, but the Tyrannids look
> appealing after watching ST. Are these balanced foes?

In theory any of the forces are in balance, but space marines are simple
start and easy to learn. Tyanids offer a good opponent and the list is
short, chaos and orks have more rules to them so use these later.

> I think I'll start off playing a game of Heresy with a friend - I like
> it's emphasis on combined arms and for whatever reason, it read a bit
> clearer than NetEpic for a non-GW expericed gamer (I have played mostly
> DBX and Colonial, e.g. The Sword and The Flame, in the past). However, I
> play Combat Mission on the PC quite a bit, and I found I like the
> problems posed when effectively combining infantry, support, and armor.

I think Heresy is up your ally, since I put more "historical" approaches
to the game mechanics than usual sci-fi. Plus, although its based in the
warhammer 40k universe, you need not have played any GW game to play
Heresy effectively. Remember to download the most recent files in the
files section.

> What is a good point value for a first time game? I'd like it to run
> fast enough to be resolved in 2-3 hours. How many turns do games usually
> take? I've heard that GW games are designed to be finished in 6 turns.
> Seems like awful few. Should I expect that from Heresy or NetEpic?

The games in net epic last on average from 2-4 turns, depeding on the
players and forces involved. A turn in net epic is very involved and
many things happen so you'll get you moneys worth in a standard game.
Heresy last more turns on average because the game mechanic of unit
activation and action makes turns go quicker. For a net epic game 4000
points is average, for Heresy about the same amount.

> How important is terrain for a fun game? I have some Geo Hex for the
> landscape, but nothing yet in the way of woods, buildings, etc. in 6mm.
> Will the game be mindless without these, or is it possible to have a
> good game on open, but rolling, ground?

Its pretty important, especially in Heresy where many rules refer to the
effects of terrain on combat.

> ONe other question, possibly out of place from an untried player -
> Heresy uses the you activate a unit, I activate a unit paradigm. I like
> this approach, and have used it in other games to break the mass
> uniformity of turn based movement. Have you tried a playing card based
> system; I move unit on a black card , you move on a red card? The number
> of turns evens out, rarely does someone move more than three times in a
> row, but it adds an element of unpredicatability that I find appealing.

This was discussed between myself and the other designer of Heresy, but
was discarded since we could not make it work in a simple manner. While
it is realistic to want to have this in a game this mechanics tends to
let "flukes" happen to often where a plyer may move several units before
the opponent and this maay cost the game.

Peter
Received on Sat Jun 02 2001 - 17:55:34 UTC