For Queen and Planet

[mikeyboy]

We had a quick pick up game of martian empires. prussians  vs Martians. The game flowed quite well and combat is practically the same as Q&P. The only differences really is unit activation and movement. ME uses a blackpowder style brigade order approach rather than the random card deck off Q&P.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hello

I saw that these rules cover up to 1930. Do they cover stuff like armoured cars, tanks, aircraft for colonial actions as well as the VSF? How do they look for this? Complex or simple?

I saw that you said that it runs on a random card deck, is this a Lardies style custom card deck or a ordinary pack of playing cards? It's annoying that there's no review or explanation on the mechanics anywhere.

Being a rule addict, always looking for alternative rules  

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[Maenoferren]

To be honest I would say not, at least not the ones I have,  (unless I totally ignored them as I didn't need them???) however, there is a new supplement that has just come out. The rules cover war machines and fliers but nothing specific...
I am now worried I missed a whole section out when I read the rules.
Card deck standard deck with Jokers
each unit has a card.... these are shuffled and drawn one at a time...
as it is drawn the unit can move, fire or change formation (we are tinkering with the move/fire bit)
if a joker is drawn then a number of actions are open to the commanders - a Dervish unit within 8 inches must charge.
If an ace is drawn then a unit can make a second move

fighting factor and firing factors ar eworked on a basic number with additions and subtractions... you need to get under the factor to achieve hits... the more points under then the the more damage you inflict. Basically you want to roll low

I will have a skim through tomorrow and sort out a more substantial review

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hello Maenoferren

Good lot of information there. Much more than I've been able to find anywhere else that wasn't a rewrite of the publisher's blurb  .

I hope it doesn't turn into one of those series of rules that need umpteen supplements to be able to play properly  .

Have you had a look at Fistful of Tripods http://freewargamesrules.wikia.com/wiki/A_Fistful_of_Tripods and Tripods and Hussars http://freewargamesrules.wikia.com/wiki/Tripods_and_Hussars, these are other VSF type rules. I was playing around with adding a Lardies type card deck activation to them but I thought if FQAP was ready made for Interwar SF then I'd not bother.

Looking forward to any other information you can provide. Thanks.

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[Leman]

I have a copy of these rules from Wargames Vault. Unfortunately there does not seem to be a QRS.

[Zippee]

I hope it doesn't turn into one of those series of rules that need umpteen supplements to be able to play properly  .

The supplement (The Martian Punitive Expedition - 1901) seems to be the bulk of the VSF rules, whilst Q&P itself seems primarily a Sudan colonial set with some open tags to bolt VSF onto.

I suspect other supplements would follow suit and be more period focused, no idea if that would be historical or VSF or mixed though. . .

Although a quick check shows these as proposed:
Boxer Rebellion for early January release.
American Civil War
Provocateur! (Martian hell-raising around the globe!)
The Great War (of the Worlds) WWI spanning the solar system.

[Maenoferren]

Hello Maenoferren

Good lot of information there. Much more than I've been able to find anywhere else that wasn't a rewrite of the publisher's blurb  .

I hope it doesn't turn into one of those series of rules that need umpteen supplements to be able to play properly  .

Have you had a look at Fistful of Tripods http://freewargamesrules.wikia.com/wiki/A_Fistful_of_Tripods and Tripods and Hussars http://freewargamesrules.wikia.com/wiki/Tripods_and_Hussars, these are other VSF type rules. I was playing around with adding a Lardies type card deck activation to them but I thought if FQAP was ready made for Interwar SF then I'd not bother.

Looking forward to any other information you can provide. Thanks.



Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

For Colonial up to 1890's I would say it is fine... I will sort out a deeper look at it this evening... just rushing out now

[Maenoferren]

okay back and after sorting out the house for visitors arriving tomorrow....

The rules ...sort of
each turn has 4 phases
Spotting:
Imperial types cant hide, Native types have to be spotted, once spotted they cant hide again. Anyone within 8 inches is spotted and must be placed. However we tend to ignore this if they are within buildings, woods etc. Troops outwith the 8 inch range are diced to be spotted roll 2d6  6 or less on the roll and they are seen... as expected numerous modifiers both +/-

Action Phase: worked on the cards as mentioned earlier
Possible actions are
Move
Charge
Change formation
fire at closest target

When ace drawn...this acts as a wild card of sorts it allows units in a group (edge to edge) to move or fire as a single unit Artillery/machine guns can fire more than once dependent on the number of figures on the base. We changed this to twice for artillery and three times for Machine guns (we also forgot this rule in the last game until near the end)
Take morale  or repair/replenish out of phase
Take any of the above actions as a group or as a single unit

Joker...
Automatic warband charges if within 8 inches
C in c movement from one unit to another...
other rules for vehicles and ether/watercraft...random movement

formation
line base to base contact
open line...space them out a bit
skirmish one stand ahead

Charging
infantry 3d6+1 for native/-1 for Colonial
Cavalry 4d6+1 for native/-1 for colonial



Movememt is in inhes with +/-
eg +2 inches for native first charge in battle
+3 inches for open order


Firing
each troop type has a Fire factor
2 range increments effective and maximum range
Native troops are slightly shorter range than the British led counterparts

British rifles 8"/16"
Native rifles 6"/16"

various factors that affect your fire factor +/- to the dice roll

The end score if the FF that the player must roll under on 2D6
the difference between the score and the fire factor  is the number of hits inflicted

A unit that takes damage from fire or close combat is forced back 1" for every point lost.

eg a british unit has 4 stands with 4 hits each a native unit has 5 stands with 4 hits a stand (we increased this to 6 stands)

if you lose a stand there is a chance it will be the command stand... native leader more likely to go as they lead from the front (this is the command stand for the unit and not the c in c.

Morale: lost stands  and If you take more than half hits on a stand and don't lose the stand you still have to take a morale roll - this can have positive as well as negative effects
eg the native unit can have a +2 in close combat until it loses a combat - up to My goats need tending (and is removed from the game)


Close combat:

This has a combat rating for each type
Both sides work out their combat rating and roll (as with shooting) the damage points are compared the loser is the one that takes most hits and is forced back 1" for every hit inflicted.

Final action phase is the rally phase...

There a re simple rules for a break test for the army

and then the consolidated unit lists
page 3-8 introduction/game setting and the basics
page 9 to 26 the actual rules
27 - army lists
28-26 scenarios with simple maps - these are a number of major battles of the Sudan conflict in the 1880's.. these give army lists for the cobatants as well as the sci fi bits too if you feel that way inclined.

hopefully this has helped a bit...
cheers
Stephen

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hello Maenoferren

Thank you very much for a detailed review and summary of the rules. (You could almost use your summary as a QRS  )

It looks like it, unfortunately, falls into the "supplement-avalanche" school of wargaming rules. If it had covered the whole period it advertised in the one volume I might have considered getting it. Having to buy supplement after supplement for the VSF rules, the later periods rules and anything else that might be interesting is not my idea of fun.

Cheers, and thanks again Maenoferren.

GrumpyOldMan

[Maenoferren]

Glad to help

I am playing in the Sudan so they work fine for me I had a another look and there are no rules for specific vehicles just 'vehicles' and 'fliers'
I wont bother with the Mars invasion supplement, I might think about the Boxer Rebellion one.



I got songs of Drums and Tomahawks as I was wanting to do a French Indian Wars skirmish game. I havent really had a proper look at them yet.

[Leman]

Thanks Maenoferen. Got a copy of these as Sudan is  one of the very few colonial conflicts I would consider doing.

[Maenoferren]

Thanks Maenoferen. Got a copy of these as Sudan is  one of the very few colonial conflicts I would consider doing.

I fancied doing Colonial, but Zulu was limited in terms of Zulus... as in spears, spears, spears and the odd musket armed unit
Boer war does not do much for me
Toyed with the idea of NW Frontier
But to be honest I was drawn to the Sudan... so many different units to choose from on both sides..so that was that.