Fwd: LS Review

For those who are interested, I got this off the JCML...

<<
Here's v.2.0 of the review, hot off the word processor. I've made all of
the
changes that I think are needed from the ones suggested. So, onto the
more
kind, gentle review of LS. If you can think of anything that hasn't
already
been talked about in the LS review thread that may make the review
better,
than please contribute. J
_________________________________________________
The Setting
Early in the 23rd century, two huge fleets hang in the void of space,
poised
for combat. Mammoth cruisers, stretching out for 1/3rd of a mile, deploy
swarms of deadly 1 man Space Fighters. 35 meter tall humanoid assault
vehicles, called Exo-armor, weave in and out of formation as they patrol
the
length of they're fleet.

On one side there is CEGA, the Central Earth Government and
Administration,
fighting to reunite all of humanity under one flag.  On the other, there
is
the Jovian Confederation, the descendents of scientists and miners who
migrated to Jupiter centuries ago. They fight for independence.

This age old conflict paints the background across the stars for epic
space
battles, and a really good game line by Dream Pod 9. This is Jovian
Chronicles.

Lightning Strike is a Cinematic Fleet Combat System, to quote the
company
line. It is set up to allow 2 players participate in grand scale space
battles between CEGA and The Jovian Confederation. The rules state that
there
should also be a non-partial GM to watch over all die rules and rule
questions. This will be refreshing to both Tactical gamers and
Roleplayers.
The Tac gamers will find that they can spend more time on strategy and
less
on debating about which rules apply when, and the Roleplayers will be
right
at home with being able to focus on game play instead of studying the
rules.

The Rules
The strongest feature of Lightning Strike (from this point on LS) is the
rule
system that is supplied. It allows for any number of Capital ships,
Exo-armors, Exo-suits, and Space Fighters to battle it out in the void
of
space. That is, provided you have enough tabletop to allow them to
maneuver.
These rules, as well as the movement rules supplied, are abstractions of
battle. They are meant to represent something similar to what a general
would
see when looking at his tactical display of the battlefield.

LS use's a rather unique system of measurement. All weapon range and
movement
stats are given in Centimeters. Yes, as in the small lines on the other
edge
of the rule. It works fairly well, but can bring up a number of problems
that
aren't present when using Hex maps. For example, instead of quickly
glancing
at the battlefield and counting the number of hexes between you and your
target, you have to measure the distance with a rule. Or, what if that
enemy
craft is 23 1/3cm away and your attack range is 23cm. This system is
noteworthy both more to veteran JC players than people who only have LS,
because no other JC products use anything similar, or compatible.

LS use's counters to denote Exo and Ship location on the battlefield. 5
sheets of full color, wonderfully drawn and inked, glossy units are
included,
along with a sheet of markers for showing status, vehicle condition,
movement, and other variables. They are all clearly labeled, and large
enough
that anyone can tell what type of Exo or Ship it is at a quick glance.
Capital Ship markers are one sided, and sit flat on the battlefield,
with all
measurements for range and movement being taken from a white dot at the
markers center. Exo and Fighter units, however, do not have this dot.
They
are double sided, and seem to be meant for use with Counter Stands.
These
stands can be picked up at almost any gaming store, but the fact that
they
weren't included is just another small detail that detracts from LS.

Specific rules are not given for running the system with more than 2
players,
but these rules can be easily improvised by any experienced gamer. One
the
other side of the coin, players shouldn't be expected to supply their
own
rules.	When I think of Cinematic Fleet Combat, pictures of The Battle
of
Yavin, countless Macross episodes, and my new found love Gundam flash
before
my eyes. None of these epic struggles can be accurately portrayed with
only 2
players, but can be done well with 2 sides, each divided among a few
players.

The Advanced Rules included cover everything from Electronic Warfare to
Boarding Actions against enemy Capital Ships. An extensive section on
running
a campaign gives pointers and rules about prolonged fleet management and
repairs. LS also includes a number of highly useable scenarios that can
be
run as either a larger campaign or individually. Again, the Rules that
are
included are where LS really shines.

Compatibility
It uses a streamlined version of the amazing Silhouette rules to ensure
ease
of play. The LS rules are not compatible with either the Jovian
Chronicles
TAC or RPG rules. This poses a major problem for anyone hoping to use LS
in
they're existing JC campaign, but in no way hinders play for those new
to the
Jovian Chronicles setting, or Dream Pod 9 products all together. A set
of
rules is given for converting existing RPG characters into LS, but rules
for
converting Exo's, Ships, and Fighters are not included. Fans of the
Roleplaying aspect of JC might not mind having to fly a stock Pathfinder
as
long as they get to use they're favorite character, but Tactical fans
wont be
very happy about trading in their Custom Pathfinder Variant for an
Off-the-Rack Exo.

The fact that some units are flat and that some are 3d brings up all the
problems you might expect. For Example, it can be difficult to calculate
Line-of-Site between 2 Exo's on different sides of a Capital Ship. It
can be
difficult to calculate Close Range between 2 Exo's, which calls for
physical
contact between the Unit Markers. Physical contact is effectively
prevented
accept from the side when you are using Counter Stands with 1/2CM
bottoms.
There is no way to measure Vertical Movement, but this is a problem with
most
Space Combat games.

On a more grand scale, there is no reference to what place LS has within
the
bigger JC picture. No timeline references, no dates given, no background
material outside of a one-page synopsis of what the Jovian Chronicles
setting
is about.

The Conclusion
So, all in all Lightning Strike is an Average quality product from a
company
that most people expect Superior quality material from. It is a bit
expensive
considering its size.

A product like this would have been better served by something more in
line
with the Heavy Gear Tactical Box Set than 64-page booklet. With the
absence
of any new artwork will not be an issue for people using LS as a stand
along
system, but will be easily noted by any other JC fan.

Its small size, reproduced artwork, and few seemingly important elements
being left out all come together to make Lightning Strike come off
feeling
rushed to someone familiar with the JC line, but don't detract from the
game
to someone who is new to the scene.

Style: 3 (Average) of 5
Substance: 4 (Meaty) of 5
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