LS Review

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

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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
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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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