Playing SFB by Email

There have been a number of successful Play-by-Email (PBEM) games of SFB over the Internet, which are generally done by requiring a moderator who handles die rolls and announcements. Both sides will submit their plots to him. The official PBEM rules (used in all Rated Ace Tournaments, for example) were first developed on Compuserve and are currently maintained by Mike Mulka and Star Fleet Arena (see below).

As another choice, there is the commercial service SFB Online (from Online Game Systems, liscensed by ADB) which allows real-time play on a virtual board with other SFBOL subscribers.

Official ADB PBEM Site

run independently with sanctioned Rated Ace tournaments

• 6th On-Line Rated Ace Tournament (HR6)
  Started on 15 June 1999. Currently in round 2.
  Run by Jim Hart (aka Vandal)
• 5th On-Line Rated Ace Tournament (HR5)
  Started registration 15 Feb 1999. Currently in round 3.
  Run by Jonathan Dean (aka Nightshade)
• 4th On-Line Rated Ace Tournament (HR4)
  An experiment in Patrol-style. Started 1 Feb 1998. Concluded 8 Mar 1999.
  Run by Steve Rushing.
• 3rd On-Line Rated Ace Tournement (HR3)
  Started 1 Jun 1997. Concluded 22 July 1999.
  Run by Sandy 'Firemane' Hemenway.

Star Fleet Arena

Thirteen (!) Rated Ace tournaments in various stages of completion.
Founded by Mike 'Junker' Mulka, now run by Paul Franz.

Thorsten Kern's Unofficial PBEM Site

With 6+ full scenarios and many tournament games. This site includes a Windows-based computer aid download (PBEM98B - V2.0).

Cesar Alvarez's PBEM Campaign "The Portal"

This is a 9 player, one-ship-per-player mini-campaign currently underway. New players can sign up as short-duration "NPC" ships.

Travis Boelter's (aka Thavik) PBEM Scenario Page

With 2 fleet scenarios finished, and 2 in progress.

Twirling Aces PBEM Page  

With links to six multi-player "Twirling Ace" PBEM fleet battles, including various house rules.

Finally, for use in PBEM games I have created a small GIF file version of the standard SFB map (42x30), designed to be readable at fairly low resolution. The nice thing with these is that they are around 30K and clearly show the hex numbers as columns. Feel free to take any versions of these map and use them for your own games:

• Map for Game A028 (D7 vs. Tholian CWH)
  
• Map for Game H207 (ISC vs. Shark Tourney)
  
• Map for a Station Assault Scenario (plus alternate)
  
• Map for Game F002 (SG50 Black Hole Mania) from Mark D. Hall

• Mark J. Mean's PBEM Tools   including a sitrep map generator and EAF form

Star Fleet Battles, SFB, Federation & Empire, Star Fleet Missions, Prime Directive, and all contents thereof are copyright (C) 1990 by Amarillo Design Bureau. Second Edition copyright (c) 1994 by Amarillo Design Bureau. These games were produced under license from Franz Joseph Designs, authors of the STAR FLEET TECHNICAL MANUAL. Elements of the Star Fleet Universe are the property of Paramount Pictures Corporation and are used with their permission.

Amarillo Design Bureau (ADB) and Task Force Games (TFG) are NOT related in anyway with these Web pages; it is an undertaking and opinions of a private citizen (hence unofficial), and is not construed to be an official position of either companies. Ideas and information from the games are presented without permission.