Supernova II
Play-by-mail space combat game
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Supernova II (or SuperNova II) is a computer moderated, play-by-mail (PBM) game of space conflict.
| Other names | SuperNova II |
|---|---|
| Designers | Peter Donnan and Russel Norris |
| Publishers | Rolling Thunder Games |
| Years active | 1989 to unknown |
| Genres | science fiction, play-by-mail |
| Languages | English |
| Playing time | Fixed |
| Materials required | Instructions, order sheets, turn results, paper, pencil |
| Media type | Play-by-mail or email |
History and development
Supernova II was a play-by-mail game of space conflict designed by Peter Donnan and Russel Norris and published by Rolling Thunder Games.[1] Flagship editor Tim Sullivan called it a "sophisticated space opera".[2] It was released in the U.S. and UK in February and August 1989, respectively.[3] It improved on their initial offering of Supernova.[4] Supernova II was computer moderated, an update from Supernova's hand-moderation.[3] By 2004, Rolling Thunder Games released Supernova III.[5]
Gameplay
Players custom designed ships for assignment in fleets which could take offensive or defensive actions.[4] Twelve ship types were available.[4] These included: Colonial Transports, Destroyers, Escort Carriers, Explorers, Fast Freighters, Fleet Scouts, Frigates, Heavy Freighters, Heavy Troop Transports, Light Cruisers, Star Destroyers, and Troop Transports.[4] Players selected a race to play as well, a consequential choice for gameplay.[3]
According to Wayne Mohan, "SuperNova is the Commando unit, a small, elite band of your finest" which can explore or accomplish other tasks.[6] Intrigue and diplomacy were elements of gameplay.[6] Both combat between ships and ground combat were possible.[4]
Gameplay in Supernova II was challenging and careful play in the first eight months was critical to success.[7] The editors of Flagship stated that it was "one of the hardest games to play well from turn 1".[3] Rick McFarland put its complexity just below games like Empyrean Challenge.[8]
Reception
A reviewer in the September–October 1987 issue of Paper Mayhem highly recommended Supernova II, stating it was "an improvement over the original in almost every area".[6] He noted that combat played a greater role and gameplay was challenging.[6] As of November 1989, Supernova II was the highest rated game of 53 listed PBM games in Paper Mayhem.[9][a] In the November–December 1989 issue of Paper Mayhem, Supernova II took 1st place in the Best PBM Game of 1989 list.[10] The game also took 1st place in the magazine's Best PBM Game of 1989 list.[11]
See also
Notes
- Games were rated on "playability, design, ease of understanding the rules, and ease of understanding game printouts" with Supernova II scoring 7.732 out of 9 points from 60 registered votes.