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The time when Metaverse will be released to the public is approaching but I can't wait to show you tidbits of this amazing rule set. As such I will be posting reviews of sections of the game to highlight some of the aspects and options available to players. As always I will remind readers that Metaverse itself will be free, only the support software, MetaMaker, will have an associated cost. Metamaker will have one or more posts dedicated to it and can thus be discussed at a later date.

The following is an excerpt from the opening pages of Metaverse:

"Metaverse is designed as a framework rule set, allowing players to construct and battle in any universe they desire. The design process for a starship can be very detailed, if the player desires, allowing for games to focus on only a few starships or allow great fleets to do battle, as simply as possible. This design process is handled efficiently by the MetaMaker software, such that players need only focus on what they want their starships to do and perhaps what they will cost to bring to a game. The age of designing starship statistics on napkins is over; the software behind MetaMaker can take into account algorithms and unseen numbers of variables (that are far more complex than a normal person could ever be reasonably expected to handle) in order to compute the combat value and stats of a starship. This also allows players to build their starships with as few restrictions as possible. A Metaverse starship is not restricted in the numbers or size of weapons and other systems it can carry. A player can cram as much into as small a hull as possible and just assume it is of a more advanced technology level. All that they need take note of is the combat value of that starship, which is calculated for them automatically.

The game-play of Metaverse is designed to cover as many or as few possible interactions as the player desires. One group of players might not wish to use starfighters, indirect weapons, and electronic warfare, and operate solely with Cinematic starships. This group would simply not design any of these systems and capabilities into their starships and skip the relevant steps of the turn sequence thereby making a simpler and shorter turn. Another group may wish to include every possible system and capability and thereby have a longer more complex turn. Another group of players may choose to simulate cruiser duels and therefore assumes 1000t per hull hit and scale all of their weapons proportionally, including every possible subsystem in their designs. Another group might desire to command huge fleets and therefore assumes 100,000t per hull hit, scaling their weapons and including only the necessary subsystems. In this way players can twist and bend Metaverse to their will."

As you can see Metaverse has been designed with flexibility in mind. Metaverse includes a great many options for the player to utilize but is designed to allow these options to be ignored or discarded at will. At its simplest, a starship in Metaverse requires only a hull, engines, weapons, and sensors. Even the weapons, which can be designed and tinkered with to the player's satisfaction, only require a die type for damage, a range, and legal targets.

Yet, some players wish to play games with all the detail and drama of knowing that subsystem B in the rear of the ship has just blown and that damage control teams are being dispatched. For these players multiple forms of propulsion systems, electronic warfare systems, secondary systems. weapon options, and even hull types, as well as layouts of the starships are available. Indeed, these two types of players can battle their stylistically opposite starships against one another with no difficulty.

The first post detailing the mechanisms of Metaverse will outline the turn sequence and what a typical turn of Metaverse will play like. To satiate the appetite until then I present some eye candy from a game to be played on New Years day.

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Last: Battlespace Publishing at Hotlead 2016