u/KosmoTheCat

I’m currently working on combat systems for my print-and-play sci-fi game inspired by FTL.

One of the main mechanics is directional ship damage.

Different sides of the ship have their own shields and systems. Shield strength is shown by dice along the edges of the ship. Once shields are down, ship sections start getting destroyed, which changes your options during combat.

The circles inside sections are HP, while dotted circles are used for repairs later during the campaign. Systems can also become disabled or completely destroyed during battles. During the campaign you can build new ship sections that give bonuses and also protect inner systems by acting as extra HP layers.

I’m trying to make damage affect gameplay, not just HP numbers.

Does this kind of ship management sound fun or too complex for a print-and-play game?

upd: I added some explanations for clarity.

Hi everyone,

I’m an indie developer from Ukraine and I’m working on a print-and-play tabletop game about space exploration and survival.

It’s inspired by "FTL: Faster Than Light" and "Star Trek Voyager".

You play as a captain of a spaceship, managing systems like shields, engines, weapons and crew while traveling through dangerous space.

The game is fully printable - just paper, dice, and a few sheets.

Main ideas:

• ship systems (shields, engines, weapons, generator) can be damaged and repaired independently;
• directional damage (different sides of the ship matter);
• you upgrade your ship by adding more sections that will give some bonuses and protect inner sections;
• hiring and upgrading crew;
• space encounters, missions and different maps to explore.

Right now I’m still improving the game and would love feedback.

Questions:

• Does this sound unique enough and exciting? :)
• What matters most in a print-and-play game?
• Do you prefer fast games or deeper simulation?
• What usually makes you stop playing a PnP game?

If there is interest, I can share early printable files and dev updates.

Thanks for reading.