'This is the Kobayashi Maru, 19 periods out of Altair Six . . . we have struck a gravitic mine and have lost all power.' Any avid Trekkie will recognise that quote from the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, spoken during a test/training mission where the freighter Kobayashi Maru is used to bait the Enterprise into a death trap.
It is a test designed to build character and all navy cadets are required to take it.
Star Fleet Command (SFC) is the long-awaited computer game based on the board war game Star Fleet Battles (SFB).
SFC gives you a shot at testing your own character in the Kobayashi Maru scenario. Though some of the game design differs between SFB and SFC, if you are an SFB fan looking for a faithful adaptation of your favourite board game, then this game delivers.
SFC is a real-time, tactical space-war game. You captain a star ship - on two-dimensional plane that is a hold-over from the board-game origins - and fight out space battles using your favourite ships.
SFC is definitely not an action game like X-Wing, where you 'fly' in space and fight enemy ships while furiously pressing the fire button - this is a cerebral exercise in space battle tactics.
With the exception of the photon torpedo, weapon damage is based on range and each weapon has its own characteristics.