Customer Reviews

Star Trek: Birth of the Federation Official Strategy Guide (Brady Games)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After my first read-through of this book i felt very cheated. To spend 16.99$ (145 Dkr) for a bounch of pictures, statistical datas and sketchy discriptions. I hoped to recieve strategies and suggestions to overcome more or less specific situations, as how to conquer planets as the UFP with a minimum of morale-loss.

Discriptions of the 5 major races, their spaceships, the minor races, exploration of the galaxy, structures etc, what's that about. I mean you can read that in the gamemanual or in the game itself, come on. Chapter 12 "Managing the economy" is 17 pages long and it could be replaced with one sentence: "Use 2 systems for ship-construction only and then scrap the ships at the moment there made and enjoy the credits generated".

Later I reconsidered at bit, as i actually found usage for some parts of the book. Especially chapters 10, 13 and 14 where helpfull. Chapter 10 outlines all the tactical combat-commands and their consequences clear and precise. Chapter 13 gives you the specific moral-figures in your empire, conquests, protectorate and how your actions influences these. Chapter 14 gives the same things for diplomacy. I could also use the informations on the ships of the minor races (finally figuring out how strong those borg shields are).

But all in all i stand by the headline: overprized and partly superficial. Now if it had been 95-105 pages and 7.99$ then things would improve.

The Star Trek Birth of the Federation Strategy Guide is a very useful comprehensive book that outlines strategies for winning and goes more in depth than the booklet that came with the game. It offers a complete listing of the ships and their strengths and also offers information on all structures, races, and charts on game effects and point systems for what each action is worth. Cheat codes and tips are also offered. Definately worth the price.

I only give this book three stars because the information contained within is mostly things that you would already know about; how to explore a galaxy? Come on! My 2-year old could figure that out. Yet they give it 17 pages (Stellar Cartography, Ch. 7 and Exploration, Ch. 8) which is just stuff that you already know, if you've played this game. The book is about 50% full of charts giving you specific info on each and every structure in the game. That does help a little. Also, the Tactical Combat chapters and the Production chapters will give you some good insight into how best to proceed in each area. And that's about it. I was upset because I don't think I got my money's worth with this product. If it was only 9.99, I think I would have. But not for 17.99.

Easy to use, well organized, fairly self explanitory, and... CHEAT CODES!!! I have seen many strategy guides come and go, the Starcraft strategy guides were on the same plane as this was, the BOTF strategy guide is worth the bucks I paid for it.

I originally bought the book because I was somewhat disapponted with the game documentation. I was in for a surprise. The book is much more than a thick tutorial.

I found it to be easy to read or to look up specific information "on the fly" while playing the game.

The listing of the races and units in the game is extremely useful. If you are one of those who hate "cheat codes", they are easily ignored. The stategies and hints will NOT solve the game for you, but will offer some new ideas to try in your conquest of the galaxy.

I feel this is a "must have" for any "Birth of the Federation" player.

This is a rare game to find, and has a steep learning curve. This book will help SOMEWHAT in learning the game, but some of the information it provides is faulty (you don't have to wait 10 turns to make effective bribes to minor races) and you would be better off searching the internet for an excellent and free walkthrough written by someone called Cadallace.

I got this book because I got a promotional certificate from an online bookstore (not this one). They didn't yet have many books and nothing caught my eye except this one.

The author is very knowledgeable about Trek, you can tell that. And he played this game all the way through multiple times. What makes this book drek is two things, first his editor must have been blind since there are spelling errors, grammatical error all over the place (okay not that many but enough to notice). Second I could tell that he played a beta version of the game. And there were noticeable changes between the version he played and the version I bought. When I went to the Brady website to ask about things (okay to complain) it was "under construction".

Overall an okay book by a knowledgeable Trek fan and game put out by an abismal publisher.

I've been wanting information on the things of Birth of the Federation in more detail and this is it! I think everyone who likes Birth of the Federation would like this!

This was probably the worst strategy guide I have ever seen. This was not a guide but a way to escape hving to think up your own strategies.

This book is real good with the game and doese it credit a good bu