General Notes

[Johnedko]

Okay, this is far from my first campaign. I played new empires back in the day. I defended a warp point with my enemy by just making sure that he overhead me talking to other members of the club and complaining about all the minefields, how hard it was to transport bases in, etc. In reality, the defenses were one CT with orders to run if something came through the warp-point. I realized later that if a CD came through, the GM would have had the CT run home. But. anyway...

As some of you probably can guess, this has a simplified campaign system and I started it so that I could have something related to gaming while I have young kids, and moving. I'll post the rules I am using over time.

Most important rule, is that I am using a 1,000 system map, creating as I go. But when you roll the system ID you roll 2d6 and 2d10. The 2D6 (2: -3, 3: -2, 4: -1, 5-9: 0, 10: +1, 11: +2, 12: +3) represents the CHANGE to the first digit (of the starting system) while the 2d10 represent the tens and ones digits. For example, you are in system 401 and explore WP1, you roll: 2d6: 11, 2d10: 34: the system ID of the new system is (4+2 = 6) 634. This forces the clustering of warp points that I wanted to have, and in theory was supposed to slow down the races discovering each other. Fat chance, they still found each other right away.

There are 5 races - sort of. The four main ones are: Federation (think Humans) Imperials (think Star Wars Empire) Normans (Knights/Orions) and Them (omnivoracity - think the old movie with the giant ants). The fifth race is actually three 'nations' that are exploring separately (I always wondered why we assume that a planet will be unified when they have spaceflight). They are the French, Germans and Russians.

Planets are referred to as: T, ST, C, O : all races are "T" races, T planets can have up to a VL population, ST up to a settlement, C up to a colony and O can only have an outpost.

More to come.

-John

[Johnedko]

If you want to comment, please feel free and stick them in here as opposed to the "national" threads.

Okay, all nationas started on turn 1 with no "pre-turn" construction - so the first 10 turns were all basically "Lets build freightors" - also to enforce some difference on the races, they have four categories of expenses. W = warships, D = defenses (basically bases, but also 'SDBs' - warships that are assigned to a specific system and can't move strategically), I = infrastructure (ie, shipyards, IE, freightors to move MC around), and C = colonization (outposts, colonies, freightors to move colonists).

Each fund is tracked separately, and it is producing different nations - although I am concerned that for those races that have a "C" too high that they will be in the best position long-run. Each is a percent of their gross MC (ie 40% for W, 10% for D, ...). I'll be posting the actual percentages in the 'national' threads.

Also, I created "tech-trees" - very basic versions at least.

Projectile - Gun: can only develop specifically gun-related technology, ie no XO until the CAM is available.
Projectile - Mix: can only develop multipurpose launchers, ie W (no G/R), but can do XO.
Projectile - Long: can only develop long-range launchers, ie R/Rc
Beam - Laser: can only develop laser-based weapons
Beam - Energy: can only develop Enery based weapons (includes Needle Beam)
Beam - Force: can only develop Force beam based weapons (includes Primary Beam)
Beam - Plasma; can only develop Plasma guns and torpedoes.

If you face a weapon in combat that you don't have, but are a high enough TL then you can develop it and field it like it is yours.

As in the weber fiction, "Them" can't use fighters and are limited to GB. Unlike Weber, there is no ramming my universe.

Tactical differences are as I posted in the "how simple" area, Tractor beams are not a weapon (ie only against units without a drive field) so they are useful but you can't abuse them. Also, no ramming. I will be simplifying the missiles as I go as well - but I haven't done anything yet.

I'm not using Alkeda Dawn tech - I never really figured out how to use it, so just sticking to what I know.

-John

[Johnedko]

Sorry for the delays - I had 60+ people over for the 4th of July so still working on cleaning out stuff. They finally collected my garbage and I dropped off recycling at the dump for the first time. I moved a few months ago.

Anyway, one style note: the races will all refer to each other in the same name - even when they don't have full communications. For example in the Federation story they refer to the "French" - yes that really is the French who surveyed the system, but they didn't hang around to chat and the Federation had nothing mobile to pursue them with at the time.

For the french this is a system far from the beaten path - so they are unlikely to return for years, and they know the Fed can't find them through those closed warp points.

Also, I posted the ship details - note that I am playing with some modified rules - any questions feel free. I am playing, basically, without Tractors, so you will only see those on auxiliaries designed to tow things in a non-combat role. I haven't figured out how to square this with the Needle Beam yet, but when I do I will let you know. I do notice some of you reading - I hope you are enjoying it. Most likely I will work mostly on getting the status quo up for the other races first before I try to move forward. I also have the first combat coming up between the Imperials and the Normans.

After the combat I will have questions for the group on how the Normans should follow up.

-John

[Cralis]

Haha isn't moving fun? I'm probably going to have to do that mid next year... I also think that is how I lost all my oldest Starfire books. Probably in some box somewhere.

[Johnedko]

Don't worry, when you move and after I scan everything then you will find the books. I have a largish lego collection, and I had one big flat piece I was looking for. For four years, when we moved from the apartment to the house I lost it. I found it when packing to move to this house - I had put it in a scrabble box (nice big square fit) and we then never played scrabble - and I forgot where the thing was.

I would recommend half-filled but properly labeled boxes over packing the boxes full but not having clear labels on them. I would also make sure you open and empty every box - leaving boxes in closets is a sure recipe for not finding something you will be looking for.

-John

[Cralis]

Don't worry, when you move and after I scan everything then you will find the books. I have a largish lego collection, and I had one big flat piece I was looking for. For four years, when we moved from the apartment to the house I lost it. I found it when packing to move to this house - I had put it in a scrabble box (nice big square fit) and we then never played scrabble - and I forgot where the thing was.

I would recommend half-filled but properly labeled boxes over packing the boxes full but not having clear labels on them. I would also make sure you open and empty every box - leaving boxes in closets is a sure recipe for not finding something you will be looking for.

-John

Actually I moved all my gaming stuff in a different vehicle from the moving van. Specifically so I wouldn't lose it. My guess would be that someone probably accidentally picked it up and put it in the van, the problem is that we moved into a smaller place and I have no where to put the stuff that fits into my 20x20 storage...

I'll find it someday. Your probably right, it will be right after you send it and I go to the storage to drop off something. It will be sitting right there at the door waiting for me, in the middle of the aisle between the boxes and furniture.

[Johnedko]

Sorry all, I went on vacation - just finished digging out at the office but have a few things left to do. A new update should be posted by the end of the week though.

-John