Feedback requested for a game idea

[Garyius2003]

I have been tossing a game idea around for a week. This com message is the lead off and sets the tone for the adventure for 4-5 navy/marine characters in a gazelle.

What do you think of the idea and execution?


FLASH FLASH FLASH FLASH

MESSAGE: SPNHNAV 1106-119-364
PRIORITY: DOMAIN SPN A-1-C

ACTION ORDERS

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION: SECRET/NOFORN

TO: ALLNAVSPN
ALLMARSPN
ALLSCTSPN (See appendix A)
All Spinward Marches Ling Standard and Subsidiary
Managers Grade J-4 and above (See appendix B)
All SPN Starport Authority Directors (See appendix C)

SITUATION
On 1106-112, the Fiery class Imperial Naval Vessel DISTANT EMBER was completing its class two overhaul at the Ling Standard Yard at EFATE, Efate/Regina 0105. The ship’s crew was in leave status, while the ship remained in commissioned status in the bonded care of Ling Standard Efate Yards, LIC.

Persons employed as contract security by Ling Standard Efate Yards, LIC, made unauthorized entry into the vessel, after apparently gaining unauthorized access to Ling computer systems and concealing the fact that the rebuild was accomplished seven days prior to schedule. The same intrusion to information systems was apparently used to fully equip the vessel with deployment equipment, including a full load out of nuclear missiles. (See Attachment A, security recordings of suspects)

The intruders launched from the yard, falsely claiming to Starport control that they were engaged in an authorized hover test. The vessel proceeded to the jump limit ahead of the duty security SBDs, and transited into jump.

Based on jump entry point, DISTANT EMBER may have transited to Louzy/Jewell 0804. Commander, Efate Naval Forces, dispatched a task force of one Wind Class Carrier and three destroyer escorts to Louzy on 1106-112.

MISSION
Take all practical steps to discover and destroy or capture DISTANT EMBER. (See Attachment B, most recent sensor profile of DISTANT EMBER).

EXECUTION
Imperial Naval Task Forces 193-02; 193-04; and 202-02 are directed to aggressively patrol solely for DISTANT EMBER on jump routes within fifteen parsecs of Louzy/Jewell 0804, with interstellar deployment patterns at their commanders’ judgment. As a general guideline, 193-02 is directed to concentrate spinward of Louzy; 193-04 is directed to concentrate rimward of Louzy; and 202-02 is directed to concentrate coreward of Louzy.

All Naval and Marine assets within thirty five parsecs of Louzy/Jewell 0804 are ordered to take all practical steps to aggressively patrol locally for DISTANT EMBER.

Take all steps to capture or destroy DISTANT EMBER short of the expected loss of a major Naval combatant vessel or Battalion or larger Marine force, or expected war with the Zhodani.

COMMAND AND SIGNAL
Commander, Spinward Marches Naval Forces, is the commander and proponent for this mission. All Messages and Data are to be directed to SPNHNAV Regina/Regina 0310, Ref SPNHNAV 1106-119-364.

ADMINSTRATION AND LOGISTICS
All needed assets are to be drawn from standard fleet supplies. Excess supplies expended and all mission related damage repair are to be charged to EMERGENCY FUND D-411-5, Ref SPNHNAV 1106-119-364.

Appendix A
All Spinward Scout Forces are to watch for DISTANT EMBER and inform the nearest NAV/MAR activity if spotted. By order of Director Baron Sir Evdinci Vesseli.

Appendix B
All Ling Standard Activities are to watch for signs of DISTANT EMBER. Each world within fifty parsecs of Louzy/Jewell 0804 shall appoint a special manager to hire investigative personal to enquire as to the location of DISTANT EMBER, and shall discreetly post a reward large enough to ensure any available local information. Share all information with the nearest Navy or Marine Activity. Submit weekly progress reports to the Sector Board and Domain Board. Use corporate cost code Spn-Dom-4545. Directive of Lord Sir David Felititii, issued by Sir Ghento Killiti, Regina System Acting Director.

Appendix C
By Order of the Imperial Navy, under General Order H-4553-C2, take all steps necessary to monitor traffic for, and inform the nearest Naval or Marine Activity of the location of, DISTANT EMBER. Capture or destroy the vessel if practical and there is minimal danger to port facilities.

Personal Message to all addressee Commanders from Commander, Spinward Marches Naval Forces: This is a great stain upon our honor. Redeem our reputation.


FOR THE COMMANDER,
Baron Rear Admiral Sir Davis Wallsizd,
Chief of the Naval Staff

 

[Dragoner]

Looks good to me, seems a nice start for an adventure.

 

[CosmicGamer]

Would the fact that a ship was taken be so openly broadcast?

Perhaps leave out the details of how the ship was taken. It will help hold off incredulity over the numerous counts of ineptitude that would be necessary for this to occur.

 

[Garyius2003]

I made it secret/nofron, and only senior managers at Ling. You think that is too much?

 

[BruceEdwinMorrow]

SECRET/NOFORN... lol :rofl:

 

[Captain Midnight]

So why didn't the planetary deep meson guns take it out? If the big guns wouldn't shoot for some reason, why wouldn't someone engage with missile batteries? It's a fast ship, but not *that* fast -- you're talking quite a while to get to the jump limit. I could maybe see a dangerous jump from within the jump limit, or even within atmosphere if you're TRULY desperate, but... wow.

Who failed to notice that the ship was nearing flight capability ahead of schedule, and that it was advance-loading stores? If they scooted without stores, they'll be getting hungry by and by...

When did the ship load enough fuel for a jump? How did they manage to get a full loadout of nukes without drawing someone's attention? I find it highly doubtful that anyone would authorize issuing that sort of ordnance based on the equivalent of an email, and when they delivered the missiles, didn't the delivery guys notice anything odd (not nearly enough crew, for instance)?

The whole thing just strikes me as highly implausible. "Hacked system" seems like a major stretch to me.

 

[Garyius2003]

You could be right. And the navy/marine PCs on a DE who run across the vessel...

Sounds like there are a lot of issues that would have the PCs wondering. That is sort of what I want, options that I can plan for without using railroad tracks.

As a hook and intro, good or bad?

 

[Xerxeskingofking]

its a hook that heavily implies a large scale conspicery. a LOT of people would need to be "in" on this for it to work. the planetry defenses would need to be blinded somehow (failure of the fire control net?), someone working in the armoury would need to falsify the extensive paperwork for the nukes (maybe have them stolen sperately, but assumed to be on the ship?). the fuel guys could just be locals brided for the fuel, and so on.


it would make more sense if the ship was stolen, jumped out, and was sighted in a nearby system, where it pretended to be legit, aquired the nukes their (carrying seemingly legit orders for them), and then leaving a few hours before persuit got thier.

 

[Dragoner]

If done quick enough, I could see it happening, loading out a ship would be automatic, the loaders/bots even if noticing something strange wouldn't necessarily raise an alarm; they aren't paid to ask questions. Big Meson Guns would need a lot of clearance before firing on a ship in orbit, red alert on defenses might cause to much of a panic for one small ship, etc. .

 

[Garyius2003]

Or it could be what it looks like, or another megacorp set up Ling to lose contracts, or the 3I is staging an intel operation, or the zho mind rapers and their Ine allies are up to something, or some local Ling manager took out his own retirement bonus...

 

[Captain Midnight]

The problem I see with that is that there has to be somebody on the LSP end overseeing the refit (call him a "project engineer", maybe). He knows what's going on, and when it's supposed to done. He's in charge of signing off on work done by subcontractors. He knows roughly where each phase is in terms of completion, and is in charge of reporting anticipated completion dates to the portmaster's office, so they know when the slip will be available again. If he sees a van from a ship chandler show up with consumables (and heaven forbid someone talk about loading jump fuel!) before the ship is ready to receive it, he's going to raise a stink. With a week still to go, there will be various subsystems that are still in pieces, and blockages where things haven't been secured yet.

If somebody from the Navy shows up with a van full of nuclear missiles, he's going to raise even more stink, because he's in charge of delivering a finished project, and I guarantee you he didn't have any budget put aside for securing a magazine full of nukes for a week before the crew shows up to take the ship off his hands. (If you're assuming there's no protective measures for those nukes besides a padlock on the magazine door, or that someone will treat them as carelessly as a pallet of not-very-valuable supplies, we can stop this conversation now. Enjoy your game.)

Leaving aside the inexplicable lack of warning from the refit crew and the assigned ship's crew, why would HackerGod be willing to settle for stealing a close escort and running for the border? If you can fiddle LSP security well enough to risk your life on this, why aren't you set up with billions of credits on a wealthy world enjoying the easy life?

I'm also trying to imagine the scene in Traffic Control when the thieves make their break...

"Control Prime, this is Control Seven-Beta. We have an unauthorized departure, no clearance."

"Roger that, Beta. ID on the departure, and outbound acceleration?"

"Outbound accel is 5.0 G, repeat, 5.0 G. Outbound traffic is coming from LSP refit yard Gimel 5-Bravo, which is on file as a close escort in refit, not expected to be flight-certified for at least a week."

"Sounds like he's in a hurry. Any specific bearing?"

"No, just boost, boost, boost. We have attempted to open communications, but no response. I'm guessing he's running for the jump limit, but even at that accel, he's got a while before he gets there. Time to jump-limit is around 120 minutes [ed. note -- this assumes jump-masking is not an issue], and he'll have a ton of velocity to deal with if he tries to jump."

"We concur, Beta. We will notify System Defense, and monitor the situation."

"Thank you, Prime. Seven-Beta, out."

If anyone finds out that a whole magazine load of nukes is missing and now in orbit in the hands of unknown individuals who have at the very least stolen a warship, meson gun crews will be falling all over themselves to blow the ship out of the sky.

In short, there are (in my opinion) big plausibility holes. If you're wanting a specific setup for a game (PCs are the shorthanded crew of a stolen CE), then that can be fiddled, but this is not the way I'd go about setting it up. It creates certain assumptions in the minds of the players that either don't make sense, or are contrary to the sort of games I find believable enough to enjoy.