RC Area of Operations/Area of Influence

[sablewyvern]

Still in the process of trying to get a good feel for the New Era setting, and I've come to a point where the my understanding of how and where the RC operates doesn't mesh too well with the core book.

Essentially, the purpose of this post is to try and figure out how far away from their core worlds the RCES regularly operates. I would think the idea would be a gradual expansion, with an emphasis on subsuming closer worlds first (with occasional missions deeper into the Wilds).

The Once and Future Emperor adventure in the core book sort of throws that theory into disarray, however. Karaguuka is nearly 50 parsecs from Aubaine, deep into the Wilds. Apart from the fact that the PCs are looking at a round trip in excess of a year, with no access to friendly worlds on their journey, they are also endeavouring to install a friendly government on a planet that they will have great difficulty maintaining contact with until secure communication routes can be established.

So, ultimately, what I want to know is:

Am I missing something? Does the RCES have a grand plan or logistical support network that hasn't occurred to me, and which will allow me to incorporate this adventure, as written, into my campaign in a sensible fashion?

Or, should I move Karaguuka a lot closer and keep the bulk of RCES operations much nearer to home?

 

[Beladan]

Hi again

I have a couple of thoughts on this. Basically, I agree that primarily the RCES would operate normally as you propose - generally radiating out from a well established core.

Remember that in this particular adventure, however, that the players are hired precisely because of this. A free trader discovered the world. And it is amongst a cluster of uncontacted worlds offering a real chance to bring a large section of space back into the fold. The players are there because the RCES does not have the resources to deal with that sort of detatched operation.

So I see things as set up as a plot device. Basically, we offer the RCES a cherry too sweet to pass up but put it out of their grasp - thus necesitating the PC's. We move the PC's out of RCES space - forcing them to be self reliant and, in metagame terms, learn the game. Also remember this is posed as an introduction to Traveller type game... This is clear from the section that specifically outlines travel to K. It also removes the temptation to have the RCES come swooping in and save their asses and gives the referee a little breathing room. S/he doesn't need to be overly concerned with what the rest of the RCES is doing - because they are absent.

So in the end - it's YOUR traveller universe. I don't see any great problem with the distance. It provides a little scope until everyone gets things under their belt and comfortable with the game if they are new. If this doesn't suit your gamestyle or players - by all means, find something a little closer to 'home.' You could always fast forward through the 'boring bit' of getting there = although, as a player, I liked having to deal with the stuff that came up along the way - but that's just me.

How is Melbourne these days? I lived there before I moved over here to the US about three years ago...

 

[sablewyvern]

That makes sense.

It does mean, however, that if I choose to run with the distance as written I'm going to have to turn the adventure into a virtual mini-campaign. I can't see the PCs going that far through the Wilds without some significant side-plots (for a start, their ship will probably need a full overhaul before they even get back to Aubaine).

Melbourne is quite wet at the moment. Just in time for the Grand Prix.

 

[Beladan]

I hate to do this again...

but have you seen this site?

http://www.freelancetraveller.com/features/advents/virshad.html

This is also an introduction to TNE and contains some neat adventure nuggets that you might glean for your side quests along the way...

Bela

 

[Secrect Cow Level]

When I ran it for my group I simply moved it to a world with a very simular UWP that was much closer to Aubaine Subsector (I don't remember the world anymore nor do I have the full map of Diasapora Sector to check). The world I chose worked just fine and didn't require me to run a STAR TREK:VOYAGER styled TRAVELLER campaign just to run the introductory adventure included in the rulebook!

 

[shield]

the RC seemed to have wandered upto about 2 subsectors from their borders, see guilded lilly at berens in the Madoc subsector, and various raids in Promise if a good enough prize seemed available, but yes officially they were supposed to stay within 6 parsecs of the coalition except for deep recon probes.

Cheers
Richard

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by RichardP:
the RC seemed to have wandered upto about 2 subsectors from their borders, see guilded lilly at Berens in the Madoc subsector, and various raids in Promise if a good enough prize seemed available, but yes officially they were supposed to stay within 6 parsecs of the coalition except for deep recon probes.Cheers, Richard

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Path of tears maps show a 10 parsec sphere of the AO for the RC, not six, RichardP.
(or 5 weeks plus at J-2; 4 weeks plus at J-3 (last jump being a J-1); 3 weeks at J-4 (last one bein a J-2); and those rarerer than hen's teeth J-5 (two weeks) to reach the AO frontier.
Most of the clipper ships had load outs for J-3; the Victrix sloops, with the TL-13+ engines rated at J-4 (Solomani standard was J-3).
But yes, Sablewyverrn, RichardP is right--when it suited them, the RCES broke their own "rules" when they felt the need/ ends justified it. (Easier to ask forgiveness than permission).

 

[shield]

10 hmmh getting forgetful in my old age.

As for the asking permission, the RCES does not have enough ships to run couriers out to roving patrol / exploration vessels, and they couldn't afford the time delay anyway, to see what happens when you have to get high commands sayso on everything just look at the recent reports where apparently special forces missed bin laden 3 times near tora bora, because high command got jittery / took to long - oops

Cheers
Richard

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by RichardP:
10 hmmh getting forgetful in my old age.

As for the asking permission, the RCES does not have enough ships to run couriers out to roving patrol / exploration vessels, and they couldn't afford the time delay anyway, to see what happens when you have to get high commands sayso on everything just look at the recent reports where apparently special forces missed bin laden 3 times near tora bora, because high command got jittery / took to long - oops!Cheers!Richard

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Not to mention the jumpspace time lag of 6.5 (plu or minus 12hrs) days. The bureacracy thats governs the RC (the RCSA) as "a state"/ stellar polity is a contentious lot.

*As for OBL reference,<shrug> stuff happens like that everyday, in war, or business. Speedy communications are needed.

BUT (thank you once again richardP!) this also proves a point of mine that a certain Soleean "empire" starting the war would have a jump of 3 to six weeks before an appropriate response could be met/ or sent.
It also highlights a weakness in the RC in their intelligence gathering/ dissemination/ responses. They tend to lurch from spot report to spot report...a war with Solee would painfully highlight this inherent weakness, and cause a formation (at last!!!) of a formal RCN (Ref. Coalition Navy). Moreso after the war, in policing up the worlds Solee has taken, monitoring the "peace", and adjusting these new territories into the RC...

Last, yer not gettin older, just more seasoned. Heck, I forgot which Batron got recalled to Corridor in 1106 (the Plankwell's did, even tho they have better jump performnce(J-4) and are roughly same age as the J-3 Kokirrak-class dreadnaughts.).

 

[shield]

yeah, but the Plankwell is an ugly config 4 box, probably built by the vilani, the korrikkak looks like a space ship (just like the soviet spaceships are boxes, and the american ones look like spaceships - because all the american designers watched buck rogers in the 25th centry as a child)

Cheers
Richard

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by RichardP:
yeah, but the Plankwell is an ugly config 4 box, probably built by the vilani, the korrikkak looks like a space ship (just like the soviet spaceships are boxes, and the american ones look like spaceships - because all the american designers watched buck rogers in the 25th centry as a child)Cheers!Richard

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yeah, but the Plankwell uses modular ship building for speedier completion/ mass production.
Okay, it is a series of SL boxes tied together,
and it looks ugly to You (I kinda think its slabbish and ungainly, but heck, she packs a wallop!), and that makes up for her "looks".
The Kokirrak Dreadnaught looks like an overblown Midu Agashaam DD on serious steroids! In retropsect, I liked the Plankwell better.

 

[Antony]

Funnily enough, when my players first saw a picture of the Kokirrak class dreadnought there first comment was that she was obviously a Klingon design! Looking at the illustration does give that impression. Perhaps the designer was a ST fan?

 

[shield]

Liam,

where has that famous irish poetry of form gone? The plankwell is a box!!!, and that configuration is toast vs a big meson gun, a cheap but vulerable design. Also from memory, its slower - 5G?, has thinner armour and no troop spacesAs for a Midu on steroids - perish the thought (and a waste of steroids).

Anthony - or did ST steal the design from traveller?

Cheers
Richard

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by RichardP:
[QB] Liam,

where has that famous irish poetry of form gone? The plankwell is a box!!!, and that configuration is toast vs a big meson gun, a cheap but vulerable design. Also from memory, its slower - 5G?, has thinner armour and no troop spacesAs for a Midu on steroids - perish the thought (and a waste of steroids).[QB]

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Its a series of boxes actually.
And I dinnae say I found her attractive. "Ungainly" looking, barely SL fer GG refuelling, IIRC I said.
I much prefer the latter drawings of ships, more streamlined. But it does point out the IMP Navy's lack of homogenous capital ships, as opposed to the IDP designed smaller vessels.

Speaking of Klingon ST designs, the Fer-de-lance, Chrysanthemum, and Tethys (FASA), and some of the others (from covers of FASA 1 & 2) with rounded bridge/bows seen in FSOTSI! Things that make ya go hmmm.

 

[simontmn]

Originally posted by sablewyvern:
Or, should I move Karaguuka a lot closer and keep the bulk of RCES operations much nearer to home?

I agree that this is probably the best bet, as all the later scenarios occur much closer to RC territory. Unless you want to use a stable wormhole into the Gamma Quadrant. >