The Rebellion

[mike wightman]

Yup, there are a few standard tropes missing from FFW.

SDBs defending gas giants and hiding in the vastness of the outsystem for example.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

Also timing. FFW was made years before T4, GURPS Traveller, and others.

Do you all think that they represent an evolution/correction from FFW or just redefinition based on the assumptions found within their own rulesets?

 

[captnchuck]

Wel FFW and IE came out at around the same time. Ie has PD systems and FFW does not. So I don't know what the thinking was. I can only assume that there was a greater refinement. I am 3 subsectors in and I can understand why they went with the Marches instead of the Rim. The counter density for the ground troops alone is going to be staggering. In the Marches you had only a handful of Hi Pop worlds here you have entire subsectors full. Add into the fact that the Sol SS has a double fleet and it is going to be one heck of a fight.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

Worse if you take the Mongoose Solomani Rim info into account. Project Phoenix has 3 Planetoid CruRons and 4 SDB wings hiding. Smuggled in since the end of the war, mostly in the last 40 years (pg. 114). So they may be built at the Solomani's highest TL.

 

[captnchuck]

Well, I did not think of that.
I was going to add in a rebel against the Imperial mechanic. Any system under Military rule would have for the first 4 turns a chance to spawn rebel units.Plus, the mobile colonial forces would have a chance to rebel as well. the chance would be influenced by if they where with regular imp forces or alone or other factors.

 

[captnchuck]

The other thing is the Vegan fleet is going to be hella tough

 

[Nathan Brazil]

On the ground (also p114) the project did not lose 100%, just 83% of men and material. Historically and in a Rebellion game this explains why taking Terra "just happens".

In a game, you could do something like the special rule and even have Solomani fleets pass thru and not "activate" the sleepers. But when you do...

If you go with the Mongoose interpetation of Solomani ship design,
they may be behemoths (ships too big, ships too small few in-between)
they ARE planetoid configuation, maybe buffered planetoid, armored and stealthed.
Most likely Jump capable, but the nearest Confederation world is Mirabilis which is 7 parsecs. So figure the story for that one...

 

[captnchuck]

I am not,repeat, not using Mongoose.
Using GDW mostly . GURPS for background and T$ for the technical mumbo jumbo.

 

[Condottiere]

Open to interpretation, but the planetoid cruisers would be between twenty five to seventy five kay tonnes, probably jump factor two stealthed.

With the new armour rules, unlikely to sacrifice a third of the ship for no gain in protection, so all planetoids.

The crew is awaiting depopsicling, and likely there are Confederation Army Commando and Marine Special Forces units embarked, plus holds full of weapons of sleeper cells.

Since there's been no advance in technology level since the War of Imperium Aggression, expect the infiltrated ships to be equipped at technological level fourteen.

Outside of the Trojan horses and interstellar buggies, I don't recall SolSec having cruisers.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

Open to interpretation, but the planetoid cruisers would be between twenty five to seventy five kay tonnes, probably jump factor two stealthed.

Hmm.
Might this be an appropriate time for a Carrier/Battle Rider situation, either tactically or historically? I ask because your low end tonnage reminds me

• about the talks involving CT HG designs.
• The lowest tonnage to have a spinal weapon and as a game HG is just about the spinal kills
• explains how they trudged the ships 7 parsecs over course of 40 years - what is the carrier like
• also purpose built since the usual having formerly jump fuel space devoted to planetary assault, fighters (if mongoose squadrons)

things like that

 

[McPerth]

Well, I did not think of that.
I was going to add in a rebel against the Imperial mechanic. Any system under Military rule would have for the first 4 turns a chance to spawn rebel units.Plus, the mobile colonial forces would have a chance to rebel as well. the chance would be influenced by if they where with regular imp forces or alone or other factors.

Are you trying to play the Solomani part of the rebellion with FFW rules?

It seems a worthy project, but quite hard. Years ago I fancied about playing the Solomani War using FFW, but the project was daunting:

1. As you has already pointed yourself, there is a higher proportion of HiPop worlds
2. While FFW was fougn mostly in just over half a sector (more so if, a the game, you ignore the Darrian front, that was mostly inactive), the Solomai War would need to cover several sectors

Adding both factors, you'll need a very large map (large enough to have problems in having it on a table, unless it is computer played) and high counter density.

Also see that FFW features very badly Planetary invasions, at least if we take IE as example. While it lasted about 8 months, in FFW such an invasión would probably be resolved in 2-4 weeks.

 

[captnchuck]

Yes, the Sol front in the Rebellion. I am just starting with the Sol Rim Sector.
Once I get the base non Empire level forces,Ie Colonial,Merc,Noble,planetary. I will then do the Empire level forces. That will be easy.
The Imps will be the easy part, the Sol not so hard. I am going to do them ala Nazis in space. Top heavy with a sizeable deep strike force.
I will be adding in a sub section into the assault of a planet. Part of the defense battalions will be able to strike at Naval forces in "close" forces.
Plus, I am going to make that part especially at higher level techs harder to kill. All the notes say that deep meson sites are almost impossible to kill add in the wet navy submarines with meson spinal mounts.

 

[captnchuck]

Do the Solomani use Mercs?

 

[Condottiere]

Yes.

SolSec also keeps track as to who they hire to, so their commander has to be a little bit politically savvy.

 

[captnchuck]

Well,I just realized I do not have to do all the computations for the local forces. Heaven and Earth has it all done already! Now comes the hard Part. Mercs,Noble and mega corp forces. I mean what would the person forces Available to an ArchDuke who is also the sector Duke be?

 

[aramis]

Well,I just realized I do not have to do all the computations for the local forces. Heaven and Earth has it all done already! Now comes the hard Part. Mercs,Noble and mega corp forces. I mean what would the person forces Available to an ArchDuke who is also the sector Duke be?

Typically, less than a reinforced Regiment. Norris and the Archduke of Antares are noted for having unusually large forces.

The Subsector and Sector colonial forces are not "personal".

Given the entire 7 world polity of League of Antares is a personal fief of the Archduke of Antares, that axiomatically makes all the system navies semi-personal, especially since the league is an autocracy with the Archduke in charge... IIRC, his huscarles are a regiment or two; he leaves the rest to government purposes. He can, however, on personal authority, grab quite an impressive number of forces within a month.

 

[captnchuck]

In G:Nobles it said each ArchDuke has an Imperial Commission to raise up to a Lift Division and Norris is the only one not to do it.

 

[aramis]

In G:Nobles it said each ArchDuke has an Imperial Commission to raise up to a Lift Division and Norris is the only one not to do it.

Which is a Hans-ism not supported in prior editions.

 

[Kilgs]

Skipped to the end of this thread. Has anyone considered the 2E Victory By Any Means? Pretty versatile, designed for large numbers. There is also a supplement that drills down to detail on several worlds...

I'd be all in for a game designed around that system. It's smooth and easy to learn. Lots of room for espionage, trade, and so on.

 

[Whipsnade]

Has anyone considered the 2E Victory By Any Means? Pretty versatile, designed for large numbers.

VBAM is good, great even, but it's scale is still too small. Any Rebellion game which uses individual worlds not named Terra, Capital, Dlan, Vland, etc. would be too detailed to be playable. Hell, a playable Rebellion game would be hard pressed to use subsectors let alone the worlds within them.

As mentioned elsewhere in the thread, a game on the scale of Twilight Imperium is needed.