far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Per Jeff's instructions this thread is for sharing ideas to hash out an interesting and playable TCS Campaign Scenario.
We're all bound to have wildly different ideas, and if Jeff is running it he'll want to limit it to a managable level of detail.
But to begin just toss ideas out here. Debate the merits. Then we'll see what we're left with.
I'll start...
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Part 1:
My initial vision is setting up two small polities in a vacuum of any other serious forces. We don't really need a whole subsector, just two primary systems and perhaps a disputed system with a starport but no gas giant, a colony world of one of the polities.
I'd like something other than a straight-on equal starting footing game myself for interest, so my preference would be to make one polity higher TL but poorer fleet wise and the other polity lower TL but richer fleet wise. Nothing extreme though, and not a requirement but it is what the rest of my idea is based on.
Perhaps (and my preference is for middle tech levels) Polity A could be TL13 (an edge in power and weapons) with some fraction (have to run some numbers to find a reasonable ballpark to make the game interesting/even) of the budget of Polity B with their TL11.
The primary systems would be 4 parsecs apart, requiring J4 for Polity A, but the disputed system midway between, currently a colony controlled by Polity B allows them to use J2 making two jumps. The primary systems would be class A starports to allow building starships. The colony world would be class B starport to building spaceships for local defense. This may in fact be the best way to go with a fleet advantage for Polity B. Allow an extra budget for system defense boats built in the colony system. Perhaps at a lower TL, maybe TL9. And also an extra pilot allowance for the added population (see below for pilot allowance expansion rules in part 2).
Roles (Polity A or Polity B) will be determined by mutual agreement of the players, or randomly by the ref if no agreement is made.
I see a few possible scenarios to play out after the initial fleet setups. Perhaps in order as a small war:
Captured ships may be pressed into service if they can be returned to the polity's homeworld either by jumping on their own or carried by other jump capable ships.
Final victory award would be based on weighted total victories, one point for scenario 1, two points for scenario 2, and 3 points for scenario 3. In the case of a tie surviving assets would be calculated and the highest credit value would win.
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Part 2:
I have an idea for adding notable crew elements (per High Guard page 44) as well:
Fleet/Squadron Commander:
Any fleet/squadron may designate a Fleet/Squadron Commander by designating a Flagship/Flight Leader and including at least one backup bridge on it designated as the Fleet/Squadron Command Bridge. Multiple Fleet/Squadron Commanders and Bridges are possible but only one may be applied to any Fleet/Squadron at a time. The applicable skill is Fleet Tactics and is a +DM to the initiative roll.
Ship/Craft Captain:
Each ship or small craft may designate an officer as Captain (part of the crew calculation for Book 5 crews, an added crew member for Book 2 crews). The applicable skill is Ship Tactics and is divided by two, dropping fractions, and is a plus to the effective computer factor. This requires the ship or small craft to have a computer functioning at factor 1 or more.
Ship/Craft Pilot:
Each ship or small craft requires a Pilot as part of the crew calculation. The applicable skill is Pilot/Ship's Boat and is divided by two, dropping fractions, and is a plus to the effective agility of the ship or small craft as long as the ship or small craft has an agility of 1 or more.
Note:
If the ship is subject to a crew hit all skill bonuses for that ship (and the fleet/squadron if flagship/flight leader) are lost until the frozen watch (if any) is revived.
Determining Skill Levels:
The Skill Levels above are derived by dividing the Pilot allowance by the total Fleet/Squadron Commanders, Ship/Craft Captains, and Ship/Craft Pilots, including Frozen Watch replacements (one half the total, drop fractions), dropping fractions, with a maximum allowed Skill Level of 5.
For example, using a Pilot allowance of 60. Polity A is using 1 Squadron Commander, 5 Ship Captains, and 5 Ship Pilots on 5 ships. That's a total of 11 plus 5 frozen watch. So 60 divided by 16 is 3.75, drop the fraction for Skill Level 3 for each. Getting a +3 on initiative, +1 on effective computer factor, and +1 on effective agility.
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So there's my first kick at the idea. Not sure how involved it will be to run. I guess it would depend a lot on the budget and sizes of the fleets involved.
We're all bound to have wildly different ideas, and if Jeff is running it he'll want to limit it to a managable level of detail.
But to begin just toss ideas out here. Debate the merits. Then we'll see what we're left with.
I'll start...
-------
Part 1:
My initial vision is setting up two small polities in a vacuum of any other serious forces. We don't really need a whole subsector, just two primary systems and perhaps a disputed system with a starport but no gas giant, a colony world of one of the polities.
I'd like something other than a straight-on equal starting footing game myself for interest, so my preference would be to make one polity higher TL but poorer fleet wise and the other polity lower TL but richer fleet wise. Nothing extreme though, and not a requirement but it is what the rest of my idea is based on.
Perhaps (and my preference is for middle tech levels) Polity A could be TL13 (an edge in power and weapons) with some fraction (have to run some numbers to find a reasonable ballpark to make the game interesting/even) of the budget of Polity B with their TL11.
The primary systems would be 4 parsecs apart, requiring J4 for Polity A, but the disputed system midway between, currently a colony controlled by Polity B allows them to use J2 making two jumps. The primary systems would be class A starports to allow building starships. The colony world would be class B starport to building spaceships for local defense. This may in fact be the best way to go with a fleet advantage for Polity B. Allow an extra budget for system defense boats built in the colony system. Perhaps at a lower TL, maybe TL9. And also an extra pilot allowance for the added population (see below for pilot allowance expansion rules in part 2).
Roles (Polity A or Polity B) will be determined by mutual agreement of the players, or randomly by the ref if no agreement is made.
I see a few possible scenarios to play out after the initial fleet setups. Perhaps in order as a small war:
- Polity A strikes Polity B colony world attempting to prevent Polity B from striking their homeworld. Victory by A prevents scenario 2 (A defacto scenario 2 victory for A) and forces scenario 3. Victory by B forces scenario 2. No clear victory will force scenario 2.
- Polity B strikes Polity A homeworld in retaliation for scenario 1 and to prevent Polity A from striking their homeworld. Victory by B prevents scenario 3 (A defacto scenario 3 victory for B). Victory by A forces scenario 3. No clear victory will force scenario 3.
- Polity A strikes Polity B homeworld.
Captured ships may be pressed into service if they can be returned to the polity's homeworld either by jumping on their own or carried by other jump capable ships.
Final victory award would be based on weighted total victories, one point for scenario 1, two points for scenario 2, and 3 points for scenario 3. In the case of a tie surviving assets would be calculated and the highest credit value would win.
-------
Part 2:
I have an idea for adding notable crew elements (per High Guard page 44) as well:
Fleet/Squadron Commander:
Any fleet/squadron may designate a Fleet/Squadron Commander by designating a Flagship/Flight Leader and including at least one backup bridge on it designated as the Fleet/Squadron Command Bridge. Multiple Fleet/Squadron Commanders and Bridges are possible but only one may be applied to any Fleet/Squadron at a time. The applicable skill is Fleet Tactics and is a +DM to the initiative roll.
Ship/Craft Captain:
Each ship or small craft may designate an officer as Captain (part of the crew calculation for Book 5 crews, an added crew member for Book 2 crews). The applicable skill is Ship Tactics and is divided by two, dropping fractions, and is a plus to the effective computer factor. This requires the ship or small craft to have a computer functioning at factor 1 or more.
Ship/Craft Pilot:
Each ship or small craft requires a Pilot as part of the crew calculation. The applicable skill is Pilot/Ship's Boat and is divided by two, dropping fractions, and is a plus to the effective agility of the ship or small craft as long as the ship or small craft has an agility of 1 or more.
Note:
If the ship is subject to a crew hit all skill bonuses for that ship (and the fleet/squadron if flagship/flight leader) are lost until the frozen watch (if any) is revived.
Determining Skill Levels:
The Skill Levels above are derived by dividing the Pilot allowance by the total Fleet/Squadron Commanders, Ship/Craft Captains, and Ship/Craft Pilots, including Frozen Watch replacements (one half the total, drop fractions), dropping fractions, with a maximum allowed Skill Level of 5.
For example, using a Pilot allowance of 60. Polity A is using 1 Squadron Commander, 5 Ship Captains, and 5 Ship Pilots on 5 ships. That's a total of 11 plus 5 frozen watch. So 60 divided by 16 is 3.75, drop the fraction for Skill Level 3 for each. Getting a +3 on initiative, +1 on effective computer factor, and +1 on effective agility.
-------
So there's my first kick at the idea. Not sure how involved it will be to run. I guess it would depend a lot on the budget and sizes of the fleets involved.