Boldy Going Forward ‘Cos We Can’t Find Reverse - A Birth of the Federation Mini-AAR

[Kan' Sharuminar]

Boldy Going Forward ‘Cos We Can’t Find Reverse - A Birth of the Federation Mini-AAR

Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of…er, a colony ship and one science vessel that would probably lose a fight against a grumpy kitten. Well, a space kitten. Seriously, does Starfleet have any idea what might be out there?



This is a mini-AAR. It’s an AAR ‘cos it’s going to follow the same methods of my usual AAR’s (reader participation, Council of Doom). It’s a mini-AAR because:

1. Calling that makes it far easier for me to bug out when I finally get round to that Total War AAR I’m planning.
2. My success rate in Birth of the Federation is erratic at best, and BotF hardly does you any favours. An example from a recent game I played as the Romulan Empire:

Started game with two hostile minor powers in the vicinity. Spent most of my treasury placating said powers while unsuccessfully seeking out new worlds to colonise. Before I reach the hundredth turn I suffer credits being stolen from the treasury. Soon after an asteroid striking one of my colonies, wiping out all the food installations and causing mass starvation. Finally a random ship comes along, apparently bearing the plague because it wipes out half the population of Romulus through disease.


Sorry, Romulus.

So, not a forgiving game at times. For this AAR I shall hopefully be luckier, and at any rate shall simply bear out the bad times as best I can to whatever end. If our galactic power is destroyed prematurely I’ll simply start as another one. Mini-AAR prerogative, see?

As I’m not sure how familiar players are with this game, anything in spoilers will be referring to how the game works, or Trek-history as we meet new races and develop new ships. They are entirely optional, and won’t have much bearing on the AAR story as it develops.

Spoiler History Stuff! :

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Birth of the Federation (or how I learnt to stop worrying and love dividing things with colons) is a turn-based strategy game published by Microprose and released in 1997. Gameplay is, for all intents and purposes, very Master of Orion but with a Star Trek theme. The player expands, colonises worlds, researches technology, builds a military and all the usual 4X stuff. Players could choose to control the Federation, Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians or, erm, Ferengi.

It was a bit buggy at best, unfinished at worst. Diplomacy is rubbish, with AI powers shifting from allies to enemies in mere turns and always, always demanding money to stay on good terms. I’m sure there’s games with worse micromanagement, but this one is particularly unhelpful for new players. Then there was a weird memory leak problem which slowed the game down horrifically after a couple hundred turns. It wasn’t a bad game, but I think a lot of the enjoyment was from seeing Star Trek stuff realised on a TBS game.

Thankfully, PC gamers are nothing if not determined to mod every game in existence, and for this we’re playing with the Dominion War mod. It fixed what it could, and without much worry about licensing (vanilla BotF was forced to stay strictly within TNG, despite DS9 and Voyager being aired at the time) it was free to add and remove races, ships and buildings to make it more Star Trek now that the TV series is all done with. At worst, it removed the Ferengi as a major power, and for that we should be thankful.

For this game we shall be playing as the Federation. I’d like to point out that the Federation is a peaceful organisation, dedicated to the ideals of peaceful exploration and discovery. I’d also like to point out I really enjoy it when readers get into the role-playing of a nation in an AAR. I’ll finally add I know exactly what the lot of you are like, and I’ll get right on to developing weapons technologies…

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

I’ll keep the positions fairly simple: participants can choose to be a Federation councillor or a Starfleet captain. Councillors influence Federation policy, diplomacy and expenditure, as well as having an opportunity to become Federation President. Captains get a starship and get to follow orders. Y’know, like Kirk did. I’m being fairly flippant with the rules beyond this as I want to get a feel as to what works and what doesn’t when it comes to interactive AAR’s.

Anyone who posts in this thread automatically joins the council. Positions are not permanent, participants can switch at will, though there can only be as many captains as there can be starships. If there’s a specific job someone wants (Head of Starfleet, Governor of Alpha Centauri, Chief of Analysing Holodeck Incidents) just suggest it.

Federation Council of Doom
Kan’ Sharuminar - President
Cardgame - Chief of Staff
Antilogic - Foreign Minister
d.highland - Head of Starfleet
Thrawn - Councillor
Matt0088 - Councillor

Starfleet of Doom
Maniacal II - USS Onizuka B -Fleet Admiral
-Mission: Leader of the Starfleet
SuperBeaverInc. USS Nautilus - Andorian Task Force
-Mission: Patrol T'Ili Beta Sector
The Magic Hobo USS Miranda - Earth Task Force
-Mission: Patrol T'Ili Beta Sector
Jos Ballenbak USS Majestic - T'Lani Task Force
-Mission: Patrol Tanuga Sector
Rub'Rum USS Iwo Jima - Home Fleet Task Force
-Mission: Patrol Sol Sector
nodikus USS Cosmos - Risan Task Force
-Mission: Patrol Risan Sector
Captain2 II USS Enterprise - Tanugan Task Force
-Mission: Patrol Tanugan Sector

Lost in Action
Captain2 - Killed during the Onizuka Incident
Maniacal - Killed during the Onizuka Incident

 

[Maniacal]

Captain Maniacal of the USS Onizuka reporting in!

 

[Captain2]

Ensign Ryan looks around the empty office before glancing at his antique pocket watch. "That bastard is half an hour late, if it wasn't bad enough that I'm being assigned to Maniacal's ship why does he have to draw it out by making me wait...." he says biterly as he stands and begins to pace the room, he notices out of the corner of his eye that the commander in charge of assigning crew to ships has left his screen on, without password protection no less.

Ryan smirks as he walks over to the screen and goes through the program, it lists the only ship as the USS Onizuka and Captain Maniacal as being in charge of it. To the right of the screen he notices a list of Captains awaiting new ships to be built for them to command.

"I wonder..." Neville says, biting his lip as he thinks. He types in "Captain Neville Ryan" at the top of the waiting list and smirks momentarily before saving the change and closing the program.

"Well, I've been kept waiting long enough, lets just hope nobody notices that slight change" he says to himself before walking out of the room, keeping his head down to make sure nobody takes notice of his presence.

 

[SuperBeaverInc.]

Captain Subi of the USS Silly Walk!

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

Boldy Going Forward ‘Cos We Can’t Find Reverse - A Birth of the Federation Mini-AAR

We begin our adventures near Earth, with a single colony ship and a scout vessel waiting for orders. With nobody in the Senate I, as President of the Federation, decide to take the difficult decisions that will lay the foundations of the Federation’s future.

I commission some new farms to deal with the Sol system’s rising population and assign Maniacal to lead our first exploration vehicle - the Oberth-class USS Onizuka. It’s heady stuff.

Spoiler History Lesson :

“How many planets are in this Federation?”
“Over one hundred and fifty, spread across eight thousand light years”

Right now our might Federation consists of a grand total of one member - humans, across a grand total of less than one light year - the Sol system. But then, we humans are awesome, so to hell with other races. Once they see our supreme awesomeness they’ll be begging to join us, as long as we have a fantastic captain for the first contact missions.

Hmm, Maniacal. Maybe I should suggest he reign in the Canadianisms?

The Federation in BotF are, like the TV counterpart, focused on SCIENCE and diplomacy. Minor races are a bit more favourable to them, and their starships have powerful shields. According to the blurb on the race selection screen, their starships are “designed to function as well alone as in groups,” which must be very reassuring to any lone Starfleet captain watching a Klingon fleet bearing down on him.

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

Captain Subi of the USS Silly Walk!

Starship names are, I'm afraid to say, completely randomly generated and I have no control over it or what you'll be assigned to. For you, as I always do, I'll make the exception.

 

[SuperBeaverInc.]

Starship names are, I'm afraid to say, completely randomly generated and I have no control over it or what you'll be assigned to. For you, as I always do, I'll make the exception.

Just make me the Minister of Silly Walks then

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

Captain’s log, Stardate 1048.2. The Onizuka is one week into her mission of exploration, and we believe we have come across our first sign of intelligent life on another world.

This is Captain Maniacal of the starship Onizuka, we represent the Fede---



Pffffffffft. Oh heavens, oh heavens, that hairstyle. Oh my, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean that. I’m absolutely respectful of whatever the cultural mainstream you…



Bwahahaahaa! I’m so sorry, it’s like dreadlocks in reverse gone bad. Hang on, hang on, lemme get the Federation President.

“Kan, Kan, look at this.”

“That’s our galactic equals?”

“Yup! Shall I introduce them to the mullet?”

Spoiler Minor Races :

Minor Races

Minor races are likely the first AI power you’ll meet in BotF. They control a single star system, and incorporating them into your empire allows you to construct a building unique to their race, granting you some form of bonus. Some minor races have dilithium (more on that later), which means that have a shipyard and, possibly, unique starships. In vanilla BotF these were a bit rubbish, but with the Dominion War mod I’ve found such vessels to be a bit more resilient.

Incorporating a minor race into your empire comes in two forms. First is the obvious outright conquering, which involves a lot of troops transports and, if they have orbital defences, a sizeable fleet. This really isn’t feasible in the early game, so we’re going to use diplomacy. And by diplomacy I mean bribery, for the diplomacy in this game really just involves throwing money at the foreign ambassador until he seems friendlier.

Minor races, in general, start off neutral to the major powers, though some are more inclined to be friendly to certain empires depending on the TV history. Vulcans, for example, will already be friendly to the Federation while grumpy to the Romulans. The friendly they are, the more likely the are to agree to deals:

Friendship: In which the two powers can trade, granting the player more money to bribe said minor power with.
Affiliation: In which the range (we’ll get to that) of the minor power, if any, is added to your own.
Membership: In which the minor race is fully incorporated into your empire. Paradox players should think of this as a diploannex.

In the early game, incorporating a fully developed (all planets terraformed, full population) can be a massive boost, and taking such a system at such an early stage can mean having a system capable of out-producing the rest of your entire empire. If it also has dilithium, you may have secured your survival in the game.

 

[The Magic Hobo]

"This is our Federation?" Magic Hobo says to himself. "A skeleton, green er,thing...something-another, and God forbid KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!! Well I know what the Federation needs it needs an intelligent, clean, and sophisticated man to Boldly go (and conquer*hint**wink*nudge*bribe*) where no man has gone before! They need The Magic Hobo."

The Magic Hobo continues his speech to no one in particular. "I hereby proclaim myself a STARFLEET CAPTAIN, HEAD OF INTERSTELLAR HOBO RELATIONS, and HEAD OF THE ANTI-ROMULAN EMPIRE!" The Magic Hobo ends his proclamation to..well the voices in his head and resumes reading the "The Federation Conqueror Weekly".

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

I'm actually pretty pro-Romulan, being as they are my favourite of the Star Trek powers. But that's okay! A different opinion is always worthy.

 

[SuperBeaverInc.]

I say we offer the Romulans unconditional surrender and let them enslave/exterminate us, whichever they prefer.

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

I'm not that pro-Romulan.

 

[The Magic Hobo]

I'm actually pretty pro-Romulan, being as they are my favourite of the Star Trek powers. But that's okay! A different opinion is always worthy.

*Gasp* Our president KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN is pro-Romulan! Why is that bad you ask? I'll tell you, because Romulans are ALIENS that's right ALIENS and I hate ALIENS.

OOC: I'm going to apologize ahead of time KAAAAN the Star Trek nerd in me won't let me spell your name regularly especially not in a Star Trek AAR. Also just incase you haven't noticed my character is insane, jingoistic, and anti-alien. Also he's a Hobo.


LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE ER...REPUBLIC yeah

Edit: Also I would like to request the command of the first warship or the Federation equivalent of one.

 

[cardgame]

cardgame signing up to be the Commander of Ground Forces in the intergalactic theatre

 

[The Magic Hobo]

cardgame signing up to be the Commander of Ground Forces in the intergalactic theatre

You think this is a game son?WELL DO YOU!?This is no game definitely no cardgame. THIS! IS! WAR!(or it will be) What kind of society do we live in when our forces are led by a game. A cardgame at that not even risk or something.

(Ignore the fact this was written by a Hobo because I'm Magic and you ain't.)

Edit: Since cardgame got me thinking about it and Starfleet only has 5 senior officers currently I would like to be recognized as the Grand Admiral of the Federation. How soon can we build a Death Star?

 

[cardgame]

In the unlikelihood of such a position as I requested being unavailable, allow me to serve as The Magic Hobo's assistant.

 

[The Magic Hobo]

In the unlikelihood of such a position as I requested being unavailable, allow me to serve as The Magic Hobo's assistant.

I could use a minion when I conquer the Galaxy. So you're hired if you want.
I will also never ever attempt to undermine our glorious leader.
Just putting that out there I'm completely loyal, yep no planned coup going on here move along.

 

[Jos Ballenbak]

Are there Zombies in space? If so, count me in.

 

[Rub'Rum]

Rubrum walks in

Hi, I'm a biologist who has studied the ancient farming art of driving in straight lines. Driving seeders in straight lines, driving ploughs in straight lines, driving manure tanks in straight lines, driving harvesters in straight lines. I can drive things in straight line. I'm reporting in.