Federation Or Empire

[bugwar]

​

FedEmpLite​

Welcome players, to the 24th century and the Star Trek universe!
May you live long and prosper, and your shirts never be red.​

Overview
This is a relatively simple (from the players view, anyway) rule set inspired by the board game Federation and Empire (F&E).
A further inspiration for this are Jeff Watts rules posted in the BoardGameGeek forum for F&E.
This variant targets forum gamers and supports rapid turns, a simple player interface, and the capability of cycling players in and out over the course of the game.

The Story So Far...
Despite the best efforts of mundane rulers, politics evolve over the course of Alpha Quadrant history.
Empires rise and fall, and the Illuminati continue behind the scenes.
Working subtly over the millennia to guide the fate of worlds and their sapients, these functionally immortal puppet masters manipulate events covertly to influence the progress of the galaxy towards their individual goals.
While interstellar governments pretend they run the show, the Shadow Lords compete with each other in their unending game* to mold the universe to their own ends.

*It can be considered a game, ‘From a certain point of view...’, as one misguided ancient wit put it.

Wha...?
OK, my part in this little drama is?
In ‘FedEmpLite’, each player assumes the role of a puppeteer, guiding one of the two major galactic factions (either the Coalition or the Alliance) in their struggle for dominance over the other.
As such, each player controls a portion of that faction’s military, spread over the component nations of the group.
While ostensibly working towards a common victory with the other players on their side, each is also competing with their fellow Illuminati in accumulating Glory for their minions.
For the player on the winning side having the most Glory is both the game victor and primed to become the driving force behind the future of the Alpha Quadrant.


Game Highlights

1. Rapid game progress. Each turn is on a 48-hour cycle (real) time, representing a year in the game. As such, the historical 18 year General War plays out in about five real weeks.

2. Quick Response. The GM posts the results of each turn within six hours of turn end, leaving the players plenty of time to plan for the next turn.

3. Simple Player Interface, complex-supporting rule set. Players can spend little time in their turns and still have an enjoyable and effective gaming experience. Or they can delve into detailed social actions with fellow players, exhaustive analysis of play options, strategy permutations, and so forth. Players decide their level of involvement. The GM is the one doing the work behind the scenes, implementing the details of player guidance.​

Rule Highlights

1. Players control multiple ships for one of the two sides in the game.
2. The player with the most Glory on the side winning the war wins the game.
3. A side wins the war by controlling two-thirds of all provinces.
4. Players get Glory by commanding winning battles where they kill more ships than they lose.
5. Players command a battle by having more ships in a battle than any other player on their side.
6. Players win battles by being on the side with ships remaining in the province at battle end.
7. Players gain Influence each turn they are in the game. Generally, the less Glory a player has, the more Influence they receive.
8. Players use their Influence to purchase additional ships.​

Administration

1. Be nice to the other players in your communications. I will do my level best to help this game do well, and I can use your help in accomplishing that.
2. This is a beta. I have tested the rules as best I can, but as everyone who has ever played a new game knows, some things fall through the cracks or were not anticipated. So bear with me as we work through the issues.​

Thanks, and have fun!

 

[bugwar]

Game Status Updated on this Page Each Turn

Current Turn is Zero (Pre Game Start)

Next player orders are due: 22 Sept, 1901 hours CDT. (0001Z, 23 Sep)



CURRENT ALPHA QUADRANT MAP

Spoiler :

If unable to see the details by selecting the above map, use the following link:
http://imageshack.us/a/img832/802/t1startfltjpg.jpg




Players can view the details of the composition of each fleet at:
http://imageshack.us/a/img822/2199/fleetdetails.png

 

[bugwar]

FedEmpLite Rules (Part One)​

1. Players can learn the essentials of the rules by reading just the normal typing in this and the next two sections.

2. For those wishing to know the gory specifics of game mechanics, as well as examples and illustrations of the rules, expand the spoilers at the end of each rule section.


I. This section provides a high level view of the game. You saw that in the opening advertisements.

II. Glossary
This link provides definitions to game terms players may not be sure of.

Spoiler :

II. Glossary

Active - A nation taking part in the war. Most nations begin as neutrals, and become active after a set period.

GM - Game Master. The person running the game, keeping it all flowing.

Commander - The player with the single largest number of ships in an organization.

Fleets - The administrative centers of military organization, they regulate the operations carried out by each
start nation. Each Fleet exists in a separate province on the map.

Flotillas - Temporary administrative groupings of ships belonging to a particular Fleet, they are the organizations
that actually engage in combat operations.

Ships - The war craft of the Galaxy. Each ship belongs to one player or another, and resides under the combat
administration of a particular fleet, picked by the ship’s owner.

Capital - The political center of a nation, coordinates the economy of that nation. Its capture ends the game
for forces of that particular country. The capital of a nation displayed on map.

Random Number Generator - A six sided die.

III. Components
Here is a detailed listing of the parts of the game, along with some pretty pictures of what they look like.

Spoiler :

III. Components

1. Map - consisting of multiple Provinces.

a. Provinces restrict the location and movement of Fleets, and Flotilla’s.
b. Provinces initially displayed as those under the control of a particular nation, and the uncontrolled remainder.
c. Players can identify a particular province by using the coordinates listed along the map borders. A combination of a letter and a number identifies a unique province on the map.​

2. Charts and Tables

a. Fleet Composition - lists the ships in that fleet, along with their owners.
Note that since player Bugwar has the single largest ship contingent, he holds the Admiral's position.



b. Shipyards- Holding area for newly produced ships pending assignment to a player for fleet deployment.



c. Glory and Influence - Lists the players and their respective levels in those attributes.



d. Activation Schedule - Lists the turn nations activate.​

e. Victory Announcement - Summary of Battle.



3. The one form Players use is Orders - Player instructions to the GM for turn actions.
An example of a player’s orders is:

1. Purchase

PURCHASE (FED, 3 ships, 5 Influence, for Fleet A)
PURCHASE (KZIN, 2 ships, 3 Influence, for Fleet C)
​

2. Missions

ATTACK( HYDR, Fleet A, Targets A7, A9)
DEFEND( KZIN, Fleet E, 3 Provinces)
MOVE( KZIN, B Fleet, G9)
​

3. Deployments

DEPLOY( FED, From Fleet A, 3 ships, Destination Fleet B)​

IV. Player Sides
The player may join one of the two sides in the game, either the Alliance or the Coalition.

Spoiler :

IV. Player Sides

1. This game consists of two sides, Alliance and Coalition.
2. The Alliance comprises the following nations: Hydran, Kzinti, Gorn and Federation.
3. The Coalition member nations are the Lyran, Klingon and Romulan.
4. Each side’s nations are allied with each other and may freely move through each other’s territory and enter combat together as long as they are active in the war.
5. Keep in mind though, that players may not deploy ships of different nationalities to the same Fleet. There are no ‘Joint Commands’.

V. Setup
The players post in the forum which side they wish to play on, along with whatever optional rules they want. The GM adds the applicant to the player list.
Once accepted by the GM into the game, players submit a list of the ships of each nation they want to control, along with which Fleet(s) to deploy them in.
Players may deploy Ships only in Fleets belonging to the ship's nation.
Generally, the fewer the ships a player requests, the better the chance of getting them.

Spoiler :

V. Setup

1. Players list which side they will play and what if any optional rules they want.

a. A player may only join a side with fewer or equal numbers of members as the other side.
b. Starting registration closes two days after the GM accepts the first two players.
c. The game uses an optional rule ONLY if ALL the players agree to it at the time of proposal.​

2. Once accepted, the starting players PM the GM with the number of ships of each nation on their side they wish to control.

a. The Kzinti (Alliance) have 64 ships in their shipyards, the Lyran’s (Coalition) have 94, and the Klingons (Coalition) have 146. Note that the Klingons do not activate until turn two.
b. The players asking for the fewest total number of ships within a nation have their requests fulfilled first.
c. In the event that multiple players request the same number of ships and there are not enough remaining to fulfill the request, the GM will equitably fill the requests from the remaining ships.
d. If there are ships remaining after fulfilling all bids, the excess goes to the Shipyards.​

3. Deployment - Players submit (via PM to the GM) the starting Fleet locations for their units.

4. The GM assigns ten Influence and one Glory to each player.

5. Examples of Player Game Application Submission Messages:

a. I want to join the Coalition. NO optional rules.
b. I want to join whichever side is available. Use optional rules Tactics, Leaders.​

6. Example of Player Bid for Ships:

Ship Bid
Player: Bugwar (Coalition)

DEPLOY( LYR, From Shipyards, 3 ships, Destination Fleet B)
DEPLOY( LYR, From Shipyards, 8 ships, Destination Fleet C)
DEPLOY( LYR, From Shipyards, 13 ships, Destination Fleet D)

DEPLOY( KNG, From Shipyards, 50 ships, Destination Fleet B)
​

VI. Sequence
Each turn starts with the players submitting orders to the GM (48 hour real-time submission window). The GM processes the turn based on those instructions, and posts the results to the forum. That starts another turn.

Spoiler :

VI. Sequence

1. Orders

a. Purchase
b. Missions
c. Basing​

2. Implementation

a. Combat
b. Victory
c. Deployments
d. Production​

VII. Orders
Player orders may consist of three parts; listing the units they wish to buy, combat instructions to Fleets they control, and movement of controlled ships between Fleets.

Spoiler :

VII. Orders

1. Players write instructions for the actions they want the GM to execute during the remainder of the turn.
2. These orders should specify how many of the ships in the Shipyards they wish to acquire, as well as what missions they want the Fleets they control to engage in.
3. Finally, the players indicate any redeployment of ships they control between fleets, or the rebasing of Fleets themselves.
4. Players may find details on Purchase, Missions, and Deployments in their own sections of the rules.

An example of a player’s orders are:

1. Purchases
PURCHASE (FED, 3 , 5, A)
PURCHASE ( KZIN, 2, 3, C)

For readability, the players may wish to write instead of the above:
PURCHASE (FED, 3 ships, 5 Influence, for Fleet A)
PURCHASE (KZIN, 2 ships, 3 Influence, for Fleet C)


2. Missions
ATTACK( HYDR, A, A7,A9)

or ATTACK( HYDR, Fleet A, Targets A7, A9)​

ATTACK( HYDR, C, B3)
DEFEND( KZIN, E, 3)

or DEFEND( KZIN, Fleet E, 3 Provinces)​

MOVE( KZIN, B, G9)

or MOVE( KZIN, B Fleet, Destination G9)​

3. Ship Deployments
DEPLOY( FED, A, 3, B)

or DEPLOY( FED, From Fleet A, 3 ships, Destination Fleet B)​

VIII. Purchase
Players include in their requests the ship nationality, quantity, Influence bid, as well as the Fleet destinations for the ships acquired.

Spoiler :

VIII. Purchase

1. Players may submit a PM to the GM listing the ships in the Muster Pool they wish to acquire.

a. When making the list, players will specify by ship nationality, the quantity and Influence bid amounts, as well as the Fleet destinations for the ships acquired.
b. Ships may only go to fleets of their respective nations.
c. Bids must be in whole number amounts, whose total is not more than the amount of Influence the player has.
d. Players may bid for new Fleets. List the Influence amount bid and the starting location for the Fleet.
​

2. Each list has a Bid Price Per Ship (BPPS). That value results from dividing the bid price by the number of ships ordered.

3. The GM assigns the highest BPPS orders before lower bids.

4. In the event that there are not enough ships to fulfill an order, the player receives those available.

5. In the event that tied bids do not have sufficient ships, the GM will equitably divide the available ones among the tied bids.

6. When assigning ships on an order, the GM deducts the bid amount of Influence from the player’s balance.

7. No deficit spending.

8. Players may not bid for units from a nation that has no capital.

9. The turn before a nation activates, the GM places that nation’s initial OB in the Shipyards, and makes the starting Fleet deployments for that nation. The players may purchase those new units as part of the normal purchase procedure.


An example of a player bid is:

Purchases
PURCHASE (FED, 3 , 5, A)
PURCHASE ( KZIN, 2, 3, C)

For readability, the players may wish to write instead of the above:
PURCHASE (FED, 3 ships, 5 Influence, for Fleet A)
PURCHASE (KZIN, 2 ships, 3 Influence, for Fleet C)

IX. Missions
Players controlling one or more Fleets (Fleet Admirals) may issue orders to those fleets, either 'ATTACK', 'DEFEND', 'DEPLOY' or 'MOVE'.
If 'ATTACK', specify the attacking fleet, then pick one or more provinces adjacent to friendly ones as targets.
Select 'DEFEND', indicate the fleet and choose the number of provinces the fleet protects.
To move a fleet to a new staging area, command 'MOVE', list the departing fleet and the destination province.
To transfer ships between fleets, command 'DEPLOY', the fleet losing ships, how many ships, and the gaining fleet.
The closer the target(s) are, the more ships that make it to battle.
The fewer the targets, the more ships available for each one.

Spoiler :

IX. Missions


1. Players conduct offensive and defensive military operations through the ‘Mission’ mechanic.

a. Players controlling Fleets assign them either an ‘ATTACK’, ‘DEFEND’ or a ‘REBASE’ mission. Only one mission per Fleet per turn.
b. The GM then dispatches Flotillas from those Fleets in support of the first two mission types.
c. The ‘REBASE’ mission has its own rule section.​

2. Fleet Admiral (Fleet Controller).

a. The player with the largest number of ships assigned to a Fleet controls that Fleet (becomes the Fleet Admiral).
b. Only the Fleet Admiral may assign missions to a Fleet.
c. In the event of ties, the GM selects a random player from among the tied individuals.​

3. ATTACK Missions.

a. Format is ATTACK (Primary Target Province, Secondary Target Province, etc.)
b. The Fleet Admiral lists the target uncontrolled or active enemy provinces.
c. Those provinces must be both within range of that Fleet and adjacent to a friendly controlled province.
Note: Players may NOT target provinces adjacent to inactive nations.
d. The GM creates a Flotilla of ships from the Fleet for each target.
e. The GM assigns (to the extent possible) equal numbers of ships from the Fleet to each Flotilla.
f. If more than one player has ships in a particular Fleet, the GM cycles through those players, assigning one ship at a time to each Flotilla, skipping players that have exhausted their available Fleet ships. The assignment order is in Attack target list precedence.​

4. DEFEND Missions.

a. The Fleet Admiral notes on the Mission order: DEFEND (number of provinces to protect).
b. The Fleet defends the closest friendly provinces under attack that are within range of that Fleet and within the Defend value.
c. The GM uses a similar procedure to the Attack mission in allocating ships to the Flotillas sent to defend the provinces.
d. If a fleet receives no mission, it defaults to the DEFEND (1) mission.​

5. Fleet Range. Each Flotilla can move up to six provinces travelling exclusively in a vertical or horizontal direction, less if they move diagonally.

a. Each Fleet Flotilla has a 42 movement point allowance they can use in reaching their targets.
b. Moving from one province to the adjacent one along a flat border costs 7 movement points.
c. Moving across a corner costs 10 movement points.
d. Flotillas may not enter a province without sufficient remaining movement points.​

The following is an illustration of the costs of some of the possible different movement paths:

X. Basing (MOVE Mission)
Fleet Admirals wishing to redeploy their Fleets to new locations use the MOVE mission, specifying the new friendly province as the Fleet destination.

Spoiler :

X. MOVE

1. Each Fleet operates out of a particular province, signified by a Fleet symbol and identifier on the game map.



2. No two Fleets share the same province.

3. Fleets may only base in friendly provinces that can trace a contiguous path of controlled provinces between the Fleet and the national capital.




4. Fleets unable to trace such a path will select the ‘MOVE’ mission.

5. Move Mission.

a. The Fleet Admiral notes the Mission Order as MOVE, and designates a valid province as the target.
b. During the Execution phase, the GM moves the Fleet icon on the map to the new location.​

As an example of the REBASE order:
MOVE( KZIN, B, G9)

or MOVE( KZIN, B Fleet, Destination G9)​

XI. Combat
The GM determines how many ships from Fleets make it to their targets.

Spoiler :

XI. Combat

1. Setup.

a. For each Attack Flotilla, reduce the number of ships in it for range attrition. If no ships remain in the Flotilla, remove it from play.
In other words, when the GM sends a Flotilla to a distant target, some of the ships may not make it there.
In general, the greater the distance, the fewer ships that arrive.

b. For each Defense Fleet, create needed Flotillas and reduce size for each due to range attenuation.
If no ships remain in the Flotilla, remove it from play.
The GM in effect sends Flotillas from each DEFENSE Fleet to the closest attacked provinces (within the quantity specified) the Fleet can reach.
Some of those defending ships might not make it to battle.

c. For each province with opposing forces, the GM groups all Flotillas present into their respective sides.
Multiple players from multiple nations may have Flotillas present in a battle, both on attack and defense.
The GM gathers all the attackers into one group, and the defenders into another.

d. In the event of only allied nations attacking the same uncontrolled province, none take control. All abort.

​

2. Combat.

a. For each province with opposing forces in them, the GM conducts rounds of Combat until there are no opposing forces in the province.
b. The GM rolls a number of dice for each side equal to the number of ships present. The GM removes an enemy ship for each result of a ‘six’. The GM selects the ships to remove at random.
c. For each side, the GM divides the number of lost ships on a side by the starting numbers of that side. If a percentile die roll is greater than the result, that side leaves the province.
d. If there are ships from both sides remaining in the province, the GM returns to step a.
e. The GM updates the Glory status for the winning Task Force Commanders and Fleet Admirals.
f. The GM updates the OB for each Fleet, reflecting losses. The GM retreats Fleets no longer in friendly territory to the nearest controlled province in the direction of the capital.
g. The GM sets the province control to that of the winning side. If neither side won, control does not change.
h. At the end of all combat, the GM marks provinces unable to trace a contiguous path of friendly controlled provinces between them and their national capital as uncontrolled.​

3. Range Attrition.

a. For each flotilla assigned to a battle, divide that flotilla’s total movement used by seven, rounding fractions up. Add the number of ATTACK order Flotilla's making sorties from that fleet. This is the Attrition Trigger.

The further ships have to travel, the greater the chance of mechanical breakdown, or supply ship ambushes. In addition, the greater the number of attacks a fleet commits to, the greater the confusion in communication coordinating the assaults.​

b. For each ship in that flotilla, if a die roll is equal to, or greater than the Attrition Trigger, that ship makes it to the destination.
c. For each ship that does not make it, roll a die. On a ‘one’ result (extensive dry-dock level repair needed), remove that ship from the owner’s control and place it in the Muster Pool.​

4. Glory Awards -

a. The player starting a battle with the most ships on a side (the Task Force Commander) and wins that battle gains Glory equal to the number of enemy ships that side destroyed minus friendly ships lost in that battle, with a minimum award of one Glory.
b. The Fleet admiral receives one Glory for each Task Force on the winning side of a battle.​

5. Loss of the Capital - If a nation does not control their capital, the GM rolls a die each turn. On a ‘one’, the GM removes all ships and fleets of that nation from the game.

The greater the target range from the fleet, or the number of attacking Flotilla's, usually the fewer ships that arrive.​

Those that arrive attack the opposing ships in a series of combat rounds, with each ship hitting an opponent on a d6 result of ‘6’.
The GM removes those hit from the game, checks to see if one or both sides withdraw from the fight, and if ships from both sides remain, conducts another round of combat.
At the end of the fight, the GM announces the victor, awards Glory to deserving players, and updates both the Fleet strengths to reflect losses and any changes to political control of provinces.
XII. Victory
If one side controls 2/3 of the map provinces, that side wins the war.
The player on the winning side with the most Glory is the game victor.
In cases of ties, then of the tied players, the one with the most ships wins.

Spoiler :

XII. Victory

1. If one side controls 2/3 of the map provinces, that side wins the war.
2. The player on the winning side with the most Glory is the game victor.
3. In cases of ties, then of the tied players, the one with the most ships wins.

XIII. Deployments
The GM moves rebasing Fleets to their new locations and updates the Fleet rosters with their newly acquired ships from the Muster Pool.

Spoiler :

XIII. Deployments
The GM moves rebasing Fleets to their new locations and updates the Fleet rosters with their newly acquired ships from the Muster Pool.

XIV. Production
The GM adds ships and new Fleets to the Muster pool for each side.
The GM increases each player’s Influence, generally with the player with the lowest Glory receiving the greatest amount of Influence.
The GM removes players missing a turn. New players may join if a side agrees to take them.

Spoiler :

XIV. Production

1. The GM rolls a d6 for each controlled province in an active nation. On a ‘six’ result, the GM places a ship from that nation in the Muster pool.

2. Influence Allocation

a. The GM totals the number of controlled provinces in active nations and creates a National Influence Pool (NIP) of equal size.
b. The GM totals the Glory for all players and divides the NIP by that count, creating multiple equal sized Influence Packets (IP).
c. The GM creates a number of Influence Bundles (IB) equal to the number of players in the nation.
d. The number of IP in a particular bundle will match the Glory of one of the players. Thus, if a player has five Glory, then at least one of the IB will be a size of five.
e. The GM then awards the players an IB sized in reverse order to their Glory. The player with the lowest Glory receives the largest IB; the next lowest rated player receives the next largest IB, and so forth. The player with the most Glory receives the smallest IB.
f. The GM updates each player’s Influence.​

3. The exception to only active nation’s creating Influence is when a nation is activating the next turn. In this case, the GM proceeds to create and allocate Influence for that nation.

4. Player Management

a. Missing players - The GM drops players missing a turn. The GM randomly assigns the units belonging to the former player to the remaining faction players equitably.
b. New players - Additional players may join a side if the current players on that side all agree to it.​

 

[bugwar]

FedEmpLite Rules (Part Two of Three)​

1. Players can learn the essentials of the rules by reading just the normal typing in this, the previous, and the following section.

2. For those wishing to know the gory specifics of game mechanics, as well as examples and illustrations of the rules, expand the spoilers at the end of each rule section.

XV. Sample Turn. A write up with screen shots of the course of one game turn.

Spoiler :

Example Course of Play


1. George applies to join the Alliance, including in his post that he did not want any optional rules. The GM accepted George, and sent him a PM asking how many of the starting Kzin ships did he (George) want.

2. George made a bid request of 21 ships, and in his request, split his deployments up among the Kzin Fleets as follows:

DEPLOY( KZN, From Shipyards, 4 ships, Destination Fleet A)
DEPLOY( KZN, From Shipyards, 4 ships, Destination Fleet B)
DEPLOY( KZN, From Shipyards, 4 ships, Destination Fleet C)
DEPLOY( KZN, From Shipyards, 9 ships, Destination Fleet D)
​

Note that because this is the initial setup for a nation, no Influence bids.


3. When the Deployment deadline passed, the GM processed the player orders, updated the forum screens, and sent a PM to each player containing a model format of their first turn orders.

4. For George, the message contained:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Turn One Orders Template
Alliance Player: George
Rank: 1
Glory: 1
Influence: 10

1. Ship Bids:
Kzin = None Available

2. Fleet Orders
Kzin Fleet D:

3. Deployments:
Departure Fleet (number of departing ships) :: Arrival Fleet

Administrative Notes
Controlled Ship Deployments
Kzin Fleets
Fleet A: 4
Fleet B: 4
Fleet C: 4
Fleet D: 9​

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

5. George noted that there were no ships available for bid (GM allocated all), that he had control of one Kzin Fleet, and that the template indicated the locations of all of his ships.

6. Next George looked at the game map on the forum page.
(Portion shown below, with an addendum of the horizontal coordinates.)




7. He saw the total ship strengths for each fleet, both Alliance and Coalition.

George noted that the fleet he currently commanded had a total of sixteen ships, and that the nearest Coalition Fleet had 23.
If George was curious, he could look on the Fleet Composition Table and see which player had their ships allocated where.
Useful information, but probably not immediately game changing.

George did care that his nine ships in D Fleet outnumbered the remaining ships there by only two, so he made a mental promise to move some of his other ships from their current locations to fill up D Fleet.

Now for the Fleet orders.
George could communicate with the other players on his side, working out a strategy and a coordinated course of action for their fleets.
That takes time though, and George is not interested in devoting that much time to the game.
He is interested in grabbing more land for the Hegemony (bigger general economy, and more Influence for him), meeting the enemy and smashing their fleets.
So he sets his sights on that mission.

Looking at the map, D Fleet has four provinces available for acquisition; C5, and the four column of A thru C rows.
C5 is a safe bet, no enemy can currently attack it.
As for the others, that is more iffy.
They can all be reached by Lyran Fleet A (and even Lyran B Fleet could send ships, though the range attrition would be large), and if Sally (Lyran Fleet A Commander) also tries for all those provinces, almost eight enemy ships would be in each province.
But would the Lyran’s split up like that?

If they did, and George concentrated on just one of those provinces, there could be a lot of drifting Lyran ship debris from that battle.

Possibilities, combinations of chance, opportunities to win and lose.
George does not want to spend an eternity running the permutations.
He thinks for a moment, then decides to go for broke.​

8. He writes in the Orders section of his response:

2. Fleet Orders
ATTACK( KZIN, Fleet D, Targets A4, B4, C4, D5)


George feels that he will lose some ships from the upcoming battles, so he instructs a redeployment of some of his forces from the other fleets. In the Deployments section he writes:

3. Deployments:
DEPLOY( KZIN, From Fleet A, 1 ship, Destination Fleet D)
DEPLOY( KZIN, From Fleet B, 1 ship, Destination Fleet D)
DEPLOY( KZIN, From Fleet C, 1 ship, Destination Fleet D)
​

9. Satisfied, George sends these instructions to the GM via PM, then moves on to other pursuits.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Time Passes xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

10. Within six hours of the deadline for orders for turn one, George receives a PM from the GM:

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Turn Two Orders Template
Alliance Player: George
Rank: 3
Glory: 1
Influence: 28

1. Ship Bids:
Kzin = 5 ships in Shipyards
Hydran = 47 ships in Shipyards
*** NOTE *** The Hydrans enter the game on turn THREE. This entry is just for fleet deployments. Do NOT bid Influence for the Hydran ships, just list the number of them you wish to control.

2. Fleet Orders
Kzin Fleet D:

3. Deployments:
Departure Fleet (number of departing ships) :: Arrival Fleet

Administrative Notes
Controlled Ship Deployments
Kzin Fleets
Fleet A: 3
Fleet B: 1
Fleet C: 3
Fleet D: 9​

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

11. Wow. Things have changed.

George’s rank dropped, his Glory remained unchanged, and his Influence rocketed.
There are now Kzin ships in the Shipyards available for bidding, along with a mess of Hydrans for the next turn.
George still has control of D Fleet, even though his total number of ships has dropped.​

12. At this point, George takes a look at the forum, and the first thing he views is the new map:




13. It looks like both nations expanded their borders, grabing new systems, and lost some ships in the process.

14. Since George retains control of D Fleet, he takes a look at the Fleet Composition display to see how firm his dominance of the reduced force is:



15. George also took a look at the Glory and Influence table to make sure that while he was way behind in Glory, he was packing in the Influence needed to win the ship bidding competitions.

16. When moving to the forum, he checked the update posts, and one from the GM displayed the moves of the players leading up to the battles on turn one.
George paid attention to what happened in the neighborhood of his only fleet:



17. Out of curiousity, George took a look at the details of the battles involving his fleet. Shown below is the one for province B4:

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx OPTIONAL RULES xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Only those optional rules the players ALL agree to use are implemented.

1. Pre-War Operations -
Adds two turns to the game before the war breaks out, allowing players to set up the initial locations for their fleets. Replaces GM set initial fleet deployments for player specified ones.
Extends the concept to other national activations, starting player involvement with them on a limited basis before their formal activations.

Spoiler :

Pre-War Operations

In the first pre-war turn before a nation activates, the players select the ships for that nation as normal along with fleet assignments.

In the final pre-war turn, the Fleet Admirals specify where their Fleets deploy in the national territory.

The GM resolves any duplication of destinations. During these two turns, inactive nations counting down to activation take no other part is the game.

2. Fan Fiction (Role-playing) -
Each turn players may earn additional Influence by posting stories relating to the game in the forum.

Spoiler :

Fan Fiction (Role-playing)

Players may receive a maximum of one award each turn.
To qualify, a players’ post must start with the phrase ‘FAN FICTION’.
The postings do not have to be long or particularly well done. The higher the quality though, the better the chance of a larger Influence award amount.

Award amounts.
For the first fan fiction posting a player makes each turn, the GM awards the player an additional Influence.
If at least ONE other player from the poster’s side provides a forum comment praising the posting, the GM provides the poster with an additional Influence to the first one, for a total of two Influence.
If ALL the other players on the poster’s side provide a forum comment praising the posting, the GM will provide an additional two Influence to the first one, for a total of three Influence.

Since players use Influence only to compete with others on their side for ship purchases, I am fairly certain that the positive comments are honest appraisals

3. Preservation Levels -

Introduce the concept of discretion being the better part of valor.
Players can now indicate how long they want to risk their forces in a fight before leaving the battlefield.
Add a new line to the player orders: Preservation: XX, where XX is an integer between zero and 100. The larger the value, the sooner the units will leave the battle.​

Spoiler :

Optional Rule: Preservation Level

1. There is a new entry in the player orders; Preservation Level: XX.

a. It signifies the lowest percentage of the original force that allows the player to remain in the battle.
b. Once there are fewer ships in the battle than this percentage, the player withdraws their ships from the fight.​

2. As an example, if the player includes in their orders:

Klingon Fleet A, Preservation Level 80.​

3. In the example, during each round of combat, the GM checks the battles with ships belonging to the player in the Klingon Fleet A.

a. If the current number of ships in a battle drop to 80% or less of original number of ships in the battle, the GM removes the surviving player’s ships from that battle.
b. Thus if there were 100 ships on the player’s side at the start of the battle, of which the player’s force consisted of fifteen ships, the player’s forces would not withdraw voluntarily until there were a total of twenty casualties in the original force.
c. Note that while unlikely, there is a chance in this instance that the entire player’s force could be wiped out without triggering the Preservation Level. The rule is geared to ALL the ships on a side in a battle, not just the player’s.​

4. Tactics - DOES slow the game down by inserting an additional two day period in the turn sequence.

a. Tactics allow the player to significantly affect the outcome of a battle by outsmarting their player opponents.
b. Add a line to the player’s orders: Tactics: XXXXXX.
c. XXXXXX is either ASSAULT, RECON, ENFILADE (LEFT, RIGHT), REFUSE (LEFT,RIGHT), STAND, or RETROGRADE.
d. The GM compares the tactics of the respective commanders and adjusts the combat accordingly.​

Spoiler :

Optional Rule: Tactics

Only Task Force Commanders make Tactical choices.
When comparing the choices, the GM uses the following chart:








These results are the maximum available, they occur on the first round of combat. Each round thereafter they reduce by one, till there is no bonus for either side.

As an example, assume the Coalition side chooses Assault, while the Alliance commander selected Enfilade Right. On the first round of combat, all the Alliance ships would get a +2 to their ‘to hit’ rolls. On the second round, the Alliance forces in that battle would enjoy a +1 die roll advantage. On the third and subsequent rounds, neither side gains a tactical advantage.

In the event that a side does not choose a Tactic, the GM selects one at random for that side.

5. Military Technology Improvements -

a. Players may elect to invest in advancing military technology, gaining advantages over their less developed opponents at the expense of increasing production costs.
b. Add one or more lines to player’s orders: NATION TECH: XXXX, (Plus/Minus One).
c. NATION is one of the active nations on that player's side.
d. XXXX is either Speed, Attack, Defense, or Stealth research fields.
e. (Plus/Minus One)sets whether to increase or decrease the number of research centers in a field).
​

Spoiler :

Optional Rule: Military Technology Improvements

1. Each active nation develops their technology individually. Thus an increase in Attack technology for the Klingons does not allow a similar advance for the Lyrans.

2. Only the player on a side with the lowest Glory value may specify which field to apply research to the active nations of their side. If there are ties for the position, the GM will select a random player from among the ties.

3. Each nation has a number of research centers equal to ten percent (round down) the number of their controlled provinces.

4. Each research center can work in one field at a time.

5. The number of research centers used in a given field may only change by one per turn.

6. Advancing Technological Levels.

a. Count the number of research centers in a given field.
b. If there are as many as the current level of technology, roll a die for each. If all results are even, increase the level of technology by one.
c. If there are more centers than the current level of tech, roll a die for each center up to the current level of technology (Primary Research Center Results [PRCR]).

i. If all are even, increase the level of technology by one.
ii. Else, roll die for the remaining research centers.
iii. On each result of ‘six’ change one of the PRCR odd results to even.
iv. If all PRCR are now even, add one to the technology level in that field.​

d. If there are fewer centers than the current level, don’t bother.​

7. Effects of Technology

a. Ships no longer fire in mass volley.

Instead, each ship targets a particular enemy vessel.
The GM randomizes the shooter/target combinations each combat round.​

b. In general, if the technology level between opponents in a given field is equal, technology has no effect.
c. If one level is higher, subtract the lower from the higher, and the result is the combat advantage (CA) the higher valued nation has.
d. Technology Fields.

i. Attack/Defense - Compare the Attacking ships Attack technology level with that of its target Defense Technology.

(1). If the attacker has the CA, add the difference to its ‘To Hit’ roll.
(2). If the target has the CA, reroll a hit result. If the second roll succeeds, apply the damage.​

ii. Stealth - If there is a CA in stealth between two ships, then the ship with the CA fires and assesses damage before its target fires back.
iii. Speed - Not a direct combat advantage, ships use their Speed technology level to increase their chances of arriving at a battle.

(1). For each ship in a Flotilla undergoing range attrition, roll a die.
(2). If the result is less than their level of Speed technology, add one to their attrition trigger die roll.​

8. Starting Technology State - Each active nation has level one in all fields.

9. Production Cost Increase - When making the Production rolls, the GM rolls another die for each 'six' result. If the second roll is less than the highest tech level a nation has, remove a 'six' result die.

10. As an example, assume a nation (whose highest tech level is a three) initially rolls twelve 'six' results (potential production of twelve ships). The GM rolls an additional twelve die. If four of those die show a 'two' or less, then the GM removes four ships from the original production of twelve ships, placing eight ships in the Muster pool for that nation.

6. Ship Types - Does not require any other Optional Rules, but will modify some of those if the players select them and this rule.

a. Invoking this rule changes the composition of the initial ships available.
b. Player purchase orders now must specify the TYPE of ship requested in addition to the existing requirements.
c. Ship Summaries.

i. Dreadnaughts (DN) - The battleships of the galaxy, they take a lickin and keep on kicking. DNs’ can take two hits to destroy, and have a hard time not killing a target each combat round.

ii. Carriers (CV) - Mounting swarms of short-range attack craft, and carrying a decent weapons compliment themselves, these ships can bring pain to any opponent. Though their attack craft do not individually do as much damage as actual starships, they can kill their bigger brethren, and after each battle, their carrier replaces any lost fighters at no cost.

iii. Cruisers (CA) - The Orc’s of the galactic navies, they are cheaper than the heavier capital ships, dish out a lot of punishment for their size, and better at long distance travel to battlefields.

iv. Scouts (SC) - Actually misnamed, these Electronic Warfare ships cause havoc far in excess of their numbers. Before a battle, these ships perform as scouts, determining the location, size, and capabilities of the enemy combatants. During the actual fight, these ships work their electrical magic, blunting the targeting systems of the foe while enhancing the ability of friendly units to hit their targets.

v. Frigates (FF) - The cannon fodder of the star navy. Designed for peace keeping operations, they get impressed as emergency warships during times of major conflict.

​

Spoiler :

Optional Rule: Ship Types

Combat (Modified for Ship Types Optional Rule)

1. In each combat round units attack in a specified order, using a fixed priority of target types, with target damage applied from each attack before the next unit fires. The phase ends once all provinces have no opposing forces in them.

2. Ship Capabilities

a. Dreadnaught (DN) - Dreadnaughts posses heavy armor, weapons and extensive defensive systems. The game represents the beefed up defense by the use of a ‘shield’ token in battle. The first hit on a DN in a battle removes the ‘shield’ token from that ship.

b. Carriers (CV) - At the start of a battle, each carrier deploys two ‘fighter (FTR)’ units for combat. In addition, while not as heavily armored as DN’s, CV’s do have a lot of protection, represented by the use of a ‘shield’ token in battle. The first hit on a CV in a battle removes the ‘shield’ token from that ship.

c. Cruisers (CA) - When evaluating range attrition, add one to the die roll for a cruiser. (They are designed for long-range operations).

d. Scouts (SC) - When evaluating range attrition, add one to the die roll for a scout (They are the other long-range ship type).

(i). If one or more Scouts are present at the start of a round of combat, determine the Electronic Warfare CA (EWCA).
(ii). Find the difference in the number of Scouts between sides. That is the EWCA.
(iii). If a die roll is less than the EWCA, the side with more Scouts gains a +1 to their To Hit rolls for that round.
(iv). When a Scout hits a DN or a CV, roll a die. On anything but a one or a two, apply the damage as normal; otherwise, the shot was an effective miss (light weapons).
(v). When firing at a CA, the light weapons effect applies only on a result of one. No modifiers for any other type of target.​

e. Fighters (FTR) - Small, agile, intelligently piloted craft using short ranged ship killing ordnance with extensive counter fighter weapon systems. While capable of destroying even a DN, the craft have a high mortality rate and short weapons range. Thus they seldom last long enough to launch an attack on a capital class ship.

f. Frigates (FF) - No special abilities. They exist primarily to keep freighters, transports, and armed yachts (Pirates) in line, not fight a war. When a FF hits a DN or CV, roll a die. On any result other than a one or a two, the GM applies damage to the target.​

3. Target Priority.

a. Ships follow a set sequence of target types they will engage, in numerical order. Ships of a given class will not target a higher numbered class of ship if a lower one is present.
b. The following chart displays this for the various ship types.​

​

Basically, CV’s are protected as much as possible by the other ships of the side, followed by the DN’s.

4. Firing Priority. Determines who shoots first and assesses damage in a combat round.
The firing order is first DN, followed in order by CA, CV, FF, SC, and finally the FTR.

5. Changes to the Combat procedures.

a. While there are provinces with opposing units in them, the GM selects one of those randomly.
b. At the start of a Battle in a province, the GM adds ‘Shield’ markers to the CV’s and DN’s. and deploys two FTR's for each CV in the battle.
c. If there are still ships of opposing sides in the province, the GM starts a new round of combat. Else the GM returns to step a.
d. The GM adds an ‘Attack’ token to each ship.
e. The GM randomly selects a ship with an ‘Attack’ token from among those in the highest firing priority present with ‘Attack’ tokens remaining. The GM removes that ship’s ‘Attack’ token.
f. Following the selected ship’s Targeting list, the GM selects a random target from those appropriate.
g. The GM rolls a die, and adjusts the result according to the applicable modifiers. If it is a ‘hit’, then the GM applies the damage to the target.
h. If there are ships in the battle with ‘Attack’ tokens remaining, the GM returns to step e. Otherwise the GM goes to step c.​

6. Changes to Production procedures.

When the GM rolls for each province, a ‘six’ result causes further die rolls.
First Die
1-5 = Nothing
6= Roll again

Second Die
1-3 = FF
4-5 = CA
6 = Roll again

Third Die
1-2 = DN
3-4 = CV
5-6 = SC​

7. Focused Production -

Requires activation of the ‘Ship Types’ optional Rule.
Players guide national production, allowing concentration on specific types at the expense of others.​

Spoiler :

1. The production procedure changes to each province producing 4kt of high tech ship construction resources each turn.

Players use these resources in building the different ships, with different amounts for the various sizes of craft.
Players may save Resources, if desired.​

2. Resource Cost is the amount of Resources consumed in making the ship.
Due at start of construction.

3. Lead Time refers to the time used in building a ship.
Thus if a player orders a CV on turn one, at the start of turn four the CV will show up in the Shipyard, ready for use.

Ship______________Resource Cost (kt)_______Lead Time________Start on turn one, available on:
Frigate_____________08___________________One Turn________________Two
Scout______________15___________________Two Turns_______________Three
Cruiser_____________17___________________Two Turns_______________Three
Dreadnaught________48___________________Three Turns______________Four
Carrier_____________70___________________Three Turns______________Four

4. Production Capacity

Despite advances in construction techniques, ramping up production of a particular ship type takes time.
Nations have a capacity rating for each ship type, ranging from zero on up.
That value is the number of ships of a type under construction on a turn.
Players may increase that value by one over the previous year at the start of each year for each ship type.
At the end of the year, the GM will adjust that value to the actual number of ships built that year for that type.

As an example, at the start of the year, the value for Frigates is ‘one’.
The player may increase it to ‘two’. This means that the player may devote up to 16kt of resources and build two Frigates.
At the end of the year, the GM will adjust the value to whatever was actually constructed.
So if the nation built two, the value stays at two. If they built less, then the new value reflects that.​

5. Production Minister
The player with the lowest Glory is the one allocating resources to production and adjusting capacity.

 

[bugwar]

FedEmpLite Rules (Part Three of Three)​

1. Players can learn the essentials of the rules by reading just the normal typing in this and the previous section.

2. For those wishing to know the gory specifics of game mechanics, as well as examples and illustrations of the rules, expand the spoilers at the end of each rule section. ​

8. Veteran Commanders -
Players assign superior leaders to ships; Flotillas and Fleets to increase their side’s combat capabilities

Spoiler :

Veteran Commanders


1. Each leader has the following attributes:

a. ID - Unique Name.
b. Nation - Which one the leader can work for.
c. Rank - Either Captain, Commodore, or Admiral
d. Date of Rank - Turn when rank assigned, and a decimal random value from one to one hundred. A given leader’s DOR will not equal any other DOR for that turn.
e. Skills and Levels

i. Inspiration - Limit on number of times leaders invoke their skills.
ii. Attack - make the skill, add one to ‘to hit’.
iii. Defense - make the skill, reroll hit.
iv. Logistics - When moving to the destination make the skill, add one to die roll.​

2. Leader Creation -

a. The GM rolls a d6 after each battle. On a six reroll.
b. On an even result, create a leader in that nation with a surviving ship.
c. Assign one random level one skill.​

3. Skill Improvement chance -

a. Roll a die after battle that a ship or ships of that leader take part in.

1-2 Attack, 3-4 Defense, 5-6 Logistics.​

b. Roll a die for the resulting field. If the die roll is greater than the current level, go up a level.
c. Level maximum is five.
​

4. Leader Death - If the assigned ship for leader dies roll die.

a. 1 = leader captured, then exchanged, sold, or executed at opponents (TF Commander) convenience.
b. 2 - 5 leader rescued.
c. 6 = leader is drifting in space, the final graveyard.​

5. Control of leader.

a. The high influence bid that turn for the leader gains control.
b. Order format is:

CONTROL (leader ID, Influence bid, Fleet assignment, (ship type - if rule used))​

6. Leaders start as Captains:

a. Players assigned Captains to a particular ship they control.
b. No more than one captain per ship. In the event of conflict, senior officer takes the ship.
c. The assignment order is DEPLOY (Leader ID, Fleet, Ship Type (if used))
d. When that ship engages in the following tasks, the GM refers to the skill level for that captain.​

7. Commodore:

a. Only Captains can become Commodores.
b. Upon promotion, new DOR and divide current skill levels in half, round down.
c. Players Assign Commodores to a particular ship they control.
d. No more than one Commodore per Flotilla. In the event of conflict, senior officer takes command of the Flotilla. The others stay at fleet HQ.
e. The GM assigns the role of TF Commander to the Senior Commodore in a TF.

i. The others just sit on their ships and hope to survive.
ii. If the current TF Commodore ship is destroyed, the next ranking Commodore takes command for the remainder of the battle.​

f. When a Commodore TF Commander takes part in battle:

i. Before battle, roll a die.

(1). If the result is less than the Inspiration level, that many ships without a Captain gain a 1-1-1 temporary Captain for this battle.
(2). Those Captains disappear at the end of the battle.​

ii. Each round of Combat, roll the ‘Attack’ and ‘Defense’ attributes for the TF Commander. Success grants a +1 for each skill for each ship in the TF for this round only.
iii. As before, the Inspiration attribute governs the number of rounds Commodores use their ability.​

g. Flotilla Commodores and Logistics - When moving to the destination make the skill; add one to die roll for each ship in the Flotilla.​

8. Admiral:

a. Only Commodores may become Admirals.
b. Upon promotion, new DOR and divide skill levels in half, round down.
c. Assigned to a Fleet.

i. No more than one Admiral per fleet.
ii. In the event of conflict, senior officer takes the role. The others make staff reports.​

d. Roll the Inspiration skill. If successful, for each ship in an Admiral’s fleet add one to their Attrition roll.​

9. Nomination and confirmation.

a. Promotions for leaders are subject to player approval.
b. A two turn process.

i. Turn one a player nominates a leader for a promotion.
ii. Turn two; players may spend Influence in favor of or against the promotion. Total the Influence on both sides, majority needed to confirm promotion.​

 

[bugwar]

Reserve Five of five

 

[Sonereal]

Hello new guy.

This game looks interesting. I will join later today. Welcome to the board!

 

[Mosher]

I'll join as part of the Coalition.

 

[bugwar]

Hello new guy.

This game looks interesting. I will join later today. Welcome to the board!

Thanks for the kind greeting!
And I haven't even finished posting the rules.

I am impressed.

 

[bugwar]

I'll join as part of the Coalition.

Good to have you aboard!

 

[Sonereal]

Also, I vote for all the optional rules except #2 and #4. #2 because I don't know much about Star Trek and #4 because it adds two more days.

Edit: And I'll join Coalition.

 

[Mosher]

Also, I vote for all the optional rules except #2 and #4. #2 because I don't know much about Star Trek and #4 because it adds two more days.

Edit: And I'll join Coalition.

I'm voting the same as Sonereal.

Also, you should post a bit in a forum that gives Post Count so you can join social groups/send PMs/etc.

 

[bugwar]

I'm voting the same as Sonereal.

Also, you should post a bit in a forum that gives Post Count so you can join social groups/send PMs/etc.

Thank you for the info. I will work on that.

 

[JohannaK]

Hello bug, this looks interesting.

I might join once I'm finished reading the rules.

 

[bugwar]

Hello bug, this looks interesting.

I might join once I'm finished reading the rules.

Good to know. If you decide not to join, I would appreciate knowing what turned you off from the game. Mainly so I can improve the quality of the entertainment.

 

[JohannaK]

Also, we have a chat. If you join the community here you can often find other GMs and players to whom ask for advice.

 

[bugwar]

Also, we have a chat. If you join the community here you can often find other GMs and players to whom ask for advice.

Again, thanks. It helps, seeing the options available.

 

[Sonereal]

Change my mind. I'll join the Alliance.

 

[bugwar]

Change my mind. I'll join the Alliance.

And there was much rejoicing!

Now if I could just get PM capability, we could start the countdown.

However, since I don't, I will post the question to the readers.

How long to wait for additional players?
There is one on each side now, enough to physically run the game.
Of course, it is not as much fun as with additional players, but...

My personal feeling is to wait till I gain the ability to post and receive private messages, or two days, whichever is longer.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Mosher]

And there was much rejoicing!

Now if I could just get PM capability, we could start the countdown.

However, since I don't, I will post the question to the readers.

How long to wait for additional players?
There is one on each side now, enough to physically run the game.
Of course, it is not as much fun as with additional players, but...

My personal feeling is to wait till I gain the ability to post and receive private messages, or two days, whichever is longer.

What are your thoughts?

Wait till you can get PMs.