SPP: Well, neither did the Klingons.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Tuesday, January 16, 2007 - 12:03 am: Edit

Ooh, any last requests there Loren?


Gary

By Hugh Bishop (Wildman) on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 02:24 am: Edit

After reading up a little on the Cloud, there seems to be a lot of Star-birth activity happening due to the tidal interactions between the Milky-way and the LMC. The same type of forces are at play between the recently captured cluster the LMC and the Milky-way. Some of the new stars are very unstable and super-novas are a semi regular events. (Galactically speaking)

Proposal: The tidal forces in play between the Chomack cluster and the LMC have created many large and powerful Stars at the blending point between the two bodies. A cosmic disaster occurs when a close cluster of unstable Hyper-stars collapse/collide creating a gamma burst/dense cosmic ray wave that deluges the cluster and washes out over the fringe, peetering out just as it touches the cloud. The sudden disaster has the effect of an immense EMP burst on the machines of the cluster causing a paralyzing effect on their civilization. Most habitable planets are rendered near lifeless and only the Dyson spheres provide protection and they are severely damaged. Colonies descend into savagery, while centers of civilization are set back several progress levels and take several centuries to recover and rebuild. Only sheltered fleet elements, and those on patrol in the LMC remain. These retreat back to the cluster where they form a bulwark against hostiles and throw their efforts into recouping what was lost. Recently a revitalized Chomak cluster has returned to the affairs of the LMC, only to discover the Andros.

By Joseph R Carlson (Jrc) on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 10:04 pm: Edit

Hugh,

Dyson spheres for the Chomak has been rejected. See SVC's post on 1-06-2007.

By Hugh Bishop (Wildman) on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 12:35 am: Edit

Joe, thanks for the correction. I went back and read the entire topic. I had no idea it got so heated. I do agree that Dyson spheres present a big problem. Also leaving a dangerous well equipped enemy in the rear of any operation could lead to disaster. Militarily there is no way that the Andromedans could leave the Chomak intact. As far as taking out the Romulans instead of the LDR, why lead with this move? By taking out the LDR you essentially gain a significant Beachhead in the Alpha Sector for nearly no cost. The bordering empires probably had drastically reduced fleet elements in position to react having concentrated them near ISC Cantons dividing them from their enemies. Following up with an attack on nearly every power seemingly simultaneously could create a climate of confusion and further disorganize the response, allowing the Andros to defeat individual powers in detail. I admire the creative effort that Ken made with the LMC but trust in the Steves to make it work. I just hope that input from the board can be helpful. Anyway disregard my reference to Dyson Spheres above.

By Michael C. Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 10:48 am: Edit

How about a "ring world?"

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 11:11 am: Edit

Michael C. Grafton:

A "Ring World" is a variant of the "Dyson Sphere". It pretty much requires the same technology level, i.e., the ability to disassemble the non-solar masses of a solar system and reassemble it in a new and more efficient (in terms of the use of that material) design. Ring Worlds are also more or less what Dyson was actually talking about rather than actual spheres encompassing a sun.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 11:33 am: Edit

What about the smaller 'halo' worlds, as seen in the Xbox game of the same name - or the kind of orbital ring seen around Luna in the Starship Troopers movie?

Either would be less effort than trying to wrap rings around the star itself...


Gary

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 12:44 pm: Edit

Or an ultra developed city world like Trantor with a defense ring around it.

By Stacy Brian Bartley (Bartley) on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 01:34 pm: Edit

There are already ringworld's in the Triangulum module.

Guy's the economic motivations to build Dyson Spheres or Ringworlds doesn't exist in a society that has warp drive and matter/antimatter technology. Dyson maintained that "Malthusian" forces would drive the construction of such artifacts. Given that they would have the ability to colonize on a wide scale basis, and have the ability to produce near infinite amounts of energy a major construct like either of these examples would be an exercise in vanity-and a pretty •••• big exercise at that.


The Tholian sphere really doesn't count as it was built to be a habitat and it isn't any where NEAR the size of a true Dyson Sphere or Ringworld.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 02:12 pm: Edit

I am going to try saying this one more time:

NO (none,nein, nyet, zero, null, void) Dyson Spheres.

That includes Rings. That includes trying to be cute and have only half a ring.

Further messages suggesting that will simply be deleted.

Thank you.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 02:41 pm: Edit

To be a little clearer, the above applies to the Chomak, and not necessarily any other races that may be added to the game at any future date.

Although I will note that the Yrol Septs are also not going to have the ability to disassemble the non-stellar material of a solar system and reassemble it to suit them.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Tuesday, January 30, 2007 - 12:36 pm: Edit

That information posted about the Magellanic Bridge is fascinating!

Perhaps if the Chomak Cluster sits at the tail end of the Bridge, that race would have sent ships along it to explore the GMC - which might explain their relatively sparse contacts with the LMC in the modern era - and that the Andros would use the position gained in the conquest of the Cluster to send an RTN link along it.

However, since the bulk of Andromedan assets would already be earmarked for the Milky Way, the GMC would be spared an all-out onslaught by the arrival of Unity - by which time the Andros could not spare the ships required to follow up on the RTN link already built.

And perhaps the Unity races send exploration ships along this route in the X2 era - so if anyone ever works on the GMC as a new setting, we'd have a ready-made route connecting it with the established universe!


(One could picture a Fed and Empire-size map, with the LMC on one end, the Bridge - including clusters of stars along its length - and the GMC on the other...)


Gary

By Charles Gray (Cgray45) on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 05:41 am: Edit

One question-- A problem I've had with Magellanics is that while they are very interesting, their ships (at least form breif exaination) appear to be mid-general war at best.
Now this works for the setting, but they are very much at a disadvanrtage compared to the ships the galactics bring along to the party. This is especially a problem for player generated settings (I was thinking of using the maghimed (?), for a WYN style setting).

Would there be any interest in a SS style product or Captain's log article that incrased the ship slection so they could at least function as a major player in a player generated setting? (Probably would require at least one or two SC 2 hulls, plus a few other ships).

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 10:01 am: Edit

Maybe you can convince Ken Burnside to draft some SSDs and post them on a web site.

By Ken Burnside (Ken_Burnside) on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 10:41 am: Edit

At this point, you're better off submitting your proposed ships/upgrades directly to SPP rather than myself.

By Joseph R Carlson (Jrc) on Thursday, April 05, 2007 - 06:29 pm: Edit

SVC and SPP,

During Operation Unity the galactic forces fought there way up three routes split into four levels (A to D). Module C5 states that the LMC is 250,000 from the MWG or around 76,687 parsecs.

Per Gurps PD dash-warp movement is considered the same as strategic movement. Standard dash speed is warp 9.25 and a ship can cover 13,088 parsecs in a month; it would take 5.85 months (6) to travel from the MWG to the LMC using standard dash speed.

In F&E, as I understand, military convoys, LTF, tug moving an FRD or Ops base are limited to 12 hexes of strategic movement per turn. In six months these units can move 6,000 parses. OpU last two years (4 F&E turns).

Each level is about 38 hexes apart. If the MWG standard of every 6 hexes a ship has to stop at a SMN, then the galactics will need alot of bases (5 between each level, each deployed, set up and operational in one month, which can't happen in F&E).

Proposals:

For the Omega rule book SPP is drafing drag space rules. There a gravitational tidal force pulling the LMC into the MWG. I suggest that drag space is the SFB scenario represenation of that tidal force. For campaign purposes this tidal force speeds up deep space movement; this is how the Andro were able to sent up their routes. Like any tidal force there is a boundary area bewteen the tide and normal deep space. In the tidal stream Andro RTN travel goes faster (25-30%?) and regular in deep space. Reinforcements arrive faster and retreat is slower.

Galactics races are able to travel faster in deep space and use less fuel; maybe freighters milcons etc. move at standard dash warp speed and warship at fast dash speed. Also the galactic forces only need to set up one supply point between levels (a convoy), which at 19 hexes from the last SMN.

If a galactic ship, for campaign purposes, enters the tidal stream it moves at normal warp speeds (the regular operational and strategic speed for that type of ship/unit); but during an SFB scenario used drag space rules.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, April 05, 2007 - 06:53 pm: Edit

JRC: don't over think it. We won't deal with this until we do F&E AndroWar (if then).

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Monday, May 21, 2007 - 09:57 pm: Edit

Hi.


While a new Magellanic module is not exactly around the corner, it's still interesting (for me, at least) to think of what historical data might be feasible for fleshing out the post-Unity timeline - and the example of the rich detail of Omega's Seventh Cycle seen in the new Omega MRB shows how well there can be life after the Andros!

A post-Unity Magellanic timeline would perhaps need to be mindful of possible links to Alpha - which could be a problem, since unlike in Omega, Alpha's post-Unity history has not been written (or at least published) - but there is one player I'd like to see involved.

While the Eneen, Baduvai and Maghadim are reclaiming their homeworlds, their enervated conditions make the full re-establishment of their old borders a long-term proposition. (The Baduvai might decide to establish their new capital at H'gar anyway, since their homeworld is not viable in the long term.)

While the Baduvai and Maghadim are less of an issue, the Eneen are - and not just because of the remnants of their former subject races.

Whether it be the price the refugee Eneen paid for their help, or the consequence of the weakened state of the Eneen in the Y200s, I would say that the time is ripe for the Jumokians to gather their scattered pirate/rebel fleets, liberate their homeworld, and re-establish a pocket League!

As in Omega, the post-Andro Magellanic playing field has been levelled - which means that after the Baduvai, Eneen and Jumokian core worlds are re-established, the future borders between the three powers are up for grabs.

Add the attention which the Jumokian presence would by default create in the southern Cloud to the more pressing need for the Baduvai to establish secure borders if H'gar becomes the new capital, and a potential tinderbox is on the cards. Also, a focus on the southern Cloud would make a renewed Maghadim claim on the Neutral Worlds more difficult to oppose. (Technically those worlds were ceded to the Maghadim by treaty, but in this case it would be more difficult for the others to 'forget' this agreement...)

Now, it's likely that the decades of co-operation between the various powers would make it more feasible for them to make some sort of effort to avoid outright war - as if mutual economic devastation, and the need to remain vigilant against new Andro arrivals, wasn't incentive enough for peace!

Omega's post-Andro history is a good example of the kind of flexibility we could see in the LMC (and, maybe, in Alpha as well) - so going with a restored Jumokian League seems to be quite reasonable.

Also, a new Jumokian League means the scope opened up for new Jumokian ships and bases, handy for fleshing out a new Magellanic module!


Does this sound reasonable?


Gary

By Stacy Brian Bartley (Bartley) on Monday, May 21, 2007 - 10:14 pm: Edit

Gary
I thought John Hacker had enthusiasm cornered with his enthusiasm for all things Gorn. But Gary you're enthusiastic about EVERYTHING! (And yes it is a compliment). It brings back memories when I was this enthusiastic when I was a mere lad of 30!

Get some rest guy!

regards
Stacy

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Monday, May 21, 2007 - 10:30 pm: Edit

Stacy:

Well, it's more like my creative efforts for the SFU show up in batches, and when one idea bounces off another, it's hard not to want to write them all down and see if any of them pan out...


I hope that my enthusiasm is at least tempered with some semblance of insight and the odd half-decent idea, though!


Gary

By Stacy Brian Bartley (Bartley) on Monday, May 21, 2007 - 10:41 pm: Edit

Gary
Well I remember a bright guy who kept sending SVC questions. Submitting proposals. Writing articles about painting SFB miniatures for NEXUS/ Coming up with crackpot ideas for the Tholians and inventing the Seltorians. He was eventually made the Tholian commander of the now defunct Joint Chiefs of Fleets for ADB.

So keep it up you have no idea where you'll end up

regards
Stacy

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Monday, May 21, 2007 - 10:43 pm: Edit

Ha, if I come up with even one good idea which actually pans out, I'll be happy!

Thanks for the encouragement, though!


Gary

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Friday, May 25, 2007 - 11:42 am: Edit

Oh, and I've posted a proposal for a welding of two Jumokian NDDs, in order to create a Jumokian New Heavy Cruiser - which would tie in to my idea for having the Jumokians re-take their home world during, or after, Operation Unity (and to make sure that they can keep the Eneen out!)


Gary

By Joseph R Carlson (Jrc) on Sunday, October 14, 2007 - 03:36 pm: Edit

This topic has been dormant for a few months. Is there any interest in Selts that have some Magellanic technology, such as mass drivers and the fighters with the overdrive?

I have made an SSD for a fast Nest ship. The ship combines the front and rear sections of a hive ship with the mid body of a nest ship. It has 40 warp and an MC of 1.75. I don't know if a third 8 box engine could be added (48 warp, speed 27). I also modified the weapons mix.