Hi.

Before I go on, I should note that while I would love to see the Early Years explored in print, this thread is not intended as a draw away from any of the uncounted numbers of other ideas/products/etc that are in the works, or are in the queue for consideration.

What I want to do here is simply to post up my own ideas, such as they are, for how I might like to see the Mæsron Alliance expanded upon for the Early Years; if anyone reading this likes any of the ideas they see here, well and good, but I fully expect there be be a full range of much better ideas on the table should the prospect of an Omega Y-module ever be on the cards.

Of course, of anyone has one such better idea, please feel free to post your thoughts on the topic in this thread.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Friday, April 22, 2011 - 11:00 pm: Edit

General

First off, a couple of entries in the Omega Master Rulebook and elsewhere, which (in theory, anyway) help provide the context for my subsequent ramblings.

*The timeline states that the Tazol were the first of the three founding Alliance members to develop tactical warp. They used this development both to intervene in the Vulpa-Wallimi Colonial War of Y17-19, and to help broker the Treaty of Mæsra which founded the Alliance itself.

The next major development in terms of the Alliance's tactical and strategic doctrine came in Y42, when the three founding planets decided to more fully integrate their operations, and to field ships with members of all three species on board. (Presumably, if any of the four known minor species were part of the Alliance at this stage, their presence aboard ship would have become more notable at this point, too.)

That same year, this co-operation bears fruit technologically, as the firat TL12 ship in the Alliance fleet, the FF, enters service.

Even so, it still takes several years for the DD (Y49) and CA (Y51) to be fielded; even after they first enter service, it would likely take time for them to fully supplant the older ships in the Alliance fleet.

*Aside from these warships, a few other types which serve into the modern era emerged in this period. Notably, the four civilian transport types (FL, FS, PL, XB) have a YIS of Y35; and they have Phaser-W1s and tachyon guns from this time onward. Now, a "revision of the data tapes" could end up shifting the YIS of these hulls, or at least these weapons, forwards if needs be, but that is what we have so far.

Also, the R-section for the SR (YIS 53) explicitly mentions that it is a Wallimi design, and that it's an upgrade from an older survey ship which that exploration-minded species had built in considerable numbers.

Plus, the OB has a YIS of Y46; providing a key logistical element for the Alliance in the run-up to the First Great War of Y50-95.


*Right now, we have no direct examples of what military hull types the Tazol and Vulpa used, and no way to say if the rest of the Wallimi fleet looked anything like the SR.

Still, there is one known Vulpa-design ship from later years, the Insurgent Blockade Runner; in principle, one could say the insurgents were drawing from their pre-integration hull designs, though of course it could be just as likely that the old Vulpa fleet looked nothing at all like the later VBR (or, indeed, like any of the later Vulpa Confederacy's ships, whatever they may be).


*So far as weapons go, the earliest ships with modern Phaser-W1s and TGs are the civilian freighters; the earliest date presented in the tachyon missile rules is Y40 (when the explosion-12 upgrade is available; but the timeline says this was an improvement, implying an earlier inroduction of the standard missile itself).


*In this era, the Alliance makes contact with the Trobrin in Y26 (and agree tentative borders which are oftne ignored by Wallimi scout ships) the Vari in Y29 (when the spiders raid colonies for blood, sparking the first of three Petty Wars) and the Koligahr in Y20 (where the Vulpa in particular leave a bad impression). The Nucians flee to the Cluster in Y20, though we don't know what their modern ships are like, let alone their originals. Eventually, the First Great War breaks out in Y50; it's likely that the first years of this conflict involved a number of early years ships, at least until all of the combatants involved made the switch to TL12.


In all, there is a good amount of data to work with so far, though more is always welcome.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Friday, April 22, 2011 - 11:22 pm: Edit

Movement


In the modern era, or at least in the gap between the development of modern warp engines and the onset of the first speed-30 cruisers later on, the "middle years" ships currently in print for the Alliance have an array of maximum tactical speeds they can handle.

From their warp engines only, frigates can go speed-30, destroyers speed-28, light cruisers speed-27, heavy cruisers speed-26 and dreadnoughts speed-24. (There are a few odd cases, like the frignaught and Vulpa Blockade Runner, but I'll leave them aside for now.)

Given the somewhat truncated length of the Early Years period for the Alliance (Y19-42), one point of comparison I would make is with the LMC, where the Baduvai jumped straight to the Y-era (in Y17) before eventually deploying their first modern ships at the pivotal Battle of H'gar (in Y52).


What I would suggest for the early Alliance would be to consolidate the W- and Y-eras into a common Early Years era, but to echo the later engine discrepancies with their early ship classes.

For example, Mæsron early frigates would have speed-24 warp engines, as might destroyers (unless a given member fleet happens to field ships with a single 11-box engine, rather than two 6-box nacelles), but light and heavy cruisers would be capped at around speed-20-21, and dreadnoughts (conjectural or otherwise) would be speed-16.

The resultant ships would have enough on-board reactors or impulse engines to retain the average Y-era power curve, but would have to deal with a relatively similar speed cap to that seen in the jump to TL12.


Presumably, a similar set of speed caps could be adopted for their immediate rivals, too.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Friday, April 22, 2011 - 11:34 pm: Edit

Weapons


As noted above, we have the first Phaser-W1s, Phaser-W3s and tachyon guns appearing in Y35; and TMs apparently show up at least some time prior to Y40.


*Personally, I like the idea of splitting two of the TG's features (its long-range accuracy, and its close-range punch) into two separate precursor weapons, and have the development of the modern gun be the result of a fusion of these technologies.

(Essentially, the way in which the ISC's unified Navy developed their bolt and seeking plasma technology from the strands set in place by four of the five member planets.)

In this case, a "tachyon carbine" would be used as a short-range crunch weapon, while a "tachyon rifle" would be more oriented towards accuracy at long range.

Relevant ships could, or could not, have the ability to get a TG refit from Y35 onwards, unless the base hull is given some sort of limitation that makes the "national guard-ization" of that ship type impractical.


*So far as missiles go, there could be a prior seeking weapon which entered service before the first TM was launched in anger; that said, perhaps the standard missile (with the Y40 upgrade) would itself work in this context.


*Ship-mounted special sensors are a Vulcan specialty for the sedentary Alpha empires in the Early Years, but it is worth noting that the Baduvai also pioneered the technology in their own Y-era. It could be an option to make them available, for the Wallimi's early servey ships at least; perhaps explain it as being an innovation the Tazol helped them refine as a consequence of a sub-clause in the Treaty of Mæsra (but something the Alliance had trouble adapting to other hulls before the modern era).


*So far as phasers go, there could in theory be some sort of Phaser-WY (akin to the LMC's Early Lasers), but on the other hand maybe they could simply mount standard Phaser-W1s, but in fewer numbers than in the modern era.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Saturday, April 23, 2011 - 12:00 am: Edit

Fleets


As seen with the National Guard ships of the United Federation of Planets, as well as the five precursor fleets of the Inter-Stellar Concordium, the Mæsron Alliance is a fine candidate for species-specific fleets in the Early Years; as noted above, we already know of one Wallimi example.

I have a couple of ideas, but of course they might not cut the proverbial mustard.


*Governments: I was fortunate enough to be able to suggest faction logos and government names for the five pre-ISC planets. I think that the various Alliance members could also have such entries, to add a little flavour.

I would suggest the following names:

- Tazol Union (bland, but to the point)
- Wallimi Survey Corps (reflecting their exploratory bent)
- Vulpa Confederacy (yes, the same name as the Vulpa's empire in the Seventh Cycle; in my view, that would not be a coincidence)

Not sure about names for the four minor planets, though.

(For logos, the only thought I have right now is the evidence shown in the Mæsron Alliance logo itself. The scientific equipment seems to represent the Tazol, the ship arcong towards a planet the Wallimi, and the crossed swords the Vulpa. Maybe the three planets used those separate symbols in their pre-Allliance flags?)


*Tazol: The psionic humanoid Tazol's scientific prowess served them well over the years; allowing them to broker the Treaty of Mæsra, to pioneer several later advancements, and to earn the distinction of having the only major home world never to fall to an enemy (at least through the end of the Seventh Cycle).

I would suggest making their ships the closest to the template followed by the modern unified Mæsron fleet; with a good balance between combat and non-combat operations.

I would give them the "tachyon rifle" I mentioned earlier; its stand-off ability would fit their original purpose (of keeping Wallimi and Vulpa ships apart) and provide them with a useful role at the centre of combined fleet operations later on.


*Wallimi: The first order of business for the independent-minded bat-like Wallimi should be a YSR; I'd keep the special sensors, for one.

For their wider fleet, I'd have them be the ones to pioneer the tachyon missile (or some kind of pre-TM).

I would suggest their warships fly as phaser/missile boats, with a faster tactical speed than their fellow member planets.


*Vulpa: The ruthless wolf-like Vulpa, in my mind, would develop the "tachyon carbine"; allowing for suitably up-close and bloody battles with the early Vari.

As with some of the later variants attributed to them (like the CAF) most of their combat ships could have no probe launchers, though they would probably use them on support units.


*Minor planets: The four known minor species (Chkikk, T'Kai, Floater, Crell; many others exist) are not in the same league, economically, politically or militarily, as the three major members. Still, at least one or two home-grown frigate or destroyer types could be neat.

Indeed, what if the first "unified" hulls in Alliance space were built as export types, intended for sale to the minor planets for use in their local defence fleets? (That would allow the Tazol, Wallimi and Vulpa to each get a cut from such sales, and ironically provide a template for the later modern fleet.)


*Civilian ships: The freighter types in Y35 are noted as being upgrades; it should be easy enough to extrapolate the originals. (The PL and XB would be kept as modern innovations, or perhaps superseding planet-specific early liners built by one or more of the member planets.)


*L-era upgrades: With the exception of the SR's predecessor (which already has a role to play in the modern era) there could be scope for some of the Y-ships to survive into the modern era as L-ships, serving in the local defense fleets of the member planets; however, as time progresses, and the modern ships become more widespread, perhaps even these ships may be phased out, replaced by the time of the Pax Mæsra by the same kind of TL12 ships used in the main Alliance battle fleets.

Still, they could well serve a useful role, though I'd imagine that at least one or two of the Y-ships might be ineligible (or at least impractical) for such upgrades.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - 03:12 am: Edit

Force Organization


To elaborate a little on what I had in terms of how to flesh out what we know of the Alliance's force organization; at least, from what I can make of it.

While the UFP and ISC made a more or less complete shift from their separate fleets to unified navies, the member species of the Alliance, in my view, never quite reached that goal. Even after Y42, much of the data in the timeline, or in various R-sections, casts things in terms of a particular species' forces, rather than belonging to the Alliance at large.

In my mind, the Alliance is perhaps closer to, say, the Imperium in M33 (or the Free Worlds League in a certain other non-Trek setting); with the major and minor planets retaining their own significant economies, fleets and policies, bound together with varying degrees of success (or otherwise) at a federal level.

(To give one example, one of the key differences between the three Petty Wars and the start of the First Great War was the role played by the Tazol; while they were not initilly involved, the point is made that they had enough clout to rein in the Wulpa-Wallimi force in the Petty Wars, and that their view had hardened by Y50... but that the force which devastated the attacking Vari cell was still led by their two major allies.)

To put it another way, there would be an "Alliance Fleet", with an admiralty based on Mæsra Prime (at least after the consolidation of Y42); this force would be the most integrated in terms of starship crews, and be tasked with covering the hex (wherever it may be) of the Alliance capital, as well as all hexes not explicitly listed as under one member government or another (akin to the Imperium Fleet in M33). Economically, it would generate revenue from the capital, all Alliance-level territories, and stipends forwarded by all member planets.

Alongside this force would be the member fleets; some major (Tazol, Wallimi and Vulpa) and others minor (Chkikk, Crell etc). On the map, I would see the various hexes and/or provinces held by each planet to be noted as sub-realms within the wider Alliance; perhaps in a darker shade of red than that seen for the Mæsrons on the current Omega maps. These powers would, in normal circumstances, diverge a part of their economic output towards the wider Alliance, but still have a major portion of their EPs spent "domestically" (i.e. on their own armed forces). They would be more prone to being crewed by a single member species, too.

Of these, the "big three" would have the largest territories, to provide the economic basis for their powerful militaries; the smaller powers would make do with a single province, or even one or two hexes.

This would be a critical distinction to make for the Alliance, from a strategic point of view. The activation of a given power's fleet would have a significant political dimension; if the Tazol fleet sits at home, the Vulpa and/or Wallimi will have to make do with their own forces, plus whatever federal ships are authorised by the Council for use in this or that adventure. (That could be a benefit for the duo, though; if any captured territory ends up annexed to the member planet, and not to the Alliance as a whole, it benefits their local fleet the most.)


This would also be a key element of how to make Civil War scenarios work. As the minor species are noted to try and keep out, their smaller fleets would presumably be trated as minor neutrals; which may or may not be tempted into a particular side of a civil war, invaded to acquire their assets, or perhaps ignored and left to be dealt with by whoever wins the war. The big three, of course, would have loftier goals; to try and consolidate their places at the heart of whatever new dispensation is left after the civil war.

The question of what to do with the Alliance-level fleet (in scenarios where one is set to exist, at any rate) could be an interesting one, especially in the historical context of the Collapse. With fighting breaking out even among starship crews, it would be easy to imagine ships defecting to one or other member fleet; others may wish to either hold on to the Alliance capital, or perhaps try and keep the emerging Superpowers away from the core of Mæsron space.

So, you could have a dynamic where the surviving Alliance-level fleet both keeps the capital under its control and holds the outer ring of territory still belonging to the Mæsrons as a whole; with the major and minor members providing just enough economic and military support to let them do their job (i.e. to let the big three have enough breathing room to settle the Civil War properly).


Since the Civil War and Collapse happen long after the Early Years come to an end, the issue would be more of a factor if attempting what-if scenarios involving earlier internecine troubles; still, even for the historical battles the Mæsrons did fight, drawing a line between what ships belong to the individual member planets, and which are committed to the Alliance as a whole, could be a key point to consider.

By Barry Kirk (Barrykirk) on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - 09:42 pm: Edit

As for an early years tachyon gun... why not just limit the maximum power it can be armed to. How about four energy max.

For the alpha octant, early years ships have a P2. For the LMC they have the early warp tuned laser.

If we start making P2 versions of the various Omega phaser types, we are going to have nomenclature issues with the particle phaser and the quantum phaser which already have a phaser two.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Thursday, April 28, 2011 - 01:03 am: Edit

For the phasers, maybe leave the -3s as they are, and make the early primary phasers Phaser-Ys? (Wide-angle would be phaser-WY, for example.)

The point I was trying to make about the TG was to not simply cut it down into one single type, but to derive a pair of distinct weapons (long-range rifle for the Tazol, short-range carbine for the Vulpa) which would be combined into the tachyon gun we know in the modern era. (Again, looking at the early ISC as an example, where five plasma-based weapons were devised for the warp-driven fleets.) If it could be done, I'd rather see something like that happen, not least to give the two fleets a proper tactical distinction.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Monday, January 06, 2014 - 08:35 pm: Edit

A note for future consideration, based on a question raised by Shawn Hantke in another thread:

If there were to be separate entries for the Early Years Tazol, Wallimi, Vulpa, and minor member fleets at some point, I would ask for their respective counters to be given a set of colour bars, akin to those done up for the pre-ISC factions published in Module Y2 and Y3. Any "unified" ships, should they exist in this era, could be handled with the standard Mæsron colour patterns.