Yeah Peter if you return the drawing for empires is all but a formality with all 6 spots filled and nobody wanting to step on anyones toes.

We should all get an empire we're happy to play, I am willing to give up the Kzinti to Matt, and you and Troy and Frank have the Plasma races spoken for.

In the end thats enough to get you the empire you want so drawing or not the Romulans can be yours.

By Francois Lemay (Princeton) on Wednesday, February 08, 2012 - 04:00 pm: Edit

Troy,
If you wish, I can play Gorns and you take Pels ?

I'm easy going !


Cheers
Frank

By Troy Williams (Jungletoy) on Wednesday, February 08, 2012 - 06:00 pm: Edit

Thanks Frank but I hate drones. Gorns have thunder and lightning (P-1s and Plasma). Very simple doctrine of launch, follow, tractor hapless weasel users, rinse and repeat. Wierd, but cool arcs and hulls that take a beating. Besides Lizards are more intimidating than Racoons or Dolphins.

By Francois Lemay (Princeton) on Sunday, February 12, 2012 - 10:55 am: Edit

Troy,
I too am not too fond of drones which is why I like plasma !
Much easier to administrate.

Cheers
Frank

By Michael Baima (Starsmasher) on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 - 11:33 pm: Edit

I am interested in flying the Hydrans. I won't have time to play battles until late May though.

mcbaima

By Michael Helbig (Admgrraven) on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 09:02 am: Edit

If you could find a battle captain until then that would be just fine. I'm targeting first Friday in April as the start date and there might not be many battles until May anyway.

I'm almost finished with the revised rules from EaW1 and once I get them done and out I have some map work to do.

I have a few more idea's I'm thinking about and will present them soon for discussion.

Michael

By Matthew Potter (Neonpico) on Wednesday, March 07, 2012 - 05:54 pm: Edit

Has there been any movement here in the last two weeks?

As a holdover from the EaW1 forum, would you include any rules for specific maps into the rules document, please?

By Josh Driscol (Gfb) on Wednesday, March 07, 2012 - 06:54 pm: Edit

Last I heard the GM was going to take 2 weeks then let us know if he could start it.

I pulled my name out of the pool, really dont think this here EaW2 will ever get off the ground but I hope im wrong. There is alot of players wanting a campaign, and there is alot of potiential in the EaW rules.

Somebody will get around to starting a new one soon, maybe it will be you. Ill have to see what munchkin machinations are possible with your ruleset, Munchinism seems to lead to mass player dieoffs and you dont put a red button anywhere near me or eventually im going to test the superweapon.

By Matthew Potter (Neonpico) on Wednesday, March 07, 2012 - 07:19 pm: Edit

---

Quote:

Somebody will get around to starting a new one soon, maybe it will be you.

---

By Josh Driscol (Gfb) on Wednesday, March 07, 2012 - 10:44 pm: Edit

There was alot of interest in EaW2, we had 7 Admirals wanting spots, and even the GM of EaW2 liked some of the changes that had been proposed to the EaW rules.

I got an email late tonight saying I could take over the GM'ing of this game. Since I will only be a last resort battle captain in EaW im seriously considering taking on the job.

I would be using the basic framework that the EaW rules setup, yes it has contrivances in it like small freighters developing colonies for free, and instant ship construction, but I understand why its that way. Its to put the focus on the SFB battles.

Now I would be going through the maps and rules with a pair of dental pliers yanking anything that looks like I would abuse it.

The question I suppose is will the players who were interested in playing in a campaign GM'd by Mike still want to be in this game.

If anyone is interested make your interest known on here, we will begin by looking at the EaW rules latest revision, anyone can make a proposal for a changed rule or new rule. Please give some reason why the change is needed and the effect you are hoping to get from it.

For an example, the EaW strategic map isnt blind we know all the warp connections at the start of the campaign, this makes coordinated attacks by several players on one player too easy.

I propose we use a double blind map system, the GM will have a map for each player and as systems are explored new warp lines will be exposed for you to expand, eventually you will encounter other empires. They will have no idea how far from your home system they are they will only know they have 1 point of contact with your empire.

I will design the map so that there are more connections between the empires, the current map is 1 empire in each direction from the home system. The predictable pattern of the map, creates the same situations over and over, on my map there would be great variety.

So anyone who wants in put your ideas here.

One other thing I dont think I will limit it to any specific number of players, with mass player dieoffs being possible, I will do my best to prune away the munchkin and make it about the glorious dance of death that is good SFB.

Now I have none of the maps for the strategic game created yet so would need time, and I want player input on every issue they have with the current rules. Ill put together a draft of the rules and the players that are interested can find the flaws.

I should be able to send that to anyone who is interested withing 1-2 weeks. Then we continue to fix the rules for say anohter 3-5 weeks getting a good group of Admirals and battle captains.

More input from the Admirals will make the rules writing go much easier and a good debate of them will definatly get us all very farmiliar with them.

Ill also be working on the tactical maps, there is going to be alot more variety but I promise I will avoid terrain like pulsars, black holes and nebulas.

We will have Gas Giants, we will have Asteroids of several damage grades, also going to keep heat and radiation zones also with multiple damage gradients.

The vast majority of maps will not be terrible to fight in, but replacing the death map will be terrain that makes you think real hard. But im not giving anyone the abilty to damage units 50 hexes away by killing your fleet. You may have to slow down to avoid entering asteroids but these will be rare maps and wont be near anyones home territory.

I also plan to take the free auxiliary out of the rules, that makes the LAS and LAC and SAS and SAC too good to just tack onto fleets to overstuff them. Bad strategy will create mismatches without the help of a free aux rule so thats gone.

Ground based weapons, slow the game and I will either eliminate them and def sats to keep it all about the ship to ship battles or limit them to 3 per planet. No more than 1 of any type. And any fighter base counts as 3 for purposes of taking up ground base positions. Oh and no Fighter ground bases but the medium and small.

Fleet cap probably stays at 600 if we start in Y165, but with limits on ground bases and free auxiliaries the fleets will not have that munchkin feel.

I hope some are interested, I would love to see what this side of the SFB Campaign world looks like.

I bet it will be quite a ride.

By Matthew Potter (Neonpico) on Wednesday, March 07, 2012 - 11:32 pm: Edit

I'm still in. My interest is still in the Kzinti or the Hydran empires, though I'll play anything with Photons or Disruptors.

By Josh Driscol (Gfb) on Wednesday, March 07, 2012 - 11:40 pm: Edit

EaW2 Empires Available

Hydran
Lyran
Klingon
Kzinti
Federation
Gorn
Romulan
ISC
Peladine

These and no others, the others I believe would ruin the game, no doubt that will spoil the fun for a few but I want the least amount of munchkin possiblities and within these 9 races you have all you will ever need.

By Josh Driscol (Gfb) on Wednesday, March 07, 2012 - 11:57 pm: Edit

Thanks Matt for getting the ball rolling, welcome to EaW2.

I understand you want Kzinti, doubt there will be 9 players, but am hopeful of getting close.

I debated the issue of a lottery just now and think thats just anohter silly thing to worry about and haggle over, lets save our energy for the SFB battles whenever possible.

So we will use a first come first served system for race selection, Kzinti is spoken for so are any who had indicated they wanted a race in EaW2.

Ill give it till April 7th to fill, then we will proceed with those admirals.

So I would say Kzinti, Gorn, Romulan and Federation may all be spoken for will definatly take down names in case somebody doesnt want to participate.

I dont think ill be ready with the galactic map and rules by the 7th but we should have a set of rules, and be able to playtest some of the maps.

Between May 7th and the start of June I would like to begin taking your orders and rapidly moving through the exploration phase of the game, with contact with your neighbors if you move fast enough by mid to late summer.

Alot depends on how the rules debate goes, can we come up with a few twists to make EaW a bit better?

Im not the only one with ideas, and I cant wait to hear any you guys have.

By Matthew Potter (Neonpico) on Thursday, March 08, 2012 - 01:55 am: Edit

I'm not set on Kzinti, if someone else wants them. I'll be perfectly happy with Hydrans as my second choice (and there are other choices to rattle down the chain with). I'll let someone have them if it means they'll play if they only get Kzinti, for example.

I have several ideas for how to warp EaW, but most of those ideas makes it closer to The Front Line campaign. So I'll be happy playing THIS campaign with whatever rules other people want to go with.

By Majead Farsi (Devil) on Thursday, March 08, 2012 - 04:44 am: Edit

Im in also as Feds or Gorns if still available. If not then any of the others.lol

By Francois Lemay (Princeton) on Thursday, March 08, 2012 - 07:40 am: Edit

The Peladine contingent is still in !


Cheers
Frank

By Troy Williams (Jungletoy) on Thursday, March 08, 2012 - 10:24 am: Edit

Still Gorn.

By Greg Thrasher (Thrassh) on Thursday, March 08, 2012 - 11:29 am: Edit

I would be more than happy to help playtest rules and maps.

By Michael Baima (Starsmasher) on Thursday, March 08, 2012 - 11:31 am: Edit

I'm still in.

By Mike Johnson (Akira) on Thursday, March 08, 2012 - 11:59 am: Edit

I am interested in the ISC but would like to see the rules before making a final decision.

By Lincoln Burgess-Webb (Lasnafu) on Thursday, March 08, 2012 - 02:02 pm: Edit

I am interested but have never played an EaW campaign. Whats the best way to get started? Happy to fly for someone else, I am pretty good with Romulans, Hydrans or Klingons. I would also attempt to run an empire if there are empty spots no one wants.

By Matthew Potter (Neonpico) on Thursday, March 08, 2012 - 03:57 pm: Edit

That's alright, Lasnafu. Technically, I haven't played in an EaW campaign either.

By Josh Driscol (Gfb) on Thursday, March 08, 2012 - 04:18 pm: Edit

Well lets get you the old rules Lasnafu, because the new rules will have to be very similar or ill end up re writing the whole book.

Would love your help with the rules Greg, also plan to consult the creator Frank.

So plese tell me what you want and dont want in EaW2.

By Josh Driscol (Gfb) on Thursday, March 08, 2012 - 04:30 pm: Edit

Ive sent Lasnafu the current EaW rules.

To propose a chnge to them show me the old text of the rule and your revision.

Please do it on here, the other admirals will be consulted on the changes, and if nobody sees any problem with the changes after a short debate of the rule I will try to incorporate it into the EaW2 rules.

Remember chnges to one rule often have a ripple effect that changes the entire game.

By Josh Driscol (Gfb) on Thursday, March 08, 2012 - 06:07 pm: Edit

Matt was nice enough to put the latest EaW rules on his website so now you all have access to a copy of the rules.

Here is that link.

http://sfb.mattnet.org/Empires_at_War.doc

We are looking to make minor changes only.

If you have a major change to the rules that would be acceptable to all I am willing to listen, and ill try to give constructive feedback when I have what I need I will re write the EaW rules that the majority would like changed. I reserve the right to not listen to the majority if I think it would be bad for the game in the long run.

My goals for this are to setup a galactic map that you enjoy exploring and exploiting, and ensure that combats are not dominated by silly terrain or units.