The optional system rules detailed for heavy war destroyers (to include their advanced technology counterparts) in (G33.0) seem to be getting a lot of bandwidth as of late, between the (side-)topic in the Module K2 discussion thread and a recent proposal elsewhere on the BBS. In both topics, I noted that while I was less than keen on seeing the concept expanded much father in the Alpha Octant than it already has been, I wouldn't be averse to it appearing in a non-Alpha setting - so long as it was unique to a singe empire (or, indeed, that it was the dynamic around which a new empire could be built).

To put it another way, I would not want to see HDWs become a "common" class across either Omega or the LMC. I would not wish to see the likes of the Mæsrons or Maghadim use them - and nor, for that matter, would I want any of the factions which are already modular in setup (such as the Iridani or Zosmans) to "double-dip" in this regard.

So, I wanted to set up a thread here in order to discuss whether or not there could, or perhaps should, be somewhere in either the Omega Octant or the Lesser Magellanic Cloud where this particular take on starship modularity my be pursued further.

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To start off, I refer to the Lesser Magellanic Cloud, as it enables more of a "controlled experiment" relative to the Omega Octant.

Of the various LMC factions which are known to exist at this time of writing (to include the LMC-Jindarians, and excluding the likes of the Andromedans), only three remain to be looked at in rule or SSD form: the Yrol Septs, the Chomak Community, and the Core empire which was crushed by the Maghadim during their initial rise to prominence. Hopefully, one or more of these empires can be offered in would-be Module C5R in the fullness of time.

Of those, the Yrol are said to use semi-mobile hulls which attach to semi-sentient "deep space life forms" indigenous to their home nebula. While there is no real data on who the rival Core faction used to be (or even if they, or the Maghadim themselves, were at the Y-era of technological development during this conflict), their options may be limited by the limitations imposed on the Maghadim of that same era. So, neither of those empires may suit this particular concept.

The Chomak, on the other hand, have generated a lot of discussion in this thread; trying to square the circle regarding that particular empire may be too ambitious a task for this discussion. But unless there happen to be any pre-existing SSDs which could be used as the basis for discussion, the (G33.0) concept could be a way to provide them with a degree of mission flexibility that might help further distinguish them from the "younger" Magellanic navies - or, indeed, from the very different type of "modularity" provided by option mounts and Pinnace packs to the Jumokian pirates.

Or, perhaps there could be scope for an entirely new faction to settle in the Cloud post-Unity - as in, someone from a previously-unknown corner of the universe, as opposed to the long-term "guests" one may account for from the Alpha or Omega octants.

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In the case of the Omega Octant, I might refer to Bruce Graw's Omega's Lost Futures article from Captain's Log #36, and the various new possibilities some of them may represent.

Of course, modularity is nothing new to the Omega setting - or even to the "lost futures" factions. The Iridani Questors have long held fast to the modular concept; the playtest Zosman Marauders have their own modular setup (one which plays out very differently to that of their Iridani rivals); while the Bolosco Merchant Guilds employ phaser option mounts and various tug and pod combinations which earn them a seat at the table in this regard.

However, one could yet argue that these options in and of themselves need not pre-empt the existence of a "lost futures" empire which happened to be built around (G33.0).


Perhaps the easiest option might be to go with the Echarri Dynasty. Bruce himself noted that no real work had been done on them; in essence, they are as close to a "blank slate" as any of the proposed "lost futures" factions - not least since they arrived in the Omega Octant after (reportedly) fleeing a more distant region of space.

One could perhaps envision their forward scouts using an "exploration" configuration; their using a number of hulls in a "repair" configuration to help keep their exodus convoys running during their dramatic move into what was once Branthodon space; their possibly using "PF tender" configurations (should they either have their own gunboat technology, or be able to acquire the local "volatile warp" engine types for their own use) in order to clear out any Andromedan or Souldra holdouts in their new territory; and (if they either have their own fighters, or are somehow able to adopt the technology upon their arrival) might find themselves deploying a large number of "carrier" and/or "escort" configurations against the Hivers in particular.


Alternatively, I suppose one could have the Paravians of Omega "double down" on the non-weapon option flexibility they had in the Early Years back in the Alpha Octant, akin to what is seen in Captain's Log #28; but then, they could just as easily turn way from this path, as was done for the Paravian ships of Module C6 (barring the eventual use of their own HDW, of course).

But then, there is plenty of room for new ideas and new dynamics in the Omega setting. Perhaps some entirely new faction might be waiting in the wings?

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In short, I'm wondering if there was an opportunity in either the Omega Octant or the Lesser Magellanic Cloud for (G33.0) to be explored in more detail, in a way which neither copied what has already been done in the Alpha Octant, nor clashed with the varying degrees of modularity already in play for certain Omega and LMC empires.

Do any of the options above sound interesting, or can you think of another option which might be worth considering?

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Monday, February 26, 2018 - 01:26 pm: Edit

In terms of how the rules in (G33.0) could be scaled to fit a purpose-built range of ships, there might be two questions to consider:

*How would the numbers of APR*/AWR*, NWO, and/or RA-OPT boxes be adjusted from one ship size to the next?

and

*Should there be any further adjustments for ships of the same size - say, between a "peacetime construction" hull type and its "wartime construction" counterpart?

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To answer the first question, on could start by applying the "standard" 4/4/2 ratio (of APR*/AWR* boxes to NWO boxes to RA-OPT boxes) to a ship with a Move Cost of 2/3. In most empires, this would be a light cruiser or war cruiser - but there are some exceptions, such as with the Worb and Hivers.

To go in one direction, a ship with a Move Cost of 1 may possibly retain this same ratio, and have its main differences manifest on the "base hull" itself. Beyond that, one could go with a 6/6/3 ratio on a ship with a Move Cost of 1.5; or even an 8/8/4 ratio on a Move Cost 2 ship; and so on and so forth.

In the other direction, the question might be at which point one would drop the second RA-OPT box. Perhaps one could place a 3/3/2 ratio on a ship with a Move Cost of 1/2; a 3/3/1 ratio on a Move Cost 1/3 hull; and a 2/2/1 ratio on a ship with a Move Cost of 1/4.

So, to put it in a table:

Move Cost	APR*/AWR* boxes	NWO boxes	RA-OPT boxes
2	8	8	4
1.75	7	7	3
1.5	6	6	3
1.25	5	5	2
1	4	4	2
3/4	4	4	2
2/3	4	4	2
1/2	3	3	2
1/3	3	3	1
1/4	2	2	1

Each of the above refers to "non-fast" ships, the existence of which has yet to be determined in either Omega or the LMC.

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The second part of the discussion would be about whether or not, say, a light cruiser should have the same ratio as a war cruiser. (For the purposes of this discussion, let's say that both have a Move Cost of 2/3.)

One option would be to give both the same 4/4/2 ratio, and show the other differences on the "base hull" itself. So, for example, a CL could have only two forward-oriented heavy weapon mounts on the base hull, whereas the CW would have three.

Alternatively, one could say that the CL had a 4/4/2 (or even a 4/4/1) ratio; with the CW getting, say, a 3/3/3 (or 3/3/2) ratio instead.

Of the two, it might be more practicable to go with the first option; perhaps the 4/4/1 ratio could be reserved for use on a would-be "fast war cruiser", were such a ship to exist. (But, again, if "fast" ships were not to exist in either setting in general, I would not have this be a way for this particular empire - whatever it might be - to warrant an exception.)

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Do any of these ideas make this concept seem more (or less) viable?