Heh. The Kzinti get PFs this turn. Very soon, the Kzinti Capital will have a compot of about 500...

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat2) on Monday, May 20, 2019 - 07:03 pm: Edit

Is the auto kill rule doing much in your game? It isn't in mine (Battle of the Atlantic, currently on turn C4). I think there has been one time the rule would have applied. But the Hydrans chose to fry a C8, so it didn't.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Monday, May 20, 2019 - 07:06 pm: Edit

Nope. Like, it only comes up seldomly, and when it does, there is usually something more important that someone wants to shoot.

Like, if you are over a SB or something, and you are just dropping damage a lot as you are trying to win the hex in a close fight, hitting a 6 so you get to blow something up and also still do 40 damage to the line can certainly be effective. But most of the time, you hit that 6 when you can get an auto kill, and you just decide to blow up a good scout or something.

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Monday, May 20, 2019 - 07:29 pm: Edit

Yeah I see a 6 as me doing a lot of damage and killing a nice ship. I dont see it as an auto kill of a Frigate.

By Stewart Frazier (Frazikar2) on Monday, May 20, 2019 - 08:10 pm: Edit

Hmmm, shouldn't killing a D6S (on line) should be [(8+1+4)*2] = 26 …

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Monday, May 20, 2019 - 08:23 pm: Edit

CT25

Combat is over!

In Hydran space, the Coalition recaptured a couple planets (0519, 0718), and pushed the Hydrans back a bit.

In Kzinti space, the Coalition captured a lot of space, recaptured planet 1001, and destroyed SB 1704.

In Fed space, the Coalition avoided a lot of combat, captured space, and killed a couple ships for no losses in return.

In Gorn space, the Romulans killed the last on map Gorn BATS in 3801 and captured a bunch of space.

Ships killed:
-LYR: DNH
-KLI: DX, 3D6S, 2D5
-ROM: FAL, SEH

-ZIN: BC, 3DWE, FKE, FF, (SB)
-HYD: 2CU
-FED: NCL, FF
-GRN: HD, (BATS)
-THA:

The Alliance rolled a little better than the Coalition for the turn, with a 4.09 vs a 3.27 for the Coalition.

Retrogrades and strat to follow.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Monday, May 20, 2019 - 09:07 pm: Edit

What's "THA"? I can only think it's "Tholians"; but then what's the "A" at the end (rather than "THO" or maybe "THN")?

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 07:38 am: Edit

"THA" is Tholians. I suspect that I used "THA" as it is the abbreviated nomenclature used for the Tholian Tournament Cruiser (much like "ZIN" instead of "KZI" or whatever); should be clear enough from context.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 09:26 am: Edit

Thanks. I figured it was probably Tholians. It's just that the specific combination of letters struck me as peculiar.

(I don't play tournament SFB, partly because I'm one of those people who strongly prefers playing on a floating map. Yes, it can make for much longer games sometimes. But the idea of "walls in space" just... bugs the heck out of me, at some level.)

By Steve Zamboni (Szamboni) on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 12:18 pm: Edit

The 'A' could have slipped in from the Archeo-Tholian tournament cruiser, as opposed to the Neo-Tholian tournament cruiser.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 08:54 pm: Edit

Yes, that is correct. "THA" is the Archeo Tholian TC; "THN" is the Neo Tholian TC.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 09:01 pm: Edit

CT25

The turn is over!

In Hydran space, the Coalition have a ton of ships on 0617 (including 2 full reserves) and a ton of ships on planet 0416 (the Hydrans aren't in range of SB 0411, so all those Lyrans are on planet 0416). The Coalition moved a not insignificant number of ships, including a couple new DX, to the Hydran front.

In Kzinti space, the Coalition have a ton of ships on 1407, a ton of ships on 1506, and a solid fleet on 1105. There are two reserves in the area, in 1105 and 1407.

In Fed space, there are a lot of ships on planets 2106 and 2306; a lot of ships on planets 2811/2812; a significant fleet on the SB park in 2916; a lot of Romulans on planet 3509; fewer Romulans on planet 3706. There are reserves on 1910, 2715, 3415, 3711.

In Gorn space, there are a lot of Romulans on 4705, a lot but fewer Romulans on planet 4309. A reserve on 4309.

On the Tholian front, there are a few dozen Lyrans on SB 2318, a dozen Romulans as a reserve on SB 3518.

The reserves on the Hydran front, I think, are unpinnable (I didn't actually fully count yet, but with all the extra Lyrans in the area, I think they are good); the on the Kzinti front are likely pinnable; the reserves in Fed space are mostly (if not all) unpinnable, but they also can't really reach all that much. The reserve on the Gorn front is unpinnable.

No field repair happened; the Romulans and Lyrans each sent $10 to the Klingons.

A map to follow.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 09:09 pm: Edit

CT25

Map at end of CT25:

http://www.lightlink.com/pdb6/SCD2mapCT25end.html

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - 09:30 am: Edit

>>Hmmm, shouldn't killing a D6S (on line) should be [(8+1+4)*2] = 26 …>>

Huh. Yes. Yes it should. I'm not quite sure how I ended up with bad math there (maybe I was imagining the 28 damage to kill a 9/5 CC?)

Hey! The Lyrans lost 3 more PFs, and spent $1.5 more on PF replacement this turn!

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Thursday, May 23, 2019 - 04:06 pm: Edit

AT25

The Feds have about 124 EP and 85 XTP to spend this turn (their basic economy is back up to about 136). They build 2CX, NSC, 2NAC, HDWE, DW, 23FF, SWAC. They are converting CC>CX, NCL>NSC, SB>SBX. They end with a fraction of an EP and 32 XTP saved.

Kzinti generate about 50 EPs and have about 21 saved, for a total of about 71 to spend. They build CVH, MEC, 3DWE, 7FF, and a free SAP. And put some PFs on their existing SBs. They end with about 13 in treasury.

The Hydrans generate about 29EP and have about 32EP to spend. The build 3AH, 6CU, convert 3HR>NEC. The end with about 4Ep in treasury.

The Gorn generate about 55 EP, have about 81 EP to spend. They build 3HD, HDWE, 3BD, 4DD. They end with about 39 EP saved.

The Tholians generate about 23 EPs, and have about 27 EPs to spend. They build CWE, 4PC. They end with about 11EP saved. They also put some PFs on their BATS.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Friday, May 24, 2019 - 10:06 am: Edit

After a minor audit, the Kzinti remembered to build the HDWE that they had planned on, but forgot, and also paid for their CT25 drone bombardment, so they actually end the turn with about 2EP in treasury.

The Feds also discovered that they actually paid for their NSC twice, so they have 8 extra EP, which they used to partially pay for their SB>SBX conversion (which used more XTP than it needed, due to not having enough regular EP), so they now end the turn with about 40 XTP saved.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Saturday, May 25, 2019 - 07:57 am: Edit

AT25

Moves have started! The Hydrans are engaging province raiders, the Kzinti are engaging province raiders, have pinned the 50 some odd ships (and reserve) at planet 1105 and have moved a fleet to liberate Fed planet 2106; the Feds have started engaging province raiders; the Gorns have started engaging province raiders.

I am sensing a theme, and I suspect that this will, again, be a very casualty heavy turn.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Sunday, May 26, 2019 - 09:07 am: Edit

AT25

Moves continue unabated! In Hydran space, the Hydrans have moved a ton of ships onto planet 0416, currently being held by a significant number of Lyrans, but the Hydrans are currently outgunning the Lyrans pretty significantly. The Klingons are mostly continuing to conservatively hold on to 0617 instead of reacting onto 0416, as the Hydrans still have a lot of ships to move and I have reserves in 0617 (and a SB>SBX upgrade) that I want to be able to pin the Hydrans away from. Which I certainly can. But it looks like the Hydrans will probably take back 0416.

In Kzinti space, the Kzinti are attacking planet 1105 with roughly equivalent forces, are attacking some province raiders, moved a bunch of ships to engage Klingons holding planet 1506, but the Klingons have reacted out and pinned them away. They still have a bunch of ships to move.

In Fed space, the Feds and/or Kzinti are attacking planets 2106, 2306, and 2811, having the edge in all those fights; on the East side of things, they are rounding up Romulan province raiders and have started attacking Romulan help planet 3509.

In Gorn space, the Gorn are rounding up Romulan province raiders, and sent a big fleet to engage Romulans holding planet 4705 (80 some odd Gorn attacking 70 some odd Romulans). Gorn still have plenty of ships to move, but not a lot more to attack.

The Tholians have moved most of their ships to attack Klingon BATS 2519. The Lyran fleet in the area reacted in to defend it. The Tholians can certainly kill the BATS if they stick it out for a few rounds.

The Alliance are now at the point that they can have significant local ship superiority anywhere they want to attack. I think the Coalition still have more total ships, but the Alliance can certainly outweigh the Coalition anywhere they want to attack.

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Sunday, May 26, 2019 - 06:29 pm: Edit

I just have to decide when I begin the push to shove you out of my space, rather than just bleed you dry.

Knowing when the war ends helps, but I still have to time it right.

If I go early you can counterattack and win it all back. If I go too late I dont get my space back and dont kill enough of your BATS and planets and you get an easy Points victory.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Sunday, May 26, 2019 - 07:29 pm: Edit

Yeah, there is certainly an advantage in going last--you can take back numerous provinces and just, like, slip FFs into provinces to contest or disrupt your own, and get a huge amount of VPs back at the end of AT34 (i.e. the end of the game).

I like the idea of a random and time in theory, but I don't like the possibility that the game could theoretically go on for ever if you never roll a "1" (the random end is start rolling a die at the end of T31, and if you hit a "1", the game ends). So the game could theoretically just end on T31. Or could go forever.

We are going with "The game ends at the end of AT34".

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Sunday, May 26, 2019 - 09:16 pm: Edit

Peter,

If you like the idea of a random end turn for the game but don't like the possibility of the game continuing indefinitely because you don't roll a "1", how about some cumulative total scheme, like building the B-10?

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Sunday, May 26, 2019 - 09:51 pm: Edit

There are plenty of ways to make the game end randomly and without an indefinite end (if it weren't digital, we could just use 6 counters numbered 1-6). But, well, we are just gonna go with what the rules have in them. Which is T34 or die rolls, so we are gonna go with T34.

By chris upson (Misanthropope) on Sunday, May 26, 2019 - 11:21 pm: Edit

count alliance VPs at the end of CT34 and the coalition ones at the end of AT34.

By Richard B. Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Monday, May 27, 2019 - 12:30 am: Edit

Not unless that's the actual rule. :p

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Monday, May 27, 2019 - 03:19 am: Edit

Ship count is included too. So the Coalition could fight tooth and nsil everywhere in T34A not caring if they lose 100 ships each because its 20 points the Alliance loses but their points are locked in.

Maybe starting T32C roll a d6 and the game end at the end of the coming Alliance turn if a 1 is rolled.

Each turn subtract one more from the roll (so by T34 it ends on a 1, 2, 3 and is definitely over by T37A.

But that is a next game discussion. For this game we finish T34A. And I have NO idea who will win !!