Sigh I shall Miss it

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 - 08:41 am: Edit

AT34

This just in! The Alliance had forgotten to deal with the out of supply Fed ships in various places (and I forgot to notice that they forgot to do that), so the Feds only overbuilt 7FF Instead of 11) and the Gorn only overbuilt 5DD (instead of 6), paying to make 24 Feds in Gorn space a pair of expeditionary forces, and then the Gorn adopted 6 of them; on the Edge of Klingon space (around planet 2214), the Fed paid Orion smugglers a whole bunch of money (20 EPs) to supply 50 Fed ships. So they'll be able to wreak a whole lot of havoc in SE Klingon space.

Moves are underway!

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Thursday, January 23, 2020 - 05:58 pm: Edit

AT34

Moves have started. In Kzinti space, the Kzinti have pinned units at 1001, 1105, 1504, and are attacking province raiders.

In Gorn space, a lot of province raiders have been pinned, and they are currently hitting planet 4309 (which only has a couple ships at it), and ships have moved into Romulan space to start capturing NE corner provinces. There is a lot of opportunity for mayhem in Romulan space this turn.

In Hydran space, the Hydrans are rounding up province raiders, have attacked planet 0519, and might very well attack SB 0411.

Lots to keep going.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Saturday, January 25, 2020 - 08:43 am: Edit

AT34

The Alliance are going on a berserk land grab, moving ships into all Coalition provinces they can reach, and attacking everything they can realistically attack.

In Hydran space, the Hydrans have captured or contested 5 Coalition provinces, as well as reclaiming everything North and West of 0617. They have now sent an armada to Lyran SB 0411. The Hydrans currently have 128 ships (of which9 are X-ships) , 9PF flotillas, and 250 fighters. The Lyrans currently have 57 ships (of which 10 are X-ships), 7PF flotillas, 27 fighters, and a Klingon MB. There are 19 X-ships in 2 reserves that can also reach the SB, but they also might need to go elsewhere.

In Kzinti space, the Kzinti have captured or contested 8 Coalition provinces, are attacking Lyran planet 0607 and BATS 0708 (both of which are defended by a battle line, but the Kzinti can certainly kill or capture both targets). They are currently also attacking captured planets 1001, 1105, 1504, 1506, and 1802 (probably recapturing all of them except maybe 1506). They still have about 30 ships on the Klingon border to move (that likely will go and reinforce the fights in Lyran space, but I'm not certain about that).

The Feds are currently reclaiming most of Fed space, have attacked Klingon held planet 2812 (Orion), although currently it looks like they just started moving in. They have reopened supply to the ships around planet 2214 (of which about 50 can move 6 hexes into Klingon space, and another 80 or so can still move 3 hexes into Klingon space and reach 3 targets and numerous provinces). On the Romulan side of things that are attacking a lot of province raiders and have started moving ships on to planet/SB 3711, but there are a *lot* of Romulans there (130+).

On the Gorn front, the Gorn (and some expeditionary Feds) are moving into Romulan provinces, are attacking 2BATS currently, and have many ships left to go. They can reach 2SBs, both Romulan capital hexes, 2 planets, and a couple more BATS. The Romulans have a lot of ships in the interior to defend things, but there is still a lot of room for mayhem.

Lots of ships to go!

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Sunday, January 26, 2020 - 06:13 pm: Edit

AT34

Gadzooks. The Alliance are going completely nuts.

The Hydrans have swarmed all over Hydran space, to capture and disrupt as many provinces as possible.

The Kzinti have reinforced their attacks on planet 0607 and BATS 0708; they'll win, but take damage in the process.

The Fed are now attacking planet 1910, capturing/disrupting numerous Klingon provinces and are currently attacking BATS 1813 (undefended), planet 1916 (defended by some handy Lyrans who reacted in), and planet 2216 (defended by some Klingons who reacted in from SB 2318. They are also attacking Lyran held planet 2715 and have pinned (and possibly can take) the Klingons at Orion (2812).

On the Gorn front, the Gorn have stormed Romulan space, and are hitting planet 3912, planet 4112, BATS 4310, planet 4313, SB 4411 (that's mostly Feds currently, and not enough to kill it yet), BATS 4510, and BATS 4611. They still have 100+ ships yet to move on the Romulan border.

What the Alliance are doing is certainly influenced by this being the last turn and them knowing that, but we got here knowing that was what was going to happen, so here we are and we'll see what happens!

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Sunday, January 26, 2020 - 10:20 pm: Edit

Ive finished my moves unless Peter does some unusual things with his final Reactions.

Hydran space
4 battles in open space, a battle over 0519

Kzinti space
4 battles in open space, a battle over 1001, 1105, 1504, 1802 and 1506

Lyran space
A battle over 0607 and 0708, 8 Provinces being stolen or disrupted

Klingon space
A battle over 1910, 1813, 1916, and 2216, 9 Provinces being stolen or disrupted

Federation space
10 battles in open space, battles over 2715, 2812, 3612, 3711 and 3415

Gorn space
5 battles in open space, battle over 4309

Romulan space
Battles over 3912, 4112, 4313, 4310, 4411, 4510, and 4611. 7 hexes being stolen or disrupted

Sadly I couldnt take on the Romulan Capital, and of all the SB being attacked, probably only 0411 will be a serious fight.

That said, I think we have 48 battle hexes, unless Reserves can create even more.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Monday, January 27, 2020 - 02:16 am: Edit

One random thought

"them knowing that"...

….. To be fair - it struck me the Coalition can plan on turn 3, turn 7 and turn 10 for 'the unknown' (Hydran attack, and Federation attack).

To the death!

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Monday, January 27, 2020 - 03:43 am: Edit

Yes. The Coalition gets all the advantages through the entire game.

The Alliance only get their shot right at the very end.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Monday, January 27, 2020 - 08:47 am: Edit

Yeah, I'm not, like, being critical about the "We know the game is ending"!; just pointing it out as it makes a significant difference to how the game is playing out currently.

The game apparently wants to avoid this with a random ending, which I completely understand, but the existing random ending isn't a good mechanism, so we went with this, and it's fine with me. But it does effect how the game plays out.

To address Jason's comment, I think there is certainly one spot where a reserve gets to create a new battle hex (by driving over a FF and leaving a ship behind to try and kill it), but probably only one of those. I'll have to check the map when I get home :-)

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandar) on Monday, January 27, 2020 - 05:03 pm: Edit

sigh I shall miss this thread.

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Monday, January 27, 2020 - 05:29 pm: Edit

I just have to bribe Peter in to doing another game with me as the Coalition !!

That said, I think I play Alliance far better than I play Coalition. He whooped me last time.

By Kosta Michalopoulos (Kosmic) on Monday, January 27, 2020 - 05:30 pm: Edit

Seen another way, a fixed ending date is effectively like the Coalition suing for peace, with the Alliance then doing a last minute land-grab before the armistice kicks in and the start of formal peace negotiations. It will be interesting to see what the final tally on victory points ends up at. As Peter has mentioned, the fact that the Coalition will still hold Hydrax at the end will likely be the deciding factor.

Still, I'd prefer a random ending date, without anyone knowing when things will actually end. While no one wants the game to drag on to Turn 50 (rather unlikely!), I don't think that would ever really be a problem - the Coalition would have been crushed by the Alliance before then. The Romulan capital hexes would certainly have been conquered, while the Klingons and the Lyrans would be reduced to the areas immediately around their capitals.

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Monday, January 27, 2020 - 06:08 pm: Edit

I for one look forward to 'Monstrous Offspring of and Now For Something Completely Different!'.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Monday, January 27, 2020 - 06:23 pm: Edit

Oh, I'm totally planning on being the Alliance next time.

Just don't try and get both capitals before T7 :-)

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Monday, January 27, 2020 - 06:36 pm: Edit

Yes, getting both Klinshai AND Lyrantan before turn seven probably requires Coalition collusion with the Alliance.

Or maybe mind control planets.

By Chuck Strong (Raider) on Monday, January 27, 2020 - 07:50 pm: Edit

The other thing is that the Alliance can trash their fleets in attrition battles over fixed points so long as they have the ship count. There is no long term consequences for doing so and the upside is that they can use the salvage from the destroyed ships to pay for field repair of the damaged ships before the end of their turn whist the Coalition cannot.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Monday, January 27, 2020 - 07:52 pm: Edit

They don't need to do field repair. Ships being crippled or not has no bearing on the victory conditions. A ship either exists or doesn't. Both sides can cripple their whole fleet if they want on the last turn, and it doesn't matter. It is a wash.

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Monday, January 27, 2020 - 09:10 pm: Edit

Because the Organians are coming !

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandar) on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 - 04:33 pm: Edit

Ok ending thing. Perhaps some kind of Diplomatic rule. Either side can at some point in the game start peace talks. Perhaps even with each faction.

Give points for things like ship count vs each. Capital taken are not. How much space is held and so forth. Then start rolling dice to reach a point were Peace starts are a cease fire.

Thus the Alliance could attack the Romulans hard. Then start peace talks with a decimated fleet and the Capital under threat. The Romulans take a peace deal leaving the Klingon Lyran out to dry.

Mind you not sure how things like that work just a idea

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 - 07:04 pm: Edit

AT34

We are just hammering out a few end of turn moves (Jason sent some moves, I did something reaction-wise that he didn't anticipate, so we had to rejigger some ships); once we hammer out the last few moves, Ii'll send in reserves and combat will commence.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Thursday, January 30, 2020 - 07:05 pm: Edit

AT34

Moves are done, reserves have gone in, and combat is about to start!

In Hydran space, there are 7 fights. 4 of them are Hydran mobs beating up province raiders; one is a Hydran fleet taking back planet 0519; one is an FX vs a CU that was in the way between a Klingon reserve and the fight in 0411; a massive potential fight at SB 0411, where the Hydrans have a lot more ships and fighters than the Lyrans, but two reserves full of X ships showed up to defend it, so it will be dicey.

In Kzinti space, 11 fights. At planet 0607 and BATS 0708, the Kzinti are fighting fixed defenses and a battle line. The Kzinti can certainly win both of those. 4 mobs vs province raiders; planets 1001, 1105, 1504, 1802 have big Kzinti fleets vs smaller Coalition fleets. Planet 1506 got a reserve, so is two big fleets, but the Coalition are advantaged.

On the Fed/Klingon front, 10 fights. 4 fights are mobs vs province raiders. BATS 1813 is the Feds likely killing an undefended BATS. Planets 1916 and 2216 both got reserves, and are significant Fed forces vs fixed defenses a reserve, and a defending fleet, but they are up in the air. 1910 is a big Fed fleet vs a less big Klingon fleet, and is advantage Fed. Planets 2812 and 2714 are both larger Fed fleets vs smaller Coalition forces, but 2812 is the B10 and a lot of X ships.

The Fed/Romulan front is 9 fights. 6 are mobs vs province raiders; planets 3415 and 3612 are defended but under attack by larger Fed forces; SB 3612 is exactly pinned, so unlikely to be an actual fight.

The Gorn front has 13 fights. 7 of them are mobs vs province raiders (including planet 3912 and planet 4309); planet 4112 has a Gorn fleet vs a pinned reserve and a couple PDUs; BATS 4310 and 4510 are likely going to explode; planet 4313 is going to be captured; BATS 4611 is under attack by a Fed expeditionary fleet but a reserve showed up to defend it so it a toss up; SB 4411 has fleets of equal sizes (about 50 ships each), but the Romulans probably keep the SB.

So a lot of battle hexes. The Alliance are going to reclaim a lot of VPs this turn.

Here is the map at the start of combat:

http://www.lightlink.com/pdb6/SCD2mapAT34combat.html

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Thursday, January 30, 2020 - 09:06 pm: Edit

I have to check whether I can afford to lose 40 ships over SB 0411.

Im not sure lines of DG(flag,form), 10xCU, PGS(scout) could even do a SIDS, so I actually need to be able to field 12 separate strong lines on the assumption that 1 XShip or CC will be X Mauled, 30 Fighters will be lost, and half of the other ships will be crippled or I have to self kill just to keep my bigger hulls available.

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 12:56 am: Edit

What's the chance you could score 62 damage and direct cripple the SB?

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 01:38 am: Edit

If he goes 4 and I go 4 I suppose there is a chance.

But an SBX needs more than that ?

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 02:25 am: Edit

Three things

1) Could the Gorn destroy 4411 with the G Attack special bonus in 2010 - just sit there and do a SID a turn with a 10/36 chance (IIRC) of getting an extra SID - with luck 6 rounds would see it crippled and a good line kept back to direct kill it when crippled?

2) Did the Hydran FSP live (i.e. 411....)

3) Other than a one off, putting up the weakest line possible for an extended battle never seems to work for me - basically its a free round for the enemy!

Good luck!!!!!