Federation Commander

[larator]

Hello, here in Sacramento my group ( the warcollege) has succesfully innovated a strategic level campaign with FC. each player controls a host nation, with the gamemaster providing control for the remainig 'npc' nations.

each race has between 20-30 ships depending on thier initital purchases, we use a pyramid appraoch to building fleets that only allows 10% of any nations fleet to be capitol ships, 30% to be cruisers and the remaining 60% are made of up ships that cost 130 or less.

we use a small laminated galaxy map, and each hex on the map is a system that is rated a certain level, each hex results in a tiered batle much like that found in SFB's the admirals game.

there are patrol ships and raiders, orion pirates and monsters.

most intriguing in the game si that each ship is unigue, while being the standard ship on the ship card, each ship also has the possibility of unique enhancments based uppon rolling up of 5 characteristis that every ship has.
1. hull
2. weapons
3. energy
4. command
5, general

these are similiar to many RPG character stats.

then each ship is tracked for victory points (experience) and as time goes on and more VP's are accrued you can spend these points to raise the level of 1 of 6 officers on eah ship.

1. captain
2. the XO
3. weapons officer
4. navigator
5. marine commander
6. engineer

each level of officer 1-4 possible allows the controlling player to choose form a listy of level abnilities to apply to the officer.

example a level 2 XO ability that is available is called

Absolute repsonsibility, if you have a ship with a lvl 2 XO that has choosen this you gain an +1 on all defending marine rolls, when boarded.

another example is racial specific abilities

Klingon marine commanders can shoose "paladin of the empire" a level 4 skill.


we use a very simple a flexible command system for controlling the amount of ships allowed in each fleet and squadron, we also have created a strategic movement system that makes it possbile to not have to keep the game 'set up' for weeks and months with counters and ships locations marked. this we did away with and found an easier and fluid movement system.

any one else out there with a campaing?

I would love to hear about it, an maybe swap ideas.

my rules so far are.

1. game set up
2. command and control
3. turn sequence.
4. movement
5. combat
6. research
7. trade
8. romulan cloaking (strategic)
9. raids/patrols
10. orion pirate use and hiring
11. ship characteristics (with ship character sheet)
12. legendary officer and level skills by officer class.

[Savedfromwhat]

WOOT!! Some NorCal Gamers. I am moving to Redding and still haven't gotten a game going sorry to threadjack a bit, but when do you guys play and how many of you are there?

[larator]

well, we meet once a week on Sunday's to play in Sacramento, there are 5 of us so far.

[Steve Cole]

Email me a paragraph or two about your campaign and I will have Matt put it into the newsletter.
_________________
The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

[larator]

hello Steve, I would love to, what is the email you want me to email it to.

Regards,

Pete

[larator]

ok, I emailed it to the designs@starfleetbattles.com

thanks!

pete

[Scoutdad]

Larator: that should have been design at starfleetgames dot com, not "designs"
_________________
Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF

[larator]

thanks scoutdad, I went back to my email and researched where I sent it,

and in fact i did send it to:

design@starfleetgames.com

regards.

[larator]

At this point in the campaign the Klingons have launched a major offensive against the Kzinti. an interensting development occured in the initial attack, let me sumarize.

most players in thier initial set up of thier border fleets assigned enough ships to either defend or to attack the single largest system hex on that repsective border. example: on the klingon/kzint border the largest kzinti system is a level 5 system or a medium system, which allows for a front line of 4 sectors with 2 base stations, a 2nd line of 3 sectors with a batlestation, a third line of 2 secots which has no stations,a dn a 4th line of 1 sector with a medium world and a starbase, this system is worht 20 economic points. but in the campaign for an empire to attack a system hex the attacking empire has to have at least enough ships to deploy at least one ship per sector in the front line of the system. (in this case 4) so with that in mind the Kzinti Patriarch placed his klingon border fleet as such:

1 DN, 1 CC, 1 CM, 2 CL, 1 DW, 2 FF
the olympia was the flasgship under the command of Admiral Lazz, a 1st level flag officer.

the klingon/kzinti border is occupied by 3 system hexes, a level 3 hex (by the Lyrans and wyn) and 2 level 5 systems the stretch tot he Federation border.

the Kzinti player feels at this point that he can defend any one hex amply. thisis true, jowever the klingon player succesfully atacked all three system hexes at once. the knlingon invasion fleet was as folllows:

1B-10, 1-C-8, 5 D-5W, 12 F-5. (roughly 70% of the total klingon fleet)

ths klingons successfully attacke all three borde hexes, and the kzini player was forced to consolidate his border fleet in a battle in one hax to try to slow the kligon invasion, until more Kzinit ships could be brought to battle.

the Kzinti player had not anticipated such an aggresive move.

here is what the first turn of the attack looked like.

the klingons his the the 2 level 5 systems with 5 F-5's each. allowing for each og the 4 front sectors of the system to have an attcking ship with one left over.

the smaller system hex the level 3 system which only has 2 front sectors with no bases then a final sector with a Basestation and a colony world, was where the Klingon player moved the bul of his fleet. this forced the Kzinti to do the following:

either defend the more valuable level 5 systems and lose the smaller system or allow the klongs to have the first line of secotrs in the level 5 systems, and moe reinforcements in later to re-take the terroty and move the bulk of the border fleet to face the klingons in the smaller level 3 system.

this is what the Kzinti did, the klingons broke thier attack fleet in the smaller system into two groups.

group 1 B-10, 2 D-5W, 1 F-5
group 2 1 C-8, 3 D-5W, 1 F-5

one fleet in each of the two front secots of the system. the kzint repsonded as such:

group 1 1DN, 1 CC, 1 CM,2 CL, 1 DW, 1 FF
group 2 1 FF

group 2 withdrew and the klingons won the first secotr, the kzint was ok with that hopin ginstead to try to take out eh B-10 and the other fleet with almost all the border fleet.

we then went to fleet scale and fought this battle.

results
Klingons lost zeros ships and minor damage the Kzinti lost the CL spectre, the CL Wraith, and the FF stilleto. and the sector. ths KLlingos receivd over 40 VP's divied amongst the ships and I beleive the klingon player promoted several officers to level 2 on a few of the ships in the battle fleet.

now on the next turn the kzint and klingons will fight for the back sector with the BS and the colony world plus resolve what will happen in the large level 5 systems.

the other empire watched this first turn with a mix of horror, and I know that the romulan preator was quickly re-deplying his ships from patrol and raider duty to reinforce his border fleets in the face of an aggresive Gorn player, after seeing that the klingons did.

Regards,

[Pinkfluffychicken]

larator: Well done! Sounds like good stuff.

I'm running a campaign here in Kingston-upon-Thames, though we're a bit stalled on t6 owing to the Rugby World Cup. Still plenty of glitches to be sorted in the rules but the basic principles seem to be working.

Main differences with yours:

Players control and develop their economies.

Bigger emptier space needs exploring ( We're Brits. Of COURSE we're going to colonise )

No npcs, monsters etc. Orions are a GM whip to keep players in line(!)

No experience

No limits on fleet size.

Would be very interested to see a copy of your rules if you care to email them to me.

Happy to send to a copy of our rules if you like.

Best of luck with your campaign
_________________
Famous last words #11: "That's a very big fleet!"

[Savedfromwhat]

IF it wouldn't be to much trouble I would like to see both of your campaign rules. I have never been involved in one and would like to see how it works. sandberg.007@gmail.com is my address. Thanks.

[larator]

you bet! I will be gone for a week, then I will send it to you

[DArc_Tangent]

Greetings all:
I am the Klingon player in this campaign.

The Romulan player was horrified because I am also controlling the Gorns ...but I DO know how to role-play, so it's quite possible the Klingons and Gorns could end up fighting .
_________________
Admiral Kr'toth's face turned purple with fury, his hand going to the d'k tahg at his side, “You dare insult my honor?!?”

[Sedistik]

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[larator]

Ok I will be sending this out to both you and pinkfluffychickern this week, I have just returned from meetings.

thanks!