ISC War

[Nerroth]

Hi.


It's been a long time coming - and will still have to wait until at least the release of F&E2010 to get its shot - but eventually, the Inter-Stellar Concordium will make the jump from playtest material to full-fledged addition to the Federation and Empire system.


For those looking forward to the module, will the Pacification campaign be what will most draw you to the Concordium?

Alternatively, are there other scenarios - such as one which looks at the era of consolidation between Y168-Y172 - which you are looking forward to more?

Indeed, do you instead consider it a useful stepping-stone to later modules, not least in terms of setting the game board up for the later Andromedan Invasion?

Or, on the other hand, are there non-historical options you'd rather get stuck into, which may or may not involve the ISC?

(I have a few hopes in that regard.)

Of course, you may not be too excited about the ISC module at all, in which case none of the above would apply...

[Scoutdad]

It'll be nice to be able to finally use the extreme eastern portion of my LSM as something other than a place to stack counter trays... buy...

F&E is still my game of choice and I will be among the first to purchase ISC War (Oh BOy! More counters!), and I'm willing to give it the benefit of hte doubt and play some of the ISC scenarios included.

What I would most like to see though probably won't be possible.

I'd like to be able to do the GW then continue stright on into the Pacification Campaign. I don't see that as likely however. With the sheer volume of ships produced during the typical Grand Campaign (since we don't play it the way SVC and Co. playtested it), I dont think the ISC could pacify the entire octant in teh time frame specifiec. Even with every other economy in ruins and the ISC fresh from the gate.

You're talking about their fleet against the fleets of 7 other empires. In the true life, ficitional, future history - it was possible. Mainly because everyone was tired of fighting and were willing (for the most part) to allow the ISC to facilitate the end of the hostilities. In out game universe, everyone is going to want to continue to fight against the ISC... otherwise, why bother to go to the trouble of setting up the ISC? Just say, you're right... you've got the fresher economy... we're tired of playing this game... you can have the sandbox... we're taking our toys and going home. Please keep everyone else in their own yards for us.

My two Quatloos worth, YMMV

[Nerroth]

In terms of playing the General War, would the kind of rules being added to the 2010 edition (required kills and whatnot) not work towards cutting down on the number of ships the Alliance and Coalition will have left over?


Actually, the main thing I'd be more likely to look forward to, when it comes to the Pacification campaign, is how it can then be expanded upon in future modules. For example, when the Echelon of Judgement was sent against the Seltorian Hive Ship Burning Torch of Vengeance (presumably an option for Civil Wars) and the onset of the full-scale Andromedan onslaught against the Alpha Octant (in Andro War) leaves the ISC player to try and build the likes of NDDs and NAXs in those isolated cantons (and to run CBRs to and from them for critical supplies).


Although, I'm mostly looking forward to the chance to see if I can't use the ISC War data to take another shot at the would-be alternate scenario Void Storm...

[Scoutdad]

Gary, I gotta give you credit..you are the fanatical'ist of all the fanatics I've ever known.
You have your area of interest, you know what you want , and you strive to get it published.
It's too bad you don't live in Amarillo. I think that if you worked or ADB, you alone could triple the amount of material they publish ewach year just by concentrating on what you want.

In terms of playing the General War, would the kind of rules being added to the 2010 edition (required kills and whatnot) not work towards cutting down on the number of ships the Alliance and Coalition will have left over?

Possibly... but after having seen the fleets built by some players - the ISC will be looking at 7 fleets of 2 or 3 thousand ships each by the end of the GW.
The proposed rules with cut that number down, and some groups (ours included) already play a blody game - so those guys will be more in balance - but overall, the ISC will certianly have an uphill battle against any group that wants to resist pacification.

[terryoc]

IIRC this was touched on by SVC at the F&E seminar last year, that when the GW is over then fleets will shrink DRAMATICALLY as forces are demobilised. So you'd have enough to dispute the ISC's attempts to widen the corridor further than you'd like, but not enough to overwhelm them.

And then the Andromedan Invasion starts in earnest...

[Steve Cole]

Yeah, we just need a demobilization rule and you can play right on through, then buy Andro War.

[Nerroth]

Gary, I gotta give you credit..you are the fanatical'ist of all the fanatics I've ever known.
You have your area of interest, you know what you want , and you strive to get it published.
It's too bad you don't live in Amarillo. I think that if you worked or ADB, you alone could triple the amount of material they publish ewach year just by concentrating on what you want.

Considering how much trouble I already have in writing things that anyone wants to read as it is, I very much doubt that to be the case...



Anyway, when it comes to the ISC, even if the release of the module may not happen for a while, is it still possible that the Concordium may be playtested (Pacification or no) at this year's Origins?

[Scoutdad]

Typically, 4 Fed and Empire games are played. So far, Three have been announced and are collecting players:
1) The Fifth Power - redeux: The five players from last year are returning to the scene of the crime, but swappig sides to see if the scenarios author can win as the Coalition too.
2) General War - cont'd: Once again, the octant erupts in flames as the 5 intrepid warriors from last years glorious confrontation piuck up where they left things: The iminent invasion of the Federation.
3) Early Beginnings: F.E.A.R. and Co. will once again attempt to gain control of the oddly shaped Hex galaxy.
4) ??? This one hasn't been announced yet - Could be ISC playtesting, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

[Nerroth]

If the General War scenario is still building up to Day One, I'm guessing the Gorn and Romulan players (if you have any) might have nothing to do for a few turns yet.


So, could one option be for those players to join a third ISC player, and have a go at the Historical scenario?


(It would be small enough to not take a lot of hassle to play, would wrap up before turn 10, and allow for playtesting of a scenario that will hopefully make it into ISC War itself when the time comes...)

[Scoutdad]

The Gorn and Romulan players help fight the numerous Fed/Klingon and Hydran/Lyran battles, or there would never be any advancement in game terms.

Last year, during the Assault on Kzintai - we were stealing inactive players from other games to help fight the battle rounds.
We'd set-up battleforces at each planetary system for each battle round, then have as many as a dozen players helping to fight them out to speedthe process. We actually managed to compete the entire assault in just under an hour that way.

[Nerroth]

So, I guess that's a no, then...