Post by Gravedust on Oct 17, 2010 14:27:16 GMT -8
GENERAL INFORMATION
=========================================
STARTING OUT
Each player begins with a pool of $200,000 to begin with for purchasing a ship and a crew to man it. This ought to be enough for a light airship and a small crew to man it. Any unspent remainder will stay in your bank for future use.
=========================================
SHIPS
In order to stay in the game, a player must have at least one airworthy ship to send on missions. There are many ships to choose from with many different design philosophies, and performance levels.
More ships can be purchased in between missions if you have the money, though not all ships may be available in all areas. Ships can also be taken on the field of battle, if they are boarded and captured by your crew.
Most ships can fit into one or two of three broad categories: Air Superiority, Ground Assault, and Cargo Runner. While ships are not explicitly marked as one type or another, careful examination of their construction and attributes will usually reveal their ideal purpose.
Air superiority ships are designed with one primary task in mind; the destruction of enemy airships. They come in a wide range of styles, from fast, maneuverable fighters to slow, hugely armored behemoths. The mark of an air superiority ship is usually numerous or powerful cannons, backed by a sufficient supply of ammo and occasionally heavy armor.
Ground Assault ships are intended to deliver soldiers to critical points on the battlefield, and support them once they are there. Generally they have heavy armor to withstand ground fire and interceptor attacks, but a comparatively light armament as they are meant to engage soft ground targets at close range rather than distant ships with heavy armor. Generally they feature expanded crew quarters to accommodate the soldiers they carry within.
Cargo Runners may not have the most glamorous job on the battlefield, but it is just as important as any other. Their task is to recover valuable salvage or loot other targets of opportunity, generating a stream of extra revenue for the fleet, as well as recovering unique items. Cargo ships are generally built light and fast, to get in and out of troublesome areas quickly, or slower and more heavily armored to better withstand any fire that may be directed at them. Both kinds of ships will usually have multiple cargo bays and hatches so loading may be done quickly. Most cargo runners are armed, though usually only as a deterrent to any vessels that might come after them, or as a way to take care of soft ground targets.
A player may have any number of ships in their fold, however often times there may be restrictions on the number and type of ships sent on a mission. Even inactive ships cost money for maintenance and upkeep, and so having a huge fleet of ready ships may not always be the best move.
To learn more about airships and how to fly and fight in them, go here:
Ships and Flight
========================================
FLEET CUSTOMIZATION
Your ships should be named, and if you have any nose art you'd like to see on them, link it to me and it'll be included on the ship's diagram. (Yyou won't actually be able to see it on the hull, but I'll put it in the diagram somewhere. It may help you identify which diagrams are yours a little faster. But mostly it'll look cool. Please keep nose art SFW.)
Also, you should choose two colors (Main Color and Detail Color) for your ships and forces. These colors will be used on the battle map to more easily show whose ships are whose, so only one color scheme per Commander. The colors scheme [Main: Dark Green][Detail:Dark Yellow] is reserved for Amvere forces, and [Main:Light Blue][Detail:Medium Gray] is reserved for the Savelle forces. All other combinations are fair game.
If you feel like being precise you can give me CMYK or RGB values for your colors.
=========================================
=========================================
MONEY
After the initial $200,000 granted at the start of the game, you can earn more cash by completing missions successfully. Generally the greater your success, the better your pay cut. The rewards for a successful mission will usually be spelled out before the mission begins, though hidden or bonus objectives may be introduced while the mission is in progress. In addition, you can earn some extra cash by scavenging around the battlefield for dropped supplies or other valuables. Loading them onto your ships will net you some extra money at the end of the scenario. Often times this can match or even exceed the money paid for completing ovjectives. Most but not all ships will have cargo bays suitable for carrying battlefield goodies, however you have to either land and bring them onboard by disembarking some crew, which will leave your ship grounded and vulnerable, or hoist them one at a time from the air with a grapple.
Players are allowed to share, buy, sell, trade or otherwise pass around ships, crew and money as they like.
There are some costs associated with running missions, however. Aside from replacing lost ships and crew, If a ship is damaged, repairs cost money, as does keeping them fueled and maintained. Upkeep is paid for every ship you own between missions.
=========================================
=========================================
CREW
Your ships are manned by your Crew, which can be hired for a one-time fee between battles. Prices may seem high, but remember you're hiring them for their entire career. There are several different types of crewmembers, each with a different but occasionally overlapping areas of specialty. Crewmembers have different Ranks of expertise. (Rookie, Regular, Veteran, Elite) Higher Rank Crewmembers are harder to find and cost more to hire, Veterans are available only rarely and Elites very rarely, and usually in limited number.
If a lower-ranked crewmember survives a few battles they will learn from the experience and earn a higher Rank at no cost to you. Be aware that a poorly trained crewmember or one doing a job he or she is not really cut out for can accidentally cause malfunctions or other mishaps, so be careful who you ask to do what, and be wary of having a Rookie in a critical position, they may not always be up to the task.
To learn more about Crew Classes, Crew Skills and managing your crew in combat, go here:
Crew and Equipment
=========================================
=========================================
CREW CUSTOMIZATION
Newly hired crew can be given names (just say what you want to call them when you hire them) but if you choose not to name them names will be generated at random for them. I reserve the right to refuse any names I don't like or feel are too far away from the game's base. I'll say up front that any political or religious figures will not make it through screening.
If you wish you can also write small backstories or personalities for your crew. Since there are liable to be a lot of crewmembers and they won't always last very long you may only want to bother doing this for Captains or Elites.
==========================================
==========================================
MISSION BRIEFING / COMBAT STAGING
Before combat begins, there will be a briefing letting everyone know the general situation and the mission objectives, as well as any bonus objectives. A map of the battlefield may also be presented. Occasionally you will be limited by the scenario on the type and number of ships you can field.
With this information in mind, you should decide on what ships and crew you want to enter into the combat. List the ship you want to field, followed by all the crew that will be aboard it. If you want to give your crew starting positions, include starting compartments for them. Otherwise they will be placed automatically according to class.
Depending on the scenario, you may be allowed to specify a starting position and altitude for your ships on the map. Indicate where and how high you want your ships to start out initially.
==========================================
==========================================
COMBAT
As combat begins, the positions of all ships and other points of interest will be displayed on a map.
Ships are represented by outlines, with the name of the ship beneath it. Each ship will be color-coded to show whom it belongs to. It's altitude is represented by a number off to the right. The red dot represents where the ship's true location for the game's purposes, since the outlines are larger than scale for visibility. Cannon facing is represented by small triangles on the ship. Stationary cannons are solid-colored, and turrets have a gradient. Grapples are colored green. The map is divided into movement squares, and the varying altitudes of the ground is displayed as large transparent numbers. Movements and altitude changes made by ships in the last few turns will be displayed, as well as any shots that are made and what damage they did if they were hits.
All friendly ships involved in combat will have a diagram that shows it's condition and the disposition of it's crew, and a brief status report that details Steam Pressure, Engine Power, and Ammunition levels, as well as any fires or malfunctions, and their severity.
STEAM PRESSURE: 13,920/20k (+9000 Boiler)(+0 Stoke)(-1380 Flight) = [18,620/20k]
ENGINE POWER: 6000 (-1380 Flight) = [4620]
-
FUEL REMAINING: [25/27]
-
FORWARD TURRET [1800 steam] [AMMO [22/22]]
AFT TURRET [1800 steam] [AMMO [22/22]]
SIDEGUN AMMO [1400 steam] [AMMO [6/6]]
-
MALFUNCTIONS
[None]
-
CARGO
[0/12]
Once combat begins, the first step is for all players to issue orders to their ships and crew. The actual order that the ships will act is dependent on the Airship Tactics roll of each ship's Captain (or whomever happens to have the con) While you cannot control the exact order your ship will take action in, you can decide whether they want to try to go first or last in the round, since depending on the situation it's not always advantegeous to go first. (In some situations, high Air Tactics skill combined with some critical thinking on the part of a player can make it possible to fire on an enemy twice in a row before their target have a chance to fire back.) Note that if a ship makes a move that would cause it to collide with another, the ship will halt instead of ramming another vessel. (Ship collisions may result from failed piloting rolls, however.)
The actions of NPC ships are determined before the players submit their orders, so the enemy forces (controlled by the GM) can't 'cheat' by knowing what the players will do.
Once the combat has all been rolled for and calculated, a dramatized transcription of the goings-on will be provided, (you can examine all the rolls and the nuts and bolts of everything in a separate thread if you desire.) and the updated situation will be displayed via a new map and new ship diagrams and situation board. From there you give a new set of orders to your crew and the process repeats itself till either the victory or defeat conditions of the map are met.
It's important to remember that as the leaders, you can (and ought to) communicate with one another and form a cooperative strategy, in order to prevent blocking one another's movement, arrange focus fire targets, coordinate salvage efforts and in general see the mission through. Remember all rewards are shared equally, so it's in everyone's best interest to work together.
==========================================
==========================================
GROUND COMBAT
Some missions might have objectives that require your crews to secure, infiltrate, destory or otherwise mess with installations or other ground-based target areas. This is primarily the domain of Musketeers and Swashbucklers, and sometimes this action is handled remotely; all you have to do is drop off the troops in sufficiant numbers to do the job. In other cases you may be requires to direct your grounded Crew in securing their objective.
To learn more about ground combat , see here:
Ground Combat
==========================================
==========================================
POST-COMBAT
When combat finishes there will be a mission debriefing, covering the major events and repercussions of the battle. There will be a tally of the money earned from mission rewards, special objective bonuses and battlefield salvage.
The cost to repair the damage done to your ships will be presented as well. You can choose to repair everything, certain compartments or bulkheads, or just leave everything as it is. Any damage left unrepaired will carry over to the next time the ship is fielded.
If any crewmembers gain ranks from experience, their promotions will be mentioned here as well.
=========================================
STARTING OUT
Each player begins with a pool of $200,000 to begin with for purchasing a ship and a crew to man it. This ought to be enough for a light airship and a small crew to man it. Any unspent remainder will stay in your bank for future use.
=========================================
SHIPS
In order to stay in the game, a player must have at least one airworthy ship to send on missions. There are many ships to choose from with many different design philosophies, and performance levels.
More ships can be purchased in between missions if you have the money, though not all ships may be available in all areas. Ships can also be taken on the field of battle, if they are boarded and captured by your crew.
Most ships can fit into one or two of three broad categories: Air Superiority, Ground Assault, and Cargo Runner. While ships are not explicitly marked as one type or another, careful examination of their construction and attributes will usually reveal their ideal purpose.
Air superiority ships are designed with one primary task in mind; the destruction of enemy airships. They come in a wide range of styles, from fast, maneuverable fighters to slow, hugely armored behemoths. The mark of an air superiority ship is usually numerous or powerful cannons, backed by a sufficient supply of ammo and occasionally heavy armor.
Ground Assault ships are intended to deliver soldiers to critical points on the battlefield, and support them once they are there. Generally they have heavy armor to withstand ground fire and interceptor attacks, but a comparatively light armament as they are meant to engage soft ground targets at close range rather than distant ships with heavy armor. Generally they feature expanded crew quarters to accommodate the soldiers they carry within.
Cargo Runners may not have the most glamorous job on the battlefield, but it is just as important as any other. Their task is to recover valuable salvage or loot other targets of opportunity, generating a stream of extra revenue for the fleet, as well as recovering unique items. Cargo ships are generally built light and fast, to get in and out of troublesome areas quickly, or slower and more heavily armored to better withstand any fire that may be directed at them. Both kinds of ships will usually have multiple cargo bays and hatches so loading may be done quickly. Most cargo runners are armed, though usually only as a deterrent to any vessels that might come after them, or as a way to take care of soft ground targets.
A player may have any number of ships in their fold, however often times there may be restrictions on the number and type of ships sent on a mission. Even inactive ships cost money for maintenance and upkeep, and so having a huge fleet of ready ships may not always be the best move.
To learn more about airships and how to fly and fight in them, go here:
Ships and Flight
========================================
FLEET CUSTOMIZATION
Your ships should be named, and if you have any nose art you'd like to see on them, link it to me and it'll be included on the ship's diagram. (Yyou won't actually be able to see it on the hull, but I'll put it in the diagram somewhere. It may help you identify which diagrams are yours a little faster. But mostly it'll look cool. Please keep nose art SFW.)
Also, you should choose two colors (Main Color and Detail Color) for your ships and forces. These colors will be used on the battle map to more easily show whose ships are whose, so only one color scheme per Commander. The colors scheme [Main: Dark Green][Detail:Dark Yellow] is reserved for Amvere forces, and [Main:Light Blue][Detail:Medium Gray] is reserved for the Savelle forces. All other combinations are fair game.
If you feel like being precise you can give me CMYK or RGB values for your colors.
=========================================
=========================================
MONEY
After the initial $200,000 granted at the start of the game, you can earn more cash by completing missions successfully. Generally the greater your success, the better your pay cut. The rewards for a successful mission will usually be spelled out before the mission begins, though hidden or bonus objectives may be introduced while the mission is in progress. In addition, you can earn some extra cash by scavenging around the battlefield for dropped supplies or other valuables. Loading them onto your ships will net you some extra money at the end of the scenario. Often times this can match or even exceed the money paid for completing ovjectives. Most but not all ships will have cargo bays suitable for carrying battlefield goodies, however you have to either land and bring them onboard by disembarking some crew, which will leave your ship grounded and vulnerable, or hoist them one at a time from the air with a grapple.
Players are allowed to share, buy, sell, trade or otherwise pass around ships, crew and money as they like.
There are some costs associated with running missions, however. Aside from replacing lost ships and crew, If a ship is damaged, repairs cost money, as does keeping them fueled and maintained. Upkeep is paid for every ship you own between missions.
=========================================
=========================================
CREW
Your ships are manned by your Crew, which can be hired for a one-time fee between battles. Prices may seem high, but remember you're hiring them for their entire career. There are several different types of crewmembers, each with a different but occasionally overlapping areas of specialty. Crewmembers have different Ranks of expertise. (Rookie, Regular, Veteran, Elite) Higher Rank Crewmembers are harder to find and cost more to hire, Veterans are available only rarely and Elites very rarely, and usually in limited number.
If a lower-ranked crewmember survives a few battles they will learn from the experience and earn a higher Rank at no cost to you. Be aware that a poorly trained crewmember or one doing a job he or she is not really cut out for can accidentally cause malfunctions or other mishaps, so be careful who you ask to do what, and be wary of having a Rookie in a critical position, they may not always be up to the task.
To learn more about Crew Classes, Crew Skills and managing your crew in combat, go here:
Crew and Equipment
=========================================
=========================================
CREW CUSTOMIZATION
Newly hired crew can be given names (just say what you want to call them when you hire them) but if you choose not to name them names will be generated at random for them. I reserve the right to refuse any names I don't like or feel are too far away from the game's base. I'll say up front that any political or religious figures will not make it through screening.
If you wish you can also write small backstories or personalities for your crew. Since there are liable to be a lot of crewmembers and they won't always last very long you may only want to bother doing this for Captains or Elites.
==========================================
==========================================
MISSION BRIEFING / COMBAT STAGING
Before combat begins, there will be a briefing letting everyone know the general situation and the mission objectives, as well as any bonus objectives. A map of the battlefield may also be presented. Occasionally you will be limited by the scenario on the type and number of ships you can field.
With this information in mind, you should decide on what ships and crew you want to enter into the combat. List the ship you want to field, followed by all the crew that will be aboard it. If you want to give your crew starting positions, include starting compartments for them. Otherwise they will be placed automatically according to class.
Depending on the scenario, you may be allowed to specify a starting position and altitude for your ships on the map. Indicate where and how high you want your ships to start out initially.
==========================================
==========================================
COMBAT
As combat begins, the positions of all ships and other points of interest will be displayed on a map.
Ships are represented by outlines, with the name of the ship beneath it. Each ship will be color-coded to show whom it belongs to. It's altitude is represented by a number off to the right. The red dot represents where the ship's true location for the game's purposes, since the outlines are larger than scale for visibility. Cannon facing is represented by small triangles on the ship. Stationary cannons are solid-colored, and turrets have a gradient. Grapples are colored green. The map is divided into movement squares, and the varying altitudes of the ground is displayed as large transparent numbers. Movements and altitude changes made by ships in the last few turns will be displayed, as well as any shots that are made and what damage they did if they were hits.
All friendly ships involved in combat will have a diagram that shows it's condition and the disposition of it's crew, and a brief status report that details Steam Pressure, Engine Power, and Ammunition levels, as well as any fires or malfunctions, and their severity.
STEAM PRESSURE: 13,920/20k (+9000 Boiler)(+0 Stoke)(-1380 Flight) = [18,620/20k]
ENGINE POWER: 6000 (-1380 Flight) = [4620]
-
FUEL REMAINING: [25/27]
-
FORWARD TURRET [1800 steam] [AMMO [22/22]]
AFT TURRET [1800 steam] [AMMO [22/22]]
SIDEGUN AMMO [1400 steam] [AMMO [6/6]]
-
MALFUNCTIONS
[None]
-
CARGO
[0/12]
Once combat begins, the first step is for all players to issue orders to their ships and crew. The actual order that the ships will act is dependent on the Airship Tactics roll of each ship's Captain (or whomever happens to have the con) While you cannot control the exact order your ship will take action in, you can decide whether they want to try to go first or last in the round, since depending on the situation it's not always advantegeous to go first. (In some situations, high Air Tactics skill combined with some critical thinking on the part of a player can make it possible to fire on an enemy twice in a row before their target have a chance to fire back.) Note that if a ship makes a move that would cause it to collide with another, the ship will halt instead of ramming another vessel. (Ship collisions may result from failed piloting rolls, however.)
The actions of NPC ships are determined before the players submit their orders, so the enemy forces (controlled by the GM) can't 'cheat' by knowing what the players will do.
Once the combat has all been rolled for and calculated, a dramatized transcription of the goings-on will be provided, (you can examine all the rolls and the nuts and bolts of everything in a separate thread if you desire.) and the updated situation will be displayed via a new map and new ship diagrams and situation board. From there you give a new set of orders to your crew and the process repeats itself till either the victory or defeat conditions of the map are met.
It's important to remember that as the leaders, you can (and ought to) communicate with one another and form a cooperative strategy, in order to prevent blocking one another's movement, arrange focus fire targets, coordinate salvage efforts and in general see the mission through. Remember all rewards are shared equally, so it's in everyone's best interest to work together.
==========================================
==========================================
GROUND COMBAT
Some missions might have objectives that require your crews to secure, infiltrate, destory or otherwise mess with installations or other ground-based target areas. This is primarily the domain of Musketeers and Swashbucklers, and sometimes this action is handled remotely; all you have to do is drop off the troops in sufficiant numbers to do the job. In other cases you may be requires to direct your grounded Crew in securing their objective.
To learn more about ground combat , see here:
Ground Combat
==========================================
==========================================
POST-COMBAT
When combat finishes there will be a mission debriefing, covering the major events and repercussions of the battle. There will be a tally of the money earned from mission rewards, special objective bonuses and battlefield salvage.
The cost to repair the damage done to your ships will be presented as well. You can choose to repair everything, certain compartments or bulkheads, or just leave everything as it is. Any damage left unrepaired will carry over to the next time the ship is fielded.
If any crewmembers gain ranks from experience, their promotions will be mentioned here as well.