Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 20:58:47 -0500 From: CyHiggin@aol.com Subject: TCS:TNE Game Annoucement I am forwarding this for Steve Higginbotham. Interested parties please reply to: JSHiggin@aol.com ------------------------------------ This is a proposal for a TCS game, which I will referee given that enough interest is shown. My purpose is twofold: 1) to learn something about the formation of interstellar governments in a power vacuum, 2) to learn something about what works using FF&S technology. Hopefully, the players will have a chance to 1) learn something about what works using FF&S technology 2) have a good time pounding each other with advanced technological weaponry... The game will require four or more players, each running an "empire", plus any others that are interested in playing the parts of admirals/generals/governors subordinate to the main players. Note that this game is primarily strategic and operational, NOT tactical, despite what "TCS" may imply... SETUP: The Imperial Era ended about 700 years before the present, with the complete collapse of the human-dominated Third Imperium and surrounding interstellar states. You (the players) have just recovered Jump technology, placing you in the forefront of the return to space. You have no contact with anyone else at this point. You have no clue whether there IS anyone else left, in fact. Think of yourselves as like the RC, but not as stupid...:-) There will be two types of initial position to choose from: 1) You start with one planet, population between one and two billion, TL-10 with TL-11 J-drives. or 2) You start with one country on a balkanized world, population between 200 million and 300 million, TL-11 across the board. I am willing to listen to other setup ideas anyone is interested in playing, though handicaps will be put in place to prevent any player from having an overwhelmingly superior start position (assuming I can spot the advantage, anyway). Note that _absolute_maximum_starting_TL_ is 12. Don't even bother asking for higher... Those of you who choose to be on a balkanized world are the leading technological power on your world. Note that secondary powers on your world may begin space exploration/exploitation as soon as you lead the way by launching a ship (that is, they start building a ship on "turn 2"). A little free information for the players, that your personas in the game will not have: 1) there are three or more other players, which means three or more other interstellar states. 2) IMPORTANT: There are also two spacefaring "NPC" races - both unpleasant. One will do its best to conquer you if you contact them. The other will do its best to obliterate you. The first of the above will not have Jump until/unless they can take it away from one of you (or another spacefaring NPC). The second will have Jump, but will be restricted from leaving its "home space" till they discover your presence... 3) all other NPCs will have minimal spacefaring capability at the beginning of the game. They will begin working on Jump at the moment of contact by an interstellar power. TECHNICAL DETAILS: This game will use FF&S design rules for equipment, with modifications. Interested parties will be informed of the mods being used. Economic rules will be based closely on WTH, ditto the ground combat rules. Build rates will be straight out of TCS to start. Each player will be issued a listing of all stars within ten parsecs of your homeworld. Note that you will all be using a coordinate system based on your homeworld, so hex numbers will not give any clues about the "big map". The "big map" will be used by me to track players and NPCs. It will be a 30 parsec radius circle (well, hexagon, actually), which covers pretty close to two sectors worth of space. Note that the "big map" will be centered either in the Spinward Marches or the Solomani Rim, for those who like to amuse them- selves by finding out where they are, and what lies beyond the edge of the map... In addition, each player will be expected to either: 1) be a minor human race, or 2) generate his/her/its own homesystem. Note that in the latter case, there will be no insystem development allowed until the game begins. Note that in EITHER case, you will be allowed to choose your own government types and law levels. The referee (me) will then use your choices to harass you endlessly, no matter what they are...;-) "Victory conditions" will be up to each player. You tell me what "victory conditions" you wish to work toward. I will determine final "victory" based on the extent to which each of you achieved your "victory conditions", and the difficulty of achieving those conditions. This way, you will not be locked into achieving any specific conditions, whcih specific conditions may not fit with either your personality or your strategy... In any case, starting fleets will consist of one (1) ship of 400T or less per player. This will represent the first starship built by each player since the end of the Imperial Era. Note that cost of this ship is irrelevant, except for maintenance purposes. Starting armies will be based on Striker II guidelines, with any player starting on a balkanized world considered "warlike", and any other player considered "peaceful". Starting armies will be pretty generic, but you may tailor them to your tastes once the game begins... During the initial period of the game, each player will be operating asynchronously. That is, I will process each (one year) turn as fast as it is sent to me. As soon as you make contact with another player (or an NPC), you will become synchronous with that player/NPC and anyone HE/SHE/IT is in contact with. This will continue until all players are in contact. Any new players that are added will also operate asynchronously until he/she/it is in contact with someone. This includes players who are knocked out of the game and who wish to return to the game under a new guise. R&D will operate similarly to that in my previous game - you describe to me the desired result of the program, and throw money at it till I tell you that you have something. Note that ANYTHING described in FF&S can be researched in this game. Further note that everything that doesn't fit the "standard Trav" picture will be MUCH harder to achieve (things like Stutterwarp, for instance). The game will begin as soon as four people have chosen to become players. I already have one (she won't be Sir Reginald this time, though ;-) ). At that point, I will begin accepting turns just as fast as you can send them in.... ---Steve