Gemini Ascendant Campaign

[solron915]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

Ha Ha Atleast you have something to save ..............Maybe!

[Nolgroth]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

Well this thursday night game is going to be shorten. I have to go pick-up my ex-daughther inlaw at the airport 9:00 pm MST. I plan on playing until 8:30. Then haul butt to the airport and pick them up and take em home. But the best part is I get to bring my wife home.

Cool. Sorry I didn't respond earlier. Figuring things out, like how to get the monkey off-stage for the duration. We'll have to see how things work out, but I have some ideas.

[solron915]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

No problem I will be playing until 8:30 pm my time (MST). Then I'll go do something quite innocent for a psychotic monkey . So don't rack your brain on a way to remove me from the game too soon, Ok. See ya tonite.

[Starwolf]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

Cool. Sorry I didn't respond earlier. Figuring things out' date=' like how to get the monkey off-stage for the duration. We'll have to see how things work out, but I have some ideas. [/quote']

 

I got some ideas too

 

** double checks to make sure everything is set for stun **

 

[Nolgroth]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

Okay, I've nearly got the write-up for Gemini II completed. I noted some things with the original write-up that were bad, but not necessarily a big deal. The most obvious problem was the Hyperdrive which, as written, would have taken over a year per light year traveled. Like I said, not a big problem as the standard is 1 LY per day no matter what. As it stands, I've replaced the current style with an EDM/Teleport combo.

 

Other than that, I've added a new feature to the laser turret and that is point defense. It is only for attacks that come from the rear, but better than nothing.

 

I've enacted the Force Wall versus Force Field comparison and the Force Wall does more what I want it to do.

 

I still have yet to do the Sensory equipment, Computer, and probably a few miscellaneous odds and ends. Not sure if I like the VPP for sensors, but I can see a whole lot of ease of use reasons to have it that way. Not to mention the "Captain, I've installed the new Delthian sub-atomic scanner" bit for newer technologies.

 

Well, to bed with me. As it is I'm going to grumble a lot when I get up in the morning. I'll probably post the final product this weekend sometime. Hopefully tonight after I get home from work.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

Don't forget the configurable transponder we have. I'd assume it's a Shape Shift: HRRP, Ship Designation Only build?

[Starwolf]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

And don't forget the Ionic pulse transfigurator or the ultimate nullifer

[Starwolf]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

BTW I talked to Solron today and briefed him on the 5 XP and what transpired after he left. I think I forgot to tell him the new name for the new ship...

 

It's...

[Nolgroth]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

Don't forget the configurable transponder we have. I'd assume it's a Shape Shift: HRRP' date=' Ship Designation Only build?[/quote']'Bout what I was thinking.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

Okay, here she is.

 

Some design philosophy notes.

1. I wrote up her front laser as a more powerful version of the one incorporated from the original Gemini. I figure she was designed for MilSpec uses and treated her accordingly.
   
2. I like Force Wall better then Force Field. I wrote up the Force Field as four individual shields in a Multipower. If all are dialed to equal strength, the Force Field (Wall) adds 7 DEF. That fills up the points in the Multipower. If one shield needs extra strength, it can be dialed up. A fortunate side effect of this arrangement is that, due to the way Force Wall is bought, it leaves an uneven number. That means when a particular shield is dialed up to maximum, the other shields can still have power going to them.
   
3. I am judging the power supply, not in raw numbers comparison, but for how much it allows the ship to do. In this case, the Power Supply will power all systems and allow for 5 - 8 shots from the laser(s). Conversely, I took away END costs for things like Life Support. When talking power requirements, an air filtration system just isn't going to compare to deflector shields and lasers.
   
4. Speaking of Life Support, I basically am running that as Fuel Charges. Read the file for more information
   
5. I changed the Hyperdrive mechanic. Instead of a straight teleport, I combined a teleport with EDM. That way, the ship can remain in Hyperspace after it travels for a day, allowing for really long voyages.
   
6. There are no real medical facilities on this ship. It has a medicine cabinet and probably a stretcher somewhere. Don't get hit.

I have to write up the computer still.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

While I was on the way to work today, I had some additional thoughts on the "Force Fields" (hereby redesignated as Defense Screens). The first thought is that a full minute without any shielding might not be a good thing. So I think that I want to change the Extra-Time limit to Gradual Effect. It still takes a full minute to charge back to full, but each post 12 Recovery sees the recovery of one-fifth of the total Defense Screen value.

 

The other thought; I have a love/hate relationship with the Mulitpower. On one hand its functional and allows for a varying shield strength by location as is. On the other hand, the math is cumbersome (not hard) to do on the fly to adjust levels. As an alternate, I was thinking of having all of the Screens be at the same level of DEF, with a Succor Aid that boosts one of them by a Standard Effect amount. In some ways that would be a cleaner build.

 

Once you have a gander at the write-up, post your thoughts.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

So, EDM enters Hyperspace and then the Teleport moves through Hyperspace at the rate of 1"/Day (megascaled). Neat.

 

There's a huge difference between Alpha and Beta class Hyperdrives in the TE setting (p159). yeek.

 

How much cargo space this thing have? Any?

 

Here's some pre-generated math on basic Shield configurations for us to use so we don't try and do this in game. (this assumes that the Inches Of Force Wall can't be reduced)

 

Standard Coverage - 25% All, 7DEF on each side.

100% Coverage One Side - 100% (28DEF) 1 side; 7% (2DEF) 2 sides; 0% (0DEF) 1 side

75% Cover One Side - 75% (21DEF) 1 side; 7% (2DEF) 3 sides

50% Coverage One Side - 50% (14DEF) 1 side; 14% (4DEF) 3 sides

64% Coverage Two Sides - 64% (18DEF) 2 sides; 0% (0DEF) 2 sides [note: by the points you can sneak in 68% (19DEF) on one side and 64% on the other]

50% Coverage Two Sides - 50% (14DEF) 2 sides; 14% (4DEF) 1 side; 0% (0DEF) 1 side

 

If we really want, I can work it to get every last little point out of the MP in each configuration but that ruins some of the flavor of the game. We can come up with cool names for each one like; "I need Maximum Forward/Starboard Screens" could mean to use the "64% Two Sides" version)

[Nolgroth]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

So' date=' EDM enters Hyperspace and then the Teleport moves through Hyperspace at the rate of 1"/Day (megascaled). Neat.[/quote']Seemed more in line with how we've been running it. I tried for megascale flight, only in hperspace, but gave up when the point costs exceeded the GNP of some nations.

 

There's a huge difference between Alpha and Beta class Hyperdrives in the TE setting (p159). yeek.

Too much of one.

 

How much cargo space this thing have? Any?

Storage space? Hah! There are some cabinets one one of the decks. Might be able to stow something on the engineering deck. Like a trunk or suitcase.

 

Here's some pre-generated math on basic Shield configurations for us to use so we don't try and do this in game. (this assumes that the Inches Of Force Wall can't be reduced)

The sheer amount of difference bothers me. each individual force wall is just over the length of the ship. Together they form a bubble around the ship. The distance the bubble protects around the ship is probably a bit high. I'm just not math savvy enough to figure out what an oblong bubble that hugs the ship would have in inches.

[solron915]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

Hey what did you guys use to open Gemini2.hdc

[Nolgroth]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

Hey what did you guys use to open Gemini2.hdc

Hero Designer V3

[solron915]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

Ok never thought of that. Thank you

[ghost-angel]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

The sheer amount of difference bothers me. each individual force wall is just over the length of the ship. Together they form a bubble around the ship. The distance the bubble protects around the ship is probably a bit high. I'm just not math savvy enough to figure out what an oblong bubble that hugs the ship would have in inches.

 

Well, we know it's longer than wide. given the dimensions we can create Port/Starboard shields and Forward/Aft shields with different dimensions.

 

Or, 1 shield 26" long automatically forms a bubble around the ship, but we can't subdivide the defenses unless we simply make a Campaign Ruling that you can adjust quadrants without needing sperate powers:

 

Defensive Screens: Force Wall (28 PD/28 ED; 26" long and 1" tall) (190 Active Points); Extra Time to Re-Activate if Shields are Collapsed (1 Minute, -1 1/2), OIF Bulky (Focus Shield Generators; -1), Restricted Shape (adjustable bubble; -1/4) [51 Real Points]

 

As a simple house rule any of the 6 quadrants can be adjusted seprately, if you wanted we could even come up with some simple rules that all shiels on equally gives only 75% (or whatever number) of the total DEF Capability, Adjust any one quadrant 5% takes 5% from another (to go 100% Forward we have to take 25% from other areas, such as 5% from each side or however we want to work it).

 

5% of 28DEF is 1.5ish (1.4 technically). So, say, minimum setting to a quadrant is 10% (or 3DEF with happy rounding; 2DEF without).

 

This keeps the Power Build simple; but the end result is we can play it however we actually want to. Another trick is if some flavor of Ablative is used we can get into neat effects like full shields are only usable at 60% instead of the normal 75% giving us less over all DEF to move around to protect us from any given side.

 

A Sys Ops Roll (or 1/2 Phase Action) by someone can be used to adjust the shields per Phase. Letting multiple people participate in ship to ship combat - 1 pilot, 1 gunner, 1 systems operator, etc... - even if we're only one ship ourselves.

 

Hey what did you guys use to open Gemini2.hdc

 

Hero Designer. I'm working on a vehicle export template node for ORPG.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

A house rule is looking more and more like the "fun" way to do it. I wanted to avoid that so we could start posting the stuff we build for general consumption though.

 

If you haven't read the message from above, I want to replace Extra-Time with Gradual Effect. Same time frame. That means the ship will be "charging shields" or whatever over time and have access to a lesser shield as it builds. Example: The aft shield goes down. It takes one minute to completely reform at it's value of 25. Since there are 5 turns in a minute, each turn adds 5 to the shield so at the Post 12 of Turn 1 there is 5 DEF. Turn two 10 DEF etc.

 

Six quadrants? I assume fore, aft, port, starboard, ventral and dorsal? Hmmmn. In an attempt to stay within the rules, we could build the whole thing as a rectangle with the dorsal and ventral being the largest ones, the port and starboard smaller than that and the fore and aft comparatively tiny. We can give them an average rating, with a Succor Aid or something to boost them one or two at a time. Let me play the numbers and see how that works out. If it doesn't, we House Rule it.

 

I do like the idea of the SysOps roll to change shield strength.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

Okay, I looked at the whole thing and I want to throw this out there before we make a decision.

 

Defense Screens

1. Defense Screens: Force Wall (12 PD/12 ED; 13" long and 1" tall) (84 Active Points); OIF Bulky (-1), Gradual Effect (1 Minute; -1/2), Restricted Shape one-fourth of a bubble around the ship (-1/4)
   
2. 3 More Defense Screens. All of the screens form together to form a bubble around the ship.
   
3. Defense Screen Booster: Succor Defense Screens 20d6 (standard effect: 60 points), any Defense Screen one at a time (+1/4) (125 Active Points); OIF Bulky (-1)

Number 3 allows for one Shield to be boosted by 7 DEF at the cost of an additonal 12 END per phase. Regular shield usage is 32 per phase. Total cost of running shields with booster is 44x4=176 END per Turn. Without is 128 END per Turn.

 

Incidentally, without firing a shot, the total END output per turn is 180 without Shield Boosters and 228 with them on. That would allow for maybe 3 shots from the laser per Turn. Suppose you would have to make a choice between protection and firepower.

 

So, it looks like we either go with Option 1: Multipower, Option 2: Static Screens with Boster, or Option 3: 1 Massive Screen with House Rule to determine DEF at any one of 4 or 6 quadrants.

 

My vote is for Option 3. The total value of the Force Wall can be concentrated at any one of the sections. Typically, the ship runs with the total divided by the number of sections ( I suggest four ), for equal coverage. What do you all think.

[Starwolf]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

I like option 3 best.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

I also like Option 3, 4 sections. It's a simple build and concept and I think allows for the most dramatic/fun situations.

[solron915]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

I like option 3 . It's simple and does the job when needed.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

House rule it is then. Four sections running at 7 DEF each normally. Can pull from one section to feed into others.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

I just realized that I am going to have to buy Indirect for the lasers or else you will have to choose between Shields or Guns.

 

EDIT: Posted the update file.

 

EDIT: BTW, I found some better deckplans (and more akin to the illustration on the cover of Knight Hawks) at www.starfrontiers.com. I can't directly link to it as there are no page specific URLs. If you go to the main page, however, you can click on the link yourself. It is under the big bold Check these out! Thnx to David Little part. There are two deckplans, one for a New Scout and one for an Old Scout. Those actually have a little cargo area.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Gemini Ascendant Campaign

 

And finally comes the computer file I've been threatening you with. This is one of those things I'm not entirely sure of, so any feedback on what needs to be added/removed would be appreciated.