Full Online Systems Test

[Dan Gurden]

I have suggested that a number of us get together for a limited test of the current incarnation of the Spacedock rules, and to get a great Borg Cube... (more than likely those of us not involved in the play test )

Anyway in doing so I suggested the re-incarnation of the last couple of major battles for Earth, ie; Wolf 359 and the battle for sector 001 (ST:FC).

So far a couple of people are interested... But I am looking for someone fair and with a good idea of the spacedock rules to arbitarily make the dice rolls here (Im hoping your interested Steve, but if not, volunteers for moderator are accepted...)

Also Captain Hunter, you have designed a Borg Cube. Care to test it?

I am hoping for 1 player, 1 ship, but mutiple ships may be a definate posibility (after all 40 ships were at Wolf 359)

This is not planned to be a long-running game, simply a test... Of course it might be LOTS of fun and a regular attraction, you never know, Operation: Return, and the Battles of Chin'Toka and Cardassia await...

Lastly any ideas of the fleet structure would be a good idea, but if not we can use a mix of Starfleets forces...



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Dan.

"A couple of thoughts froma random mind!"

[Steve Long]

This sounds a lot like a couple of the online play sessions. I'd be glad to act as referee -- or, to put it another way, "You will be assimilated."

There are two hurdles I anticipate:
1. Finding a time when all the participants can get together (even if it's only five or six people, much less 39!).
2. "Mapping" the battlefield. That was the biggest difficulty I remember from the online playtests -- the fact that no one can actually "see" the playing field, which makes it difficult to plan manuevers, figure out cool tactics, and from the GM's perspective to place debris/obstacles.

Steve Long

[Greg Davis]

This seems like a cool idea, but I can forsee a few issues. For example, we don't exactly know what strategies that Starfleet used in their defensive strategies. Also, the writers had creative liscense, destroying ships with a whim (though the Borg do it almost as easy).

I suppose what I'm leading up to is this: Is this supposed to be an accurate re-creation of the battles, or just a way to see if a Borg cube could really cream a large number of Starfleet ships?

Just curious...


Greg, who would play if he could use his size 12+ Starfleet "Monster"!

[Dave Biggins]

I'm all for it!

Somebody out there has got to have a list of all fourty ships involved in the Battle of Wolf 359...

[ArsenicMan]

<a href="http://ex-astris-scientia.org/articles/wolf359.htm">Here</a> is a fairly detailed deconstruction of the wreckage. But, they only were able to figure out about twenty or so, IIRC. The rest we'd just have to extrapolate from what Starfleet had at the time that would likely be available on such short notice.

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This is our last, best hope for peace? We are so screwed.

[Paul]

First Contact also saw the Akira-class used...

BOBW likely saw an Excelsior or two, a New Orleans, a Nebula, and at least one Miranda...

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In spite of the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains?

[Steve Long]

Greg writes:
I suppose what I'm leading up to is this: Is this supposed to be an accurate re-creation of the battles, or just a way to see if a Borg cube could really cream a large number of Starfleet ships?

It seems to me that it would be best to go the former route -- to just see what would happen with 39 Fed ships and one Borg cube. Re-creating the battle exactly is no fun -- we know what happens. It would just be a cool way to enjoy the system.

Besides which, I've seen the Borg cube writeup. I'm willing to bet that it can take out at least half the Federation ships before succumbing to the Starfleet onslaught.

As for using your Monster-class ship, Greg, that'll have to wait for a scenario that doesn't involve an attempted historical re-creation.

Steve Long

[Greg Davis]

Originally posted by Steve Long:
As for using your Monster-class ship, Greg, that'll have to wait for a scenario that doesn't involve an attempted historical re-creation.
Steve Long

Actually Steve, it's a Titan-class ship, and it's not slated for game entry until 2380, at the earliest...

But I'd bet it could whallop a Borg cube pretty good!




Greg

[mactavish]

Where is there a write-up for a Borg cube? I'd love to include that in the (now nearly completed) Borg supplement.

I've still having some trouble with my cybernetics rules as well as the concept of playing the Collective as a one-shot style game. If you have any suggestions (including Spacedock specs for OTHER Borg ships, email 'em to me).

mactavish out.

[Steve Long]

The Borg cube will be in the SRM, Mactavish. Other Borg ships will have to wait for SRM: Delta Quadrant or SRM: Borg -- at least if you want my version.

Actually, once you have the cube writeup, it should be pretty easy to alter it for a Borg sphere, smaller cube, pyramid, diamond, moebius strip, Klein bottle, dodecahedron....

Steve Long

[Capt. K. Vaughn]

This could be quite amusing. I'd be willing to give it a go as either a referee or a player once I finish reading the updated Spacedock and see what all the changes are.

I plan to check out the plasma torpedoes shortly to see if they were changed as we discovered in the playtest, one Romulan Warbird dealt with a Cube rather effectively.

Regards,
CKV.

[Don Mappin]

To go even further off-topic, there will be Borg information in the "Voyager Sourcebook," some of which from the original Borg product that Ross was working on. Ross had some very cool ideas that I'd like to see implemented.

Don

[Red]

Just out of curiousity how are you accounting for the BORG's legendary defensive adaptability? The closest thing I saw in my glance though SD was regenerative sheilding, but I don't think that quite cuts it for them. Any idea's?

Red

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"Being afraid all of the time of forgetting somebody's name. Not...not knowing what to do with your hands...I mean, I am the guy who writes down things to remember to say when there's a party. And then when he finally gets there, he winds up alone in the corner trying to look comfortable examining a potted plant."
-Lieutentant Reginald Barclay

[Red]

P.S. I am curious how you would accomplish this task online, but am more than willing to help you out.

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"Being afraid all of the time of forgetting somebody's name. Not...not knowing what to do with your hands...I mean, I am the guy who writes down things to remember to say when there's a party. And then when he finally gets there, he winds up alone in the corner trying to look comfortable examining a potted plant."
-Lieutentant Reginald Barclay

[bishop]

Steve wrote:
>>2. "Mapping" the battlefield. That was the biggest difficulty I remember from the online playtests -- the fact that no one can actually "see" the playing field, which makes it difficult to plan manuevers, figure out cool tactics, and from the GM's perspective to place debris/obstacles.<<

Steve, I'm shocked! You don't even remember the hex map template I made to standardize scaling between hex maps. (sniff, sniff) That's okay, it does lack important things, like a coordinate system...

bishop
the man formerly known as the Spacedock layout artist