Summary of Events Stardate 0110.27

If you'd like to be able to jump right in to see if you like this game, you might want to try a few rounds of Simple Combat. The Simple Combat Game is a way for you to quickly resolve combat between vessels, or fleets of vessels. This is useful if you are playing a scenario or campaign that involves more than a few ships. Otherwise a simple scenario could take weeks to play through.




It is useful to keep a copy of the Simple Combat Template. This makes it possible to copy and paste the basics of your bit of 'paperwork', add however many ships you may need to, and change or insert ship names. Here is a very basic template (there are more in the files):



IKS rolls: o/d

USS rolls: o/d

Result:

IKS damage /15

USS damage /15



The first section is for points rolled (1d6 result times the appropriate multiplier), and how the points are allocated (offense/defense). The second "Result" section shows the calculated damage. In the case of basic AI ships, the damage potential is 15.. so you would indicate 5 points damage with 5/15. Pretty simple.



If you are playing a single player game, roll a 1d6 to see who 'wins the toss'. If you roll a 1-3, you do. Then you roll the 1d6 for your opponent first. Allocate available points according to this multiplier chart:



2 (DS) Defense Sat/(FR)Freighter X1

3 (FF) Frigate X4

4 (DD) DestroyerX6

5 (CL) Light Cruiser X8

6 (CA) Heavy Cruiser X10

7 (CC) Command Cruiser X12

8 (HCA) Heavy Battlecruiser X15

9 (DN) Dreadnought X20

10 (BB) Battleship X22

11 (CV)Carrier X25

12 (STB ) Starbase/ (BS)Base Station X50/75 (reroll, 50/50)



Here is an example of simple combat between the Klingon heavy cruiser Perseus and the Sha'kurian heavy cruiser Count: In this case, I won the toss, playing as the Perseus. That meant that I had to roll and allocate for the Sha'kurian first. (The point of all this 'coin tossing' is to add randomness to the gameplay in the single player game. It puts the luxury of being able to react to your opponent's first move on a totally random footing. And of course, whoever rolled second first time rolls first the next. Compare it to the coin toss to determine who receives the kickoff in a football game ) That first roll was a 6 (on a 1d6), for 60 points. Acting for the Shakurian, I decided to play it safe, putting it all on defense. As it turned out, the caution was unnecesary. The Klingon only rolled a 1.



IKS Perseus rolls:10 0o/10d

SRS Count rolls:60 0o/60d

Result:

IKS Perseus damage 0/25

SRS Count damage 0/15



For the next volley, the Klingon ship took its turn rolling first. It rolled a "3", for 30 points, and put them all on defense. It didn't save him, because the Count rolled a 6.



IKS Perseus rolls:30 0o/30d

SRS Count rolls:60 60o/d

Result:

IKS Perseus destroyed

SRS Count damage 0/15



You'll note that the Perseus is able to take 25 points of damage. That is because all of my play has given me a "Elite" rating. The increased available points is one of the benefits of that. For details, see "Experience Points: How to Get Them and What They Get You". If you want to take it a step further, you can capture ships using Simple Combat. You have to cause 10 points of damage to lower the enemy shields, then transport over. Ah, but to so that you have to lower your own shields. Do that by giving yourself (just for the 'transport' volley) 10 points damage. A bit tricky, with careful timing involved, but a great tactic. And of course, as new races are added to Fantasy Trek, there will be a few necessary variations to these rules (i.e. Tholian Webs).



So what to do with all of this? As I said, the Simple Combat Game is ideal for extended scenarios involving many ships in combat. For example, Head to Head Sector Assault was written with Simple Combat in mind:



Rules

The goal is to conquer and hold all 5 systems.



In order to do this, you must conquer (in order, 1 through 5), and sufficiently defend all systems while denying your enemy access to those same systems. Reduce the enemy fleet sufficiently to prevent them from building a shipyard, and stop/destroy enough enemy convoys to deny random reinforcements sufficient to threaten your shipyards. You must also attain a minimum of 13 points (see 'Victory Conditions' below)



System Conquest:

Regardless of whether a system has been taken by enemy forces, you will face a random-sized enemy fleet upon first arrival in a new system. Roll 1d6 for size of enemy fleet, then subtract any applicable random fleet disadvantage (see below). If the size of the enemy fleet is less than the random fleet disadvantage, then there is no contact. Then use appropriate simple combat template. All surviving ships retain damage but can move and fight until destroyed. They can only be repaired by remaining in place for two turns (subject to random enemy attack each turn-50% chance of random attack. 1d6:1-3=no contact. 4-6=attacked) or by docking at shipyard for one turn (subject to random enemy attack, same odds as above). The system remains yours once you've defeated the initial fleet, but if left undefended, any attempt to conquer it will only be countered by a randomly generated fleet. You can (and should) choose to leave any combination of ships and/or a shipyard to defend it.



Open Space:

Enemy convoys will only be encountered in open spaces. Roll for encounter (1d6:1-3=contact). Then roll 1d6 for enemy escorts. 1-3= 1 CA escort. 4-6= 2 CA escorts. The random fleet disadvantage does not affect this. Random enemy convoy(s) must be stopped=at least 3/5 freighters destroyed or captured (5/15 damage and successful boarding party action), escorts destroyed or disabled (10/15 damage) in 5 volleys or less. Every convoy that is stopped decreases random enemy fleet size by one. This is the random fleet disadvantage. For every three freighters captured, your random fleet disadvantage is reduced by one. You will not encounter convoys in open spaces when you have conquered both adjacent systems



Shipyard:

Shipyards are recommended. They can only be built in systems that you hold (by destroying an initial assault fleet). Three starships must remain in system or open space area for three turns to build shipyard. During each turn 50% chance of random attack. (1d6:1d6:1-3=no contact. 4-6=attack, then roll 1d6 for size of enemy fleet. If the size of the enemy fleet is less than the random fleet disadvantage, then there is no contact.) LOS (line of sight) must be maintained to use or attack shipyard. Shipyard has X75 multiplier. Shipyard can construct replacement ships in 3 turns. While your fleet can not exceed 6 ships, additional ships built at shipyards do not count against this total. They cannot fight with full-sized fleets, but can supplement diminished fleets. The same rule applies to surviving random reinforcements. Since you must have a minimum of three ships to build a shipyard, it is recommended that you build at least one shipyard and at least two reserve ships just in case of unforseen losses. A fleet reduced to two ships and no shipyard to fall back would have little chance of victory.



If you want to register as a player, notify me through a comment on the

blogsite. I recommend keeping a record of your games played, as they add up to experience points that enrich your gaming experience.



Victory Conditions/Points-

Shipyards 5 (max)

Fleet size 6 (max)

Reinforcement capacity 6 (max)



You must conquer 5 systems and attain 13+ VC points



Templates (it is recommended that you keep a master copy of these, making working copies to modify suit your needs):



Klingon fleet vs Federation Fleet

KCA IKS Kandido rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Kurry rolls: o/d

KCA IKS DuranQo rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Ok'ran rolls: o/d

KCA IKS D'Han rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Glommer rolls: o/d

FCA USS Washington rolls: o/d

FCA USS Roosevelt rolls: o/d

FCA USS Cleveland rolls: o/d

FCA USS Detroit rolls: o/d

FCA USS Abraham Lincoln rolls: o/d

FCA USS Guadalcanal rolls: o/d

results

KCA IKS Kandido damage: /15

KCA IKS Kurry damage: /15

KCA IKS DuranQo damage: /15

KCA IKS Ok'ran damage: /15

KCA IKS D'Han damage: /15

KCA IKS Glommer damage: /15

FCA USS Washington damage: /15

FCA USS Roosevelt damage: /15

FCA USS Cleveland damage: /15

FCA USS Detroit damage: /15

FCA USS Abraham damage: /15

FCA USS Guadalcanal damage: /15



Klingon fleet versus Federation convoy with two escorts



KCA IKS Etlh rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Dk'tagh rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Bertaa rolls: o/d

KCA IKS BortaS rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Chang rolls: o/d

KCA IKS tIQ'etlh rolls: o/d

FCA USS Komack rolls: o/d

FCA USS Nogura rolls: o/d

Fr rolls: o/d

Fr2 rolls: o/d

Fr3 rolls: o/d

Fr4 rolls: o/d

Fr5 rolls: o/d

results

KCA IKS Etlh damage: /15

KCA IKS Dk'tagh damage: /15

KCA IKS Bertaa damage: /15

KCA IKS BortaS damage: /15

KCA IKS Chang damage: /15

KCA IKS tIQ'etlh damage: /15

FCA USS Komack damage: /15

FCA USS Nogura damage: /15

Fr1 damage: /15

Fr2 damage: /15

Fr3 damage: /15

Fr4 damage: /15

Fr5 damage: /15



Sample First Turn:



Turn 1)

(1209.13)

System 1: FCA USS Essex FCA USS Challenger FCA USS Tahir FCA USS Robau FCA USS Abrahms FCA USS Orci form Fed 1st Fleet (FF1). Contact: 4 KCA's *won toss. (1209.13) FCA USS Essex FCA USS Challenger FCA USS Tahir FCA USS Robau FCA USS Abrahms FCA USS Orci vs KCA IKS D'Qu KCA IKS NaQjej KCA IKS Ej'QuD KCA IKS Qaw'lu: Klingons destroyed. No damage to FF1.

System 5: KCA IKS Kandido KCA IKS Kurry KCA IKS DuranQo KCA IKS Ok'ran KCA IKS D'Han KCA IKS Glommer form Klingon 1st Fleet (KF1). Contact: 4 FCA's *won toss. (1209.13) KCA IKS Kandido KCA IKS Kurry KCA IKS DuranQo KCA IKS Ok'ran KCA IKS D'Han KCA IKS Glommer vs FCA USS Washington FCA USS Roosevelt FCA USS Cleveland FCA USS Detroit: Feds destroyed. No damage to KF1.



TNG Era:



Kri'staK Sector

Ab'Qaff Battle Group

Ab'Qaff Class Klingon Heavy Command Cruiser (KCVC) IKS Ab'Qaff

General Kapact Commanding



wej'Hom System-

The Ab'Qaff has established a mining outpost on the second planet in the wej'Hom system. The planet is rich in many resources used for Klingon hull material and armor. There are still no signs of Romulan involvement in the system



Games in Play:



"Eyes on the Prize" (see Dev notes for rules)

Turns 9 through 20. Klingons are going for the Federation jugular, attacking convoys to reduce the Federation's ability to build new ships. At the same time, as the Klingon commander, I am letting the Feds do the leg work, traveling across space to pick up the artifact, and trusting in their ability to capture the Fed ship carrying it back. On the Fed side, FSY1 (Federation Shipyard #1) is in real trouble. As of Turn 20, they are facing imminent attack by eleven Klingon ships. They'll have six heavy cruisers defending them. Numerically, they still have the edge in that fight. But they have much more to lose. If they lose, they will have essentially lost the war. Their fleet traveling to the edge of space will have the chance to build a shipyard, but that shipyard will take three turns to build a single ship. And all the while, KSY1 (Klingon Shipyard #1) will still be cranking out more ships. On the other hand, if the Klingon armada is defeated, the Federation will have the upper hand, with their First Fleet in position to pick up the artifact and get home with little opposition.



Turn 9)

(0110.18)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 9/18 (K7,8 complete) KF1(K1-6) moves to (d,10). KF1 encounters Fed convoy W/2 escorts. (0110.18) K1-6 vs F1,2, Fr1-5. Fed convoy destroyed. No damage to Klingons.

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 9/18 (F7,8 complete) FF1(F1-6) moves to (k,5) F7,8 dispatched to engage KF1.



Turn 10)

(0110.20)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 10/18 (K7,8,9 on station) KF1(K1-6) moves to (d,10). KF1 encounters Fed convoy W/2 escorts. (0110.18) K1-6 vs F1,2, Fr1-5. Fed convoy destroyed. No damage to Klingons.

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 10/18 (F9 on station). FF1(F1-6) moves to (k,5).F7,8 moves to (c,6).



Turn 11)

(0110.22)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 11/18 (K7,8,9 on station) KF1(K1-6) moves to (c,9).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 11/18 (F9 on station). FF1(F1-6) moves to (l,6). F7,8 returns to FSY1



Turn 12)

(0110.22)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 12/18. K7,8,9 moves to (c,16) KF1(K1-6) moves to (c,10) Contact: Fed convoy W/2 escorts. (0110.22) K1-6 vs F1,2, Fr1-5. Fed convoy destroyed. No damage to Klingons.

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 12/18 (F9 on station). FF1(F1-6) moves to (l,6). F7,8 returns to FSY1



Turn 13)

(0110.22)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 13/18. (K10 on station) K7,8,9 moves to (c,15) KF1(K1-6) remains on station (c,10) No contact.

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 13/18 (F7,8,9,10 on station). FF1(F1-6) moves to (m,7).



Turn 14)

(0110.22)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 14/18. (K10 on station) K7,8,9 moves to (c,14) KF1(K1-6) remains on station (c,10) Contact: Fed convoy W/1 escort. (0110.22) K1-6 vs F1,Fr1-5. F1,Fr1-5 destroyed. Klingons undamaged. FSY1 deactivated.

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 12/18 (F7,8,9,10 on station). FF1(F1-6) moves to (n,8).



Turn 15)

(0110.22)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 15/18. (K10 on station) K7,8,9 moves to (c,13) KF1(K1-6) remains on station (c,10)

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 construct suspended FF2 turn 12/18 (F7,8,9,10 on station-reactivate FSY1: Turn 1/3). FF1(F1-6) moves to (o,9).



Turn 16)

(0110.22)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 16/18. (K10,11 on station) K7,8,9 moves to (c,12) KF1(K1-6) remains on station (c,10)

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 construct suspended FF2 turn 12/18 (F7,8,9,10 on station-reactivate FSY1: Turn 2/3). FF1(F1-6) moves to (p,10).



Turn 17)

(0110.22)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 17/18. (K10,11 on station) K7,8,9 moves to (c,11) KF1(K1-6) remains on station (c,10)

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 construct suspended FF2 turn 12/18 (F7,8,9,10 on station-reactivate FSY1: Turn 3/3). FF1(F1-6) moves to (q,11).



Turn 18)

(0110.22)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 18/18. (K10,11 on station) K7,8,9 moves to (c,10) KF1(K1-6) remains on station (c,10)

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 resumes construct FF2 turn 13/18 (F7,8,9,10 on station). FF1(F1-6) moves to (r,11).



Turn 19)

(0110.22)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 1/18. (K10,11,12 on station) K7,8,9 joins KF1 (c,10)

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 resumes construct FF2 turn 14/18 (F7,8,9,10 on station). FF1(F1-6) moves to (s,11).



Turn 20)

(0110.22)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 2/18. KF1 (K1-9) moves to (c,9). Contact: Fed convoy W/1 escort. (0110.22) K1-9 vs F1,Fr1-5. K1-8 undamaged. K9 destroyed. F1,Fr1-5 destroyed. KF2 (K10,11,12) moves to (c,16).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 15/18 (F7,8,9,10 on station). FF1(F1-6) moves to (t,11).



PvP games reported:



(0110.18) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: IKS 'etlh destroyed

(0110.18) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: IKS 'etlh destroyed

(0110.18) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: AV Sitka destroyed

(0110.18) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: Both ships destroyed

(0110.22) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: IKS 'etlh destroyed

(0110.22) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: AV Sitka destroyed

(0110.22) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: AV Sitka destroyed

(0110.22) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: IKS 'etlh destroyed

(0110.22) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: AV Sitka destroyed

(0110.22) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: AV Sitka destroyed

(0110.22) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: Both ships destroyed



(As you might guess, Mrs Kapact and I had another marathon PvP session. This is a good way to build experience points quickly. I consider the PvP aspect so important that not only do they count as Simple Combat experience points, 10 games for 1 point, but at the same time you get credit for the PvP Simple Combat eperience point, 5 games for 1 point. So 10 Simple Combat PvP engagements gets you 3 experience points)



Heavy Combat: KCA IKS Etlh(A) vs KCA IKS Etlh(B) combat simulation in progress.



Command College:



"What Are Your Orders, Captain?"



(TMP Era) "Common Foe"



Investigating a mysterious and unidentified Federation starship trapped in what appears to be a Tholian interspatial gravity well, Captain Robau of the Akula Class destroyer USS Sparta moves to investigate, and encounters two Klingon warships, a K'tinga Class Battlecruiser and a Levek Class Destroyer. As the Klingons move to intercept, two Tholian ships arrive, throw a web around the K'tinga, and open fire.



Captain Robau decides to help the Klingons in this instance and opens fire on the Tholians. After a brief exchange of fire, the Tholians are destroyed. The jewel-shaped starships explode in a dazzling display... and the entire region of space ripples and shifts, and the stars vanish.



When the brilliant flash subsides, Captain Robau notes that the Tholians are gone, along with the mysterious Federation ship. The two Klingon ships are adrift, but still occupy the same positions relative to the Sparta. Scans show that the warships are still powered, but show extensive damage. At the same time, the science officer reports a massive intallation at extreme range that shows a distinct Tholian signature.



"The Devil You Know, Or...?"



A further scan of the Klingon ships indicate that they are not in immediate danger, but still refusing to acknowledge hails. After commenting about the unique nature of Klingon gratitude, Captain Robau orders a course set to approach the installation. His idea is to approach to just within sensor range, and try to learn more before choosing his next course of action.



What should Captain Robau do next? (No cliff-hanger this time. Just choose the next course of action)



Post your solution here for a Command College Point. Feel free to discuss this with the 'comment' feature



"Captain's Log"



"... an unimaginable scale..."



20) At some point during the mission, the planet disappears.



Class S-T Ultraglacial

Age: 2-10 billion years

Diameter: 10-50 million km (Class S)

50-120 million km (Class T)

Location: Cold Zone

Surface: Tenuous, composed of gaseous hydrogen and hydrogen compounds; radiates considerable heat.

Atmosphere: Zones vary in temperature, pressure and composition; water vapor may be present

Life forms: Unknown



(ENT Era)

Captain Sam Carpenter

Challenger NX-07



In a year that has seen Romulans close to within 20 lightyears of Earth, there has been little time for pure scientific exploration. So much so that it is easy to forget the Earth Starfleet mission, which is to seek out new life and new civilizations. So even to find an ancient one, in the last days of its existence is a treat. In an uncharted region of space towards the center of the galaxy, we began to pick up strange gravitational forces at work on what seemed to be an uninhabited system. Eventually, we discovered that a distant black hole was acting on the system starting to not only pull the sun off of its orbit, but pull the planets out of their orbits. We knew at the time that there was about six months left until the system would, well, disassociate is the cold and scientific term, and hoped to find an opportunity to revisit the system towards the end of its life cycle depending on how the war went. As it turns out, there was less than six hours. A science team exploring the ninth planet, an enormous ultraglacial world, discovered what appeared to be artificial catacombs. We were fascinated to consider that life in this system had existed this far away from the sun, and were starting to properly explore the catacombs when an asteroid collision passed through the outer system, completely obliterating the super gas giant seventh planet. Two hours later, planet eight moved through the remnants of the asteroid collision and was destroyed. Planet nine would be moving through the same area in a few hours. I ordered the team to withdraw immediately. Fortunately, they were able to bring with them hundreds of crystal tablets that at first glance seemed to a form of art, but turned out to be a unique form of record keeping. It is estimated that there are thousands of years of records in the tablets. Knowledge that we hardly knew existed a day ago would have been lost, irretrievably. As it is, we have a wonderful thing, a piece of an unknown civilization in the face of destruction on an unimaginable scale. So as we moved to a safe distant, the sight of this cold planet disappearing in a really catastrophic event was not nearly as sad as it might have been.



For next week. write a 100+ word log entry including the phrase "... extreme conditions...". Post it in the yahoo group or on the blogsite's "comment" feature for a Command College Point.



Dev Notes:

I've finished the final sketch of February's Fantasy Trek calender picture, the TNG Era "Constitution Phase Two" Class. That is essentially a Constitution Class done in a Galaxy or Sovereign mode. There are resemblances to both. It fills the classic heavy cruiser role, as a workhorse of the fleet, outfitted to be capable of handling anything on a day to day basis. Imagine a Sovereign built without quite so many bells and whistles. The prototype, or Class ship is just called USS Constitution. I plan to have it finished and online by Friday.

No progress this week on the Etlh Class Heavy Combat Trial #2. As I push through the Excel-based map/Simple Combat scenario called "Eyes on the Prize", I have amended the rules, eliminating the Single Player AI rules. The game works better as a head-to-head match. I've also removed the rules for system conquest. They were carried over from the Sector Assault but really weren't relevant here. And you need to stop or destroy three enemy shipyards to deactivate a random shipyard. Here are the amended rules:



The objective is to travel to the far side of unexplored space to recover the artifact and return it to your home world.



Random enemy convoy(s) may appear in enemy/unclaimed space. Three convoys stopped=at least 3/5 freighters destroyed, escorts (random, 1-2) destroyed or disabled (10/15 damage) within five volleys deactivates one random enemy shipyard. Shipyard will require at least three starships onsite for three turns to reactivate.



Enemy forces may be encountered in all enemy/unclaimed open spaces. Roll for encounter (2/6 chance), Roll for size of enemy fleet (use same method as in-system combat).



Shipyard:

Shipyards are recommended. They can be built anywhere. Shipyard can construct a ship in three turns. Three starships must remain in system or open space area for three turns to build shipyard. LOS (line of sight) must be maintained to access shipyard outside of home space. Shipyard outside of home space is subject to attack every other turn by random number of enemies.



Two complete fleets (12 ships) can construct an advanced shipyard in six turns. Advanced shipyards, in turn, can build a ship in one turn.



Fleets are designated by number/race. For example, the Klingon First Fleet is designated as KF1



Consult the Simple Combat Table for multipliers.