First Complete Casual Head to Head Sector Assault and Lessons Learned

Thirteen turns is what it took to reveal a serious balance issue in the Casual Head to Head Sector Assault. As much fun as it honestly was to have a seemingly unending series of Klingon wolf packs pound a struggling Federation shipyard into dust, it doesn't give the Feds a chance to get out of the gate. So we'll limit the wolf pack to one per engagement. Incidentally, a wolf pack consists of three KCA's responding to a request for reinforcement from a Klingon ship as it's being destroyed. I'll start this up again soon with the revised rules.

 

Here are the turn logs.

 

Turn 1)

(0211.15)

System 1: Intrepid Fleet FIF-FCA (Intrepid FIF-FCA1 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) Contact: 2 KCA's. 2 KCA's destroyed. No damage to Feds. 2 KCA's destroyed. Intrepid FIF-FCA1 damage: 19/20. Other Feds undamaged.

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) Contact: 2 FCA's. 2 FCA's destroyed. Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 damage: 18/20. Other Klingons undamaged.

 

Turn 2)

(0211.17)

System 1: Intrepid Fleet FIF-FCA (Intrepid FIF-FCA1 damage: 19/20 Repair Turn 1/2 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) Construct FSY1 Turn 1/2 Contact: No contact

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 damage: 18/20 Repair Turn 1/2 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) Construct KSY1 Turn 1/3 Contact: No contact

 

Turn 3)

(0211.17)

System 1: Intrepid Fleet FIF-FCA (Intrepid FIF-FCA1 damage: 19/20 Repair Turn 2/2 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) Construct FSY1 Turn 2/2 Contact: No contact

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 damage: 18/20 Repair Turn 2/2 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) Construct KSY1 Turn 2/3 Contact: No contact

 

Turn 4)

(0211.17)

System 1: Intrepid Fleet FIF-FCA (Intrepid FIF-FCA1 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) FSY1 Construct Decker FDF-FCA1 Turn 1/2 Contact: 2 KCA's. 2 KCA's destroyed. Intrepid FIF-FCA1 damage:15/20. Other Feds undamaged.

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) Construct KSY1 Turn 3/3 Contact: No contact.

 

Turn 5)

(0211.17)

System 1: Intrepid Fleet FIF-FCA (Intrepid FIF-FCA1 damage:15/20 Repair Turn 1/2 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) FSY1 Construct Decker FDF-FCA1 Turn 2/2 Contact: 3 KCA's. 3 KCA's destroyed. One wolf pack destroyed. Intrepid FIF-FCA1 damage:15/20 Repair Turn 1/2 Valiant FIF-FCA2 Potemkin FIF-FCA3 destroyed.

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) KSY1 construct Kahless KF-CA1 Turn 1/3 Contact: 1 FCA. FCA destroyed. Klingons undamaged.

 

Turn 6)

(0211.17)

System 1: Intrepid Fleet FIF-FCA (Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) Decker FDF-FCA1 FSY1 Construct Goeben FDF-FCA2 Turn 1/2 Contact: No contact

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) KSY1 construct Kahless KF-CA1 Turn 2/3 Contact: 1 FCA. FCA destroyed. Klingons undamaged.

 

Turn 7)

(0211.17)

System 1: Intrepid Fleet FIF-FCA (Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) Decker FDF-FCA1 FSY1 Construct Goeben FDF-FCA2 Turn 2/2 Contact: 3 KCA's. Monitor FIF-FCA4 destroyed. Hornet FIF-FCA5 damage: 15/20. 3 KCA's destroyed.

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) KSY1 construct Kahless KF-CA1 Turn 3/3 Contact: 1 FCA.

 

 

Turn 7)

(0211.18)

System 1: Intrepid Fleet FIF-FCA (Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6) Decker FDF-FCA1 Goeben FDF-FCA2 FSY1 Construct  Eximer FDF-FCA3 Turn 1/2 Contact: 2 KCA's. 3 wolf packs.  (Monitor FIF-FCA4 Hornet FIF-FCA5 Merimac FIF-FCA6 destroyed. Decker FDF-FCA1 damage: 18/20. Goeben FDF-FCA2 FSY1 undamaged. Klingons destroyed.

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) Kahless KF-CA1 KSY1 construct T'yang KF-CA2 Turn 1/3 Contact: No contact.

 

Turn 8)

(0211.19)

System 1: Decker FDF-FCA1 (damage: 18/20 repair turn 1/2) Goeben FDF-FCA2 FSY1 Construct  Eximer FDF-FCA3 Turn 2/2 Contact: No contact

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) Kahless KF-CA1 KSY1 construct T'yang KF-CA2 Turn 2/3 Contact: No contact

 

Turn9)

(0211.24)

System 1: Decker FDF-FCA1 (damage: 18/20 repair turn 2/2) Goeben FDF-FCA2 Eximer FDF-FCA3 FSY1 Construct Farragut FCF-FCA4 Turn 1/2 Contact: no contact

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) Kahless KF-CA1 KSY1 construct T'yang KF-CA2 Turn 3/3 Contact: no contact

 

Turn 10)

(0211.24)

System 1: Decker FDF-FCA1 Goeben FDF-FCA2 Eximer FDF-FCA3 FSY1 Construct Farragut FCF-FCA4 Turn 2/2 Contact: 3 KCA's. Two Wolfpacks responded. All KCA's destroyed. Decker FDF-FCA1 Goeben FDF-FCA2 Eximer FDF-FCA3 destroyed. FSY1 damage: 62/80.

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) Kahless KF-CA1 T'yang KF-CA2 KSY1 construct Hegh yan KF-CA3 Turn 1/3 Contact: No contact

 

Turn 11)

(0211.24)

System 1:  FSY1 damage: 62/80 (Construct Farragut FCF-FCA4 Turn 2/2 suspended) Repair Turn 2/2 Contact: No Contact

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) Kahless KF-CA1 T'yang KF-CA2 KSY1 construct Hegh yan KF-CA3 Turn 3/3 Contact: No Contact

 

Turn 12)

(0211.24)

System 1:  FSY1 Construct Farragut FCF-FCA4 Turn 2/2 Contact: 1 KCA. 1 Wolfpack responded. KCA's destroyed. FSY1 damage: 74/80 

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) Kahless KF-CA1 T'yang KF-CA2 Hegh yan KF-CA3 KSY1 construct Koord KF-CA4 Turn 1/3 Contact: No contact

 

Turn 13)

(0211.24)

System 1: FSY1 damage: 74/80 (Construct suspended Farragut FCF-FCA4 Turn 2/2) Repair Turn 1/2 Contact: No contact

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) Kahless KF-CA1 T'yang KF-CA2 Hegh yan KF-CA3 KSY1 construct Koord KF-CA4 Turn 2/3 Contact: No contact

 

Turn 13)

(0211.24)

System 1: FSY1 damage: 74/80 (Construct suspended Farragut FCF-FCA4 Turn 2/2) Repair Turn 2/2 Contact: 3 KCA's. FSY1 destroyed. No damage to Klingons

 

System 5: Kolikos Fleet KLKF-KCA (Ok'rand KLKF-KCA1 K'mak KLKF-KCA2 Thok'mak KLKF-KCA3 qu'eygh KLKF-KCA4 N'sara KLKF-KCA5 Kolikos KLKF-KCA6) Kahless KF-CA1 T'yang KF-CA2 Hegh yan KF-CA3 KSY1 construct Koord KF-CA4 Turn 3/3 Contact: 1 FCA. FCA destroyed. No damage to Klingons.

 

Federation cedes sector.

Medium Combat Template

  What you see here is an attempt to merge heavy combat with simple/casual caombat. Something a little more involved, with maneuvering and internals, but still bus-playable. For now, a text map that is just for reference, and the casual dice roll scheme. I am playtesting it now.

    1  2   3    4   5   6   7  8  9

a__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/

b__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/

c__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/

d__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/

e__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/

f __/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/

g__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/

h__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/

i __/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/

Shields

       X      Y

F   /20    /20      

A   /20    /20          

P   /20    /20          

S   /20    /20         

Damage

                     X      Y         

Shld Gen   /20    /20          

Pha/Dis     /20    /20      

Photons     /20    /20          

Sensors     /20    /20

Impulse     /20    /20                    

Warp         /20    /20

Position

            X      Y

            ,        ,            

Course

            X      Y

            ,        ,         

Max Range= 5

Range/X

1x5

2x4

3x3

4x2

5x1

Roll:

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

X=                   Y=

Update: Casual Head to Head Sector Assault

The first ten rounds of the casual head to head sector assault have taught me that we still have a serious balance issue. Heavy Cruisers (CA's) have a defense rating of 20, which works fine, and a Shipyard has a defense rating of 80, which also works fine.... almost. I gave the Feds an economic advantage, allowing them to finish construction in two turns what it takes Klingons three. At the same time, the Klingons always have a 50% chance of calling in reinforcements if they're losing a battle. Again, no problem. The Feds have always been stronger economically, and the Klingons have always had wolfpacks out roaming around. But the shipyard is too easy to take down by persistant attacks. So I'm going to tweak the casual rules a bit and start over. It used to be that every ship rolled a die (1d6), designated a target, and got shot up itself. Ships of equal grade balance fine doing that, but the shipyard needs additional firepower to be a credible threat, so I'll try giving it two dice rolls (2d6) to use on offense. And rather than have any damage sustained require repair time, we'll say that 6 points out of 20 damage (roughly a third) count as shield damage. And make it 24 out of 80 for the shipyard. More and more to keep track of during a 'casual' game, but important for balance. We'll just see how it goes. And in case you're wondering what a "Head-to-Head Sector Assault" is, it is a single player contest to occupy five systems in a sector. Use simple rules to play both sides (or play against another player) and the rules below.

 

Here are the rules as of Feb 15th (0211.15) that I'm playing by:

 

Rules

The goal is to conquer and hold all 5 systems.

 

In order to do this, you must conquer, then sufficiently defend the 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 attack fleets sufficient to threaten your shipyards. You must also attain a minimum of 7 points (see 'Victory Conditions' below)

 

System Conquest:

Regardless of whether a system has been occupied 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 (1-2=1, 3-4=2, 5-6=3), then subtract any applicable random fleet disadvantage (see below). Then use appropriate casual combat template. All surviving ships retain damage but can move and fight until destroyed. (6/20 damage to CA's count as shield damage that will automatically regenerate by the next turn. 24/80 for shipyards) They can only be repaired by remaining in place for two turns (subject to random enemy attack each turn: (1d6: 4-6)) or by docking at shipyard for one turn. 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.

 

Random enemy ships (including Klingon wolf packs) will fight to the death. All other ships may withdraw at player's discretion.

 

Open Space:

Enemy convoys will only be encountered in open spaces. Roll for encounter (1d6: 1-3). 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, escorts destroyed in 5 volleys or less. Every convoy that is stopped decreases random enemy fleet size by one. This is the random fleet disadvantage. 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). Unless otherwise noted, three starships must remain in system for three turns to build shipyard. During each turn 50% chance of random attack. (1d6: 4-6) LOS (line of sight) must be maintained to use or attack shipyard. Unless otherwise noted, shipyard can construct replacement ships in 3 turns.There is no limit to the number of ships you can group in a fleet, and no limit to the number of fleets you can field. It is recommended that you build at least one shipyard and at least three reserve ships just in case of unforseen losses.

 

Race Specific Rules:

- Federation ships require only two turns to build shipyards, and shipyards require only two turns to build ships

- Klingons have 50% chance of summoning reinforcements wolf packs of 3 KCA's (1D6 1-3)

 

Shipyards roll 2d6 during casual combat.

 

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=

Fleet size=

Random Attack Fleet capacity=

 

You must conquer 5 systems and attain 7+ VC points

Casual Combat Update: Head to Head Sector Assault

As I get ready to run a Head to Head Sector Assault with casual combat rules, I've spent a few days playtesting casual fleet combat, and found that it has its own quirks. Essentially, allowed to run to conclusion, casual combat tends to end in blood baths that preclude the building of shipyards. So it kind of necessitates the concept of withdrawing from a losing battle and living to fight another day. That complicates things, believe it or not, because you could end up having random fleets withdrawing and surviving. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I never anticipated that when I created the Sector Assault. Otherwise it might simply be a rule that random fleets fight to the death. I'm getting a good sense of the difficulty faced by game programmers when trying to maintain balance after a change has been introduced. Anyway, I'm satisfied with the casual fleet combat, and I've run three assaults against shipyards. So the basic mechanics work. Running through a simple, no space terrain Head to Head Sector Assault with the casual rules and adapting as I go should work out the bugs.