And now for the fun stuff.
I've done it, and charted out the nine subsectors of the Imperium Festerium: I've laid in the major trade routes. I did the subsectors all by hand, the old school die rolly way. I picked the major trade routes like so:
For class A or B starports, I added the following:
Population #
+2 if naval base present
+2 if class A port.
If the sum is 8+, it's a stop on a trade route.
Each leg of the route must be J-3 or less.
Where such a world is not within J-3 of another such, identify a suitable way-point between the two nearest: each leg of the jump must be no more than J-3, and the port should be able to provide refined fuel: Bare minimum being a D port with a scout base.
I've thought out the basic disposition of the Festrian fleet, typical warships being:
4000-5000 ton orbital battle cruisers, J2 or 3, 2 or 3G: primarily missile platforms with lasers assigned to antimissile duty, generally carry a complement of riderships and fighters.
4000 ton carrier: J3, 1G; typically carries 4 300 ton 6-G riders and twenty fighters
2000-3000 ton raiders: J3, 4G to 6G: carry a fighter squadron and a complement of fast-landing ships to deliver up to a company of marines; primarily armed with missiles to provide orbital support for same
1000-2000 ton destroyers: J3, 6G; larger varieties carry their own fighter squadrons as well. Typically assigned to carrier/battlecruisers as escorts.
2
800 ton "mercenary cruisers" sometimes employed to deliver small marine forces
400 ton "T" patrol cruisers for scutwork.
Virtually none of the capital ships are typically encountered within Imperial borders: most are assigned out beyond the frontier. Naval encounters, especially commercial ones, will generally be with the ubiquitous T; fleet encounters will generally never involve more than the fighter screen, or perhaps a cutter.
On the Trade Routes: 4000 ton Imperial Merchants: J3, 1G: when they hit port, speculative cargos vanish, sales prices plummet, and for purposes of cargo and passenger availability, the world's effective population # drops by 2 (such a large ship creates a huge imbalance in local trade, with Imperial trade representatives purchasing cargos in bulk below rates by Imperial Requisition Edict.)
For class A or B starports, I added the following:
Population #
+2 if naval base present
+2 if class A port.
If the sum is 8+, it's a stop on a trade route.
Each leg of the route must be J-3 or less.
Where such a world is not within J-3 of another such, identify a suitable way-point between the two nearest: each leg of the jump must be no more than J-3, and the port should be able to provide refined fuel: Bare minimum being a D port with a scout base.
I've thought out the basic disposition of the Festrian fleet, typical warships being:
4000-5000 ton orbital battle cruisers, J2 or 3, 2 or 3G: primarily missile platforms with lasers assigned to antimissile duty, generally carry a complement of riderships and fighters.
4000 ton carrier: J3, 1G; typically carries 4 300 ton 6-G riders and twenty fighters
2000-3000 ton raiders: J3, 4G to 6G: carry a fighter squadron and a complement of fast-landing ships to deliver up to a company of marines; primarily armed with missiles to provide orbital support for same
1000-2000 ton destroyers: J3, 6G; larger varieties carry their own fighter squadrons as well. Typically assigned to carrier/battlecruisers as escorts.
2
800 ton "mercenary cruisers" sometimes employed to deliver small marine forces
400 ton "T" patrol cruisers for scutwork.
Virtually none of the capital ships are typically encountered within Imperial borders: most are assigned out beyond the frontier. Naval encounters, especially commercial ones, will generally be with the ubiquitous T; fleet encounters will generally never involve more than the fighter screen, or perhaps a cutter.
On the Trade Routes: 4000 ton Imperial Merchants: J3, 1G: when they hit port, speculative cargos vanish, sales prices plummet, and for purposes of cargo and passenger availability, the world's effective population # drops by 2 (such a large ship creates a huge imbalance in local trade, with Imperial trade representatives purchasing cargos in bulk below rates by Imperial Requisition Edict.)
posted by Jwarrrlry at 11:04 AM
4 Comments:
Woohoo!
So, when are we gonna get to see the data?
I like your trade route determination scheme. And the localized effect of the honkin' big merchants! Are you going to determine their presence in a port randomly or will it be a planned, "let's make the players sweat" type thing?
Data for the ships, you mean? I might put the carrier/rider stats up tonight, but I reckon those are all going to vary a lot. The fighters are just the straight book 2 small craft generally speaking, although I'll handwave in heavier fighters: 30-50 tons, 6G with triple beams and a big 'ol 'puter.
The Black Ships are definitely a "make 'em sweat" thing, really an adventure nugget themselves. The mere rumor that one's due in a week or so would be enough to drive prices down sharply, but the fact that they're J3 and most merchants are J1 means that news will seldom get there in time. I imagine the port going about its business, when the news hits like a lightning bolt: "The Black Ship! The Black Ship's just jumped in!" And instantly prices start to drop, as merchants desperately try to sell at higher than the rock-bottom rates the Imperial Trade Representative can command; crews hastily scramble to their ships as merchants attempt to clear port - the Black Ships have been known to hold free traders in port in order to cherry-pick their cargos).
When the Black Ship hits port, virtually all shuttle service becomes unavailable - every shuttle and lighter's going to be called into service. The Black Ship's own shuttle will be occupied with transporting the Trade Representative and his squad of Imperial Marines.
Oh, there's all sorts of fun that can happen when The Black Ship comes.
UWP data! I wanna see your subsectors, man! :)
I like the Black Ships. Really, really like them. That'll be a great bit of color for YTU.
And if you ever get this thing into playable shape...I'm coming to NYC for a weekend with my lucky Avalon Hill dice collection and a notebook full of PCs!
I am also really liking these Black Ships and the way you have thought out things like price drop and holding the little guys.
Yep, fun little place the Festerian Empire.
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