Fire On The Suns is a 4X (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) play-by-email (pbem) game I designed about 20 years ago which is still going strong, held together, largely, by a small group of dire-hard fans. hen I designed the game it was intended to be a large-scale, computer program driven, campaign system for a variety of tactical games that badly needed a campaign system imnsho.
So, every now and then, my friend Jeff Engel sends me a "tech batch", writeups of new technologies for inclusion in the Master Tech Handbook which is, basically, the FOTS Bible. One of the conditions I originally set for the game was that every tech had to be internally consistent within the larger framework of the game and the game universe itself. We (myself, Jeff, and many of the fans) have worked hard to insure that no particular tech "breaks" anything else in the game.
This is just the latest tech batch Jeff sent me last week, which I haven't had time to go over in depth or detail, but which will serve as a sort of introduction to the way techs work in the game and how our thinking in regard to the game goes.
Don't worry, I'll get back to The Great Hugo Dust-Up in another day or three.
Casual officer-directed construction support
Officer-directed construction is a practical and technical prerequisite
for this technology. It provides a certain quantity of the matching
funds officer-directed construction requires as a normal part of the
economic function of the state. Each level provides 5% of RP production
per turn in RP's exclusively for that purpose and requires a Development
stage of research, 5 AP pregame as a transferrable technology, or 2 AP
pregame as a non-transferrable background ability.
Psionics: Eavesdropping (ESP ability)
An Eavesdropping cabal can catch whiffs of the basis of a technology in
use nearby (in an interstellar sense) and give its state a large leg-up
developing that technology itself. An Eavesdropping cabal has a base 10%
chance each turn of providing the state the Discovery and Research
stages of a technology in use on a foreign colony or unit within its
range. Range is initially 8 sections, additional Development efforts
adds 8 sections each. Additional levels increase the chance of
Eavesdropping by 10% each. Some other psionic abilities interact
helpfully with Eavesdropping. A cabal that also has Echoing can use
Eavesdropping on ruins and derelicts, as if their technologies were
still in use, when the cabal is actually, directly on-site, and gets a
50% higher chance of Eavesdropping if artifacts recently used by the
current, living targets of Eavesdropping can be handled, as from free
trade relationships in the case of some publicly used techs. Translating
improves Eavesdropping chances by 25%. Clear Dreaming can share the
same unit surcharge; there is enough overlap in the technical training
and sensitivity to relevant technical impressions. However, any given
cabal is either doing Clear Dreaming or Eavesdropping in a given turn,
not both. The location for Eavesdropping for a given turn is that
location as which the cabal spends most of the turn – players cannot get
more Eavesdropping utility running the cabal up and down a border very
quickly. In most cases, both Discovery and Research stages will be
picked up, but GM's may rule that for extremely unfamiliar techs or
strange tech bases, the Discovery stage only is acquired. This should be
considered exceptional though. GM's may allow Eavesdropping sometimes
also to detect that certain Development-only techs are in use by the
target state, but Eavesdropping never grants those techs: the
nuts-and-bolts of a Development stage are for other abilities or normal
development.
Obscure (disadvantage)
An Obscure species has a persistent and unusually hard time communicating with others, with the following effects:
1 – Diplomatic communications should go through the GM to make sure they
are at least somewhat unclear or mis-convey some details. Very basic
communications may not be affected – especially hostile ones – but
subtle misunderstandings should be almost inevitable. GM's should
mitigate the forced misunderstandings over time.
2 – Espionage by the Obscure race suffers a 20% penalty.
3 – Free trade or better requires at least one turn at limited trade and
either two more turns or a one-time 250 RP fee to establish regular
translation services.
4 – Rights of passage or refuelling rights require a one-time 250 RP fee for their own regular translation services.
5 – Defensive and offensive military alliances are possible only using
forces for which the Obscure race has a graded officer assigned to
command: no routine measure of leadership suffices.
6 – Free communications, project co-development and intel-sharing arrangements are impossible.
7 – Tech transfers in either direction require an additional 100 RP's
each the first turn of such exchange between the Obscure race and any
other, and 50 RP's extra thereafter. On the third or later turn of
exchanges, a 250 RP fee to establish a permanent translation service for
tech exchanges can be paid by either party instead to waive the
per-transfer fee.
8 – Non-standard treaty relationships should face similar problems – GM's can specify them for players as needed.
9 – Assimilation chances by the Obscure race are capped at 20% per turn,
or 30% in case of assimilation into a periphery state. (In that case
though, the periphery state will still suffer all the usual problems of
dealing with an Obscure race.)
Obscure is worth 5 AP normally, but GM's may adjust that downward in
case of species otherwise unprepared for civil arrangements anyway.
Private exploration
A state with private exploration has a tendency to have individuals or
small groups, perhaps small companies – at any rate, non-governmental
entities - perform some system surveys in nearby sectors on their own
initiative, with their own choices for where to explore. Private
exploration requires a 60% or less tax rate and is incompatible with
Communist or Socialist economic policies or hivemindedness. Each turn,
50% of that turn's portion of the 6
th turn bonus is generated for spending on
private explorer vessels, at 10 RP's each. Every 30 private explorer
vessels perform one entire sector's system surveys each turn. In case of
fractions, GM's may provide less than a sector's worth of surveys, or
take it as a percentage chance pro-rated of a full sector's surveys.
Anything hostile destroys or captures the private explorer vessel
surveying that system, and creates some public pressure for the
government to Do Something in response in the following turn or suffer a
-5 PSR penalty per unanswered incident for that following tun (-20 PSR
in any turn as a maximum). Private exploration survey targets should be
revealed to the player before a turn's orders are completed, so that the
player (1) can get some warning where people may be getting into
trouble, and (2) avoid duplicating survey efforts. A player may deny
private exploration in a given sector entirely in a turn, but suffers a
flat -5 SR penalty for doing so in a turn, however many sectors are
ruled off-limits for private explorers. Private explorers will not
survey sectors more than a turn's safe starship cruise outside the comm
grid, or sectors where there is a known hostile presence. Otherwise,
GM's may select the target sectors randomly or according to any whims,
designs, plans, or impressions of popular curiosity.
Natural beam weapon engineers
This background ability costs 10 AP, but could be discounted by specific
background technology (beams) in the same way as a narrow or specific
research aptitude in beams could be. Natural beam weapon engineers
indicates a deep level of skill and familiarity with beam research,
construction, operations, and upkeep, with the following benefits:
1) Beam research skips Research stages.
2) Units with one third or more of their equipment spaces in beams
receive a 5% discount at construction or refit when built by this
species, cumulative with Expense Management Tech and under the same 25%
cap. In case of units with 50% or more of their spaces in beams, this is
a 10% discount.
3) Background abilities specific to beams are half cost. Natural beam
weapon engineers does not discount itself, and specific background
technology is an additional exception.
Natural energy torpedoes engineers
This background ability costs 10 AP, but could be discounted by specific
background technology (energy torpedoes) in the same way as a narrow or
specific research aptitude in energy torps could be. Natural energy
torpedoes engineers indicates a deep level of skill and familiarity with
energy torpedo research, construction, operations, and upkeep, with the
following benefits:
1) Energy torpedo research skips Research stages.
2) Units with one third or more of their equipment spaces in energy
torps receive a 5% discount at construction or refit when built by this
species, cumulative with Expense Management Tech and under the same 25%
cap. In case of units with 50% or more of their spaces in torpedoes,
this is a 10% discount.
3) Background abilities specific to energy torpedoes are half cost.
Natural energy torpedoes engineers does not discount itself, and
specific background technology is an additional exception.
Natural missile engineers
This background ability costs 10 AP, but could be discounted by specific
background technology (missiles) in the same way as a narrow or
specific research aptitude in missiles could be. Natural missile
engineers indicates a deep level of skill and familiarity with missile
research, construction, operations, and upkeep, with the following
benefits:
1) Missile and missile launcher research skips Research stages.
2) Units with one third or more of their equipment spaces in missile
launchers receive a 5% discount at construction or refit when built by
this species, cumulative with Expense Management Tech and under the same
25% cap. In case of units with 50% or more of their spaces in missile
launchers, this is a 10% discount.
3) Background abilities specific to missiles and missile launchers are
half cost. Natural missile engineers does not discount itself, and
specific background technology is an additional exception.
4) Missiles are built at double the build rate otherwise applicable in factories and in shipyards.
Natural railgun engineers
This background ability costs 10 AP, but could be discounted by specific
background technology (railguns) in the same way as a narrow or
specific research aptitude in railguns could be. Natural railgun
engineers indicates a deep level of skill and familiarity with missile
research, construction, operations, and upkeep, with the following
benefits:
1) Railgun shell and launcher research skips Research stages.
2) Units with one third or more of their equipment spaces in railgun
launchers receive a 5% discount at construction or refit when built by
this species, cumulative with Expense Management Tech and under the same
25% cap. In case of units with 50% or more of their spaces in railgun
launchers, this is a 10% discount.
3) Background abilities specific to railgun shells and launchers are
half cost. Natural railgun engineers does not discount itself, and
specific background technology is an additional exception.
4) Railgun shells are built at double the build rate otherwise applicable in factories and in shipyards.
Prompt fire training
Prompt fire training is available as a background or natural ability for
5 AP, but can also be researched in-game. Discovery stages should
usually be waived for states with a pregame history of using the
specific weapon, Research stages are transferrable, but Development
stages are specific-specific. Prompt fire training is researched or
bought by weapon type (beams, energy torpedoes, railguns, missiles,
etc.) and a unit with it pays a 15% unit surcharge for the training.
Only crewed units may make use of prompt fire training, but variants of
it for automated units may be Researched and Developed. The unit's crew
is able to fire that class of weapons on with hair-trigger reaction
speeds. Assuming the first round of fire does not consist of a surprise
attack or fire by cloaked units or weapons with longer than normal
range, the units with prompt fire training can fire their weapons as if
they were long range ones, ahead of other normal-range fire on either
side. This round of fire replaces the first normal range round of fire
by those weapons. Fire proceeds normally thereafter. In the case of
fighter or similar units firing XO rack based weaponry, prompt fire
training still replaces the normal range round of fire, even though the
XO racks being fired in later rounds are clearly not the “weapons” fired
in the prompt fire training round.
Natural shield engineers
This background ability costs 10 AP, but could be discounted by specific
background technology (shields) in the same way as a narrow or specific
research aptitude in shields could be. Natural shield engineers
indicates a deep level of skill and familiarity with shield research,
construction, operations, and upkeep, with the following benefits:
1) Shield research skips Research stages.
2) Units with one third or more of their equipment spaces in shields
receive a 5% discount at construction or refit when built by this
species, cumulative with Expense Management Tech and under the same 25%
cap. In case of units with 50% or more of their spaces in shields, this
is a 10% discount. Any unit with a technology for shields that normally
carries a unit surcharge counts for the 5% discount; any with two or
more, for the 10% discount, whether or not the equipment space
requirement is met. Shield related, enhancing, or dependent systems like
resistant shields count for the shield equipment space total as well.
3) Background abilities specific to shields are half cost. Natural
shield engineers does not discount itself, and specific background
technology is an additional exception.
4) Shields are repaired at half cost.
Natural hull engineers
This background ability costs 10 AP. It could be discounted by a state
with specific background technology covering both structural
reinforcements and ablative armor, but not otherwise. Natural hull
engineers indicates a deep level of skill and familiarity with
spacecraft hull research, construction, operations, and upkeep, with the
following benefits:
1) Structural reinforcement, ablative armor, and resistant armor
research skips Research stages, where applicable. Research into larger
spacecraft hull sizes gets a 20% bonus to effective funding, as does
build rate research.
2) Units with one third or more of their equipment spaces in structural
reinforcements receive a 5% discount at construction or refit when built
by this species, cumulative with Expense Management Tech and under the
same 25% cap. In case of units with 50% or more of their spaces in
structural reinforcements, this is a 10% discount. In case of component
armor, count the total effective equipment spaces (including those from
component armor) and all the effective structural reinforcements it
provides. (Essentially, a unit making thorough use of component armor is
very likely to get at least the 5% discount.) Any unit with a
technology for hull or armor improvement, protection or regeneration
that normally carries a unit surcharge counts for the 5% discount; any
with two or more, for the 10% discount, whether or not the equipment
space requirement is met. Armor and hull related, enhancing, or
dependent systems like resistant armor count for the structural
reinforcement equipment space total as well.
3) Background abilities specific to structural reinforcements and armor,
or for higher build, refit, and repair rates, are half cost. Natural
hull engineers does not discount itself, and specific background
technology is an additional exception.
4) Hull and armor damage are repaired at 50% normal cost and double the normal speed.
Electronic warfare aptitude
EW aptitude is normally bought as a background ability for 5 AP per
level, but could be researched in-game from a Discovery stage. A culture
with EW aptitude takes to ECM/ECCM, battlecomputers, and other systems
for electonic combat such as sensor ghost projectors with ease and
skill. Each level discounts the purchase of such technologies pregame by
25%, up to 50% with two levels. Two levels in EW aptitude also allows
the state to waive Research stages on electronic warfare technologies.
Each level provides a 1 point target and DEFENSE bonus as a sort of
primitive battlecomputer and ECM bonus, or a 20% bonus to the actual
target, DEFENSE, yield, or RESIST value provided by electronic warfare
systems.
Salvaged repair operations
Improved salvage operations is a technical and practical prerequisite
for this technology. As a background ability, it can be bought for 5 AP
with natural scavengers as a prerequisite. It allows RP's from a
battlefield, recovered through salvage operations, to be used in that
very turn for repairs to friendly units powered-down on-site. The amount
of RP's salvaged from friendly units that is dedicated to friendly unit
repairs is doubled, given that they are assumed to have similar
structures and basic bits used.
(Provoked by Tony
Fleming)
Your comments are, of course, invited.
Thanks,
Greg
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