Welcome to the second incarnation of the Wings of Dawn forum game. This time around the game features a strong pvp element with diplomacy and tactical fleet combat. The rules are slightly more complex than the first forum game, so take some time to read the rules before signing up!
There are two possible roles to play:
Admiral: Control a fleet and fight in honor of your chosen faction. While your political influence with your faction leader is not as large as that of the ministers, you get to assemble your own fleet and gain glory on the battlefield!
Minister: This person is at the forefront of the diplomatic negotiations between the factions
and advises the faction leader on all matters. He also manages the faction's financial affairs, he initiates projects, assigns resources to research and fleet construction.
GENERAL MECHANICS:Turn order:
The game has two types of phase that follow each other in succession; The Intrigue phase and the Strategic phase. The Ministers do their things during the Intrigue phase, while the Admirals give orders for tactical combat (if they are involved in one) during this phase. This is then followed by the strategic phase, in which the Admirals give their strategic orders. And so forth.
Game start (Turn 0) -> The ministers give their orders for Intrigue phase 1 -> Intrigue phase 1 -> Admirals give strategic orders -> Strategic phase 1 -> Ministers do their stuff, Admirals give tactical orders -> New turn, Intrigue phase -> and so forth
Money and Resources:As can be seen on the map, each location produces a certain amount of Money and Resources, which flows directly into the faction's coffers.
Money is used for research, initiating projects and for fleet construction
Resources are used for building fleets and other orbital construction.
It is possible to go into negative numbers, but once this happens, no expenditure can be done until the numbers go back into the plus again.
Money and resources are added every new Intrigue phase.
Research:Research is done by pouring in a set percentage of money into it. Each turn the Minister can decide to put in money either 25% or 50% of the research goal.
Every new level reached will unlock special projects, like for example being able to build starbases, or to upgrade fleets with the next generation of fighter crafts.
Note: If a research is at 75% completion, you cannot put in 50% to 'overflow' into the next level.
Special technologies:These are faction specific technologies that bestow a significant bonus. While you cannot research or steal the special technologies of a different faction, it is possible to trade them. Needless to say, these are precious and should only exchange hands for a significant price!
These technologies are unlocked as projects when reaching a certain level of research.
Shipyards:There are two types of shipyards; the big, named ones that have their own location on the map. And the shipyards in a planet's orbit. Both types have the same functions, a fleet can resupply and refit there, and new fleets can be constructed at them. The difference between the two is that the named shipyards cannot be destroyed. They can, however, be captured and directly put to work for the other faction.
The shipyards in orbit are represented by the circled up arrow. These shipyards can be destroyed by an enemy fleet, but cannot be captured unless the planet they orbit is invaded. The Minister of internal affairs can order new ones to be constructed. There can only be one shipyard in a location at a time.
A star base is represented by a circled star.
FACTION LEADERS:
Each faction is ruled by a different 'npc', controlled by yours truly. These faction leaders will have different personalities, with different motivations, goals and tendencies. Generally speaking, the faction leader will give the Admirals and Ministers a global objective that he or she would like to see achieved. And will leave it up to the players to make it happen.
They may however object to certain decisions, reckless spending of money or seemingly unwise fleet deployment. In such cases it will be up to the players to convince their faction leader otherwise.
However in the end, the faction leader has a veto in all manners and in the worse (extreme) case also has the power to relieve a player from duty. (Please don't make me have to use this!) *Not in the test game.MINISTER MECHANICS:The Minister has the responsibility to manage his faction as well as to negotiate deals and treaties with the Ministers of other factions. The management part is subject to the game's rule wheras the diplomacy part is a lot more freeform.
The management part has the following tasks:
-Allocating funds for fleet construction and resupply
-Allocating funds for research
-Initiating projects and construction plans
In battle, fleets will inevitably suffer attrition and will need resupply to replenish their strength. But of course, this costs Resources. Resources you are responsible for.
So when an Admiral moves his fleet to a shipyard and requests to be resupplied, it is up to the minister of internal affairs to approve the resupply request and determine for how much percentage resupply the budget allows for.
The repair cost is always 5% of the total fleet cost per 10% repair. Check the fleet page for the exact cost.
Likewise, when an Admiral desires to change his fleet composition he can request a refit. The cost of a refit will be: Current fleet type cost - target fleet type cost. If the cost ends up negative, the refit will be free. Fleets can only be refitted if they are at 100% strength.
Projects come in two types; reusable and one time use.
Reusable projects will pretty much always be available and can be initiated for their cost each turn. One time projects are, well, one time use. These generally tend to be event specific plans or special technologies that got unlocked by research. The available projects will be visible in your faction specific thread. Once a project has been initiated, it will become public knowledge (Though specific results might remain hidden from their eyes).
Example template for the Minister's turn:
Research 50%
Approve request for resupply of fleet 2nd DD at Ihefulian prime
-Resupply center for 30%
-Resupply left for 30%
-Resupply right for 40%
Approve request for refit of 3rd DD left flank from light to heavy.
Initiate project: Intelligence
Initiate project: Construct garrison fleet for Terconia III's moon, Light center, Artillery flank L
-From shipyard: Terconia III
Initiate special project: Tacopizza's
Diplomacy: A couple of example deals the Minister could potentially make with each other.:
Sell resources: Sell X resources to an other faction for X money.
Sell technology: Sell one tech level worth of chosen technology for X money or resources.
Trade technology: Trade one tech level worth.
Permit passage: Allows a fleet(s) to enter through your space without getting attacked.
Note: Technology can only be traded/sold if there is a level difference between the two factions.
The possible relation statuses possible between factions:
Alliance: Fleets can freely move through allied systems and resupply at allied bases (consumes resources of the owner of the shipyard). Allied fleets will fight side by fight with each other.
Non-aggression pact: Fleets can move freely through allied systems and won't engage each other automatically when in the same space.
Truce: A temporary agreement that fleets can move through space unmolested. The details of this agreement are up to negotiators.
Cold war: The absence of treaties. Fleets will automatically engage each other when they are in the same location.
War: This shouldn't need any explanation!
ADMIRAL MECHANICS:Representing the military arm of their factions, the Admiral players need to hone both their strategic and tactical decision making to come out on top.
For the strategic turn, the Admiral can give the following orders to his fleet:
Admiral strategic orders:
-In-system jump: Moves the fleet to a location inside the system. If this order is given while your fleet is engaged in a battle without retreating first. All your fleet elements will take 10% damage.
-Starlance jump: Moves the fleet through the Starlance into a different system. The fleet needs to be positioned at the right Starlance to initiate a jump. The Starlance does not need to be under your faction's control.
-Secure location: Take control over a Starlance or send in marines to take over a mining facility or shipyard.
-Destroy shipyards: Destroys the orbital facilities of a planet.
-Retreat: Disengages your fleet from a tactical combat, taking no losses.
-Invade planet: Available when a troop transport fleet is attached to the fleet. Occupies a hostile planet if no defenses are present.
-Set up jump inhibitor field: Sets up a field in the current occupied location, which prevents a hostile fleet from jumping away from the location. The field remains active until your fleet moves from the current location or after a round of combat. This field also prevents hostile Subspace weapons from being fired from this location.
-Resupply: When at a location with a shipyard, you can request your fleet to receive repairs. At the same time, you can also use this order to request a refit to a different fleet type.
Admirals give two strategic orders in the week leading up to the strategic turn. Which are then executed in the order that they were given.
Most of these orders should speak for themselves, but the Jump inhibitor probably requires a small example:
In this scenario the 9th SF fleet has overextended and wants to escape the system or risk potential destruction at the hands of the 6th and 7th DD fleets in this system. It just came out of a tactical battle with the 6th DD fleet while the 7th DD fleet just entered the system last turn and has set itself up to cut off the retreat of the 9th SF to its own space.
The 9th SF fleet has two ways to disengage from its current battle with the 6th DD. To give an In-system jump order to the Starlance leading into Grens, which will lead to his fleet taking 10% damage. Or he can give a Retreat order first, and then have his second order be the In-system jump one. He decides to take the damage to make sure he gets away from the 6th DD.
So he gives the following orders:
1. In-system jump to Starlance to Grens
2. Starlance jump to Grens
This turns out to be correct decision since the 6th DD Admiral gave his fleet these orders:
1. Set up jump inhibitor field
2. Nothing
With both orders resolving at the same time, the 9th SF Jumps out before the Inhibitor field takes effect. If he had attempted to retreat first and then move second, the 9th SF would have been caught and forced to continue its tactical battle with the 6th.
However in the same turn, the 7th DD gave the same set of orders as the 6th DD. So while the 9th arrived at the Starlance to Grens, it cannot complete its jump through the Starlance due to the field and is forced into another round of tactical combat with the 7th DD.
Tactical combat:When two fleets of different factions who are currently in a hot or cold war end up in the same location with each other, after the orders have been resolved. They will end up in combat with each other. All Admirals involved can then issue up to 5 orders which are carried out in the order they are given.
The key to successfully besting your opponent is all about bringing your fleet into the optimal firing position and predicting what your foe will do. You can issue your fleet the following orders:
Admiral tactical orders:- Advance * Fleet into a direction: Forward/Backwards/Port/Starboard (Directions may vary depending on the map)
This moves the designated part of your fleet into the chosen direction. If this is the center fleet, any attached flanks will move alongside it. Your fleet cannot advance through an enemy fleet when moving forward. When two fleets are advancing into each other at the same time, the fleet with the higher strength takes precedence. In case of a tie it'll be decided by a coinflip. In case of fleets of multiple factions fighting each other on the same field, it gets a bit more complicated which way is 'forward', so in those situations fleets cannot move through each other in any direction.
Any fleet flanks that move away from the center fleet will detach and no longer move and fire alongside the center fleet. Simply moving them back into the same grid as the center fleet will reattach them.
Example syntax: Advance 1st SF Center Forward
Or Advance 1st SF Left to Port
- Fleet * Fire on <Target>:
Orders a fleet to fire on a specific target. If you order your Center fleet to fire on a target, the attached flanks will fire alongside with it. This order allows you to single out a specific target, but has the risk that the specific target may not be in range when the order is given.
Example syntax: 1st SF Center Fire on 2nd CRF Left
- Fleet * Fire on any target:
Orders a fleet to fire on any target that is in range. This will prioritize fleets within 0 range first, then the highest strength (in percentage) fleet within range. This order has less risk of fizzling out because of no valid targets in range, but will often result that your fleets fire on the less optimal target.
Example syntax: 1st SF Left Fire on any target
A fleet can have any number of move and fire actions, but a fleet will fire only ONCE during a single tactical combat turn. So the trick is to try to maximize the amount of weapons that are in range.
Target of opportunity: When a valid firing order has been given and the primary target has been destroyed, and there are still unfired weapons. The unfired weapons will then fire on the next valid target of opportunity that is on the same grid as the primary target (following the same target selection as Fire on any target).
Fleet statistics:Shields: Effectively serve as hitpoints that regenerate each new tactical combat turn.
Strength: Your fleet's hitpoints, unlike shields, these do not regenerate on their own. In order to repair this damage a fleet must be resupplied at a shipyard. Fleets below 50% strength suffer a 25% penalty to the damage they deal.
Evasion: A flat percentage to avoid a shot.
Experience: Fleet experience will go up one a level after a tactical combat*, and adds to the Potential. New fleets start at Regular (+0) and go up to Veteran (+1) and Elite (+2)
Garrison fleets do not gain Experience.
(*Actual combat, so no trying to raise your fleet experience by going into tactical combat with someone and not shooting at each other)Morale: Like Experience, Morale adds to the Potential of a fleet. Morale is generally influenced by faction and Admiral achievements.
Morale ranges from Broken (-2), Shaken (-1), Ok (+0), Good (+1), Superb (+2) and Zealous (+3)
Potential: There are several factors that can contribute to a fleet's effectiveness, such as good morale, crew experience, a solid commander in charge and so forth. But there is only so much a motivated crew can do to overcome technical limitations. This is reflected in a fleet's potential.
This stat affects a fleet's damage and evasion.
Example: The 101th UGCR fleet has a maximum potential of 4, it has achieved Elite status in Experience, adding a +2 modifier to its potential. It also has Good morale, adding an additional +1. But it is currently being affected by enemy ECM, which applies a -1 penalty to its potential. Leaving the 101th with a 2/4 potential, meaning it operates at 120% efficiency. Adding a 20% increase to its damage and evasion stats.
Each fleet comes with a variety of weapons:
Dmg: The damage a type of weapon can do with each shot. For example with Main Batteries that do 25x8 dmg, mean that it will fire 8 shots that will each deal 25 damage.
Hit: The accuracy rating of the weapon in percentage. When a weapon fires multiple shots, each shot is subjected to its own accuracy roll. The target's evasion stat will be directly subtracted from this value.
Range: A weapon will have a certain range at which it can be fired. For example a 0-2 weapon can be fired in close range as well as one or two grids away. While a 1-1 range weapon can only be fired at a target that is exactly 1 grid away. When the fire order is given, only the weapons in range of the target will be able to fire.
Type: If a weapon has a specific type.
-Neutron: These weapons ignore 10% of the enemy shields.
-EMP: When a EMP weapon hits an enemy fleet, it applies a 10% accuracy debuff that lasts for a single tactical combat turn. (Make sure to fire it before the enemy gets a chance to fire this turn!) This effect can stack.
-ECM: This reduces the enemy potential by 1, it remains active for as long as the fleet that has it remains alive on the field. ECM does not stack.
-Fire Control: adds a +3 hit bonus on point defense and secondary batteries to all allied fleets currently on the same grid as the fleet that has the carrier. Fire Control does not stack.
Flanking: A fleet is considered to be flanking when it is 1 range next to an enemy fleet, which is engaged with another fleet in 0 range.
When a fleet fires at a target fleet it flanks, it deals an additional 25% damage. If it flanks the target fleet from behind, this damage increases to 50%.
Here are some examples of fleets flanking.
In this case, the 1st Right DD is considered to be flanking every SF fleet.
In this example, the 1st Right DD is flanking the 1st SF Left and Right, while the 1st SF Center is flanking the 1st DD Left and Center.
Environmental factors:When fighting at certain locations or systems, there may be Asteroids or Nebula's.
-Fleets in asteroids fields gain a flat 5 to their evasion
-Fleets fighting in nebula's suffer a penalty of 10 to their accuracy.
Fleet assembly for starting Admirals:
Before the game commences, each Admiral can decide what fleet types he wants his fleet to consist off, free of cost. It will cost money&resources to refit a fleet to a different type during the actual game.
Multiple fleet engagements:In the case multiple fleets clash with each other, the battle field expands to accomendate all fleet present. A four way clash can get pretty crazy!
Garrison fleets:Garrison fleets will automatically repair 25% strength every strategic phase for no cost, and cannot be repaired manually. As long as no enemy fleet is present at the location, and the planet remains in control of your faction, the garrison fleet will even be repaired from 0% strength. They cannot be repaired manually. They do not need a shipyard on location to automatically repair, but they do need one to be refitted to a different fleet type and to receive upgrades.
Garrisons automatically receive new technology refits as long as they are not in combat.
Invasion fleets:Invasion fleets are constructed as a project by the Minister at a shipyard. Once constructed, they will need to be attached to a player fleet to move around. In tactical battle, an invasion fleet can be given up to four move commands, and it cannot use special commands, such as Valor. When an Invasion fleet arrives at an enemy controlled planet, there will be a drop point indicated on the tactical battlemap. If this Invasion fleet manages to reach this point, the planet will be immediately secured. Though if there is a Starbase still present, it will not immediately switch sides.
If the fleet the Invasion fleet is attached to gets destroyed by damage not directly dealt during tactical combat (by for example, subspace torpedoes) but the Invasion fleet survives the damage, it will not be destroyed along with the attached fleet. But it will not be able to move until another fleet can pick it up. An invasion fleet will be destroyed instantly if it makes contact with a hostile fleet and has not fleet around to protected it. (Just a Starbase is not enough)
Admiral Achievements:There are four achievements an Admiral can achieve in combat, which will add a title to his name, and have an effect on fleet morale (your own, your allies, or the enemy). These achievements are initially hidden.
Admiral defeat:An Admiral is defeated when all of his fleet elements have been destroyed.
-If an Admiral is defeated he will use the escape pod and be able to take command of a rebuild fleet, but only if there is a direct escape route back to allied space.
-If an Admiral is defeated and all of the starlances leading out of the system are under hostile control, and there is no other allied fleet in system, the Admiral will be captured.
A captured Admiral will be automatically returned next turn to his original faction for ransom. The minister can set the height of the ransom sum (The maximum being the income of a single turn worth of money&resource from the target faction).
A defeated Admiral can take command of an existing Garrison fleet to get back into the action.
GAME ENDFor the test game, the game ends after turn 10. There is a simple scoring mechanic for the end:
-10 points for each level of research
-5 points for each location under your faction's control at the end. (Starlances don't count)
-5 points for each fleet flank destruction, 10 points for a center.
-20 points to whoever ended the game with the most money and resources (combined sum) in their account. 10 points for second.
TOO MANY/TOO FEW PLAYERS:In the case there aren't enough players to fill each position, or in case some position simply doesn't prove to be very popular, it will be possible that a single player fills multiple positions.
In case no player wants to fill multiple roles and a faction is still short, the faction leader him/herself will fill the empty spot.
In the case there are too many players, additional admiral positions will be opened up.
SUBSTITUTE: In case a player isn't available for a couple of weeks, or for some reason was unable to show up for a week or whatever. It is possible for another player to temporary take over for him. Let me know in your faction's thread if you have a preferred other player that will fill in for you in such a case.
SPYING:While not encouraged, it is not strictly forbidden to spy for another faction. Just be aware that if a faction leader becomes aware that you are a mole, you will be quickly removed from duty.
ROLEPLAYING:Just like last game, role playing is optional. However, I would encourage it for players that take up the mantle of a Minister (It is also easier to score more points with your faction leader if you role play things well (; ).
FIGHTING NPC ENEMIES:So you might be wondering "But Spoon, how can you be playing fair when you can see the player Admiral orders, and counter their orders?"
Well, you'll just have to trust me on this! I will always give my tactical fleet orders directly after a new turn before looking at what any of the Admirals do.
