RE: The Kra'Vak

John Atkinson writes:

>Los  wrote:

>>Well I'm primarily interested in all this (Besides having a large
>>kra'Vak FT >fleet) due to my Rot Hafen Story. Someone had written an
>>interesting rule >about Kra'Vak who fail their morale checks in DS/SG.
>>Instead of surrendiering >they go beserk and automatically assault
>>their source of fire or nearest >enemy.

>This would be an alternate form of morale--but they will attempt to
>signal surrender/switch first, probably about the time they hit broken.

>>For a while today I had a hard time reconcilling this rule with teh
>>surrender >/switch rule described below. I like both and don't want to
>>write anything in >teh story that goes against "conventional wisdom"
>>here on the list. That >being said..

>Tony and myself hardly consistute list "Conventional Wisdom".	I'm
>doing an alternate campaign with an alternate take on the K'V.  If Jon
>decides to adopt our ideas in whole or in part I will of course be
>honored, but regardless I will use them.  I'm trying to think of a
>species that thinks as well as a man, but not like a man.  Without
>falling too far into SciFi cliches.

I think we're doing a good job so far.	A lot better than most 'aliens' 
that I have seen in other mini games, or even RPGs, for that matter.

>>I think that the surrender/switch rule being the norm for KV/on KV
>>fights is >great. The fact that they have now encountered the humans
>>which don't "get" >this way of fighting, has caused them to go into
>>erradication mode. (Being >that the option of surrender switch has
been
>>taken away from the KV in a >human encounter.) They reconcile this by
>>defaulting to fail morale, go >beserk.

>It's likely that the first few battles in any campaign would see KV
>trying to surrender/switch.  After the first few a slaughtered they
>will be going berserk.

One reason that the Humans may not learn about the surrender/switch 
behavior is that many of the first encounters will go the KV's way...

>>This tragic situation will continue until the two sides can learn
>>enough >about each others to understand how they think and to open a
>>dialogue between >eachotehr. It's made worse by the fact (well it's

>Of course, the NRE will become aware of the surrender/switch mechanism.
> Rhomaioi always employed mercenaries and EPWs--generally on other
>fronts (Belisarius's Vandal POWs went to the Persian Front or to Italy,
>not garisson duty in North Africa).  We'll see Kra'Vak ships and troops
>being used against Islamic Federation and the FSE, while FSE and IF
>POWs who agree to it will be used on the Kra'Vak Front.

I like the idea of the KV being used as mercs/EPW levies against other 
Human gov'ts.  Hey, FSE, you like Gauss weapons?  We'll give you Gauss 
weapons...

>>been suggested in some >corners) that a WORSE enemy is actually
driving
>>the KV into human space. Sems >like the future could be dim for both
>>races if at some point they don't get >on the same sheet of music.

>I havn't decided on whether or not the K'V are fleeing some great
>menace.  I do know that for whatever reason, their only realistic
>avenue of expansion is into Human space--and any species which produces
>litters of the size they do must expand.

Now that I think about it, I'm not sure that I like the 'KV runs from 
UberAlien' scheme.  Maybe it seems a bit cliche, or maybe I just haven't

thought of a good UberAlien to run from.  If they have this UberAlien to

run from, why are they so surprised at Human behavior?	Why is human
space 
their only expansion axis?  Maybe it's not, but this could be the first 
real Threat they have come up against.	And they are worried.  Not only
are 
they different looking, they're lunatics.  Maybe the KV think that a
show 
of force will settle the Humans down.  Or maybe they're gearing up for 
genocide...
And if they breed fast (made possible by the alleviation of population 
pressure through interstellar migration) they want every planet they can

get their hands (manipulators, whatever) on.  Imagine GIANT freighters
full 
of KV and their colonial equipment, built cheap with slow drives.  They 
spread out over the stars - now, any KV that can afford a steerage
ticket 
can go to a new colony, and be guaranteed consideration for 
breeding...pretty soon you've got KV everywhere, and the growing
colonies 
create the pressures that drive more colonial migrations...and they're
all 
building fleets and armies, slowly, but there's a LOT of them.

Noah