Re: [GZG] [FT] Campaigns battle generation

John Tailby wrote on 06/23/2010 11:09:52 PM:

>
> For my FT gaming group the campaign is a mechanism to enable battles
> to be fought with some meaning other than simply line up and smash
> each other. Designing a campaign system where you don't play table
> top games seems counter intuitative to me. You have then created a
> space board game.

Absolutely! I may not have made myself clear, or you may simply
disagree,
my intention was that the tabletop games had a definite bearing, but not
directly on individual campaign ship battles. Assuming four campaigners
one
opponent battle counted, each player would have to participate in at
least
three games per campaign turn to receive maximum benefits.  Not enough?
Make it X number of opponent battles counted.

> Blocking enemy lines of advance and pinning down supply line raiders
> leads to a number of possibly one sided games. We found these games
> generaly very quick with one side trying to escape and either making
> it or not. So players could go through a lot of such games.
> Sometimes players would negotiate the defeat or escape of one side
> without needing to play.

Part of the 'chrome' to the campaign I saw was particular canned
scenarios
to represent certain situations as you described. Figuring how they'd
interact with the campaign game got more hinky.

However, my experience with our players is that forlorn hope situations
mostly aren't much fun, and negotiating results depends more on the
non-tactical skills, which leaves those of us socially inept at a
disadvantage. Say, 90% of our players.

Not that I haven't seen desperate situations enjoyed, just tough to
depend
on.

> Sometimes people got a surprise when a supposedly out manouvered
> enemey got the drop on them.
>
> The number of battles available is proportional to the number of
> points people control. if players have ~3500 points when they start
> and 4 different fronts 750 points per front doesn't go very far so
> you don't have many ships and so many battles.

Now there's a bit of a point; you're describing an operational campaign,
'play the cards you're dealt', while I'm imagining more of a 4X, with
building etc.

Also, folks can try to 'save up' for a really big battle. This can leave
periods of few battles, and if t here IS building/stockpiling the
battles
that do result can be a bit big for any particular ruleset.

However, those fleets are all green crew. If you want them experienced,
they have to go out and play on the table. Canned scenarios can give
variety and balance, as well.

> John

I've not been dissuaded completely, but you've convinced me this may be
useful for only certain groups. Thanks!

The_Beast

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