Well, another failure to launch. Post-mortem.

[SWSF Hoppus]

Well, again, scope creep and too much ambition crushed this. The idea was to just grab Galactic Realms warbook and play the game with it... and here we are, very far off from that, trying to change and fix too much.

Here's my post-mortem opinion.

I think we can do two things successfully.

1) Play with an old rule set with minimal changes or alterations (perhaps GLARING issues can be resolved but otherwise play as is, even knowing the game is flawed). So, we can run with Galactic Realms or After Endor rule sets and galaxies, and play the game, knowing that there is no real core mechanic driving game play other than its fun to start battles and build ships and write some story around it. No win conditions, no real economic sense to battles (the cost of conquering a system is probably not recouped for years, etc)...

2) We just give up on rules and switch to a Storyline-only game. We use an honor system. We mix up character and fleet-level stories and have space battles by writing stories, and probably negotiating with each other about winning/losing.

That's it. There's no other option. I don't have time or energy to invent a game from scratch, to test it, and try to make it perfect. So we either embrace a game that existed in the past warts and all knowing that its not always logical in how it works, or we stick to story-only universe where there is no economy or game mechanics, just straight up story and honor system, keeping each other in check if someone starts to go a little to over the top somewhere.

[SWSF Eidolon]

  Dice battling and SLing. ;p

  Maybe an Arena type setting.  A battleground world between Rebellion and Empire?  A space station/trade lane/commerce hub that the Empire has moved in and taken over but the Rebellion moves supplies through and maintains networks at and a Shadowport operates there to?

  I just think the open galaxy scheme or even the shrunken made to seem open galaxy angle puts us in a place to have a lot of space to fill both in story and in regulation concepts.  *shrug*  just some shots


  SLing is always fun but we should come up with basic parameters like everyone is on the same planet/area and lets go.  Our Tales From Hutt Space angle was perhaps too niche or simply lacked enough "game" aspect.  There is a balance somewhere in there, I think SLing stalls when you have no achievement mechanic.  If we could come up with a simple way allowing people/players to simply write characters, have them gain aptitude/worth some how in a measured system, and be able to duel/battle one another would be pretty sweet.

  I guess how/what all depends on when/where.  I always thought a total Jedi focused sim could be sweet if you could have a fun system where players have different powers and abilities and can duel each other with them.  Thats me though!


  But you see the "til Death" in my siggy!  I'll always be around for whatever and willing to chip in =)



PROs: I switched over to imgur through this endeavor, we had a sim with 2 members even though they only got to write
CONs: Everyone was too scared of the TGE to get their butts moving, I understand.  Next time I'll try to make us seem less daunting.   

[RanesDsane]

From my perspective, here's where I kinda gave up.  I state these as simple facts for me, not necessarily as something that was done "wrong."

1)  We had too many "final" versions/freezes that weren't.  I don't mind grinding numbers as theory, but once I put in the time to actually put together what I want and optimizing that, and we get another change, it wears.

2)  I personally didn't really like the smaller fleets/planetary defenses.  I like big battles, things that feel galactic size, not as much the smaller bits that felt more like little regional things. 

3)  I moved across 3 continents in 1 month, so time simply disappeared for me.  The slipped schedule meant I simply didn't have time to grind through the setup math and get things going again.

4)  Long pauses drain enthusiasm and interest, so whatever we do, we should start up and keep things going.

As far as what I'd like to do....  Well, I liked (well enough, at least) these rules about 2-3 revisions ago when we were bigger and just going to duke it out.  That said, I've got major time sucks for about another month, so I'll be unreliable for a bit longer.

[SWSF Hoppus]

I feel most of us are yearning for the larger scale stuff, excluding Eid. 

Maybe I can revert shit and put something together thats old school and simplistic.

[SWSF Hale]

FWIW, I felt like the iteration we had around June/July was when the group was at peak energy. I was really pumped at the possibility of playing an SSD, and basically oriented my whole faction, spreadsheet, and backstory around it... and then it went up in smoke. Re-committing to the game after that, especially after fall semester (grad school) set in.. on top of being a new dad (baby born in May)... it was all just too much too late.

[Bishio]

I always looked forward to it.  But it kind of always almost was there then gone.  Here is my points.  Take them in good heart.  Just how I started to feel.

A big part of why I wanted to be "a part" of another group instead of just my own is I do like to have other folks to interact with.  Don't get me wrong I really liked the fact we had many interesting factions but so few kind of means you are limited to not having so much. Kind of turns the universe into a spreadsheet simulation.

I am also a fan of just old school and simple.  Make it fun and grand with scale.  Really simple lets you control 2-3 ships easily.  Have big explosions and turn over in vessels.

I think one thing that is proven is we all really do have limited time.  So gaps between posts, ships and combat that can happen over time, stories to fill the gap, and not so much economic and battle micro management.  I mean I had to spend several hours trying to figure out how to stock my ISD with limited funds.  Mixing and matching different pieces and such over and over.  Realistic? Maybe.  How I wanted to spend a Sunday night? Not so much.

Also a whole lot of "next week" then "not next week" and all were for good reasons.  But eventually I kind of stopped checking in.  Then two weeks pass and I see another round of "today" and then "no Wednesday".  I think keeping it simple and proven already than.. hey.. we can just say "Dec 1st" and know its a go.

[SWSF Hoppus]

I always looked forward to it.  But it kind of always almost was there then gone.  Here is my points.  Take them in good heart.  Just how I started to feel.

A big part of why I wanted to be "a part" of another group instead of just my own is I do like to have other folks to interact with.  Don't get me wrong I really liked the fact we had many interesting factions but so few kind of means you are limited to not having so much. Kind of turns the universe into a spreadsheet simulation.

I am also a fan of just old school and simple.  Make it fun and grand with scale.  Really simple lets you control 2-3 ships easily.  Have big explosions and turn over in vessels.

I think one thing that is proven is we all really do have limited time.  So gaps between posts, ships and combat that can happen over time, stories to fill the gap, and not so much economic and battle micro management.  I mean I had to spend several hours trying to figure out how to stock my ISD with limited funds.  Mixing and matching different pieces and such over and over.  Realistic? Maybe.  How I wanted to spend a Sunday night? Not so much.

Also a whole lot of "next week" then "not next week" and all were for good reasons.  But eventually I kind of stopped checking in.  Then two weeks pass and I see another round of "today" and then "no Wednesday".  I think keeping it simple and proven already than.. hey.. we can just say "Dec 1st" and know its a go.

Thanks hale and bish! Yeah i was both overly optimistic and couldnt stop tweaking. Stay tuned.

[gallpizi]

I’m still here. I will agree that I got disheartened about making up my entire fleet and plan just to have everything re worked and lost steam from that.

I’m still game to play though! Am in Hawaii until 11/20 or so but after that it’s game on as far as I am concerned.

[SWSF Hoppus]

All right, all of you have been heard.

Just to update those keeping tabs but busy, I've developed a rule set and specifications based on Galactic Realms with very little modification (just a few fixes to some really bad logical lapses).

The essence is this:

* No maintenance
* No restrictions on units, defenses, etc
* Simple combat (limited grid, no fire arcs, SF combat doesn't require charts or advanced computations)
* Larger universe (20-30 systems per player perhaps, haven't finalized)

Perhaps most excitingly!

* A webapp for empire management (not done but getting there)

The webapp lets you login, check finances, set up constructions at your facilities, assign support craft to platforms/facilities/capital ships/planets, and automates tax collection every 1st of the month.

Players will be able to visit and look ta everyone's records but only faction members will be able to create new constructions or delete destroyed units, etc.

[gallpizi]

I like!

[Bishio]

Look forward to it.

[SWSF Hoppus]

Here is a link to the rule set

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wqtVt9yPb3cLF4l3fTSgBFTurWHxGkoS2KAsj0Y0ySY/edit?usp=sharing

They are a bit verbose, I wrote them in the spirit that newcomers could come in, read them, and get the concept of the game.

[SWSF Hoppus]

Link to Capital Ship specifications.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ruf7owF4VpTXFBM13G3sqWOQ2nX7ETVWBc4WfjpO1go/edit?usp=sharing

[SWSF Hoppus]

Also, anyone interested in leading a faction of any type, I would appreciate it if you could write up a background (a paragraph or two would great) about you faction to include in one of the docs.

Personally, I am going to go New Republic or Hapans (a xenophobic expansionist queen takes power and wants to conquer the galaxy for hapan resettling!)

[gallpizi]

I will take an Imperial Faction and will get a write up. Can I recommend PMing the others who maybe aren't checking here all the time again?