OOC Chat

[SWSF Hale]

Yeah that's the thing, onboard units are cheap enough that say even if you replaced everything on an ISD, it would not run you more than the ISD itself. So I'll start working the numbers and try to find a good balance. I do in the end believe that SFs need to cost more. There has to be some ethical oversight here as well, so that players can respect the fact that capital ships cost way less relative to their unit compliments.

[Ramano]

BTW, hale, are you gunna get back to me on that message I sent you?

[SWSF Hale]

Hey everyone, Ramano sent me a request to have a custom modified capital ship based on his character story he's developing. If you have a really cool SL to back it up, I would be willing to approve/compromise with you regarding this ship. Please keep in mind though that these custom mods will be unique variants - so once they are destroyed they are destroyed. I won't give away the details of Ramano's ship until he does, but I will say that it's a 15 CP Heavy Dreadnaught.

Basically if you have a favorite class of ship, and can justify the modifications (namely compliment switches, heavier armor/shields, etc.) through a good SL, I can work with you. To give you guys an example (and a standard to uphold), this would be something I might use if I decide to play Imperial again:


VNSD HMS Illustrious
Type: Venator-class Star Destroyer
Cost: Maintenance (100 KCs/Action Day)
Production Time: 14 Days
Length: 1140 meters
Hyperdrive: x1
Shields: 1710 (Boosted Shields)
Armor: 1140
Hull: 640
Systems: 570 (Redundant Systems)
Speed: Slow (1)
Maneuver: (2)
Weapons:
10 Quad Turbolaser Cannons (320)
40 Dual Light Turbolasers (480)
80 Concussion Missile Tubes (160)
5 Tractor Beam Projectors (500m)
Onboard Units:
6 TIE Interceptor Squadrons*
500 Stormtrooper Squads
30 Stormtrooper Transports
Capabilities:
1. Atmospheric Flight (can enter and leave the atmosphere at will).
2. Ground Landing (can land on G-grid units from atmosphere).
3. Assault Missiles (may fire CMs while conducting orbital bombardment).
4. HOLONET Transceiver (for instant comms with HOLONET-equipped units/facilities).
5. HyperComm-IV Transceiver (sends messages at x0.25 Hyperspeed).

Historical Background: Belonging to one of the final production runs of the Venator-class, the Illustrious was constructed as a prototype test platform for the Victory-class Star Destroyer technology during the onset of the joint KDY-RSD "Victor Initiative Project", and so this ship has all the Victory's weapons systems, command tower, computer systems, sensors, reactor core, and internal decking configurations to the greatest possible extent. After just a few short months, the ship's success and recognition in military service was remarkable to such as extent that Imperial High Command considered launching a competitive "Avenger Initiative Project" to challenge the Victory-class for full production with a proposed "Avenger-class Star Destroyer" as a mass-produced version of the Illustrious. Unfortunately, Kuat and Rendili's bid on the Victory-class won out, mainly because by then plans for the Imperial-class were already on the table as well. Over many the years of its service, the Illustrious was kept running at top shape with heavy maintenance and continual upgrades with additional technology for new ship classes being tested onboard routinely to see if actually worked. Thus, the ship has unusually higher shields for a ship its class as well as improved internal energy systems for increased resilience by way of redundancy.

Recent and Present Service: The Illustrious flight decks were rebuilt to accomodate a full wing of TIE Interceptors. This specialty rack mounts being developed just for this as a proposed variant to the Imperial Escort Carrier, however this launch system was scrapped in favor of the ESC being able to accomodate TIE Bombers. The numerous internal system upgrades also greatly reduced the houndreds of support fighters and auxiliaries the Venator was famous for carrying during the Clone Wars to just 500 Trooper Squads and 30 Auxiliary Craft. Despite all of this, the Illustrious found its way into Darth Vader's DEATH SQUADRON at the Battle of Endor as a distant rear flank guard for the Executor, where it was presumed that this would be the last deployment the Illustrious would make, being placed under the command of Commodore Lucidius Hale...

Appearance Notes: At first glance, the Illustrious looks like an oversized Victory-class because it has the same Victory-style command tower, but after a longer look, an observer will notice the lack of atmospheric maneuvering wings on either the port or starboard side. The Venator's snubbed-tip bow nose was replaced with the more sharper dagger-wedge bow nose of Victory-class, and so the only thing that distinguishes this ship as a Venator is the port and starboard "cutaways" in the hull.

Real-Life Reference: The U.S. Navy often tests or ports entirely new systems platforms on older classes to make sure the technology works before dedicating it to a newer class. So the logic behind this background story makes sense.

[Ramano]

Speaking of SLs, perhaps we could get the initial SL threads up in the TotE boards so we can get started on our entrances. I have multiple storyline arcs with multiple chapters that I have to get up here. You know how it is, gotta show syren (-snickers-) how SLing is really done.

Lmao, and way to take the fun out of having a secret command ship. I wanted to see the look on Dems face when I came out with basically a VicStar with all rebel fighters hahaha. You do realize if everyone has one, it takes all the fun out of mine away. -sniffles- Your making it awful hard for me to cheat here, roflmao!

[Syren]

Oh, and how is it done exactly?

[Ramano]

-Snorts triumphantly- Stay tuned...

[Syren]

Whatev! Jason Starhammer can blow me. 

[Dementat]

Not if favor of modified or custom ships. I just want to keep this simple, quick, and without room for abuse.

[SWSF Hale]

I don't want the game to degenerate into superships as well, which is exactly what Ramano proposed to me the first time around!! I had to make him something from scratch that fit his character and was considerable CP cost to limit its abuse. But I hear ya...

[Ramano]

Dem, you dont seem too in favor of playing at all, lol. You know, thats supposed to be my job running around yelling about how shit sucks lmao! And Hale, an RAF with 2000 shields is hardly a supership lol.

[Ramano]

And Syren, its Ramano not Starhammer, much more to be feared. And unfortunately no he can not blow you, I dont want to see you smile. ;p

[SWSF Hale]

Alright, I posted new combat rules on the Episode II Rules Reference. Here's the short and dirty:

1. Proton Bombs can only be used during Bombing Runs. Bombing Runs are TIE Bomber and Y-Wing abilities. Proton Bombs do 5 Damage directly to a target's armor and another 5 damage to Hull. If a starfighter goes on a Bombing Run, it can't perform any other attacks that round (lasers/warheads, etc). It's the same damage if they used lasers and warheads, but the shield bypass damage makes up for the fact that they can't shoot everything now.

2. Ion cannons hit shields > systems > hull. Cap Systems are Length /  2. Starfighters hit by ions take it as Mandatory.

3. TIE Swarms are now "E Pluribus Unum" or Out of Many, One. Any number of TIE Fighter or Interceptor Squadrons can assemble into 1 Swarm. While a Swarm is on CSP, an attacker needs to A) engage it 1:1 (for each Swarm Squad) AND B) deal enough damage to destroy it in order to "occupy" it for CSP purposes. To repeat that, you need both A and B in order to occupy it, not one or the other. This takes away the confusing 6:1 ratio rule while preserving the "there's too many of them"-esque nature of the TIEs.

[Ramano]

Anything on the Death actions?

[SWSF Hale]

You can read below for details, but basically death actions are Return Fire, Launch Craft, and Abandon Ship. No movements.

Ion Cannons, Planetary Weapons, and Damage
1. Ion Cannons hit Shields first, then Systems, then Hull. Ion Stunning has been removed in favor of a more traditional approach. The new values for a Capital Ship's Systems = Length/2. Starfighters and Auxiliaries will not have Systems values, thus all Ion damage will be treated as mandatory damage against the Armor.

2. Considering planetary scale weapons eject large volumes of energy, they are capable of plowing straight through a ship's shields and hitting a target where it hurts: Planetary Ion Cannons impact a ship's Systems first and then Hull. Planetary Turbolasers hit Armor first and then Hull. A player firing a Planetary Weapon can scale back the energy of the attack by any percentage if the desired effect is to DISABLE rather than DESTROY.

3. If a Capital Ship's Systems or Armor reach 0, that ship is DISABLED. A disabled ship's shields are immediately reduced to 0. If a ship's Hull reaches 0, it is DESTROYED.

4. On the turn a player's ship becomes DISABLED, they may: Fire Weapons, Launch Craft, and/or Abandon Ship as final actions for that ship. Sublight or hyperspace movement is not allowed. Abandon Ship involves sending the crew via escape pods to the planet below (they will arrive on the ground in the next round). Crew = Length/10 = # of Fleet Trooper Squads. If a crew Abandons Ship or fails to Repel Boarders before it's DESTROYED (with the Hull is still intact), that ship becomes DERELICT (UCR=0), and can be tractored away.

5. If a Starfighter Squadron is DESTROYED, that Squadron may only Fire Weapons in the same grid it was destroyed in as a final action. Movement is not allowed. Also, TIE Bombers and Y-Wings cannot perform Bombing Runs either if they were destroyed.

[Ramano]

OMG, this may be a first... but... the rules look good to me. My lord what has happened to the universe!? I have no argument to make... this has never happened to me before. -pouts-