Q&A: Developer's Corner

[Ramano]

Well see, I said I thought I saw something about it, lol. I guess I only messed it up this one building the rest I was doing it right. I need to pay more attention when im posting and playing less Mass Effect lmao.

On another note, are we allowed to design new tech? For example id like a rebel bunker facility. Just a base that houses extra troops that can be used in case of invasion. Perhaps also a facility that does nothing but KC generation. Just throwing ideas out there.

[SWSF Hale]

Those are good ideas. For this episode, we're just keeping it simple and balanced so people can get used to the gameplay. Tech submissions might be made available for the next episode when 3rd party opens up.  Greg and I had already talked about "aux facilities" that could be added onto existing facilities (like a "Barracks" to provide a bonus squads, or an "Armory" for extra GAVs, or a "Market" to provide extra cash). You'd be limited to 1 aux attachment per facility of course, but yeah, those ideas were all discussed on a conceptual level and never implemented into the specs... at least for this episode.  If you guys like that idea I can draw up some stuff and we can implement it ASAP if the demand is there.

As far as income goes, right now that's the only thing "slowing" this game down, but since VP gains are cumulative, that MC80/ISD is actually within reach... just a far one.  Here's what my VP-income track would look like in the future (if I didn't build any extra IFDs or had any combat or mission objective VP gains):
1 MAY: 215
15 MAY: 310
1 JUN: 405
15 JUN: 500
1 JUL: 595
15 JUL: 690
1 AUG: 785
15 AUG: 880

As you can see, in a couple of months I (and most people) should be bringing in some serious cash per month. While that's no MC80 or ISD that could be purchased offhand inside of a single month's income, with some aggressive expansion and military exploits, I'm sure a sustainable and profitable income could be achieved relatively faster.

[Ramano]

Oh no it all works wonderfully. You also gotta remember, once battles start up the KCs/VPs are gunna come rolling in. We get paid for destroying the others stuff according to the rules. So that comes into play as well. I was just interested for early boosts to get us to the combat phase just a tad faster, say 3-4 action periods instead of 6-7 if your rushing it. Also, im not looking for any HUGE boosts either, that just destroys what the game is based on, but little stuff, like you said, a market for like an extra 50KCs/VPs per AP.

Ultimately its all up to you, just wanted to toss the idea around, see what others thought of a little extra for a speed boost. =)

[SWSF Hale]

Okay well I'll draw up some specs and post them on the GM Corner when ready.

[Ramano]

Quick question... you said:

I don't see any reason why you couldn't hire a Smuggler and then loan him use of a GR-75, or AVIT though instead of the default YT-1300. Any other ship I'd be skeptical (i.e. a DREAD doing smuggling is definitely a NO).

Which is awesome, but how much cargo capacity does a GR-75 hold? It doesnt say passengers, it just says 100 infantry squads and 5 GAVs. Do we just call it 105 Cargo Unit capacity and let it be?

[SWSF Hale]

Which is awesome, but how much cargo capacity does a GR-75 hold? It doesnt say passengers, it just says 100 infantry squads and 5 GAVs. Do we just call it 105 Cargo Unit capacity and let it be?

1 Squad = 10 soldiers, so 10 Passengers or 10 Cargo Units. And for simplicity's sake 1 GAV = 1 CU as well.

FROM THE RULES:

SMUGGLING RUN ~ Available to: Smugglers. Smuggling Runs allow players to generate some additional cash by traveling to various worlds and transporting high-value goods. Cargo units (CUs) are equivalent to 1 Passenger, and various CUs can be purchase at the following worlds and rates:
Bespin: Tibanna Gas (1 KC/unit)
Thyferra: Bacta (2 KCs/unit)
Kessel: Spice (3 KCs/unit)

Delivery Locations: Rendezvous Point, Coruscant, Nal Hutta
Cash-in rates: Tibanna Gas (4 KCs), Bacta (6 KCs), Spice (8 KCs)

Players desiring to purchase these products must pay their Smuggler enough money upfront so they may purchase the CUs directly (for example: a Smuggler desiring to buy 50 CUs of Spice will need 150 KCs) PLUS an additional smuggler's "risk fee" that is equal to 1 KC per CU intended to be purchased. ?  After the Smuggler travels to a pick-up world and transferring all CUs onboard their ship (a process which will take 24 hours), the Smuggler will then travel to either Coruscant, Rendezvous Point, or Nal Hutta to cash in the CUs for money, which is then transferred to the hiring player's account.

So a GR-75 could hold 1005 Cargo Units, which is mucho, and if fully loaded with Kessel Spice would be 3015 KCs equivalent in product (which you'd need upfront). Of course, you could then sell all of it for 8040 KCs, rendering a cool profit of 4020 KCs (after the Smuggler's Risk Fee). Easy money. =)

[Ramano]

Awesome, thanks much. I was trying to play it down a little, but hey, im down for a 1000CU freighter. BTW, is that smuggler mine now, or is it still a wayward NPC?

[Ramano]

Actually now that I look at it, dude thats way too much. I know what the numbers say, but we gotta mod that for both realism and game balance. All I would have to do is get 1000KC and in 3 action days im pumping 2 MC-80s every 1st and 15th. Not 1 but 2 every time. Also, I dont believe a GR-75 medium transport could carry 1005 metric tons of cargo, thats insanity man. The ship itself only weighs 660 metric tons.

I say we make cargo units = 1 passenger or 1 trooper squad or 1 GAV. I mean lets face it, troopers you can pack in like a sardine can, passengers would want a bit more space if your looking for a realistic basis for it.

Its your call, im just saying this looks a lot like a game de-stabelizer once people start getting even moderately built. With the current system your looking at being able to double your money every action period, which is fine when your only talking at most a couple hundred KCs, but when we are dealing with potentially 10's of thousands with an A-IV Transport thats just too much for 1 shot. And for the record, by that ruling the rebel A-IV Transport can haul over 5,000CU worth of Spice. I make 40,000KC in 1 shot, I end the game that day. Nothing like sending 20 MC-80s to the fleet in 1 shot, and still having money left over, to ruin an imperials day.

[SWSF Hale]

The other thing you have to consider is: what if people loiter at those drop points to try and destroy your smuggling shipment? Also, at what point do you think you're going to have 1000 KCs to drop for smuggling? If a Rebel player sits back and smuggles all day long, I'd just assume get a bounty hunter to track the ship doing the smuggling and locate your hidden base and mess you up.

Chances are, most players are going to concentrate on building wealth for the sole purpose of acquiring bigger and better ships, or replacing fallen ones... which can get real expensive real quick. When factoring in how little money you make each month, it seems awfully risky to put all of your dice in smuggling while I'm investing in my military-industrial VP-generation complex.

Besides, money isn't everything in this game. There are still alterior strategies you have to pursue in order to win. While I do agree with you in that

With the current system your looking at being able to double your money every action period, which is fine when your only talking at most a couple hundred KCs, but when we are dealing with potentially 10's of thousands with an [AVIT] thats just too much for 1 shot.

First, I still challenge you to have soo much leftover cash that you'd be willing to invest it towards smuggling instead of your M-I-VP Complex.

Secondly, I think "10's of thousands" is a bit of an overstatement because an AVIT can only transport 505 Cargo Units tops... NOT 5000. It holds 50 Squads, not 500 squads. GR-75 has the highest cargo capacity of transports. And "Cargo Unit" DOES NOT equal "Metric Ton", and I didn't intend it to either.

Physics 101 time! Yay!

If the space area of one person = 1 Cargo Unit, I'm sure this would look like a 2x2x2 rectangular prism (which is generous), and something you would lift and carry with a dolly, which would come out to a volume of 6 square feet give or take (because people come in different shapes and sizes, but if somebody curled up into a tight ball, their total volume is still the same even if they were standing). 

With granite rock being a highly dense 168 lbs per square foot, we're talking only 1008 lbs here.  So for easy math's sake, let's just say 1 CU = 1000 lbs worth of high-density product, or 45% of a metric ton. But we don't even have any high-density product, just Gas, spice, and bacta.  Using the volume of Water as a thumb rule, we get 62 lbs per square foot, so 1 CU = about 374 lbs.

If a GR-75 had a full load-out of 1005 CUs, this would be about 375,720 lbs - or 170 metric tons... well below the ship's actual tonnage.  BUT if you wanna be scrupulous and count 1 CU in terms of granite, a GR-75 holds 1,013,040 lbs or 460 metric tons, ALSO below the ship's actual tonnage.

Either way, you can see that a human being only displaces so much volume, and even if you went with low density water or high density granite as your measuring stick, 1 CU still works out in terms of real-life physics.

But wait, why the hell are we talking about real-life physics when this is Star Wars???

=) =) =)

Thanks for you comments as always Ramano.

[Ramano]

Oops, typo in my cheat-sheets on the AVIT. Extra zero's just be killing me man!! (Thats the 2nd time ive done that!) As far as a CU = a metric ton, average person weighs 200lbs, 10 soldiers in a unit. 10 x 200 = 2000lbs = 1 ton. Im not even trying to get as complex with my math as you did lol. Im a stoner, I know you dont think my high ass is going into all that lol.

And uhh... I was unaware we could use our fleets/hero's to disrupt smuggling... I thought it worked like a building. So yeah, with that knew information and my fixed typo, I withdraw my argument. Carry on. =)

On another note, you actually know the density and lbs per sqft of granite that quick off the top of your head?

[SWSF Hale]

On another note, you actually know the density and lbs per sqft of granite that quick off the top of your head?

I knew it only because it was one of those random factoids that stuck with me after taking Earth Science last semester. I knew the water one because I learned that while I was a submariner.

[Ramano]

Heh, I thought you may have just been making up numbers cause you know im too stoned to check the math haha! So with that kind of just ingrained knowledge you ever think of becoming a geologist? Mining and power companies pay HUGE $ to hire people that know that shit.

[SWSF Hale]

A quick note about your last Smuggler's Run, Ramano, and try not to take this as nit-picking or a personal attack, I'd just like everyone to follow the letter of the law. ? So for the record, this is how it should've went down:

Day/Post #1. Reb Transport exits hyperspace in NS/NH Deep Space (no further movement allowed).

Day/Post #2. Reb Trans moves to B-ring.

Day/Post #3. Reb Trans moves to A-ring.

Day/Post #4. Reb Trans moves to Atmosphere.

Day/Post #5. Reb Trans lands on ground. Storylines making deal with Smuggler.

Day/Post #6. Smuggler (in Reb Trans) enters Atmosphere.

Day/Post #7. Smuggler enters A-ring.

Day/Post #8. Smuggler enters hyperspace for Kessel. 50 Hours.

Day 10/Post #9. Smuggler exits hyperspace at Kessel, and picks up cargo.

Day 11/Post #10. Smuggler enters hyperspace for NS/NH. 50 hours.

Day 13/Post #11. Smuggler exits hyperspace at NS/NH and unloads cargo (at a presumed Deep Space drop-off point). Profits are wired to your account.


You still need to post these actions no matter what, even though we all know you're doing a smuggling run, because details and knowledge of such cannot be assumed on our account.

I hope I'm not being a ball-buster, but I think it's safe to say (especially in gaming-simming like this), that the only player-actions that occur are the ones which are posted. That's not only being fair to the rules, but also to every other player as well.

YOU'RE OKAY FOR THIS PAST SMUGGLER'S RUN, BUT IN THE FUTURE, PLEASE POST YOUR RUNS AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, IN FULL ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES AND FAIRNESS TOWARDS OTHER PLAYERS.

It's fine because we're all learning the rules (even me, the guy who wrote them) on some levels or another, so it's really okay to make mistakes. I just hope everyone learns the same lessons so when we move on into the future, we can all be satisfied with our gaming experiences. ou may think "well why bother with a Smuggling Run if it's going to take 2 weeks?" -- Well if it can double your income, I should expect it to be a pain in the ass. You gotta work for that money. =)

[Ramano]

Oh its no problem, thats what I was asking when I first inquired about how to do smuggling. You just said SL it out, so I did lol. But yeah, now that I know I will make sure to do it as such from here on out.

And I seem to be having some kind of issue with the hyperspace calculator cause it says the travel time from Kessel to Nar Shadaa is only 19hrs, and you got it as 50hrs...? What am I doing wrong?

Also, do I have to only move 1 grid at a time, or can I move the total move of my transport if its faster, and do I have to wait a full day between posts I thought we had a 12hr posting limit?

[SWSF Hale]

Be sure to input the proper Hyperdrive Multiplier... a Rebel YT-1300 is x0.75 but a GR-75 is x2!! Big difference. That might be where you are messing up.

Whatever ship your using can move it's alloted speed. GR-75s have a speed of 2. So you can move up to 2 grids per post.

The "12 hour" rule exists to prevent people from posting at 2359 one day and 0001 the next. It's effectively "cool down" rather than a limit. So if I posted at 2100 today, the earliest I could post would be 0900 tommorow. Does that make sense? So if I post at 0901 tommorow, then I can't do anything else until the day after that. So to simplify it: Limit of 1 post per day. No 2 posts can be less than 12 hours apart.