Wargames

[Vandervecken]

Here is an optional rule set called 'Wargames'


F4.04.3 Wargames

Standard Training is a good start and can get crews up to the Base Grade with time. But sometimes an empire will desire to speed up this process. For a cost that is above the normal maintenance paid for a ship’s upkeep; an empire can send ships to practice in a two turn intense event called ‘Wargames’.

F4.04.31 Cost to hold a Wargame. The cost to put a ship into these Wargames for the 2 month period is the cost of the ship’s normal monthly maintenance. This Wargames fee is in addition to the normal monthly maintenance. The Wargames fee must be paid on the 1st turn of the Wargames. It is paid in the Economic Phase at the same time standard maintenance payments are paid. There is an additional 3 MC Set-up fee for each Wargame. Both the Wargame fee and the Set-up fee are only paid once; not once per month. Each individual Wargame will take place in a specific System Hex called the Games Rendezvous Hex that is designated on the Turn sheet notes along with a roster of the ships that are partaking in that specific Wargame. Normally, any ship that starts in the same system as the Games Rendezvous Hex can participate in the Wargame, but see below for some exceptions. Note that there is no refund to the empire if any of the ships scheduled to participate in the event cannot participate in the event. Ships that successfully participate in a Wargame are eligible for the ‘WARGAMES’ bonus for General Training (F4.04.1) grade increase that happen at the end of the month.

F4.04.32 Restrictions/Prohibitions to participate in Wargames.
• Spacecraft with 10% or more Non-shield/Non-armor damage are not eligible to partake in Wargames.
• Spacecraft on their Shakedown Cruise are not eligible to partake in Wargames.
• Any spacecraft that finished a Wargame the previous month/turn is not eligible to partake in a new Wargame this turn. There must be at least 1 month for crews to unwind from the intense training (even if during that month they were in actual combat) before they are ready to go back to doing Wargames.
• Drones are not eligible to partake in Wargames.
• Civilian Core Space Stations may be involved in a Wargame but get no ‘WARGAMES’ bonus for doing so. So why spend the funds?
• The Following government types are not eligible to partake in Wargames; they are: Anarchy, Insane race, Artificial Intelligence, and J’rill.
• If combat versus an NPC or enemy player empire occurs anywhere in a System slated to hold a Wargame, the Wargame is immediately cancelled and no ‘WARGAMES’ bonus is added to rolls for grade increase happens at the end of that month.
• Any spacecraft that departs the Games Rendezvous Hex for any reason is considered to have pulled out of the Wargame and does not get the ‘WARGAMES’ bonus for that Wargame.

F4.04.32 What a Spacecraft will receive for partaking in a Wargame.
A Warship will get a ‘WARGAMES’ bonus of +1 to its General Training grade increase at the end of the month #1 of the Wargame and a ‘WARGAMES’ bonus of +2 to General Training grade increase at the end of the month #2 of that Wargame. Warships that are at Base Grade or higher only receive +1 to their General Training roll at the end of month #2 of the Wargame.
All other spacecraft get +1 to their General Training grade increase roll for each month they participated in a Wargame if at BG-3, BG-2, or BG-1. Once at BG (Base Grade), non-warships will not get any bonus for participating in Wargames.

If using Section S - Graded leader optional rules. You may have an additional stipulation that a Graded Admiral is needed at the Game Rendezvous Hex to conduct a War. This graded admiral does not need the Trainer attribute to conduct a Wargame. You may also rule that a Graded Admiral is not needed to conduct a Wargame. Some GM's may allow a Graded Governor to be able to set up a Wargame within a 3 system hex radius of the world they are assigned. Whatever rules you choose to have in force about Wargames; as the SM, make sure all your players are aware of them.

[Vandervecken]

I was hoping that a "Veteran of a thousand psychic wars" or a few campaigns of Starfire would be able to give me feedback on this. Is the cost too high/low for the +1 to the die roll or the small chance to get a BG +1 warship without a LG +1 or higher leader training them. Anything in the mechanics you'd tweek?
The overtly militaristic empires will always be getting some their ships advanced due to the campaigns they wage (Probably will lose a bunch of assets as well). But a more peaceful empire may want to find a fundable way to speed up the increase of their crew grade without the bloodshed. Wargames have been used by both for thousands of years back here on Earth. The old cold war 'Reforger' exercises by NATO done in Germany and the US/S.Korean combined forces exercises done yearly were the inspiration for this House Rule.

[Crucis]

I was hoping that a "Veteran of a thousand psychic wars" or a few campaigns of Starfire would be able to give me feedback on this. Is the cost too high/low for the +1 to the die roll or the small chance to get a BG +1 warship without a LG +1 or higher leader training them. Anything in the mechanics you'd tweek?
The overtly militaristic empires will always be getting some their ships advanced due to the campaigns they wage (Probably will lose a bunch of assets as well). But a more peaceful empire may want to find a fundable way to speed up the increase of their crew grade without the bloodshed. Wargames have been used by both for thousands of years back here on Earth. The old cold war 'Reforger' exercises by NATO done in Germany and the US/S.Korean combined forces exercises done yearly were the inspiration for this House Rule.

Van, I think that the training that graded admirals conduct in the Ultra/Solar rules probably IS "wargames". Just a thought.

[Vandervecken]

Van, I think that the training that graded admirals conduct in the Ultra/Solar rules probably IS "wargames". Just a thought.

Certainly, if you have one to spare, and only Admirals with the Trainer ability can train more than 10 at a time and only Admirals with a Trainer bonus can advance anything in peacetime (Or for drilled having to be LG +2 or LG+3).

Admirals are doing Drilling. Wargames is heightend level of training, with investment of resources into Dummy craft, Ammo, tech specialists, high intensity field problems, Staff and supplies, more realistic combat scenarios. That's what your MC are buying. And if you have an admiral there doing Drilling there at the same time, you get the benefits of both. Where some of his/her handpicked units (up to 10 units for non-trainers, and the +1 to 1 unit to 55 units being schooled by various grades of Trainer) will get the Trainer benefits and the +1 for participating in the Wargame when it rolls for crew grade advancement. Wargames are at their best when a Base grade unit is in a 'Wargame' teamed up with a good LG+2 or higher Trainer doing Drills with it either or both months of the Wargame. Or if you have a lot of mothballed ships and after doing a shakedown cruise, you want to maximize the amount of ships getting to Base grade to fight off an unexpected foe who has appeared next to your 'backyard' due to a Hidden WP.
Does that help, Crucis?

Thanks Cralis for the catch on LG-2 vs LG+2 (change is in blue)

[Crucis]

Van, I think that the training that graded admirals conduct in the Ultra/Solar rules probably IS "wargames". Just a thought.

Certainly, if you have one to spare, and only Admirals with the Trainer ability can train more than 10 at a time and only Admirals with a Trainer bonus can advance anything in peacetime (Or for drilled having to be LG +2 or LG+3).

Admirals are doing Drilling. Wargames is heightend level of training, with investment of resources into Dummy craft, Ammo, tech specialists, high intensity field problems, Staff and supplies, more realistic combat scenarios. That's what your MC are buying. And if you have an admiral there doing Drilling there at the same time, you get the benefits of both. Where some of his/her handpicked units (up to 10 units for non-trainers, and the +1 to 1 unit to 55 units being schooled by various grades of Trainer) will get the Trainer benefits and the +1 for participating in the Wargame when it rolls for crew grade advancement. Wargames are at their best when a Base grade unit is in a 'Wargame' teamed up with a good LG-2 or higher Trainer doing Drills with it either or both months of the Wargame. Or if you have a lot of mothballed ships and after doing a shakedown cruise, you want to maximize the amount of ships getting to Base grade to fight off an unexpected foe who has appeared next to your 'backyard' due to a Hidden WP.
Does that help, Crucis?

Not to denigrate your effort, but I'm the absolutely wrong person to be asking, since I don't believe in having crew grade in the game. I utterly loathe the crew grade rules ... vastly more than I ever may have disliked the old personnel point rules.

[Vandervecken]

Don't worry Crucis, we all have things about each version that draws us to that version and some things about other versions that we dislike or even ... Loathe. I was just replying to your reply; hoping that my explanation of the synergy and differences of Graded Admiral's Training and Wargames in SOLAR would positively modify your thought.

[Cralis]

Wargames are at their best when a Base grade unit is in a 'Wargame' teamed up with a good LG-2 or higher Trainer

An LG-2 leader couldn't train a green crew out of orbit...

[Vandervecken]

An LG-2 leader couldn't train a green crew out of orbit...

Can you give me the rule for this so I can add it to my knowledge base, thanks !

I don't see any LG in the negative numbers in the rules. Except the none-leader leaders assumed to be in charge of fleets without true leaders and they are only LG-1. Is this an add for SOLAR 6.02?

[Cralis]

An LG-2 leader couldn't train a green crew out of orbit...

Can you give me the rule for this so I can add it to my knowledge base, thanks !

I don't see any LG in the negative numbers in the rules. Except the none-leader leaders assumed to be in charge of fleets without true leaders and they are only LG-1. Is this an add for SOLAR 6.02?

Sheesh. So literal...

Of course you don't see a leader with a negative value. Why would he be a leader? That was kind of my whole point

[Vandervecken]

Sheesh. So literal...

Of course you don't see a leader with a negative value. Why would he be a leader? That was kind of my whole point

Sorry, I'm pulling a Procyon (well, not even close to the extra hours he had to pull last year), I've worked 22 hours of O.T. each of the last 3 weekends and another at least 16 hours this upcomming weekend. And between seeing my son's last play of High School 3 times this weekend as he soon will be graduating and the neighbor getting a monsterously large but dying tree cut down on Saturday and getting a new roof on Sunday and today; a good sleep was not in the cards. Remember that I work the Graveyard shift and sleep during the day. So thanks for noticing the error, I edited the post it was in to correct it.