Communication and Travel - Reply

> Jon T wrote:

> In general terms, I think we have to look at planetary invasion as

This is very reminiscent of SPI's StarSoldier/StarForce interface rules.
After an invading force neutralised a system's StarGate (using the StarForce
"combat" system), the invasion of the planet was simulated by playing three
games of StarSoldier (one each of 3 different scenarios) using forces
determined by the overall troops and weapons in the system. These battles were
considered representative of thousands of other simultaneous combats going on
all over the planet, and the game results determined the total situation: win
all 3 games and
you've conquered the system -- or driven off the invaders.

Problems with a small force invading a large population didn't exist in this
game, because the space forces, along with the usual ortillery capability, had
the power to put the entire population to sleep telepathically; only specially
(and expensively) shielded installations, and StarSoldiers in their Active
Battle Dress, were immune to this. So an invasion consisted of:

1) Knock out the StarGate (if there was one) and any opposing fleet units; 2)
Initiate the Heissen Effect, putting almost everyone to sleep, and 3) Send in
the StarSoldiers.

By the time the general populace woke up, the issue had been decided.

The StarForce/StarSoldier/Outreach universe was full of quirks like
that. Redmond Simonsen designed it that way, taking great delight in gently
teasing wargamers. For instance, he took gender stereotyping to its limits:
all starship crew were female, and "combat" was bloodless, except by extremely
rare accident; so the men got to be the grunts, zipping around doing Iron Man
impersonations (only more so) in their ABDs. Still, they were great
games --
even if I never could figure out how you were supposed to win the Outreach
solitaire scenario (as I understood the rules, it was impossible!).

Phil