[FT] AAR -- Cygnus Fleet Proving Exercise (L-O-N-G) Part 1

AAR - Cygnus Fleet Proving Exercise

http://members.xoom.com/rlyehable/ft/pbem/cygnus/

Wow! When I started, I did not think the game would last so long. But, the
PBeM (Play by E-mail) game lasted 30 turns! At one turn per week that is
over half a year! Many, MANY thanks to the players Aron Clark, Brendan
Robertson, Dominic Robertson, Noam Izenberg, and Bill "Stray Cat" Shatswell!
This was my first PBeM that I ran and it showed. Thanks again for everyone's
patience!

Cygnus was a bring your own fleet game. Each player would bring a fleet of no
greater value than 2500 points. Of these, I required a diversity of ship
sizes based on mass (for every ship of 100+, there must be 2 of < 100;
for
every ship of 200+, 2 ships of 100-199 are required; etc.). Only human
tech was allowed, but was open genre (except for cloaking). All ships had to
arrive via FTL. Vector movement was used.

The exercise would be won by winning colored flags. Each player started with a
specific color flag. Each player was assigned a different player to target. To
gain a flag, that player would need to reduce the target fleet to
1675 points (around 2/3rds total), forcing that fleet to retire.
Damaging a fleet that is not your target or targeting you would cost a black
flag, per instance of damage. Leaving the arena would also cost a black flag.
A black
flag counted as NEGATIVE 1/2 colored flag. The arena was a 500x500 area.

One addition I added was that each ship could carry a drone. The drone would
appear to passive, long range scanners exactly as another ship. However active
scanners could be used to detect the true ships from the drones. In addition,
passive scanners had the ability to detect drones within 30 tactical units
(tu). Once detected, the drones would power down.

Initial targeting is: Fleet: Target: Aron Brendan Brendan Dominic Dominic Noam
Noam Bill Bill Aron

The turn results were reported in the style of a newspaper article in The
Galatic Tattle. Following are some of those articles. I have added annotations
where necessary

Turn 1: All five fleets jumped into the arena. Each Captain chose a separate
area to jump into. This caution had two beneficial effects. First it avoided
the damage that can be caused by the gravitational and taychon radiation
emitted during an exit from jumpspace. Second, it allows the fleet to get into
formation before entering another fleet's range. The Cygnus Fleet Proving
Exercise today met with near tragedy as two of the fleets miscalculated their
jumps and exited Jumpspace with too dense a fleet formation. Several ships
sustained damage before any firing even started.

Turn 2: Ships move to fleet arrangement. Fleet Aron launches drones for
about 1/2 of his fleet.

Turn 3: Still fleet arrangement.

Turn 4: Finished fleet formation and started toward target fleets.

Turn 5: Movement. At this point, it was calculated that it would take about 6
turns to reach sensor range between the two closest fleets. Options were
discussed with the players and it was decided to shrink the arena to 250x250
(1/4 size), while maintaining internal fleet distance, arrangement,
course, and velocity. Fleet Dominic launches fighters.

Turn 6: Ships have made corrective headings and are placing themselves into
fleet formation. Some of the fleets have launched screening fighters in
preparation for action. Although all ships were out of sensor range last turn,
some fleets are coming within sensor range on this turn. Fleet Brendan
launches fighters.

Turn 7: Ships have made corrective headings and are placing themselves into
fleet formation. Some of the fleets have launched screening fighters in
preparation for action. Fleets are beginning to enter into sensor range. Noam
scans one of Brendan's ships (revealing his ship in the process).

Turn 8: Ships have made corrective headings and are placing themselves into
fleet formation. Some of the fleets have launched screening fighters in
preparation for action. Fleets are beginning to enter into passive sensor
range. Many fleets are launching fighter screens. Fleet Brendan launches more
fighters. One ship of Fleet Aron is detected on scanners.

Turn 9: The Cygnus Fleet Proving Exercise has begun to heat up. Fleets are
beginning to enter weapons range. In fact Both Brendan's fleet and Aron's
fleet have fired upon each other. Aron's fleet launched a MT331 (see related
story) missile at its target fleet (Brendan). At the same time, in an attempt
to stave off Aron until Dominic is in range, Brendan has launched an
experimental weapon (see related story). The majority of ships have now
entered passive scanning range. Threat assessments and profiles are quickly
being developed on the bridges of each fleet. The experimental weapon
described is a Nova Cannon from both of the two Nova Cruisers of Fleet Brendan

Turn 10: The Cygnus Fleet Proving Exercise (hereafter Cygnus) saw the first
blood of the exercise. Thirty minutes ago, two ships, the NCC-1701 and
NCC-2403, of Fleet Brenan, fired a new experimental weapon. This weapon
which has variously been called a Stellar Projector, a Star Gun, and a Nova
Cannon project a plasma generator, a detonator, and a small gravity device.
The plasma is released and the gravity field holds it in place as the
detonator ignites the plasma. The result is a miniature star. This horrifying
new weapon draws so much power that the ship is basically helpless for Fifteen
minutes after firing. The Nova Shot (for lack of a better term) then traveled
24,000km. But it failed to strike a target.
Fifteen minutes ago, the NCC-1701 and NCC-2403 again fired the dread
Nova Cannon. This time the results were more dramatic. JFK 09 and BDR 13, of
Fleet Aron, failed to avoid this second Nova Shot. The energy of the miniature
star tore at the atomic bonds of the hapless ships. Only space dust exited the
other side of the Nova shot. In a like manner, TVC 15, also of Fleet Aron,
fell victim to one of the original Nova shots when it failed to navigate
around the expanding, miniature star.
However, Fleet Aron brought retribution to the new weapon. NCC-1701 was
severely crippled when it was hit by the venerable MT334 missile fired by
BC531. NCC-1701, devoid of energy due to firing the Nova Cannon, could
not activate its Point Defense System. The missile approached to within 6000km
of the ship and detonated with a force of 50Mtons. Then the entire Fleet
Aron opened up on the target of their wrath. NCC-1701 quickly succumbed
to the onslaught. Where once was the pride of Fleet Brenan, there is now only
radioactive debris.

Turn 11: The Cygnus Fleet Proving Exercise (hereafter Cygnus) continued to
see mass devastation brought on by the so-called Nova Cannon. This
weapon which hurls miniature stars at the opposing force has, so far, brought
about more devastation than the other four fleets combined. Neither Mars or
Huntress (Fleet Dominic) could escape the 3rd stage of a Nova shot that was
fired by NCC-2403. Mars was completely destroyed while Huntress escaped
with minor damage. A miscalculation by Vulcan sent the mighty warship directly
through another, 2nd stage, Nova shot from NCC-2403. While sustaining
heavy damage, the Vulcan managed to survive the error. Fighter group Beta
(Fleet Aron) was jumped by two group of Interceptors, CJ1 and SS1 (Fleet
Brendan) Beta managed to kill 4 interceptors of CJ1 before the combined might
of CJ1 and SS1 completely obliterated it. The rest of fighters, from Fleet
Brendan, flew toward their target, Forge of Fleet Dominic, placing themselves
perfectly at the Aft of the target. But Fighter Group Alpha (of Fleet Aron)
has placed itself within attack range of the Carrier Sidesplitter (Fleet
Brendan). The venerable MT334 missiles, launched by Fleet Aron show their
superior AI. Each missile group has place itself within detonation range of
ships from Fleet Brendan. The action at Cygnus has proven to be full of
surprises, and promises more of the same. The MT334 missile is the More Thrust
type missiles.

Turn 12: As MT Missile B closed on Harley it was destroyed by Fighter Group
CJ1. MT Missile C closed on NCC-2403, it's AI deftly dodging fire from
Fighter Group SS1. It reached firing range and detonated blackening the side
of NCC-2403. MT Missile D subcomed to PDS fire from Claim Jumper. MT
Missile
E hit NCC-2403. MT Missile F hit with an EMP pulse. Fighter Group Alpha
loses a fighter to PDS fire and strikes Side Splitter. Fighter Groups CJ2
and Z clashed in a bloody dogfight. Ftr-Z lost 5 fighters and CJ2 was
completely wiped out. This left the door open for Fighter Groups SS2, SS3,
SS4, CJ3 and CJ4 to hit Forge (although some fighters were lost to PDS
fire). NCC-2403 fires its Nova Cannon directly into Zeus with
devastating effect. Untidy Intentions, Reality Graft, Rose, Shot Noise,
Division by Zero, Mojo Filter, and Schrodinger's Hammer open up on June
reducing it to disassociated atoms. Huntress had ineffectual fire vs. Harley
and
NCC-2403.
Vulcan, Artemis, Athena, and Zeus open up on NCC-2403 reducing it to
scrap. Bogata does superficial damage to Harley. Athena fires at, but cannot
lock on to Harley. Forge opened up on Harley. Archamedies. Archamedies peeled
armor from harley. York whacked at Side Splitter.

Turn 13: The first flag was won by Fleet Brendan today, as Fleet Dominic
surrendered its flag due to extensive sustained damage. Ftr-SS1 attacked
Ftr-Delta. Heavy casualties were exchanged, then Ftr-CJ1 finished off
Ftr-Delta. Ftr-Gamma and SS2 dogfight as the other fighters from Fleet
Brendan attack Bogata. SS2 was wiped out and Ftr-Gamma lost 2/3rds of
its
fighters. PDS fire from Bogata combined with ADFC/PDS fire from
Archamedies
devastated Ftr-CJ4 and Ftr-SS3. Ftr-CJ3, SS3, and SS4 pour fire into
Bogata in return. Mojo Filter (Fleet Random Effect) fired on Augusta (A), its
beams deflected harmlessly. Reality Graft, Untidy Intentions and Schrodinger's
Hammer, however laid a devastating barrage into the Augusta (B) drone,
obliterating it. Archamedies fires for minimal damage against Rose. Harley
hits Zeus with Pulse Torpedoes and pings Vulcan for good measure. Rose hits
Zeus with 4 Pulse Torpedoes and Forge with 3 Beam batteries, finishing it off.
Fleet Dominic surrenders its flag to Fleet Brendan, and powers down. Fleet:
Target: Aron Brendan Brendan Noam Noam Bill Bill Aron

Turn 14: Like deadly sharks, fighter groups CJ3, SS3, and SS4 (Fleet Brendan)
stalked Bogata (Fleet Aron). Then they suddenly turned to strike at
Archamedies. The defending fighter group Gamma met SS3 head on and wiped the
remaining two fighters out. At the same time, heavy anti-fighter fire
from Archamedies wiped CJ3 from the sky and reduced SS4 yet further. The last
fighter from SS4 valiantly carved at the armor of Archamedies before opening a
full burn away from the deadly ship. Bogata (Fleet Aron) opened up on Side
Splitter (Fleet Brendan) from 8 beam batteries, breaking the empty carrier in
half. Untidy Intentions (Fleet Random Effect [Noam]) opened with 3 beam
batteries on Aegis (Fleet Stray Cat) putting the first hole in Aegis. Missouri
(Fleet Stray Cat) tried to return fire for the hapless Aegis, but all the
ships of Fleet Random Effect were beyond its reach. Reality Graft opens up and
applies double the damage that Untidy Intentions inflicted. Archamedies
launched 2 MT331 missiles and blasted the remains of Side Splitter. A single
beam of light reaches out from BC 531 (Fleet Aron) to burn past armor and
strike Claim Jumper (Fleet Brendan). The last straw holding little Aegis
together is snapped as fire from the 3 remaining ships of Fleet Random Effect
open up on her.

Turn 15: Like well trained packs, Fleet Random Effect and Fleet Aron brought
the strength of well coordinated attacks to bear. The entire Fleet Random
Effect (Noam) tore into Augusta of Fleet Stray Cat. And Archamedies, AD 237,
Bogata, and BC 531 ripped open the side of Claim Jumper (Fleet Brendan). While
no ships were lost to the onslaughts, the attacks were in the words of UNSC
Rear Admiral Keaf, "A thing of beauty".

<Continued in Part 2)

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