The GZG Digest V1 #254

One of my favorite games is Imperium. I have Dark Nebula, also, which uses the
same mechanics. I'm interested in the pbem. The Terrans don't have a chance.

I've been trying to start a strategic campaign using those mechanics for
years. My latest attempt was using FT as the tactical combat system but the
initial proposal ("yeah! let's do a campaign to give our battles some
meaning") turned into a yawn two weeks later (last Fri. night).

And wow, they almost lynched me when I said I changed the FTL drive
requirements so FTL drive fuel became
important strategically (no magical anti-matter).
"Gee guys, the rules are not set in stone. I didn't change the combat rules
which is what you really want the same."

FYI: fuel, being hydrogen, rules are borrowed from Traveller and Fifth
Frontier War. You can get it from gas giants or planets with water. A ship
with an FTL (Jump) drive makes one jump per week (good for strategic game
mechanics). The maximum distance (in hexes) is the maximum FTL drive rating.
You can write this in the FTL drive icon instead of that squiggle line and it
gets halved like the main drive on the first threshold hit. An FTL drive takes
up 5% of the ship, no matter the maximum distance it can jump (Traveller uses
1+distance as a percentange but that is too small in
FT tonnage ratings). The cost is drive mass x 2 x maximum distance. The
highest maximum distance is 6. Fuel space is 5% x distance, cost is zero.
Examples: 100 mass, Jump 2 - 5 mass, 20 cost, 10 mass
for fuel; 100 mass, Jump 4 - 5 mass, 40 cost, 20 mass
for fuel. Add in streamlining (partially at 5% mass, streamlined at 10% mass,
atmospheric at 20%), time to refuel, and you've added some logistics and
strategy to a campaign. (oh my gosh, I have to plan a strategy? ya know,
"think"?) You can create a strategically mobile fleet
that is weak in combat ability and/or a slow fleet that
is your main combat fleet.

Glen

> Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 02:35:12 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)
If so,
> > care to try PBeM?