This page covers the Engage Orders Rules.
0: Content
- I: Summary
- 1: Setup
- 2: Starting
- 3: Battle Rules
- 4: End of Battle
- A: Example Battles Setup and Victory
I: Summary (top)
The Battles Section will contain many rules on setting up and game play, however given the huge number of variables players will have to use a lot of common sense.
Things discussed in this Section:
- Setup Terrain
- Setup Groups
- Other Arrivals
- End/Victory Conditions
- End of Battle Book Keeping
- Table Scrolling/Fixed
- Exiting the Table
- FTCamp added Battle Rules (ie. Commanders, Tugging)
There is a lot of information in this section, though it will hopefully be broken into useful sections of need to know and extras.
1: Setup (top)
Setup could vary greatly depending upon the number of players involved and on what orders they were placed. To that end we describe here only one main situation with a single adaptation for a Chase Style Battle (for catching retreating groups).
1.0: Table Size and Limits
General play should be on a 72x96mu table top (6x8 foot using 1 mu = 1 inch). Chase battles may distort to a narrower but longer surface.
Space has no edge, thus it would seem silly to bound a battle to a fixed region. However, if you allow infinite edges, it would become difficult to manage larger battles, with separate sub-battles drifting apart - effectivly splitting into mutliple separate and smaller battles.
To that end, the table edge may only be scrolled under mutually agreed conditions or if:
- ALL craft are strictly within one half of the table and ALL vectors are away from the empty half. Automatic Scroll.
- ALL craft are strictly within one half of the table and ALL craft are either travelling away from the empty half OR have a speed less than their thrust towards the empty half. Players Agree.
- ALL craft are travelling towards one edge. Chase Scroll.
To scroll the table, either add an extension to the surface or move all craft on the table along parallel lines the same distance.
The Table may only be scrolled ONE FULL TIME IN ANY DIRECTION during a given battle. This prevents a perpetual chase.
For example, on a standard table, if all craft are in one half, they could be scrolled 48mu towards the trailing edge; then perhaps the battle turns around and the map is scrolled 48mu back to its original point. This would not end the battle. If the second scroll was again away from the trailing edge, the surface would then become fixed.
1.1: Terrain
Space is big, very big, and the odds of lots of terrain are very low. However, empty tables are a bit dull. To that end you may choose to use the following terrain generators.
There are different tables for dust cloud or deep space hexes with or without a system. Adjusted depending on the Orbit the Battle is fought in (it must be restated that the Orbit-Sector system is an abstraction of the inner workings of a system hex, a much more detailed set of rules could be added if desired).
Roll 3d6 for each 24mu/48mu square region of the table top, using either the system/non-system hex tables below.
1.2: Table Edge
The Player with the highest Engage Value chooses their primary edge of the surface. Divide the total edge among the number of sides (players grouped by alliances) present in the battle - common sense about separation and so on.
1.3: Table Drift
The terrain and any statics may drift during a battle, this could be a significant complication in large battles and have no real effect in small ones. It is simply another possible rule to use.
roll a d12 to determine direction and a d6-2 (minimum 0) to determine the speed of the drift.
1.4: Statics Setup
All players with Statics in the Orbit-Sector must now place them on the table.
This is only statics that were in the Orbit-Sector to begin with, those being tugged in do not start.
Note: it is possible to drop (by tugging it there) a static in an orbit sector during one campaign round and reduce the battle to a stalemate (see End/Victory Conditions) - thus during subsequent rounds there will be statics from opposing players present in the same Orbit-Sector. In that case, they both appear in any further battles in that O-S.
1.5: Non-Player Additions
Pirates, extra civilian craft and traders may be present (see the random terrain section). These are placed now alterating by player.
1.6: Setup Summary
Many terms here are defined later in this section.
- Define Table Surface Size and Scroll Limits
- Place Terrain
- Determine Drift
- Place Statics
- Choose FTL Entry Points for all Reserves
- Place Groups Supporting Statics
- Players choose Main Arrival Zone, from lowest Engage Value upwards
- Determine Entry Zones for Splits and Groups Supporting a Main Arrival
- Players place Main Arrivals (group by group) from lowest Engage Value upwards
At the beginning of each turn.
- Roll for Reserves, Splits and Support to Arrive
- Check End/Victory Conditions
2: Starting (top)
We must first distinguish between all the various types of groups, groupings and craft that can enter into a battle. We've delt with Statics, now we consider all the arrivals.
2.1: Types of Arrivals
Here is the list into which all arrival fall:
- Groups Supporting a Static (using the Support Fleet Order)
- Main Arrival (All groups that have an Engage Value)
- Main Arrival Splits (Engaging Groups that Split)
- Groups Supporting a Main Arrival (using the Support Fleet Order)
- In-System Reserves (uncontested Engage and Standoff Groups from other Orbit-Sectors)
- Groups Supporting an In-System Reserve (using the Support Fleet Order)
- Out-System Reserves (from Command Bubbles)
Only Groups Supporting a Static and Main Arrivals are initially placed on the table, the rest appear once the battle begins.
2.2: Reserves
The term reserves in this context refers to groups arriving after the battle begins. Do not confuse with Reserve Fleet Groups, part of the fleet organisation structure.
All Reserves arrive by FTL jump, they must roll to arrive each turn, but the location of their arrival must be decided before the battle begins. These are written in secret by each player as necessary. Note, these are choosen before the Groups Supporting Statics are placed, so you do not have that knowledge.
For each group you must choose:
- An Entry Point
- An Entry Direction
- An Entry Speed, between 0-Max Thrust
2.3: Splits and Support
Specifically, Engaging Group Splits and a Group Supporting a Main Arrival.
Splitting invloves attempting to catch the enemy by searching with smaller groups. The down side occurs once you meet the enemy. For each group that split, randomly determine which subdivision appears as a Main Arrival (see section below), the rest are Support.
These arrivals have several options, however these must be decided before the battle begins, and again before the Static Supports are placed.
Using the Engage Value of their parent Group (for Support the group they are supporting and for Splits the group they are part of), you will have a degree of success relative to the lowest Engage Value present at the battle (recall, Statics only have an effective Engage Value if it is absolutely needed ie. there are no opposing groups).
You may spend your success points to either add a modifier to the roll to arrive AND/OR to arrive away from the Main Arrival Zone.
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Bonuses to the Arrival Roll are self explanatory. The Entry Zone Widening works as follows, each arriving group has a zone width determined as 6mu per 500 points (round up), you may normally place the midpoint of that zone only within the Main Arrival Zone - however by using Success Points, you can extend (in either direction) from the Main Arrival Zone.
As with Reserves, the decisions about Success Point usage must be made before the battle begins, and all entry zones (not exactly how the ships will arrive) must be written down in secret.
2.4: Main Arrivals
All groups with an Engage Value arrive at the start of the battle. Total up their points value, including all fighters etc., the arrival zone has a width of 6mu per 500 points (round up).
For each Player, determine their lowest Engage Value (use statics if that is all a player has present), from the lowest player up, each player must choose a point on the table edge, this is the mid-point of their arrival zone. Note, you do not disclose the width of your zone, careful deployment can mask the size of a group.
Common sense must prevail as to the choosing of these points. General guide lines can be determined depending on what orders each player took, if there are allies present, etc.
The points are choosen after statics are deployed, but before any Static Support groups are placed.
Placing Main Arrival Groups begins with the lowest Engage Value upwards. All placements must be within the Arrival Zone, centred at the point chosen - only Splits and Support can arrive outside of the Arrival Zone.
3: Battle Rules (top)
3.0: Rolling for Arrivals
Who, what and where is duscussed ealier. When is the question?
For each group roll a d6, you need to roll the following (depends on type of arrival). Each round after the first, gain a +1 to the roll, ie. turn 2, +1; turn 3, +2; etc.
| Type of Arrival | Roll To Arrive on Turn 1 |
|---|---|
| Splits of Main Arrival | 6+ (†) |
| Supporting Main Arrival | 6+ (†) |
| In-System Reserves | 6+ |
| Supporting In-System Reserves | 8+ |
| Out-System Reserves | 8+ |
(†) These rolls may receive additional bonuses from the use of Success Points.
3.1: Leaving the Battle
3.1.1: Exiting by Table Edge
Using scrolling tables can lead to ships flying off the table, either intentionally or accidentally.
If a player wishes to fly off, they must ask their opponent(s) whether the ship escapes freely. Common Sense again, there are far too many ways this situation could occur to cover them all with a blanket rule. As such, Free Escape must be agreed by all players.
Chased Escape occurs if a player disputes that the ship can get away, usually this will occur if a small set of ships give chase to an escape attempt - not enough to say the whole battle has become this chase. In this situation is may be necessary to remove the 'chase sub-battle', complete the main battle and then play a new chase battle.
Finally, the player may have accidentally flown off the edge. There are two ways to handle this, simply or complicatedly, I choose the former. Take the ships exit speed, multiple by one and a half (1.5) and divide by it's trust (round up). The ship will reappear at the point it exited the table the calculated number of turns later, with any direction at 0-Thrust speed.
3.1.2: FTL Jump
FTL Jumping has been significantly simplified since FTCampv0.1.
Each FTL capable ship can add three (3) FTL Charge boxes to it's SSD. On any turn, a ship may charge it's FTL drive, simply write FTL in the movement orders. This has no effect on the ships actions during the turn. You must tell all other players that the ship is charging its FTL and it's current charge level.
Once all three boxes have been ticked, on any subsequent turn the ship may attempt to FTL Jump. If the FTL Drive is damaged at any point you can either: lose all it's charge OR take a number of hull boxes as damage equal to the charge.
You may over charge the FTL Drive, up to three extra charges. However, once over charging has begun you cannot stop AND once you reach six charge you MUST attempt to jump every turn.
To Jump out, write Jump in the movement orders. Move all non-jumping ships, then move each jumping ship half its vector, then roll 3d6. Modify as follows:
- +2 per charge over three (maximum +6)
| Roll on 3d6 | Outcome |
|---|---|
| 3-14 | Success |
| 15-16 | Fail |
| 17 | Fail, take 50% of hull as damage (round up) |
| 18+ | Destroyed and cause damage, see note (1) |
(1): Craft explodes as an AMT, except its maximum damage is limited to it's number of hull boxes, NOT TMF. Thus a 3 mass ship [FTL 1, MD 1, Hull 1], can do at most 1 point of damage, which is the minimum anyawy, so there is no need to roll. This damage is to all ships within the AMT range after all jump attempts, ie. failed jumpers may get caught in the blast as well.
If the jump fails, move the ship its full movement and deduct one charge. The damage, if rolled, is 50% of the full hull rounding up (eg. a 5 hull ship would take 3 damage. This may be enough to destroy the ship).
3.1.3: Being Destoryed
Pretty final, you're blown away.
3.2: Tugging and Tendering
Tendering functions exactly as fighters do, you may launch all carried vessels at once and recover half rounded up per turn.
Tugging falls into either entering or leaving battle using either military or civilain tugs.
3.3: Readiness Level
A quick way to represent ships being powered down or busy with a task.
Ships being tugged, maintained or any craft carrying out a Hold-Special may be subject to these effects. Similarly, Groups on Maintain Orbit are affected.
Each craft rolls a d6, beating the stated value brings the craft online, each turn after the first gives a +1 modifier (as for arrivals). Groups off table that may be at a lower state of readiness make only one roll, which must be passed before attempting an Arrival Roll; the turn bonuses for arrival begin at zero on the turn the Readiness Check is passed.
| Readiness Level | Roll to Activate on Turn 1 | Groups that... |
|---|---|---|
| Battle/Online | 1+ | Standard Arrival Readiness |
| Alert/Passive | 3+ | Tugged Craft Arrivals (not reserves) |
| Patrol/Passive | 5+ | Tugged Craft Reserves, Maintain Orbit, Restocking (Military) |
| Normal/Offline | 7+ | Civilian Tugged Craft, Restocking (Civilian) |
| Powered Down/Offline | 9+ | Craft currently being Repaired, Refitted around a Builder/Repairer |
Craft are fully functional while Online, Passive states have all Passive and Defensive Systems active (screens, PDS, scanners, firecon. No weapons). Offline are dead in space.
Offline Craft may not be given Movement Orders.
Readiness states are used for arriving craft that are being tugged INTO the Battle. That means all Reserve tugged arrivals AND Split and Support tugged arrivals. Main Arrivals that were tugged to the Orbit-Sector may arrive at Battle Readiness (or not).
In Order to tug craft out of a battle, they must reduce their readiness, this is discussed under the tugging section.
3.4: Scanning
3.5: Commanders
3.6: Boarding Actions
3.7: Hidden Setup
4: End of Battle (top)
4.0: When does it end?
If one set of allied players remain without any opposition, the battle ends.
If there are no functioning enemy craft that are offensive, the battle ends.
If no side can affect each other, as a ludicrous example, two statics that are alone but out of range of eachother; the battle ends (as a stalemate).
Other than the above clear cut cases, it's down to common sense.
4.1: Who won?
Once the battle has ended, use the following to calculate Victory Points:
- Calculate Points values of all sides (that arrived): PreA, PreB, PreC, PreD, etc.
- Calculate value after the battle: PostA, PostB, PostC, PostD, etc.
- Player A's Victory Points = (PostA + PreB - PostB + PreD - PostD)/(PreA)
Note, in the above example, Players A and D were allies, thus the loses to D are not taken into account for A's victory points. Also, it is a battle wide victory, if players want to they could record the exact amount of damage they do, as opposed to the overall damage of their side.
4.2: So who won?
Comparing the victory points (normalised to 1), is not entirely useful in a campaign setting. Just a bit of fun to compare.
Who won, god only knows.