How do you like your random events?

[Dave Baughman]

As I'm working on the R&D overhaul I'm starting to feel that the random events need to be a distinct part of the rules from the "player directed" R&D part. Part of me is tempted to just port in the random events system from Flashpoint with minor adjustments for the change in setting, but I wanted to give you guys a range of options and see what your preferences are.

To give a little more details:

Option 1: This is what we have now. You pay in a small amount of RP (75 RP following the revaluation) and have a very small chance of success (3-25%). When you do roll a breakthrough, the payout is significant, often worth 10x or more the RP invested.

Option 2: This is a toned-down version of the current system. Chance of success could be up to 50% or more, but the payout would be scaled down, probably no more than 3-4x the RP invested.

Option 3: This is a balance between option 1 and option 5. In this version, you pay in a variable amount of money and you are guaranteed some sort of positive result. What you get is partially determined by a die roll and partially determined by a modifier tied to how much RP you invested.

Option 4: This is a "free" version of Option 1. It would be like every turn would be a "Free R&D" turn, but the chance of success would not exceed 10%. Payout would be more like option 2, but there would be certain breakthroughs that could only occur by random roll.

Option 5: This is a straight port of the Flashpoint system. Every turn, every faction gets a random event. There is a 80% change of a "good" or "neutral" result; within that field about 15% of the results represent a "really good" outcome, including some results that can only happen by random roll. There is also a 20% of a 'bad' result, including a 6% of a "really bad" outcome.


Personally, I thought Option 5 worked well in Flashpoint and would work well in FGC with some tweaks and substitutions, but I'm interesting in hearing what you guys think. Poll is open for 7 days.

[Daemonknight]

i liked Flashpoint's system, i vote for that

[Fatebringer]

Whatever happened to the Tree System that was talked about for R&D? I don't like the idea that our technological advancements are always random 

[Daemonknight]

there is still going to be a tree R&D path. Thats what he meant when he said 'player directed R&D path'. The random events are a seperate mechanic.

[Dave Baughman]

Just to echo DK I can confirm that R&D Trees are still in the rules development roadmap as the way for player-directed R&D to work. For example, if you want to research Ferro-Lamellar Armor or something similar, you would check the R&D tree to find the cost and requirements and put it on your orders sheet. Random events would be more like "you found a SLDF cache" or "one of your jumpships has blown a helium seal."