Rules Discussion / Suggestions

[Daemonknight]

ComStar will be playing an active role in the game, have no fear.

[Crunch]

I really hope we can avoid the GM super faction decides everything issues the last game had.

[Daemonknight]

We won't, ComStar wont be forming any Terran Hegemony-esque nation, and it wont be expanding its power anytime soon unless the game goes in a totally boring direction and I feel we need a little 'push' to make the game interesting. But thats up to you all.

[GreyJaeger]

I really hope we can avoid the GM super faction decides everything issues the last game had.

I think I can speak for everyone here... But, NOBODY wants that.

[Daemonknight]

Research and Development rules have offically been added to the FGC Rulebook. They will be live for Turn 1

[GreyJaeger]

In the R&D rules, a few of them state that x technology will allow y number of n units to be produced/turn. This implies that only one type of a particular unit can be produced each turn. I.E. The DC, with appropriate production capacity, can build one Battlemech, one armor, one infantry, and one Aerospace unit/turn. Is this correct?

I bring this up because I did not see anything in the Construction rules stating a limit on the number of units a faction can produce.

[Daemonknight]

I assume you are referencing the 'training' rules. When they say 'train', they mean 'upgrade skill rating', so 'train x# of Battlmech units to Veteran/Elite per turn', because normally the maximum number is 1 unit per turn

[GreyJaeger]

Ahh.. Yes. That is what it is.

[Crunch]

I actually had a question about that as well. Is the definition of "Unit" any contiguous unit or a set number of force points or a set number of force points in a contiguous unit. 

[Crunch]

K since we've been asked to familiarize ourselves with the rules, just a few questions and notes.

1) Under "Permanent Pool" in movement the rules currently say that the permanent pool will next refill on turn 44. I'm assuming that should be turn 12 and is a legacy of the old game.

2) In the event of a failed, but non catastrophic, Pirate Insertion what happens?

3) Is FC62GM the correct the proper GM account?

4) Would Primitive Tech count as Tier 1 for Design tech?

5) Under weapons development do the advances in tier III have to be previously researched? Tiers IV and VI specify previously researched.

6) Does each weapon have to be researched as a separate tree or does each tier unlock the ability listed for any weapons?

7) Do the various Tier IV training crit bonuses stack, and are they specific to unit type?

Is the "total FP" referred to in the Battlefield repair rules starting FP for that combat or theoretical max FP for the unit type?

9) Can repair force points be stockpiled?

10) Is there any technological limitation on repairing infrastructure?

11) Do we want to make any provision for primitive tech production facilities?

12) Would a VIP be able to conduct diplomacy during interdict by traveling to the party being negotiated with?

13) I'm assuming that the "Trial" order is unavailable.

14) Are we to assume that Battle Taxis are available to all factions? I was under the impression they weren't introduced until the 3050s.



That's all I have.

It looks great.

[Daemonknight]

a unit is a single line item formation on your sheet.

1) yes, it should say turn 12

2) you basiclly perform a normal insertion, and the enemy knows you are there

3) for right now, untill Dave B can change it, just send PMs to my private PM box

4) Not sure I follow what you mean

5) No, weapons researched under Tier III do not have to be previously researched

6) what do you mean a seperate tree?

7) They do not stack, and they are specific to the unit type they represent. If multiple units are in a location, which ever unit type is in the majority is the type that would determine if one of those bonuses applied. For example, if I have 7 units, 3 mechs and 4 armor, but my mechs have the +1 to crit? that unit doesn't get it, because the mechs are outnumbered.

starting FP for that combat

9) repair force points?

10) no, you can always repair infrastructure if it becomes damaged

11) all MFs currently can only produce Intro tech, with a single exception per faction. Factios will have to undertake research to upgrade their other facilities. Also, all MFs being constructed right now are Intro-Tech, I just need to put down the research line that upgrades new-built MFs to Tech I

12) yes

13) yes

14) Battle Taxis are not available until they are designed in-game, which will either be a random research event, or something else along those lines.

[Crunch]

4) Just wondering if we're bothering with primitive tech at all. It seems like not.

6) Do you research the ability to make prototype weapons, or do you research prototype Small Pulse Lasers.

9) Under the repair rules it says that you can repair a certain amount of damage out of salvage, but the remainder has to be made up by production. Can you bank points to repair units that might be damaged in the future?

Thanks for your patience. Like I said the rules seem slick.

[Daemonknight]

4) oh...i suppose you could if you wanted to, but the rules don't support a 4-tier approach to FP at this time. when we move to equipment tables for ground units(Sorry Fate, but it is the easiest way to implement realistic upkeep and keep things structured), there would be an opportunity to place Primitive equipment in your C category, if you so chose.

5) the latter, you research a specific weapon technology


6) So what happens is that at the end of combat(6 combat rounds or when one side is destroyed/withdraws), the winner keeps salvage. Salvage can be used to repair damage sustained. All Salvage not used for this purpose is converted to RP. So no, you can't stockpile Salvage to be used against latter damage. I was thinking about adding Supply Depots, where you could essentially produce 'Repair FP', which could then be used to repair a unit that stopped there without having to draw against your regular production, but that would only be packaged with sophisticated logistics rules. While I would like to run a game that used a real logistics system, that's not in scope for this game.

Shorter answer- no, all salvage not used for immediate repairs is converted to RP at the end of that turn.

[Daemonknight]

And thank you for the praise for the rules. 95% of what you are reading is work that Dave Baughman has done through revision and trial. The last 5%(the comm rules, research rules, and a smattering of smaller updates) is things I was working on for a different FGC altogether, which I included here.

[Iron Mongoose]

Looking at the rules for Tech paths in economics, where you get a 5-10% bonus on receved money from trades, have we not seen that before?  Is there not a potental for abuse?  Granted, this is a much smaller bonus than last time, and there are more comprehensive trade rules. But since the terriff and transport cost are based on the wholesale price, but the trade bonus bump is based of selling price, there are still methods of making deals very profitable in ways that arn't really reasonable.

Let's imagine that the FS and LC want to make some quick cash.  The FS agrees to sell a few light tanks from a factory very near the bourder, for 100 FP.  They pay about .1 in costs and pocket 104.9 FP.  The Lyrans, eager to recoup the cost of that light tank, sell the FS a case of hooch, for 100 FP.  The pay the terriffs and pocket 104.9 FP.  Not a hell of a lot, but given that its 1/5th the cost of the tier IV perk that does something very similar, its a fairly good value.

Now, I don't want to single the FedCom nations out here.  I had totaly hit on this idea as something my faction could do with our trade partners (think what you will of me for that, but damn it I missed out on the last sweet trade rule that got abused).

Might it not be better to make trade rules that simply lower terriffs or ease transport costs?  That still makes trade more attractive, which I think is the key goal (to make it attractive in this game to do something other than just endlessly build more mechs) but is less open to abuse.