After Ether Rules

Nation Rules

Influence

Manipulating NPCs Disclaimer: These are metagame rules. As such they do not represent any specific in-character action.

In addition to the usual way of engaging NPCs (diplomatic posting, going to war, etc) which is in-character actions, players may also perform Meta-Actions. Meta-actions are essentially the player ordering an NPC to take an action. Obviously, this has some limits and rules.

• Meta-actions require Influence tokens. If a state has no influence tokens available, it can't perform meta-actions.
• Meta-actions require a relevant IC post from the perspective of the state being affected. No anonymous actions. This does not mean that there needs to be any IC action or connection between the player's state and the target of the meta-action.
• Meta-actions should generally make sense - using an influence token to send a pacifist nation into a war of aggression would not be accepted, or using them force a militant cult of victory state to ignore excessive provocations. Influence can also be used to shape the foreign policy and even economic action of allies.
• While meta-actions are intended to give players an opportunity to shape the events of the galaxy at a distance, if they are used abusively the priviledge of using them will be removed.
• Some powers are immune to meta-actions. The following are not valid targets for meta-actions:

-- NPC Rivals (the states that have a grudge against another PC)
-- NPC Allies of other players
-- NPCs that you are at war or in reasonably hostile conditions with
-- Other specific NPCs as appropriate

• The number of influence tokens required to perform a meta-action is variable. See the following table for the price.

-- Small NPCs: 2 Influence
-- Standard NPCs: 4 Influence
-- Large NPCs: 6 Influence
-- NPC ally (distant friendliness): No Influence modifier
-- NPC ally (normal friendliness): -1 Influence required
-- NPC ally (close friendliness): -2 Influence required
-- (N)PC Wayward Military: 1 Influence per ~500 IP (approximately) -- Action takes place over a longer duration (year vs quarter/immediate): +1 Influence required
-- Additional meta-action targeting the same NPC that year: +1 Influence required, stacking for every additional meta-action
-- Particularly minor actions: -1 Influence required
-- Particularly significant action: +1 or more Influence.

Every year a state gets 4 influence points. Up to 4 unspent influence points may be carried over to the next year.
States with Kingmaker get one extra influence points yearly.
Additional influence points may be purchased by the expenditure of 100 Ether or 200 Wealth each.

Unit Rules

Basic Rules

Unit Construction

• A batch of units costs a base 15 IP.
  • Every upgrade applied to a batch adds +5 IP to the cost. Every downgrade applied to a batch subtracts 5 IP from the cost.
    
  • Every aptitude applied to a batch adds +1 IP to the cost.
    
  • Every level of the Production aptitude subtracts 2 IP from the cost.
    
  • If a unit has a cost multiplier per batch (e.g. a Large Warship, with a x3 cost multiplier), the total cost is multiplied by that number.
    
  • A unit which is 'Expensive' doubles the cost after all cost multipliers, aptitudes, and upgrades are applied.
• A batch of units takes a base of 1 quarter per 5 IP to build.
  • Expensive does not apply.
    
  • A unit with a cost multiplier per batch does not multiply the build time by the cost multiplier, but still takes longer to build. Add +1 quarter to build time, then 1 quarter to the build time per every 400% cost increase or fraction thereof.
  • An Elite unit adds 1 quarter to the build time.
    
  • A power with Inept Military subtracts 1 quarter from the build time.
    
  • A power with Reduced Technology adds 1 quarter to the build time.
    
  • A power with Nothing But Magic adds 2 quarters to the build time.

Unit Refits

• Each modification to an upgrade or downgrade (adding an upgrade, removing a downgrade, changing an upgrade/downgrade to another upgrade/downgrade) costs 10 IP.
• Refits take 1 quarter per refit, plus any time multiplier from a unit's cost multiplier.

Unit Upgrades

• A unit can generally support up to 3 upgrades.
• An upgrade is equivalent to 2-3 aptitudes.
• Certain powers can support more upgrades on a unit.
  • Powers with Bleeding Edge can add one more upgrade to a unit.
  • Powers with Boutique can add two more upgrades to a unit.

Unit Upkeep

• A single batch of units takes up a base 15 logistics.
  • Every upgrade applied to a batch adds 5 to the unit's logistics footprint.
  • Every aptitude applied to a batch adds 1 to the unit's logistics footprint.
  • If the unit has a cost multiplier per batch, multiply the unit's logistics footprint by the cost multiplier.
  • Non-Mechanized units halve their logistics footprint after all modifiers.

• When taking action outside of training and maintenance, a unit costs Ether to field.
  • Every 100 logistics of units costs 1 Ether per quarter.
  • Double the effective logistics footprint of a Non-Mechanized unit for these purposes (i.e. non-Mechanized does not halve infantry ether consumption).
    
  • Combat operations in secondary theaters or high intensity patrols cost 2 Ether per quarter per 100 logistics.
    
  • Significant battles or important operations cost 3-5 Ether per quarter per 100 logistics.
    
  • Priority operations such as massive offenses may cost up to 10 Ether per quarter per 100 logistics.
    
  • All costs are rounded up to the nearest whole number.

Unit Aptitudes, Upgrades, and Downgrades

Key

• (U): This is available as an upgrade.
• (D): This is available only as a downgrade.
• (U/D): This is available as an upgrade or downgrade.
• (A): This is an aptitude. It is available as an aptitude, an upgrade, or a downgrade.

A positive aptitude, or an upgrade, increases the unit's capability in the modified categories, while a negative aptitude, or a downgrade, reduces it.

General

• General Combat Improvement (U/D)
  • General modification to combat-related attributes.
  • Changes to each category are not as significant as an upgrade to that category.
  • Does not stack with the specific improvements.
  • Modifies Melee or Weapons, Shields, and Armor on Ground Units
  • Modifies Weapons, Shields, and Armor on Naval Units
  • Modifies Melee, Weapons, and Armor on Air Units

• General Electronics Improvement (U/D)
  • General improvement to electronics-related attributes.
  • Changes to each category are not as significant as an upgrade to that category.
  • Does not stack with the specific improvements.
  • Modifies Sensors, Command, and ECM.

• General Performance Improvement (U)
  • General improvement to movement-related attributes.
  • Changes to each category are not as significant as an upgrade to that category.
  • Does not stack with the specific improvements.
  • Only available to air units and mecha.
  • Allows in-atmosphere flight for mecha.
  • Improves Speed, Agility, and Stealth.

Offensive

• Melee (A)
  • Modifies a unit's close-combat capability.
  • Increases a unit's offense and defense in melee.

• Weaponry (A)
  • Improves a unit's offensive capability at all ranges.

• Exotic Weaponry (A)
  • Powerful weapons with highly limited ammunition.
  • Can only be used a few times per battle.
  • Vulnerable to ECM, but very effective against armor/shields.
  • Cannot be taken as a downgrade.
  • A negative aptitude in Exotic Weaponry bars use of the Exotic Weapons Upgrade and makes a unit more vulnerable to Exotic Weapons.

• Weapon Range (U/D)
  • Modifies a unit's engagement range.

• Heavy Weapons (U)
  • Improves a unit's ability to engage larger units.

• Light Weapons (U)
  • Improves a unit's ability to engage smaller units.

• Anti-Air Weapons (U/D)
  • Improves a unit's capability to engage air units.
  • Used on Artillery units to create dedicated AAA. Artillery units lose anti-ground capability with an AA upgrade.
  • Cannot be taken as a downgrade on units which have no AA. This includes:
    • Ground units smaller than Mobile Gun Forts
    • Fast Bombers (no defensive weapons by default)

• Anti-Umbral Weapons (U)
  • Allows a unit to engage umbral units.

• Multirole (U)
  • Improves a unit's capability to engage air units without compromising ground attack.
  • Requires 2 upgrades to be equivalent to a +1 AA upgrade.
  • Unnecessary for multirole units like mecha and heavy fighters.

• Ordinance (U)
  • Improves an air unit's capability to engage ground and naval targets.
  • Available for air units only.
  • Unnecessary for bombers.

Defensive

• Armor (A)
  • Modifies a unit's survivability.
  • Armor provides better protection than shields, but provides less protection against temporary systems loss (i.e. sensors being knocked out).

• Shields (A)
  • Modifies a unit's survivability.
  • Shields provide good protection against temporary systems loss, but give less protection than armor.
  • Shields provide limited countermagic capability.

• ECM (A)
  • Decreases the accuracy of enemy weapons fire.
  • Particularly effective against Exotic Weapons.
  • ECM effectiveness improves at range.
  • ECM provides no protection in close combat.

Electronics

• Command (A)
  • Improves the likelihood that your units will be engaging in combat on advantageous terms.

• Sensors (A)
  • Modifies a unit's detection ability.
  • Sensors also modify a unit's long-range weapons accuracy.

• Stealth (A)
  • Modifies a unit's ability to defeat sensors.
  • In some situations, stealth reduces enemy weapons accuracy.

• Anti-Umbral Sensors (U)
  • Allows a unit to detect Umbral units.
  • Primarily used for non-zeppelin air.
  • Larger units (warships, generally) do not require this upgrade to engage Umbral units as long as they have +Anti-Umbral Weapons.

Mobility

• Mobility (A)
  • Modifies a unit's tactical speed and evasion.
  • Not available for air units (but see Speed/Agility, below).
  • On naval vessels adds +2 GL/week to cruising speed
  • On zeppelins, adds +4 GL/week to cruising speed.

• Mechanized (U)
  • Greatly improves an infantry unit's movement speed.
  • Slightly improves an infantry unit's combat effectiveness.
  • Greatly increases an infantry unit's logistics footprint (a Mechanized infantry unit no longer has the non-Mechanized tag.)
  • Available for infantry only.

• Speed (U/D)
  • Modifies an air unit's straight-line speed.
  • Only available for non-zeppelin air units and mecha.
  • As an upgrade, allows in-atmosphere flight as Mecha.

• Agility (U/D)
  • Modifies an air unit's evasiveness.
  • Only available for non-zeppelin air units and mecha.

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous upgrades are not an exhaustive list. These are just the most common forms.

• Cargo (U)
  • Increases a unit's ability to haul cargo.
  • Increases base cargo hauling ability by 50%.

• Carrying Capacity (U)
  • Provides a unit with additional hangars or troop bays.
  • Provides 100 CP per added DP.
  • 1 DP can be traded in for 500 additional CP.

• Umbral-Capable (U)
  • Allows a unit to hide in the Umbra.
  • Umbral units have no shields.
  • Umbral units are hard to detect but vulnerable to counter-Umbral weapons.

• High-Traction Drives (U)
  • Unit no longer takes speed penalty from carrying external vessels.

• Bathysphere (U)
  • Unit can explore stormways.