Subspace Wars

Subspace Wars(z)

Space Opera like Nation SD based heavily on freespace. Your one of many nations in a world and your main aim is to make a name for yourself through whatever means you wish. There's a large list of perks/disads and some general details on how you should construct your ships. Plus there is an example oob.

History 2095: FTL Invented 2170: Terrans discover Vasudans
2171: Relations break down, interstellar war erupts
2175: Terrans develop shielding technology
2176: Vasudans steal shielding technology
2176-2176: War stalemates for another ten years
2197- Both Empires exhausted, armistice signed
2200- Present Day

History

The Terran Vasudan conflict began officially in the year 2321, after several Terran officers attempted to speak Vasudan to the Princes of the Vasudan Empire and failed with rather dramatically insulting results. The Vasudans initially unaccustomed to such large scale warfare fell back repeatedly during the early months of the conflict. They allowed the Terrans to stretch themselves across several systems. Feigning yet another retreat, the Vasudans struck back with a daring counterattack which almost shattered the Terran fleet as it desperately waited for the long supply chain to deliver more munitions, pilots were stranded on flight decks as Vasudans lying in wait raided the long and difficult to secure supply route. However, the Vasudans found that they too suffered from the same problems, as they could not hold on to the territory they acquired and found themselves locked in a bitter attritional struggle from which neither side seemed able to escape, fighting over the same few systems again and again. Finally, an armistice was declared as each side thought it was closer to collapse than the other. The war took a heavy toll on the known galaxy, millions of soldiers, thousands upon thousands of pilots and hundred millions of civilians died during the fierce fighting.

This was over thirty years ago, the border now remains a heavily fortified kill zone, in the wake of the war both empires were left exhausted and their dozens of distant space colonies soon found themselves independent, as the empires fractured. New political ideas, some more radical than others have spawned a multitude different competing Empires spread over a wide expanse of systems.

Now it is your time, your nation has risen above its mere neighbours and is a force to be reckoned with. It is time the rest of the galaxy feels your influence, for better or worse.

Main Factions

Terran Hegemony:

The Terran Hegemony is an alliance of Terran states dominated by Sol. It is made up of roughly 11 systems, including the major systems of Sol, Proxima Centuri, Wolf 359, Botein, Fomalhautand, Aerux and Delta Serpentis who make up 81% of the Hegemony's population. Earth's government is a democractically elected body, which represents the seven major systems. The other 9 systems are 'independant', but have vastly smaller populations. The structure of the Hegemony however has binded them forever to the control of Earth. The Hegemony was initially formed in 2321, when the war with the Vasudan Parliamentary Empire began. During the war it experienced heavy losses and fragmented, with new nations being formed amist the chaos of the war. Today, it retains some power and shares an extremely heavily fortified border with the Vasudans and has active exploration program.

The Hegemony has two main consituant parts. Consisting of the Terran Union, Capellan Conglomerate and other smaller states.

Terran Union: The Union is the dominant part of the Hegemony, forming 80% of its population. Its systems are fully industrialised metropolises, with vast hydroponic farms on some worlds, while sprawling foundaries consume the surface of others.

Capellan Conglomerate: A heavily industrialised mining state, it accounts for 0.7% of the Terran Hegemony's population, but 15% of its wealth, largely due to its wealth of raw materials. As such, it has a large garrison and well equipped naval fleet guarding its systems. It systems comprise of Capella, Barnards Star and Alphard.

Others: The Other smaller states in the Hegemony are small time players, who are in reality, just local governments who do everything Earth orders.

Vasudan Parliamentary Empire: Controlled by a series of Princes, or Lords, they have several systems, including Vasuda, Deneb, Aldebaran and Gamma Keeda. Thus while there is a Parliament, most control lies with the Monarchy. The Vasduan Parliamentary Empire is almost equal in strength to the Terran Hegemony and is domineering of the independent Vasudan states than its Terran counterparts.

Ixion Trade Conglominate: The Ixion Conglominate has a monopoly on the Ixion Nebula and several major junctions, enabling it to make sizable profits, with which it funds its military fleet, which has become the bane of pirates. Extremely valuable cargo is often carried on Ixion Fleet Carriers, escorted by a floatilla of ships. Ixi 459 is there primary system, in which they have a large and healthy industry reliant on trade and the passing ships.

Coalition of Independent States[: The Coalition is a loose grouping of various independent systems, nothing more than a trading alliance and a talking shop of the dozens of independent worlds that are scattered throughout known space.

Constructing your nation

POPULATION

Population serves many purposes. Your infrastructure is limited in its growth by the amount of population you control. A high population helps sustain larger armies on the field for longer times and offers greater potential for growth later on.

Cost: 2 NP per 1000,000,000 population

The population affects your draft pool. If your nation is fighting for its life, 10% of your population can be placed under arms. Under normal conditions however, upkeep and logistics makes this prohibitive.

ECONOMY

Your economy is a wonderfully important part of your state, since in terms of the SD, it governs how much cool gear you can buy. On the other hand, large economies tend to grow slower and its people expect a greater amount of stability and prosperity. Dependence on trade and thus peace, and open sea/air lanes is also increased.

Cost: 1 NP per 10 wealth annually
Budget is calculated annually.

(Every point of wealth is roughly a GNP of $1 billion. Note that spending equal points on Economy and Population results in a per capita income of $20,000 annually. This is a standard.) The following is a list of perks, disadvantages and general information for constructing your nation. A sample OOB and template is provided to give you an idea of what you should create. Additional perks are also in the equipment section, which allow access to specific technology.

Traits

Low (+25NP): You can fit 2 modifications to your vessels.

Standard: You can fit 3 modifications to your vessels.

Advanced (50NP): You can fit 4 modifications to your vessels.

Superlative Technology(100NP): You can fit 5 modifications to your vessels.

Big Population (25 NP): Double your population.

Elite Military (75 NP): Your military is awesome, substantially better than other peoples militaries.

Advanced Stealth Knowledge (25NP): Your nation has a better understanding of Stealth technology, all ships have +1 stealth build/cost free on ships smaller than Cruiser.

Advanced Sensors (30NP): Your nation has developed sensors that work almost normally when moving near high neutron radiation sources, and at improved efficiency when in normal space. The Sensors and Communications Subsystem are also hardened. (Ships are EMP Resistant)

Advanced Energy-systems (30NP): Using advanced construction techniques and improved superconducting materials your engineers have come up with a way to improve the effectiveness of your ships’ reactors, making their energy output bigger. Cost/build free +1 Heavy Reactors

Lighting Strike (30NP): favouring blitzkrieg over normal assault strategies your nation has developed its ships to fit this modus operandi. Your ships are fast and nimble. Cost/build free +1 Augmented Engines

Advanced Shielding (30NP): your scientists have come up with a way to redistribute energy through shield-systems, making them stronger than usual at little extra cost (all warship shields have the ‘hard shield’ perk for free)

- Enhanced Intelligence Network (20NP):: using an extensive network of advanced satellites your nation’s intelligence officers have achieved greater coverage than ever before. Very few things slip past your agents unnoticed. (internal security more effective, hostile operatives less effective)

- Social Control (5NP):: in whatever form this manifests itself, your empire is uneasy when dealing with foreigners (diplomatic penalty), but becomes near impervious to foreign spies.

- Fanatic (25NP): your people are fanatically loyal to the rulers of the nation and will do anything their government demands. You don’t have problems finding soldiers for your army and espionage is made difficult for others.

Technological Equipment Traits

Intra-system Artillery (30NP):: You can equip large Interstellar missiles with intra-system or in-system subspace drive. An artillery piece can only make one subspace jump regardless of other modifications.

Universal Hardened Subsystems(30NP): :allows all subsystems to be hardened instead of simply weapons. Counts as a built/cost free +1 hardened subspaces

Joint Subspace Systems(25NP): :where both Inter and intrasystem subspace drives can be fitted on fighters and artillery warheads, only one subspace jump can be made by artillery warheads however

Advanced Jamming Suite (25NP): : penetrates through hyper transponders and tachyon communications)

Subspace Interdiction (35NP)::Ability for ships/installations to "pull" passing ships out of subspace within a short range of the fleet or device, also prevents vessels from making jumps in that range as well works on intrasystem jumps only. This perk gives a bonus in defence against intrasystem artillery. These devices have a short effective range as well as high power requirements.

Negative Traits

Barren skies (+25NP):: Your nation’s worlds have poorly developed eco-systems, all population growth is halved due to poor agriculture.

Poor Economy (+15NP):: Costs double to expand economic infrastructure

Rogue State/Group(+40NP):: your nation/organisation is not recognised by both the Stellar Assembly and the International Community. No-one trusts you but this does not mean they won’t use your services. You are secretive because you have to because you know the Galaxy will come after your guts first. All interactions cost double, for example, buying that Cruiser that costs 10CU will cost 20CU, the extra cost absorbed by costly diplomatic activity.

Bureaucracy (+25NP):: Your nation enjoys paperwork, or rather, your government does. Everything gets mired in red tape and this affects your military greatly. (Slower reaction and deployment).

Angry Population (+25 NP): You’re population doesn’t like you. Reduce draft pool by half and double any population upkeep.

Pariah (+20 NP): Your reputation precedes you. You will be somewhat less successful (though not crippled) in diplomacy.

Green Troops (+30NP):: your nation’s soldiers are lacking in experience and this affects the effectiveness of your troops.

MILITARY

Each Nation Point (NP) will buy you 5 wealth worth of units in your starting military. Each nation will also have half its Economy rating in half finished units. After the game starts, money can be used to purchase units although many units have significant build times.

Fighter Squadron Cost: 3

Strike Fighter Squadron Cost: 3

Strike Bomber Squadron: Cost: 4

Bomber Squadron: Cost: 6

Corvette: Cost: 4
The smallest vessels in Terran/Vasudan space, they are usually escort vehicles for supply convoys and feature modest armament.

Frigate: Cost: 6
Frigate’s are small warships and are capable patrol ships and convoy escorts, they are more seriously armed than Corvettes with anti-fighter weaponry and some designs sport modest anti-ship weaponry.

Destroyer: Cost: 8
Destroyers are common warships seen across space in the shadow of larger cruisers and battleships.

Cruiser: Cost: 10
Cruisers are medium sized independent warships that form the upper tier of non-capital warships. They often form the mainstay of many fleets throughout Terran-Vasudan space and are the smallest ships to be armed with ‘beam’ weaponry capable of inflicting serious damage against warships.

Battleship: Cost: 20
The heaviest common warship, Battleships are fast and well armed combatants, while lacking the heavy armour and punch of Dreadnoughts, Battleships are designed for orbital bombardment and killing other warships.

Dreadnaught: Cost: 25
As subspace portals became increasing defended with static fortifications, a new class of Warship was designed to break through them. Heavily armoured and with practically all of its weaponry pointing in its frontal arc, Dreadnoughts punch through defences with sheer strength.

Strike Carrier:
Cost: 8
Deck: 5 Squadrons
Engines:
Small and fast, Strike Carriers are intended for quick raids against supply convoys and smaller warships.

Escort Carrier: Cost: 10
Deck: 10 Squadrons
Engines:
With space for ten squadrons of fighters or bombers, Escort Carriers are some of the most common vessels among space navies. While lightly armed for ship to ship warfare, they have adequate defences and are fully capable of independent operations.

Fleet Carrier: Cost: 20
Deck: 20 Squadrons
Engines:
The Largest Carriers in known space, their cavernous hangers can hold up to 20 squadrons, some 320 craft. They usually have extensive command and control facilities and in many fleets, form the core of a battlegroup.

Super Destroyer: *Classified at Omega-Phi Level*

A rough guide to constructing ships and their capabilities.

Engines

Grade, Intrasystem jumps/day, Intersystem jumps/day

Alpha: 4/1
Beta: 6/1
Gamma: 8/1
Delta: 10/2
Omega: 12/3
Omega+: 16/4
ZPE engine, NPC only: 20/5

Modifications

To specialise and/or add flavour to units, you can modify vessels to increase their ability. Modifications cost 50% of the base cost of the unit.

Bomber: The secondary banks of this ship can support torpedoes and bombs.

+1 Gimballed Mount: These primary weapon mounts are on rotating turrets, allowing for more accuracy. Stealth: This vessel uses a stealth system.

+1 Turret: The fighter has turret mounts which are 1x1 primary weapons.

+1 Heavy Turret: The fighter has heavy turret mounts which are 2x1 primary weapons.

+1 Aerospace: The fighter is capable of atmospheric as well as spaceflight.

+1 Atmospheric: This vessel only operates within a planetary atmosphere.

+1 Heavy Afterburner: Increase’s speed by 50% for short durations.

Weapon Technologies

+1 Weapons (Primary): General category for fighter and capital ship laser etc weapons.

+1 Weapons (secondary): Antifighter and bomber missiles, can be capital ship or fighter mounted

+1 Flak: Defensive flak guns for capital ships

+1 Torpedoes (secondary): Capital ship or bomber mounted, designed to destroy capital class vessels

+2 Beams: Energy weapons fielded by capital ships. Anti-capital ship or anti-fighter beams are able to be mounted. All beam weapons ignore fighter-grade shielding.

+1 Bombs (secondary): Same as torpedo warheads except for planetary bombardment, can also be used by bombers against large capital ship hulls. (Destroyer and up)

Ship Equipment

Stealth Technologies: Sensors < Stealth < Cloak < AWACS
Any technology that hinders AWACS systems is a national perk.

Science vessels can survey systems for new subspace nodes, the game moderator will inform you if new nodes have been discovered.

This is in order of increasing effectiveness.

Capital Ship Equipment

+1 [Augmented Engines: Increases a ship’s speed.

+1 Reinforced Hull]: Increases the strength of the hull.

+1 Hard Shields: Increases the strength of the shields.

+1 Reinforced System :increases the strenght of subsystems and weapon-turrets.

+1 Redundant System: When hit by an EM Pulse weapon, the system given this modification maintains full effectiveness.

+1 Heavy Reactor: Ships reactor has a higher output then those of standard class, draining weapons have lower effectiveness and heavy weapons have less of a power drain.

+1 Subspace Tracking: allows a ship to enter a jump with another ship or track the ship's jump trajectory to its endpoint. (Plot development only)

-+1 Stealth Suite: special materials and a special black paint are used to hide the ship’s signature from sensors and scanners

+2 Advanced Stealth Suite: an improved version (also more expensive)

+1 Cloaking Device(perk) : cloaks the ship (Gunboats, Corvettes, Advanced Corvettes)

+2 Advanced Cloaking Device(requires two perk) : improved version (Cruiser or lower)

+1 Advanced Subspace Engine(perk) : allows the ship to make two consecutive jumps without recharging. (that is NOT 2 consecutive inter-system jumps)

+1 AWACS: Advanced Warning And Control System.

+1 TACHDAR(perk) : The improved version of AWACS, can see through all cloacking/stealth. (can only be fitted on ships that also have AWACS)

+1 Recon Suite: a special package that decreases a ship’s signature, increases its sensors range and increases its speed. (only for ships of Light Destroyer Class or below)

+1 Nodemass Detector: Survey equipment that can usually be found on scientific vessels in search for new nodes. These can also give the status of the node. Several developments have seen this equipment being used by AWACS vessels to determine the amount of incoming ships. (science: will find nodes in a system. Military: must be on a ship with AWACS and will determine amount of incoming ships) +1 Jamming Suite: blocks the communications signals of hostile targets, also disrupts IFF.

+1 Tachyon Communications(perk) :high energy communications system that bypasses the jamming suite. (due to high energy requirements this needs to placed on ships with the ‘Heavy Reactor’ equipment)

+1 Mimic: allows ships to mimic the long range sensor readings of other ships, thus fooling hostile sensors (unless TACHDAR). Advanced sensor equipment is needed to make this work. (needs to be on a ship with AWACS equipment)

+1 Advanced Independent Tracking: allows RBCs and Defence Platforms to operate within the range of jamming equipment. (on RBCs and Defence Platforms only)

OOB TEMPLATE AND SAMPLE OOB

Official Name:
Type: (You will put Player)
Short: (Shorted version of name)
Race: (Either Terran or Vasudan)
Head of State:
Government:
Capital City:
Territory: (how much territory you have, 1-6 systems)

Total Population:

Economy: (desciption of your economy, good bad etc)
Industry:
Agriculture:
Currency:

National Advantages: -

-

-

National Disadvantages: -

Capital Grade Weapons:

Fighter Weapons:

Navy:

Example vessel: Note, only the unit number and Modifications are required, the rest is fluff.

New York class Dreadnought Cost: 50(25+12.5x4)
Units in class: 8
Modifications:
+2 Weapons
+1 Shields
+1 Armour
+1 Redundant Systems (EW gear, power systems)
+1 Heavy Reactor (extended - Antimatter reactors)
Typical Complement:6000 + 80 FC + 400
Armor Plating: Collapsed Tungsten-Rhenium-Iridium alloy with superconductor web - Omega rated
Shields: Omega rated
Weaponry
-1 Spinally Mounted Meson Cannon(L5)
-6 Heavy capital beam cannons (L4)
-6 Medium slash beam cannons (L3)
-8 AAA-H cannons (L2)
-64 Long range flak cannons (L1 + range -1 overheat)
-6 Heavy flak cannons (L2)
-120 Standard pulse turrets (L1)
-6 Torpedo launchers (L4)
-4 Missile launchers (L2)
Comments: The New York Class Dreadnought is a slender 3 kilometer long vessel brisling with weaponry. Mounted on two weapon elongated weapon blisters are 3 heavy capital beam cannons. Designed to punch through heavily defended nodes, it is equipped with a slicing spinally mounted Meson Cannon, the only ship in existence capable of utilising such technology.

Example oob to follow