Talk:Ruins of Ancient Stars

Tech Talk

Thanks for coming to my Tech Talk.

Proposal part 1

Adjustments to starting package

• Every state gets 1 unique technology described with 1-2 lines (eg, a unique hull type, system, cool widget, etc etc)
• Every state gets 2 random generic technologies (eg, a hull type gets +1 to an attribute, a +1 weapon, etc)
• Starting labs are reduced to 5
• Difficulty to roll a tech goes up by 1 after the first tech is rolled that turn
• Dreamlands gets 1 random xenotech
• Skunkworks gets 1 additional unique technology or 2 generic techs of a chosen field(s).
• Allied states may not take Dreamland or Skunkworks
• Small allied states do not come with a lab.
• Large allied states come with 1 lab
• No free tech trade, all trades cost at least 1 lab (maybe base 2?)

Proposal part 2

Traits give additional techs, of an appropriate flavor. Allied state traits do not grant a bonus tech.

• People's Champion: 1 random civilian tech (generic)
• War Machine: 1 random military tech (generic)
• Star Patrol: ?
• Admiralty: 1 random ship fitting tech (generic)
• Fanatics: Thunder Warrior ground unit (unique)
• Dreamlands: As above
• Skunkworks: As above
• Manticore: No bonus tech
• Client States: No bonus tech
• Mayflower Society: 1 random civilian tech (generic)
• Murtox: No bonus tech
• Population by Proxy: Teletrooper ground unit (unique)
• Autarkist: 1 random civiian tech (generic)
• Blackbeard 2525: Auxiliary Cruiser hull type (unique)
• Cosmo Albania: Minelayer hull type (unique)
• Zero-G Rat: Pirate Points Knowledge (generic)

• Loyal To Their Own: Espatiers ground unit & system (unique)
• Cutting Edge: 1 Additional Unique or 2 Generics of a chosen field
• Privateer: Pirate Frigate hull type (Unique)
• Deniable Asset: 1 Tech of your host nation.
• Blackest Market: 1 random Stealth Technology (generic)
• Demon Lord Of The Round Table: Superfighter Areospace type (Unique)

Ship Thinkings

• Give capital ships 5 free PDL and 5 coilguns (5 x size 1 railguns that only go to short but always strike first)
• Battleship missile clusters are tight and benefit from overlapping decoys and jamming; it takes twice as many PDL shots to down a missile fired from a battleship or equivalent. (size 5 or bigger launcher)

Merchant Marining and Privateering the Press

The free flow of goods across space is a core component of most national economies; while strictly speaking most planets can be self-sufficient and can weather being cut off, modern space travel is cheap enough that competitive advantage comes into play. As such trade becomes viable and in most cases, all is good and the metaphoric boats are lifted by the metaphoric tide.

However trade is not guaranteed; it is host to many factors ranging from traffic disruptions to economic dips and hills to actual piracy and war. Trade is also interconnected. To represent this, at turnover the GM will roll the annual trade rate; this is the base amount each freighter (representing trade) generates that turn. This amount is then adjusted by a nation's own modifiers.

Base trade rate: 1D6-1 (per freighter, rolled every year)

Per-freighter amount may never be less than $0 and may never exceed $5.

Modifiers (per player):

+1 if Security is 3

+2 if Security is 4

-1 if Security is 0 or less

-1 if under Sanctions from at least 25% of the player base

-1 if under Sanctions from at least 50% of the players in your Region

Security

This is a holistic representation of how well protected your ships are from both criminal assaults on free trade and more general disruptions to commerce. The security level is as follows:

1 police ship per 10 freighters: Security 1

3 police ships per 10 freighters: Security 2

6 police ships per 10 freighters: Security 3

10 police ships per 10 freighters: Security 4

State is a Star Patrol: Security +1

State is Dirty Cops: Security -1

State has Dark Fate: Security -1

If assigned to patrol, Escort-type warships (excluding FACs) are equal to 2 police ships each

If assigned to patrol, Cruisers and capital ships are equal to 5 police ships each

Reaving

The conceptual inverse to security, reaving is all manner of disruption. Merchants are by nature cautious and will tend to avoid trouble and thus even the slightest hint of it will often cause entire flocks of freighters to vanish for less troubled pastures. Reaving directly opposes Security.

1 corsair per ?: Reaving 1

3 corsair per ?: Reaving 2

6 corsair per ?: Reaving 3

10 corsair per ?: Reaving 4

Home sector is a war zone: Reaving +1

Targeted by a state with Blackbeard 2525: Reaving +1

Auxiliary Cruisers count as 3 corsairs each

If the reaving state is engaging in commerce warfare (directly targeting a specific state) its ships operate at double efficiency and does not generate Piracy Aggro.

If a state's Security is reduced to less than 0 from Reaving, it will start to lose freighters unless it docks them (putting into mothballs). For every point security is below 0, 10% of the active freighter fleet is sunk.

Police ships will attrit Corsairs.

Privateers will attrit police ships.

Warships will attrit non-warships.

Profiting off other's misery

Looting will make money, specifics to be considered

War measures

During wartime a state (or normally more than one state) goes full-in, buying and importing all manner of foreign goods, supplies, munitions, etc and sundry. As such the return for freighters in this scenario is locked at $5 per no matter the security level or annual base return. The freighters must get the vital supplies in, no matter how many get sunk by U-boats along the way.

Traits

Positive

• Legal Red-Tailed Hawk - Your state has mastered the art of lawfare and Earthside propaganda and can pretty much always find some plausible-sounding excuse for actions they take. This trait lets your state mitigate and ignore all but the most egregious diplomatic blowback among the Great Uninvolved, though it certainly doesn't stop the latest neighbor you're aggressing from fighting you as hard as they can.

• Merchant of Death - The state's main export is guns! Guns guns guns! You may build weapons (spaceships, ground units, etc) for export; these cost 75% of normal, though the military-export complex is only so big and you may not spend more than your base income (Taxes + Trade revenue) on buying any sort of military unit. If you are ever in a position to 'take back' these exports you must pay the difference; the communication systems use the wrong bands, the operating system is in the wrong language, the toilets haven't been properly gold-plated, etc etc. Going to war with someone you've sold weapons to is often a bloody affair as both sides will be very well versed in capabilities.

• Line Went Up - In the recent past your state won the economybowl and its game start taxation (not trade) income is increased by $200.

• Little Metal Mans - Your starting military is noticeably larger than the Verge average; you have an extra $2000 in military assets at game start.

Negative

• Second Amendment Problems - The state's main export is guns and you have no way to control it. Other players and NPCs may freely 'purchase' weapons from you, effectively using your tech base to construct them. Putting a stop to this rampant export of weapons by your arms sector will probably be a painful process that might only be possible during wartime.

UN Task Forces

• Somehow, DeGrasse has Returned (2 points) - Perhaps the single most influential individual on the current UN is - was - Secretary-Admiral DeGrasse. Restructuring the UN into the force it is today, he perished at the apocalyptical Battle of Shiva in 2612. Or did he? Somehow, he has returned, aiding your task force from the shadows towards his own inscrutable ends. Gain a second, secret patron of the DeGrasse Loyalists.