EV Rules: initial thoughts

[Adam]

Okay, so I just downloaded the EV introduction and core rules and had a read through. (You need to update one or both of them so that they're consistent.) You have a very good style. Seriously. It's clear, concise and well-written overall. There are one or two edit errors (you mentioned a scouting phase at one point during the core rules, which I'm guessing is something you deleted from a previous version), but little else.

The ideas behind your rules are solid too, although a bit random in their reliance on command checks. You're going to need abilities that increase Command temporarily, within a radius, etc, so that players can get their fleets to do important stuff when they need it to. Nevertheless, I like the two different movements system and the idea of battlegroups rather than separate cruisers/escort squadrons. Also, you mention keeping track of which models have moved so far; this can be done easily with counters or spare dice, and unless you're not moving a lot this turn or something it's usually fairly obvious or easy to remember who's been activated and who hasn't. So I wouldn't worry too much about that.

Good idea with the close range combat thing - if the close range weaponry is the powerful stuff, it'll encourage people to move and be aggressive. I take it the support ships you mentioned in the dev thread are going to be kinda crap at close range.

Some things that came to mind:
- Is the 4"/9" or the Speed stat going to be the system you use? I'd recommend the statistic, as having speed values doesn't add unnecessary complication to a game and can help differentiate units or armies.
- The rolling-to-hit process seems a bit fuzzy. Am I right in guessing that you roll one D10 per point of firepower? You've also left out the Defence mechanic.
- Once suppression has been subtracted from Command and Firepower, remove the remaining suppression points. Keeping a ship suppressed the entire game should take some effort.
- I assume scouts have Agility instead of Defence?
- Do weapons in IF have a maximum range? I don't see why they'd have to, fluffwise (other than that shots will dissipate or fall far from their targets at extreme ranges), but gamewise this decision could bite you at some point because of fleets nuking each other from miles away. You would also see a lot of avoidant tactics - the fleet with the weaker close-range weaponry would probably run away a lot.
- I don't know if a command check to make a thruster move is a good idea.
- You mention raiders and destroyers at the beginning of the core rules file and then never mention them again. Edit error, or have you simply not written their rules yet?

^ I hate presenting lists of quibbles... most of them are petty and it makes me sound horrible. Ah well, needs must ;D

But yeah, this is a very good base ruleset, I reckon. Only playtesting will tell in the end...

[Peter]

I'm not totally set on what I want to do about nuking - with the Command rules, players will want to get scouts pretty close to the enemy in the very least.

I'm still thinking of refinements to cut down on the possibility of nuking enemies from afar, but one of the approaches will be a little 40k-esque in the form of objectives.

The military utility of a support ship is much greater than its actual value in a space battle. Troop ships don't come with much firepower, but there isn't much else that will take that planet.

[Adam]

Apr 29, 2009 15:45:32 GMT -5 Peter said:

I'm still thinking of refinements to cut down on the possibility of nuking enemies from afar, but one of the approaches will be a little 40k-esque in the form of objectives.

Bear in mind that, as in 40K, people will happily eschew the objective in order to sit in their deployment zones and shoot, and maybe send one ship/APC/unit out after the objective later. You could, however, use strategic zones or something to give bonuses around objectives (something I plan on using in both DoS and Infinite Frontier). A +1 to hit for models near an objective, for example, would help to get things moving.

[Peter]

Hopefully not, but I'm pretty sure that I can in the very least make players move around a bit (bear in mind that there is often a 40% chance of a ship not even being able to shoot unless it can get a scout nearby or move close to the enemy itself).

Also, escorts don't have any real meat shield special rules, so the best way to protect a ship from long-range fire will be to move an escort to within 6" of an enemy.

And I'm also planning on having one player deploy in the centre for most missions.

I'm also trying to think of ways to inject moral dissonance into the game - beyond AI enslavement.