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Nation Building

Nation Building

Nations of the Stellar Empires are complex things, there is no simple answer to colonial rights, and indeed. Many if not most nations end up being forced to share territorial holdings. As such, unlike previous versions of my engine, players may not get entire solar systems to just themselves! (Though they are certain to get one housing their capital to themselves)

Indeed, player colonies will be placed by me on the submission of your sheets into the solar systems! Now don’t get too worried, we’re not going to end up with any Firefly-esque systems with 50 inhabited bodies, at most there will be only three or four inhabited worlds in a system, and rarely will there be more than two people sharing that system.

And so we get to the meat, potatoes and gravy of the nation, their territory.

There are, as before, seven nation sizes to choose from. And your choice may or may not be very important. (Ok, ok, it’s important!)

• Tiny
• Small
• Medium-Small
• Medium
• Medium-Large
• Large
• Huge

A tiny nation doesn’t have much power, hell it won’t even have much of a fleet compared to others! But what it lacks in power it gains in, well for want of a better term, worthlessness, while that nation may have much to offer it is small and will slip beneath the radar of most if not all larger polities, and as the ‘little kid’ will find it much easier to get the protection due to not being a potential threat. Or so they think.

Small nations are in much the same boat as the Tiny nation and will rarely try and climb from that precarious position. But they have a slight measure more power and some more influence, but in return they are more visible to powerful polities.

Medium-Small nations are approaching the average size for space-faring nations and while not militarily significant compared to others they possess some influence and draw.

Medium nations can be considered the ‘universal standard’ most nations fit into this size bracket, they have relatively standard militaries and average influence over galactic politics.

Medium-Large nations are reaching into the higher spectrums. Possessing slightly larger militaries than medium nations some consider them unjustified bullies. Others consider them attractive targets of opportunity.

Large Nations are the big brothers of the galaxy, both implications being true, they can be protectors or bullies and their militaries often give them the edge.

Huge Nations are THE king shits of the universe, the superpowers, the ones with all the power (well not literally) nobody has navies on the scale of huge nations, nor do they have populations to match. However a huge nation has a large area to patrol, and often many enemies. Whether the primary enforcers of the Intergalactic United Nations or despicable Rogue States they are major players. And often the targets of intrigue. (Only IGUN or Rogue States may be Huge, numbers of huge nations are also limited.)

Your Territory

Players have a set number of planets in accordance with their nation size, unlike previous versions the complexity of your planet types is now more homogenous with no ‘direct’ benefits as all such related elements have been homogenized in order to produce a more balanced sheet for people, their navies etc. This was also done in order to open up creativity once more to allow peoples worlds to be ‘how they like’ though naturally people need to consider the fact the traits will decide what they are roughly capable of.

Now, this is written with the LARGEST type world. There will be a small table letting you know how to ‘subdivide’ it if you wish to do so. Note: A minimum of 50% of your territory must be planets (Nomads Excepted).

• Tiny: 3 Planets
• Small: 5 Planets
• Medium-Small: 10 Planets
• Medium: 15 Planets
• Medium-Large: 20 Planets
• Large: 30 Planets
• Huge: 40 Planets

A planet is a roughly earth sized rock in space that will generally house 90% of your population or more. However there are also others.

• Large Moons
• Small Moons
• Large Asteroids
• Space Stations

A Large moon is reminiscent of our own, 1 planet can be used to take 3 Large Moons instead.

A Small moon is about half the size of our own, thus 1 planet can be used to take 6 Small Moons instead.

A Large Asteroid is a rock only a couple dozen kilometers across. 1 Planet can be used to take 25 Large Asteroid Habitats.

Space Stations are space habitats housing people, trade stations, space labs, observatories, orbital brothels and other such. As a rule all Space Stations are unarmed but heavily shielded. According to the history books Space Stations used to be armed until brighter minds realized it was pointless as enemies could just launch their weapons from well beyond the Station’s sensors killing them without ever being exposed to danger.
1 Planet may be used to take 100 Space Stations. No less than 80 must be in orbit around planets or moons. The remaining 20 may be placed in system Lagrange points safely. (No gameplay effect.)

Placement

This is where the real danger lies, you as players have no choice as to the placements of planets and moons of either type. Asteroids and Space Stations will always be in a system you have planets or moons in. However, and this is part of the tension, you can even end up with undesirable situations such as having the misfortune to have a moon in orbit of an enemy planet! (Unlikely but theoretically possible.)

Though it must be noted that nations will be placed in a roughly circular expansion point, thus planets towards the centre (core worlds) will in fact be safer and unlikely to have enemy worlds (or even friendly allied worlds) than those towards the frontier.

That is all... for now.

Trait and Flaw Effects on the Ship Builder

Trait Effects on Ship Building

Relativity is a Bitch: Engines get a bonus 10% Armour receives a 10% penalty. (Both figures round up.)

Ironclad: Armour receives a 10% Bonus. Engines receive a 10% penalty. (Both figures round up.)

Shield Baron: Shields receive a 10% Bonus. Sensors receive a 10% penalty. (Both figures round up.)

We see all: Sensors receive a 10% Bonus. Shields receive a 10% penalty. (Both figures round up.)

Isaac Newton Hates You: Medium and Heavy Kinetic Weapons are -1 and -2 points respectively. Spinal Kinetic weapons are only 5% of the maximum instead of 10%. Energy and Missile weapons increase cost by 1 point.

Who needs to reload?: Medium and Heavy Energy Weapons are -1 and -2 points respectively. Spinal Energy weapons are only 5% of the maximum instead of 10%. Kinetic and Missile weapons increase cost by 1 point.

Macross Missile Massacre: Medium and Heavy Missile Weapons are -1 and -2 points respectively. Energy and Kinetic weapons increase cost by 1 point.

Use the Force: All Strike craft have a maximum 2 higher than normal. (Pilots also count as being more skilled. This is background information players won’t have access to.)

Hangar Queens: All Strike craft have a maximum twice the basic.

When in doubt FIRE EVERYTHING!: All firepower can be directed towards the prow. This can be chosen as an elective action. Note, it takes a turn to redirect weapons to their original facings.

RAMMING SPEED: Ships may be fitted with a ramming module for 5% maximum cost. When used the ship speed doubles but cannot turn and must make a ramming attack.

Hangerize!: You do not have any dedicated carriers. However all ships Escort to Super-Capital may fit Carrier Bays.

Flaw Effects on Ship Building

Creaky Military: All weapons cost double. Armour and Shields receive a 25% penalty. All figures round up.

Shitty Workmanship: Armour and Shields receive a 10% penalty. Figure rounds up.

Sensor Resolution 640 x 480: Your sensors take a 50% penalty. Figure rounds up.

Shieldless: Your ships have no shields attribute.

Armour is for wimps: Your ships have no armour attribute.

Ship Classes

Strike Craft;

• · Fighter Squadron
• · Bomber Squadron
• · Gunship Squadron

Escorts;

• · Cutter Squadron
• · Corvette Squadron
• · Frigate
• · Destroyer

Capital Ships;

• · Cruiser
• · Carrier
• · Battleship

Super Capital Ships;

• · Dreadnought
• · Mauler

Equipping and buying your ships.

Each ship has a combat value maximum and minimum. These are the minimum and maximum values of Industrial Points that may be spent on a ship. Each type of ship has several values.

• Ø Class: *Seen above*
• Ø Value: *Final Cost*
• Ø Engines:
• Ø Sensors:
• Ø Shields:
• Ø Armour:
• Ø Prow Weapons:
• Ø Dorsal Weapons:
• Ø Ventral Weapons:
• Ø Port Weapons:
• Ø Starboard Weapons:
• Ø Special Devices:

Each ships value is divided between everything under value.

Note: Fighters and Bombers have ONLY Prow weapons. Gunships do not have Port or Starboard weapons.

Strike Craft;

• · Fighter Squadron Min 6 IP. Max 8 IP.
• · Bomber Squadron Min 10 IP. Max 12 IP.
• · Gunship Squadron Min 10 IP. Max 16 IP.

Escorts;

• · Cutter Squadron Min 60 IP. Max 100 IP.
• · Corvette Squadron Min 80 IP. Max 120 IP.
• · Frigate Min 120 IP. Max 160 IP.
• · Destroyer Min 150 IP. Max 200 IP.

Capital Ships;

• · Cruiser Min 300 IP. Max 360 IP.
• · Carrier Min 300 IP. Max 400 IP. (Must include room for minimum of 20 Squadrons.)
• · Battleship Min 600 IP. Max 1’000 IP.

Super Capital Ships;

• · Dreadnought Min 1’000 IP. Max 3’000 IP.
• · Mauler Min 4’000 IP. Max 6’000 IP.

All ships power is relative to their own class. For example, a Mauler with 400 points in engines is going to be faster than a Mauler with only 300 points in engines.

Equipping your ships.

This process is not as clear cut as just putting points into the various areas. While that IS the case with Engines, Shields, Armour and Sensors it is NOT as clear for weapons and special devices.

Weapons:

Weapons come in 4 sizes and some with limitations.

• Ø Light Weapons = 1 Point.
• Ø Medium Weapons = 3 Points.
• Ø Heavy Weapons = 5 Points.
• Ø Spinal Weapons = 10% of Maximum ship cost and a maximum of 1.

These weapons must be declared as either Kinetic, Missile or Energy. If you have the trait related to those weapons you may reduce the cost of Medium and Heavy weapons by 1.
Eg: Macross Missile Massacre reduces Medium weapons to 2 points and Heavy weapons to 4 points if they are missile based weapons.

NOTE: Creaky Military doubles ALL weapon costs.

Carriers:

Carriers, and nations with the Hangerise trait, are able to carry Strike Craft Squadrons. A bay for 1 fighter Squadron is 2 Points. A bay for a Bomber Squadron is 3 Points, a bay for a Gunship Squadron is 4 Points.
NOTE: If you have the Hangar Queens trait all bay costs increase by 1 point.
ANOTHER NOTE: Nations with Hangerise have no dedicated Carrier Class as all Escorts, Capitals and Supercapitals have the ability to have Carrier Space.

Special Devices:

Special devices are trait related devices you might have, for example, Cloaking devices. As a general rule a Special device costs 5% of the maximum cost for that ship rounding up.

Final Notice:

Several, if not many, of the traits will effect these rules. Once the traits are completed this will be adjusted with a list of what traits effect it.

XCOM RP

The year is 2005 and the media is in frenzy as increased numbers of UFO sightings are on the rises, for some months the governments of the world dismiss the rumours and calm the public. But the governments of the united nations have been talking the entire time.

The sightings are no longer believed to be the ramblings of crazies and lunatics and Roswell alien worshippers. In a mere three months over seventeen sightings have been confirmed on national radar grids. Eleven had been spotted by military aircraft and three had attacked and destroyed. The stories and reports of missing persons and mutilations are on the rise.

The United Nations have discussed, ratified and acted on these attacks, for all reports have confirmed these craft are not only hostile, but are kidnapping and murdering civilians for an unknown purpose in their strange craft. And so a new organisation was called for, one that would have the best technology, access to the worlds best scientists, engineers and soldiers.

This organisation was to be called the Extraterrestrial Combat Unit, or XCOM as it became abbreviated. The nations of the world have come together to support the budget and requirements of this organisation and it has quickly grown from an idea to a reality.

You. You are the commander of one of these bases housed inside the borders of a sovereign nation for the express purpose of combating the alien threat to earth. To study and reverse engineer alien technology, to come up with new technologies in order to counter the alien menace, and one day to secure earth against these invaders and hopefully one day. Take the fight back to them.

Yours is not a simple job. You must manage the base, your budget, research and construction. Additionally it is your duty to send pilots out to risk their lives against this more advanced foe in the hopes of bringing them down to earth where you can recover and salvage their technology. And when the going gets hairy. It is you who have boots on the ground leading the fight in person if you must.

YOU are one of XCOM's command structure in independent control of your facility with only the International Oversight Advisory Board to judge your actions as well as the Government of the country in which you are based.

If you perform well your country of origin may increase your budget allowing you to do more in the fight against the alien menace, perform poorly and watch your budget drain away. Or even take the high road and produce and sell enough new technology to remove the need for government funding.

The choice is yours.

Join Now.

Nation Feature: Hellscapers

Hellscapers NATION

Hellscapers FTL: Hellgate Drives: The laws of reality don't apply to the hellscape, and as such we know that their home dimension is technically allowing FTL travel by some laws we don't understand, though most of its occupants describe it as an ocean of energy with thoughtform worlds of energy that are tied to it. As such they come out of their realm towards the outer edges of a solar system under most circumstances. But they can escape back into their realm at will.

Hellscapers Sublight Drives: Blood Drives: No, this is NOT a bunch of people who go door to door asking for blood donations to pay for fuel for their ships. It is a nickname given to the observed way their drives work, most compare them to Antimatter drives for performance, but there is always a faint red nebulous residue around their ships, and left in their wake. Though study show it is just moisture most are suspicious of it.

Nation Trait Basic:
Daemonworlds: The worlds of the Hellscapers, through arcane technology or other methods long lost to all but the daemoniformers have inhabited their worlds, but as their home realm is inimicable to structure and form the hellscapers used their arcane arts to weaken the bonds between their realm and the material realm, in these breaches of reality entire star systems sit within an unholy blend of dimensions, twisted corrupted and extremely dangerous to even attempt to reach.
Beyond the Pale: The beings of your realm are beyond twisted corrupt abominations, your very presence makes other uncomfortable, your visage terrifies the most stalwart of heart and can even introduce heretical programming errors that corrupt even artificial intelligences who maintain too close a presence.

Nation Flaw:
Unholy Abominations: So great is the corrupting influence and horrific countenance and nature of the Hellscapers that they, their ships and all their like are fired upon instantly by all but the most horrific of deviants, they are as such at a constant state of war with all nations except other Hellscapers and Unforgiven nations. The only nations a Hellscaper nation may deal with are other Hellscapers and the Unforgiven.
Unstable: Though greatly powerful the Hellscapers have become a product of their environment whether they were born of the hellstuff or corrupted to its purpose, and as such the more powerful a hellscaper the more powerfully it is bound to its environment, without daemoniforming the strongest parts of the Hellscapers must return to their realm before their unnatural instability on the material universe forces them to return anyway.

NATION TRAITS:

From Hell:
Daemonships:	Many of the very ships used by the Hellscapers are warped, twisted and inhabited by the otherthings of that unmentionable realm, and they move through space as if literally born to it, like a shoal of piranha, but more disconcerting is their ability to slid in and out of their unreality at will like flying fish moving in for an unnatural kill. Provided they are not too close to a planet in any case.
Unholy Aura:	Their unnatural realm protects the beings that inhabit it with an unnatural resilience to most material technologies, make no mistake such creatures are far from immune to material weapons. But such things are usually robbed of some of their power, or deflected more easily, than is normally the case.
Daemonswarm:	Present only where the largest armies or fleets gather these beasts are drawn to the large gatherings of hellscapers like vultures and flies to a battlefield. Uncontrollable hellthings bent of making their pickings of the battlefield they will swarm upon the losing proposition. No matter whether hellscaper or enemy. All are fair targets for them.
Warped Weapons:	The weapons of the Hellscapers take on an unnatural ethereal quality to their weaponry, weaponry that gains the ability and nature to be far more effective against normal defences than would ever normally be the case, shields yield more quickly, armour fails more rapidly, and flesh stands no chance. No chance at all.

Warped Reality:
Distorted Time:	This is a double edged sword, and is not truly time travel in any sense. But when the concentrations of the Hellscapers are felt on the battlefield time feels warped, one man might react a dozen times more quickly than he believes is possible where another feels like his senses and actions are dulled in quicksand.
Purewarp Weapons:	Extremely rare, not like the corrupted weapons mentioned above these are special artifices only ever seen on the largest battleships dreadnoughts and maulers, and usually only as its main weapon. These weapons allow no defence at all. Anything within the length of such a blast ends. Though it only effects within the beam itself. (Can only be fired once a day for a mere minute)
Unnatural Geometry:	Daemonworlds take on an unnatural geometric nature, they begin to feel four dimensional and beings of the material plane, biological and artificial, are usually disoriented severely the first time they fight in such a place making them quite vulnerable.
Thin Veil:	Beings of the Hellscapers are able to break through the thin veil of a battlefield more easily than anywhere else, though other sites of extreme emotional turmoil weaken the veil enough for incursions. Hellscaper raiding parties thus can be seen to appear almost anywhere at any time, though a battlefield might weaken the veil enough for an army, an especially emotional funeral might only weaken it enough for one or two raiders to appear.

Corrupting Influence:
Whispers in the Dark:	There are some receptive to the Hellscapers, those who have desires for power, unrequited urges and extremely deviant behaviour. They are susceptive to the corrupting whispers of the hellscapers who can corrupt and turn such beings to their own purposes. Cults are the most popular target for such actions.
Uprisings!:	(Requires: Whispers in the Dark) The hellscapers drive their influenced lackeys together over time, and when they reach critical mass the Hellscapers drive and influence them to rise up and rebel against their masters, such a conflict can break the veil enough for an invasion to commence with little to no warning.
Tainted World:	The Daemonworlds of the Hellscapers are violently tainted, as badly or worse as those of the Unforgiven, while the Quantum Curse of accelerated Entropy of the Unforgiven slew all its victims in the end the tainted Daemonworlds corrupted all to itself in the end. Provided an invader didn’t discover a way to strengthen the veil.
Wracking Discontent:	Prisoners of the Hellscapers are rare. The corruption of their very natures extending down to either drive capturers to execute their prisoners, or the prisoners to kill themselves. Lesser Hellscapers may be taken prisoner more easily than many. But it is difficult for all but an Enslaver to keep them.

Strategic/Tactical Developments Traits:
Breach of the Veil:	(Requires: Thin Veil, Whispers in the Dark, Uprisings!) When the veil is thinnest, upwrisings wrack a world and corrupted saboteurs walk the worlds of the enemy, then the Hellscapers breach the veil, and invade the world from beyond, they need no such thing as dropships and troop transports, they make their way onto the world more directly.
Fading Away:	When the battle goes badly and your forces simply cannot continue the fight most have to worry about trying to evacuate their forces before the enemy destroys them. But not you. Your forces simply give up resisting their natural instability and fade away into the abyss. But doing so this way means it can take a while to reform your forces for another attempt.
Warp Storm:	(Requires; all Warped Reality Traits; all From Hell Traits.) A strategic weapon of incredible value, but massive risk. This calls upon your nations complete knowledge of the hellscape and brings it forth in an abominable unreality blending with the material universe cutting off entire worlds, or even solar systems from any possible aid. But the risk is massive. Should you lose control of it it will be your own forces, not theirs, that suffers its very primal, elemental nature.
Inbred Horrors:	The sounds and shapes of the nightmarish creatures that inhabit and form your realm are not entirely random things. No they are influenced by the fears and myths of those they are nearest to, what would appear horrifying to one would change to something equally horrifying for the next. None can fight your forces without the omnipresent crush of raw unchanneled fear.

Nation Feature: False Gods

False Gods NATION

False Gods FTL: Hyperwarp Drives: These drives 'dive' the ship into subspace contained within their own material fields, this drive is not terribly fast but neither is it terribly slow. In the end it is a very dull and uninteresting drive.

False Gods Sublight Drives: Fusion Drives: Normal everyday Fusion Drives like those several other nation types already have.

Nation Trait Basic:
Glowy Eyes: Your gods are eternal, and their very eyes give away the fact that they are gods when they choose to, whether due to technology like a Sarcophagus or simply biology your gods are functionally immortal, unless someone kills them, or they fall down a flight of stairs or something equally improbable.

Nation Flaw:
A Little too Fuedal: Your nation is very feudal with each of the gods ruling their own world or for the most powerful, several worlds, however this leaves a very power-hungry and fractitious nation with people very inclined to seek to power-climb the political ladder, even over the cooling bodies of their rivals.
A touch Gaudy no?: Uh... that is a lot of bloody gold... the toilet seat too? As ‘Gods’ your people are not just gaudy, they were the entire reason that most races sought to even create the word. Ships are covered in gold, thrones of marble, baths of precious gemstones. There is one problem there. Pirates LOVE raiding you. It’s always profitable, even if they just collect bits they shoot off to sell. You have to be the only nation in which the decorations are worth more than the intact ships.

NATION TRAITS:

Power of the Gods Traits:
Kara’kesh:	The hand device is a metal, glove-like object with a large red gem set in the palm. It is the personal weapon of the False gods and requires a specific genetic marker to operate. They are thought-controlled. The hand device can generate a shockwave that throws back anyone in its path with great force. The hand device can also generate an energy stream to a person's head that causes severe pain and eventual death. This function creates a mental link between false god and victim, which may allow them to send a message through. Hand devices can also be used to block ion and stun blasts and generate a personal shield.
The Eyes:	These rare devices are limited to one per member of the ruling lords (up to a maximum of 6), each device is typically used by one of the most important lords to boost the power of his or her personal flagship. A sign of their divine power. All combined may allow a vessel the ability to cause massive damage to an unsuspecting planet.
Ha’tak:	(Requires: Hangerise) These vessels can come in any capital ship size, but are massively multipurpose vessels, they house squadrons of fighters and bombers, are heavily shielded, well armed and carry a large troop contingent with the ability to land on a planets surface. (*ability limited to all Ha’tak’s under the size of Battleship) Also capable of making the ‘gods’ voice heard from orbit.
Voice of Command:	The voice of the gods is an intimidating thing and well received by their people who will obey instantly upon hearing it, but such is its power of suggestion and command that others might hesitate when exposed to it, or lend a threat more credence than is actually warranted.

Slave-Soldiers Traits:
Dependency:	Your soldiers are completely and almost invariably loyal to you, though they can be swayed temporarily your soldiers are dependent entirely on a product only you can provide, whether some sort of symbiote whose removal is lethal or simply dependency on a unique drug that not even the vaunted Crimeocracies could make or procure.
Weapons of Terror:	Your soldiers are slightly less useful than would be the norm, equipped with antiquated armour and weapons designed more to instill terror in others, for all their drop in fighting ability the effects on civilian populations is more marked than most other weapons might inflict.
Expendables:	Your soldiers are ridiculously common, they serve as law enforcement, soldier, labourers and crewmen for your ships and just about anything, this means a large drop in combat capacity, but they can be replaced faster than almost anyone could imagine. You simply draw on the populace you have doing other things.
Fanatics:	(Requires: Dependency)Your soldiers loyalties are beyond question, too far beyond question. They are practically immune to any issues of morale that might plague another, they will charge forwards into artillery without regard for casualties and all other manner of behaviour others would consider insane, but this effects their morale as they become afraid of an enemy so dedicated they will walk into death.

Second-Rate Technology Traits:
Cloaking Beta 0.5:	Your people are technology thieves, nobody denies that, and in fact any vessel smaller than 25 fleet points can be fitted with a cloaking device, though it is not as capable of as much protection as others. They do not maintain stealth at speed or in an atmosphere.
Hok’Taur:	Your Gods bodies are powerful whether hosts or their natural forms, they are naturally capable of limited telekinesis and have a greatly accelerated healing. Though i’d not recommend standing still for a tank.
Ring Transporters:	Fixed point teleporters that come in pairs, they allow limited ranged teleportation, typically no more than orbit to ground, though some ships are fitted with pairs for much shorter ranged teleports.
Kull:	Highly elite, extremely difficult to kill enemies with armour that is almost as capable as ship armour. These soldiers replace Space Marines, though they lack the intuition of Space Marines their resilience and high firepower as well as ability to walk through shields makes them feared elites. Thankfully they are quite a bit rarer. (Replaces Space Marines: Cost x2)

Strategic/Tactical Developments Traits:
Don’t let them get too advanced!:	Your tactics when dealing with advanced civilisation is usually along the lines of hoping to pre-emptively prevent them from ever reaching that stage. As such you’re know for bombing new colonies and non-spacefaring civilisations into ashes. And trying to do it against others when the chance rears its ugly head.
Deep Infiltration:	You send your spies or even try and infiltrate one of your false gods into the enemies infrastructure, the problem is you tend to be quite good at it, and as such it is possible that you will know the enemies moves ahead of time. However your natures eventually assert themselves leading to the infiltrator being caught, often red-handed.
Ba’al Conundrum:	We killed your god! Wait... no? How is he in four places at once? He’s a god... Oh shit. He has clones or something!!! Your highest gods are really really hard to put down no matter how hard you try!
Run away in a dignified manner:	Ok, it’s not often dignified, but when things get too hard your Gods know how to beat a retreat in style. Sure it’s usually loaded with enough clichés to kill a Nukem Nation, but hey, at the end of the day they get both the last word and away with their lives.... usually...