From: emc@m-net.arbornet.org (Evan M Corcoran) Description: WarpWar Variants, First Edition NOTE: This version supercedes the version released to the WDG list. The ECM and Hold rules here are updated from that edition. Send all comments and confused yet relevant ramblings to the address in the header. __ __ __ ____ ____ __ __ __ ____ \ \ /\ / / \ \ |___ \ |___ \\ \ /\ / / \ \ |___ \ \ \\ \ / / __\ \ ___) | ___) |\ \\ \ / / __\ \ ___) | \ \\ \/ / / / \ \ |___ < | ___/ \ \\ \/ / / / \ \ |___ < \ \\ / / /___\ \ | || | \ \\ / / /___\ \ | | \/ \/ /_________\ |_||_| \/ \/ /_________\ |_| Variants 1st Ed. WARPWAR RULE VARIANTS This is a collection of variant rules for Microgame #4, WarpWar. Some of these rules are complex and change the nature of the game radically; others fit smoothly with the original system. To a degree they can be mixed and matched with one another to produce a WarpWar of desired simplicity. Rules marked with a * are 'official' 2nd edition rules and generally make no radical changes to the original system. The following people contributed to this article: alange@rahul.net, alierha@access.digex.net, bcarlson@netcom.com, c.d.turnitsa@larc. nasa.gov, cohen@martigny.ai.mit.edu, dredick@nmc.cit.cornell.edu, edandavi@well.sf.ca.us, emc@m-net.arbornet.org, hcarter@ stedman.CV.COM, ho@biomed.med.yale.edu, iborchar@physics.adelaide.edu.au, johnca@ netcom.com, ksackett@cs.uah.edu, lab@biostat.mc.duke.edu, mcclure@ nebula.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com, n8442831@henson.cc.wwu.edu, rafial@well. sf.ca.us, rshipley@illuminati.io.com, shodsdon@leotech.mv.com, simpson@netcom.com, str@qdot.qld.gov.au, tewok@tis.com, ukyou@netcom. com, and wws@cblpd.att.com. CONTENTS I. SHIP COMPONENTS * 1. Cannons * 2. Shells * 3. ECM * 4. Holds * 5. Armor * 6. Repair Bays 7. Split Drive, Energy 8. Marines II. MOVEMENT * 1. MP = 1/2 PD 2. WG cost 3 BP + max. MP 3. WG produce (3 + TL) MP 4 Tactical speed is goverened by a thrust/weight ratio 5. Space travel requires (distance^2) MP III. ECONOMICS * 1. Star Ownership * 2. Scrapping * 3. BP Collection * 4. Bases * 5. Build event sequence 6. Colonies 7. 1/2 cost repairs IV. TECH LEVELS * 1. TL increases 1 level every 6th turn. 2. TL must be bought 3. Screens subtract TL from each hit 4. TL increases 1 level per type every 2nd turn V. COMBAT * 1. Systemship loss after failed attack * 2. Systemship drop in combat SECTION I: SHIP COMPONENTS * CANNONS (C) are used by a ship to launch Shells. Each Cannon may fire either one, two or three Shells per combat round. 1 PD is required to power a Cannon for one combat round. Each Cannon costs 1 BP to build. Cannons may not be used by a ship on the same combat round with Beams or Screens. May be used with Missiles. * SHELLS (SH) are fired by Cannons. Each Shell does a basic 1 point of damage if it strikes. Hit +1 and +2 and TL extra damage is added per burst of Shells, not per individual Shell. 1 BP builds 6 shells. Shells do not have a drive setting; they are unguided and act like Beams in that they hit according to the ship's Drive and combat tactic. In other respects Shells are treated as Missiles - ship may be built to carry any number (though they may never exceed the capacity they were built with), and they may not be transferred between ships. Shells are not affected by ECM. EXAMPLE: S1 is TL:1 PD:5 C:2 SH:6. In combat with W3 (TL=1), the orders are as follows: S1 ATTACK D=3 C=1 (fire 3 shells) C=1 (fire 1 shell) W2 ATTACK D=2 Checking the CRT, S1 obtains a HIT +2 against W2 with both guns. First burst of 2 shells does [3 (shells) + 1 (tech level) + 2 (hit bonus)] = 6 points of damage. Second burst does (1 + 1 + 2) = 4 points damage. * ELECTRONIC COUNTERMEASURES (E) costs 1 BP per point of ECM. The ship can allocate PD to ECM in combat, up to the ECM rating with which the ship was constructed. In combat, after orders are revealed, the player using ECM allocates his ECM points among the attacking Missiles, and then adds or subtracts the difference between the defending ship's tech level and each Missile's tech level from the ECM points allocated to that Missile. EXAMPLE: W8 (TL2) generates 3 points of ECM. 2 Missiles are launched at W8: one at TL0 and D=2 and one at TL4 and D=3. W8 allocates 1 point of ECM against the first Missile and 2 points of ECM against the second. Subtracting the first Missile's TL of 0 from W8's TL of 2 gives a +2, which is added to the 1 point of ECM allocated against the first Missile, totalling 3 effective points of ECM for that Missile ONLY. W8 may alter the first Missile's Drive rating by 3 points in either direction - he chooses to reduce it to zero. Subtracting the second Missile's TL of 4 from W8's TL of 2 gives a -2, which is subtracted from the 2 points of ECM allocated against the second Missile, leaving zero effective points of ECM for the second Missile ONLY. * HOLDS (H) cost 1 BP per 10 BP capacity. Holds contain BPs and allow Warpships to transport BPs between stars. When taking damage, 1 point of damage will destroy one 10 BP-capacity Hold AND 10 cargo BP, or fraction thereof. When taking damage on a Warpship with more than one Hold, the player may choose to damage empty Holds before BP-carrying Holds. BPs may be loaded or unloaded during the Build event only. BPs may not be transferred between ships. Systemships may not have Holds. * ARMOR (A) is ablative hull reinforcement. 1 BP builds (2 points of Armor + Tech level). One point of Armor will absorb one point of damage. Armor is repaired at a cost of 1 BP per 2 points of Armor, regardless of tech level. EXAMPLE: W6 is built at tech level 3. 2 BP are spent on Armor for for W6, building (2 x (2 + 3)) = 10 points of Armor. Two turns later W6 is damaged and 4 points of Armor are destroyed. The cost to repair W6's Armor from 6 to 10 points is 2 BP. * REPAIR BAYS (R) cost 5 BP. A ship with a Repair Bay may use BPs in Hold or from Star to repair itself or any number of other ships present on the same star hex during the build/repair event. BPs mined from Baseless Stars may be used immediately to repair by ships with Repair Bays. Repair Bays like Warp Generators do not take damage in combat and are destroyed when the Warp Generator is destroyed. SPLIT DRIVE AND POWER PLANT (D,P) Replace the Power/Drive with: Drive (D) Denotes maximum speed of ship. Power Plant (P) Produces energy used for Drive and weapons Each point of Drive or Energy costs 1 BP. MARINES (MA) come in a self-contained shuttlecraft that is launched from a Tube like a Missile and has its own Drive setting. If it hits, the platoon takes over the ship, unless there are Marines present on board. If this is the case, both platoons are eliminated. If the Marine craft misses, it must wait till combat ends to be picked up by a friendly ship. If friendlies lose, the craft is destroyed. Marine shuttles ignore Screens. Ships captured by Marines are wholly owned by the capturing player. Captured ships may not participate in the combat during which they were captured. Cost 1 BP. SECTION II: MOVEMENT "Movement Points" in this section are non-combat 'strategic' movement points and do not alter normal combat rules. *1. Movement points of Warpships equal one-half of PD rating, round up. 2. Warp generators cost 3 BP + maximum movement point value, e.g. to build a warpship with 4 movement points, 7 BP must be spent on the warp generator. 3. Warp generators produce (3 + Tech Level) Movement Points for non- combat movement only. Warpships may have more than one warp generator. 4 Tactical speed is goverened by a thrust/weight ratio: In combat, tactical speed is determined by the following formula: THRUST=(6+Tech Level) x (D allocation) --------------------------------------- = SPEED WEIGHT=total number BP for construction 5. To travel n space (not warpline) hexes requires at least n squared undamaged PD units. For example, if in one turn a ship moves, 1 hex to reach a star, then travels two warp line segments, and finally travels 2 more space hexes, it would require 11 PD = (1+1+1 space)^2 + 2 warpline. SECTION III: ECONOMICS * 1. Star Ownership: A star is owned by a player if 1. there is a friendly starbase and no enemy ships present or 2. there are friendly ships and no enemy ships present. * 2. Scrapping: Ships may be scrapped for 1/2 their current total BP value. Ships may only be scrapped at Bases during the Build event. * 3. BP Collection: Each Star has a basic BP value, determined before play. A good range is 0-5. During the Build event of a player's turn, he collects BPs on all owned systems. If a friendly Base is present, the player collects double the BP value of that system and may stockpile the BPs on that Base; if no Base is present, one half the basic BP value is collected and the BPs must be immediately stored in a ship's Hold or they are lost. Systems produce BPs for a player beginning on the turn AFTER the turn that player took ownership of that system. For example, if Player 1 moves thought an unowned star it is now owned by Player 1 and produces BPs at the start of Player 1's next turn. If Player 2 moves through it on his turn there are no BPs right away BUT it is now owned by Player 2. If Player 1 now moves through it there are still no BPs but it is now owned by Player 1. BPs may not be transferred between Stars except in Holds; BPs may not be transferred between ships. * 4. Bases: A Base may be constructed during the Build event if a ship carrying 10 BP in its Hold is present on a star. BP received from a star may not be used to build a Base at that star in the turn they were received.A Base doubles the basic BP production of a system. A Base is destroyed automatically when enemy ships are present unopposed on the Star hex at the end of the enemy's turn. One half of all BPs present on the destroyed Base can be immediately picked up by ships in the system if they have sufficient Hold space. Any BPs not immediately picked up are lost. 5. This is the order of actions in the Build event, using the above rules: 1. Build: (a) Receive new Build Points from owned stars according to the economics rules. Add to stockpiles and record current base totals. Load or unload system BPs into Holds. (b) Scrap old ships at bases and add Build Points to base stockpiles. (c) Build new ships and Bases, repair and resupply old ships. Subtract expenditures from Base totals New ships are placed on the Star they were built at. 6. Colonies: A Colony is an upgraded Base. A Base may be upgraded to a Colony if 30 BP are spent at the Base; the BPs need not be spent all at once, but they must be spent at that system, either from the system's own production or from Holds of ships present. A Colony quadruples the basic BP production of a system. Colonies may not be destroyed. If a player captures an enemy Colony, BP production is reduced to 2x basic value. Colonies may be recaptured. Optionally, Bases may be capable only of repair and resupply, and stockpiling BPs, while Colonies are able to build as well as repair, resupply and stockpile. 7. Half cost repairs: Each BP spent on repairs rebuilds 2 points of ship component. SECTION IV: TECH LEVELS * 1. Tech increases one level every sixth turn. 2. Tech levels do not increase automatically for all weapon systems - they must be bought in three separate types. The three types of technology are Energy, Guided and Kinetic. Energy TL is applied to Screens and Beams; Guided TL is applied to Missiles and ECM; and Kinetic TL is applied to Shells and Armor. Players are not required to develop technology, nor are they required to develop all technology types equally. Each Tech Level costs 10 BP x level desired. BP spent on technology does not have to come from the same planet or be spent at the same time. BP spent on technology is cumulative. Technology levels never decrease. Players may not gain more than one tech level per type per turn. Tech levels may be traded to other, allied players in a multiplayer game, at a rate of one TL per one TL: e.g., a player may trade offer his Kinetic TL 3 in return for Energy TL 2, both players gaining no more than one level. Technology may be stolen: a player steals tech when he captures a star with a Base from a player with a higher TL. If the difference between the players' TL is only 1, the capturing player gets 5 BP towards his next TL in all applicable types. If the difference is 2, he gets 4 BP; if 3, he gets 3 BP and so on. These BP may not be used in construction, only for TL. Example: Player1 (TL: E:1 G:3 K:2) captures a star with a Base from Player2 (TL: E:3 G:1 K:3). Player1 gets 4 BP towards E:2 and 5 BP towards K:3. 3. Screens subtract their TL from each separate hit, not from total damage received. EXAMPLE: two beam 2 hits on a screen 3, both ships at equal TL: tech 0 ((2+0) + (2+0)) - (3 +0 +0) = 1 tech 2 ((2+2) + (2+2)) - (3 +2 +2) = 1 tech 5 ((2+5) + (2+5)) - (3 +5 +5) = 1 tech 5 vs tech 4, same weapon, shield mix 2x2 attacking, 3 defending tech 5 firing vs tech 4 ((2+5) + (2+5)) - (3 +4 +4) = 3 tech 4 firing vs tech 5 ((2+4) + (2+4)) - (3 +5 +5) = -1 (no damage) tech 1 firing vs tech 0 ((2+1) + (2+1)) - (3 + 0 + 0) = 3 tech 0 firing vs tech 1 ((2+0) + (2+0)) - (3 + 1 + 1) = -1 (no damage) 4. Tech increases one level per tech type (as above) every second turn. Like so: Turn 2: Energy TL +1 Turn 4: Guided TL +1 Turn 6: Kinetic TL +1 Turn 8: Energy TL +2 Turn 10: Guided TL +2 Turn 12: Kinetic TL +2 and so on. SECTION V: COMBAT * 1. After 3 rounds of no combat, attacking Systemships are destroyed if they cannot be picked up by retreating Warpships. * 2. Warpships may pick up or drop as many Systemships per combat round as they have Systemship Racks. Each SR may EITHER pick up OR drop one Systemship per combat round. EXTRA BONUS SCENARIO WarpChess, or, Archon in Space WarpWar is sort of like Archon, with simple strategic movement but bloody tactical fighting. So here is the variant to play WarpWar like Archon. First: Make a decent sized map. One way to do this is to xerox (tm) the original map twice and attach the two copies together side by side with the ends facing opposite directions. Next: Take a large number of BPs, say 200, and design a "set" of ships to use. Both players will use identical forces. No systemships. Set up the fleets in a uniform manner. Flip a coin and go to it. Each player can only move 3 ships per turn. Systemships, economics, tech levels, and repair and resupply rules are not used. Missiles and Shells are automatically resupplied at the end of every player turn. Game ends when one side is destroyed; alternatively, both sides can designate a "king" piece, the destruction of which ends the game.