What scale are you looking to cover?

chevelless's picture
chevelless
November 28, 2008 - 2:53pm
Are we talking small-unit action or global planetary war? The reason I ask is I was going to work on a system myself that covered these ranges. I was going to work on it after the vehicle guide but my ideas flow faster then my typing.
    My thought was basically fleshing out a system that might cover all ranges. That being said, I figured it would have to be broken down into a few seperate forces, as follows:
1) Infantry units
2) calvary units
3) air forces
4)artillery
5)logistics(planet-side and in space) 
6)naval forces
    I have a few ideas about infantry and calvary forces floating in my head. As I finish the vehicle guide, it will give some ideas for para-military vehicles. There is a Dragon article on calvary vehicle, dont remember it by name, that can help with standard vehicle types, from there its a matter of grouping vehicles in units and determining the stats.
     I have an old book called "How to make war" that gives a breakdown of unit strengths from regiment and battalion levels right down to platoon sizes. I will look for the notes  I made and try and post another thread on unit organization.
    Possibly we can list each type  of unit in a diffrent thread to keep the info organized. Unfortunately they say organization is the key, and I lock myself outside alot hehe. Anyway, let me know what you think.
‹ Battle Dawn Skirmish Dawn ›
Comments:

Will's picture
Will
November 28, 2008 - 3:39pm
The article in question is "Tanks A Lot," by Alex Curlyo(sic), though I'll be hanged as to what issue of DRAGON it appeared in.

I think it's available for download at www.starfrontiers.com, though I'm not sure.

Larry(w00t) answers your question here: http://starfrontiers.us/node/3252

"You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so."


—Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation

chevelless's picture
chevelless
November 28, 2008 - 4:08pm
theres another article as well. Here comes the calvary--deals more with armored vehicles like tanks and apc's.

Will's picture
Will
November 28, 2008 - 4:37pm
That's the title, and I think it's by the same author...it should also be at the .com site.

"You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so."


—Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation

Anonymous's picture
w00t (not verified)
November 28, 2008 - 5:02pm
The idea is like you said;
1. to group units together, they can be the same unit or mixed unit types.
Example; Tanks and Infantry.
2. to find a way to come up with stats for units and mixed units.
  • Move
  • Weapons / To Hit
  • Range
  • Defense
  • Initiative Modifier
  • Surprise Modifier
Type of units; (not a bad list chevelless)

1) Infantry units
2) calvary units
3) air forces
4) artillery
5) logistics(planet-side and in space) 
6) naval forces

Quote:
Ground Hawks is a rule set for ground, water and sub-atmo combat from small skirmishes to large scale assaults. Ground Hawks focus will be planetary engagements.

Will's picture
Will
November 28, 2008 - 5:05pm
Chev, the article's "Here Comes the Cavalry," by Matt Bandy.

You can download the PDF here: http://starfrontiers.us/node/3299

or go to the .com site, click on the RULES button on the left-hand side, then click on DRAGON magazine, then scroll down.

"You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so."


—Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation

chevelless's picture
chevelless
November 28, 2008 - 11:55pm

ya I found my copy of the article, but thanks for the link. As for the starting question--DOH--guess reading the intro again could have answered it. I started on my vehicle project and hope to have a rough draft together by the weekend. Anyone want to look it over before I let everyone see it and find all the mistakes? hehe


thespiritcoyote's picture
thespiritcoyote
June 1, 2011 - 12:51pm

  I like the Dirtfire rules from the old Imperial Starfire game, allows grouping mechanized units from fire-teams to mechanized battalions, includes naval, air, and trans-atmo support.
 Moves are made on the polyhedron style planetary maps by default, but the actual shape isn't hard-coded, just planetary sizes are. Ranges from asteroids to planets twice the size of earth easily.
  If you Print three maps to fit the chits; a whole planet, a moon, and an orbital map, could be fit on one table for a full planetary siege.
  Strategic engagements lasting several months in-game, can be played out in a day, with the ease of the rules.

  When I think of what SF could benefit from a battle-system supplement, that's my benchmark.

  I personally use the six sided polar-projection style hex-maps, so the stratigic planetary map can be given facing with the planet placed on the KH orbital map. Orbital bombardment and troop-ships then have to know what planetary facing they are dropping on.
  All the parts of the epic conflict fit neatly on a single gaming-table, and the group cohesion is maintained on the larger epic-scale, by running the different parts simultaneously.

  Unlike most wargame/rpg crossovers however, I built my SF battle-system house-rules on supporting the RPG first, rather than relegating the RPG to the secondary position, like Mechwarrior for example, which was made to support the already existing wargame.
  Thus the wargame, even on 'skirmish' scales, only comes up in my SF games when there is a reason for PC's to be in a position of rank, in a conflict on that scale.
   So the above developed out of having a Nobel, an Admiral, and a set of several field equivalent Majors and Captains, all taking control of different parts of the strategic theater. Once several goals were achieved, everything stepped back down to the regular rules, and the plot continued in the new environment of the aftermath.

Oh humans!! Innocent We discover a galactic community filled with multiple species of aliens, and the first thing we think about is "how can we have sex with them?".
~ anymoose, somewhere on the net...

so...
if you square a square it becomes a cube...
if you square a cube does it become an octoid?